When I know I'm trying to do too much
My body tells me that things have got a bit much lately, I had to go to the Doctors today with a siezed up shoulder and neck. He says its a strain to the muscle along my shoulder, probably exacerbated by tension - I've got some strong anti-inflammatories and orders not to overdo things.
As I had to be tagged onto the end of the morning's list, I had to wait until the other visits were over at the Doc's, so had 45 minutes just to read, and quite enjoyed that, despite not being able to get terribly comfortable whilst sitting. The book I am ploughing through at the moment is a very good one by Brian McLaren called The Secret Message of Jesus
which has a great DaVinci code ring to the title, but really goes over the message of Jesus that the Church is so very good at missing!
In the chapter I read this morning he talks of Jesus' signs and wonders as pointers to the kingdom, which most Christians probably know, rather than 'miracles' to show off his power. They represent the kingdom's agenda, of healing, freedom, love and faith rather than the worldly agenda of power and prestige. The way that Jesus used these signs shows a radically alternative agenda to that which the Church often pursues, he didn't use these signs to condemn the unbeliever, he didn't call down fire from above on his enemies, he didn't cause a flood to wipe out the unrighteous, in fact on the contrary Jesus offered healing, freedom and release to even the most despised.
Food for thought. Not as immediately captivating a book as A Generous Orthodoxy: Why I Am a Missional, Evangelical, Post/Protestant, Liberal/Conservative, Mystical/Poetic, Biblical, Charismatic/Contemplative, Fundamentalist/Calvinist, ... Emergent, Unfinished Christian (Emergent YS)
but still very thoughtful, well written and theologically literate and well put together.
As I had to be tagged onto the end of the morning's list, I had to wait until the other visits were over at the Doc's, so had 45 minutes just to read, and quite enjoyed that, despite not being able to get terribly comfortable whilst sitting. The book I am ploughing through at the moment is a very good one by Brian McLaren called The Secret Message of Jesus
which has a great DaVinci code ring to the title, but really goes over the message of Jesus that the Church is so very good at missing! In the chapter I read this morning he talks of Jesus' signs and wonders as pointers to the kingdom, which most Christians probably know, rather than 'miracles' to show off his power. They represent the kingdom's agenda, of healing, freedom, love and faith rather than the worldly agenda of power and prestige. The way that Jesus used these signs shows a radically alternative agenda to that which the Church often pursues, he didn't use these signs to condemn the unbeliever, he didn't call down fire from above on his enemies, he didn't cause a flood to wipe out the unrighteous, in fact on the contrary Jesus offered healing, freedom and release to even the most despised.
Food for thought. Not as immediately captivating a book as A Generous Orthodoxy: Why I Am a Missional, Evangelical, Post/Protestant, Liberal/Conservative, Mystical/Poetic, Biblical, Charismatic/Contemplative, Fundamentalist/Calvinist, ... Emergent, Unfinished Christian (Emergent YS)
but still very thoughtful, well written and theologically literate and well put together.
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