Sunday, May 31, 2009
Sotomayor (not now not ever I hope and pray)
WASHINGTON -- The top Republican involved in the confirmation hearings for President Barack Obama's Supreme Court nominee says he would prefer his colleagues refrain from calling Sonia Sotomayor a racist. (Soo...does this mean we can not call a car a car, or a tree a tree or..)
Friday, May 22, 2009
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Monday, May 18, 2009
Listening to God by Howard E Butts
Listening to God
8.15.08
Jesus had an amazing way of responding to people's questions. His answers often pierce through what's being asked to more important matters: what's on the person's heart and Jesus' own identity and mission .
For example, when a man asks Jesus to tell his brother to divide the family's inheritance with him, Jesus cautions the man to be wary of greed. Then he tells the story of the Rich Fool who dies on the very night he's contemplating his windfall profits (Luke 12:16-21).
When a Pharisee invites Jesus to dinner, a prostitute interrupts the decorous occasion by washing Jesus' feet with her tears, drying them with her hair, and anointing them with perfume. The Pharisee believes the woman's actions prove Jesus cannot be a prophet, because a prophet would never let a prostitute touch him (Luke 7:44-47).
In reply to the Pharisee's unspoken doubts, Jesus tells the story of the money lender who forgives two debts, one for five hundred denarii and the other for fifty. He then asks which person will love the money lender more.
The Pharisee replies the one who had the bigger debt canceled (Luke 7:42).
Then Jesus speaks to the Pharisee's discourteous reception of him and the Pharisee's doubts, which lie behind his behavior. He points out that the Pharisee has totally neglected the common courtesies extended to dinner guests. He has supplied no water for Jesus to wash his feet, he did not greet Jesus with a brotherly kiss, nor give him oil for his head. But the prostitute has transformed these common courtesies into profound acts of love. "Therefore I tell you," Jesus says, "her many sins are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little" (Luke 7:47).
Jesus not only answers the unspoken question of the Pharisee—"Is this man a prophet?"—by intuiting what's in the man's heart; he proclaims that he is more than a prophet by forgiving the woman's sins. In the process, he lets the Pharisee know that his own hardness of heart keeps him from being forgiven.
This pattern of questioning and transcendent response is found again and again in the Gospels, from the woman caught in adultery (John 8:3-7) to the Pharisees' question about paying taxes to Caesar (Matt. 22:17-22). Jesus knows the unworthiness of the woman's accusers and the power politics behind the tax question, and he points out to both groups that they should be most concerned about their own relationships with God.
The answer Jesus gave to the most pointed question he was ever asked contains the secret of his incomparable ability to answer the question behind the question.
In the eighth chapter of John's Gospel, the Pharisees are haranguing Jesus, questioning his authority on various grounds. Finally, in their perplexity, they come right out and ask, "Who are you?"
"Just what I have been claiming all along," Jesus replied, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be, and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him" (John 8:28-29).
I do nothing on my own, Jesus says. I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. Jesus proclaims here that his entire ministry—everything he taught, every answer he gave to a question—originated in his communion with the Father. The Son listened to the Father, communed with the Father, and out of this communion Jesus taught. Out of this communion he answered questions spoken and unspoken.
We usually think of Jesus' communion with the Father, his prayer, in terms of specific, dramatic instances. We remember Jesus' Temptation in the Desert, his retreats to the Galilean hills, the ecstasy of the Transfiguration, and the agony of Gethsemane. But in Jesus' replies that pierce peoples' hearts and proclaim his identity and mission, we overhear another aspect of his prayer: his continual communion with the Father—his prayer without ceasing.
We might say that Jesus never had a simple, two-way conversation. The Father and the Holy Spirit were always there as well. Jesus' conversation had a Trinitarian character. He brought the Father and the Holy Spirit's witness into the midst of every conversation.
As we pray, as we listen to God, we need to bring God's presence in Christ into the midst of our own conversations with other people. And into every circumstance, as well. We are not on our own; God is with us, but God cannot make his presence felt unless we invite him into the midst of our lives.
I find that when I keep soaking myself in Scripture, consulting with Christian friends, and prayerfully waiting on the Lord, he keeps clarifying what I need to do to make my relationships right with other people. He gives me insights into troubling situations I would never have otherwise.
from howard e butts
8.15.08
Jesus had an amazing way of responding to people's questions. His answers often pierce through what's being asked to more important matters: what's on the person's heart and Jesus' own identity and mission .
For example, when a man asks Jesus to tell his brother to divide the family's inheritance with him, Jesus cautions the man to be wary of greed. Then he tells the story of the Rich Fool who dies on the very night he's contemplating his windfall profits (Luke 12:16-21).
When a Pharisee invites Jesus to dinner, a prostitute interrupts the decorous occasion by washing Jesus' feet with her tears, drying them with her hair, and anointing them with perfume. The Pharisee believes the woman's actions prove Jesus cannot be a prophet, because a prophet would never let a prostitute touch him (Luke 7:44-47).
In reply to the Pharisee's unspoken doubts, Jesus tells the story of the money lender who forgives two debts, one for five hundred denarii and the other for fifty. He then asks which person will love the money lender more.
The Pharisee replies the one who had the bigger debt canceled (Luke 7:42).
Then Jesus speaks to the Pharisee's discourteous reception of him and the Pharisee's doubts, which lie behind his behavior. He points out that the Pharisee has totally neglected the common courtesies extended to dinner guests. He has supplied no water for Jesus to wash his feet, he did not greet Jesus with a brotherly kiss, nor give him oil for his head. But the prostitute has transformed these common courtesies into profound acts of love. "Therefore I tell you," Jesus says, "her many sins are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little" (Luke 7:47).
Jesus not only answers the unspoken question of the Pharisee—"Is this man a prophet?"—by intuiting what's in the man's heart; he proclaims that he is more than a prophet by forgiving the woman's sins. In the process, he lets the Pharisee know that his own hardness of heart keeps him from being forgiven.
This pattern of questioning and transcendent response is found again and again in the Gospels, from the woman caught in adultery (John 8:3-7) to the Pharisees' question about paying taxes to Caesar (Matt. 22:17-22). Jesus knows the unworthiness of the woman's accusers and the power politics behind the tax question, and he points out to both groups that they should be most concerned about their own relationships with God.
The answer Jesus gave to the most pointed question he was ever asked contains the secret of his incomparable ability to answer the question behind the question.
In the eighth chapter of John's Gospel, the Pharisees are haranguing Jesus, questioning his authority on various grounds. Finally, in their perplexity, they come right out and ask, "Who are you?"
"Just what I have been claiming all along," Jesus replied, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be, and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him" (John 8:28-29).
I do nothing on my own, Jesus says. I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. Jesus proclaims here that his entire ministry—everything he taught, every answer he gave to a question—originated in his communion with the Father. The Son listened to the Father, communed with the Father, and out of this communion Jesus taught. Out of this communion he answered questions spoken and unspoken.
We usually think of Jesus' communion with the Father, his prayer, in terms of specific, dramatic instances. We remember Jesus' Temptation in the Desert, his retreats to the Galilean hills, the ecstasy of the Transfiguration, and the agony of Gethsemane. But in Jesus' replies that pierce peoples' hearts and proclaim his identity and mission, we overhear another aspect of his prayer: his continual communion with the Father—his prayer without ceasing.
We might say that Jesus never had a simple, two-way conversation. The Father and the Holy Spirit were always there as well. Jesus' conversation had a Trinitarian character. He brought the Father and the Holy Spirit's witness into the midst of every conversation.
As we pray, as we listen to God, we need to bring God's presence in Christ into the midst of our own conversations with other people. And into every circumstance, as well. We are not on our own; God is with us, but God cannot make his presence felt unless we invite him into the midst of our lives.
I find that when I keep soaking myself in Scripture, consulting with Christian friends, and prayerfully waiting on the Lord, he keeps clarifying what I need to do to make my relationships right with other people. He gives me insights into troubling situations I would never have otherwise.
from howard e butts
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Pastors not muzzled
Saturday, May 16, 2009
CAP: IRS VICTORY: Pastors Can Speak Out on Issues!
Despite attempts by some to silence pastors and churches on the important moral issues of our day, this week the IRS upheld the rights of a group that held public policy conferences for pastors in 2006. The pastors were encouraged to vote their values and to encourage their members to register to vote and to vote their values. The IRS found that this did not qualify as "political intervention" and therefore did not jeopardize the tax-exempt status of the nonprofit group that held the conference. This ruling is a victory for free speech and means that, once again, the right of pastors and churches to speak out on moral issues has been affirmed. Pastors can fulfill their biblical duty to address moral issues without fearing repercussions from the IRS.
Out-of-Wedlock Births on Rise
In a room full of ten American babies, it is likely that four of those children were born to a single mother. The latest reports from the National Center for Health Statistics show that out-of-wedlock births are sharply on the rise, currently at 40% of all births. That number has doubled since 1980. The sharp increase results from women in their 20s and 30s intentionally deciding to have children without getting married. This news yet again shows the devaluing of marriage in our culture. It also shows how much our society has moved away from the knowledge that children do best with a mom and a dad. Note that this isn't about single parent households resulting from death or divorce. No, this increasingly new societal norm says it no longer matters whether children have a mom and a dad. Yet study after study continues to show that the best way to raise a child is with two married parents. Better school performance, less drug use, and more successful futures are just a small sampling of the overall benefits typically received by children raised by their married parents instead of cohabitating or single parents. Read more on our blog.
CAP: IRS VICTORY: Pastors Can Speak Out on Issues!
Despite attempts by some to silence pastors and churches on the important moral issues of our day, this week the IRS upheld the rights of a group that held public policy conferences for pastors in 2006. The pastors were encouraged to vote their values and to encourage their members to register to vote and to vote their values. The IRS found that this did not qualify as "political intervention" and therefore did not jeopardize the tax-exempt status of the nonprofit group that held the conference. This ruling is a victory for free speech and means that, once again, the right of pastors and churches to speak out on moral issues has been affirmed. Pastors can fulfill their biblical duty to address moral issues without fearing repercussions from the IRS.
Out-of-Wedlock Births on Rise
In a room full of ten American babies, it is likely that four of those children were born to a single mother. The latest reports from the National Center for Health Statistics show that out-of-wedlock births are sharply on the rise, currently at 40% of all births. That number has doubled since 1980. The sharp increase results from women in their 20s and 30s intentionally deciding to have children without getting married. This news yet again shows the devaluing of marriage in our culture. It also shows how much our society has moved away from the knowledge that children do best with a mom and a dad. Note that this isn't about single parent households resulting from death or divorce. No, this increasingly new societal norm says it no longer matters whether children have a mom and a dad. Yet study after study continues to show that the best way to raise a child is with two married parents. Better school performance, less drug use, and more successful futures are just a small sampling of the overall benefits typically received by children raised by their married parents instead of cohabitating or single parents. Read more on our blog.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
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