Thought provoking stuff
Would be interested in your thoughts on these two thought provoking posts. The first by "Naked Pastor" on the place of suffering in our life. I read this in the midst of feeling the "ache" in my own heart over a couple of recent things in my life and so it grabbed my attention. The post can be found here.
The second by Dan Kimball on the discussion around "hell" in our theology - particularly in evangelism. This topic always grabs my attention, and I was challenged by what I read. Check it out here.
On the radar for the next couple of days: Ash Barker is speaking tomorrow night at blueprint, the author of one of my favourite books, I am really looking forward to hearing him speak. If you are around I suggest you get down to the print for a sweet night. And then its off on a retreat with Rosemary and Brook. I am amped about spending a couple of days getting some vision for next year, and working on some talks for the festival over the summer. Your prayers that it would be a good time of rest and that we would have some sweet "God times" would be appreciated.
And then I am speaking at Blueprint Sunday night, drawing from the tail end of Romans 7 and the beginning of Romans 8. I am looking forward to it : )
The second by Dan Kimball on the discussion around "hell" in our theology - particularly in evangelism. This topic always grabs my attention, and I was challenged by what I read. Check it out here.
On the radar for the next couple of days: Ash Barker is speaking tomorrow night at blueprint, the author of one of my favourite books, I am really looking forward to hearing him speak. If you are around I suggest you get down to the print for a sweet night. And then its off on a retreat with Rosemary and Brook. I am amped about spending a couple of days getting some vision for next year, and working on some talks for the festival over the summer. Your prayers that it would be a good time of rest and that we would have some sweet "God times" would be appreciated.
And then I am speaking at Blueprint Sunday night, drawing from the tail end of Romans 7 and the beginning of Romans 8. I am looking forward to it : )
This entry was posted by Sam, on
Wednesday, November 14, 2007.
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15 November 2007 at 3:14:00 am NZDT
well first off with dan Kimball...i have one issue with something he said
'that we still talk and teach about the reality of the after-life.'
how much of a reality do we really understand about the after-life. the scriptures we have are from trances and poetic God spirit introduced thought to man...i don't know what reality we can teach on other than simple interpretation. but dan makes a very valid point on we have either spent to much time on either the here and now or then what is to come.
we do this in most areas of Christian theology...we focus on something so much we lose the idea and wholeness of the entirety. so i agree we need an even approach but how we do that i'm not sure
now to the naked pastor. i agree 100% with this in thought. it is recongizing the world is full of pain and hurt....but it is also full of a broken attempt for Godly Love and Restoration that can be found completely. there is a great book i ready by Philip Yancy that talks about this very topic and changed my mind on the subject. it is called the Gift of Pain. it is written by a doctor who worked with people who had leprosy. he cleaned their wounds and dressed them and what not. the thing i didn't know about leprosy is that you can't feel pain with this disease. so as he would be cleaning the infected wounds the children wouldn't feel a thing.
one morning he woke up and went to the bath room and some how cut his hand but didn't feel it...he began to panic that some how he had caught leprosy...with in a few seconds the pain rushed through his arm and he realized his arm was simply asleep from sleeping on it the night before and had just then woken up if you will.
he makes a statment that stuck with me ever since. there is such gift and pleasure in pain because it allows you to know you are hurt and broken, it allows you to feel the world and its reality around you...and when you can feel all of that...you can feel the joy of grace and love and restoration ontop of the pain....that is beauty through pain i think. its ok in my opinion to acknowledge things SUCK...look at JOB for flips sake or check out Jeremiah and their frustration and venting of how life sucks...but the thing is, and think the naked pastor said it best...its realizing that God is good in the midst of all of it and his will and way is still being done...i think
but anyways a great question and very thought provoking thanks brother