Ministry in Motion

Consider your faith journey. If we’re honest, maybe uncomfortably honest, culture sometimes forms us much more than the gospel.   I’m not saying it should be this way but….  It seems that at times we keep the basic storyline of human history in place, rather than allowing the gospel to reframe and redirect our story and our path. In the story of reconciliation, we still get to win, just not at anybody else’s expense, except Jesus. Think about it. In the Jesus story human beings are not the protagonists of the world. Love is. And that divine love is manifested in the only begotten son.    A Sunday Thought worth remembering... Pkes   MinM

The nature of God in the creation story isn’t God dominating and forcing the world into a certain mold. It is: "Let There Be Light" Let there be is permission giving power.  It’s such a fascinating phrase  “Let there be: land, sea, crawling creatures;  let there be fish, let there be humans.”  It’s a giving rather than a domination. As human beings we are made in the image of God, and God says, “You can have dominion,” and we should employ this with the same kind of gentle presence of "let there" rather than a controlling, exploiting presence. It’s not let there be exploitation - It's let there be light. Infusing. Birthing. Very different.  A Sunday Thought... #pkes   #MinM Adapted from Brian McLaren and Gareth Higgins, “ Domination Stories ,”  

In Matthew Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be greatest, should be everyone's servant.”   Mark records:  “Anyone who wants to be first, must be the very last.”   ~ Jesus.   Luke adds, Jesus saying:  “Whoever tries to keep their lives will lose it, and whoever loses their lives will keep it.”  In one epistle Paul chimes in writing:  “ When we are weak we are strong.” Familiar, strong and insightful verses.   par·a·dox. How would you define the word? Maybe like this:  A  seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement or proposition that when investigated or explained may prove to be well founded or true. Consider these simple paradoxical phrases that have crept into our language:  Save money by spending it;  If I know one thing, it's that I know nothing;  This is the beginning of the end;  Deep down, you're really shallow. Or this from Robert Frost,   "Men work together whether they work together or apart."  The Bible, in its literary magic, uses paradox at times t

How would you define good? A simple question on the surface. Not so simple when given some thought.  That which is good is debated. Normally it is considered to be a favorable result, action, or intention.  The term 'good' is not specific to ethics in particular, although it plays an important role in morality, like:a m I good? Am I good enough? Richard Rohr wrote:  “When we believe in a deep way that life is good, God is good, and humanity is good, we do exciting and imaginative things because we are confident that we are part of a storyline that is going somewhere good” “ God saw all that he had made,  and it was very good .  And there was evening, and  there was morning…” As Christians, we have the opportunity to live the story given to us at the very beginning (Genesis 1:31), that creation is “good,” even “very good,” and that it is our vocation to nurture and grow such goodness wherever we can…  #pkes #MinM