Legalism doesn't make people "better"; it makes them worse. Moralism doesn't produce morality; it produces immorality. We make a terrible mistake when we believe that the answer to poor performance, be it moral, spiritual, or relational, is more Law. People get worse, not better, when you lay down the Law.
- Tullian Tchividjian: Glorious Ruin: How Suffering Sets You Free
Showing posts with label Faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Faith. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Monday, March 31, 2014
Quote of The Day
The required cheerfulness that characterizes many of our churches produces a suffocating environment of pat, religious answers to the painful, complex questions that riddle the lives of hurting people.
- Tullian Tchividjian: Glorious Ruin: How Suffering Sets You Free
- Tullian Tchividjian: Glorious Ruin: How Suffering Sets You Free
Monday, February 3, 2014
Quote of the Day
"Jesus did not come to explain away suffering or remove it. He came to fill it with his Presence."
- Paul Claudel
- Paul Claudel
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Quote of the Day
"There are no formulas with God. Period. So there are no formulas for the man who follows him. God is a person, not a doctrine. He operates not like a system - not even a theological system - but with all the originality of a truly free and alive person."
- John Eldredge in Wild at Heart
- John Eldredge in Wild at Heart
Sunday, January 26, 2014
A Story Can Change Your Life
by Peter Everwine
On the morning she became a young widow,
my grandmother, startled by a sudden shadow,
looked up from her work to see a hawk turn
her prized rooster into a cloud of feathers.
That same moment, halfway around the world
in a Minnesota mine, her husband died,
buried under a ton of rock-fall.
She told me this story sixty years ago.
I don't know if it's true but it ought to be.
She was a hard old woman, and though she knelt
on Sundays when the acolyte's silver bell
announced the moment of Christ's miracle,
it was the darker mysteries she lived by:
shiver-cry of an owl, black dog by the roadside,
a tapping at the door and nobody there.
The moral of the story was plain enough:
miracles become a burden and require a priest
to explain them. With signs, you only need
to keep your wits about you and place your trust
in a shadow world that lets you know hard luck
and grief are coming your way. And for that
—so the story goes—any day will do.
On the morning she became a young widow,
my grandmother, startled by a sudden shadow,
looked up from her work to see a hawk turn
her prized rooster into a cloud of feathers.
That same moment, halfway around the world
in a Minnesota mine, her husband died,
buried under a ton of rock-fall.
She told me this story sixty years ago.
I don't know if it's true but it ought to be.
She was a hard old woman, and though she knelt
on Sundays when the acolyte's silver bell
announced the moment of Christ's miracle,
it was the darker mysteries she lived by:
shiver-cry of an owl, black dog by the roadside,
a tapping at the door and nobody there.
The moral of the story was plain enough:
miracles become a burden and require a priest
to explain them. With signs, you only need
to keep your wits about you and place your trust
in a shadow world that lets you know hard luck
and grief are coming your way. And for that
—so the story goes—any day will do.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Thursday, October 13, 2011
When in the Soul of the Serene Disciple
by Thomas Merton
When in the soul of the serene disciple
With no more Fathers to imitate
Poverty is a success,
It is a small thing to say the roof is gone:
He has not even a house.
Stars, as well as friends,
Are angry with the noble ruin.
Saints depart in several directions.
Be still:
There is no longer any need of comment.
It was a lucky wind
That blew away his halo with his cares,
A lucky sea that drowned his reputation.
Here you will find
Neither a proverb nor a memorandum.
There are no ways,
No methods to admire
Where poverty is no achievement.
His God lives in his emptiness like an affliction.
What choice remains?
Well, to be ordinary is not a choice:
It is the usual freedom
Of men without visions.
When in the soul of the serene disciple
With no more Fathers to imitate
Poverty is a success,
It is a small thing to say the roof is gone:
He has not even a house.
Stars, as well as friends,
Are angry with the noble ruin.
Saints depart in several directions.
Be still:
There is no longer any need of comment.
It was a lucky wind
That blew away his halo with his cares,
A lucky sea that drowned his reputation.
Here you will find
Neither a proverb nor a memorandum.
There are no ways,
No methods to admire
Where poverty is no achievement.
His God lives in his emptiness like an affliction.
What choice remains?
Well, to be ordinary is not a choice:
It is the usual freedom
Of men without visions.
Falling Upward
This book rocked my world. Or more precisely, my world has been rocked and this book made some sense of it all. I buy books on Kindle these days for economy and ease of use but a couple times a year I read a book that is so important I must have it on my shelf. I ordered the hard copy of this one before I was done with the Kindle version.
So what's it about and what makes it so great? The author explores what he calls the "second half of life" not second-half in terms of years but second-half in terms of maturity and (to use a term that makes me uncomfortable) enlightenment.
To sum it all up (an impossible task), the first half of life is all about labels and categories (Conservative, Liberal, Hippie, Punk, Slut, Prude, Jock, Nerd, Rich, Poor etc). The first half of life is all about image, posing and posturing. For those who reach the second half (and not all do), the labels fall away. There is no more labels because there is no more ego. There is only compassion, love and truth.
So how do we get to this second half of life? Unfortunately, it is usually through incredible suffering. We build this false persona all our lives and it takes a tremendous blow to knock it down.
The author is far more liberal than I and I will say that on my first read, I would guess 3% of what he said is questionable to me. The other 97% accurately describe my rocked world.
This book is not for everyone but if you have suffered to the point where you feel that your whole world was torn apart leaving you to ask, "I am not who I was. Who am I now?" And you are feeling like all the old labels you have relied upon are no longer helpful, this may be for you.
Disclaimer: It is a Christian book written by a catholic priest however he readily acknowledges that other faiths just flat-out do some things better and so I think the book works for non-Christians as well.
I can count on one hand the number of books in my life I have read, and then picked up and turned to page one to read again. This is one of them.
Now if you will excuse me, I have some reading to do . . .
So what's it about and what makes it so great? The author explores what he calls the "second half of life" not second-half in terms of years but second-half in terms of maturity and (to use a term that makes me uncomfortable) enlightenment.
To sum it all up (an impossible task), the first half of life is all about labels and categories (Conservative, Liberal, Hippie, Punk, Slut, Prude, Jock, Nerd, Rich, Poor etc). The first half of life is all about image, posing and posturing. For those who reach the second half (and not all do), the labels fall away. There is no more labels because there is no more ego. There is only compassion, love and truth.
So how do we get to this second half of life? Unfortunately, it is usually through incredible suffering. We build this false persona all our lives and it takes a tremendous blow to knock it down.
The author is far more liberal than I and I will say that on my first read, I would guess 3% of what he said is questionable to me. The other 97% accurately describe my rocked world.
This book is not for everyone but if you have suffered to the point where you feel that your whole world was torn apart leaving you to ask, "I am not who I was. Who am I now?" And you are feeling like all the old labels you have relied upon are no longer helpful, this may be for you.
Disclaimer: It is a Christian book written by a catholic priest however he readily acknowledges that other faiths just flat-out do some things better and so I think the book works for non-Christians as well.
I can count on one hand the number of books in my life I have read, and then picked up and turned to page one to read again. This is one of them.
Now if you will excuse me, I have some reading to do . . .
Monday, January 12, 2009
That's Entertainment
I hope you are enjoying the new Holiday Movie Recommendation portion of the ol' blog here. I love trading movie recommendations and I especially like watching movies themed to the particular season we are in(currently Valentine's Day).
I thought we would also pool our ideas for St. Patrick's Day movies, Easter movies, etc.
One thing the particular holiday of *ahem* Valentines Day has brought up is that some of the movie trailers are a liiiitle bit racy. So I think from now on, I will preview the trailers and make a judgement call.
The trailers that are not fit for, let's say, the under 15 year old crowd, I think I will just put up the YouTube link instead of posting the embedded video. I know, I know, small difference there . . . but you have to draw the line somewhere.
And speaking of family-friendly entertainment; I recently discovered Fox Faith Movies. It is a division of Fox that creates family-friendly movies and then partners with ministry leaders to create Bible studies based upon the themes in the movies.
If you are looking for entertainment with a positive moral message, (and possibly a family Bible study tool) you may want to check out the site.
Keep your movie recommendations coming! It's great to hear from you!
mattlinden@msn.com
I thought we would also pool our ideas for St. Patrick's Day movies, Easter movies, etc.
One thing the particular holiday of *ahem* Valentines Day has brought up is that some of the movie trailers are a liiiitle bit racy. So I think from now on, I will preview the trailers and make a judgement call.
The trailers that are not fit for, let's say, the under 15 year old crowd, I think I will just put up the YouTube link instead of posting the embedded video. I know, I know, small difference there . . . but you have to draw the line somewhere.
And speaking of family-friendly entertainment; I recently discovered Fox Faith Movies. It is a division of Fox that creates family-friendly movies and then partners with ministry leaders to create Bible studies based upon the themes in the movies.
If you are looking for entertainment with a positive moral message, (and possibly a family Bible study tool) you may want to check out the site.
Keep your movie recommendations coming! It's great to hear from you!
mattlinden@msn.com
Monday, September 15, 2008
Sunday Services
We took Annabelle to church this past Sunday for the first time and it was great!
When the wife and I were in college, we attended Point Loma Presbyterian Church and it is a real joy to be attending there again. You might recall that the church made a prayer quilt for Annie when they heard of her condition.
One of the pastors came and found me in the hospital as I was waiting outside the Operating Room during Annabelle's big surgery the day after she was born and prayed with me. The church has been wonderfully generous and has offered to help in so many ways and we have been eager to take Annie Lu for the first time.
We regrettably arrived late to the service (we are still trying to get the whole get-out-the-door-with-the-newborn figured out) but we were able to quietly slide into one of the farther-back pews. Annie slept through the whole service quiet as a mouse and it was very nice to be in church as a family for the first time.
Afterwards, there was a church ministry fair so we decided to stay and walk around. There was face-painting and cotton candy and balloons. Each of the church's ministries had a table set up with info on their activities and how to get involved.
As we walked through the courtyard we would chat with folks and everyone ooed and aahed over Annabelle. One gal asked, "What is your baby's name?"
"Annabelle" we replied.
"Not Annabelle, Linden, is it?"
Turns out that she had been following along on the blog and praying for us. Her husband had even been to our house to work on the electrical when we were not there. And this was the first time we had ever spoken together.
This scene was repeated over and over and really sort of left us speechless. How do you respond when one stranger after another approaches and hugs and lights up at the sight of the wee one they have been praying for all this time? It really was a humbling experience and once again left me feeling totally undeserving of such generosity and care.
It reminded me of a sermon I heard years ago about the early Christian Church and their practice of love-feasts. The basic idea was that the church is not a picnic - it's a potluck.
At a picnic, those who can afford the fancy wine and cheeses and meats bring them, sit down and enjoy them. Those who can only afford meager fair are left with what they could scrape together.
But at a potluck (the Lord's table) everyone brings what they are able, lays it all out on one common board and it is share and share alike. I may have brought fillet mignon this week and you may have brought a grilled cheese sandwich - let's set them side by side and forget who brought what. Who knows? Next week the roles may be reversed and I will be the one bringing the grilled cheese.
This past Sunday I sort of felt like the grilled-cheese guy at the feast. Someone who came almost empty-handed and yet left very well fed.
Thank you for your continued prayers and support! It really means more than you know.
When the wife and I were in college, we attended Point Loma Presbyterian Church and it is a real joy to be attending there again. You might recall that the church made a prayer quilt for Annie when they heard of her condition.
One of the pastors came and found me in the hospital as I was waiting outside the Operating Room during Annabelle's big surgery the day after she was born and prayed with me. The church has been wonderfully generous and has offered to help in so many ways and we have been eager to take Annie Lu for the first time.
We regrettably arrived late to the service (we are still trying to get the whole get-out-the-door-with-the-newborn figured out) but we were able to quietly slide into one of the farther-back pews. Annie slept through the whole service quiet as a mouse and it was very nice to be in church as a family for the first time.
Afterwards, there was a church ministry fair so we decided to stay and walk around. There was face-painting and cotton candy and balloons. Each of the church's ministries had a table set up with info on their activities and how to get involved.
As we walked through the courtyard we would chat with folks and everyone ooed and aahed over Annabelle. One gal asked, "What is your baby's name?"
"Annabelle" we replied.
"Not Annabelle, Linden, is it?"
Turns out that she had been following along on the blog and praying for us. Her husband had even been to our house to work on the electrical when we were not there. And this was the first time we had ever spoken together.
This scene was repeated over and over and really sort of left us speechless. How do you respond when one stranger after another approaches and hugs and lights up at the sight of the wee one they have been praying for all this time? It really was a humbling experience and once again left me feeling totally undeserving of such generosity and care.
It reminded me of a sermon I heard years ago about the early Christian Church and their practice of love-feasts. The basic idea was that the church is not a picnic - it's a potluck.
At a picnic, those who can afford the fancy wine and cheeses and meats bring them, sit down and enjoy them. Those who can only afford meager fair are left with what they could scrape together.
But at a potluck (the Lord's table) everyone brings what they are able, lays it all out on one common board and it is share and share alike. I may have brought fillet mignon this week and you may have brought a grilled cheese sandwich - let's set them side by side and forget who brought what. Who knows? Next week the roles may be reversed and I will be the one bringing the grilled cheese.
This past Sunday I sort of felt like the grilled-cheese guy at the feast. Someone who came almost empty-handed and yet left very well fed.
Thank you for your continued prayers and support! It really means more than you know.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Bethany Briefs
The wife and I attended Bethany Presbyterian Church in Seattle when we lived there. We miss the church very much and are grateful to still receive their monthly newsletter.
A couple articles really stood out to me this month. Here are the links with teasers:
One Day on the Ave'
The Avenue rarely hears music like this. Cars slow down. Strollers and joggers stop to stare. What are they doing? A brown cross is placed over the head. Towels and hugs come forth, normally in that order. The sun shines, the music swirls, people clap and shout, kids dare each other to touch the trough’s water.
Loneliness. Solitude. Quiet. Unheard.
One particular night, as many were rushing past as I tried to greet them, one unkempt elderly man stopped, looked me in the eyes and explained, “You are the first person to speak to me all day.”
A couple articles really stood out to me this month. Here are the links with teasers:
One Day on the Ave'
The Avenue rarely hears music like this. Cars slow down. Strollers and joggers stop to stare. What are they doing? A brown cross is placed over the head. Towels and hugs come forth, normally in that order. The sun shines, the music swirls, people clap and shout, kids dare each other to touch the trough’s water.
Loneliness. Solitude. Quiet. Unheard.
One particular night, as many were rushing past as I tried to greet them, one unkempt elderly man stopped, looked me in the eyes and explained, “You are the first person to speak to me all day.”
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