"God is"
This is the genesis of the believers faith.
God is the initiator of making himself known-God revealed himself to me-I cannot reveal myself to Him.
No human endeavor-no belief-no philosophy-no theology-no political party can claim God-"God is. "
Theology is thinking God's thoughts AFTER Him not the other way.
God is separate from all works of man-God is not in the Tower of Babel, the Golden Calf or any shrine or temple-"God Is."
God cannot be scientifically studied, analyzed, rationalized, categorized or put in any box.
He is a covenant God and we, a covenant people-God with us-"Emmanuel"
God reveals His covenant with us in the creation-in covenant with Israel-in the incarnation-in the cross and subsequent resurrection-and He will reveal Himself at the consummation.
God is the incarnate God-God took on human form and walked among us-in Christ Jesus-"God is."
And we who are found "in Christ Jesus" are in right standing with God-we answered YES to His covenant
"God is"-this is where I walk in faith and along the way God reveals Himself to me.
"God Is."
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Saturday, February 5, 2011
First Understand-Then be Understood
The 5th habit of Stephen Covey's "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" says "Seek first to understand then be understood." Our conversations would be more meaningful if we nurtured this habit.
Consider this common situation: Two people communicating and both want to be understood at the same time-so no one is understood. I walk away from this type of exchange unsatisfied and not really learning anything about you. Covey calls this interaction "dialogue of the deaf."
The way we communicate today, I can tell you, we are not suffering from a deficiency in "getting our point across." We prefer monologues to dialogues. Watch any of the reality shows and you'll see people obsessed with getting there point across.
But under this obsession of "attention seeking" and "self grandiosity" is a silent cry of people truly wanting to be understood. Underneath the narcissistic noise I hear the cry "please understand me."
My natural inclination is to be understood first-then, if I have time, to understand you. So I've set out to reverse this "dialogue of the deaf" in my own interactions.
The first thing I needed to do was develop my listening skills-I mean to "actively listen" or as Carl Rogers would say "to listen unconditionally with empathy." This is a type of "deep listening" which requires discipline.
It's not just the words I'm listening to, but the meaning behind the words. When I listen with empathy, I am trying to understand life as you see it-to walk in your shoes. And as I begin to listen this way, I start out by understanding your point of view-your experience.
To "understand first" opens up the conversation to a deeper and meaningful conversation. At first this approach feels unnatural but as you practice "empathic listening" you're conversations becomes deeper and more meaningful.
We all desire to be understood so give someone the gift of "understanding" in your next conversation.
Consider this common situation: Two people communicating and both want to be understood at the same time-so no one is understood. I walk away from this type of exchange unsatisfied and not really learning anything about you. Covey calls this interaction "dialogue of the deaf."
The way we communicate today, I can tell you, we are not suffering from a deficiency in "getting our point across." We prefer monologues to dialogues. Watch any of the reality shows and you'll see people obsessed with getting there point across.
But under this obsession of "attention seeking" and "self grandiosity" is a silent cry of people truly wanting to be understood. Underneath the narcissistic noise I hear the cry "please understand me."
My natural inclination is to be understood first-then, if I have time, to understand you. So I've set out to reverse this "dialogue of the deaf" in my own interactions.
The first thing I needed to do was develop my listening skills-I mean to "actively listen" or as Carl Rogers would say "to listen unconditionally with empathy." This is a type of "deep listening" which requires discipline.
It's not just the words I'm listening to, but the meaning behind the words. When I listen with empathy, I am trying to understand life as you see it-to walk in your shoes. And as I begin to listen this way, I start out by understanding your point of view-your experience.
To "understand first" opens up the conversation to a deeper and meaningful conversation. At first this approach feels unnatural but as you practice "empathic listening" you're conversations becomes deeper and more meaningful.
We all desire to be understood so give someone the gift of "understanding" in your next conversation.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Keepin it Real
I tweet! On Twitter that is.
I can condense a thought into 140 characters-not bad. Twitter is not for the "chatty Cathy" types. I also do "Facebook" and can post an incoherent opinion in 420 characters. As I sit here in my favorite bagel place, I see about 7 other people tweeting or facebookin' or having some type of e-Conversation on their fancy iPads, laptops or Blackberry's.
We are so connected yet, at times, we're so alienated from one another. Now don't get me wrong, I like the new stuff. I'm a boomer and I tweet with the best of the Gen Xrs' or Millennials'. And Facebook has connected me with people I may never see again this side of heaven, so I am thankful.
But are we loosing something here? One cannot be "Together" online. This is a new phenomenon in which we give up intimacy for a virtual relationship. I want to balance my eChats with the timeless intimacy of relational "togetherness" that only takes place in the face to face-physical presence of the other-something we miss in our eWorld.
I'm Keepin it real and enjoying my eFriends at the same time. We could do both and be real.
I can condense a thought into 140 characters-not bad. Twitter is not for the "chatty Cathy" types. I also do "Facebook" and can post an incoherent opinion in 420 characters. As I sit here in my favorite bagel place, I see about 7 other people tweeting or facebookin' or having some type of e-Conversation on their fancy iPads, laptops or Blackberry's.
We are so connected yet, at times, we're so alienated from one another. Now don't get me wrong, I like the new stuff. I'm a boomer and I tweet with the best of the Gen Xrs' or Millennials'. And Facebook has connected me with people I may never see again this side of heaven, so I am thankful.
But are we loosing something here? One cannot be "Together" online. This is a new phenomenon in which we give up intimacy for a virtual relationship. I want to balance my eChats with the timeless intimacy of relational "togetherness" that only takes place in the face to face-physical presence of the other-something we miss in our eWorld.
I'm Keepin it real and enjoying my eFriends at the same time. We could do both and be real.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Just an Ordinary Guy
The more I live, the more I long for the ordinary life. Everything seems so specialized-I don't like that. Maybe it's my age. I'm going through what my psychologist friend calls a "Life Passage"- Whatever.
But that's not what's bugging me. What really rubs me the wrong way are people who believe they have certain "specialness" that make them superior to me. You know how you can tell if they're special? Just ask them.
I don't know, maybe I'm growing weary of all the hand wringing and posturing going on among the "special" people out there. Like the Gnostics of old, these precious folks believe they have the hidden secrets on truth.
On TV I hear the special men and women wax eloquently on how pure they are. They pontificate how their political or "culturally-hyphenated" group is untainted by corruption like those other rascally groups are. Either you're a victim or an oppressor. It's all smoke. Their "specialness" is an illusion-an escape from the ordinary.
A friend told me of a cocky, braggadocios Mixed Martial Arts fighter he knew. One night this guy was "trash talking" and got into a heated altercation that ended up in the parking lot-the smug fighter pulled a punch and the other guy pulled a gun and shot the MMA warrior dead. His "specialness" couldn't save him.
The story is a reminder that there are certain things in this life that are bigger than us mere mortals-like death. Death is a great equalizer. Whether you're a (D) or an (R) or a "This-American" or a "That-American"-we all face death the same way.
Authenticity is another equalizer that chips away at our sense of "specialness" and forces us to face the stark realization that we are "ordinary." Just once it would be refreshing for someone to say "I'm just an ordinary guy, don't look to me for your needs."
There's freedom in the "ordinary." But many people do not want this freedom-so they hide behind their "specialness" and continue to be burdened down by the weight of the illusion of "specialness."
Hey I'm just an ordinary guy and I like it that way. And by the way, ordinary people do special things every once in a while.
But that's not what's bugging me. What really rubs me the wrong way are people who believe they have certain "specialness" that make them superior to me. You know how you can tell if they're special? Just ask them.
I don't know, maybe I'm growing weary of all the hand wringing and posturing going on among the "special" people out there. Like the Gnostics of old, these precious folks believe they have the hidden secrets on truth.
On TV I hear the special men and women wax eloquently on how pure they are. They pontificate how their political or "culturally-hyphenated" group is untainted by corruption like those other rascally groups are. Either you're a victim or an oppressor. It's all smoke. Their "specialness" is an illusion-an escape from the ordinary.
A friend told me of a cocky, braggadocios Mixed Martial Arts fighter he knew. One night this guy was "trash talking" and got into a heated altercation that ended up in the parking lot-the smug fighter pulled a punch and the other guy pulled a gun and shot the MMA warrior dead. His "specialness" couldn't save him.
The story is a reminder that there are certain things in this life that are bigger than us mere mortals-like death. Death is a great equalizer. Whether you're a (D) or an (R) or a "This-American" or a "That-American"-we all face death the same way.
Authenticity is another equalizer that chips away at our sense of "specialness" and forces us to face the stark realization that we are "ordinary." Just once it would be refreshing for someone to say "I'm just an ordinary guy, don't look to me for your needs."
There's freedom in the "ordinary." But many people do not want this freedom-so they hide behind their "specialness" and continue to be burdened down by the weight of the illusion of "specialness."
Hey I'm just an ordinary guy and I like it that way. And by the way, ordinary people do special things every once in a while.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Throwing Rocks
A group of men dragged a woman to the front of temple steps, to where Jesus was speaking. They proudly proclaimed her guilt: "this woman was caught in the act of adultery and the law say's to stone her, what do you say, Rabbi?"
The accusers were lawyers just itching to catch Jesus in a legal trap. Their question smacked of self righteousness dripping with an insincere moral superiority. Would Jesus support the law or would he dismiss it and be regarded as a zealot? This was the biblical version of the political "gotcha" question.
The litigants picked up rocks to execute the sinner and showcase their "righteousness." But Jesus remained silent-he knew their intent. "How do you rule, teacher?" they demanded. Jesus knelt down beside the women and scribbled something in the dirt. "What will it be?" they pushed for His verdict.
Then Jesus stood up, faced the men and said "All right, stone her, but let those who have never sinned throw the first stone." Jesus words hung in the air for what seemed like eternity. And for a moment He rendered the "rock throwers" impotent. He flipped it on them. He ruled on the accused-then went inward to the heart of the accusers.
The rock throwers judgment was made in bad faith-an insincere, self righteous condemnation. They appointed themselves judge, jury and executioner-a position only reserved for the one true Judge-God-who is the "maker of heaven and earth who will one day judge the living and the dead."
Jesus knelt back down and finished writing in the dirt and one by one, beginning with the oldest; they dropped their rocks and walked away. Only Jesus and the woman were alone. He looked in her eyes and said "where are your accusers-did even one of them condemn you?"
"No" she said quietly.
Jesus replied "Then neither do I, go and sin no more."
Jesus made two judgments-one for the woman and the other for the "rock throwers." His judgment of the woman was animated by the law of love. This is operational law for those who live in the kingdom of God-followers of Christ.
Love governs my every action. Love first-then proceed with correcting, discerning and making a judgment-the New Testament word for making this "judging" is "krinos."
Jesus' condemnation of the rock throwers was not in the outward act of making a judgment, but the inward condition of the heart in which the judgment is made.
As the rock throwers lifted themselves up on the "bema" seat reserved only for the one true judge-God, they picked up their rocks. And in doing so they walked right into their own condemnation.
The accusers were lawyers just itching to catch Jesus in a legal trap. Their question smacked of self righteousness dripping with an insincere moral superiority. Would Jesus support the law or would he dismiss it and be regarded as a zealot? This was the biblical version of the political "gotcha" question.
The litigants picked up rocks to execute the sinner and showcase their "righteousness." But Jesus remained silent-he knew their intent. "How do you rule, teacher?" they demanded. Jesus knelt down beside the women and scribbled something in the dirt. "What will it be?" they pushed for His verdict.
Then Jesus stood up, faced the men and said "All right, stone her, but let those who have never sinned throw the first stone." Jesus words hung in the air for what seemed like eternity. And for a moment He rendered the "rock throwers" impotent. He flipped it on them. He ruled on the accused-then went inward to the heart of the accusers.
The rock throwers judgment was made in bad faith-an insincere, self righteous condemnation. They appointed themselves judge, jury and executioner-a position only reserved for the one true Judge-God-who is the "maker of heaven and earth who will one day judge the living and the dead."
Jesus knelt back down and finished writing in the dirt and one by one, beginning with the oldest; they dropped their rocks and walked away. Only Jesus and the woman were alone. He looked in her eyes and said "where are your accusers-did even one of them condemn you?"
"No" she said quietly.
Jesus replied "Then neither do I, go and sin no more."
Jesus made two judgments-one for the woman and the other for the "rock throwers." His judgment of the woman was animated by the law of love. This is operational law for those who live in the kingdom of God-followers of Christ.
Love governs my every action. Love first-then proceed with correcting, discerning and making a judgment-the New Testament word for making this "judging" is "krinos."
Jesus' condemnation of the rock throwers was not in the outward act of making a judgment, but the inward condition of the heart in which the judgment is made.
As the rock throwers lifted themselves up on the "bema" seat reserved only for the one true judge-God, they picked up their rocks. And in doing so they walked right into their own condemnation.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Live Free or Die
New Hampshire's state motto is "Live Free or Die." I like the ring to that-Live Free or Die-Yeah! Well, it sounds good until you're confronted with it. Freedom demands responsibility. Responsibility and Freedom are inseparable. A philosopher once said "Freedom is not the power to do what you want but the power to do what you ought."
Life's a struggle between two powerful and competing desires-to be free or to be taken care of. It's easy to choose the latter. Having others take care of me is safe, convenient and a life not worth living. As I defer my responsibility to others, I give up the ability to govern myself and I slowly die inside-Live Free or Die.
Freedom is a hard road to travel. It takes courage to make my own way in spite of my circumstances. But along the way I discover my true self and become authentic. I step out from the safety and invisibility of the crowd and stand alone as an individual. I become an "I" and no longer a "they." I am authentic and free.
Living the free life means I stop blaming others for my circumstances-I refuse to be a victim and take charge of my own life. Living the free life demands that I stop the narcissistic naval gazing and realize the world doesn't revolve around me. "Freedom" requires me to break the chains of the past and not allow my current predicament to define me.
I live among others as an individual. I'm obligated to others because I am free-I make that choice-it's not dictated to me. Victor Frankl, who survived the cruelties of a concentration camp and later wrote the seminal book "Man's Search for Meaning" stated that "everything can be taken away from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms-to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way."
To "live free" is a choice, a hard one to be sure, but a worthwhile endeavor. Will you live free or die?
Life's a struggle between two powerful and competing desires-to be free or to be taken care of. It's easy to choose the latter. Having others take care of me is safe, convenient and a life not worth living. As I defer my responsibility to others, I give up the ability to govern myself and I slowly die inside-Live Free or Die.
Freedom is a hard road to travel. It takes courage to make my own way in spite of my circumstances. But along the way I discover my true self and become authentic. I step out from the safety and invisibility of the crowd and stand alone as an individual. I become an "I" and no longer a "they." I am authentic and free.
Living the free life means I stop blaming others for my circumstances-I refuse to be a victim and take charge of my own life. Living the free life demands that I stop the narcissistic naval gazing and realize the world doesn't revolve around me. "Freedom" requires me to break the chains of the past and not allow my current predicament to define me.
I live among others as an individual. I'm obligated to others because I am free-I make that choice-it's not dictated to me. Victor Frankl, who survived the cruelties of a concentration camp and later wrote the seminal book "Man's Search for Meaning" stated that "everything can be taken away from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms-to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way."
To "live free" is a choice, a hard one to be sure, but a worthwhile endeavor. Will you live free or die?
Saturday, October 9, 2010
“Love” Let Me Count the Ways
C.S. Lewis wrote a book called "The 4 Loves." I saw all 4 this morning at a bagel and bread place called Panera. I observed Affection, Friendship, Eros and Charity within 30 minutes. First, I noticed a young couple in a booth, holding hands while eating. Never mind the fine motor skills it takes to accomplish this, but they appeared "in love."
Across from the "love birds" was a group of men discussing the bible and the BCS college football standings. Next to them, was a middle age man and his young daughter. The little girl was wiggling in her chair, singing a song about butterflies. The man smiled, hummed a few bars and quietly told the little one to be still and finish her food.
In all three conversations, love was being expressed. Love can be communicated many ways and is essential to cultivating a meaningful relationship where intimacy, care and regard for the other person are nurtured. C.S. Lewis describes the 4 Loves as:
Affection or Storge is a fondness through familiarity, a natural love without coercion.
Friendship or Phileo is a strong bond existing between people who share a common interest or activity.
Eros is the sense of being 'in love' which is distinct from sexuality which Lewis calls Venus. Eros can have a sexual expression but it does not define this love.
Charity or Agape is the unconditional care for a person regardless of circumstance. Lewis recognizes charity as the greatest of loves. He sees it as a Christian virtue. This love is expressed in God's unconditional love for us.
In the relationships we form, one or more of these "loves" is displayed. As I observed the "love fest" going on this morning, it gave me a sense of hope, in spite of all the anger and hate out there-love rules-let me count the ways.
Across from the "love birds" was a group of men discussing the bible and the BCS college football standings. Next to them, was a middle age man and his young daughter. The little girl was wiggling in her chair, singing a song about butterflies. The man smiled, hummed a few bars and quietly told the little one to be still and finish her food.
In all three conversations, love was being expressed. Love can be communicated many ways and is essential to cultivating a meaningful relationship where intimacy, care and regard for the other person are nurtured. C.S. Lewis describes the 4 Loves as:
Affection or Storge is a fondness through familiarity, a natural love without coercion.
Friendship or Phileo is a strong bond existing between people who share a common interest or activity.
Eros is the sense of being 'in love' which is distinct from sexuality which Lewis calls Venus. Eros can have a sexual expression but it does not define this love.
Charity or Agape is the unconditional care for a person regardless of circumstance. Lewis recognizes charity as the greatest of loves. He sees it as a Christian virtue. This love is expressed in God's unconditional love for us.
In the relationships we form, one or more of these "loves" is displayed. As I observed the "love fest" going on this morning, it gave me a sense of hope, in spite of all the anger and hate out there-love rules-let me count the ways.
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