May 30
Scripture focus:
1 And God spoke all these words:
2 "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
3 "You shall have no other gods before me.
4 "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand {generations} of those who love me and keep my commandments.
7 "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
8 "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
12 "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.
13 "You shall not murder.
14 "You shall not commit adultery.
15 "You shall not steal.
16 "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
17 "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."
18 When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance 19 and said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die." Exodus 20:1-19 NIV
Why is it that we are so willing to fear and distance ourselves from a God who comes to save, redeem and transform and so reluctant to run from that which has come to kill, steal and destroy?
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May 29
Scripture focus: Tu n'auras pas d'autre dieu que moi. Exodus 20:3, La Bible du Semeur
As many regular readers know, my mother-in-law recently died. We were given the grand gift of a week to say good-bye. One Saturday we took her to the hospital because she thought she had bronchitis, and the next day she was dealing with a rapid growing cancer in her chest. This sounds like a terrible thing, and for us, it is. We miss her terribly.
But the gift of the six days between diagnosis and death was grace-filled. There was no way we could deceive ourselves or others, deny, repress, rationalize, hide, delay or fail to cope. (All of these are ways we feed the addictive process.)
We simply had no choice but to be fully present for the journey. Our daily presence also taught us that we were incapable of “handling” the situation, and I think this was a great blessing, because each day brought with it a fervent prayer for God’s presence and his peace. He graciously provide each of us with an awareness of both.
Here’s what I learned. I learned that life without dependencies is blessed. When stripped to the essence of the fragility of life, we discovered that God remained fully present and available to meet our every need, according to his riches in glory.
Weeks later, I cannot remain in this fully present state, unfortunately. Petty life issues distract me. But I have renewed hope for the wonder of loving God and others. And it is this experience that spurs me on to learn more fully what it means to have tiny gods, and pray more trustingly for them to be removed from my heart.
May God lead us all into his wonderful light.
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May 28
Scripture focus: No tengas otros dioses además de mí. Exodus 20:3 Nueva Version Internacional
According to Sigmund Freud, addiction tears us asunder, one part of us desires freedom and another wants only to continue the addictive behavior and erodes self-esteem.
I can’t speak with any authority on the nature of self-esteem, but I have experienced the hopelessness that arises within me when I am consistently inconsistent. I fail repeatedly to live in freedom. This kills my self-respect. I have no idea what it does to my self-esteem!
There was a day when this inability to manage self was considered part of the human condition, a reason to turn to God, and ask for mercy and grace. Today it’s considered a sign of weakness. Aren’t we supposed to be able to achieve anything we set our minds to achieve?
My friend who is Catholic tells me that some people, worried about the concept of self-esteem, decided to remove the word “wretched” from the hymn Amazing Grace. I was so stunned I forgot to ask her what they replaced it with. My mind immediately spun to all those attempts to clean up foul-language in movies with bad voice-overs. (My kids always loved to read the lips – which I think totally defeats the purpose of the movie “enhancements.”)
Here’s the deal, in any language, we are wretched at not having other gods before GOD and yet, we were created to find our way back to Him. This is a conundrum. It leaves us feeling wretched. Whether this truth causes a bruise to our self-esteem or self-respect – it’s the truth.
We will never be as fulfilled as the moment when we have no other gods before GOD.
Lord, fill us with the grace and mercy to love you.
Click on the word comments below and join our conversation!© Copyright 2010 NorthStar Community
Scripture focus: No tengas otros dioses además de mí. Exodus 20:3 Nueva Version Internacional
According to Sigmund Freud, addiction tears us asunder, one part of us desires freedom and another wants only to continue the addictive behavior and erodes self-esteem.
I can’t speak with any authority on the nature of self-esteem, but I have experienced the hopelessness that arises within me when I am consistently inconsistent. I fail repeatedly to live in freedom. This kills my self-respect. I have no idea what it does to my self-esteem!
There was a day when this inability to manage self was considered part of the human condition, a reason to turn to God, and ask for mercy and grace. Today it’s considered a sign of weakness. Aren’t we supposed to be able to achieve anything we set our minds to achieve?
My friend who is Catholic tells me that some people, worried about the concept of self-esteem, decided to remove the word “wretched” from the hymn Amazing Grace. I was so stunned I forgot to ask her what they replaced it with. My mind immediately spun to all those attempts to clean up foul-language in movies with bad voice-overs. (My kids always loved to read the lips – which I think totally defeats the purpose of the movie “enhancements.”)
Here’s the deal, in any language, we are wretched at not having other gods before GOD and yet, we were created to find our way back to Him. This is a conundrum. It leaves us feeling wretched. Whether this truth causes a bruise to our self-esteem or self-respect – it’s the truth.
We will never be as fulfilled as the moment when we have no other gods before GOD.
Lord, fill us with the grace and mercy to love you.
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May 27
Scripture focus: Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Said God in Exodus 20:3, King James Version
There is one really good thing about addiction. It can chip away at our pride and make room for an openness to grace. It helps me hug my friend who struggles with whether or not to stick a needle in her arm without an ounce of judgment.
After all, I love my Brie more than broccoli.
I pray that you do not think I am being flip. I am dead serious.
I often recall the story of the guy who came to pray and thanked God that he was not one of those “sorry people.” Jesus wasn’t too happy with him.
So what delights you?
Are there any “dependencies” that you have minimized, discounted, and rationalized?
Have you looked around at “those people” and felt superior, safe and proud?
Has an opportunity arisen lately when you have started a sentence with, “At least I don’t…”
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Scripture focus: Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Said God in Exodus 20:3, King James Version
There is one really good thing about addiction. It can chip away at our pride and make room for an openness to grace. It helps me hug my friend who struggles with whether or not to stick a needle in her arm without an ounce of judgment.
After all, I love my Brie more than broccoli.
I pray that you do not think I am being flip. I am dead serious.
I often recall the story of the guy who came to pray and thanked God that he was not one of those “sorry people.” Jesus wasn’t too happy with him.
So what delights you?
Are there any “dependencies” that you have minimized, discounted, and rationalized?
Have you looked around at “those people” and felt superior, safe and proud?
Has an opportunity arisen lately when you have started a sentence with, “At least I don’t…”
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May 26
Scripture focus: You shall have no other gods before or besides Me. (Said God in Exodus 20:3) Amplified version
At NorthStar Community and countless other faith communities, people show up knowing that everyone in attendance has a shared core identity – we’re human. We have dependencies. We have addictions. We lust. We have other gods.
“Hey, I saw you on tv, right?” He asks with an air of certainty that means I have to carefully consider whether or not a minister should lie in such an obvious manner.
“Maybe.” I hedge.
“Well, I sure am glad I ran into you. Because I want you to know that I think all you religious nuts are a bunch of hypocrites.”
I sigh with relief. Usually guys like this tell me I look fatter on tv than in real life. This never feels like a compliment, which I am sure is exactly as intended by the anonymous speaker. All this guy is doing is calling me a hypocrite – no big deal!
I nod an assent and keep walking. I don’t know this angry man, and I owe him no explanations. But he certainly got me thinking. I’ve grown accustomed to believing that we are, indeed, all hypocrites. Lately I’ve been rethinking my assumptions on a lot of things, and this issue has come up as a possible growth opportunity for me.
A hypocrite is a person who pretends they are something that they are not. If I said I preferred broccoli over Brie, I’d be a hypocrite. If I acknowledge the truth that I prefer Brie to broccoli, and go on to clarify that I choose to eat more broccoli than Brie as a part of a commitment to healthy eating – that is telling the truth – most of the time. Once in awhile, I am going to sit down and eat Brie without a single stalk of broccoli. I may eat it with crackers or toast. I may eat it as an appetizer, main dish, and dessert. I may remember to peel off the white rind or I may forget in my haste to nosh on the tasty Brie and eat it covering and all. This does not make me a hypocrite; it makes me inconsistent.
Inconsistency is different than hypocrisy. Hypocrisy leaves no room for holiness (if we define holiness as living with nothing hidden). Inconsistency provides us the opportunity to work toward a goal of increased consistency. It is also something we must hope and wait for. The awareness of grace provides us with a reason to never give up and never give in – even if we feel as if we are at the end of our rope.
Paul says the same thing only better in the book of Romans, when he reminds us that from the beginning, all creation has groaned in one great act of giving birth…we are all waiting for freedom. We wait patiently because we believe. We believe not in our own ability to be consistent, but in the One who dispenses grace lavishly. No matter where your treasure lies, have hope.
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May 25
Scripture focus: “No other gods, only me.” (Said God in Exodus 20:3.) The Message
Would it be good to be attractively addicted to some things ( children, chocolate, cleanliness, reading, punctuality, work, weight, winning, self-image, music, movies, money, memories, potato chips) and aversionally addicted to bad stuff (anger, bridges, spiders, germs)? After all, doesn’t it seem worse to be an alcoholic than a compulsive hand washer? Did anyone ever die from too clean hands?
Truly, addiction may have degrees of destruction. But ask a ten year old how it feels to not be able to stop scrubbing their hands with a bristle brush and Clorox…it hurts. All addictions impede freedom and diminish our ability to delight in life. There is not one single benefit to an addiction of any kind.
Here’s a crazy hypothetical. Suppose a person is addicted to approval. In an effort to receive that approval, they learn through experience that people really appreciate good deeds more than bad behaving. So instead of going out with the boys every night of the week and having a party, the approval addict starts volunteering at a homeless shelter. This wins him/her lots of approval. In fact, the approval is so attractive that he/she begins to not only show up to serve food, he/she starts bringing food, paying for the electricity to run the shelter and renovates the bathrooms. The homeless community benefits from the addiction of this approval junkie. How can this be a bad thing?
The short term benefit to the clients is undeniable, but not necessarily sustainable. What if this approval addict finds something else that turns heads and results in spontaneous clapping? He/she will move on to the next thing. Then who is going to fund the place, tote the lasagna, clean the utensils?
Of course, this is all nonsensical, because in reality all of us suffer from an attachment to something or other – large or small, healthy or dangerous. But people interested in finding the life God intended for them must learn to live with nothing hidden.
The heroin addict and the approval junkie have something in common. Both are in need of God’s grace.
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May 24
Scripture focus: “You shall have no other gods before me.” (Said God in Exodus 20:3.) NIV
I was trotting along on my favorite treadmill this week when some guy showed extreme irritation at my presence. He huffed and puffed and paced around the machine. At first I thought, what’s this guy’s deal? Is he afraid he can’t keep up? Then I returned from the imaginary land of denial and asked for clarification.
“Is there a problem? Can I help you?” I asked.
“Yeah, how long are you going to be on MY machine?” He answered.
“I’m sorry Sir, I didn’t realize this machine had your name on it. I will hop off immediately. I live to serve you and make you happy.” Just kidding. I said no such thing!
“I’ve got twenty more minutes.” The real me said.
“Sheesh! I haven’t got all day!” He fumed.
“No worries! I’m old, I can’t run all day.” I admit it; I did say that.
Upon reflection, I realized that I had shown up for my daily run at a time that I am normally having my quiet time. This guy probably wakes up early every morning and arrives at the gym when it is deserted. He takes this treadmill each and every morning on a run. Today, I foiled his plans.
On any given day of the week, I am usually on this – my treadmill – at a different, equally tranquil time of day. If he had shown up at my traditional time slot and hopped on MY machine, I would have been annoyed. Evidently, both of us are addicted to our routines.
Our dependencies help us find out who really is god to us. Are some addictions bad and others innocuous? I don’t think so. More on this tomorrow.
In the meantime, maybe today will reveal a treasure/god that you hold onto too tightly. If so, tomorrow’s devotional discussion might prove of interest.
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May 22
Scripture focus: “This is the crisis we're in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won't come near it, fearing a painful exposure. But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is." John 3:19-21 The Message
The fifth sign of addiction is distortion of attention, when we discover that our time and attention gets out of whack and inconsistent with our priorities.
__What captures my attention?
__Is there a “thing” that steals time from my loving relationships?
Remember that the mind is a tricky thing. But God’s grace is sufficient. If we tell the truth and open our hands, we make room for grace.
Click on the word comments below and join our conversation!© Copyright 2010 NorthStar Community
Scripture focus: “This is the crisis we're in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won't come near it, fearing a painful exposure. But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is." John 3:19-21 The Message
The fifth sign of addiction is distortion of attention, when we discover that our time and attention gets out of whack and inconsistent with our priorities.
__What captures my attention?
__Is there a “thing” that steals time from my loving relationships?
Remember that the mind is a tricky thing. But God’s grace is sufficient. If we tell the truth and open our hands, we make room for grace.
Click on the word comments below and join our conversation!© Copyright 2010 NorthStar Community
May 21
Scripture focus: “This is the crisis we're in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won't come near it, fearing a painful exposure. But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is." John 3:19-21 The Message
Loss of willpower is another sign of dark living.
__Have I ever made any resolutions to ease the importance of an object in my life, only to return to it?
__Have I ever felt emotionally upset by my ability or inability to keep a resolution?
__Do I feel like I have any compulsions?
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Scripture focus: “This is the crisis we're in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won't come near it, fearing a painful exposure. But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is." John 3:19-21 The Message
Loss of willpower is another sign of dark living.
__Have I ever made any resolutions to ease the importance of an object in my life, only to return to it?
__Have I ever felt emotionally upset by my ability or inability to keep a resolution?
__Do I feel like I have any compulsions?
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May 20
Scripture focus: “This is the crisis we're in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won't come near it, fearing a painful exposure. But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is." John 3:19-21 The Message
Self-deception is another hallmark of addictive living. Basically, the addicted mind is a tricky trickster. Questions to consider:
__Do I make excuses, denials, or play other mind games?
__Do I hide or keep secrets?
__Do I ever do stuff that seems uncharacteristic of me?
__Do I have trouble settling down and taking time for quiet reflection?
Addicted living leaves us fearing painful exposure.
Do you know what you treasure?
Click on the word comments below and join our conversation!© Copyright 2010 NorthStar Community
Scripture focus: “This is the crisis we're in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won't come near it, fearing a painful exposure. But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is." John 3:19-21 The Message
Self-deception is another hallmark of addictive living. Basically, the addicted mind is a tricky trickster. Questions to consider:
__Do I make excuses, denials, or play other mind games?
__Do I hide or keep secrets?
__Do I ever do stuff that seems uncharacteristic of me?
__Do I have trouble settling down and taking time for quiet reflection?
Addicted living leaves us fearing painful exposure.
Do you know what you treasure?
Click on the word comments below and join our conversation!© Copyright 2010 NorthStar Community
May 19
Scripture focus: “This is the crisis we're in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won't come near it, fearing a painful exposure. But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is." John 3:19-21 The Message
Withdrawal symptoms accompany addictive living. They come in two forms: (1). Stress reactions that range from mild uneasiness and irritability to extreme agitation with rapid pulse, tremors and panic. (2). Rebound reactions are symptoms that are the opposite of those caused by the addictive behavior. If I get addicted to headache medicine, and then stop taking it – I will end up with rebound headaches. I believe (illusion) that I have a problem with headaches, but what I really have a problem with is too many meds.
__How do I feel if I think I’m going to lose something I’m attached to?
__How much time, energy and worry do I use up each week trying to hold on to whatever this thing is?
__If I lose this, will I experience a stress reaction?
__Have I ever had symptoms that make me possibly feel that they could be withdrawal symptoms?
Click on the word comments below and join our conversation!© Copyright 2010 NorthStar Community
Scripture focus: “This is the crisis we're in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won't come near it, fearing a painful exposure. But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is." John 3:19-21 The Message
Withdrawal symptoms accompany addictive living. They come in two forms: (1). Stress reactions that range from mild uneasiness and irritability to extreme agitation with rapid pulse, tremors and panic. (2). Rebound reactions are symptoms that are the opposite of those caused by the addictive behavior. If I get addicted to headache medicine, and then stop taking it – I will end up with rebound headaches. I believe (illusion) that I have a problem with headaches, but what I really have a problem with is too many meds.
__How do I feel if I think I’m going to lose something I’m attached to?
__How much time, energy and worry do I use up each week trying to hold on to whatever this thing is?
__If I lose this, will I experience a stress reaction?
__Have I ever had symptoms that make me possibly feel that they could be withdrawal symptoms?
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May 18
Scripture focus: “This is the crisis we're in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won't come near it, fearing a painful exposure. But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is." John 3:19-21 The Message
If freedom is the ability to love, and God is love, then it makes sense that we must be free to love – even when loving is in contradiction to our desires. Andy Gullahorn is one of my favorite musicians. He’s written a song where the first line says, “Have you ever let your baby cry while you finish your video game?” (I know, trust me, it’s a great song even if it sounds silly.) Andy is illustrating how often our desires – even the small, petty ones – usurp our true, God intended life of love. Silly sounding or not – these decisions to choose dark over light are indicative of addiction. In the next five days, we’re going to answer a series of questions that will help us know if we may be on the road to addiction.
If we’re trying to live life in the darkness, we won’t like these questions. But if we can answer them, knowing that when we disclose our self-centered ways we are really making space for grace – that’s a good start to a great life.
Characteristic one of addictive living is tolerance – always wanting or needing more of something in order to feel satisfied. If one cappuccino per week was a treat, and a few months later, we need one per day – we are developing tolerance. Are you tolerant (in a bad way)?
__ Do I feel secure with what I have in the way of possessions, or do I need more?
__ Do I feel I need more control of my life, more power to feel satisfied?
__ Do I need the people in my life to love me more for me to feel satisfied?
The need for “more” might mean that we are in crisis.
Click on the word comments below and join our conversation!© Copyright 2010 NorthStar Community
Scripture focus: “This is the crisis we're in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won't come near it, fearing a painful exposure. But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is." John 3:19-21 The Message
If freedom is the ability to love, and God is love, then it makes sense that we must be free to love – even when loving is in contradiction to our desires. Andy Gullahorn is one of my favorite musicians. He’s written a song where the first line says, “Have you ever let your baby cry while you finish your video game?” (I know, trust me, it’s a great song even if it sounds silly.) Andy is illustrating how often our desires – even the small, petty ones – usurp our true, God intended life of love. Silly sounding or not – these decisions to choose dark over light are indicative of addiction. In the next five days, we’re going to answer a series of questions that will help us know if we may be on the road to addiction.
If we’re trying to live life in the darkness, we won’t like these questions. But if we can answer them, knowing that when we disclose our self-centered ways we are really making space for grace – that’s a good start to a great life.
Characteristic one of addictive living is tolerance – always wanting or needing more of something in order to feel satisfied. If one cappuccino per week was a treat, and a few months later, we need one per day – we are developing tolerance. Are you tolerant (in a bad way)?
__ Do I feel secure with what I have in the way of possessions, or do I need more?
__ Do I feel I need more control of my life, more power to feel satisfied?
__ Do I need the people in my life to love me more for me to feel satisfied?
The need for “more” might mean that we are in crisis.
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May 17
Scripture focus: “This is the crisis we're in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won't come near it, fearing a painful exposure. But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is." John 3:19-21 The Message
Eventually I finish both my chores and those annoying footnotes. I’m talking to an acquaintance, telling her about my close call with darkness. She thinks I’m over-reacting. “That’s ridiculous,” she says. “You are totally over-analyzing the situation. Stores ought to provide better service than you received. You should have complained to the manager.”
I disagree. Clearly, heroin addicts who steal from grandma’s purse to feed their habit are engaging in dark dwelling behavior. Dateline and 60 Minutes feature tragic tales of evil doers like Bernie Madoff and others who have cruelly treated others. No one argues that this is evil.
But those are simply extremes of the same kind of behavior I engaged in. My impatience robbed me of the compassion and charity I might have experienced much earlier in the transaction if I hadn’t been such a jerk.
Paul Tillich has said that our concerns reveal our God. As I stood at that pharmacy counter, shifting uneasily from foot to foot, aggravated that Ginger was absent and unable to meet my every need in jiffy speed, the only person I cared about was me.
Maybe I am over-reacting. But if so, I pray that I continue to act in such an emotional fashion. Because I believe with all my heart that God loved me enough to show up and give me a great gift – the gift of grace. I can look back on this example and berate myself for my inadequate, terrible defect of character. Or I can think of this incident as a doorway through which the power of grace came running through. God came to my rescue. How cool is that?
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May 16
Scripture focus: “This is the crisis we're in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won't come near it, fearing a painful exposure. But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is." John 3:19-21 The Message
Before I headed off to run my errands, I had spent the morning in the gospel of John. Chapter three gripped me. Men and women running for the darkness? How can this be? Don’t we all love the light? I, for one, am interested in pleasing God. I want the truth! I love God light. I long for a reality that is infused with God-light and truth. Who are these numbskulls that practice doing evil and are addicted to denial and illusion? I think this before my run-in with a woman who can’t spell McBean – M-C-B-E-A-N.
This is a problem of crisis proportion.
When I care more about running an errand in less than a New York minute so that I can get back to my oh so special work, you know what I’m doing? I’m running for darkness. I’m not interested in pleasing God. I am practicing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hating God-light, fearing a painful exposure.
As the rookie clerk scurries off for back-up, I’m given the privilege – the grace – the gift of God-light – just in the nick of time. In a flash, my mind returns to John three. I know with clarity that I am in crisis. I have an opportunity to choose. Am I willing to work and live in truth and reality?
The clerk returns, harried and without support. But this time, I am not in a hurry. I am in the middle of a crisis, and grateful for the insight to know that this encounter is a big deal – because it will show me what I truly believe. I have an idea. “Can I write it down for you? Would that help?” Ahh, yes, she nods. Pen in hand, I write, M C B E A N. I take the paper and turn it toward her. She looks down and the light of recognition transforms her worried face. Quickly she bends, reaches into the bin marked “M” and whips out my prescription. Success.
It took longer than I thought it should – and for that I thank God. I’m a slow learner, and I needed the time to understand the opportunity I had been presented. This woman is new to her job. Keeping it may be essential. My work is barely worth doing – involving correcting footnotes and adding a bibliography to a book that maybe four people will actually read. Whether or not I get it fixed, or even right, will not change whether my family will eat tonight. For this elderly woman, back in the workforce without the benefit of a firm grounding in the English language, she’s really working. I thank her for her patience – and mean it. I move away and a gentleman steps up to the counter.
“McPherson,” he says. She glances up at him, puzzled.
“You write down,” she encourages, handing him the pen. She glances at me and smiles, gives a small wave and watches as Mr. McPherson makes it easy for her to find that pesky bin of “M’s.” I leave with a prescription, a grateful heart and I suspect a new friend.
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Scripture focus: “This is the crisis we're in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won't come near it, fearing a painful exposure. But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is." John 3:19-21 The Message
Before I headed off to run my errands, I had spent the morning in the gospel of John. Chapter three gripped me. Men and women running for the darkness? How can this be? Don’t we all love the light? I, for one, am interested in pleasing God. I want the truth! I love God light. I long for a reality that is infused with God-light and truth. Who are these numbskulls that practice doing evil and are addicted to denial and illusion? I think this before my run-in with a woman who can’t spell McBean – M-C-B-E-A-N.
This is a problem of crisis proportion.
When I care more about running an errand in less than a New York minute so that I can get back to my oh so special work, you know what I’m doing? I’m running for darkness. I’m not interested in pleasing God. I am practicing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hating God-light, fearing a painful exposure.
As the rookie clerk scurries off for back-up, I’m given the privilege – the grace – the gift of God-light – just in the nick of time. In a flash, my mind returns to John three. I know with clarity that I am in crisis. I have an opportunity to choose. Am I willing to work and live in truth and reality?
The clerk returns, harried and without support. But this time, I am not in a hurry. I am in the middle of a crisis, and grateful for the insight to know that this encounter is a big deal – because it will show me what I truly believe. I have an idea. “Can I write it down for you? Would that help?” Ahh, yes, she nods. Pen in hand, I write, M C B E A N. I take the paper and turn it toward her. She looks down and the light of recognition transforms her worried face. Quickly she bends, reaches into the bin marked “M” and whips out my prescription. Success.
It took longer than I thought it should – and for that I thank God. I’m a slow learner, and I needed the time to understand the opportunity I had been presented. This woman is new to her job. Keeping it may be essential. My work is barely worth doing – involving correcting footnotes and adding a bibliography to a book that maybe four people will actually read. Whether or not I get it fixed, or even right, will not change whether my family will eat tonight. For this elderly woman, back in the workforce without the benefit of a firm grounding in the English language, she’s really working. I thank her for her patience – and mean it. I move away and a gentleman steps up to the counter.
“McPherson,” he says. She glances up at him, puzzled.
“You write down,” she encourages, handing him the pen. She glances at me and smiles, gives a small wave and watches as Mr. McPherson makes it easy for her to find that pesky bin of “M’s.” I leave with a prescription, a grateful heart and I suspect a new friend.
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May 15
Scripture focus: “This is the crisis we're in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won't come near it, fearing a painful exposure. But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is." John 3:19-21 The Message
All I intended was completing my errands; it was a busy day, and getting through these simple chores fast was a top priority. One last stop at the pharmacy, and I was free to head home and get back to work. This work felt imperative.
Usually I head to the pharmacy, greet by my friend Ginger, who reaches into the completed prescriptions bin and whips out my order. No such luck today. Instead, a stranger asks for my name, which she finds impossible to grasp. “Nadine?” She asks in broken English.
“No, it’s McBean. M-C-B-E-A-N. Like greenbeans and McDonald’s.” (How hard can this be?) I feel mildly annoyed when she stares back blankly.
“No Mac Bain’s here, come back tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow is Sunday, you won’t be open. Are you sure it isn’t there?”
“No B’s at all.”
“Oh! Look in the M’s!” My spirits rise. Maybe the prescription is filled.
“We no put B’s in M’s.” She thinks I’m a goof; I can tell this in any language.
“My. Name. Is. MMMMMMMMcBean.” I speak very slowly.
“Wait here. I get help.”
I don’t want to wait. I want to get my medicine handed to me by someone who always knows my name so that I can rush off and get busy with my very important, vital, crucial, essential, urgent, necessary work. I desire for my errand to be short, and my results swift.
More on why this response is a very big deal and bad news tomorrow.
“It is the nature of desire not to be satisfied, and most human beings live only for the gratification of it.” Aristotle
Click on the word comments below and join our conversation!© Copyright 2010 NorthStar Community
Scripture focus: “This is the crisis we're in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won't come near it, fearing a painful exposure. But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is." John 3:19-21 The Message
All I intended was completing my errands; it was a busy day, and getting through these simple chores fast was a top priority. One last stop at the pharmacy, and I was free to head home and get back to work. This work felt imperative.
Usually I head to the pharmacy, greet by my friend Ginger, who reaches into the completed prescriptions bin and whips out my order. No such luck today. Instead, a stranger asks for my name, which she finds impossible to grasp. “Nadine?” She asks in broken English.
“No, it’s McBean. M-C-B-E-A-N. Like greenbeans and McDonald’s.” (How hard can this be?) I feel mildly annoyed when she stares back blankly.
“No Mac Bain’s here, come back tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow is Sunday, you won’t be open. Are you sure it isn’t there?”
“No B’s at all.”
“Oh! Look in the M’s!” My spirits rise. Maybe the prescription is filled.
“We no put B’s in M’s.” She thinks I’m a goof; I can tell this in any language.
“My. Name. Is. MMMMMMMMcBean.” I speak very slowly.
“Wait here. I get help.”
I don’t want to wait. I want to get my medicine handed to me by someone who always knows my name so that I can rush off and get busy with my very important, vital, crucial, essential, urgent, necessary work. I desire for my errand to be short, and my results swift.
More on why this response is a very big deal and bad news tomorrow.
“It is the nature of desire not to be satisfied, and most human beings live only for the gratification of it.” Aristotle
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May 14
Scripture focus: When down-and-outers get a break, cheer! James 1:9 The Message
Addictions impair our receptivity to grace because, by definition, active addiction makes us crazy. It clouds our reasoning and obliterates our ability to care about others. The addicted brain is crafty, manipulative and selfish. Witnessing the destructive habits of the addicted is enough to make observers cry out for justice and request that grace be given to someone who deserves it (which feels judgmental). An alternative viewpoint is to consider all “down-and-outers” as helpless victims, for whom there is little hope for redemption. Something “made them” do whatever that despicable thing is they did – and we, as loving Christians, should just give them a break (which feels merciful). Do you ever find yourself waffling between these two responses?
Creating a space for grace is an interesting proposition. It requires a commitment to truth with a lot of wriggle room for what we might not understand.
After watching the dance of addiction for many years, I’m unwilling to accept the notion that anything is bigger than God’s love. Therefore, although I can cite chapter and verse all the reasons that addiction is difficult to treat and stubbornly resistant to intervention, I am convinced that no matter the systemic nature of the oppression, there resides within us the eternal possibility for freedom. I cannot give up on the hope of transformation. I refuse to label anyone as a helpless victim in need of constant rescue but beyond the reach of redemption.
For me, grace is a verb. And it is personal. We have a friend in our community that is a felon, served time in prison, lost his voting rights and his driver’s license. He spent years looking for a job in a vain attempt to “get back” what addiction took from him – a decent job, a good reputation and a reasonably comfortable life. God never gave him back some of the things he lost. But our buddy would tell you that he has received far greater gifts from the Father of Light. Today he is a counselor in a treatment facility. He’s maintained, completely by the grace of God, long term sobriety in the face of daunting obstacles. He had to receive financial support from others; he had to ask for help repeatedly; he had to open his hands and take whatever anyone was willing to offer him – including jobs that were beneath his educational and experience level and money to help pay rent.
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May 13
Scripture focus: So, my very dear friends, don't get thrown off course. Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light. There is nothing deceitful in God, nothing two-faced, nothing fickle. He brought us to life using the true Word, showing us off as the crown of all his creatures. James 1:16-18 The Message
Pete has spent his Sunday mornings at NSC for eleven years, ten of which he’s led a men’s group. It’s an unusual collection of people. Many of the men who participate come from the local treatment facility; their schedule permits them to attend for awhile but not for long. This constant flux causes Pete some organizational heartburn. But it is losing guys back to the streets that break his heart.
There’s a guy in the group who used to be an addict and agnostic; now he’s in recovery and has found his higher power – Jesus. His sobriety and spiritual awakening have shocked everyone. A year ago he was barely conscious – now he is fully awake to spiritual things, vibrant in his love of life.
Our friend understands grace – although he never requested it. Grace showed up uninvited even though it was completely undeserved. God’s dynamic gift of grace is healing, illuminating and reconciling him to God and others. This young man never intended to get to know God; he showed up for coffee and biscuits. On bad weather days a morning at NorthStar was one way to find shelter from the rain, snow, heat or cold.
Grace cannot be acquired or possessed, hoarded or held onto. It is eternally free and blows where it will – much like the Holy Spirit that gives it. We can open our hearts to receive it, but we cannot control it nor does it seek to control us. The constant hope that grace might show up on any given Sunday is what keeps Pete coming back with biscuits and coffee in hand.
Clinging to the objects of our obsessions fills all the spaces in our mind, heart and hands that grace can occupy. It is the will and the desire for these objects that cause harm – not the objects themselves.
What treasure do you seek? One desperate man came in search of biscuits, coffee and shelter from the weather. He ended up acquiring God’s unmerited favor, the gift of peace and joy for living. This grace grew beyond the borders of his heart, changing how he thinks and behaves. Reconciliation has occurred in his family and he’s able to keep a job. He didn’t know that there could be anything better in life than a handout. What he learned is that a hand up is pretty powerful. Grace got him started; gratitude keeps him going. What keeps you going, the search for treasure or the gift of grace?
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May 12
Scripture focus: If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You'll get his help, and won't be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who "worry their prayers" are like wind-whipped waves. Don't think you're going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open. James 1:5-8 The Message
Saint Augustine once said that God is always trying to give us good gifts but our hands are too full to receive them. He should know. Maybe we think he should know because he has the title “Saint.” But Saint Augustine was first and foremost a man who struggled with his own compulsions.
I used to think that I had to figure out how to limit my options, love God more, behave better, do something…in order to receive God’s help in my time of need. I didn’t have a clue what I was doing when it came to believing – and although I’ve learned a lot in forty plus years of believing, most days I still don’t understand how it works. I just muddle along, asking God for help. I pray and no answers immediately appear. I worry my prayers. Maybe the best thing I can say for myself is that I don’t keep my options open – I’ve made the decision to believe. But when I read James 1:5-8 I run for a life jacket.
I believe that God is infinitely loving, merciful, and gracious – showing goodwill to humankind through a remarkably patient attitude toward those of us who believe but often lose our way. What scares me is whether or not I am willing to make space to receive his gifts.
Maybe that’s the point. There’s no need for grace if belief is like a math formula or a recipe.
Jesus hung out with people who couldn’t figure out how to do math or make stew. They messed up, doubted, deserted and despaired. The religious leaders followed a formula and expected a reward. Jesus taught the confused, but he castigated those who presumed to know how to believe. I’m admitting to a constant state of uncertainty, and asking for God’s grace to carry on. How about you? Are you confident in your own knowledge of what constitutes treasure?
Click on the word comments below and join our conversation!© Copyright 2010 NorthStar Community
Scripture focus: If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You'll get his help, and won't be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who "worry their prayers" are like wind-whipped waves. Don't think you're going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open. James 1:5-8 The Message
Saint Augustine once said that God is always trying to give us good gifts but our hands are too full to receive them. He should know. Maybe we think he should know because he has the title “Saint.” But Saint Augustine was first and foremost a man who struggled with his own compulsions.
I used to think that I had to figure out how to limit my options, love God more, behave better, do something…in order to receive God’s help in my time of need. I didn’t have a clue what I was doing when it came to believing – and although I’ve learned a lot in forty plus years of believing, most days I still don’t understand how it works. I just muddle along, asking God for help. I pray and no answers immediately appear. I worry my prayers. Maybe the best thing I can say for myself is that I don’t keep my options open – I’ve made the decision to believe. But when I read James 1:5-8 I run for a life jacket.
I believe that God is infinitely loving, merciful, and gracious – showing goodwill to humankind through a remarkably patient attitude toward those of us who believe but often lose our way. What scares me is whether or not I am willing to make space to receive his gifts.
Maybe that’s the point. There’s no need for grace if belief is like a math formula or a recipe.
Jesus hung out with people who couldn’t figure out how to do math or make stew. They messed up, doubted, deserted and despaired. The religious leaders followed a formula and expected a reward. Jesus taught the confused, but he castigated those who presumed to know how to believe. I’m admitting to a constant state of uncertainty, and asking for God’s grace to carry on. How about you? Are you confident in your own knowledge of what constitutes treasure?
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May 11
Scripture focus: Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. James 1:2-4 The Message
If our deepest desire is found in various permutations of loving God, self and others - then perhaps the most destructive component of addiction is that it steals desire. Addiction is a form of spiritual cancer. Specific obsessions and compulsions steal our life energy, leaving nothing left for other people and larger purposes than feeding our urge. Idolatry is the old-fashioned name for addiction.
Adrian Van Kaam has called it a “counterfeit of religious presence.”
Addiction exists when people are compelled to spend energy on things that are not their true desires. Addiction is the process of becoming attached (enslaved) to anything that distracts from our deepest longing for love and goodness.
I attended a funeral recently and the grieving widow said, “He loved his booze more than me.” I gave her a hug and kept walking. Maybe someday I will be given the opportunity to tell her, “He was addicted. That’s not love.”
If unhealthy attachment equals addiction (sometimes mistaken for obsessive love), then healthy detachment means that we are free to love in a way that takes other people’s needs into account. Detachment is not aloof; it is freedom to choose love. Detachment isn’t isolation; it is the ability to make choices within the context of loving relationships.
My boy calls home, not because he has to, but because he wants to have a loving connection to his parental units. We, his parents, appreciate his choice and do not presume that we deserve his largesse. None of us presume, feel entitled or take for granted this love connection.
In this moment (we do not pretend to know the future), we are experiencing a freedom of desire. This is very different than freedom from desire. Our son seems free to choose to love us. Freedom of desire means that we have a capacity to love. This gives us the ability to know how to love others in a way that is both healthy and appropriate. Michael calls because he knows that when he does, he is giving his mom and dad a gift. He is building a relationship of trust, one phone call at a time.
Addiction robs us of the freedom to love God and others. Yikes! That’s serious business.
Do you know where your treasure is buried?
Click on the word comments below and join our conversation!© Copyright 2010 NorthStar Community
Scripture focus: Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. James 1:2-4 The Message
If our deepest desire is found in various permutations of loving God, self and others - then perhaps the most destructive component of addiction is that it steals desire. Addiction is a form of spiritual cancer. Specific obsessions and compulsions steal our life energy, leaving nothing left for other people and larger purposes than feeding our urge. Idolatry is the old-fashioned name for addiction.
Adrian Van Kaam has called it a “counterfeit of religious presence.”
Addiction exists when people are compelled to spend energy on things that are not their true desires. Addiction is the process of becoming attached (enslaved) to anything that distracts from our deepest longing for love and goodness.
I attended a funeral recently and the grieving widow said, “He loved his booze more than me.” I gave her a hug and kept walking. Maybe someday I will be given the opportunity to tell her, “He was addicted. That’s not love.”
If unhealthy attachment equals addiction (sometimes mistaken for obsessive love), then healthy detachment means that we are free to love in a way that takes other people’s needs into account. Detachment is not aloof; it is freedom to choose love. Detachment isn’t isolation; it is the ability to make choices within the context of loving relationships.
My boy calls home, not because he has to, but because he wants to have a loving connection to his parental units. We, his parents, appreciate his choice and do not presume that we deserve his largesse. None of us presume, feel entitled or take for granted this love connection.
In this moment (we do not pretend to know the future), we are experiencing a freedom of desire. This is very different than freedom from desire. Our son seems free to choose to love us. Freedom of desire means that we have a capacity to love. This gives us the ability to know how to love others in a way that is both healthy and appropriate. Michael calls because he knows that when he does, he is giving his mom and dad a gift. He is building a relationship of trust, one phone call at a time.
Addiction robs us of the freedom to love God and others. Yikes! That’s serious business.
Do you know where your treasure is buried?
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May 10
Scripture focus: Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you. Galatians 5:1 The Message
As an image bearer of God, we are created in love by a loving God. Our authentic self is destined for love. Freedom of will to choose this life – without manipulation – delights our heavenly Father. This kind of love forms our deepest desire.
Our youngest son is far away in college. He can do anything he darn well pleases and as long as he doesn’t get arrested, declared academically ineligible, end up on the cover of People magazine or in a YouTube video (I have heard rumors he is on Tom Green’s website having a snowball fight one snowy winter night in Nashville after a show.), we (his parents) would not have a clue.
Two weekends ago he called to ask us if it was ok to go visit his girlfriend; last weekend he called to ask about driving down to Birmingham for a folk festival. Technically, he doesn’t need to do this. He’s a young man who has resources and the freedom to choose.
Why does he call us? Is it really to get our permission? Or is it because he is free?
Freedom allows us to choose whether or not we love God, self and others. When a nineteen year old son continues to respect his parents by allowing them entry into his life story, even when he doesn’t have to – that is a beautiful love relationship.
True love is never enslaving; it is open. But there is a powerful force at work against this kind of love. More on that tomorrow.
Click on the word comments below and join our conversation!© Copyright 2010 NorthStar Community
Scripture focus: Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you. Galatians 5:1 The Message
As an image bearer of God, we are created in love by a loving God. Our authentic self is destined for love. Freedom of will to choose this life – without manipulation – delights our heavenly Father. This kind of love forms our deepest desire.
Our youngest son is far away in college. He can do anything he darn well pleases and as long as he doesn’t get arrested, declared academically ineligible, end up on the cover of People magazine or in a YouTube video (I have heard rumors he is on Tom Green’s website having a snowball fight one snowy winter night in Nashville after a show.), we (his parents) would not have a clue.
Two weekends ago he called to ask us if it was ok to go visit his girlfriend; last weekend he called to ask about driving down to Birmingham for a folk festival. Technically, he doesn’t need to do this. He’s a young man who has resources and the freedom to choose.
Why does he call us? Is it really to get our permission? Or is it because he is free?
Freedom allows us to choose whether or not we love God, self and others. When a nineteen year old son continues to respect his parents by allowing them entry into his life story, even when he doesn’t have to – that is a beautiful love relationship.
True love is never enslaving; it is open. But there is a powerful force at work against this kind of love. More on that tomorrow.
Click on the word comments below and join our conversation!© Copyright 2010 NorthStar Community
May 9
Scripture focus: The woman stared at the fruit. It looked beautiful and tasty. She wanted the wisdom that it would give her, and she ate some of the fruit. Her husband was there with her, so she gave some to him, and he ate it too. Genesis 3:6 Contemporary English Version (CEV)
Eve is the kind of gal who is easy to judge. Promised the perfect husband, a great job as co-CEO of the Garden, and the very image of God, why, oh why did she mess stuff up by tasting the tempting fruit?
I sat down for coffee this week and listened as a girlfriend asked the same question about herself. She has no clue why she decided to start stealing from the company that she had worked for all her adult life. Hundreds of thousands of dollars later, the only answer she had? “I figured out I could take it and I did. The more I took, the more I wanted.”
Her kids are so embarrassed that they don’t want contact with her; her husband left her for another woman in the midst of this debacle. She has no money for a lawyer (ironic), and at this point, she figures at least in jail she’ll have a roof over her head and three meals per day. Eve and my friend share a powerful story. Every addiction story is a re-creation of Eve’s tumble in the garden.
My friend is deeply discouraged by the cycle of addiction:
* freedom - which became willfulness
* which was enticed by desire
* when mixed with temptation equaled attachment,
* ultimately resulting in the fall. She sees this as an endless cycle of despair.
I, however, disagree – as gently as possible! I think this story is headed somewhere. Although I am terrible at predicting who will make the journey successfully and who will not, I am convinced that this repetitive struggle with falling is preparing us for grace.
Click on the word comments below and join our conversation!© Copyright 2010 NorthStar Community
Scripture focus: The woman stared at the fruit. It looked beautiful and tasty. She wanted the wisdom that it would give her, and she ate some of the fruit. Her husband was there with her, so she gave some to him, and he ate it too. Genesis 3:6 Contemporary English Version (CEV)
Eve is the kind of gal who is easy to judge. Promised the perfect husband, a great job as co-CEO of the Garden, and the very image of God, why, oh why did she mess stuff up by tasting the tempting fruit?
I sat down for coffee this week and listened as a girlfriend asked the same question about herself. She has no clue why she decided to start stealing from the company that she had worked for all her adult life. Hundreds of thousands of dollars later, the only answer she had? “I figured out I could take it and I did. The more I took, the more I wanted.”
Her kids are so embarrassed that they don’t want contact with her; her husband left her for another woman in the midst of this debacle. She has no money for a lawyer (ironic), and at this point, she figures at least in jail she’ll have a roof over her head and three meals per day. Eve and my friend share a powerful story. Every addiction story is a re-creation of Eve’s tumble in the garden.
My friend is deeply discouraged by the cycle of addiction:
* freedom - which became willfulness
* which was enticed by desire
* when mixed with temptation equaled attachment,
* ultimately resulting in the fall. She sees this as an endless cycle of despair.
I, however, disagree – as gently as possible! I think this story is headed somewhere. Although I am terrible at predicting who will make the journey successfully and who will not, I am convinced that this repetitive struggle with falling is preparing us for grace.
Click on the word comments below and join our conversation!© Copyright 2010 NorthStar Community
May 8
Scripture focus: God spoke: "Let us make human beings in our image, make reflecting our nature so they can be responsible for the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the cattle, and, yes, Earth itself, and every animal that moves on the face of Earth." God created human beings; he created them godlike, reflecting God's nature. He created them male and female. God blessed them: “Prosper! Reproduce! Fill earth! Take charge! Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air, for every living thing that moves on the face of Earth." Genesis 1:26-28 The Message
Eden means “delight.” Intuitively, we all know we were created for delightful living. But we’re born in a state of independence from God; lots of stuff happens to us as we grow up and find our way back to Him. Some of it is really tragic and traumatic; other aspects are enticing and exciting. Most of it has some effect on the degree of difficulty with which we live as spiritual beings in an earth suit.
He created us and spoke into our lives when he said, “Prosper! Reproduce! Fill earth! Take charge! Be responsible…”
Just for today, hold one thought: God made me in his image, so that I might reflect his nature.
Click on the word comments below and join our conversation!© Copyright 2010 NorthStar Community
Scripture focus: God spoke: "Let us make human beings in our image, make reflecting our nature so they can be responsible for the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the cattle, and, yes, Earth itself, and every animal that moves on the face of Earth." God created human beings; he created them godlike, reflecting God's nature. He created them male and female. God blessed them: “Prosper! Reproduce! Fill earth! Take charge! Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air, for every living thing that moves on the face of Earth." Genesis 1:26-28 The Message
Eden means “delight.” Intuitively, we all know we were created for delightful living. But we’re born in a state of independence from God; lots of stuff happens to us as we grow up and find our way back to Him. Some of it is really tragic and traumatic; other aspects are enticing and exciting. Most of it has some effect on the degree of difficulty with which we live as spiritual beings in an earth suit.
He created us and spoke into our lives when he said, “Prosper! Reproduce! Fill earth! Take charge! Be responsible…”
Just for today, hold one thought: God made me in his image, so that I might reflect his nature.
Click on the word comments below and join our conversation!© Copyright 2010 NorthStar Community
May 7
Scripture focus: When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession – to the praise of his glory. Ephesians 1:13-14 NIV
Is a laundry room a bad thing? Nope. Is it a reasonable decision? Yes, according to my husband (I’m completely incapable of objectivity; I’m compulsively obsessed.)
So what’s the problem?
The problem is when I put my hope in it.
It’s a problem when I think a laundry room is a glorious inheritance.
It’s a problem when I acquire possessions believing that I am entitled to them.
I have made a decision to believe. Once made, I am marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit.
My inheritance will never take the form of washers and dryers or cool drop down ironing boards.
Once I choose to believe, I am in the process of coming to understand that I have been given a new heart by a God who doesn’t wink at sin.
Holy and blameless isn’t about reigning in my passions; it’s about not winking at my sin. It is telling God the truth, and trusting that He will help me with my sin issues. But I cannot minimize my temptation to live a tawdry life, filled with trinket toys. I was created for more than folding laundry and perfectly pressed shirts.
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© Copyright 2010 NorthStar Community
Scripture focus: When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession – to the praise of his glory. Ephesians 1:13-14 NIV
Is a laundry room a bad thing? Nope. Is it a reasonable decision? Yes, according to my husband (I’m completely incapable of objectivity; I’m compulsively obsessed.)
So what’s the problem?
The problem is when I put my hope in it.
It’s a problem when I think a laundry room is a glorious inheritance.
It’s a problem when I acquire possessions believing that I am entitled to them.
I have made a decision to believe. Once made, I am marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit.
My inheritance will never take the form of washers and dryers or cool drop down ironing boards.
Once I choose to believe, I am in the process of coming to understand that I have been given a new heart by a God who doesn’t wink at sin.
Holy and blameless isn’t about reigning in my passions; it’s about not winking at my sin. It is telling God the truth, and trusting that He will help me with my sin issues. But I cannot minimize my temptation to live a tawdry life, filled with trinket toys. I was created for more than folding laundry and perfectly pressed shirts.
Click on the word comments below and join our conversation!
© Copyright 2010 NorthStar Community
May 6
Scripture focus: For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to Sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will – to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. Ephesians 1:4-6 NIV
Living out who God says I am – holy and blameless – is impossible. I can’t do it. Here’s why. I passionately desire things that are incongruent with my Image Bearing identity. I have doubts about my ability to be holy and blameless. I completely believe that unless and until I fully embrace God’s intentions for my life I will be adrift in a sea of discontent. I’m in a pickle.
I passionately want things that make no sense. Recently, I’ve been lusting after moving my laundry room from the garage to the second floor of my house. My gosh, I want this so bad you’d think it would change the world. As soon as I don’t need to schlep dirty and clean clothes up and down stairs, what exactly do I think will happen? Will it cure the common cold, end poverty, cause the world to stop their fighting? Decrease wrinkles, brown spots and others signs of aging? I don’t think so. I’m still going to have to do laundry. It will need sorting and folding and even ironing. I can leave wet clothes in the washer for a week upstairs as easily as I have in the garage. I’m old enough to know that I’m going to love this project with a passion until it is completed and then it’ll be just another room where I go to do what I hate – wash clothes. This laundry room is a decent idea that will save some time and make life a tiny bit more convenient. But it will never help me achieve a holy and a blameless life.
If I am going to have any hope of becoming like Jesus (who bore the image of his daddy), I need to trust Him with everything that is true about me, including my passionate pursuit of a laundry room renovation. So here’s my deal. I want to be chosen by God without having to trust him with all of me. Trusting God means telling the truth – this obsession with a laundry room is serious business; I must acknowledge to God my idolatrous ways. I keep thinking the good life is convenient. I want what I want. This is a spiritual malady. It won’t get you locked up in the county jail or result in Social Services coming and taking my kid to foster care, but it is not holy. It is not blameless.
Identifying where I look for treasure will help me discover my idols.
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© Copyright 2010 NorthStar Community
May 5
Scripture focus: For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to Sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will – to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. Ephesians 1:4-6 NIV
One of the treasures that I unconsciously return to is the desire for peace. I want a peaceful life. I want my sheets to be folded neatly in the linen closet; I want my car clean; I want my desk clutter free. I want people to behave, get along, not relapse, not make a mess of their God-created identity. I want adults to be nice to children and behave like grown ups, people to politely merge in traffic, and my husband to learn to love take out. This is how I unconsciously define peace. I believe that peace and love are like matching salt and pepper shakers. Love, I think, shouldn’t hurt.
Passion – derived from the Latin root passus, meaning suffering.
I experience uncomfortable feelings when my world is discombobulated, which means I am uncomfortable most of the time (with the exception of a fifteen minute window on Monday afternoons when my house smells like cleaning products and all the shoes are lined up like little matching soldiers in the closet). I am increasingly conscious of how this expectation for peace is like digging for treasure in a rocky field.
Bear with me as I try to explain. God has given us the gift of grace through his son Jesus. He loves Jesus; Jesus is his boy. His boy also suffered. Jesus made the decision to passionately love us and it was a suffering love. This is so huge that my mind cannot absorb the implications. We are chosen for adoption and we bear the title “child of God” when we make the decision to co-sign the adoption papers. But look at the expression of love in God’s family – it is passionate.
I realize that I thought getting adopted in God’s family would pluck me out of my disease, dysfunction and destiny. I thought if I got in the “right” kind of family, all would be well with my soul and my shoes.
Jesus was the sinless personification of peace. He was the perfect vessel of love. He was holy and blameless. But he was uncomfortable, aggravated, and even agitated along the way. Jesus was consciously uncomfortable in accordance with the pleasure and will of his Father.
Where are you digging for treasure? What do you desire passionately?
Click on the word comments below and join our conversation!© Copyright 2010 NorthStar Community
Scripture focus: For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to Sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will – to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. Ephesians 1:4-6 NIV
One of the treasures that I unconsciously return to is the desire for peace. I want a peaceful life. I want my sheets to be folded neatly in the linen closet; I want my car clean; I want my desk clutter free. I want people to behave, get along, not relapse, not make a mess of their God-created identity. I want adults to be nice to children and behave like grown ups, people to politely merge in traffic, and my husband to learn to love take out. This is how I unconsciously define peace. I believe that peace and love are like matching salt and pepper shakers. Love, I think, shouldn’t hurt.
Passion – derived from the Latin root passus, meaning suffering.
I experience uncomfortable feelings when my world is discombobulated, which means I am uncomfortable most of the time (with the exception of a fifteen minute window on Monday afternoons when my house smells like cleaning products and all the shoes are lined up like little matching soldiers in the closet). I am increasingly conscious of how this expectation for peace is like digging for treasure in a rocky field.
Bear with me as I try to explain. God has given us the gift of grace through his son Jesus. He loves Jesus; Jesus is his boy. His boy also suffered. Jesus made the decision to passionately love us and it was a suffering love. This is so huge that my mind cannot absorb the implications. We are chosen for adoption and we bear the title “child of God” when we make the decision to co-sign the adoption papers. But look at the expression of love in God’s family – it is passionate.
I realize that I thought getting adopted in God’s family would pluck me out of my disease, dysfunction and destiny. I thought if I got in the “right” kind of family, all would be well with my soul and my shoes.
Jesus was the sinless personification of peace. He was the perfect vessel of love. He was holy and blameless. But he was uncomfortable, aggravated, and even agitated along the way. Jesus was consciously uncomfortable in accordance with the pleasure and will of his Father.
Where are you digging for treasure? What do you desire passionately?
Click on the word comments below and join our conversation!© Copyright 2010 NorthStar Community
May 4
Scripture focus: For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to Sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will – to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. Ephesians 1:4-6 NIV
I preach on Sunday mornings, usually about 50 Sundays a year. In order to sit under another’s teaching, I usually do it in pj’s, sitting in my comfy desk chair, listening via the internet. Recently I’ve been tuning into Pieter Van Waarde’s messages from Woodcrest Chapel. A few weeks ago he preached a beautiful sermon talking about our disease, dysfunction and destiny. He reminded his community that he’s a big believer in the reality of disease (addiction has a physiological component), dysfunction (family dysfunction causes wounds that must be healed in order for us to thrive), and destiny (generations of people continue to live what they saw modeled rather than what they could learn to do differently). (He said it better, but I’m trying to keep this short.)
My favorite part of the message was his reminder of our Image Bearer status (made in the image of God) and the decision each of us must make – to pursue the life God intends for us or to drift along with the three d’s.
Twenty six years ago I attended a bible study at Mary Saunder’s home every Friday morning. Mama John (as we affectionately call her) spent three years taking us through the book of Ephesians…word by word….phrase by phrase. Once in a while my baby would be sick and I’d have to miss a week. It was like missing an episode of a soap opera. You know you missed something, but when you return to the program, it seems as if they’re in the same spot you left them. That’s how slowly we proceeded through the book. It was awesome.
I was sitting in a rocking chair, listening to her raspy, gentle voice when I first connected with the verse, For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. I am still wondering what it all means….the implications, the possibilities, the dreams….they boggle the imagination.
He chose me. He chose you.
He chose us before we had been exposed to disease, dysfunction or destiny. He chose us before he took the time to divide light and darkness, land and sea. He chose us.
I remember vividly the day I made the decision to see where this road might lead. That’s all I did. I made a decision. It is a wild ride that requires me to address my tendency to dig for treasure in fields that are booby trapped.
Click on the word comments below and join our conversation!
© Copyright 2010 NorthStar Community
Scripture focus: For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to Sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will – to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. Ephesians 1:4-6 NIV
I preach on Sunday mornings, usually about 50 Sundays a year. In order to sit under another’s teaching, I usually do it in pj’s, sitting in my comfy desk chair, listening via the internet. Recently I’ve been tuning into Pieter Van Waarde’s messages from Woodcrest Chapel. A few weeks ago he preached a beautiful sermon talking about our disease, dysfunction and destiny. He reminded his community that he’s a big believer in the reality of disease (addiction has a physiological component), dysfunction (family dysfunction causes wounds that must be healed in order for us to thrive), and destiny (generations of people continue to live what they saw modeled rather than what they could learn to do differently). (He said it better, but I’m trying to keep this short.)
My favorite part of the message was his reminder of our Image Bearer status (made in the image of God) and the decision each of us must make – to pursue the life God intends for us or to drift along with the three d’s.
Twenty six years ago I attended a bible study at Mary Saunder’s home every Friday morning. Mama John (as we affectionately call her) spent three years taking us through the book of Ephesians…word by word….phrase by phrase. Once in a while my baby would be sick and I’d have to miss a week. It was like missing an episode of a soap opera. You know you missed something, but when you return to the program, it seems as if they’re in the same spot you left them. That’s how slowly we proceeded through the book. It was awesome.
I was sitting in a rocking chair, listening to her raspy, gentle voice when I first connected with the verse, For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. I am still wondering what it all means….the implications, the possibilities, the dreams….they boggle the imagination.
He chose me. He chose you.
He chose us before we had been exposed to disease, dysfunction or destiny. He chose us before he took the time to divide light and darkness, land and sea. He chose us.
I remember vividly the day I made the decision to see where this road might lead. That’s all I did. I made a decision. It is a wild ride that requires me to address my tendency to dig for treasure in fields that are booby trapped.
Click on the word comments below and join our conversation!
© Copyright 2010 NorthStar Community
May 3
Scripture focus: I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. Ephesians 1:18-19 NIV
While my mother-in-law was hospitalized I missed a doctor’s appointment. I have no excuse. I remembered the appointment the day before and even the morning of – both times when it wasn’t possible to call and cancel. I felt guilty for missing the appointment, stealing the opportunity from someone else in desperate need of the time slot and disrespecting the doctor’s time. Like nails on a chalkboard, it bugged me that I had messed this up.
Sunday morning I stopped at my favorite coffee shop for a hot tea on my way to church. It’s a small ritual with me, a gift to self, a few minutes to breathe and contemplate the nearness of the kingdom of God alone before experiencing it in community. I noticed what seemed to be a mother/daughter duo making their way into the shop. I paused at the door, holding it for them. I remembered how holding an elderly person’s arm when they walk with an unsteady gait makes it hard to open a heavy door without anxiety and awkwardness. I fully appreciated the daughter’s situation, and had one of those grievous moments thinking that I no longer will do this with Marion.
“Hey! I thought that was you holding the door. How are you?” Startled back into the present moment, I realized that the very doctor that I had stood up was part of this duo shuffling through the door.
“I’m doing ok. However, I owe you an amends. I missed an appointment with you a few weeks ago, and I’m without excuse. I would like to ask your forgiveness.” She was, as always, kind to me. In turn, I felt a burden lift lightly off my back.
That night, I opened the scriptures and read I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you…and thought about all the things I hoped for – I hoped for better organization skills, improved memory, and a life that didn’t inconvenience others. I returned to God’s word and paused over the phrase, the hope to which he has called you. What hope has God called me to? I know what I hope for, but what do I hope in as an Image Bearer of God? God has called me to hope; but it is His decision to say how that hope is made manifest; my job is to pay attention and notice hope when it shows up. On this day, I was able to ask for and receive forgiveness. My doctor’s willingness to genuinely and spontaneously offer me forgiveness was a clarion call to hope. If I had been rushing for my hot tea or sidetracked by unresolved grief, I might have missed the opportunity to resolve this issue between us. For those of us who believe, it is a powerful truth to know that God has called us to hope – even when we muck things up.
Here’s one thing I’m learning about me. I get disconnected from God, self and others when I lose God consciousness. While unconscious, I believe, do, think and feel in ways that are completely in contradiction to the image I bear. I am unconscious, but that doesn’t mean that others are unaware. This is not a hidden thing about me, it’s just hidden from my consciousness. Where is the treasure buried? Where am I digging?
Click on the word comments below and join our conversation!© Copyright 2010 NorthStar Community
Scripture focus: I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. Ephesians 1:18-19 NIV
While my mother-in-law was hospitalized I missed a doctor’s appointment. I have no excuse. I remembered the appointment the day before and even the morning of – both times when it wasn’t possible to call and cancel. I felt guilty for missing the appointment, stealing the opportunity from someone else in desperate need of the time slot and disrespecting the doctor’s time. Like nails on a chalkboard, it bugged me that I had messed this up.
Sunday morning I stopped at my favorite coffee shop for a hot tea on my way to church. It’s a small ritual with me, a gift to self, a few minutes to breathe and contemplate the nearness of the kingdom of God alone before experiencing it in community. I noticed what seemed to be a mother/daughter duo making their way into the shop. I paused at the door, holding it for them. I remembered how holding an elderly person’s arm when they walk with an unsteady gait makes it hard to open a heavy door without anxiety and awkwardness. I fully appreciated the daughter’s situation, and had one of those grievous moments thinking that I no longer will do this with Marion.
“Hey! I thought that was you holding the door. How are you?” Startled back into the present moment, I realized that the very doctor that I had stood up was part of this duo shuffling through the door.
“I’m doing ok. However, I owe you an amends. I missed an appointment with you a few weeks ago, and I’m without excuse. I would like to ask your forgiveness.” She was, as always, kind to me. In turn, I felt a burden lift lightly off my back.
That night, I opened the scriptures and read I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you…and thought about all the things I hoped for – I hoped for better organization skills, improved memory, and a life that didn’t inconvenience others. I returned to God’s word and paused over the phrase, the hope to which he has called you. What hope has God called me to? I know what I hope for, but what do I hope in as an Image Bearer of God? God has called me to hope; but it is His decision to say how that hope is made manifest; my job is to pay attention and notice hope when it shows up. On this day, I was able to ask for and receive forgiveness. My doctor’s willingness to genuinely and spontaneously offer me forgiveness was a clarion call to hope. If I had been rushing for my hot tea or sidetracked by unresolved grief, I might have missed the opportunity to resolve this issue between us. For those of us who believe, it is a powerful truth to know that God has called us to hope – even when we muck things up.
Here’s one thing I’m learning about me. I get disconnected from God, self and others when I lose God consciousness. While unconscious, I believe, do, think and feel in ways that are completely in contradiction to the image I bear. I am unconscious, but that doesn’t mean that others are unaware. This is not a hidden thing about me, it’s just hidden from my consciousness. Where is the treasure buried? Where am I digging?
Click on the word comments below and join our conversation!© Copyright 2010 NorthStar Community
May 2
Scripture focus: Jesus said to her, “Mary.” John 20:16 NIV
One night I went with a group of girlfriends to a Lectio Divina, which is a fancy way of saying we entered into an experience of corporate contemplative prayer, using an ancient model for prayer as a guide. Our facilitator read from John 20, and we were invited to prayerfully listen to the reading and note if any word or phrase jumped out at us. John 20:16 hit me like a ton of bricks. In this passage (you might want to read it yourself), Mary arrives at the tomb distraught with grief, seeking the body of Jesus. It isn’t until Jesus speaks to her that she recognizes the Lord.
The next question we were asked to prayerfully consider is why would God place particular emphasis just for me on this verse, on this day? I asked. Immediately, I had a sense of what lay behind the spoken word, “Mary.” He said, “Mary.” But I heard so much more within the context of the passage.
“Shush. Calm down.”
“Look up.”
“I am here.”
“I am fully present and available to you.”
“Stop fretting. I am not in need of rescue.”
“Halt. You’re running so fast in your fear and anxiety that you don’t even see what is right in front of you. I am who you seek. I am already here and you’re missing me – not because I am gone, but because you simply do not have eyes to see.”
Shush. Listen. God is fully present. Do you hear Him?
Where is your treasure? What are you chasing after?
Click on the word comments below and join our conversation!
© Copyright 2010 NorthStar Community
Scripture focus: Jesus said to her, “Mary.” John 20:16 NIV
One night I went with a group of girlfriends to a Lectio Divina, which is a fancy way of saying we entered into an experience of corporate contemplative prayer, using an ancient model for prayer as a guide. Our facilitator read from John 20, and we were invited to prayerfully listen to the reading and note if any word or phrase jumped out at us. John 20:16 hit me like a ton of bricks. In this passage (you might want to read it yourself), Mary arrives at the tomb distraught with grief, seeking the body of Jesus. It isn’t until Jesus speaks to her that she recognizes the Lord.
The next question we were asked to prayerfully consider is why would God place particular emphasis just for me on this verse, on this day? I asked. Immediately, I had a sense of what lay behind the spoken word, “Mary.” He said, “Mary.” But I heard so much more within the context of the passage.
“Shush. Calm down.”
“Look up.”
“I am here.”
“I am fully present and available to you.”
“Stop fretting. I am not in need of rescue.”
“Halt. You’re running so fast in your fear and anxiety that you don’t even see what is right in front of you. I am who you seek. I am already here and you’re missing me – not because I am gone, but because you simply do not have eyes to see.”
Shush. Listen. God is fully present. Do you hear Him?
Where is your treasure? What are you chasing after?
Click on the word comments below and join our conversation!
© Copyright 2010 NorthStar Community
May 1
Scripture focus: Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Matthew 6:21
As image bearers of the Most High God, we are created for living the life God intended for us. This is our sweet spot. It is when our true, God-created identity is given expression in an environment where love thrives that we experience God and the nearness of his kingdom.
I believe this with every conscious fiber of my being. It orders how I spend my time, who I play with, what I read, how I pray, why I believe what I believe about marriage, family, work, finances and relationships.
But where is my treasure buried? Let me be blunt. I think that sometimes my head (what I believe intellectually) and heart (how I live experientially) are living on different planets. As is usual for me, I first noticed this disconnect in the experiences of other people. They would speak of their love for God and others, but the choices they made didn’t match up. And their emotions were a mess.
I watch myself and others continue to make the craziest, most unconscious choices. And I wonder, what will it take for us to realize that we’re digging for buried treasure in fields that are filled with booby traps, explosive devises and worthless rocks?
I invite you to join me in a month long discussion about who God is, what it means to bear his image, and how knowing these things can help us come to grips with what ails us. It’s all about grace.
Click on the word comments below and join our conversation!
© Copyright 2010 NorthStar Community
Scripture focus: Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Matthew 6:21
As image bearers of the Most High God, we are created for living the life God intended for us. This is our sweet spot. It is when our true, God-created identity is given expression in an environment where love thrives that we experience God and the nearness of his kingdom.
I believe this with every conscious fiber of my being. It orders how I spend my time, who I play with, what I read, how I pray, why I believe what I believe about marriage, family, work, finances and relationships.
But where is my treasure buried? Let me be blunt. I think that sometimes my head (what I believe intellectually) and heart (how I live experientially) are living on different planets. As is usual for me, I first noticed this disconnect in the experiences of other people. They would speak of their love for God and others, but the choices they made didn’t match up. And their emotions were a mess.
I watch myself and others continue to make the craziest, most unconscious choices. And I wonder, what will it take for us to realize that we’re digging for buried treasure in fields that are filled with booby traps, explosive devises and worthless rocks?
I invite you to join me in a month long discussion about who God is, what it means to bear his image, and how knowing these things can help us come to grips with what ails us. It’s all about grace.
Click on the word comments below and join our conversation!
© Copyright 2010 NorthStar Community
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