Saturday, September 26, 2009

Thursday, September 03, 2009

Today's the Day I Won't Live In a Hurry


All week I've been running around like a (insert favorite colloquialism here) and today I'm just not going to do it. I'm going to make every attempt to clean my desk, organize my activities, and enjoy the work that I do. I may have to speed up my body but I've had my mind racing enough all week to warrant some thoughtfulness, a little cogitation together with my action. For instance, typically I drive in listening to NPR, a podcast on my MP3 player, or maybe a favorite CD. I rarely look at the faces of the other drivers I meet in oncoming traffic. This morning I left the noise off and drove in silence, through the fog, intentionally watching each and every face I could see in oncoming traffic and also, between oncoming traffic and fog banks, a little of the greened-up countryside. Autumn is approaching quickly with winter following on her footsteps so a picture-perfect vision of a lush alfalfa field or rich Maple grove will be a good thought in February. So much time I've spent driving and not noticing things...I'm in a hurry to slow down today. I'll bet that sounds good to many of you too.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Time

I never have been as busy as I am right now. God give me energy, all of it. I don't mean just the kind you get from calories being used up but the kind that flows from every fiber of your being. I can remember waking up in a sleeping bag next to a tamarack swamp and feeling the sunshine pouring through the side of the tent as it burned away the cold of dawn. Thats the kind of energy I'm asking you for Lord. The kind that's breathed in with eager anticipation of what life will next unfold. I have it in my head and somewhat in my body but God you are the master of my heart and I'm counting on you to take care of that part.

Recession. Who can even begin to call this a recession? What are they counting? The dead are being raised, the sick are being healed and you God are on your throne. Me? See the sparkle in my eye, the spring in my step and the striding headlong into it all and convince me that we're in a recession.

Friday, January 16, 2009

Hell courtesy of Dr. Gregory Boyd

Since reading "The Great Divorce" by C.S. Lewis I've had the feeling that the mythological fire and brimstone image of hell is not the last word on the subject. In a sermon to his congregation on Jan. 4, 2009 Greg Boyd unleashes a scholarly study of the Bible on this subject. Surely if a person is pre-destined to believe that St. Thomas Aquinas had the last word on the subject you will not appreciate Dr. Boyd's treatment of the text. If you, however, have a hard time reconciling a God who calls himself 'Love' with the idea of eternal anguish in a burning cauldron of fire then listen to this guy put it all together. Its a beautiful work.

Tormented in the Flames? by Dr. Gregory Boyd