Apr 07 2010

Hard-Pressed, But Not Crushed

Category: faith — Steve @ 23:56 pm

“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.”  (2 Corinthians 4:8-10, NIV)

The only way this can be true is if we are not at the center of our lives, but rather Christ.  There are certainly times that I have felt crushed, near to despair or destroyed, and those are 1:1 the times I’ve let languish my daily walk with Him.  When will I learn?

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Mar 27 2010

Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit

Category: art,faith — Steve @ 22:28 pm
Tissot Sermon of the Beatitudes Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit

Sermon of the Beatitudes (James Tissot)

“Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them saying:  “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt 5:1-3, NIV)

How many times have you read this passage?  I’ve probably read it a few dozen times, but I’ve never really considered it, except as one element of the Beatitudes Christ gave during the “sermon on the Mount”.

What does it mean to be ‘poor in spirit’?  There are several ways to look at it.  Is it addressing the poor, saying that they are blessed in spirit, or that those who are “poor in spirit” are blessed?  Is that splitting hairs?

The first context addresses the poor, saying that they are blessed in spirit.  I don’t think this is a glorification of physical poverty so much as to say that those who are destitute can find special blessings in Christ, indeed, that “theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”  Wow.  An example would the widow who in her poverty gave an offering of a small coin.  Christ exalted her over the rich who gave large amounts.  (Mark 12:41-44)

The Aramaic word used for poor is ‘anya’, which can mean “bent down, afflicted, miserable, or poor”.   This gives the second context, which some read to say that that we are to be humble beggars before God;  that is, spiritual beggars who have abandoned pride and self-sufficiency and who rely totally on God for support.  I’m good with that understanding as well.  Compare the tax collector and the Pharisees in Luke 18:9-14.  Again, the Pharisees were making a show of their piety, while the “tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’”  This guy recognized his place before a mighty God.  I don’t think it’s reading too much into the passage to consider that he was blessed.

How do you understand “blessed are the poor in spirit”?

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Mar 11 2010

God and Dog

Category: faith — Steve @ 23:00 pm

Okay, we can get a dog now.

(HT: David Heddle at He Lives)

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Mar 07 2010

Seasons in the Sun

Category: faith,ministries,religion — Steve @ 22:33 pm

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build.”
(Ecclesiastes 3:1-3, NIV)

Do you know what’s a bad sign? When the pastor preaches a series on tithes, stressing the need for giving, and then announces a sermon based on this passage from Ecclesiastes. You can pretty well bet that there are big changes afoot. Or if he’s not happy for a long time, and then preaches a series from Titus on the qualifications of a pastor. Yep, that’s a bad sign, too.

Pastor opened with the Ecclesiastes passage today, and then dropped the bomb – the church is closing. Next week is the last service. This came as a surprise to everyone except the church board. Maybe it wasn’t such a surprise, because giving has been way down, and he just finished an extended series on the importance of tithes. Apparently that series didn’t have its intended effect.

At a previous church, the pastor seemed to have lost his enthusiasm for preaching, and then preached a several week series from Titus. Uh, oh. Sure enough, he then announced that “God had called him elsewhere in ministry.”

What’s the right way to close a church, or to announce your resignation as a pastor? Is there a right way? In both instances, there were misunderstandings, hurt feelings, anger, and finally for most, acceptance that God is in control, not us. Obviously we haven’t worked through all of that in the present case, but I trust and pray that it will happen.

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Feb 28 2010

Question for the Day

Category: faith — Steve @ 16:33 pm

How closely is your faith and day-by-day walk with the Lord tied to the place you worship?  Does it add to, or detract from your faith?

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Jan 07 2010

Come See My New Digs

Category: blogging — Steve @ 08:02 am

I’m now blogging at Hyperbole for 1000, Alex.  Come visit!

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Dec 08 2009

Where You Heading, Son?

Category: blogging — Steve @ 18:18 pm

For the time being I will be posting at Pursuing Holiness (where Laura has kindly invited me to share occasionally) and once in awhile at Grumpy Old Men–The Prequel (where the Minnesnowtans are  apparently screaming for real content).

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Nov 27 2009

Things I’ve Learned in 5 Years of Blogging

Category: blogging — Steve @ 21:32 pm

A week short of five years ago, I launched a blog called King’s Kid at Blogspot.com. It was a great experience, but I found – and still find – that Blogger/Blogspot is too limited in its capabilities. I moved on to a hosted site at WordPress with carefulthought.wordpress.com. That was a great experience as well; in fact, I liked it so much that I started this blog on my own servers and domain, but still using the WordPress framework. It’s time to move on to bigger and better, or at least other, things. I’ve received a couple offers to post on other sites, and I may take up those offers, but this is it for this venue.

Here’s what I’ve learned in five years, in no particular order:

  • God is faithful, even when we fail Him
  • Blogging is a great way to vent, but venting is no substitute for real content
  • Your blog is unique, just like other the other 200 million blogs out there, so give people a reason to visit you
  • Stay faithful.  If you have a political blog, focus on that, if it’s a faith blog, focus on that.  Readers seem to prefer blogs with a single topic or theme
  • Don’t dwell on stats, but if your stat counter is stuck on zero, that’s a bad sign
  • Post regularly
  • Appreciate your readers
  • Don’t be afraid to step on toes, but do with grace
  • Trolls are a fact of blogging life.  Deal with it.
  • There’s a huge amount of information available on the internet.  Some of it is even accurate.
  • Give full credit for your content.  If it ain’t yours, attribute it.

Thanks for reading!

Steve

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Nov 26 2009

Anybody Out There? Anyone?

Category: blogging — Steve @ 23:34 pm

[[Sound of crickets chirping.]]  Just Checking…  Readership has dwindled quite a bit of late, so I think it’s time to put a bow on Careful Thought and put it on the shelf.  It’s been a slice, folks.  Be blessed.

Nov 23 2009

Careful Thought?

Category: blogging,faith,news and politics — Steve @ 09:52 am

My new friend Joyce is taking me to task on my use of the Obama Joker image. The point – is it a good Christian witness to portray the president, or anyone, in a negative light. She has a valid point and I struggle with this. Is it a derogatory image or is it simply drawing attention to our duly elected president’s political agenda? What is our role as believers in confronting wrongs? Jesus himself called the Pharisees hypocrites and whitewashed tombs.

She quotes Gary Thomas: “Just because someone I’m opposing is wrong doesn’t make me right.” Not sure I agree fully. We are called to be meek, which I understand as ‘strength under restraint’, and not as a synonym for weak or inoffensive.

Am I off base here?

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