Essays
When Following Jesus Demands More Than We Imagined
Have you ever been in a position where you got more than you bargained for?
It seems to happen to me every single time I start a home improvement project. I am not what one would call, “handy”. No, I can barely tell the difference between a hammer and a screwdriver. Yet, I try to fix things because that’s the reasonable thing to do. I research how on YouTube and think, “I can do this!” Then, I get into it and realize that it is not as easy or straightforward as the YouTube Pro made it look.
This also happens when I get involved in volunteering for things. Often, I find that what I sign up for is significantly more involved than I anticipated. Nine times out of ten this is due to my own assumptions and not really paying attention to what was being asked of me.
In both scenarios I find that once I’m in, walking away seems to be unreasonable.
Eating His Flesh – A Metaphor for Ultimate Commitment
One of the little pleasures in life for me is the NFL. Perhaps because the season is only sixteen games, but more likely because of the drama. The story lines every year are so fun and interesting that the off-field stuff is just as interesting, or sometimes more interesting, than the games themselves. A couple of years ago my favorite team, the Detroit Lions, was featured on a show called Hard Knocks.
Hard Knocks provides a behind-the-scenes look at a team during the preseason. It was so interesting to see all the hard work that goes into preparing for a season. The stories of the players who make the team or get cut are gripping.
Breaking the Finite Lens
I am often struck by how small I think about Jesus. What about you?
Several weeks ago, I wrote the line, “Jesus is from eternity.” My son mentioned it to me and shared that it was one of the best descriptions of Jesus he had ever heard.
I keep thinking about that.
What Spoils? Rethinking Desire and Eternal Life
Over the last year or so, I have been working on my personal fitness. This pursuit has been spiritual, emotional, relational, and physical. I intentionally try not to say “health” because that implies that at some point I will be “healthy.” That’s a finite game. I don’t want to play that game. I want to play an infinite game of pursuing fitness. I can always be more fit; there is infinite growth there.
As I pursue personal fitness, there is one question that I wrestle with more than any other: “Why do I do what I do?” The answer is elusive.
The Unexpected Joy of Overcoming Fear
Have you ever done something that you were afraid to do and then discovered that you actually enjoyed it?
This might sound a little silly, but I was really afraid to drive. I used to be afraid to drive go-karts, golf carts, and four wheelers. I distinctly remember the first time I was in a go-kart on my own and the fear was palpable. But, then after doing it, I realized that it was so much fun! If I had given in to the fear then I would have missed out on so much.
Throughout the Scriptures there is an oft-repeated phrase, “fear not.” In this brief conversation with Jesus that phrase pops up again…
When "Enough" Feels Impossible
Do you ever feel like you don’t have what it takes?
There are days when I wake up, consider the tasks before me, and think, “How can I possibly do this?”
Life is messy. It often feels like the world is on fire, and I’m armed with nothing but a nearly empty squirt gun. When I read the news, I see so much work that needs to be done. The world is so vast, yet I am so small. The problems in my neighborhood, my town, my state, my country, and the world are, at times, overwhelming.
There have been times in my life when, just looking at what’s happening within my own family, I don’t think I have what it takes.
My Own Heart's Question - Would I Take Jesus at His Word?
Do you trust anyone?
It’s a hard question to answer, isn’t it?
We live in a culture of radical mistrust. How do we know what is real and what is fake? Is it even possible to know the answer to that any longer?
Every day it seems like I see something on the Internet and think, “Man, that is so cool. I wonder if it’s real?”
From Ruin to Redemption - God’s Justice and Promise
Dan reflects on the cultural phenomenon of the "antihero," using the TV show "Breaking Bad" as a prime example. He contrasts this with the clear moral lines of the film "Remember the Titans." This reflection then transitions into an examination of the book of Micah, specifically chapters 3, 4, and 5.
Key Highlights:
- "Breaking Bad" and the Rise of the Antihero:
- Dan discusses how the show portrays a drug dealer, Walter White, as a sympathetic protagonist, highlighting the cultural shift where audiences root for characters who perform immoral actions.
- This reflects a cultural trend where the lines between good and evil are blurred.
- "Remember the Titans" and Clear Moral Lines:
- Dan contrasts "Breaking Bad" with a scene from "Remember the Titans," emphasizing the clear distinction between right and wrong.
- The quote "Attitude reflects leadership, captain." is used to illustrate the difference between the two cultural items.
- Micah's Prophecy and Its Relevance Today:
- Dan dives into Micah's condemnation of corrupt leaders and false prophets in Israel, drawing parallels to contemporary society.
- Micah's message highlights the dangers of prioritizing personal gain over justice and righteousness.
- Scripture readings from Micah 3, 4, and 5 are included to reinforce the message.
- Trusting in God vs. Trusting in Idols:
- Dan emphasizes Micah's call to trust in God rather than worldly power or material possessions.
- Dan points out how God chooses the broken and marginalized to be his remnant.
- Dan draws a connection between Micah's prophecies and the ministry of Jesus.
- The Transformation of the Heart:
- Dan uses C.S. Lewis's imagery of God rebuilding the heart to illustrate the transformative power of faith.
- The episode concludes with a challenge to listeners to examine what they are placing their trust in.
- Key theme: Dan contrasts the worlds view of good and evil, with the biblical view, and challenges listeners to examine their own hearts.
Tough Love vs. Tender Mercy - Which Way Did Jesus Go?
There’s an old joke that’s told in a variety of ways. A man goes to heaven and is getting a tour by St. Peter. Peter is pointing out the various places in heaven that might be of interest and introduces him to various people as they wander the streets. The man looks down a street and sees a doorway, but it is gated and well out of the way, leading into a building. The man asks, “Peter, what is that?” Peter replies, “Oh, that’s for the Presbyterians. They think they’re the only ones up here.”
Building on the Rock - Practicing Faith for Life's Storms
What do you do when life gets tough? Do you retreat to bed, declaring it a “no good, very bad day,” hoping tomorrow will be better? If so, we might never leave our beds. Daily, we encounter trouble, hardship, heartache, and suffering, even amidst blessings. The news constantly reminds us of the world’s unending problems.
How do we respond? We cannot perpetually hide, waiting for an easy life. The storms inevitably come, and we often live with a sense of impending trouble, even when things are good.
Trampolines and Broken Bricks - Reimagining Faith Beyond 'Should Have Known'
“You should have known better.”
Have you ever heard that before? Man, I feel like I have heard it a ton. Perhaps it is the result of being the oldest of three brothers. Or maybe it’s because I present myself as someone who knows all the things and is pretty confident. Whatever the reason, “You should have known better.” is a phrase that I have heard often.
New note by Daniel Rose
@solusspider@polymaths.social my guy @ozzy runs an instance. He can make the sales pitch!
Shattered Idols - Micah's Vision of Reckoning
We look around at a world rife with hardship, a world that often feels chaotic and unfair. And then, we look at our own lives. Maybe they're comfortable, maybe even good. A nagging question arises: what do we do with this dissonance? Do we turn a blind eye, dismissing the suffering as "not my problem"? Or does something stir within us, a sense that we should, perhaps even must, do something?
This internal struggle, this tension between comfort and conscience, is not unique to our time. The prophet Micah, speaking during the prosperous reign of King Uzziah in Judah, confronted a similar reality. Judah was booming. Wealth was abundant. But beneath the surface, a rot was festering.
Micah's message, like a jarring alarm, cuts through the complacency. He doesn't sugarcoat. He doesn't offer easy answers. He delivers a stark warning: doom and hope, doom and hope. This is the rhythm of his prophecy, a constant oscillation between judgment and redemption.
The Problem of Prosperity
Micah exposes the dark side of Judah's prosperity. Unprecedented wealth had led to unchecked greed. The powerful exploited the vulnerable, seizing land and disregarding God's laws of justice and compassion. The year of Jubilee, designed to restore equity, was ignored.
Sound familiar?
We too live in a world where the gap between the rich and the poor continues to widen. Where the powerful often prioritize their own interests over the well-being of others.
The Plague of False Worship
But Micah doesn't just address economic injustice. He goes deeper, diagnosing the root cause: idolatry. The people of Judah, despite having the temple in Jerusalem, had turned it into a "high place," a center of false worship. They had replaced the true God with idols of their own making.
This indictment hits hard. What are our idols? What are we worshipping in our daily lives? Is it power, wealth, comfort, entertainment, or even our own opinions? Are we truly worshipping God in spirit and truth, or have we crafted a god in our own image?
Micah doesn't shy away from confronting the religious leaders either. He condemns the false prophets who offered soothing words of prosperity and ignored the cries of the oppressed. They prioritized comfort over truth, echoing a pattern we see in our own time.
The Call to Repentance and Hope
Micah's message is uncomfortable, even painful. He challenges our "sacred cows," forcing us to confront our own complacency and idolatry. But amidst the doom, there is a glimmer of hope.
Micah proclaims that God will gather a remnant, a faithful people who will return to Him. He paints a vivid picture of joy and liberation, like sheep bursting into a wide-open pasture. This hope is not based on human merit but on God's faithfulness to His covenant.
A Challenge for Today
Micah's words resonate with our contemporary issues. We, too, must confront the dissonance between our comfort and the suffering around us. We must ask ourselves:
- What are we worshipping?
- Are we living justly and compassionately?
- Are we listening to the true voice of God, or the soothing whispers of false prophets?
Micah's message is not meant to make us comfortable. It is meant to heal our souls. It is a call to repentance, a call to return to the true God, and a call to be part of the remnant that will experience the joy of His redemption.
Let us heed Micah's warning and embrace his hope. Let us examine our hearts, confront our idols, and strive to live as a people who truly worship God in spirit and truth.
New note by Daniel Rose
@solusspider@polymaths.social it appears the follow worked, yes? I requested to follow you as well.
New note by Daniel Rose
@ozzy it looks like gotosocial accounts can’t follow Sharkey. Which is weird.
New note by Daniel Rose
Lazy sunny Saturdays are something else.
The String Cheese Incident - Sunny Skies
https://music.apple.com/us/song/790975392
Jesus in Conversation - The Sales People
When was the last time you walked into a space and thought, “This is not at all what I was expecting”? I grew up going to a historic Presbyterian church in Pontiac, MI. It is one of the oldest churches in the state. The building is magnificent. It is a gothic style church with a massive pipe organ and gorgeous stained glass at the corner of the two main roads in the downtown of the city. Any time I walk into First Presbyterian Church of Pontiac I am left with a sense of wonder and reverence.
It was a magical place to grow up in my faith.