Christmas impermanence

We did it.  We shopped, cooked, pressed through traffic, went to a service, socialized; we Christmassed.  Now it is boxing day in a land without boxing day.  It's just the day after Christmas and a week before New Year.  Anicca (impermanence) is a teaching easily accessed on a day like this, and yes, it can lead to oppressive clouds of dukkha.

In Christian work there are missions and their are ministries.  Ministries are open ended, ongoing service efforts.  Missions are objective defined, an accomplishment to strive for.  The Christmas holiday time functions like a mission, but life is more of a ministry.  Today I want to find a mission to pursue, if for nothing else to elevate faith in something better than the present existing safely, even if it's harbor is beyond the next hill.  I don't want to be forced to feel that the mix of good and bad around me is more or less all there is.  I need to believe that the limitations of the good of the day and the impositions of the troubles of the day are what is temporary, and that a future reckoning will show a boon of goodness.

Pulling back to the broadest view, one of eschatological completion and grandeur, delivers that idea, but it is so difficult to access with feeling in tow.  Shorter cycles of deliverance through exodus and entrance in to abundance through conquering and holding are needed.  I need a mission, even if that mission is to get to where ministry ebbs and flows in unashamed contentment.

achieving

Easy answer: I want ETERNAL achievements, not temporal ones.

Actual answer: What was the question??

I have to figure out my AT&T bill.  Don't want to start the debate till i get my facts straight.  Can't figure out the facts.  Should just talk to them directly.  But I don't want to start the debate till i get my facts straight.

etc.

Should I want eternal achievements or temporal ones?  Yeah, I figured that was the question.  The problem is that I live in the temporal world and am squeezed by it.  How to I abide in the eternal while actually abiding in a temporal mind, body and context??

QT is one answer.  Old spiritual disciplines is a slightly deeper answer.  But the fundamental challenge is using temporal dynamics to direct oneself to trans-temporal ideals.  Hungry, fidgeting, perceiving, wondering and wandering.    The naturalistic identity is rather loud.  Sometimes hard to find the the transcendent identity.  Quite the fight, actually.

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."  (I wonder how hard it was??)

Choosing Church - from Colossians

What is church?  Colossians 1:2

What is the goal of church? 1:9-10 (onto 1:13) and restated in verse 28.

What should church NOT be about?  Colossians 2:16-23

What should church be about?  Colossians 3:1-17

What is church?  Colossians 1:2 

brothers and sisters = a family whose common relative is the Messiah of God

What is the goal of church? 1:9-10 (onto 1:13) and restated in verse 28.

The goal of church is to be increasing wise in relating to God and life such that we live well, with gratitude, as we grow up more and more.

What should church NOT be about?  Colossians 2:16-23

Church should not be about rules, including what you consume or when you have 'services'.  It is also not about following a guru.  Lot's of that kind of stuff seems spiritual, but doesn't work.  ('Work' refers back to the goal of the church, to grow in wise and grateful living in God's world.

What should church be about?  Colossians 3:1-17

treasuring - Christ as your real life and hope [3:1-4]

put off - Dead and dirty ways of the world [3:5-11]

put on  - Love in all its characteristics [3:10-14]

live out - Gratitude in community [3:15-17]

The rest of the book describes what that looks like.  The Story of Christ and his church (Colossians 1:15-23) is displayed in relationships.  Colossians 3:18 and following describe how people should relate to one another, including a list of personal names Paul and others are actually working with to see this happen.

church is about the messiah of God forming a family that works toward God's ways in a world that doesn't.  

So what makes a church a good one?  What is necessary?  What is optional?  How is your church doing?  What part are you playing in that?

moving forward into the fog

The #1 concept rattling about for me right now is life with limited knowledge.  Delusion (a huge fear of mine; partly because I dislike being around delusional people and don't want to become one) is overconfidence in regard to knowledge.  Delinquency, the danger of anti-delusion, is my other big fear.  Somewhere between over-zealous belief and the dropout pattern from despair is the realm of 'ought-ness'; the course of action based on information as best as can be discerned at the time.  That is what I have to get more comfortable with.

So does that mean grading knowledge?  I believe this is true at a level A, that at a level C... etc?  Or is it all more fluid than that?  Too fluid pools in pointlessness, too resolutely confident snaps under the weight of inconsiderate circumstances and other intrusions of reality.
Internalized Kung Fu metaphors.  That's the answer.  OK, on with the day! (nothing like the power of limited insight!!) No time to explain, must act on limited knowledge.

Developing the doctrine of limited knowledge

 Daniel 12, Daniel did not understand.  Job didn't.  Angels don't.  Paul says we look through a rough mirror.  We don't see it all.  Our knowledge is limited.  Being clear on muddledness is a good idea.

Because how I ever got to you, I have no idea
It's like some secret door, well, it just appeared
So, no matter what I do from now on with my time
You will always stay here in my mind
I am certain of this and I am not certain of anything

So I want to get myself attached to something bolted down
So that these winds of circumstance won't keep blowing me around
To when I land to when I leave there is enough time to sleep and sing
I keep running when all I want is to lay motionless   ~ Bright Eyes: Motion Sickness

daniel 7 swirls

(no time set aside to edit.  just writing for me, but open to others if they want)


I think in swirls.  Maybe that's not so uncommon.  I don't know, I can't focus long enough to sort it out.


Daniel 7 is a swirl.  So... maybe I don't need to start with trying to sort it out.  Maybe I should listen to odd music, read it, swirl with it, and see what odd clarity comes of it all.  (ok, that's what I'm already doing, but i tortuously interact with my perception of the "normal" world with misgiving, self-doubt, and efforts of justification)  nuff said.


Sufjan: Transfiguration (music i'm listening to while writing)
Daniel goes to sleep in his Babylonian bed.  I wonder what language he dreams in?  Hebrew?  Chaldean?  Does he have scrolls from Moses, others?  Who does he eat dinner with.  Do they make him laugh?  Annoy him with pedantic speculation about the next shift in Babylonian politics?  Does he try to track what was going on in Egypt?  (I try to, but I can't focus, I just get bits which are now on standby for a sudden synaptical connection which has the illusion of careful study and organized problem solving).  Daniel dreams.  It freaks him out; bad.


4 winds of heaven... blowing over the seas... the Ruach over the Waters.... Genesis 1???  
scary weird ramps up... beasts...
Lion, like Judah?, no, with wings, but they get plucked, all 4 of them (why 4???) and the lion is raised to stand, like a man, then given the mind/heart of man...  Man formed from a noble beast?  What's going on????


(i hit replay on Sufjan Stevens THE TRANSFIGURATION - in the cloud, Son of Man/Son of God... swirling)


New beast.  A bear. ((now I remember mumble rumors of a "bear and an eagle in revelations..." from hanging out under the street light on willingham with teen efforts at our own daoistic mysteries of youthful meaning, power, mysteries, insight... significance... secrets))
But the bear is also tagged with a weird number here, not 4 wings, but 3 ribs (tusks?) hanging out of the mouth, mandated to buffet on flesh.  (Why 3???)


Next beast.  Leopard. 4 wings. 4 heads. dominion.  (#s??)

4th beast is scary and strong (iron teeth and stamping feet) DIFFERENT and 10 horns

10 horns, another one, 3 uprooted.

Eyes of man and big mouthed

Thrones, Ancient of days, white with mobile fire throne

Massive crowd of servants before the fire streaming Ancient. 

Court to judge according to books

Attn pulled to big mouth horn.  Beast killed and burned with fire.

Other beasts lost dominion, but still alive for a while

W/ clouds 'son of man' to Ancient

He gets domion, glorious rule over everyone forever, no end

Daniel: uhhhh, what is all this (to one who stood there)

Ok

4 beasts = 4 earthly kingdoms

Saints of Most High rcv Kingdomthat lasts

Ok so #4?

10 horns?

Other horn?  Big mouth big shot?

Looked =

Horn warred with saints and was on top

But then, Ancient judged for saints

Saints then get kingdom

4th kingdom is unique, global, and destructive.

10 horns = 10 kings. + 1 (unique)

downs 3 kings

Anti-Most High words

Wears out saints (for t t's, part t)

BUT - court judges

Dominion removed, consumed, destroyed to the end (telous in LXX)

All Kingdom dominion summed up as "under the whole heaven"  given to

Snts. Of Most HIGH - doesn't end and rules over subsets (all 'dominions' will serve and obey them)

Conclusion?  I was FREAKED OUT, inside and out, but… I kept it to myself.

And for me???  I couldn't keep up with the swirling.  Skype started percolating with work reminders...  Makes me think the cycle of thinking and speaking is way too short.  Dip, speak, dip, speak... not enough plunging.  Wonder how that would work, what it would do?  What boundaries to employ, or not?  Don't want to end up hanging from a street light in Ca., nor sitting in a cubicle, but what is the middle way (that allows for aft. snacks and non-orange)?

What do I think I think?  I think Daniel was probably stressing from a series of Babylonian regime shifts, and his VISION of Israel, in exile, then returning, had a John the Baptist unsettledness (or at least the temptation for it). Am I really living the Story I think I'm living?  Are we here for 70 years, and then back on course, or am I delusional.  The world really is just mean and shallow and void of transcendent meaning and purpose.  

I'm convinced those feelings, whether thought in useful words or not, happen to almost everyone (suppose there might be exceptions).  The pull to coherence, order, clarity is one pole, the pull to spontaneous, incidental, random, self-sufficient experiential surges (a.k.a meaninglessness) is the other pole.  

So Daniel has a dream with details.  He thinks it must mean something.  Then he has another vision, one with him right in the middle of things, seeing COURT set up with God as an old man with fire.  He is told that th3 4 beasts are 4 kingdoms, and i wonder if he thinks of this more or less like the '4 corners of heaven', as in, all summed (not 1, 2, 3, 4 as much as each and every all together).  But, there is a massive focus on a last one who is extra scary and global and is summed up by us vs. them.  Pole 1 vs. Pole 2.  The Transcendent, GOD pole is the true and victorious one, so, don't get sucked over to the despairing side.  

In other words, life is really confusing, and it is tempting to think God is not over the world, but a bit of nonsense as a subset of human existence, but don't believe those words, God is over the world and being faithful is the way forward (but not easy).  That is what I experience when I swirl with Daniel this Wednesday morning.

Now I need to get to a 'to do' list.  

another review of Daniel 1-7

Our goal is to learn from the book of Daniel directly.  Cross referencing later…

The outline I’m suggesting:

Chapter 1, (in Hebrew), tells how the people of God ended up in Babylon.  It also gives an intro into the main idea, standing with God, even when in the ‘world/babylon’, by trusting on God’s intervention, primarily in the form of revelation, but also in intervention.

The ARAMAIC “world language” section of 2/3/4 5\6\7

Chapter 2 has a worldly king dream about kingdoms, and then God’s man interprets the dream and says God is sovereign over nations and will rule.

  Chapter 3 has a showdown between the world and God’s faithful.  God saves and the world is told that God saves.

      Chapter 4 has a worldly king proud and then humbled, while God and his faithful are vindicated

      Chapter 5 has a worldly king proud and then humbled, while God and his faithful are vindicated

   Chapter 6 has a showdown between the world and God’s faithful.  God saves and the world is told that God saves

Chapter 7 has God’s man dream about Kingdoms, and then God’s messenger interprets the dream and says God is sovereign over nations and will rule

2&7 = It looks like the worldly ways rule, but they ultimately don’t

3&6 = being faithful to God clashes with the world, but being faithful creates a testimony to others

4&5 = arrogant worldliness will be humbled and God’s faithful will be vindicated

Application so far?

As you get more and more information about how complex and harsh the world can be, don’t be surprised to see lots of evidence for reality to be about power and worldliness.  Instead of giving into that, resolve to be faithful to God, even in small matters, and ready to suffer for going against the world and for God.  God can and will be glorified through taking a stand, and ultimately there will be judgment for worldly wrong and vindication for being faithful.

Daniel’s Aramaic Message- don’t be fooled by worldly power, God is greater

Chapter 1 Introduces the Hebrew plight.

Chapter 2 (v 4) begins the Aramaic section, going through chapter 7

Chapters 2/3/4-5\6\7 are in the broader language of the ancient world (Aramaic) and have a basic message highlighted by the structure of this section.

2 – Dream about kingdoms shows that God is sovereign and gives revelation

   3 – idolatry vs. God ends in salvation for those who trust God, and broad proclamation 

      4 – Ruler testifies that he was crazy not to follow the true God

      5 – Ruler shows that it was crazy to mock the true God

   6 – idolatry vs. God ends in salvation for the one who trusts God, and broad proclamation

7 – Dream about kingdoms shows that God is sovereign and gives revelation

So, in the broadly used language, this is the message people might get:

God is sovereign over history and gives revelation through his prophets.

Trusting God, even when it seems dangerous, is the way to salvation; everyone should hear this.

Some of the most powerful people in the world have made the mistake of not heeding this.  Unless they repented, it ended very badly for them.

When we move on to Daniel 8-12, we need to keep the basic message of in mind (God’s Kingdom is greater than worldly kingdoms).  Likewise, that is why we read the gospels with Jesus talking about the Kingdom of God over 100 times.  The gospel/good news proclamation is that God is the ruler and he is revealed in Christ.   Trusting in Christ is bowing to the true King as our rescuer (savior) who is Sovereign (lord).  We then actively seek to trust God over circumstances, even when it looks very dangerous to do so. This tends to lead to the news spreading, that God is great, and that ignoring or rejecting God is much more dangerous.

5 Columns as Catechism

The 5 columns are a graphic showing Creation, Separation, Redemption, Transformation, Completion.  I will be working on it over the next few months as part of my work, hoping to share it with experienced Christian workers and new believers from various groups of people in Asia with very few in their language who are also believers.

The goal will be to have a simple organizing view of the Christian explanation of the human response to good and bad in light of Christ's plan.  (I'm sure I will edit that sentence, a lot).

This is not primarily an evangelism tool.  It is more an early discipleship too.  However, many early discipleship tools can be used for 'ev' if there is enough dialogue going on with someone who isn't sure what believing would entail.  Part of the reason is that the symbols require a willingness to 'see' them.  They are not self-evident and compellingly clear.
crown = God as sovereign
heart = human, created in God's image to give and receive appropriate love with him and people
globe = creation, the world, physical and spiritual (angels, demons, etc), on this planet and beyond (cosmos).

stacked in 1st column

1. crown
2. heart
3. globe

This shows the original order of God/man/everything else.  The point is man's purpose is to be God's representative to the rest of creation, under his authority in a loving relationship.  The aspect of our current experience which relates back to this '1st column' is the experience of 'goodness'; of 'oughtness'.  To phrase it more simply, and like a mini-catechism "Why do we experience good?"  "Because God is good and created a good world with a good role for us as people".

stacked in column 2

1. cloud with dotted outline of crown
2. globe is upside down
3. heart is upside down

cloud with dotted outline of crown = God is there, but not seen directly

globe is upside down = the world is now over man and not working like it should (sickness, death, storms, demonic, etc.)

heart is upside down = humanity has submitted to creation, specifically to rebellious spiritual powers, which results in love not working with one another as it should, and our desire to worship God blocked by creation, which explains why we are natural idolators.   

side by side in column 3

1. heart 

2. upside down heart under a cross

3. heart

The first heart shows the incarnation.  Jesus is the 2nd Adam, humanity as we were intended to be.

The upside down heart under the cross shows Jesus becoming sin for us, taking all of our column 2 failure as if it were his own and dying as a result; in judgment.

The final heart shows the vindication through resurrection.  Righteous Jesus  + sins of the world dying on the cross = resurrected Jesus.  His righteousness is greater than our condemnation.

Column 4

1. cloud with dotted outline of crown
2. globe is upside down
3. heart is upside right with a cross in it

The only differences between column 2 and 4 are the result of the cross on the heart.  Now the cross is turned toward love when it abides in the work of Christ on the cross.  This is meant to show a number of things to believers who are struggling with hard circumstances.

1. God is there, but we do NOT see him clearly as we would like.

2. The world was intended for good, but it is NOT working like it should.  People do get sick and die, spirits do bully, lie and manipulate; life is STILL hard after coming to faith in Christ.

3. We don't have to have our hearts upside down in subjection to creation.  We can be conformed to the image of Christ by resting in his work such that we put off worldly ways and put on Christ's ways.

Column 5

1. crown

2. heart with cross in it

3. globe

This is the final hope, the destination of life which is reconciled with God.  God is clearly seen because he is with us.  Humanity is restored in authority over creation (including spirits) and everything works the way it should.  No sickness, sadness, death remain (all the bad is judged in the transition from column 4 to 5).

How to use it?  For personal reference in processing.

1. processing experiences = good?  thank God for his good creation.  bad?  remember the consequences of leaving God's way for the way of idolatry (ruined the world and life).  choice?  good over bad, in Christ, in me/us, and eventually in all that remains.

2. processing scripture = notice in Scripture God's goodness and intended ways is column 1.  Notice the way of death (idolatry, spirit of Babylon, etc.); that is column 2.  Follow the plan of salvation, from the beginning of Genesis to the resurrection is column 3.  Transformation of someone who turned to God's grace and was changed is column 4 (even in Old Testament stories).  Column 5 is Hope revealed, including Psalm 67, 96 and anywhere the final state of restored completeness is described.

3. in choices.  

thank God for good.

take responsibility for being part of the problem (we all contribute to sin pollution) when we sadly face evil and suffering in a fallen world.  

pay attention to the sovereign plan of God unfolding in promises, events, and examples leading to Christ.  

humble ourselves under God by trusting in Christ and his ways. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.  That grace is given to transform us to be more like Christ.

stay hopeful, even when things are dark and difficult.  Remember where things are headed, and don't be afraid to ask for miraculous glimpses into the final state in the form of miracles even now (healings, etc.).  Part of the discipleship process will include explaining miracles as 'column 5 signs and samples', not as any current pattern.  In other words, God does do amazing things, but the basic pattern of this world, even in the life of someone living a column 4 life, is hardship, suffering, and ultimately death.  Be real (and Biblical), but also be free to call upon God for exceptional provisions, particularly as signs to others of where the future is headed.

This is the general idea to be edited and practiced.

grumpy monday

Monday.  Should be grateful.  Alive and well and all that.  Hmmph. 
ok.... so I need to repent... to metanoia... to rethink.
Alive
well
all that...

ok. doing better.
Life is (including me in process) because ___________.
God is self-existent, and we are contingent... and our contingent reality includes epistemic angst... but there are promises and signs... and so there is hope.  So, there is good that is not an illusion, there is cause for gratitude that is wise, not just obligatory. 

ok.  ready for Monday.

Daniel story of loyalty before idolatry

It was good to be back in house church with Sojos this Sunday, and it went reasonably well, but was a bit muddled.  We are somewhere in size a bit too big for open ended discussion (what I aimed for) but still smaller than a group with a lecturer (though I ended up doing a bit more of that than I prefer).

The goal is to get to clear and honest teaching so we can have clearer and more honest living.  But the bigger the group, the harder it is to say things which involve active paradox.  Harder, that is, to speak to tension without it being awkward.  I imagine there is a sociological/psychological category for this, about communicating in groups according to size and formality, but I don't know enough about that.  I just sense that saying something controversial to a dozen people is much more likely to generate intrigue and pursuit of understanding than doing so in a larger group.  Maybe there is an expectation in a larger group that communication is packaged more elegantly; effieciently... in anticipation of the reality of too many different hearing situations (each individual adds contextual complexities).

So, now that I have a deadline to do administrative stuff which I'm terribly inefficient with, I suddenly have a burst of energy to think and write (this is a complex Aikido style maneuver to use the negative energy of expense reports for the positive) ((and that was pure rationalization fueled by a lack of discipline, but, oh well))

So, Daniel 3 is the story of the really big idol and the Jewish lads not bowing.  Points of interest in the text:

• 60 x 6 - means it was tall (5 stories) and skinny.  It was more like an obelisk (Washington Monument) than a burly statue.  The whole obelisk (and the 6's) is part of the Chaldean-Babylonian-Ancient World - astrological mystery world view of Creation as divine which is morphed but active today.
• The call is to all peoples, nations, languages to unify under the towering statue in Babylon.
• The Jewish lads don't and are persecuted with fierce anger for it.  But, they are resolved about the complexity of God as Creator who CAN do anything, but WILL do what He wills (they believe in the imminence of the transcendent God but not in presumption). 
• tough soldiers die, but the God trusting lads don't
• one like a son of the gods... revelation occurs
• new mandate: God of gods and Lord of lords is proclaimed (or else!)

So, the story has the ethical example, we should be like those 3 who were clear enough about God that they would rather die.  It centers on the question of who/what stands above us?  Above all nations, peoples, languages.  Is it a military conqueror with  spooky astrological symbols and insights into heavenly mysteries?  Or is it the Creator revealed in the story of Abraham and beyond?

For many there is an above below conundrum.  There is the loyalty issue, often rising from familiarity.  I should choose to be loyal to God, that just seems right.  But, the big questions of life are harder when I learn a little Chaldean and see how far and complicated numbers and chemicals and quarks and sociologically directive framing works.  The overload of 'yeah but...' dynamics can strain one's clear and confident resolve, and when it does, it can lead to compromise.

So how did M,S,A, manage to be fully developed Babylonian educated, mystery informed, privilege enjoying cultural elites and still be loyal to YHWH, even to death?!~!

That is the question.

Should... Can... WILL

{For a message at the Gathering}


Completing a study on the Navigator's Wheel Illustration
Today's goal is to review what we have been learning and to make a decision about how to respond to Christ and his way.  To make it useful, I'll need to talk a bit directly, so if you are really doing great spiritually, couldn't be better, then please don't be annoyed.  Just pray for the rest of us who are living a relatively mixed Christian life right now.  I'm talking about the majority of us who are living a 'hai keyi' Christian life.

Ok, we'll start the review with a reminder of the "hai keyi" story.  I'm in China, learning Mandarin, and being way to intuitive about it.  I hear people with skills respond "hai keyi" when they are asked if they have skills. 
You play basketball a lot, are you any good "hai key". 
You are an English major, so you understand English movies ok?  "hai keyi"
etc.
So I get the idea it means something like, "yeah, pretty good".  And it sorta does, in some contexts, but not really.  I found it out most clearly when I used it in response to my language teacher's wife asking me if I like her cooking.  "Hai keyi!" was my effort at being colloquial in complimenting her without being over the top.  "Yeah, this pretty good!"
But Zhang Laoshi was not shy.  "Hai keyi?!?  What's wrong with my cooking?"
huh?
My teacher explained in English, "hai keyi" means "could be better"

So, I'm now taking my Mandarin experience of being 'hai keyi' about learning mandarin, and talking to all of us 'hai keyi' Christians.  People who are willing to admit (at least to ourselves) that although there are some really good things happening in my Christian life, in too many ways it is still "hai keyi" - "less than it could be"

Here is the review:

We Should live out the Christian life, we Can live out the Christian life, so... will we?

• We should know who we are in Christ (the hub)
• We should talk to God in prayer (vertical up)
• We should learn from God in his word (vertical down)
• We should live the Kingdom way with one another (horizontal right)
• We should share the Kingdom way with others (horizontal left)
• We should have a pattern of trusting Jesus in learning new things and being faithful to old things, obeying him with confidence in him (circle that makes the wheel).

WHY?

Because Jesus knows life, and offers life and, in very deep ways which require reflection to begin to appreciate in a sense more than just a slogan... Jesus is Life.

The Navigator's wheel illustration is a useful image to remind me how to get more out of life throughout my whole life.

CAN I DO IT?
IF you are a Christian, you already are doing the Navigator's wheel. 
You do have an identity in Christ which you have acknowledged at least enough to make a profession of faith. 
You do talk to God in prayer, and maybe even listen.
You do take in info from his word, either by reading it yourself, or via sermons, etc.
You do live out Kingdom community when you are a Christian with other Christians
You do represent Kingdom hope when you are around people who are not trusting Christ as King
And you do have a cycle of trusting and doing what Christ says regarding life and love and such...
The question is whether I am doing it as well as I should and as well as I could.

No.  We could do better.  "Hai keyi!" (the story from last week about misunderstanding the Mandarin phrase to mean 'quite good' when it actually means 'it could be better')

The question for today is... WILL I?

First of all, lets be biblical, instead of religious, and say something odd.  Let's say, no Father, I won't do what you ask me.  I will continue to drift, and get by and be puzzled when my ability to process life is not up to life's complicated and painful realities. 

MATTHEW 21 The Parable of the Two Sons

28“What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’

29“‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.

30“Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.

31“Which of the two did what his father wanted?”

“The first,” they answered.

Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him. 

 So why would I be so cynical?  It is prophetic tradition

EZEKIEL 33

30“As for you, son of man, your countrymen are talking together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, saying to each other, ‘Come and hear the message that has come from the Lord.’ 31My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice. With their mouths they express devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. 32Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice.

33“When all this comes true—and it surely will—then they will know that a prophet has been among them.”

The unfaithful son fulfills the duty to act AS IF the message from the Lord was good.  The faithful son?  He counted the cost quickly and realized how uncomfortable it was.  He counted the cost deeply and realized how good a deal it was.  What about us?

My goal is wrapping up our time together is to move toward Jesus' most simple and compelling invitation to action.  We will get ready for the Lord's Supper.  I'd invite you to consider not taking it.  But after considering not taking it, out of fear that you are too used to lazy, selfish, worldly, compromising ways and that you don't want to be guilty of being a hypocrite... consider a little more deeply.  

The story of what you Should do (intentionally following Christ's ways) is actually hopeful because it does not make a big deal of your will power.  In fact, it turns it upside down.  God opposes the proud, including the religiously 'christian' proud... but he gives undeserved kindness (grace) to the humble.  What you should and can do is humble yourself and say, I make no promises, I just confess that Jesus is good and that I want him.  "Lord help my unbelief"- better translated - unfaithfulness.

You should and you can come to the Father like the prodigal son, even as a normal Christian at a normal church listening to a normal church message.  And you can expect the normal response from the Father: an unashamedly enthusiastic embrace, encouragement... a feast of love from God, from his resources, into your life.

You should.

You can.

You will?

Cross-culture conversions

hard work helps make a happy soul, if…

Sometimes I hate hard work. Not too weird, is it? But actually I only really hate hard work if it is missing a few things.


In the same way sometimes I hate not having something to work hard on. Why?

A big part of what I do is look at things from opposing angles, trying to get a sense of contradictions and such so that I can find principles that last in multiple contexts. Single dimension observations aren’t as useful. (note to self- high frequency direction finding /triangulation; dialectics; holograms)

Summer vacation is the more concrete illustration for this thought. “Schools, out, for, SUMMER!” Yeah, no more work, just fun and goofing off and such. That used to be such a great feeling. But then I remember going over to Brett’s house.

“Hey, what ‘cha wanna do?”

“I dunno, what do you wanna do?”

“I dunno know, whatever you wanna do.”

And then we would walk in 105 degree heat, barefoot on asphalt, for a mile and a half to get a coke and spree and sit on an iron cross beam over a creek….

When it was time to go back to school, we tried to act irritated, but partly it was exciting to get back to structured work. For about 2 days.

Do I like my work now? Not as much as I should. I have such a good setup I almost feel guilty for not enjoying it more. Then I read something that got me more focused than my usual daydreaming about life, meaning, satisfaction, hope, disappointment, food and soccer.

p. 173,4 of Malcom Gladwell’s OUTLIERS (regarding poor immigrants in NY developing a garment business)

When Borgenicht came home at night to his children, he may have been tired and poor and overwhelmed, but he was alive. He was his own boss. He was responsible for his own decisions and direction. His work was complex: it engaged his mind and imagination. And in his work, there was a relationship between effort and reward: the longer he and Regina stayed up at night sewing aprons, the more money they made the next day on the streets.

Those three things - autonomy, complexity, and a connection between effort and reward – are, most people agree, the three qualities that work has to have if it is to be satisfying.

Bingo! A relearning happened for me (which is why I am reluctant to write; everything seems obviously ‘nothing new under the sun’ once stated).

I have dropped in natural enthusiasm currently because I have allowed a bit of disconnect in one of these categories. Solution? Add it back in. Make things possible to succeed or fail, risk/reward, in meaningful ways. Is there no risk or reward currently? There is, but not in meaningfully coherent ways.

Scripture?

In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty.

(Proverbs 14:23)



The hand of the diligent will rule, while the slothful will be put to forced labor. Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad. One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbor, but the way of the wicked leads them astray. Whoever is slothful will not roast his game, but the diligent man will get precious wealth. In the path of righteousness is life, and in its pathway there is no death.

(Proverbs 12:24-28)

A righteous life includes a wise and just pursuit of productivity with reward. Other truths have covered this up in my mental clutter. I’m glad to have come across it again.

4 questions on doing stuff well and being glad about it

1. Should I?
2. Can I?
3. Will I?
4. Did I?

(repeat)

1. Should I? - What is good and right to do??  Treasure wisely.
2. Can I? - What would it take to be able to do this good and right thing?  Train for it.
3. Will I? - When will I take what I could do and make it what I actually do?  Aim it purposefully.
4. Did I? - What have I actually done now?  Celebrate

(repeat) keep treasuring wisely, pursuing that good, and celebrating when it is actualized.

Tai world story

http://deidox.com/films/pii-chui/

near or far or both?

If God is greater than the universe how/why would he care for me?

The thing is, things are in things.  We can go up or down, right or left, and a variety of other dimensional options.  But doing more of one is doing less of another. 
The idea of being near (in a focused attentive way) and far (in a focused attentive way) seems impossible, and is for us.
There is a fairly common struggle in relating to this.  How can God (say something about broad scope) also care about me?
Answer?  By being the Creator, not a creation.

    [8:1] O LORD, our Lord,
        how majestic is your name in all the earth!
    You have set your glory above the heavens.
         [2] Out of the mouth of babies and infants,
    you have established strength because of your foes,
        to still the enemy and the avenger.

    [3] When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
        the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
     [4] what is man that you are mindful of him,
        and the son of man that you care for him?

    [5] Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
        and crowned him with glory and honor.
     [6] You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;
        you have put all things under his feet,
     [7] all sheep and oxen,
        and also the beasts of the field,
     [8] the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,
        whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

    [9] O LORD, our Lord,
        how majestic is your name in all the earth!
 (Psalm 8 ESV)

    [30] But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
(Matthew 6:30 ESV)

Goldilocks and the futue

A little girl wanders into a bear family's house.  She helps herself to their food.  It makes sense when you are a kid; I wonder why?  Anyway, it is a story about comparisons.  The porridge (oatmeal?  congee?) in one bowl is"too hot!" in another it is "too cold." and finally in a third bowl it is "just right,"  So she just eats it up.
Speaking about the future we can be 'too hot' 'too cold' or 'just right'.
Too hot = arrogantly claiming how the future will play out (too much confidence in MY will)
Too cold = irresponsibly not engaging the future, just assuming it will all play out (not using my will)
Just right = intentionally taking in God's wisdom and applying your will in trust to your understanding of God's will, always open to his redirection. (Made in God's image, using my will in humble and hopeful trust under His will)

[13] Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— [14] yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. [15] Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” [16] As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. [17] So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
(James 4:13-17 ESV)

Goldilocks and planning

James' thesis

    [12] Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.
(James 1:12 ESV)

blessed = makarios, happy, well off, fortunate...
this is the same 'blessed as in the sermon on the mount (also in LXX for Ps. 1).

Who is well off?
"steadfast under trial" - things are not easy, but this person does not give up

Why is not quitting when it is hard 'well off'?

when the time of testing is over, if one is still standing, he will receive life's award (goal, prize, point)
That is God's promise to people who love him (and don't quit when under trials)

What i see is James making an argument for his people that fidelity to God, in spite of short term losses and hardships, is the best long term investment of life.


Everything in the book expounds on that idea.