This is a picture I drew of my friend having a baby on my exercise ball. Note the family similarities between the mother and daughter/son.
In the interest of confidentiality, I will only refer to this lady by her alias - Janie-o.
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
whoa
"There is no God up there who is going to listen to your prayers from down here and do anything about it. You've got to do it yourself, take some responsibility for how the world is. Do good yourself instead of waiting around for some sky-bound deity to do it. God is not an excuse. Find all those good things you've attributed to God inside you - love, compassion, a heart for justice and human dignity. And ditch the things religion has taught that don't line up with the good - jealousy, arrogance, tribe mentality and its requisite genocide. It's time to show a little respect for your own abilities to make God real in the world. Sure, something you might call God may exist outside of you, but I'm not going to talk to it like it can hear me, anymore. I'm talking to you."
Found this paragraph in the pages of Geez magazine, a new magazine from editors Aiden Enns and Will Braun. This paragraph was written by Gretta Vosper, a minister of the United Church, and it is a portion of a sermon she delivered.
I crave your thoughts on this.
It is disturbing. And beautiful. And terrifying. And honest. But also very challenging and exciting. And I am once again caught within the tension of left vs. right. Neither side can accept the balance. That there is a God who cares, and who does answer prayer. That you can be a committed Evangelical Christian, following God passionately and pursuing and living in deep relationship with him while being concerned for traditional standards of morality and economic, gender, and social equality.
I struggle to find the reason why so many find these two ideas so incompatable. They would seem to have a natural and powerful connection. Christ calls us to himself, to follow him above all else, and calls us to care for the poor and oppressed. It would seem to be obvious in many readings of the Gospels. Yet I have encountered so much resistance to this. People who I have offended for being in the “middle,” for not “choosing sides” in this fight and in this struggle. Yet I look around me and see nothing but intolerance. Both from the right and from the left.
No, God is not an excuse to sit and not fight for justice. Prayer is not a substitute for action. Faith without works is dead. But at the same time, action is no substitute for confession. Unity is no substitute for the Holy Spirit. And inequality is no excuse for intolerance.
Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Faithfulness. Gentleness. Self-control.
Next topic. I can think of no better or more compelling reason to leave the Christian faith than the statement “There is no God up there who is going to listen to your prayers from down here and do anything about it . . . Sure, something you might call God may exist outside of you, but I'm not going to talk to it like it can hear me, anymore.” There has been nothing more disheartening and discouraging than this. This is truth, and it is honest. What can be done with that?
Don’t worry, though. Just a question.
Found this paragraph in the pages of Geez magazine, a new magazine from editors Aiden Enns and Will Braun. This paragraph was written by Gretta Vosper, a minister of the United Church, and it is a portion of a sermon she delivered.
I crave your thoughts on this.
It is disturbing. And beautiful. And terrifying. And honest. But also very challenging and exciting. And I am once again caught within the tension of left vs. right. Neither side can accept the balance. That there is a God who cares, and who does answer prayer. That you can be a committed Evangelical Christian, following God passionately and pursuing and living in deep relationship with him while being concerned for traditional standards of morality and economic, gender, and social equality.
I struggle to find the reason why so many find these two ideas so incompatable. They would seem to have a natural and powerful connection. Christ calls us to himself, to follow him above all else, and calls us to care for the poor and oppressed. It would seem to be obvious in many readings of the Gospels. Yet I have encountered so much resistance to this. People who I have offended for being in the “middle,” for not “choosing sides” in this fight and in this struggle. Yet I look around me and see nothing but intolerance. Both from the right and from the left.
No, God is not an excuse to sit and not fight for justice. Prayer is not a substitute for action. Faith without works is dead. But at the same time, action is no substitute for confession. Unity is no substitute for the Holy Spirit. And inequality is no excuse for intolerance.
Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Faithfulness. Gentleness. Self-control.
Next topic. I can think of no better or more compelling reason to leave the Christian faith than the statement “There is no God up there who is going to listen to your prayers from down here and do anything about it . . . Sure, something you might call God may exist outside of you, but I'm not going to talk to it like it can hear me, anymore.” There has been nothing more disheartening and discouraging than this. This is truth, and it is honest. What can be done with that?
Don’t worry, though. Just a question.
Monday, December 12, 2005
does anybody even read my crap?
ha. wouldn't it be fun if there weren't tea leaf readers, but poop stump readers? i would definitly pay some good money for that.
this is getting obscene, and it hasn't even started really. but this is how my mind works. i am infinitly saddened that i don't have anything really substantial to say. there's lots inside of me, but i'm not sure if i can get it out, or if you would even like me anymore if i did. so i think i may just blab on about nothing.
check out the "Reverand Billy and the Church Of Stop Shopping" link to the right. coolio.
I would like to post up a picture of something useful and inspired, but i don't have anything and i still don't really know how to use Paint, so that's not helpful. The great Macintosh let me down yesterday when I wasn't able to play my X-Files DVD-Rom in the drive. Ernie blames Windows. I blame the oppressive capatalist system.
So I am thoroughly enjoying my adbusters magazine, and I encourage you all to get copies, even though it costs like $11 per mag. But then i remember it costs so much because there is no advertising, and then i feel good about it and want to buy 50 for my closest friends and homeless people. hmm. today there was an article about how important it is to buy locally grown stuff. i felt proud. and it said, "hey, you won't get much variety all of the time and you might get spinich, and may have to eat it twice in a week, but its worth it you freaking consumers of all things injust." that's a loose paraphrase, a la chuck nichols. check out fresh options. they're great, and i absolutly love what they do.
ramblings. sorry to dissapoint.
does anybody else think that it is hypocritical that i put a link to the adbusters website above? 'cause I do.
this is getting obscene, and it hasn't even started really. but this is how my mind works. i am infinitly saddened that i don't have anything really substantial to say. there's lots inside of me, but i'm not sure if i can get it out, or if you would even like me anymore if i did. so i think i may just blab on about nothing.
check out the "Reverand Billy and the Church Of Stop Shopping" link to the right. coolio.
I would like to post up a picture of something useful and inspired, but i don't have anything and i still don't really know how to use Paint, so that's not helpful. The great Macintosh let me down yesterday when I wasn't able to play my X-Files DVD-Rom in the drive. Ernie blames Windows. I blame the oppressive capatalist system.
So I am thoroughly enjoying my adbusters magazine, and I encourage you all to get copies, even though it costs like $11 per mag. But then i remember it costs so much because there is no advertising, and then i feel good about it and want to buy 50 for my closest friends and homeless people. hmm. today there was an article about how important it is to buy locally grown stuff. i felt proud. and it said, "hey, you won't get much variety all of the time and you might get spinich, and may have to eat it twice in a week, but its worth it you freaking consumers of all things injust." that's a loose paraphrase, a la chuck nichols. check out fresh options. they're great, and i absolutly love what they do.
ramblings. sorry to dissapoint.
does anybody else think that it is hypocritical that i put a link to the adbusters website above? 'cause I do.
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