Of Wise Sayings and Us
"You are only young once, but you can be immature indefinitely." - What is maturity? Who determines it? In the natural realm maturity is open to wide subjectivity, influenced by all manner of factors, varied from culture to culture. What is clear is that whatever the parameter used in a particular locale it is frowned upon to be considered immature. In the spiritual realm, maturity is measured against the plumb line of Christ likeness. We were created to become like Christ. Evidence of growth and maturity is the extent to which we are becoming or have become like Christ. Each day we experience many opportunities, many challenges. To hold to the sovereignty of God is to hold to the view that nothing happens by chance, that there are no co incidences. It follows then that each moment of the day we are being taken through experiences designed to make us mature. We learn to love by being tested to hate or to respond in love, we learn self control by being allowed to go with the flow or the crowd or the immediate or the expedient or by carefully taking every thought captive to the knowledge of God and of the Truth.
"The Lobster sheds its shell once annually... it's a pity we can't" - or can we? In our case it may require a daily shedding. That seems to have been in view in Paul's mind when he admonished us to "put off the old man" and put on Christ. In Galatians he says, as many as are in Christ have put on Christ. The old man was a commonly known euphemism for the practice of strapping the body of the murder victim to the murderer as a part of his punishment. Oh the depth and beauty of the original languages of the Bible. How graphic! How disgusting! But wait, thats how disgusting my sin is to God. Seems like I have many 'old men' still strapped to my back. But in my case, some of these old men are not yet dead (thats where the analogy breaks down)- some of these old men seem to be drinking red bull and pimp juice for the resist valiantly my own efforts to throw them off. Could it be that I am the one supplying them with the red bull? Hmmm that's a thought... the answer is yes for the most part. If I walk in the spirit, I will not fulfill the desires of the flesh. If I sow to the flesh then of the flesh I will reap corruption. Since I am raised with Christ, I must set my mind on things above.
"Once stretched by a new idea the mind never returns to its original dimensions"
I believe it was Walt Disney who said that "Vision is the art of seeing things unseen." Incidentally the same Walt Disney was once fired by a newspaper company for lack of ideas. Yet he saw the concept of the theme/amusement park. Jesus made a statement that sometimes 'smart' Christians find unnerving - the children of the world are more shrewd in delaing with their own kind than the people of light. Rick Warren says the last words of a dying church are "we have never done it this way before." I have all respect for traditions and the ancient landmarks of the fathers. I lament the extent to which we have strayed from the ancient pathways. Yet there is a kind of steepness in tradition that seems to be crippling the church. There are some who confuse tradition with holiness. There are some who see contemporary approaches and ideas to ministry as being of the devil. There needs to be an assessment of our approaches to ministry and our effectiveness. I believe it is theological and ecclesiastical dishonesty of the highest nature to keep church for keeping church sake, to seek to maintain the status quo, to not want to upset the apple cart, to mot want to offend those who can write big cheques. To confine 'service' to the building, to think it profane to have a prayer meeting on the street corner one Sunday morning. What in the burning sun! Yes in the blazing hot burning sun.
Jesus was repulsed at what the pharisees had made the law into, the temple into- a place for the learned, the elite, those of the right gender- He hung out with the rejects, the 'sinners and publicans,' He ate nuff food and drank nuff wine. He brought what Brennan Mannings calls 'The Ragamuffin Gospel'
"The Lobster sheds its shell once annually... it's a pity we can't" - or can we? In our case it may require a daily shedding. That seems to have been in view in Paul's mind when he admonished us to "put off the old man" and put on Christ. In Galatians he says, as many as are in Christ have put on Christ. The old man was a commonly known euphemism for the practice of strapping the body of the murder victim to the murderer as a part of his punishment. Oh the depth and beauty of the original languages of the Bible. How graphic! How disgusting! But wait, thats how disgusting my sin is to God. Seems like I have many 'old men' still strapped to my back. But in my case, some of these old men are not yet dead (thats where the analogy breaks down)- some of these old men seem to be drinking red bull and pimp juice for the resist valiantly my own efforts to throw them off. Could it be that I am the one supplying them with the red bull? Hmmm that's a thought... the answer is yes for the most part. If I walk in the spirit, I will not fulfill the desires of the flesh. If I sow to the flesh then of the flesh I will reap corruption. Since I am raised with Christ, I must set my mind on things above.
"Once stretched by a new idea the mind never returns to its original dimensions"
I believe it was Walt Disney who said that "Vision is the art of seeing things unseen." Incidentally the same Walt Disney was once fired by a newspaper company for lack of ideas. Yet he saw the concept of the theme/amusement park. Jesus made a statement that sometimes 'smart' Christians find unnerving - the children of the world are more shrewd in delaing with their own kind than the people of light. Rick Warren says the last words of a dying church are "we have never done it this way before." I have all respect for traditions and the ancient landmarks of the fathers. I lament the extent to which we have strayed from the ancient pathways. Yet there is a kind of steepness in tradition that seems to be crippling the church. There are some who confuse tradition with holiness. There are some who see contemporary approaches and ideas to ministry as being of the devil. There needs to be an assessment of our approaches to ministry and our effectiveness. I believe it is theological and ecclesiastical dishonesty of the highest nature to keep church for keeping church sake, to seek to maintain the status quo, to not want to upset the apple cart, to mot want to offend those who can write big cheques. To confine 'service' to the building, to think it profane to have a prayer meeting on the street corner one Sunday morning. What in the burning sun! Yes in the blazing hot burning sun.
Jesus was repulsed at what the pharisees had made the law into, the temple into- a place for the learned, the elite, those of the right gender- He hung out with the rejects, the 'sinners and publicans,' He ate nuff food and drank nuff wine. He brought what Brennan Mannings calls 'The Ragamuffin Gospel'
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