I've finally broken free from a string of time-commitments and have started reading a bit more again.  First up: N.T. Wright.  Here's a excerpt worth pondering... and dialoging about:

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And now we have new global evils: rampant, uncaring, and irresponsible materialism and capitalism on the one hand; raging unthinking religious fundamentalism on the other. As one famous book puts it, we have “Jihad versus McWorld.” (Whether there is such a thing as caring capitalism, or for that matter thoughtful fundamentalism, isn’t the point at the moment)… It doesn’t take a Ph.D. in microeconomics to know that if the rich are getting richer by the minute, and the poor poorer, there is something badly wrong.

Meanwhile, we all want a happy and secure home life. Dr. Johnson, the eighteenth-century conversationalist, once remarked that the aim and goal of all human endeavor is “to be happy at home.” But in the Western world, and many other parts as well, homes and families are tearing themselves apart. The gentle art of being gentle - of kindness and forgiveness, sensitivity and thoughtfulness and generosity and humility and good old-fashioned love – have gone out of fashion. Ironically, everyone is demanding their “rights,” and this demand is so shrill that it destroys one of the most basic “rights,” if we can put it like that: the “right,” or at least the longing and hope, to have a peaceful, stable, secure, and caring place to live, to be, to learn, and to flourish.

Once again people ask the question: Why is it like this? Does it have to be like this? Can things be put to rights, and if so how? Can the world be rescued? Can we be rescued? 

-- Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense, by N.T. Wright 

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1.  In what way is Wright's description of today's woes accurate or misrepresentative?

2.  What is it within the above-quoted passage that most grabs ahold of you and why?

3.  What specific things can you, I, and others do to start changing this reality?

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Photo credit: © Jon Horton, iStockphoto.com

The American cultural landscape seems to be increasingly riddled with a sense of personal entitlement.  What I mean is simply this: we convince ourselves that we are "entitled" -- entitled to respect, entitled to our own definition of justice, entitled to pay raises irrespective of merit,  entitled to personal comfort,  entitled to sensual and sexual gratification,  entitled to credit, entitled to high grades especially if we're paying the tuition, and on and on the list goes.

But the problem reaches far deeper, I fear, eventually impacting our own spiritual development.  It floors me when I encounter this attitude within people who feel entitled to unconditional acceptance, entitled to grace, entitled to the validation of others, entitled to community involvement on their own terms, entitled to their own personal set of beliefs and practices regarding their Christian faith, and entitled to "reaping" (spiritual benefits & blessings) without having to "sow."

Whether it be subtle or out-in-the-open, there's much about the concept of entitlement that flies in the face of historic, biblical Christianity.  Grace is given to us, not owed to us.  Being a disciple of Jesus involves effort -- it's not our birthright. Who are we to feel that God "owes" us?  IAre not the scripture s replete with advice like that found in 1 Peter 5:5-6?

"...'God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.'  Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time." (NRSV)

Is there anyone else out there who sees and is troubled by this phenomenon?  Who's writing about it?  Who's talking about it?  Who's attempting to change it?

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Photo credit: © Caitlin Cahill (upper right), Mark Stout (lower left): iStockphoto.com

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Abba Sarmartas said:   I prefer a person who has sinned if he knows that he sinned and has repented, over a person who has not sinned and considers himself to be righteous.

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Thanks to my buddy, Pastor Kevin, at Marina Christian Fellowship, I recently discovered the Average Church Band.  These folks are really refreshing -- even in their look (don't you hate "slick"?).  I enjoyed reading their bio page, and hearing about their recent trip to the Balkins.  And besides, anybody who hangs out at Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles is big-time C_O_O_L !  So...check them out!

What an incredible week we've had at Barstow Free Methodist.

Holy Week services were held each night, with nearly 15% of our congregation showing up for each of nightly services (up from 10% last year):

• Monday: Ancient-Future Vespers
• Tuesday: Stations of the Cross (multimedia)
• Wednesday: Ancient-Future Vespers
• Thursday: Maundy Thursday/Communion
• Friday: Tenebrae

Not only was the level of congregational participation up over last year, the "spirit" of week seemed much more meaningful.  In addition, and for me personally, it was the most relaxing and enjoyable Holy Week in a long, long time.

From the liturgy, to the art, to the ancient common prayers, to the multi-sensory "stations", to the hymns and choruses, to the times of silence -- it was an absolutely incredible week. And as a result, I am more excited about tomorrow -- Resurrection Sunday -- than ever!

Experience has taught me that far too often, we worship God more by convenience than by conviction.  It's easy for us to worship God during the easy times in life. but it's difficult to worship God when life becomes difficult.

A portion from today's lectionary reading in Luke 19 reminded of this. Although scripture consistently speaks of going "up" to Jerusalem -- regardless of geography -- and although Luke 19:28 tells of how Jesus was himself going "up" to Jerusalem, it's fascinating how Luke points out that it wasn't until the crowd reached the place where the road went "down" that they began to joyfully praise God with loud voices (v.37). The narrative suggests that this took place some time after they placed Jesus on the colt he had requested and after they had finished ascending the Mount of Olives.

Why don't we praise as fervently during the hard times as during the easy times in our lives?  For many people, much of life seems like an uphill battle, and it seems to me that those are the times when our choice to give God praise is the most important... and the most beneficial.

Lord, help me to be as much of an "up-hill" worshipper as a "down-hill" one.  Amen.

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Photo credit: © James Steidl, iStockphoto.com

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Abba Nilus said:

Whatever yo do in revenge against your brother who has hurt you will appear all at once in your heart at the time of prayer.
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