Relationships Necessary

@ Sojourn - Rick Court

What if finding God's will is all of our responsibility? Every man for himself does not work. Necessity of connection. God's will best found when in community. Part of our jobs to help each other.

Read Mark 5:25-34
There is more to story than just bleeding. She was disconnected from all meaningful relationships, separated from everyone including family. She takes a risk and weaves self into crowd to touch Jesus. People were disconnected from her, but what about those who disconnect themselves others because ___________, you can fill in the blank. Woman touches Jesus expecting change to happen. Do I show up expecting change to happen. Why would finding God's plan for our lives outside of relationship with people? Check out Clooney movie, "Up in the Air" where he tried to live life outside of relationship. Living life without being in relationship is not living life. You have to be intentional about relationships being more than casual. Left alone we will decay. Relationships grow so we can be honest with one another. We need people.

Brave and Vulnerable

I have met two very brave people, maybe witnessed better word, because I did not introduce myself. They were in motorized wheelchairs, vulnerable, yet more okay as it would seem than me. Brave, courageous, vulnerable. They were physically challenged and they seemed okay. The woman was feeding the gentleman. Both did not seem any older than mid 50s. I wish that I could go and talk to them and hear their story. I don't want to interrupt their meal. They seem so vulnerable but strong and self sufficient. People who are overcoming what I perceive as limitations. Wow. Brave enough for the man receive help with feeding from the woman who is in the same place as he is. Woman are so much stronger than men when push comes to shove. So much more loving and nurturing. Wow. They have a rhythm going, to interrupt would distract this beautiful symphony of relationship. Wow to be that in tune, that aligned with another. I only get that half of the time. At least I hope. Incredibly moving and not sad at all. Just humbling. I'm simply a witness of this love and devotion, inspired and awed. I take too much for granted. Not walking or eating, loving someone in the way that they do. They have showed me the true gospel of Jesus, more than a book, or movie, or song could teach. Wow.

Truth

Aren't there moments where you need someone to spell out what you believe in the simplest of terms? For instance, have you ever struggled with why we read the scriptures. As a chaplain I read the scriptures mostly for those who are dying, as a comfort for families and give permission and hope to the dying. If you have a traditional church upbringing like I do, you have heard everything from "soup to nuts" about why we have the scriptures: map, guidebook, how to book, love letter, etc. And maybe this is nothing new under the sun for you. However, I needed the affirmation; probably because I have been too churched or overchurched or something.

Recently I read an article in Relevant Magazine entitled "The Right View of the Bible," written by Scot McKnight. This article was written as a response to a student's question: "What good is inerrancy, if you don't do what God says? If I do what God says, doesn't that show that my view of the Bible is the right one?" Inerrancy is lack of error; infallibility. All in orthodox, in the evangelical tradition believe that the scriptures are inerrant. This perspective has been argued by orthodox and "liberal" Christians for centuries. Some have believed that you can't be Christian if you don't believe in the inerrancy of scriptures.

McKnight wrote and I love this ... "Deep inside we know that the reason God gave us the Bible was not so we could figure out what the right view of it was. No, God gave us the Bible so that we could love God with reckless abandon and let that love overflow into reckless love for ourselves and for others in this world. There is a big difference between those who have the right view of the Bible and those who live it out." Scriptures are present so God can remind me and lavish me with his love, remind me how I am supposed to respond to that love ... how I need to react to my circumstances, how and why I am to build relationships with others. In other words, McKnight reminds ... reading scripture should lead us to a missional life, loving God and love others. This affirms what I say to clients and staff that religion is more about the relationship between loving God and loving others. This definitely helps with working at hospice.

Mr. McKnight thanks for the affirmation!

James 2:14, according The Message, speaks to this ... "Dear friends, do you think you'll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it?"

www.relevantmagazine.com

This was a slice from www.relevantmagazine.com ... An eighth grader in New Jersey was sent home from school on Halloween for dressing as Jesus. Because that's way more offensive than dressing as Leatherface ...

"The church isn't an organization as much as it is an organism, an interdependent community of believers who selflessly offer their unique, God-granted talents for the purposes of furthering the ministry of the church." - Bill Hybels

A woman at a Dallas foreclosure auction purchased a complete stranger's foreclosed home, and then gave it back to her: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THzi7O-W2AI

Study session part 2

If you went to Sojourn Sunday night, this theme sounds familiar. Here are the highlights. Confronting fear, facing it, fighting against it and not running from fear and uncertainty as the Israelites did - 1 Samuel 17: 24; or like Saul hid among the luggage, still being the tallest among all of them - and did not want to be king. Not pointing a finger, because realizing that "whoa, Nellie" that was me and could be me. Rick talked about reframing the problem. We do this in hospice all of time. Basically, what he said ... that it depends on what we see.

• Do we see the problem? or
  
• Do we see that God is way bigger than our problem or circumstances?

God is more concerned about our long term potential than our short term comfort. Ever talk to yourself ... that is what we should say to ourselves everytime we complain about nothing. Long term potential or short term comfort. Which one do we need more? Which one will be more beneficial to ourselves and our family? Which one will allow us to die with integrity? Most important, which one allows us to live life faithfully and with fullness? To requote a movie mentioned at Sojourn ... Die Hard: John McLain was scared and did not want to be there, talked to Carl Winslow from Family Matters, and felt like he had no choice - but do what was right no matter what the cost. He could have found some place in that building to hide but he did not ... he fought not sure of the outcome of his own life. Lesson needed to learn to fight the fear, instead of running from it.