Unless you’re in a church you’re pretty much out the loop of what God is up to.
Suffering is part of God’s larger plan. If it wasn’t, Jesus would never have seen the cross.
Who on earth started the idea that religion is a social aspect for controlling communities and spirituality is the real way to finding comfort or peace?
It makes me sad the amount of people who are primarily convinced that they aren’t religious but they are ‘spiritual’. They seemingly have no idea what it means to say that, and though it is true we are all spiritual, the life choices made by these ‘non-religious-spiritual’ groups are far from spiritual. In fact these practices of regular drinking, partying, and losing all sense of reality is a religion of itself. It is a self salvation that no more adds to a persons spirituality than lighting a candle in a dimly lit church.
How many of these ‘spiritual’ people act in a way that can be compared to the ethereal experience we all aspire to. As far as I can tell, the aspiration is to an unattainable high that is experienced by connecting into drugs or other intoxications, dulling the true senses, and creating a false experience.
I ask for a continuing and increase in the gracious presence of the One True God, who can lift out of the chaos those who aren’t trying to hide from their own reality, but trying to be permanently rid of it.
To the surprise of the world Jesus will be fully revealed. To the surprise of the world the church will be revealed.
As the moon rose and the hour grew late
The day-help on the coconut estate
Raked up the dried leaves that fell dead from the trees
Which they burned in a pile by the lake
The beetle king summoned his men
And from the top of the rhododendron stem,
“Calling all volunteers who can carry back here
The Great Mystery has been lit once again”
One beetle emerged from the crowd
In a fashionable abdomen shroud
Said, “I’m a professor, you see, that’s no mystery to me
I’ll be back soon, successful and proud”
But when the beetle professor returned,
He crawled on all six, as his wings had been burned
And described to the finest detail all he’d learned
There was neither a light, nor a heat, in his words
The deeply dissatisfied king
Climbed the same stem to announce the same thing
But in his second appeal sought to sweeten the deal
With a silver padparadscha ring
The lieutenant stepped out from the line
As he lassoed his thorax with twine
Thinking, “I’m stronger and braver and I’ll earn the king’s favor
One day all he has will be mine”
But for all the lieutenant’s conceit
He too returned singed and admitting defeat
“I had no choice, please believe, but retreat
It was bright as the sun, but with ten times the heat
And it cracked like the thunder and bloodshot my eyes
Though smothered with sticks, it advanced undeterred
Carelessly cast an ash cloud to the sky, my lord
Like a flock of dark vanishing birds”
The beetle king slammed down his fist
“Your flowery description’s no better than his!
We sent for the great light and you bring us this?
We didn’t ask what it seems like, we asked what it is!”
His majesty’s hour at last is drawn nigh
The elegant queen took her leave from his side
Without understanding, but without asking why
She gathered their kids to come bid their goodbyes
And the father explained, “You’ve been somewhat deceived
You’ve all called me your dad, but your true Dad’s not me
I lay next to your mom and your forms were conceived
Your Father’s the light within all that you see
He fills up the ponds as He empties the clouds
Holds without hands and He speaks without sounds
He provides us with the cow’s waste and coconuts to eat
Giving one that nice salt taste, and the other its sweet
Sends the black carriage the day death shows its face
Thinning our numbers with kindness and grace
And just as a flower and its fragrance are one
So must each of you and your Father become
Now distribute my scepter, my crown, and my throne
And all we’ve known as wealth to the poor and alone”
Without further hesitation, without looking back home
The king flew headlong into the blazing unknown
And as the smoke ring hurled higher and higher
The troops flying loops around the telephone wires
They said, “Our beloved’s not dead, but his highness instead
Has been utterly changed into fire”
Why not be utterly changed into fire?
Why not be utterly changed into fire?
Why not be utterly changed into fire?
Why not be utterly changed into fire?
John Calvin commented that the increasing number of hotels and pubs was a clear sign of total depravity. Hospitality is no longer a gift. It’s an industry.
Think about that in light of <a href="Thursday’s post.
Toby