Martin Luther Quote

"The kingdom is to be in the midst of your enemies, and he who will not suffer this does not want to be of the Kingdom of Christ; he wants to be among friends, to sit among roses and lilies, not with the bad people but the devout people. O you blasphemers and betrayers of Christ! If Christ had done what you are doing who would ever have been spared?"

Cool Press for RYAA

I have spent the last three weeks volunteering for Ravenswood Youth Athletic Association. After many calls to newspapers and emails to editors, we lucked out with a great article in the San Jose Mercury. You can read it here. Hopefully I'll be able to reflect on my time further on Pile of Stones.

I stray. You remain.

I stray. You Remain.

Draw me back to life with You.

I worry. You trust.

Teach me the providence of your kingdom.

I forget. You remember.

Remind me of Yourself every day.

I doubt. You are.

Give me what I need to seek you.

I usurp. You own.

Break my self-sufficiency.

I posture. You are.

Show me the path of a servant.

I lie. You speak.

Grant me secutiry and courage enough.

I avoid. You act.

Send Your Spirit before me and with me.

Holiness

DRAFT - to be updated. If you have comments or suggestions, please share.

I know that I depend upon myself too much—I am confronted by that fact when my sinful behavior is not a cleavage from my normal way of living. It gives proof to the fundamental divorce between my lifestyle and how I want to live—in utter dependence on Jesus.

Holiness, what is it? I am averse to reliance on a simple definition, being “good,” but perhaps there is substantial truth in such a concept, and I'm just prideful. My conscience may be simple, but if obeyed, it probably would help me along. After all, I can discern when I don’t do the right thing, and that small voice probably comes from good inputs in my life.

Holiness produces good things in community, (2 timothy). When we rightfully care for ourselves and for others, things seem to work well. Even the tough times become easier and more bearable when we do life in a Holy way. He who designed us knows our situation, and the proscriptive standard He calls us to is good for us. To avoid legalism, we might have lost the blessing that right living is. Holy living, however, is not an easy thing. I know that I need tremendous help from God and others to even have a chance at it.

I think it is GK Chesterton who said something to the effect of 'within safe boundaries, good things run wild.'

My point, I guess, is that we should not give up in our quest for Holiness. The prideful neglect of pursuing holiness is not a celebration of our freedom in Christ. I believe in my life it has hampered growth and caused many doubts. Striving to be Holy is a gift that God gives us; if we scorn it, we lose a secure base for further spiritual exploration. Perhaps much of the current spiritual experimentation in Christianity today is a response to the Church's drift from emphasizing holiness (although I'm not saying it's bad). Christians find their faith inadequate and seek relevance and connection in other ways. Maybe a large obstacle is sin. Or perhaps it is loss of a holy mindset--one that values integrity and a God-like perspective of moral consequence.

DRAFT

There is no hope

A poem. Written in a dark hour of self-doubt and hopelessness.

memory forms,
like old, rechargeable batteries--depleted,
replete with shells of formal chemical/kinetic expenditures
that impede.

(or at least haunt me as I wander distractedly,
bounded by fearful self-deception.)

The lust for connection to relevance
hangs like a familiar scent to be triggered
by secure-base exploration, retreat, or reflection.

"I've been here before! Wow!" exclaim they.
Pity, since I've been there, too, and remember
only dissatisfaction and unfulfilled advances--
real or fearfully dreamed and repressed,
once merely unsatiated, now unappetizing.

the stench of dissapointment--
why undertake anything?

(because) I'm afraid the stink may permanently attach itself to me.

Celtic Book of Prayer

The Celtic Book of Prayer is great!

Full title:

Celtic Daily Prayer: Prayers and Readings From the Northumbria Community

More thoughts to come.

College Life and Spiritual Growth -- Secret of the Easy Yoke

Dave Bazan, when he performs "Secret of the Easy Yoke" (quite possibly my favorite song, although The Beatles's "Something," Switchfoot's "Love is the Movement," and Tupac's "I Wonder if Heaven Got a Ghetto" all vie for that honor) adds a couple lines at the close of the song that aren't in the recorded version. After describing alienation from organized religion and desperation at not finding God in the bulk of the song, the narrator receives a wonderful response. He hears, "Peace, be still," presumably from God. Whereas the song originally ended at that point, on a hopeful note, the lyrics that Bazan adds return to the narrator. He cries, "For a moment I'm alive again. But now I need it all the time." The response from God was sufficient for a moment only.

I have experienced that same dependence. After tasting Living Water and Holy Bread, all else fails, remaining insipid and frightening. I don't claim to be in perfect union with God, but from even a drop on my lips I am ruined. I now find that my daily walk with God is necessary for my mental health. Without that linchpin, everything self-destructs. I have the sinking impression, regrettably, that God won't endlessly give me that feeling. Since he knows what is best, I obviously don't need it all the time.

Will that be my easy yoke, then? Do I wait for more Water and do my best to stay receptive? Why is it so easy to return to other streams? Why do so many appear to never find it?

Perkins

Quite a fun afternoon. It's a shame it came the weekend before finals so I was basically frantic.

He shared a number of deep concepts.

I was intrigued by his critique of big regional churches (I attend one). He pointed to the situation where individuals and families travel from their community to a church where they satisfy their religious obligation. Their spiritual capital is spent away from where they live, thus impoverishing their local community. One of John's big tenets is Church based community development.