A Letter to the Church from a "Millenial"
What do you think?
Separate question:
How do you feel/what do you think about "liturgy" vs not? Why?
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Saturday, April 11, 2015
International Justice Mission
Back when cults were recruiting in the '70's I'm not sure anyone told young adults what to watch for.
Here is a video about human traffiking for teens & young adults. International Justice Mission video
Well done, in my opinion.
Monday, December 22, 2014
A Book to Talk About! Actually, Two! VI
More of Phillips' observations:
Something to be grateful for: when the breath of New Life crosses denominational barriers. He says the splinter groups don't really breathe new life into the existing church.
The greater church must see renewal.
Something to be grateful for: when the breath of New Life crosses denominational barriers. He says the splinter groups don't really breathe new life into the existing church.
Jesus prayed that we would be one. . . how many centuries ago??
I did finish the book. Worth reading!!
I did finish the book. Worth reading!!
Sunday, December 14, 2014
A Book to Talk About! Actually, Two! V
The qualities Phillips saw as critical to the Early Church maintaining their faith, hope, love, peace (a partial list of the fruit of the Spirit):
quiet
prayer (confession, prayer to access God's resources for change, intercession)
fellowship
worship
He sees the reading of the letters of the apostles in the churches before the Holy Scriptures were called the Holy Scriptures, as encouragement to continue to read. Interesting. Today we know that the apostles were the apostles. If their day, Jesus, Himself chose them.
He talks about Service and that we need to always look outward. "Coming down to actual practice, the Christian has to ask himself what he can do to express outwardly and effectively his inward spiritual certainty. . .his first duty is to live a Christian life in his home and in his place of work..."
(pg 99)
He asks, what if even half the members gave and hour each week to their church . . . (pg 100) He talks about gifts, too.
"..the real danger to professing Christians lies not in the more glaring and grosser temptations and sins, but in a slow deterioration of vision, a slow death to daring, courage and the willingess to adventure."
quiet
prayer (confession, prayer to access God's resources for change, intercession)
fellowship
worship
He sees the reading of the letters of the apostles in the churches before the Holy Scriptures were called the Holy Scriptures, as encouragement to continue to read. Interesting. Today we know that the apostles were the apostles. If their day, Jesus, Himself chose them.
He talks about Service and that we need to always look outward. "Coming down to actual practice, the Christian has to ask himself what he can do to express outwardly and effectively his inward spiritual certainty. . .his first duty is to live a Christian life in his home and in his place of work..."
(pg 99)
He asks, what if even half the members gave and hour each week to their church . . . (pg 100) He talks about gifts, too.
"..the real danger to professing Christians lies not in the more glaring and grosser temptations and sins, but in a slow deterioration of vision, a slow death to daring, courage and the willingess to adventure."
A Book to Talk About! Actually, Two! IV
Peace. Another quality of the young church - peace more profound than the times in which they lived. Peace with God and with one another. The peace that comes from Hope based on who God is, and the Love He sheds abroad in our hearts, Faith that links our reality with God's reality and helps us line up with Him.
I pray the Lord's prayer more often as I get older, if only to reiterate, "Thy will be done" even if, especially if, I don't know what that is. I don't have to know what it is. I can pray with no doubt that God will accomplish His will. Looking back, when I found myself praying the Lord's prayer more and my own prayers less, maybe to acknowledge that's how Jesus taught His disciples to pray, there were some big, unexpected changes in my life - changes I never expected.
He talks about some of the things that fight with Peace: the need to resolve inner conflict, to share life with God, to accept ourselves as God made us and the resources He provides one day at a time, the need to align ourselves with God's purpose for us however seemingly insignificant.
And remember. There is an individual expression here but perhaps even more important, there was a group of believers learning to stand in awe of God's work - His visiting the earth, sending His son in the flesh, learning to live faith, to live hope, to live love and they became an unassuming force to be reckoned with.
I pray the Lord's prayer more often as I get older, if only to reiterate, "Thy will be done" even if, especially if, I don't know what that is. I don't have to know what it is. I can pray with no doubt that God will accomplish His will. Looking back, when I found myself praying the Lord's prayer more and my own prayers less, maybe to acknowledge that's how Jesus taught His disciples to pray, there were some big, unexpected changes in my life - changes I never expected.
He talks about some of the things that fight with Peace: the need to resolve inner conflict, to share life with God, to accept ourselves as God made us and the resources He provides one day at a time, the need to align ourselves with God's purpose for us however seemingly insignificant.
And remember. There is an individual expression here but perhaps even more important, there was a group of believers learning to stand in awe of God's work - His visiting the earth, sending His son in the flesh, learning to live faith, to live hope, to live love and they became an unassuming force to be reckoned with.
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