I saw a NOOMA video (rob bell, anyone?) a while ago which was about breathing. He talked about how we are supposed to breath 4-6 times a minute, yet most people are found between 15 and 20. That blows me away (hahaha...). He talked about Ruah (the hebrew word for Spirit, Breath, wind) and how when we breathe, speak the hebrew word for God (Yahweh). Even the letters of the word... yod, hay, vav, hay. When we breathe in (yaaaaah) and out (weeeeeehh).
Part of it on our side is intentional, but still, it is a fantastic thought. The Israelites had it, calling a god they couldnt name "Yahweh." They nailed it.
In the Hebrew language (i'm in the class now) there are words which have certain emphasis put on them that just make the word so different, so real. Of course, now that I am talking about it I can't come up with an example, but its really cool. Or if you add letters/vowels to a word to attach a preposition or whatever, that makes a difference too. It's really neat. It's hard to learn, but its way cool.
Anyway, breath. What if we made the intentional effort to breathe during our day? Of course we're breathing all the time, but what if everytime you breathed you noticed it. What if everytime you breathed, you said Thank you to God or after a period of quiet you praised God for the breath which permeates your being.
What if we paused to breathe two long breathes evertime the phone rang, or everytime we went to open our computer or got on facebook... name something that you do frequently, open a door, wave hello, whatever it is. Breathe intentionally in that moment.
Breathe.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Yah.
Weh.
Yod
Hey
Vav
Hey
Breathe.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Sunday, September 21, 2008
+==Doubt==+
So here is a prayer of confession from my church at home which really struck me a while back.
O God, I confess my doubt to you, for it is deep and wide, like a fresh would whose sting cannot be softened by any ointment or bandage.
One moment, I praise with song and dance and the next moment, I turn away from you. I mistakenly beg for certainty, proof, and control over that which cnanot be known or controlled. I cry out, "Show me!"
My doubt suffocates me even while you breathe on and within me. Open space for me enough to breathe in hte reality of your presence in all htat I do, in all that I seek, in all that I doubt, and resore new life in me that I may know belief in you, which is deeper and wider than any doubt.
Guide my questions that they may expand my awareness and trust amidst the unkown, the mystery, the inexplicable. Amen
O God, I confess my doubt to you, for it is deep and wide, like a fresh would whose sting cannot be softened by any ointment or bandage.
One moment, I praise with song and dance and the next moment, I turn away from you. I mistakenly beg for certainty, proof, and control over that which cnanot be known or controlled. I cry out, "Show me!"
My doubt suffocates me even while you breathe on and within me. Open space for me enough to breathe in hte reality of your presence in all htat I do, in all that I seek, in all that I doubt, and resore new life in me that I may know belief in you, which is deeper and wider than any doubt.
Guide my questions that they may expand my awareness and trust amidst the unkown, the mystery, the inexplicable. Amen
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
+==With the Poor==+
The one thing on which we can all agree, all faiths and ideologies, is that God is with the vulnerable and poor. God is in the slums, in the cardboard box where the poor play house. God is in the silence of a mother who has infected her child with a virus that will end both their lives. God is in the cries heard under the rubble of war. God is in the debris of wasted opportunity and lives, and God is with us if we are with them.
Source: Bono, 54th Annual National Prayer Breakfast speech, February 2, 2006
Source: Bono, 54th Annual National Prayer Breakfast speech, February 2, 2006
Friday, September 12, 2008
+==Sermonizing {005}==+
HARD LOVE
What if. WHAT IF someone told you they had the key to Christianity? That key that told you how to be a Christian in the world today? You may feel as though you are the best Christian you can be… and don’t let me tell you otherwise. But lets be honest, and let me re-emphasize to you what it means to be Christian.
The key to Christianity is found in our scripture for this week: Romans 13:8-10
Don't run up debts, except for the huge debt of love you owe each other. When you love others, you complete what the law has been after all along. The law code—don't sleep with another person's spouse, don't take someone's life, don't take what isn't yours, don't always be wanting what you don't have, and any other "don't" you can think of—finally adds up to this: Love other people as well as you do yourself. You can't go wrong when you love others. When you add up everything in the law code, the sum total is love.
Paul is quoting Jesus here. This word, love, is found numerous time in the New Testament and especially the gospels due to Jesus. Jesus was a revolutionary. He was changing the way people thought back then. He was an “out with the old, in with the new” kind of guy. In the passage, Paul is telling us that the Ten Commandments were good, and still important. It is not an issue of relevancy, but of priorities. And lastly, we get too caught up in the nitty gritty of things these days. We find people picking apart the Bible purely to cast out others, to separate “them” from “us.” That’s not the purpose of the Bible, or of Christianity for that matter.
But this is it. The ESSENCE. The KEY to Christianity. It is LOVE.
This is not confession time by any means, but I encourage you to think about someone who bugs you, annoys you, or makes you angry. Got it?? Now imagine… what would it take to love them? Not the boyfriend/girlfriend type of love, but the love Jesus speaks of? What would happen if you loved them?
Now answer the question, will it be easy?
I will tell you right now. NO. NO IT WILL NOT BE EASY. It isn’t, and it shouldn’t be. Love is hard. Following Christ should be hard.
This has become the norm in society today, for religion to be easy, especially Christianity. But lets think about other religions. Islam. Our Muslim brothers and sisters pray at least 5 times a day, IN ARABIC. And currently they are celebrating their holy time of Ramadan which requires them to fast from dawn to dusk. Or how about our Jewish friends? For those who choose, remaining kosher is an extreme sacrifice. Not to mention they take their Sabbath very seriously and it is from Friday night to Saturday night. Not too much partying for them! Our faithful friends are dedicated. And Christianity can come off as easy. But let us be reminded of how often we follow in the Law of Christ. The law of love. Jesus transforms the way we think about love. Or so he should. The question is, who would Jesus love?
I don’t care if you are Catholic or Protestant, Gay or Straight, Black, White or Brown, Male or Female, Muslim, Jewish or Hindu. I DON’T CARE. I am going to try to love you with every ounce of my being, no matter my view on your religion, lifestyle, or denomination. It is a simple notion that can change the way you live and can improve the lives of others around you. Its hard. And you know, we are always asking that God’s will be done. But God’s will for us is to love.
“But God this person always wants to talk to me and I just never have time, and they don’t understand…” “Oh, and this person. AH! They always bug me and I don’t understand why they cant just leave me alone!”
Perhaps God is trying to speak to you through that person. Maybe God with work through them to help you. Or perhaps God is trying to work through you to help the other person. Either way.
LOVE WINS.
David Bailey, one of my favorite music artists, sings a song about different church names when opening the yellow pages. After his long list of churches, in alphabetical order for the most part, he says this…
Don’t worry about who is right or wrong.
If the spirit makes us strong, can’t we all just get along?
I’m all about diversity. It’s true in every family.
What works for you might not for me.
But really can we just agree, that life is hard and God is good
and Jesus showed us that we could
Live in peace with one another.
I’m not a stranger, I’m your brother.
We were told to love each other
And I wonder what would happen… if. We. Did.
Amen.
What if. WHAT IF someone told you they had the key to Christianity? That key that told you how to be a Christian in the world today? You may feel as though you are the best Christian you can be… and don’t let me tell you otherwise. But lets be honest, and let me re-emphasize to you what it means to be Christian.
The key to Christianity is found in our scripture for this week: Romans 13:8-10
Don't run up debts, except for the huge debt of love you owe each other. When you love others, you complete what the law has been after all along. The law code—don't sleep with another person's spouse, don't take someone's life, don't take what isn't yours, don't always be wanting what you don't have, and any other "don't" you can think of—finally adds up to this: Love other people as well as you do yourself. You can't go wrong when you love others. When you add up everything in the law code, the sum total is love.
Paul is quoting Jesus here. This word, love, is found numerous time in the New Testament and especially the gospels due to Jesus. Jesus was a revolutionary. He was changing the way people thought back then. He was an “out with the old, in with the new” kind of guy. In the passage, Paul is telling us that the Ten Commandments were good, and still important. It is not an issue of relevancy, but of priorities. And lastly, we get too caught up in the nitty gritty of things these days. We find people picking apart the Bible purely to cast out others, to separate “them” from “us.” That’s not the purpose of the Bible, or of Christianity for that matter.
But this is it. The ESSENCE. The KEY to Christianity. It is LOVE.
This is not confession time by any means, but I encourage you to think about someone who bugs you, annoys you, or makes you angry. Got it?? Now imagine… what would it take to love them? Not the boyfriend/girlfriend type of love, but the love Jesus speaks of? What would happen if you loved them?
Now answer the question, will it be easy?
I will tell you right now. NO. NO IT WILL NOT BE EASY. It isn’t, and it shouldn’t be. Love is hard. Following Christ should be hard.
This has become the norm in society today, for religion to be easy, especially Christianity. But lets think about other religions. Islam. Our Muslim brothers and sisters pray at least 5 times a day, IN ARABIC. And currently they are celebrating their holy time of Ramadan which requires them to fast from dawn to dusk. Or how about our Jewish friends? For those who choose, remaining kosher is an extreme sacrifice. Not to mention they take their Sabbath very seriously and it is from Friday night to Saturday night. Not too much partying for them! Our faithful friends are dedicated. And Christianity can come off as easy. But let us be reminded of how often we follow in the Law of Christ. The law of love. Jesus transforms the way we think about love. Or so he should. The question is, who would Jesus love?
I don’t care if you are Catholic or Protestant, Gay or Straight, Black, White or Brown, Male or Female, Muslim, Jewish or Hindu. I DON’T CARE. I am going to try to love you with every ounce of my being, no matter my view on your religion, lifestyle, or denomination. It is a simple notion that can change the way you live and can improve the lives of others around you. Its hard. And you know, we are always asking that God’s will be done. But God’s will for us is to love.
“But God this person always wants to talk to me and I just never have time, and they don’t understand…” “Oh, and this person. AH! They always bug me and I don’t understand why they cant just leave me alone!”
Perhaps God is trying to speak to you through that person. Maybe God with work through them to help you. Or perhaps God is trying to work through you to help the other person. Either way.
LOVE WINS.
David Bailey, one of my favorite music artists, sings a song about different church names when opening the yellow pages. After his long list of churches, in alphabetical order for the most part, he says this…
Don’t worry about who is right or wrong.
If the spirit makes us strong, can’t we all just get along?
I’m all about diversity. It’s true in every family.
What works for you might not for me.
But really can we just agree, that life is hard and God is good
and Jesus showed us that we could
Live in peace with one another.
I’m not a stranger, I’m your brother.
We were told to love each other
And I wonder what would happen… if. We. Did.
Amen.
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