Dinner conversation with my non-Christian (but surprisingly Jesus-like) friends-who-I-adore.
“So after we had a few margaritas, we went to Taize. And I have to tell you, I started to understand why people in the 70’s people were convinced you could connect with the transcendent better if you were a little bit high. ….. Oh my gosh! I can’t believe I just said that! I’m such a bad pastor!”
(Laughing) “That’s why we like you! We wouldn’t be here otherwise!”
Sounds about right to me….Didnt I tell you yesterday that you and Dan Allender are leading me to the devil
Ye adulters and adultereses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity to God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The Spirit that dwelleth in us lustest to envy? But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resiseth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
May God grant you repentance.
Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity to God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The Spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resiseth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
May God grant you repentance.
the above comment is why i’m not longer a part of the traditional evangelical/fundamentalist church.
Rachelle,
No kidding! I’ve been beat over the head with scripture enough in my life. I love how you talk about scripture being like a scrapbook of family memories….who would beat someone else over the head with the family scrapbook? Shaking head…
Hello Jennifer,
I saw your response to my post and was wondering if you were serious about scripture being a family scrapbook. I guess there are parts of scripture that tell a family story, but lots of information that are usually not shared in scrapbooks. Some pretty shameful stuff. There’s other stuff that is poetic, prophetic, declarative, and directional. So my scripture is…is the family notebook metaphor elastic enough to contain the multi-faceted wisdom of God. Isn’t the scripture God himself (i.e. in the beginning was the Word)? Didn’t the Spirit of God lead James to write those words (i.e. James)? When the Holy Spirit points out our sin, is it hitting us over the head?
Doesn’t the bible say, “And have you entirely forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you, his children? He said,
“My child, don’t ignore it when the Lord disciplines you,
For the Lord disciplines those he loves,
And he punishes those he accepts as his children.”
As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Whoever heard of a child who was never disciplined? If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are really not his children after all. Since we respect earthly fathers who disciplined us, should we not all the more cheerfully submit to the discipline of our Heavenly Father and live forever?
No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it is painful! But afterward there will be a quiet harvest of right living for tho