This is a place where we can read, reflect and respond to the traditional scriptures of Lent. Lent is the time where we are made low so that we can appreciate the height of the risen Christ.
Is this about being separated from the world by our behavior? We are followers of Christ. Shouldn't someone be able to tell?
Maybe in the passage from John we are encouraged in our faith by Jesus. I mean in reality he is testifying to God for us: "For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me." How much more of pep talk can we find in the Bible? Jesus is rooting for us!
In the passage from Paul, I get a sense of encouragement: "For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven." Sort of reminds me of yesterdays readings, too. My mind needs to focus on things that are not of this world, in a way that I can bring those ideals to this world. Peace, Justice, Mercy, Humility...
I love that line in Phil. 3:16--"Only let us live up to what we have already attained." So much of living the life God wants me to live comes down to me accepting my identity, like who I am from God's perspective. Perhaps all sin (especially the conscious) comes only after I deny who I am in Christ and what I've already "attained"?
I think anonymous is on to something in that our focus needs to be on eternity while bringing those ideals here. It brings to mind the words in the Lord's Prayer - "...on Earth as it is in Heaven."
I was personally struck by John 17:4 - "I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do." Shouldn't that be what we each strive for, to do the individual and corporate work that God sent each of us to do?
Reading Jesus' prayer for us in John struck me today. He is so passionate about our lives! He alone deserves all praise!
Verse 19 in Philippians says, "their god is their stomach," which to me sounds exactly like the great consumer society and attitude of the world.
I agree with Matt too. I think that it ties into asking God for forgiveness. God knows that we strive for heaven, but still wants us to consciously speak to him and ask. It is recognizing that we have denied the truth of our own hearts to ourselves. Keep moving forward!
I was thinking about the contrasting ideas of how in John, Jesus is talking about what eternal life is: "that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent," and how Paul is talking about an eternal life that he has not laid hold of despite all of the things that he has accomplished. I think that of all of the tensions of Christianity one of the toughest for me to hold on to is the already and not yet idea.
Already I am made complete in Christ, yet I am not yet everything I can be.
Already God calls me perfect but not yet does is that perfection constantly present in my life.
* I really like that we're not only given permission to disagree in Phil 3:15, but that the remedy we're given is to let God take care of it
* Of all the goals/ideals presented here, I think that "forgetting what is behind" has to be the hardest
* As someone else pointed out, John 17:4 tells us how to bring glory to God: do the work he's given us. I think this ties in with Phil 3:19-21. We live in a transformed state. We're citizens of heaven now, and we bring that way of living here, in contrast to those described in v. 19.
* Should part of the discipline/practice of Lent be learning one more thing that we can add to that which we've "attained? " (Phil 3:16) Is it any good to give something up if all we get on Easter is the satisfaction of breaking the fast?
7 comments:
Is this about being separated from the world by our behavior? We are followers of Christ. Shouldn't someone be able to tell?
Maybe in the passage from John we are encouraged in our faith by Jesus. I mean in reality he is testifying to God for us: "For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me." How much more of pep talk can we find in the Bible? Jesus is rooting for us!
In the passage from Paul, I get a sense of encouragement: "For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven." Sort of reminds me of yesterdays readings, too. My mind needs to focus on things that are not of this world, in a way that I can bring those ideals to this world. Peace, Justice, Mercy, Humility...
I love that line in Phil. 3:16--"Only let us live up to what we have already attained." So much of living the life God wants me to live comes down to me accepting my identity, like who I am from God's perspective. Perhaps all sin (especially the conscious) comes only after I deny who I am in Christ and what I've already "attained"?
I think anonymous is on to something in that our focus needs to be on eternity while bringing those ideals here. It brings to mind the words in the Lord's Prayer - "...on Earth as it is in Heaven."
I was personally struck by John 17:4 - "I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do." Shouldn't that be what we each strive for, to do the individual and corporate work that God sent each of us to do?
Reading Jesus' prayer for us in John struck me today. He is so passionate about our lives! He alone deserves all praise!
Verse 19 in Philippians says, "their god is their stomach," which to me sounds exactly like the great consumer society and attitude of the world.
I agree with Matt too. I think that it ties into asking God for forgiveness. God knows that we strive for heaven, but still wants us to consciously speak to him and ask. It is recognizing that we have denied the truth of our own hearts to ourselves.
Keep moving forward!
I was thinking about the contrasting ideas of how in John, Jesus is talking about what eternal life is: "that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent," and how Paul is talking about an eternal life that he has not laid hold of despite all of the things that he has accomplished. I think that of all of the tensions of Christianity one of the toughest for me to hold on to is the already and not yet idea.
Already I am made complete in Christ, yet I am not yet everything I can be.
Already God calls me perfect but not yet does is that perfection constantly present in my life.
How do we live in the world of alread
Good question, David.
Assorted Thoughts:
* I really like that we're not only given permission to disagree in Phil 3:15, but that the remedy we're given is to let God take care of it
* Of all the goals/ideals presented here, I think that "forgetting what is behind" has to be the hardest
* As someone else pointed out, John 17:4 tells us how to bring glory to God: do the work he's given us. I think this ties in with Phil 3:19-21. We live in a transformed state. We're citizens of heaven now, and we bring that way of living here, in contrast to those described in v. 19.
* Should part of the discipline/practice of Lent be learning one more thing that we can add to that which we've "attained? " (Phil 3:16) Is it any good to give something up if all we get on Easter is the satisfaction of breaking the fast?
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