We are starting a new Sunday School study on Prayer. The book was written by a Paul Miller, and we watched an introduction video where he presents the book. He said something that was a new thought to me, but I liked it. Paraphrased, it was along these lines:
“Prayer is NOT a matter of discipline. We often hear or assume that it is because it is hard. Prayer involves discipline, but discipline is not the basis for a vibrant prayer. Helplessness is. When we are helpless, we will pray. When we realize how truly little control we have over things in the scheme of our lives, we will want to pray. Helplessness is the basis for prayer, not discipline.”
If God's real desire for prayer was for us to gain discipline, don't you think he would have made a real and vibrant prayer life something that we could accomplish through discipline? I know simple discipline isn't the key for me, because I've tried that. It only lasts as long as I can make my discipline last.
I'm better at needing help than I am at being disciplined, and I think God designed it that way. Look how many times He told his disciples to become like little children. It was three or four separate occasions. I think he was trying to tell us something...
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Valentine's Day...
...Reminded me of the people I care about and the people who care about me.
(My family in PA -- who have provided a lot of fun memories and encouragement/advice for...well really since I've been alive! So yeah, a pretty long time. I definitely wouldn't be who I am without them -- so you can blame them if you like! lol)
(My Valentine in SD -- Who has been a good friend for many years, and an even better girlfriend for the past almost two years... especially through all the challenges of long-distance dating! =)
(My family in PA -- who have provided a lot of fun memories and encouragement/advice for...well really since I've been alive! So yeah, a pretty long time. I definitely wouldn't be who I am without them -- so you can blame them if you like! lol)
(My Valentine in SD -- Who has been a good friend for many years, and an even better girlfriend for the past almost two years... especially through all the challenges of long-distance dating! =)
Saturday, February 12, 2011
And be ready always to give an answer...
What should people do when they don't agree?
More to the point, what should Christians do when they don't agree with someone?
I've been asking myself those questions a lot recently. Asking them? Yes. Solving them? Well that's another matter altogether! In fact, I'm nowhere close.
Want to do something interesting sometime? Take a poll and ask people how they think people should deal with differences. I'm willing to bet the majority would fall into two categories:
1.Pluralism – This one is a real gem. It combines the best of two great buzzwords: Globalization and Relativism. These two words are huge right now, especially on college campuses. Ask anybody currently in college when was the last time they heard reference to either of these words, and I'm willing to be bet it would be less than a week. Pluralism. What could be better? Everybody knows the world is quickly becoming a more connected place, and everybody knows that people across the world don't always agree. When you have more and more interaction between people who all believe something different (and all sincerely think they are right) the result can be ugly. What better way to smooth out differences than to deny that they matter? We're all right. No one is. Either way, it solves the problem.
2.Confront and persuade – This one is also a gem. It combines absolute truth and reasoning. If everybody uses reason, they will come to the same conclusion (truth) and there will be no more of these disagreeable things called differences.
My sticking point is that I don't buy totally into either one of these. Relativism doesn't work because it ignores fact that everybody can't be right all the time. Our world doesn't work that way. People who believe contradictory things can't both be right.
However, option 2 isn't much better. Even if you believe in the concept of absolute truth (which I do) you've got to be blind to believe that everybody will agree on what it is.
At this point, it's really tempting to go off on a rabbit trail and prove the argument of absolute truth. I've heard it done many times (in church, in the creation vs evolution debates, even in some college classes) and it's very good. Using logic and evidence, it's not hard to prove. It shouldn't be. It's true.
Sadly, this is where a lot of Christians stop. We know there is a thing called truth and we can prove it.
So . . . relativism isn't real. Great. Now, for the REAL question: How will you deal with the 78% of society that mostly thinks it is?
How will you deal with the roughly 65% of Christians who believe it's true?
How will you deal with the 91% of Christian youth who believe it's true?
I've lived long enough to realize that nobody I've known agrees completely with anyone else I've known. Not ever. Bring up the right issue, and differences will quickly appear. Usually this is followed by an uncomfortable silence where both sides try to figure out what to do. What's the right thing to do when this happens?
Do I really expect to answer this question? No. To be honest, I don't think there is even a single answer. That's okay. Sometimes there isn't. I just think it's a question people should think about. And even after people thought about it, I'm sure they would all come up with different answers! lol
The only thing I would ask is this: If you're a Christian, how did the Bible and the example of Christ fit into your answer? (Opinions are fine, but as much as I hate to agree with the relativists, opinions really mean nothing outside of your own head.)
More on this later...
More to the point, what should Christians do when they don't agree with someone?
I've been asking myself those questions a lot recently. Asking them? Yes. Solving them? Well that's another matter altogether! In fact, I'm nowhere close.
Want to do something interesting sometime? Take a poll and ask people how they think people should deal with differences. I'm willing to bet the majority would fall into two categories:
1.Pluralism – This one is a real gem. It combines the best of two great buzzwords: Globalization and Relativism. These two words are huge right now, especially on college campuses. Ask anybody currently in college when was the last time they heard reference to either of these words, and I'm willing to be bet it would be less than a week. Pluralism. What could be better? Everybody knows the world is quickly becoming a more connected place, and everybody knows that people across the world don't always agree. When you have more and more interaction between people who all believe something different (and all sincerely think they are right) the result can be ugly. What better way to smooth out differences than to deny that they matter? We're all right. No one is. Either way, it solves the problem.
2.Confront and persuade – This one is also a gem. It combines absolute truth and reasoning. If everybody uses reason, they will come to the same conclusion (truth) and there will be no more of these disagreeable things called differences.
My sticking point is that I don't buy totally into either one of these. Relativism doesn't work because it ignores fact that everybody can't be right all the time. Our world doesn't work that way. People who believe contradictory things can't both be right.
However, option 2 isn't much better. Even if you believe in the concept of absolute truth (which I do) you've got to be blind to believe that everybody will agree on what it is.
At this point, it's really tempting to go off on a rabbit trail and prove the argument of absolute truth. I've heard it done many times (in church, in the creation vs evolution debates, even in some college classes) and it's very good. Using logic and evidence, it's not hard to prove. It shouldn't be. It's true.
Sadly, this is where a lot of Christians stop. We know there is a thing called truth and we can prove it.
So . . . relativism isn't real. Great. Now, for the REAL question: How will you deal with the 78% of society that mostly thinks it is?
How will you deal with the roughly 65% of Christians who believe it's true?
How will you deal with the 91% of Christian youth who believe it's true?
I've lived long enough to realize that nobody I've known agrees completely with anyone else I've known. Not ever. Bring up the right issue, and differences will quickly appear. Usually this is followed by an uncomfortable silence where both sides try to figure out what to do. What's the right thing to do when this happens?
Do I really expect to answer this question? No. To be honest, I don't think there is even a single answer. That's okay. Sometimes there isn't. I just think it's a question people should think about. And even after people thought about it, I'm sure they would all come up with different answers! lol
The only thing I would ask is this: If you're a Christian, how did the Bible and the example of Christ fit into your answer? (Opinions are fine, but as much as I hate to agree with the relativists, opinions really mean nothing outside of your own head.)
More on this later...
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