Sunday, September 26, 2004
Psalm 130 -- seeking reality ---- redux
Psalm 130 part 2 ....
We talked some more about suffering again today ..... a person could stay on psalm 130 or probably any verse in the bible for a long time and get more than just 1 topic ... Brad read a quote from Eugene Peterson , ( by the way Brad is 42 today ) , this is what he read ...
" The earth can be ravaged , still it cannot suffer . Man and woman , alone in the creation , suffer . For suffering is pain plus : physical or emotional pain plus the awareness that our own worth as people is threatened , that our own value as creatures made in the dignity of GOD is called into question , that our own destiny as eternal souls is jeopardized . Are we to be , finally , nothing ? Are we to be discared ? Are we to be rejects in the universe and thrown onto the garbage dump of humanity because our bodies degenerate or our emotions malfunction or our minds becaome confused or our families find fault with us , or society avoids us ? Any one of these or , as is more likely , a combination of them , can put us in what Psalm 130 calls the depths .
A Christian is a person who decides to face and live through suffering ... A man or woman of faith who fails to acknowledge and deal with suffering become , at last , either a cynic or a melancholic or a suicide . "
How does this effect you ? Are you in the depths ? Are you a Christian ?
We talked some more about suffering again today ..... a person could stay on psalm 130 or probably any verse in the bible for a long time and get more than just 1 topic ... Brad read a quote from Eugene Peterson , ( by the way Brad is 42 today ) , this is what he read ...
" The earth can be ravaged , still it cannot suffer . Man and woman , alone in the creation , suffer . For suffering is pain plus : physical or emotional pain plus the awareness that our own worth as people is threatened , that our own value as creatures made in the dignity of GOD is called into question , that our own destiny as eternal souls is jeopardized . Are we to be , finally , nothing ? Are we to be discared ? Are we to be rejects in the universe and thrown onto the garbage dump of humanity because our bodies degenerate or our emotions malfunction or our minds becaome confused or our families find fault with us , or society avoids us ? Any one of these or , as is more likely , a combination of them , can put us in what Psalm 130 calls the depths .
A Christian is a person who decides to face and live through suffering ... A man or woman of faith who fails to acknowledge and deal with suffering become , at last , either a cynic or a melancholic or a suicide . "
How does this effect you ? Are you in the depths ? Are you a Christian ?
Saturday, September 25, 2004
Dostoyevsky
Went this past thursday night to " New City Cafe " in the old City in Knoxville , with my son ,and Doug one of my buddies , to a study of " The Gospel in Dostoyevsky " , by Father Freeman of Oak Ridge , here is a little bit in the opening of The Grand Inquistor :
He came softly , unobserved , and yet , strange to say , everyone recognized Him . The people are irresistibly drawn to Him , they surround Him , they flock about Him , follow Him . He moves silently in their midst with a gentle smile of infinite compassion . The sun of love burns in His heart ; light snd power shine from His eyes ; and their radiance , shed on the people , stirs their hearts with responsive love . He holds out His hands to them and blesses them and a healing virtue comes from contact with Him , even with His garments .........
How does He effect you ?
He came softly , unobserved , and yet , strange to say , everyone recognized Him . The people are irresistibly drawn to Him , they surround Him , they flock about Him , follow Him . He moves silently in their midst with a gentle smile of infinite compassion . The sun of love burns in His heart ; light snd power shine from His eyes ; and their radiance , shed on the people , stirs their hearts with responsive love . He holds out His hands to them and blesses them and a healing virtue comes from contact with Him , even with His garments .........
How does He effect you ?
Sunday, September 19, 2004
Psalm 130 -- seeking reality ....
This morning at our meeting ( church ) Brad shared part 1 of Psalm 130 , part 2 next week , anyway , much was said about suffering , most of it good . A quote from Rita " There is no Hope without Despair " . We have all suffered in one way or another , has it brought you closer to God , or did you turn ( your ) tail and run from what would probably be your healing ? The church as failed so many people while they where suffering ,
Friday, September 17, 2004
Blogger Knowledge
can anybody relate ?
A PRAYER of THOMAS MERTON ...
God , we have no idea where we are going . We do not see the road ahead of us . We cannot know for certain where it will end . Nor do we really know ourselves , and the fact that we think we are following your will does not mean that we are actually doing so . But we believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you . And we hope we have that desire in all that we are doing . We hope that we will never do anything apart from that desire . And we know that if we do this you will lead us by the right road , though we may know nothing about it . Therefore , we will trust you always though we may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death . We will not fear , for you are ever with us , and you will never leave us to face our perils alone .
http://www.merton.org
God , we have no idea where we are going . We do not see the road ahead of us . We cannot know for certain where it will end . Nor do we really know ourselves , and the fact that we think we are following your will does not mean that we are actually doing so . But we believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you . And we hope we have that desire in all that we are doing . We hope that we will never do anything apart from that desire . And we know that if we do this you will lead us by the right road , though we may know nothing about it . Therefore , we will trust you always though we may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death . We will not fear , for you are ever with us , and you will never leave us to face our perils alone .
http://www.merton.org
an all day RAIN thanks to Ivan ....
Last nights game in the rain ... Alcoa 44 ,
Sweetwater 12 ... a very long and wet game , my son is an offensive guard and very good at it too . Rain started yesterday as an off and on thing , but since late afternoon it hasn't stopped , raining hard at times , suppose to end tomorrow sometime , will probably be a lot of flooding . Iven has been a bad strom and it seems that another one is brewing , Jeanne I think . I stayed home from work today , the first time in about 6 years that I'd called in . Oh' well we all need a break sometimes ......
Here is a link to the ministry I work with if anyone is interested .....
http://www.springoflight.org , now back to surfing ........... tim
Sweetwater 12 ... a very long and wet game , my son is an offensive guard and very good at it too . Rain started yesterday as an off and on thing , but since late afternoon it hasn't stopped , raining hard at times , suppose to end tomorrow sometime , will probably be a lot of flooding . Iven has been a bad strom and it seems that another one is brewing , Jeanne I think . I stayed home from work today , the first time in about 6 years that I'd called in . Oh' well we all need a break sometimes ......
Here is a link to the ministry I work with if anyone is interested .....
http://www.springoflight.org , now back to surfing ........... tim
Thursday, September 16, 2004
football in the rain .... what a deal ...........
Going to go watch my son play football in the rain tonight , the game was moved to today because of the weather ...
Anyway here's a link to my buddies blog ... http://floydville.blogspot.com , I hope this works this time ..........
Anyway here's a link to my buddies blog ... http://floydville.blogspot.com , I hope this works this time ..........
Tuesday, September 14, 2004
why is it that all I have to talk about is my day and usually how bad it went..
I must start writting something more happy ...
Like what you say .. ( I know you said it , I heard you ,, not really ), I don't know you tell me . There has to be something in this fallen world , perhaps
in Heaven . I beleive in Heaven , do you ? If you believe in Heaven , do you also believe in hell ? If there is a Heaven , then there must be a hell , right ? Jesus talked a lot about both . I'm not a preacher , that's just what I believe . You don't have to be a preacher , people can tell what you believe by the way you act . And your lifestyle .... What can of lifestyle are you showing those around you ?
Like what you say .. ( I know you said it , I heard you ,, not really ), I don't know you tell me . There has to be something in this fallen world , perhaps
in Heaven . I beleive in Heaven , do you ? If you believe in Heaven , do you also believe in hell ? If there is a Heaven , then there must be a hell , right ? Jesus talked a lot about both . I'm not a preacher , that's just what I believe . You don't have to be a preacher , people can tell what you believe by the way you act . And your lifestyle .... What can of lifestyle are you showing those around you ?
Sunday, September 12, 2004
I'm Back
Just got this computor back up -- THANK YOU JEREMY .
It's been a long time , much has happened , will write more later .........
It's been a long time , much has happened , will write more later .........
