Comments for reclaim the beauty

Comment on fear by dave

dave — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 21:40:20 +0000

I love this idea, our church needs to do something like this! Love to hear more!

Comment on fear by Irene

Irene — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 19:58:07 +0000

Several years ago I participated in a project called Lighthouses of Prayer. Each one of us would pray for five neighbors in five areas of their lives for five weeks. During that time God would show us how to pray. He would also provide opportunities to share with our neighbors as they witnessed our caring for them. As you know we live in a small PUD, but from that time on we have all become caring neighbors, watched each others’ dogs and kids, and helped evacuate during the fires. Society ironically seems to foster isolation ( how many folks are more involved in their iPods, etc. than those around them?). Jesus fosters relationships and community. Are we children of the living God or children of the electronic god?

Comment on burning the fuzz off your thinking by dave

dave — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:21:14 +0000

I’m rusty! Becarefull,you mite work youself into the job an as editer…(That sentence was intentional just for you!) Love you!

Comment on words by dave

dave — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:33:38 +0000

Great story…I love the old Jewish parables they are so rich!

Comment on words by M. Borer

M. Borer — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 18:40:54 +0000

Fantastic post, as always. People say talk is cheap, but it can cost us quite a bit in the end!

This reminds me of the old story about a lady whose gossip hurt others in her village. She asked the rabbi for advice and he told her to cut the top off her finest feather pillow and bring it to him. While she was walking, the wind blew feathers out of the pillow, and the rabbi asked her to retrieve them all before he would advise her.

Hours later, she returned to his house exhausted and with the pillow still only half-full. “It’s impossible to pick up every last feather,” she cried.

The rabbi nodded. “Yes, it is. And it’s just as impossible to take back words once they’ve left your mouth.”

Comment on words by Christina

Christina — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:10:35 +0000

Thank you dave.

Comment on burning the fuzz off your thinking by Irene

Irene — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 23:38:33 +0000

Glad you are back. I have one word for you, Dave. Proofread. Love ya. A.I.

Comment on avoiding an arab spring by Phil Stevenson

Phil Stevenson — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 17:58:06 +0000

Dave- Excellent stuff. I liked the statement of ruling as opposed to leading.

Comment on live animal by M. Borer

M. Borer — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 21:23:09 +0000

In my opinion, this was well put.

Imagine that we could all put aside the labels of liberal and conservative, Christian, Jew, and Muslim, and really work together to lift our country up. Imagine that we could stop pointing fingers long enough to pick up tools and build something that lasts.

Imagining that is what keeps me going when I’m ready to throw up my hands over so much partisan ugliness.

Comment on ten years gone by M. Borer

M. Borer — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 21:16:07 +0000

I definitely see my life as divided into “before-” and “after-9/11.”

I spent hours trying to call my friends in New York. I went to Alberto’s for a burrito and couldn’t eat because there were real people jumping to their deaths on the TV in the corner. I went to class and listened to the other, younger students argue that they shouldn’t have to be in class on this day of all days.

That was the day I realized that I didn’t have to live my life the way others wanted me to. It was the ending of a lot of things, and a beginning as well.

Comment on live animal by dave

dave — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 18:25:00 +0000

I love your thoughts and it looks like i did my job of provoking thought…I know that what I wrote might anger some folks. But I wanted to throw it out there. I’ll give you a fuller response later when I have a little more time, thanks for your feedback!

Comment on live animal by Irene

Irene — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 18:06:14 +0000

Gee Dave, I don’t know where to begin….. I’ll start with, ” I love you”. Now you know the “but” is coming and indeed it is. But I disagree with your use of the word individualism vs. community. To begin: your definition of “individualism” is very narrow;specifically, it is rooted in egoism, NOT in the true definition of the word which is ” habit or principle of being independent AND self-reliant. It is a social theory favoring freedom of action for individuals over collective or state control.” I would posit that it is the abrogation of independence and self-reliance which has created the stranglehold on our society. We have given up the Christ-mandated call to care for our neighbors and replaced it with government responsibility for them (at our expense, of course).
In your example of community leading to generosity you use the argument that the collective good could be served by the allocation of more funds (ostensibly because we, as individuals, don’t care so we need the government to care in lieu of us). That’s a nice “liberal” solution that has been tried ad nausaum and is still failing. But wait. There is a solution! Let’s allow those nasty individualists to volunteer in the schools. Or better yet let’s have the parents of the school kids really play an active part in their child’s education.
The solution is for each individual to take individual action for the collective good. The solution is not found in the community of government!
I “get” that you are calling for a society focused on the needs of others. And I am in total agreement. We are called to serve others. My objection is that you have focused on the extreme end of individualism and your tone implies that the antidote to that extreme individualism is government beneficence.
The cause of Christ can only be served by His people focusing on Him and being obedient to fulfilling the purpose to which they have been called.

Comment on waving to babies by live animal | reclaim the beauty

live animal | reclaim the beauty — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 12:22:19 +0000

[...] previously mentioned our self-induced engineered lack of community in this world, and I want to tell you about Chad. I don’t even know his last name, other than he [...]

Comment on meet nancy by M. Borer

M. Borer — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 22:13:13 +0000

What a great tribute; I’m sorry I didn’t get to know Nancy now.

May we all have merit to live such lives that people see God in us, and may Nancy’s memory be a blessing for all time.

Comment on meet nancy by Linda Larew

Linda Larew — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 15:02:54 +0000

Thank you, Dave.

Comment on good church: thyatira by M. Borer

M. Borer — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 20:53:40 +0000

Absolutely! One has to walk the walk 7 days a week or all of our talk at services is useless.

It’s like Maimonides said, we should both deal fairly with others and study the word of the Lord, so that all shall say “Woe to those who do not study [God's word]! This one who has studied [God's word], see how beautiful are his ways!”

Comment on good church: pergamum by M. Borer

M. Borer — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 20:46:46 +0000

Well said, and applicable to all people of faith. Houses of worship should not be concert halls, nor shopping malls, but places to recuperate from our consumerist culture and revivify our souls in the light of the Most High.

Comment on he who has an ear by Irene

Irene — Wed, 18 May 2011 15:16:24 +0000

From that moment on , Dasa has been quick to respond to God’s whisperings! We can all learn from that. How often do we dismiss God’s prompting when the circumstances are awkward or uncomfortable or too challenging? When the Sovereign God of the universe deigns to whisper in our ears shouldn’t we fall to our knees in gratitude? Perhaps we don’t because we forget who He is and are too enamored with who we are!
I’m looking forward to seeing you and Steve in Colorado this summer. Maybe we can find a snow-covered mountainside and rusted-out lawn chair for Steve to ski on!! Love ya!

Comment on redemptive violence by Tim Kirkes

Tim Kirkes — Fri, 06 May 2011 21:45:10 +0000

Thanks Dave.

I don’t think Jesus was a violent person, that’s far from the NT portrait of Him. But the episode in the crowded temple doesn’t fit our Zen picture of Jesus because it had to have resulted in at least a few cuts and bruises.

Comment on redemptive violence by dave

dave — Fri, 06 May 2011 21:20:07 +0000

Yes. I think Hitler As a persona and his beliefs were a response to WWI and the Treaty of Versailles. I guess if we asked the question, if we had a different response to war other than more war, would extremism like Hitler’s be as prevalent.

After Colon Powell was through with holding office he wrote an article in Foreign Policy Today that talked about terrorist extremism. From what I remember he talked America being perceived as terrorist from the middle east. It was because of our response to conflict, he talked about the need for a third way…

By the way, I still disagree that Jesus ever was violent!

Comment on redemptive violence by Tim Kirkes

Tim Kirkes — Fri, 06 May 2011 20:54:07 +0000

John 2:15 (NIV) “So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.”

This is a difficult passage as you cannot say with certainty that Jesus did or did not hit a human or harm an animal while in His jealous rage.

Food for thought.

Regarding your statement, “…but would there have been a Hitler if there were a different solution other than violence?” Could you elaborate a little more on what you mean?

Comment on redemptive violence by dave

dave — Fri, 06 May 2011 20:10:29 +0000

John: the zeal of the lord…if a word study is done it is translated to jealous..like the OT jealous…

Matt 10:34: metaphor

Matt 12:29: parable

So to answer you, I don’t think so.

Dave

Comment on redemptive violence by Tim Kirkes

Tim Kirkes — Fri, 06 May 2011 17:16:37 +0000

Wasn’t Jesus a little violent? (John 2:13-16; Matt 10:34; Matt 12:29)

Comment on jesus loves terrorists by Kelsey from The Undomestic Project

Kelsey from The Undomestic Project — Mon, 02 May 2011 21:49:12 +0000

Great post Dave. took a lot of my thoughts and you put them on paper. Thanks.

Comment on jesus loves terrorists by dave

dave — Mon, 02 May 2011 19:25:59 +0000

Hey Morgan, I was there when Willard spoke as well and I absolutely agree with him. I’m not making a moral argument whether or not our military action is right or wrong.
Love and appreciate your thoughts.