Chapter 4 of Mere Churchianity by Michael Spencer. Look at the end of this for the link.
If you're looking for my usual Monday post of a prayer, it precedes this post.
I wrote the following in the comment box of Bend the Page Blog and I accidentally deleted it, so I'm playing it safe ---I wrote it in a Word document first and then made my own post.
Okay, this chapter really got to me. I have whoa! ouch!,and wow! written too many times in the margins.
1): I’m familiar with most of the terms he mentions, but will someone explain 'put out a fleece', 'intermediate department', and 'watch night'?
2) I got his example of the student who wants to control the classroom and who thinks he’s above the rules. Every teacher gets one every year. But it “ouched” me when he said that our big problem with Jesus is that we want to control things, and Jesus turns out to be remarkably difficult to control. I did not like being the student wanting to take control of something that wasn’t mine to control.
3) My Monday’s prayer (that post precedes this one) has a part where the author Stormie Omartian is asking forgiveness for ever being hesitant to publicly say that Jesus is her Lord and that she believes in Him, because of the criticism and judgment of others. That part of the prayer bothered me, because I don’t think proclaiming Jesus as your Lord and Savior is always the way to go..
As M. S. says on p. 51, “Jesus talked about a lot of things, but not everything. In many cases, his actions spoke for him. In other cases, what he failed to do spoke volumes about what he wanted his followers to be like.”
There are several ‘proclaimers’ at the school where I teach and their actions say something different and it’s their actions that are remembered. I believe walking in Jesus’ love for others is the more effective way to go.
But I esp. liked the part when Stormie asks for help to stand strong in the midst of opposition or discrimination of any kind. I have experienced both for the way I reach out to kids, esp. the ones who are shunned by others. It’s lonely there for them and me.
4) M. S. reminds us that Jesus’ personal outreach to the people whom religion officially avoided was one of the most distinctive and shocking things about him. I like M’s expression “Jesus Messiah who kept ‘thumbing his nose’ at hundred of years of Jewish tradition, religious authority, and unquestioned codes of behavior. Examples: hated Samaritans were okay and despised tax collectors were loved by God.
5) Would Jesus recognize his movement if he paid a quality-contol visit today? This is one of the questions M.S. asks in this chapter.
If you're wondering what I'm, talking about check out
Bend the Page book discussion
Although I've not read the book, I've been enjoying the comments by those who are in the process of reading it. Sounds like it speaks in a very meaningful way.
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds wonderful. I"ve read some of Glynn Young's posts on it also, and know it will be put on my ever growing reading list soon!
ReplyDeletei like how you are writing out of your experineces.
ReplyDelete1) isn't it funny about all the different phrases and words there are from different groups.
my sister and i were talking on the phone yesterday how i never saw an artichoke until i moved out here, and that when she lived it georgia that you didn't have to order grits in the restaruant, it just came on the plate.
it's food, i know, but just an example for words.
3) i agree that there are times for speaking up and times for just walking the walk. even times to be in hiding. and some times...we will mess it up.
4) i do like to think about how much of what Jesus was bringing was so different and shocking to the ways of people.
5) my thinking is that Jesus is doing a quality-control every day, 24-7, since He doesn't just visit, but, actually lives with us. and...is the One in-control of His movement. this is the things that people continually forget.
yep, humans have control issues, for sure.
I like your thoughts on #3&4. And thanks so much for your prayers... (II Cor 1:10-11)
ReplyDeleteSometimes when I'm reading the Gospels and read one of Jesus' comments, I wonder what His tone of voice was. He wasn't always quiet and "sweet" and He wasn't always in their face. But whatever and however He spoke, it was the right way. I look forward to Heaven and hearing how the Truth was presented ... and hope we/I presented it the right way.
ReplyDelete