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
You can catch up on my Disentangling Faith series right here: Disentangling Faith #Faith #Christianity #Religion
“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.”
If you’re into sermons, you can check out my sermon from this morning.
ordinary jesus - we’re all murderers
We look at Matthew 5:21-26 and Jesus’ call to include and transcend the command to not murder.
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*
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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.
Monday, I am going to start sharing quotes and my reflections from this book…
Currently reading: The Jesus I Never Knew by Philip Yancey 📚
Today’s was a disappointing result at St James Park. But a point is a point. Regroup and on to the next! #NUFC ⚽️
Glad to see Newcastle get things turned around the last fifteen minutes of the first half. I feel like they’re going to pull away in the second with a couple quick goals. ⚽️ #NEWBOU // #NUFC
Newcastle is getting it taken to them by Bournemouth at the moment. It’s been a terrible first 30 minutes. ⚽️ #NEWBOU
Why Them?
Psalm 25:1-10; Psalm 32; Matthew 9:2-13
Later when Jesus was eating supper at Matthew’s house with his close followers, a lot of disreputable characters came and joined them. When the Pharisees saw him keeping this kind of company, they had a fit, and lit into Jesus’ followers. “What kind of example is this from your Teacher, acting cozy with crooks and misfits?”
This story about what happened after the calling of Matthew resonates so deeply with me. I just love everything about it. First, the fact that Jesus calls Matthew, a tax collector, to join him as a disciple makes me smile. Tax Collectors were (and are) some of the most despised people in Palestine. He was considered a traitor to his people. Matthew was probably skimming and probably taxing the people a bit more than he ought to line his own pockets. Matthew was not a guy that anyone in Jesus' merry band would have chosen to associate with.
But, then it gets better.
Matthew throws Jesus a party and all kinds of disreputable characters show up. The Pharisees are nearly apoplectic.
Over the course of my years in ministry I have found myself associating less and less with church people. I find myself standing on the outside looking in at Christian subculture. My people are the ones at the pubs and cafes.
It’s pretty funny to receive the scorn of the modern day Pharisees.
I imagine Jesus just smirking and shaking his head as he responded to their critique, “Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? Go figure out what this Scripture means: ‘I’m after mercy, not religion.’ I’m here to invite outsiders, not coddle insiders.”
Too many of us are way too worried about being “above reproach” and not worried enough about loving well.
It’s just too easy to get focused on coddling insiders than it is to invite outsiders. For pastors, in particular, the insiders are our “customers.” We forget that our primary responsibility is not to the 99 but to the 1. What’s just as sad is that the 99 forget that they were at one time the 1.
This morning I’m pondering the reality that as a pastor I have this dual calling. The call to care for the insiders and those on the outside. How do I orient myself to this dual calling? How do I consistently hold a posture of loving well?
#Wordle 973 4/6*
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The #OldGal has yet to report in. Honeslty, happy with this 4. This is a weird word! I am happy to see at least one of the #YoungPups with a 3!
We are heading out to our first high school basketball game of the season tonight. It’s weird that we haven’t been yet.
What is also weird is that college baseball starts this weekend.
If you are in the Mastodon ecosystem please follow me at @dan@danielmrose.com
I will not be migrating again. Thanks for your patience!
Hey hey! For those in the Mastodon ecosystem one last username change for me…
Please follow along at @dan@danielmrose.com
I promiseise to not Juan you!
One final fediverse username change for those on Mastodon/Sharkey/Friendica/Diaspora/Pixelfed please follow me at @dan@danielmrose.com
Thanks!