Apr 30 2003
Karen Ward a church planter in Seattle WA has come up with this pomo version of the 10 commandments.
1 source code
props 2 parental units
don’t spam or slam
show at church
ultra props 2 god
no doggin’
don’t take no one out
garbage in = garbage out
no 5 finger discounts
check the green eyed monster
Check out her blog @deep dirt
Popularity: 7% [?]
Apr 30 2003
In my music gathering this spring I discovered a song that reflects the values of Mosaic Life. Its called All Nations from Christ for the Nations Church in Dallas TX.
The words of the chorus are:
Every nation every race find expression within this place
Every culture every race find expression to give [God] praise
I had a real vision of Mosaic Life being that place while singing the song one day. It was a really moving moment as God helped be visualize his design for
Popularity: 8% [?]
Apr 30 2003
The Lakers won again last night. Not that I’m a huge Minnesota fan but I can’t stand the Laker swagger. Hopefully the Kings can put an end to it this year.
Meanwhile I’ve got this undercover Laker fan in my house who is too young to stay up and watch the games but cheers when I report the scores. I warned him that he’s going to have to go get a job if he wants to stay in this house and be a Laker fan.
Popularity: 12% [?]
Apr 29 2003
Are you seeking great things for yourself? Don’t do it! … I will protect you wherever you go. Jeremiah 45:5Jeremiah 45:5
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
5 I am bringing disaster everywhere, so don't even think about making any big plans for yourself. However, I promise that wherever you go, I will at least protect you from death. I, the Lord, have spoken. (NLT)
The other day my son was looking up the meaning of remote and was surprised to find that it describes something far away and not just the remote control for our TV.
It got me thinking, does God relate to us by remote control? As I did my devotion and scripture reading for the day I began to think of how my distance from God relates to the degree of control I want to have of my life. Seems the more I want to be in control, the more I make this spiritual journey about me, the further I get from God.
God doesn’t manipulate me from a distance. But the more a do my own thing the further away I get. Seems to me that God wants to have an up close and personal relationship with us. Why would Jesus bother to become human and move into the neighborhood if that wasn’t the goal? And the closer I get to Jesus the more I can become like him as his purposes and patterns for living rub off on me.
Time to ditch the remote control and get close. Up close with God is where life is. God may be watching us from a distance as Bette Midler sang (circa Gulf War I) But I think God desires more than that. God wants to be close to us. oops there goes the remote!
Popularity: 7% [?]
Apr 23 2003
Been listening to some great tunes lately. Songs from John P Kee. Hezekiah Walker, and a new discovery for me Joe Pace and his choir. This is some sweet stuff. Stuff to make you feet tap and stuff to make your heart worship.
My favorite new discovery is the Live from London CD by Donnie McClurkin. I saw this guy on the Hopeville Tour with Kirk Franklin and Yolanda Adams. He stole the show for me when he started singing Jamaican reggae gospel songs.
This leads me to my current new CD God and I by Papa San. He did a cameo on the Rebirth of Kirk Franklin - Awesome God cut. This CD is filled with cool JA raps.
Popularity: 6% [?]
Apr 20 2003
Easter Sunday is past but the day of resurrection is here! It is the morning after has anything changed. Do I reflect the the brand new day ushered in by Jesus resurrection? I preached a message yesterday that some say was inspired! Will it make a difference the morning after?
Today the TV is filled once again with news of weapons of mass destruction, Iraqi, the joy of loved ones returning home from war and the despair of others whose loved ones will not come home again. Do they know the difference the morning after?
I feel more and more that I need to do more than go through the rituals of faith each year somehow some way what I know must translated into something that has meaning beyond me. Beyond my ability to inspire; beyond my feeling of rebirth.
The morning after I think I have to emerge from my spiritual cocoon and be an instrument of hope. "Lord make me and instrument of your peace."
I’m out
Popularity: 6% [?]
Apr 18 2003
Worf from Star Trek (I’m a die hard trekker) would often go into battle saying "Today is a good day to die."
Today, Good Friday when we remember Jesus’ death is a good day for humanity because Jesus died. Jesus lived life passionately with a purpose to fulfill. He fulfilled that purpose of connecting me with God and God’s love again. He did it even though it cost him his life. He fought the battle of life over death so I didn’t have to. He chose to live and die to make me, any anyone else who responds, whole.
Jesus’ choice calls out for a response. My response. Do I live life with a purpose? Have I aligned my life purpose with God’s purpose? It is harder than it sounds. It is easy to get distracted, to feed my emotional needs wants and desires and shove God’s purpose way down the priority list.
Rick Warren’s latest book will be #1 on the NY Times best seller list this Sunday. I think that illustrates the deep seeded need in us to life for something beyond ourselves, something bigger than us. Its the question I was asking when God started tugging at my heart. "There ’s got to be more to life than this" I discovered more means less, more of Jesus and less of me.
Today is a good day to die! To die to myself and my way; to die with Christ so I can live with him. To take the plunge and dive in to risk all to be with Jesus.
Note to self today is a day to die.
Popularity: 7% [?]
Apr 17 2003
It is amazing how God works. Yesterday my devotional reading from my utmost for his highest was focused on how to maintain the kind of intense spiritual connection I get from a mountain top type experience with God.
“While you have the light, believe in the light ” (John 12:36John 12:36
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
36 Have faith in the light while it is with you, and you will be children of the light.”
The People Refuse To Have Faith in Jesus
After Jesus had said these things, he left and went into hiding.).
The gist was the importance of leveraging the power of those mountain top experiences to develop an even deeper and more lasting spiritual connection to God.
So I go to the store to get stuff for dinner and there is someone from a former ministry. Someone who represents a lot of hurt and pain to me. We talk and I realize that I could allow this to knock me out of the box as it has in the past. But I decided to just be myself and not let the past hurt drive my current actions. Small talk exchanged and it is over. I right away I start to wonder did I handle that right what will they say to others. I catch myself going down that road in time to see another church planter coming up the aisle.
We talk and it isn’t strained like the previous conversation. We connect on a couple of levels and agree to stay in touch and support each other. Just what I needed to hear to stay in the light.
As I wake today the words of a song by Tonex are stirring inside me "God has not forgot, God has not forgot. If he said that he would do it, it will come to pass. God has not forgot."
God has not forgotten what he said he would do in me on the mountain top. Today I’m praying, "God, don’t let me forget that you have not forgot."
I’m out
Popularity: 6% [?]
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Disciplines of the Spirit by Howard Thurman
God of the Oppressed by James H. Cone
To Live in Peace: Biblical Faith and the Changing Inner City by Mark R. Gornik
Why We’re Not Emergent: By Two Guys Who Should Be by Kevin DeYoung
unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity… and Why It Matters by David Kinnaman
