We all learn from somebody.....

A Story..
~Mary is a 34 year old divorced single mother on welfare. She has three kids from two different fathers. She lives in Lake Placid NY and works two jobs to support her family. She also has an addiction to prescription pills that started after the birth of her last child. She has tried countless self help books, churches, and therapy to get her back on her feet, it just seems to her that this is the life she is destined to have. When she is up late she writes letters to her mother who was killed in a car wreck shortly after she was born, and to her Dad who she ran away from at the age of 16 years old. Her Dad never allowed her to do anything. He was always controlling her and telling her what to do. So, one night when her father was sleeping she ran away from home with an older boy. She now regrets doing this but guilt and shame have kept her from trying to re-connect with him.
~Sam is a 55 years old maintenance man at a local hospital. He married his high school sweetheart at the age of 21 years old. Nine months later Sam and his wife celebrated the birth of a beautiful little girl. Sam was a great father and husband however Sam had a little problem with drinking. After a Christmas party at Sam’s work. Sam’s wife told Sam that she was leaving. Sam was having fun and was really connecting to an influential executive in the company he worked for. Sam told his wife that he needed to stay and would be home later. She honored his decision and said goodnight. Sam looked at his wife and said “I will be home in a little while.” Sam’s wife kissed him and shuffled out into the cold Christmas Eve night….That was the last time they ever saw each other.
Sam blames himself for the death of his wife and for his daughter running away from home at the age of 16. He was very overprotective of Mary and was scared to lose her. Not a day goes by that he doesn’t worry about his little girl.
~Jim was 17 years old when he was a witness to one some would call a “miracle.” He was at a Party with his friends on Christmas Eve, when one of his friends wanted to leave the party. Jim knew that his buddy had had way too much to drink. Jim asked if he could drive him home. His friend said “NO, I am fine!” Jim tried to convince his friend to let him drive home only to get the same slurred defensive reaction. Finally his friend said “I AM driving! Now do you want a ride home or not?” Jim thought this was a lot better of an idea than letting him go alone. Jim hesitatingly got into the car and waved goodbye to his girlfriend. As they neared the turn on for Highway 73 Jim noticed that his friend had no intention of stopping at the stop sign. Jim noticed what looked like headlights coming down the highway. Jim screamed “Slow DOWN!”
To late the headlights collided…
~Alan is a 37 year old paralyzed homeless man. He had a promising opportunity to play college sports. Tragically, he decided to drive home drunk after a Christmas Eve party. He ran a stop sign on highway 73 and plowed into a car driven by a woman named Mary, she was killed instantly. Jim, Alan’s passenger and friend also died in the crash. Alan was the only survivor.
Surviving the crash, Alan war paralyzed from the waist down. During rehabilitation in the hospital a man came to visit him. He was a maintenance man for the hospital. He took a vested interest in the boy. Finally one day Alan asked him why he was so friendly to him. The man named said that it was because of his love of Jesus that he was the way he was. Alan had always heard about Jesus and Christians. However, until then he had never actually experienced a Christian. The relationship grew and the night before Alan was to be released he asked the man “How to I become a Christian?” Sam said you must accept and follow Jesus. So, that day Alan gave his entire life over to Jesus.
He didn’t have to be homeless, he chooses to be. Something revolutionary happened to Alan. He started to follow Jesus and that lead him to the place he is now. On the streets, Alan has no home, no property, without a trade or occupation, a friend of junkies, prostitutes, sinners, without fear of material possessions, a advocate against the rich and powerful, and a thorn in the side of the system. One day Sam (the maintenance man) came by to thank Alan. For what Alan said? Sam replied “For teaching me how to be a Christian.”

"Is the Doctrine of the Trinity about God, or Jesus Christ?"

Is the Trinity a doctrine about God, or about Jesus Christ?
Interesting discussion, Some deny that the doctrine that developed in the fourth century was based on Christian ideas, and hold instead that it was a deviation from Early Christian teaching on the nature of God or even that it was borrowed from a pre-Christian conception of a divine trinity held by Plato. Historically one could argue that the doctrine of the Trinity was directly linked to Jesus Christ. More precisely the evolution of organic Christology from homoousios (of the same substance of God) opposed to homoiousios (of similar substance of God) The increased pressure that was placed on Christians to define the relationship between Christ and God pushed for a intense reconsideration of the theology surrounding the relationship of Divinity (if any) between Christ and God.
“If the Word had not been made flesh, there would have been no stumbling block for Jewish monotheism.” (AW. Wainwright p.245) The theological community had to move from the Doctrine of the Trinity being focused on Christ to being inclusive to include a broader discussion on the nature and characteristics of God…particular the incarnation
J.R. Illingworth made two fundamental points; first, he stressed that the doctrine of the Trinity had to project from the contemplation on the true identity of Christ, more specifically the doctrine of the incarnation. Illingworth alluded to that the argument was not primarily about the identity of Jesus; it was more about the distinct character and nature of God, who was incarnated in Jesus of Nazareth. Thus, the doctrine of the Trinity can be seen as an attempt to represent God, God who while still transcendent, became incarnate in Christ, and that incarnation now dwells in the hearts of all believers via the Holy Spirit. (p.245)Illingworth’s perception of God was a personal relationship…his interpretation was radically different from the philosophical “God.”
Prior to the incarnation the intellectual process of defining God (as ignorant as that sounds) was impersonal. The incarnation called out the humanity and character of god. The doctrine of the Trinity “is the encounter between Divine and human persona in the economy of salvation.” (p.246) Christianity holds that God is personal this is both from Biblical witness and the Christian experience of God (prayer and worship).
Although, the doctrine of the Trinity may have started with the task of being about Jesus Christ’s identity, it had to evolve into a state of being about both Jesus and God. The Trinity is a mystery…..one that is not concrete in definition or explanation. Logically I would argue that the Doctrine of the Trinity is more about the role of Jesus Christ then it is with God. For me all things are reflections of God. The Doctrine of the Trinity is important in that it forces us to contemplate the mystery of Divinity, salvation, and truth. It is far more rational to believe that Jesus shared in a similar substance of God (homoiousios), rather than the same substance (homoousios) Yet, Christianity forces us to choose….that my friend is where faith enters through doubt.

"Ears of War" by A.S.

EARS of WAR
The breath of the moment sends me away,
Far from this language of ignorance,
Where thoughts and feelings are at play,
Nothing stays as a glance,
Rather, a constant feeling of upward explosions.
One cannot define the emotion,
As it is
As endless as our desires.
As fearful as the Glory revealed
As gentle as a Summers breeze
As loving as a mothers touch
As tranquil as the morning water
As raging as Megiddo’s battles
Nakedness of thoughts can only brush,
The awareness we all should have not lost
Yet, through the Grace of the Glory,
He has writing another story.
Ancient revelations make one assume,
Don’t be a fool this is for you.
One of
Ignorance
Pain
Beauty
And Love.
One who’s language is not spoken,
“What’s Truth?” pierced the wind.
He spoke no words, no defense, and no pride.
Flesh was pierced for hearts that wine.
What strange emotion is this?
Fools say love!
Ignorant we are….for one cannot speak,
Of such mysterious emotions from the deep.
I’ve heard it breathed,
This word called love.
How free we are to speak as fools.
The love of Him was never spoken,
It was experienced as an emotion.
Blessed are those who have joined as one,
For they encounter a glimpse of love.
Too often they excel in language,
Not the action.
We are blind so we blindly follow.
Examples of a family borrowed,
Have led the heart to much sorrow.
How sweet it is when Grace is given.
Unrestrained,
Unspoken
Free of Forgiveness.
Heaven wept a sweet song,
As the fathers cup was poured out.
Loves definition rang out like a clanging gong.
Ignorant ears of war smothered the Truth.
Engaged in fear and prideful contempt,
Humanities redemption was infinitely set.

Bye the blood of the Truth,
Not by prideful sweat.
Freedoms song rang out of a stone,
Though ears of war stifled the thunderous song,
Clouded in mystery, doubters pay heed,
The Truth is within, be still to believe.
Prideful ignorance is our demise,
Break up our fallow ground, make us wise.
He rose for the garden of emotions unspoken,
He was pierced with pride from heaven and earth,
Found guilty of the Truth,
Perfected awareness in his journey’s
Experienced the sweetness of his mother’s touch,
Came from the beginning and he is the end.
He Rose for nations other than our own,
Waging war with our brother,
Reveals our true lover.
The ears of war spring forth from winter,
Father…
Can’t they see I died for all Sinners?
As we dwell in this place,
Tears flow from above.
Ignorance would call it love.
Have mercy on us,
Oh wait! He already does.
Unspoken thrusts of loves true desire,
Abide in the Truth?
Ignorance tells us we have the Truth,
Truth tells us we are ignorant.

to love is human; to manifest it is divine.

1. Why do so many Christians believe that God suffers? What difference does it make?

The most obvious reason that Christians believe that God suffers is the western Trinitarian view of Jesus as the full incarnation of God. Traditionally many hymns, sermons, and theological works have referenced the “suffering of the cross” to God himself. This is one emerging debate that divides the modern, postmodern, and emergent views of “who was (is) Jesus.” Furthermore the question of “what is a Christian?”

This poses a problem with the view that Jesus was the full incarnation of God is that if God is capable of suffering then this means he is ever-changing, rather than unchanging. To suffer one must change and adapt to the pain. This does not fit into the “boxed” definition of God. This poses a rift in the concept of a loving God as well. One could logically argue or articulate that Jesus was the full incarnation of God and that the act on the cross was not suffering but love. However, this poses another issue in that love has an element of adaptation to it. Love is imperfect….In that love shows vulnerability to emotion and feeling. If the cross was an act of Love and Jesus was the full incarnation of God, then God would be changing. That is not the traditional view of who God is.

In reflection: the act of the cross is not love…. it is mercy. God is not love…..for love makes him vulnerable to human condition. I am not suggesting an apathetic impersonal deity. I am suggesting that God is beyond Love (at least our definition of it) Yes, we might use the phrase “God is Love” similarly to “God as Man” as a matter of convenience. However, it is my conviction that God is not Love, nor gender specific. God transcends our definitions and dogmas into a unknown but experiential collision of mercy and grace...

to love is human; to manifest it is divine...

Moral Cultural Relativism and Evangelism...rant

1. Many Christians talk about having a “personal relationship” with God, What might they mean by this? What theological insights does this way of speaking offer?

To have a personal relationship with God is, in a sense, allowing God to be become human so that we may relate better to the experience of an ultimate higher power. This is a relationship that loves, suffers, hates, is compassionate, etc alongside the second partner of a relationship.

A “personal relationship” with God is one that is littered with rational traps. Just in the language and definition alone we are confronted with the possibility (as “monotheist”) in becoming part of Moral Cultural Relativism. I am not suggesting that this is wrong on any sense. I simply stating that this is the “crack in the door” that allows many interpretations of who and what God is. In this definition everyone can have a personal relationship and definition of who God is. This opens the door for the infamous “all roads lead to the same place (God).

Is this wrong? In my personal experience I am well aware of left and right brain religions and have seen much fruit from changing spiritual methods of experiencing God. Does it make sense to continue to throw parallel methods (for example “The Four Spiritual Truths) at an emerging generation whose major commonality is their desire for instant gratification, abstract experience, and pursuit of non-labels? I have learned that God is much bigger and smarter than I. Instead of coming into a “relationship” with an agenda I now come in with a degree of humility and service. I would go as far as to state that Christianity has taken the beautiful word evangelism and turned it into two things 1) #1 Marketing Scheme and #2 the #1 Deterrent for reaching people with the Gospel. Evangelism as we now it know must take a back seat to Discipleship. We should start finding out where people are at AND where they want to go and help them get there; and leave the conversions up to God. (In my opinion of course.)