Daniel Rose: The Pastor Next Door logo Daniel Rose: The Pastor Next Door

I have to say that the support here on micro.blog is absolutely top notch.

“Of the many reasons for Incarnation, surely one was to answer Job’s accusation: Do you have eyes of flesh? For a time, God did.”

From : The Jesus I Never Knew by Philip Yancey 📚

For so many years I regularly thought of Jesus as this divine superman. I am so intrigued by his god-ness that I missed his ordinariness. Yet, now it is his sheer ordinariness that most attracts me. This man who ate, drank, got annoyed, ran away from people, teased his friends, and took naps but also introduced the world to grace.

I am drawn the man. I am drawn to the homeless, wandering Rabbi.

Psalm 77; Job 4:1-21; Ephesians 2:1-10

I yell out to my God, I yell with all my might, I yell at the top of my lungs. He listens.

I’m not sure that there is a more comforting phrase for me in all the Scriptures than, “He listens.”

“He listens,” is a complete sentence.

It is remarkable to me that when I cry out to the Divine the Divine listens. I am constantly on a quest to understand what amazing grace means. As I sit here this morning with many things on my heart and my mind, I am struck by the reality that it is amazing grace that God listens.

Why would God listen to me? What is it about me that God would take any notice? Why would God care about what I have to say?

Because God loves me.

I love my children with all of who I am. When they talk, I listen. Even when they were small and couldn’t speak coherently I took great joy in listening to their rambling and mumbling. I don’t know anyone who ignores a baby that is talking to them, particularly when it’s your own child.

I imagine this must be what it’s like for God. This Creator God, the holy one, the sustainer of the universe, loves his creation without condition. This love, apparently, leads God to this place of intimacy where God listens.

This morning I’m pondering this question, “Do I really believe that God listens because he loves me?”

Good morning! May you start your week well knowing your identity is not tied to your accomplishments. #MorningMug #MorningBlessing

“Looking in retrospect on my years at Bible college, I see that, despite all the devotional intimacies, Jesus grew remote from me there. He became an object of scrutiny.”

From: The Jesus I Never Knew by Philip Yancey 📚

This is, I think, one of the great struggles for not only people at Bible college or seminary, but also much of Protestant evangelicalism. Evangelicalism is buried in information. Jesus, for many, has become “an object of scrutiny.”

When we lose the relational connection to the divine we have lost the very core of what it is to follow Christ. To be learner of Christ is to grow in Christ’s character and competency. These can’t be learned when Christ is nothing more than an “object of scrutiny.”

New social plan:

Micro Blog for hosting and creating content (I’m likely upgrading to premium to take advantage of the ability to podcast and post video). This is good as it auto cross posts and easily cross posts to multiple platforms.

Mastodon for consuming content and interacting.

Wordle 974 3/6*

⬛🟨🟨⬛🟩

🟩🟩⬛⬛🟩

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

I love getting 3s! It means that the #OldGal likely can’t win. Let’s see how the rest of thef team #YoungPup fairs as we await her report.

Good morning! May you connect deeply with people who genuinely care about you today. #MorningMug #MorningBlessing

I was reminded yesterday that you don’t have to put yourself on a pedestal. If you do the right thing consistently and you are fully present then people will know you’re the one to call when needed.

This Michigan/Michigan State game is way closer than I anticipated. 🏀

Today’s was a disappointing result at St James Park. But a point is a point. Regroup and on to the next! #NUFC ⚽️