Waste not, want more. We're Americans.

The pages feel remarkably new on a 14 year old copy of the magazine Family Circle. The pictures have an unnameable quality, I can’t pin point it, they just look old. Some times a hair do or old looking clothes dates the publication, but mostly it is something else.

The car ads sell “new anti-lock brakes”.

There are many happy, beautiful women smoking. I don’t find cigarette ads like I used to.

I read an article about reusing items from around the house. One reader wrote in to share a great use for the plastic part at the bottom of 2 liter pop bottles. What? Oh, I had completely forgotten how pop bottles used to have a black cap shaped piece at the bottom. I remember that they were hard to get off.

Do you remember that?

none

Jeremy asked me “Are you egalitarian?”

“No,” I said, “I’m head/body.”
What is head/body like? Well it is not complementarian or egalitarian.

Complementarian is a master-servant relationship. Egalitarian is two colleagues.
Complementarian is two separate people, one ruling the other. Egalitarian is two separate people, co-leading somewhat democratically.

Head/body or headship is a mystery of two people becoming one, being lead by God, the Spirit. Complementarian and Egalitarian are modeled by governments and human institutions. Head/Body is modeled by the Father and Son.

I think that it is big

I have been listening to the audio book “Jesus Wants to Save Christians” by Robert Homes Bell, Jr. and Don Golden.

It is a book that rejects American Imperialism by, among other things, comparing it to Pharaoh’s enslavement of the Israelites.

A simple review of the line of thought is: the people of Israel were slaves under an oppressive system. The Lord opposes oppressive systems such as Pharaoh’s Egypt. The Lord freed Israel and taught them how to live a non-oppressive life, culture, system. In the time of Solomon, Israel had become the “new Egypt” - an oppressive system like the one they were rescued from.

Solomon even used slaves to build the temple. He became an arms dealer, importing and exporting chariots and horses. While this oppressive system existed, Solomon and the people rejected God. Because the Israelites rejected God they were lead into exile.

Later, Israel had taken the law that was to teach them how to live, and made it into its own oppressive system. Jesus came to free Israel and the world from these systems.

I don’t remember if this is in the book, but what is so amazing is that Jesus not only offers freedom from sin, he offers co-heir-ness.

God’s way is not communism where people are equal and ruled by a leader.

God’s way is not a democracy - equal rights, equal voice in choosing the leader.

On earth, men cling fiercely to power. People crush insurrectionists. People kill colleagues, friends and family members for positions of leadership and power.

Early Americans at least believed that people were competent enough to choose the one who would rule them.

Jesus goes way beyond this in saying that we (the church, the saints, the believers) will rule with him and even judge angels. This is far beyond even the loftiest goals and aspirations of human systems.

Jesus offers us the opportunity to live in this system.

As I post this I understand that I am talking in general terms that can be problematic. My goal is to illuminate the outstanding notion of reigning with God.

Slackline Living (balance)

This is about being grateful.

I find it so fascinating that if you are reading this blog it is more than likely that you were born rich. I was born rich, filthy rich. I had candy on a regular basis. I had so many toys that it became amusing to destroy them. (Honestly I never broke my toys on purpose, but it seems that many of my peers did at some level.) I got new shoes every school year. I always had a warm coat, always a full stomach. I went to school.

What are the implications of being over privileged from birth? A heightened tendency towards selfishness, greed, un-thankfulness, becoming jaded are a few of the tendencies that I see. Now read that list with the knowledge that I don't have much to compare it to. I haven't spent much time with people that haven't grown up rich. Perhaps people who are living in situations where basic needs aren't being fully met have an equal infusion of everything on that list. I imagine that Jesus has a few things to say here. I apologize for not doing the research to put them here.

I listened to a book that said that the wealthy have what they have so that they may use it to help those who don't have.

What I am going to attempt I heard from a man named Shane Hipps. He told me to experience something in this way: Eat a treat like it is the last one you will have. (I might add, like you have never had it before.) Take the pleasure rumbling in your mouth and move it to your heart. Feel thanksgiving.

What I think that I am going to add is to do that often, to all of the rich things that I regularly encounter. I don't want to forget that I am rich, or worse to begin to think that I need or deserve it or that I earned it. I do want to enjoy it fully and healthily.

eah?

Hi , this is not that interesting but it is something to think about. It seems to me that some pastors come up with the topics for their sermons primarily by looking at issues in life and then finding scripture that addresses it. Other pastors primarily look at scriptures and try to apply it to life issues. I can recall effective and ineffective sermons from both approaches. Can you?

another shift

I find that a subtle shift in emphasis or perspective can make right action quite a bit easier. One example of this is found among the screeches, muck, and discarded chewing gum of the NYC transit. When riding the subway my eye would occasionally prick my mind with an inquiry. "What was on that ad.?" or "What was scratched into the wall"

Once I inched my way toward the wall careful not to touch it for fear that its surface contained something such as, disease. I was right in thinking that the wall gave support to some unknown danger. I was foolishly clueless, to the fact that the real danger could do something much more significant than merely harm my body.

While scanning the letters I was given a hand. I had caught wind of the wretched stench that was not wafting up from whatever was decaying on the tracks, but from whatever was decaying in some one's heart, and was recorded on this wall.

Oh, but temptation had grabbed hold of me. I told myself, "Don't read, Don't read." The prohibition was fuel for the flames. The glutton, Temptation, was growing fat.

I read it. I opened my mind and soul to it. My guilt flowed.
Then to my mind, like a simple clear note, came the words, "Remind yourself of this before you read something next time. When curiosity is strong be firm in your memory of the possible and likely result of looking. And don't say, 'Don't read,' say, 'You don't want to read that."

It worked I didn't read another vulgarity. I wanted to at first. Upon remembering, I didn't want to. I didn't have to fight, to struggle against desire. I had realigned my desire with right desire, it was resurrected.

Love

B

Long time coming

Daily I am faced with the choice to seek instant pleasure or do work; to have fun or to slave away.

What is wrong with this perspective? What a dull out look on life.

Dear, really the choice is to seek a cheap, temporary thrill or to work towards the creation of a life building pleasure-joy. One will let me feel good quickly and leave me addicted and wanting. The other will take time but will last and cause real good.

I am speaking generically, but I am thinking about very specific things. For me the "cheap" thing is anything that does little more than tickle my senses.

Proportion is important.

I want to spend more time investing.