Touchpoints on Jesus' Miracles
Gospel Unshackled
“Good religion becomes bad religion when practices move toward superstitions, rather than a way of being receptive to Presence and the movements of Spirit. No wonder Paul felt free when he was in prison, Peter felt free when he was being whipped like his friend, and Forrest felt free when his shackles were flying off! They live free in the heart.”
You cruise, You Lose
“Maybe the sardines and bread were a way for Jesus to teach the disciples about love through service; teaching hospitality to the goal oriented. While others traveled to the Passover place, Jesus welcomed the holiness of the journey. Perhaps the fish and bread was communion with strangers.
I’m not sure, I just know olives would have been a bit more kind. But there I go again wanting to get to the other side of discomfort.”
Rest for the Inner Orphan
“Have you ever had a boss encourage you to take time off saying, “I’ll do your work for you”? When was the last time you had a boss “see” you and recognize you were burning out, then encourage you to rest before going back to work? You might think, ‘Others have more difficult, more demanding jobs than I; I don’t deserve to rest.’ Maybe you wonder, ‘Is there no one who will see the burden I carry?’ Perhaps you’ve thought, ‘I love my job, my work as a parent or as a student, but I’m overwhelmed.’ Maybe we need to channel our inner Jesus and Michael McCabe. Maybe we need to listen for the Shepherd’s call to a deserted place.”
The Other Side
Grace and peace to you from the Mystery in whom we live and move, and have our being. A woman healed. She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, for she said, ‘If I but touch his cloak, I will be made well.’” Mark 5:21-43 A woman healed Whenever we go to the other side, we leave where we were. The Other Side can be a mystery. We are often led to…
Boat Rides and Roller Coasters
“Jesus didn’t say, “Let’s get in a boat, get halfway, hit the worst storm ever, and feel like you’re going to die. Any takers?” Who is going to say, “Count me in!”? When I am facing dark moments, this tells me I must rely on the light that has been previously revealed. It’s best not to attempt to create my own light. Rather, depend on the light that has been previously revealed.”
Marginalizing Jesus
“Is there a message here for us? That it’s more important to listen to people, especially those on the margins, than to listen to the economic systems, the political systems, and the religious systems in which we have been raised? It is more important to listen to those on the margins than the leaders of those systems or those who have been most successful in them.”
Eyes on You
“And so… When I have little faith… When I doubt… When I can’t stand on my own two feet… When I can no longer be the hero of my faith story… There… there is God. Keeping his eyes on me. Giving his hand. Taking me in his embrace.”
You Count
“Christianity doesn’t exist for the sake of Christendom. And Christian practices don’t exist for the sake of Christendom, either. Holy Communion was made for people, not people for Holy Communion. Though most church leaders get that wrong. We exist for the sake of the world. To feed the world. To provide a feast for the world.”
Our Blinding Vision
“Let me give you a far-out hypothetical – let’s just say there was a deadly virus running rampant across the world. We wouldn’t be focused on where it came from, naming it after the city or country it started in, seeking to blame someone… How barbaric would that be? NO, we would be focused on stopping its spreading, testing for it, curing it… Right?!? Isn’t it nice to know how far we’ve evolved?”
Living a Life of “Thank You”
“To live a life of thanksgiving means I have to acknowledge a ‘giver’ … a ‘gifter.’ It means acknowledging that I am not the beginning and end of existence. To live a life of thanksgiving means to acknowledge that the idea that I have possessions is an illusion. To be thankful for everything means that everything is a gift.”
Straighten Up!!!
“This isn’t a demon inside of her holding her down. This is a demon in the world, its systems, its cultures, that chooses to value people on something other than being children of God.”
Go Home!!
“So what do we do with a Jesus who doesn’t convert or condemn, but simply heals and sets free? What do we do with a Jesus who doesn’t seek a follower but a thankful heart? What do we do with a Jesus who isn’t interested in how big his church is… errr, I mean… his parade of followers is?”
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