The Kingdom, The Kids, & The Cowboys

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Life, Light, and Love

July 13, 2022 / / 3 Comments

“What is good for us always comes by three unequivocal words: life, light, and love. Defending life, witnessing light, living out love; these remain forever. They are the specific duty of anyone who calls upon God, following Christ’s unmistakable example.

An assembly where people do not love each other, where they accuse each other, where there is rancor or hatred, cannot call itself Christian.

A person who keeps silent about the truth, who hides the light, is not Christian.

A people which kills, which deteriorates the quality of life, which suffocates the poor, which is not free, is not a Christian people.

This is terribly costly. It is drawn from the silence of God. It calls for swimming against the stream. It demands lengthy prayer. And no fear.”

~ From The God Who Comes, by Carlo Carretto

Gather Me

July 12, 2022 / / 0 Comments

O God, gather me now
to be with you
as you are with me.

Soothe my tiredness;
quiet my fretfulness;
curb my aimlessness;
relieve my compulsiveness;
let me be easy for a moment.

O Lord, release me from the fears and guilts which grip me so tightly;
from the expectations and opinions which I so tightly grip;
that I may be open to receiving what you give,
to risking something genuinely new,
to learning something refreshingly different.

O  God, gather me now
to be with you
as you are with me.

Amen.

~Ted Loder

Made Himself Nothing

July 5, 2022 / / 0 Comments

“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!” ~ Philippians 2:5-8

Jesus did not consider his equality with God something to be used for his own benefit. Jesus saw his position and power as a way to serve others. A way to serve all. He became a servant. The Greek word in the text is actually “slave.” Deprived of the most basic human rights. No rights. No freedom. No choice. No voice. He gave up all that for the sake of others. In his own words, Jesus came not to be served, but to serve.

Our Lord never exercised his rights. He never asserted his rights.

This is so important for us to consider. As citizens of the United States of America coming off a three-day weekend celebrating the country’s independence, we should reflect on our priorities as they fall into line behind those of our Lord.

Jesus never fought for or defended his rights. He never lobbied for his rights or complained about his rights. He didn’t worry about losing his rights or step forward to keep his rights.

Christ Jesus, our King, gave up his rights. All his rights. He denied his rights.

And he invites us to do the same. He invites us to imitate him.

“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” ~ Mark 8:34

Jesus left everything. He considered the glory he shared with the Father in heaven nothing. He came here to suffer, to be deserted by his family and friends, to be tortured and executed  like a criminal for people like you and me. For all people.

And he didn’t have to. Jesus had the authority. He had the power. The armies of heaven were at his disposal. He had ten thousand angels on speed dial. Jesus and his followers could have marched to Rome in the morning, overthrown the government that afternoon, hang Caesar from the highest tree and still been home in time for dinner. Jesus could have given each of his apostles his own country and they could have run the government the way it needs to be run. But, instead, he gave up his rights and died. He gave himself up.

And he summons us to do the same.

Peace,

Allan

Tranquility, Gentleness, Strength

June 30, 2022 / / 6 Comments

If we desire a simple test of the quality of our spiritual life, a consideration of the tranquility, gentleness, and strength with which we deal with the circumstances of our outward life will serve us better than anything that is based on the loftiness of our religious notions, or fervor of our religious feelings. It is a test that can be applied anywhere and at any time. Tranquility, gentleness, and strength, carrying us through the changes of weather, the ups and downs of the route, the varied surface of the road; the inequalities of family life, emotional and professional disappointments, the sudden intervention of bad fortune or bad health, the rising and falling of our religious temperature. Tranquility, gentleness, and strength are the threefold imprint of the Spirit on the souls surrendered to his great action.

~ The Spiritual Life, Evelyn Underhill

Common Ground

June 28, 2022 / / 1 Comment

We Christians belong to a self-described God of reconciliation who has given us, in his words, the ministry of reconciliation. We are charged by the nature of our own salvation to be a people who seek common ground, who build bridges, who foster restoration of relationships. So, where is the common ground for conversation in the Pro Choice v. Pro Life standoff?

There is no conversation happening. Both sides of this contentious issue are dug in and refuse to budge. There are no attempts to understand, there are no efforts to empathize with the other side. There are only degrading insults and lightning-fast judgments. So, where is the common ground?

What if both sides of this fight have something valid and vital to defend? Don’t they?

Pro-Choicers are desperate to defend the rights of women. They are compelled to protect the bodies of women, to protect against the exploitation of women, to protect against women being told by men what they can and cannot do without any say in the matter. They want to secure the equal rights of all women medically, socially, and economically. That’s what is driving their position. And isn’t that something we all believe is a vital and valid cause? Aren’t those things to which we all should be committed?

Pro-Lifers are desperate to uphold the intrinsic equal dignity and protect the life of every single human being, born and unborn. The deep, eternal value of every person, regardless of perceived disability or inconvenience to society, is what compels their position. Speaking for and standing alongside the most vulnerable among us. That is a vital and valid cause. Aren’t those things to which we all should be committed?

Isn’t that the common ground Pro-Lifers share with Pro-Choicers? Isn’t there room in that realm for genuine empathy, maybe even a little identity, with the other side? Both sides want to take care of women and children and their families. Both sides want women in our society to enjoy the same rights and privileges of men. Certainly, children of God and followers of Jesus want these things. Aren’t we charged by our Lord to point this out and act on it?

Peace,

Allan

A Word About Roe v. Wade

June 26, 2022 / / 1 Comment

It is right to rejoice and to praise God for what the Supreme Court of the United States did on Friday. Abortion is a violent evil and an atrocious abomination that has not just been allowed to run rampant in this country, it has become mainstream;  it has not just been allowed to become widespread, it is now celebrated in our culture. And has been for a long time. What happened on Friday is a good thing. God should be thanked. And Christians should rejoice.

But overthrowing Roe v. Wade does not make abortion illegal in the United States – it makes it more complicated. Abortion is not going away. We Christians in this country are in the minority on this matter and it will be a contentious, volatile, and divisive issue until our Lord returns.

In the meantime, may I humbly offer these three suggestions for Christians.

Let us all behave as children of God and disciples of Jesus Christ. Christians do not gloat or boast, we do not taunt or mock, we do not insult anybody or any group. Please be careful to display kindness and love and grace. Practice mercy. Emotions are high right now and the world is quick to judge, quick to condemn, quick to hateful speech and violent threats. Let us not be any part of that. Commit now to only Holy Spirit speech and actions in what you post and re-post, what you say, and how you interact with others.

Secondly, let us show empathy and compassion for those who feel primarily affected. Let us make good faith attempts to understand the desperation women and families feel when they are faced with an unplanned pregnancy. For decades now, our culture has strategically conditioned women to feel like abortion is a right and now it’s being removed. They’ve been taught to assume abortion is the only answer and now they’re being denied that only option. They feel like something is being taken away. They do not understand all that they can be given. It never occurs to them all the blessings of support and aid and resources they can receive. Maybe that’s on us Christians and God’s Church. Maybe we’re partly to blame for that. But let’s try to empathize with these young ladies and their families.

And, along with that, let us offer that support and those resources to help women and families facing unplanned pregnancies. Let us make that a priority now. Let us pledge today to figure this out so we can support these women with medical assistance, financial aid, family support, parenting classes, emotional support, diapers and food and supplies, housing, mentorship – whatever they need, whatever it takes to put our money and our energy behind our message that all life matters to our Lord and it matters to us.

May God be praised for every precious life that is saved as a result of the Supreme Court’s decision. May we reflect his glory as we demonstrate humility and love for those who disagree. And may we generously share God’s mercy and grace as we come alongside and support pregnant women and their unborn children.

Peace,

Allan

 

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