More Than Today

"...sometimes the greatest act of faith is simply hanging on until it gets better, and God knows what we're enduring and it matters to him." May this encourage you today to hang on. Let a friend know what is happening in your life so they can be there for you and help you hang on. Know that God loves you and will see you through. This is from a book I'm reading called "No Perfect People Allowed: Creating a Come as you are Culture in the Church" by John Burke, page 212. It is an excellent book with lots of great stories about how people's lives change when they are accepted as they are and invited into an atmosphere that invites them to grow at their own pace. Let's do that for others! Feel free to post a comment on this or other posts below. We can have an ongoing dialogue.

This is a wonderful story concerning the recent hostage taking by a man who had just killed at a local courthouse in Atlanta. Hostage's servanthood turns accused killer's heart, gains her freedom by Mark Kelly ATLANTA (PD)--Ashley Smith never dreamed that living out the principles of chapter 33 in The Purpose Driven Life would save her life. She hadn't even read the chapter yet -- the one entitled "How Real Servants Act." It was her next day's reading. But when an escaped prisoner forced her into her apartment at gunpoint, the young mother of a 5-year-old turned his heart by serving him. Smith was accosted on the parking lot of her apartment in suburban Gwinnett County about 2 a.m., March 12, when she returned from a store. Brian Nichols, an escaped prisoner suspected in four murders the previous day, tied her up while he thought about how to avoid the massive manhunt being conducted for him. He reportedly had overpowered a deputy escorting him to court for a...

"There is something compelling, powerful and liberating about living life in harmony with God, not in the isolation of an individual relationship but as part of a community that includes those around us, those far from us, those who came before us, and those who will come after us. At the center of this holistic, communal approach to spiritual formation is the creation of Christian communities that are a continuation of the story of God, from Abraham to Jesus to today." (Reimagining Spiritual Formation, Doug Pagitt and the Solomon's Porch Community, page 29) In the last few days I have experienced this "community" again as I have reconnected with an old friend. And in reconnecting with him I have remembered his parents who ministered to me at a time in life when I really needed a place to go to feel safe and cared for (which of course I always do!). This friend who I knew when he was little grew up and we worked together as the Church in touching the lives of y...

"This was the primary approach used by Jesus. He lived with his disciples. This allowed him to debrief their lives and ministry assignments. In effect, he taught them how to learn from life and ministry. He sent the Holy Spirit to be their ongoing coach when he ascended back to the Father." (The Present Future, Reggie McNeal, page 137) When we worship with others, we experience the Holy Spirit and share with followers of Jesus in a unique worship time. Each worship experience is unique. Last week was not the same as the one before and it will be different than what is coming up this weekend. As Jesus lives with his disciples in worship and each moment of each day, we are taught, we experiment, we are debriefed, and all in the context of a body of believers. We need to connect throughout the week with at least one other Christian, if not more, who will serve as our brother/sister in Christ and share our ongoing experience with the Holy Spirit. In the process ...

Interesting, if somewhat difficult reading, this link takes you to an article on an 81 year old atheist who has become a deist, not yet a Christian, in part because of increasing evidence for Intelligent Design. http://theroadtoemmaus.org/RdLb/21PbAr/Apl/FlewTheist.htm