Loosen Your Grip to Hang Ten

If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

Interesting thought to consider if Paul was more realist or romantic. The question has led me on an exploration I don't at the moment have time for, but I originally, of course, lean toward realist. However, he leans on sentiment, for sure, to accomplish his aims. He often seems to get angered by wishy-washy positions which aren't well thought out ("foolish Galatians", "if only for this life we have hope"), which leads to the premise of his being a realist. He really thinks through his position. On the other hand, he has no problem appealing to emotions ("the one for whom Christ has died is ruined", "having their faith shipwrecked"). 

I bring up the believability of Paul on the basis of reality because I find myself needing reassurance of the central tenets of the gospel. Is Jesus there? God? The Spirit? I need to know for myself, but I can be nudged along by those thoroughly persuaded of gospel truth. I just need to know that their persuasion is well founded. And then take it from there.


Prayer: Lord, I experience doubt and I slip into the cracks. Bring me back! And let the world I see in the light of glory not be too much to handle. But somehow help me to get enough of a grip on it to hang on. And eventually, "ride the wave". Hang Ten!!

In Jesus Name,

Amen


Resources

https://www.theway.org.uk/back/21Stanley.pdf

https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/ah-romance-a-word-borne-to-english-on-the-breastplates-of-chivalry

https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Pauls-Case/context/

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Whole New Lifestyle

Image
True service is a life-style. It acts from ingrained patterns of living. It springs spontaneously to meet human need. In reading this section on self-righteous service vs true service, I thought, "smug Foster, he probably doesn't really know about true service, just writing about it in the theoretical. How unfair and irresponsible. What a hard and burdensome load he won't lift a finger for" (Matt 23:4). Then I realized that my tinge of disgust might actually be conviction. After which I took notice. This morning sitting down in an over stimulated state (I'm concurrently thinking through how to not feel so pressed for time in the morning and the unwanted side effect of disquiet caused by listening to audio books in the morning) I wondered about if my morning meditations are having any impact. I'm not really giving them a good chance to. Morning meditation is part of the untenable pursuit of arriving to work by 5 if I wake up by 4. It just makes no sense t
Read more

Something that Will Stick

Image
In the spiritual life only one thing will produce genuine joy, and that is obedience. ~ Foster So funny to read that as the first line of CoD this morning. I basically had it exactly backwards. Yesterday I posted about laughter putting us in a celebratory mood, and thus thought there might be something to working from the outside in (celebration->joy->obedience). I still think there is something to working from the outside in, but I have to admit that the results found through that path are fleeting. Foster explains that the firm path to joy in the Lord is flows inward from inner obedience to joy, which then puts us in a spirit of celebration. That sounds more right to me. This morning I was also appreciating the harmony between CoD and Liturgy of the Ordinary. What I read in study in the morning I receive again in a life's memoir about the everydayness of how God's sanctification works out. What does the word mean to me today? Obedience. I think (and pray) it m
Read more

"Follow Me" Crazy Horse Summons Jesus Christ

Listening to an audiobook by Joseph Marshall III, a Native American in story and upbringing. He tells stories of Crazy Horse and his relations that are reminiscent of Jesus. I'd like to share a few of those stories one being about a man who follows the path alone and finds a path of self-discovery found himself in the end but not the beginning. He, in his isolation, was observant about his surroundings; he became the best at knowing the land knowing the ways that you can find shelter. And peace. There came a time when the warriors were away and this man had to be relied on to get the women and the elders to shelter. from that time on he became known as the man who knows the land. There's another story written about Crazy Horse where a man came to him and said I want to join your people your community and Crazy Horse said to him kill your horse and this didn't make sense to the people that he lived with and the community because your horse is your livelihood. What Crazy Ho
Read more