Grief

-
Sometimes the news comes quick. Sometimes the news comes slow. No matter how or when it comes, grief travels in the wake of the news. Grief is heavy, weighty, a burden, especially when it involves someone deeply loved. Grief is not meant to be carried alone. It’s too heavy and may last a while—and that’s ok. That’s what family and friends are for, to share the load. Jesus stood outside the tomb of his friend and wept but He did not weep alone. It was a deep, human moment. “ Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted ” (Matt 5:4). If anyone knows how we feel in grief, it’s Him. But His grief did not linger long, as at the mention of his name, Lazarus came forth. We are not meant to dwell in grief, but should leave room enough for it. Let it run its course. Like the song says, “ Every Storm Runs Out Of Rain .” Another song says, “ The storm We will dance as it breaks The storm It will give as it takes And all of our pain is washed away Don't cry or be afraid Some things...

True Spirituality (part 1)

-
Comedian Brian Regan supposes: what if we played football the way we play chess?



Here’s a question for you: How do you know when you are spiritual? Is there a definite way to know, or does one just “checkmate” their way in the spiritual realm? Some people say that spirituality is a personal matter, a matter that cannot be discussed. This is like playing football with chess rules. Others may say, “well, whatever god you believe in does not matter. We come from the same one." This is like saying "whatever meat you believe in. It all comes from the same chicken."

“Success” sounds appealing when it comes to the outcome of our spiritual lives--but what does true spirituality look like? How do we recognize it? The best way to find out is by returning to our Creator and asking some hard questions of ourselves:
  • What is my motive for wanting a spiritual life at all? 
  • Why do I want to please God--if I do at all? 
  • What does God say about my personal spiritual life? 
  • How does my spirituality fit into Jesus’ plan for the church? 
  • What impact does the spiritual life have in the world? 
We will be exploring the subject of “True Spirituality” the next few weeks in a multi-part series. Take note of your responses to the questions (above) in preparation for our study.

See you next post!

Popular posts from this blog

Rock Me, Epictetus!

-
Image
“Keep constant guard over your perceptions, for it is no small thing you are protecting, but your respect, trustworthiness and steadiness, peace of mind, freedom from pain and fear, in a word your freedom. For what would you sell these things?” EPICTETUS, DISCOURSES, 4.3.6 b –8 
Read more

The Smooth-flowing Life

-
Image
Legend has it that the astronomer Ptolemy (1st century A.D.) suggested that falling stars were caused by the gods moving in the heavens, thus knocking stars out of their places. Somehow people reasoned that that if the gods were moving, they must be getting close to earth so they would lift their "prayers" or "wishes" (literally, "desires") whenever they saw the stars falling in hopes the gods would notice and grant a favorable answer. But how does one wish on falling star? Once you see it, it's gone before the wish or prayer can be made! The answer is simple: meteor shower. That's how to get your wish. Mrs. Ann Hodges had a wish fall right into her lap. Sort of. In 1954 Mrs. Hodges was sleeping on the couch when a 8 1/2 pound meteorite fell through her house and into her living room where it bounced off the radio and struck her left hip leaving her with a bruise. Not sure what she was wishing, but that's not how to do it. Epictetus hel...
Read more