I received an email from a friend, looking for feedback on a particular belief that they are uncertain about. They need to know if what they are thinking is biblically (theologically) true. Here is the what they wrote me:

I have a theological question. I think this is true, is it? It is a serious issue for me I would like your comment.

I said to God today: “Okay I accept. I accept that whatever comes my way, or has come my way comes via You. You allow, permit, let happen what happens to me. You do stop things, change things, send things…. what comes is what you have allowed.
You are wise and the Ruler of the universe and all knowing the past, present and future. You have the Plan. You want the best for me and You love me all the time.
You do not want me to suffer, You cried when I cried, but You still allowed it.
I am your child and I do not understand why some things but I accept that You know and that is enough for me.
I want to be able to totally trust You and for that I need to accept this.”

Apparently a company in Germany is marketing these garage door covers.
What do you think of the last one?
Click to enlarge…

By Shane Claiborne, published in Esquire. Tell me what you think….

To all my nonbelieving, sort-of-believing, and used-to-be-believing friends: I feel like I should begin with a confession. I am sorry that so often the biggest obstacle to God has been Christians. Christians who have had so much to say with our mouths and so little to show with our lives. I am sorry that so often we have forgotten the Christ of our Christianity.

Shane

Forgive us. Forgive us for the embarrassing things we have done in the name of God.

The other night I headed into downtown Philly for a stroll with some friends from out of town. We walked down to Penn’s Landing along the river, where there are street performers, artists, musicians. We passed a great magician who did some pretty sweet tricks like pour change out of his iPhone, and then there was a preacher. He wasn’t quite as captivating as the magician. He stood on a box, yelling into a microphone, and beside him was a coffin with a fake dead body inside. He talked about how we are all going to die and go to hell if we don’t know Jesus. Continue reading confession and invitation

Remember the post with the cartoon two weeks ago entitled “consumer religion”. And remember the great discussion it provoked? Well one person spent some time reflecting on how better to frame the picture, how to pain Jesus community as He would desire it to be. Linda Wielinga adapted an image used by the CRWRC (Christian Reformed World Relief Committee) for its world hunger emphasis called “One Table”. She added some balloon comments.
Notice how everyone has an equal place at the table? Notice how each one is giving themselves in worship, and to one another? No one person stands out from the others. Doesn’t this seem so much more like the community that Jesus had in mind?

Now the question is, how would you set up a ‘sanctuary’ (I dislike that word) to better experience this kind of community? Maybe more like a living room, or a dining room?

You are building a relationship with a non-christian, one that is genuinely reading the bible to understand better what you believe. Things have been going well, they are getting a positive sense of God’s love and Jesus’ mission. But then they happen along 1 Samuel 15, and crash into the opening words:

Samuel said to Saul, “I am the one the LORD sent to anoint you king over his people Israel; so listen now to the message from the LORD. This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.’ [1 Samuel 15:1-3]

They are horrified – even the innocent? How does this fit with a loving God, how does this compare with Jesus’ mission? This sounds like ethnic cleansing?

How would you respond? How do you deal with challenges like these?

In today’s reading, Jesus does the unimaginable, forgiving the very people that were crucifying Him. Even more He asks God to let them off the hook!!!!
If we think this is because He is divine, that He could do this, remember that Stephen (the first christian martyr), also forgave his murderers [Acts 7:59-60].
This kind of forgiveness is hard – very hard – yet it seems to be something that we are called to do; what is more, our own experience of being forgiven is tied to it [Matthew 6:12-15].

Lets discuss together what forgiveness means, why its important, and why our own experience of forgiveness hinges on our forgiving others.
One thought that comes to mind is that our not forgiving others reveals that we do not realize enough how guilty we are of sinning against, and hurting, God and others. If we knew how much we need to be forgiven, then we would realize that others need it as much as us, and we need it as much as them.
Someone (?) once said: ‘Whoever refuses to forgive others burns the bridge that they themselves need to cross’.
Having said this, my guess is that a big part of the struggle with forgiveness is the emotional agaony that their wrong caused us. Some people won’t refuse (a conscious choice), but others can’t; that is, emotionally, they can’t get over the pain and anger of someone elses’ sin. They may intellectually acknowledge the need to forgive, but emotionally they cannot feel it.
This requires healing, amazing grace, Holy Spirit help, and patience. Thankfully the Lord excels in each of these areas. Jesus knows the struggle, the hurt, the sin, etc., and He also died for those struggles and sins.
What are your thoughts about forgiveness? Have you struggled with it, or have you experienced God’s help in getting to the point of forgiveness?

You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life. [John 5:39-40]
As I go through the book of Judges, it becomes more evident to me that I can’t understand its message without Jesus.
I read to the end of the book this morning, and these last chapters are going to be tough – in fact I feel the need to add a CONTENT ADVISORY on my reflections.
I can appreciate that people just reading these chapters alone would be turned off by the bible.
This is why I keep trying to draw our attention to Jesus, I figure that He is the only way we can make sense of the rest of the bible.

Today we (the Lord and I) are wrestling through Judges 18 together.
Its obvious from the first line [In those days Israel had no king, Judges 18:1] that this chapter continues what was talked about in the previous chapter [In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit, Judges 17:6].
The thought that keeps coming back to me is that I am not free to live as I see fit.
If I am to be a Jesus-follower, if I am to surrender to Jesus as my Lord, then I must submit my will to Him and do as He sees fit.
This is not a negative thing!
This is the best thing, the good news, the life that results in joy and blessing.
My way leads to misery and death, His way leads to life and peace [Romans 8:6].

What else is the Lord saying to me in this passage?

One of my goals is to involve more people in “preaching the word”.
I believe that preaching is a community function, not just the task of one person in the church.
We are all called to share the good news message about Jesus, and my task includes equipping people in this activity.

You are already invited to be a part of daily bible reading.
Now I would like to incite you to share your thoughts on the passage we will consider together this coming Sunday at our Crossroads gathering.
The chapter I have chosen for this Sunday is Judges 13 (the reading for Wednesday, Aug 19).
I want your thoughts on this passage, your reflections on the basic SOAP questions:

• What questions does this passage raise for you?
• What lessons or truths does this passage convey?
• What are some personal applications that you can make from this passage?

You can leave your thoughts here on the blog, as a comment, or email them to me (norm@crossroadsinajax.org).
Please help me with my sermon…