Touchpoints on Spiritual Growth (Page 5)
Wounded Touch
“You see, the problem may not be that people don’t want to belong to the church. The problem may just be that the church doesn’t want to belong to the Christ. Perhaps we’ve been so busy worshipping Jesus we’ve forgotten to follow him.”
Unstoppable
“That is what this week is about. That is what the passion, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus is about. God will simply not stop being a loving, gracious and forgiving God. And not in some theoretical, metaphysical, mystical way. God will simply not stop being a loving, gracious and forgiving God here on earth – to us and with us.”
Getting Rid of the Bubble Wrap
“This is a text to read when it feels like the world is crashing down around us, when our minds are too jaded and our spirits too discouraged to see how God may be present in our current darkness. This is the passage to read when we come face to face with the mess we as humans have made of our relationships and of this world, when we recognize how profoundly broken and how incapable of fixing ourselves we are. For it is in this place of helplessness and disorientation that hope emerges.”
The Prodigal Sons
“We have bastardized the Mystery’s grace, the Father’s love. But guess what, there are no bastard children in the family of God. And the door into the house is always open, and the feast never ends. Deniers and betrayers, doubters and cowards are welcome…”
Let It Be
“Now I’m not sure what this says about God the Father, but I am clear on what it says about God the Son. He will not go back on forgiveness. He will not go back on grace. He will not deal with us on the basis of reward and punishment or getting what we deserve. Not now, not next year, not ever.”
Complain, Complain, Complain!
“Our problems are God’s problems. Prayer is in part a way of speaking to God that involves God in our daily lives. And in prayer, we remind God that God has promised to be faithful to being ‘Immanuel’ (God with us).”
Listen Up
Grace and peace from the Mystery in whom we live and move and have our being. Listen to God’s beloved Son. This is my Son, my chosen … Listen to him. This is my Son, my chosen … Listen to him. This is my Son, my chosen … LISTEN to him. Luke 9:28-36 OK, let’s talk about this. Seriously, what am I supposed to do with a passage which has as its primary message ‘listening?’ What do I do with…
Give Credit Where Credit is Due
Grace and Peace from the Mystery in whom we live and move and have our being. I know I read from “The Message” interpretation by Eugene Peterson for our passage today, and I did so because it is such a good one. But I am going to use the NRSV (New Revised Standard Version) translation for this Touchpoint, because I think it shows how we have used and misused this passage. Love your enemies, do good to those who hate…
Two Women
“On the one hand, I am fully aware that I am not among the 1% and so I kind of like the idea of bringing the mighty and powerful down, but I don’t have to drive more than a few minutes from here to realize that to a great many people, I am the proud, the powerful, and the rich.”
Frankly, I Prefer the Baby
“And yet, even in my denial, betrayal and taking flight, “THE WORD OF GOD CAME,” the Christ comes to me in my denial and betrayal, and like a good shepherd pursues me in my flight away from him.”
God is a Divorcée
“You see, for Jesus, life isn’t about being right or wrong. It’s about relationships. The greatest commandment isn’t, ‘Be right with all your heart soul and mind.’ No, it’s ‘Love with all your heart soul and mind.'”
Jesus Forbids Forbidding
“Jesus takes on the ultimate exclusions, murder and death. And transforms them into resurrection and life. You see, even exclusion gets taken up into the Mystery and is transformed into healing and wholeness. Jesus forbids forbidding by transforming it, not excluding it.”