Blog Archives

telling the truth

6/29/2010

One of my favorite essays is Bernard Loomer's Two Kinds of Power. The two kinds of power he describes are unilateral and relational.

Unilateral power is all about influencing another. In this schema another's gain is our loss. This non-relational view of self creates a sense of power that is abstract in its activities and missing much of reality, frankly unwilling to engage what one believes one cannot influence. But "the fact is that those aspects of people or nature of God which we neglect tend to revenge themselves on us" (178).

We are not in control of reality. We do well to accurately acknowledge what is happening.

0 Comments

the lord's prayer

6/17/2010

0 Comments

Matthew 6:7-15 Jesus said, "When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 'Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one. For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

I am pondering the idea of debt, something that is owed or due, or a feeling of gratitude for a service or favor, and trespass, entry without permission or an offense.

When we ask God to forgive us our debts as we have forgiven our debtors, we acknowledge our connection to one another. We are always in relationship, many relationships, from which we benefit and suffer.

As I ponder forgiving others their trespasses so that my heavenly Father will forgive me, I wonder how that is done? Wouldn’t it help me to forgive others by naming what I need to forgive? How can we forgive what we have not named?

Until I name the offense, am I not living in reaction to it, under its influence? Instead, we are to be working to align ourselves to God’s will, God’s influence and desires.

I am greatly encouraged to also read that we are to ask that we not be led to times of trial, but rescued from the evil one.

It seems to me that there is a lot of learning to be done as we pray the Lord’s Prayer.

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread

0 Comments

does the body of Christ have an autoimmune disease?

6/14/2010

1 Comment

I believe that God calls us to live together in peace. When some of God's created beings use their strength in ways that wound others, we are behaving similarly to the way the individual body behaves when suffering from an autoimmune disease. How can attacking the boundary of others ever really work for the aggressor? So I pray for peace for all of creation.

1 Comment

telling the truth

the lord's prayer

does the body of Christ have an autoimmune disease?

Archives

Categories