by emma | Oct 26, 2007 | Faith
At this point in my life, whether I am motivated in this direction because of a sincere desire for righteousness or whether it is just a part of a midlife crisis and being tired of institutional arrogance, I now want to be a child more than ever A child doesn’t often tell you that they are joyful: they just show it. Perhaps the world will start to believe us if we start to show the life in us instead of just talking about the “joy unspeakable and full of glory” (1 Pet 1:8).
Perhaps when we play we will find new things to talk about and new ways to talk about them. Perhaps our Father will also be delighted to see that we are finally enjoying the gifts that He gave us!
[ In “Play Time“, by Betty Spackman ]
HT: Blaine
by emma | Oct 22, 2007 | Faith, Words
Disturb us, Lord, when
We are too well pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we have dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.
Disturb us, Lord, when
With the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.
Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wider seas
Where storms will show your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.
We ask You to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push into the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.
[ Prayer by Sir Francis Drake]
HT: Mark, via Andrew
by emma | Oct 13, 2007 | Faith
I need to go on a long walk with Dad.
by emma | Oct 5, 2007 | Faith
You have to read this post by Joshua, “Less Is More”.
Man. I’m so challenged by this. I talk a lot of changing the world. I talk of living simply. I talk of prioritising people and relationships above things. I talk of giving it all away. I talk of laying down my life.
I talk a lot.
And yet there is such a dichotomy between what I say and what I do.
Longbrake challenges me so much. Thank you, Longbrake, for the reminder to live what I say, to pursue integrity.
“I am in the right place. If being in Seattle at Mars Hill means losing all my things then so be it. I have gained more than I have lost. I believe that it is true that less is more. To lose is to gain.”
by emma | Oct 3, 2007 | Faith
This term I’m studying Paul for one of my university classes, and as we’ll be starting off soon into Romans, I thought I’d take the chance to go back and read it again. Tonight I read Romans 1 (read it here). Some thoughts…
1v1 : We are slaves; we are not our own, we are bought at a price.
1v8 : Is our faith being known worldwide a suitable aim? It should never be the aim, but a result of faithfulness in the everyday choices. Brings with it greater scrutiny, perhaps greater need for accountability.
1v 11 : Is Paul being big-headed? The assumption that he can bring something they cannot get by themselves?
1v19-20 : Does this negate questions of ‘what about those who haven’t heard the gospel?’ Paul seems to be saying that everyone can/does know about God because they can see the created world.
1v25 : Wow, hard hitting. How often I do this.
1v32 : We know what we should do, but we just don’t DO it. There is such a dichotomy between what we say and what we do.
“They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.”
[ Romans 1:25 ]
by emma | Oct 2, 2007 | Faith
“Freedom—I want to be free.
I want to hold back the hands that cut, unlock the prison doors, dance in the sun rise and swim in the waves. I want to scream truth louder than the lies, give the hungry, thirsty, homeless and poor everything they need to meet every single need they have and will have. I want to not be crippled by my past and shortcomings. I want to encourage rather than gossip. I want to bring healing. I want to comfort those who mourn. I want to proclaim victory. I want to lead the way to freedom. Where children can laugh and dance and be embraced by their parents. Where the poor are rich and the last are first. Where addictions are weak and chains are broken. Where the only blood that will be shed has shed and cheeks know not the touch of tears. Where hearts are confident in love and community thrives in fellowship. Where slavery is nonexistent. Freedom. Freedom. Freedom.”
[From ‘Hearts Crying Louder Than The Rocks‘ by Stephanie Sandmeyer]
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