10-31 Michael Ramsden

Take approximately 5 minutes to read this shortened version of yesterday's 'A Slice of Infinity'. Post comments to the blog for spiritual collaboration. Please email your prayer requests too.

Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 NLT

Slice of Infinity Snippets:
Whenever we think about sharing the gospel, two issues immediately present themselves. The first has to do with content: What is it that needs to be said? The second has to do with communication: How will I say it? Sometimes we also talk about motivation: Why should I say anything at all? The last question becomes increasingly relevant as more and more Christians fear that evangelism is not worth losing one’s friends. All of these issues are important. All of them must be addressed. For the words of the Great Commission are clear:

However, there is one part of sharing the gospel that we rarely hear about. The command to go and make disciples was given to us by a person, by Christ himself. The gospel was not given to us based on our ability to share it. In fact, the Great Commission is sandwiched between two such reminders. Before Jesus tells us to go, he says, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me" (28:18). And then after he tells us to go he powerfully reminds us, "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (28:20). Thus, communicating the gospel is first about remembering the authority, power, and presence of the one who calls us to speak.

Not long ago I was across the globe speaking to almost 5,000 people, most of whom were not interested in what I had to say. This was because I had been asked to give a talk to one audience, but I was presented with a completely different context. About half of the audience was made up of children under twelve, which I was not at all expecting. The audience was completely disengaged with me. Twice I stopped the meeting to pray and ask for silence. I have never before felt so inadequate. In the end, I abandoned the message, read a large passage of Scripture, offered a call to repentance, and then closed in prayer. I came down from the podium wanting to hide my embarrassment. My head hung in defeat. But as I looked up, I found myself lost in a sea of over 1000 faces--young and old--many of whom were in tears as they came to pray at the altar.

If the gospel is about God, this shouldn’t surprise us. He is the one who calls and convicts; He is the one who pardons and makes all things new.

Pictures of Me by Jill Carattini

Take approximately 5 minutes to read this shortened version of yesterday's 'A Slice of Infinity'. Post comments to the blog for spiritual collaboration. Please email your prayer requests too.

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. Romans 5:8 NLT

Slice of Infinity Snippets:
While in prison, Dietrich Bonhoeffer struggled with the many reflections of his life. As a seminary instructor he was considered a saint and a giant. In America they made him feel like an escapist. In prison they made him feel like a criminal. There were days when he saw himself as all three and all the stages in between. It was in such a convolution of images that he asked:

"Who am I?
This or the other?
Am I one person today, and tomorrow another?
Am I both at once? A hypocrite before others,
And before myself a contemptible woebegone weakling?
Or is something within me still like a beaten army,
Fleeing in disorder from victory already achieved?
Who am I? They mock me,
these lonely questions of mine.
Whoever I am, Thou knowest, O God, I am Thine."

Our adoption by God is our identity, the picture we hold as children until the day when there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, and God will wipe every tear from our eyes. Neither death nor life, nor anything else in all creation, can separate us from this love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Comments: The main thrust of this article (click here to read today's slice of infinity in full) was adoption. Galleries containing photographs of foster children at play spur people towards adoption. Recently, I have been keenly aware of God's command to love your neighbor as yourself. If you recall in the recent letter I shared with you, one comment, which was first made by a friend of mine, went like this,“My prayer and heartbeat is that we in America will stand up and focus on what is eternal and begin to love people in such a way so that next time a girl gets pregnant before she goes to the abortion clinic, she will first think to go to a Christian family who will love and accept her and will either help her raise her child or will adopt her baby. When this becomes our reputation, then I'm convinced that the abortion rates will dramatically be will be lowered in our land.

It is no coincidence that another friend replied with some wonderful ideas of how we can truely love our neighbor as ourself:

I also think a huge investment in the opposite side of the equation would make so much sense. What if we lived in a culture that praised a young girl for delivering a baby for a sterile married couple instead of mocking her for "being a careless tramp" (or whatever other vulgar things are said)? What if young fathers were comfortable with supporting the mother in all ways instead of denying "participation" and running from the result? What if adopted kids were so routine in families that nobody ever did a double-take? How about government funding for organizations that educate young couples, help them through the pregnancy, and facilitate adoption instead of funding the murder? This seems so simple.

I really like this. Here are some concrete examples that buck perception of Christians because we don't condemn the girl for being a 'tramp'. And we disciple others in Love. Let us strive to make this the new reputation.

May you today be known by how you love your fellow Christian.
-Chad

The Kingdom and the Mustard Seed by Jill Carattini

Take approximately 5 minutes to read this shortened version of yesterday's 'A Slice of Infinity'. Post comments to the blog for spiritual collaboration. Please email your prayer requests too.

Then Jesus said, “What is the Kingdom of God like? How can I illustrate it? 19 It is like a tiny mustard seed that a man planted in a garden; it grows and becomes a tree, and the birds make nests in its branches. Luke 13:18-19 see also Mark 4:30-32, and Matthew 13:31-32

Slice of Infinity Snippets:
... we find truths and wonders worth gleaning as if from a great and fruitful tree. The parable of the mustard seed depicts the inconspicuous ministry of Jesus and the sometimes hidden signs of his significance as holding a potential far beyond metaphor or imagination, culture or history. The kingdom of God is not in the future only, nor is it only at hand in a history we cannot reach; it is here even now, reaching out with branches that bid us to come and dwell. As with all of Jesus's stories, which "leap out of their historical situation and confront us as if they had not yet spoken their final word,” I believe this parable will continue to surprise us if we will continue to inquire. The great reality of a great kingdom has been planted within the life and words of Jesus, always ready to break forth the fullness of meaning, gradually or suddenly, or sometimes both.

Comments: Here is an interesting verse to chew on today:

Remind the believers to submit to the government and its officers. They should be obedient, always ready to do what is good. They must not slander anyone and must avoid quarreling. Instead, they should be gentle and show true humility to everyone. Titus 3:1-2

In Service to the King of Kings,
Chad Livingston

Tiny Beginnins by Alison Thomas

Take approximately 5 minutes to read this shortened version of yesterday's 'A Slice of Infinity'. Post comments to the blog for spiritual collaboration. Please email your prayer requests too.

Here is another illustration Jesus used: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field. Matthew 13:31 NLT

The birds nested in its branches,
and in its shade all the wild animals gave birth.
All the great nations of the world
lived in its shadow. Ezekiel 31:6 NLT

“‘While I was lying in my bed, this is what I dreamed. I saw a large tree in the middle of the earth. 11 The tree grew very tall and strong, reaching high into the heavens for all the world to see. 12 It had fresh green leaves, and it was loaded with fruit for all to eat. Wild animals lived in its shade, and birds nested in its branches. All the world was fed from this tree. Daniel 4:10-12 NLT

Slice of Infinity Snippets:
Since Jesus and his disciples were familiar with those mighty images, the deliberate irony in the parable of the mustard seed was clear. The kingdom of heaven would grow from its tiny beginnings to a great tree that would ultimately provide shelter, protection, and benefit to the entire world. As Craig Keener notes, "The parable is intended to accent both the qualities of growth and contrast. Like the mustard seed, the kingdom's humble beginnings and unpretentious character offer no visible indication of its future growth and glory, but just as there is continuity between the tiny mustard seed and the resulting 'tree,' so there is continuity from the seemingly inconsequential beginnings in Jesus' ministry and the future glory of God's consummating reign. Thus even though the beginnings of God's kingdom as manifested in Jesus may appear unimpressive, it is casually dismissed at one's own peril."

How marvelously the parable of the mustard seed highlights the past, present, and future magnificence of the kingdom in which God reigns. Though the presence of the King among us may at times feel threatened and slight, his is a kingdom with an explosive promise: it is not the one who plants or waters; it is God who makes things grow. Even now God is working to that end of future glory, calling us to see the great tree in the seedling, growing all things in his time--even those with the tiniest of beginnings.

Comments: This week I know you received my letter/website forward. As you search to share this, I want to ask you to be diligent in prayer for God's will. It is his Kingdom we want to bring, not our own.

Here is one way I have approached sending this letter out:

Thanks Ryan, you have always been very open to dialogue and that is something I really admire about you. You have a keen mind and you are gentle towards your fellow man.

I don’t know if you already received the letter. I’m assuming you have not. There is an attached web address that the letter asks you to follow. When I first saw the video on this website, I wanted everyone to see it and I didn’t care about the consequences. Therefore, I sent it out to many people on my email list. Looking back, I wish I had not been so hasty and had asked permission first, as I have done with you. Adam is one whom I think got the original without any prior soliciting.

If I may, I would like to expound first on my reason for asking permission. There is a cultural perception of Christians that I am trying hard to overcome. The perception goes a lot like this: Christians are: judgmental, too political and anti-choice, anti-gay and anti-just about everything. Put it this way, if I know my neighbor is a Christian, it is likely because I know he votes pro-life or at least republican and that he goes to church on Sunday. It is unlikely that I know he is a Christian because I know he cares about me and my life circumstances. I don’t know he cares because he does not demonstrate that he cares and therefore is actually demonstrating that he really only cares about himself. Likely, with Adam and with many others whom I hastily sent the letter/website to, I have played right into this cultural perception that much of the church has earned so well.

So, I ask permission to speak into your life about the topic of abortion because I do not want to be that guy. I wish the video were edited to remove any mention of politics and we could simply look at what abortion is. Unfortunately, this is not the case. However, I still feel that the rest of the video is powerful and moving.

Thanks for letting me get all this out. I look forward to talking to you more.

Have a great Monday everyone. Keep praying for the upcoming elections here in the United States that His Kingdom come and His well be done. Consider joining the windfarm prayer initiative on November 3rd (9pm mountain time) and consider downloading the 'daily audio bible' podcast. This would be another connection for us as we grow together.

All for Jesus the Christ
I am Chad Livingston

Surprised by Suffering by Jill Carattini

Take approximately 5 minutes to read this shortened version of yesterday's 'A Slice of Infinity'. Post comments to the blog for spiritual collaboration. Please email your prayer requests too.

“we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. ” 2 Corinthians 4:8-10 NASV

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you;but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. ” 1 Peter 4:12-13 NASV

Slice of Infinity Snippets:
Mark Twain once said, “Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it's time to pause and reflect.” For those of us who live the faith we profess without challenge, trial, or risk, reflection may well be appropriate. Is it possible that we have so shut ourselves up in Christian circles that we have closed ourselves off from the unbelieving world and hence any chance of suffering for Christ? Is it possible that we are so at ease among the majority that we avoid venturing out as the minority among those who might hate or hurt us? Certainly we experience hostility and persecution indirectly; Bill Maher’s new film Religulous is one example among many. But how we are personally interacting with the angry, the lost, and the broken masses Jesus once wept over is another thing entirely. How effectively we live as “the salt of the earth” that Jesus described depends on our place and posture within it. Surely salt that remains content within the shaker has lost its saltiness.

The struggles of Christian students on university campuses, the sufferings of Christian aid workers across the world, and the daily trials of believers who live courageously in dangerous places are stories that frighten and sadden us. They are also stories that depict what can happen when the salt of the kingdom is allowed to season the earth. Gayle Williams is said to have been the hand of Christ among some of the world’s most forgotten. “Remember the words I spoke to you,” said Jesus to his disciples. “‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also” (John 15:20). And then he was led away like a sheep to the slaughter.

Prayer Request: Kathy Curtis enters her first Chemotherapy today. Please lift up Kathy for Strength, her husband Mike for courage and faith and her Children, Scott, Brian, Angela and Tammy for Faith.

Daily Audio Bible: For those of you with iPod's and other MP3 players, I want to encourage you to take a look at Daily Audio Bible dot com. I listen to the Word regularly through this group and I really enjoy it. They have started what is called the Wind Farm Prayer Initiative and will host a world wide prayer for the elections starting at 8p (Mountain Time) November 3rd. This will last two hours and we will be able to hear/see/participate in the prayers being lifted up. I would like to have a small group meet at my home for this prayer as well as see COUGAR cell groups around the country join this initiative. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Outreach: As the cold sets in, homeless are in more need of warmth. If you can spare any coats/blankets, please get them to me for distribution through the street church.

Let's invite more people to join the COUGARS group. Drop me their email address and I can send them a teaser.

May your day be filled with lasting memories,
Chad

Bittersweet by Margaret Manning

Take approximately 5 minutes to read this shortened version of yesterday's 'A Slice of Infinity'. Post comments to the blog for spiritual collaboration. Please email your prayer requests too.

“The harvest is finished,
and the summer is gone,” the people cry,
“yet we are not saved!”

I hurt with the hurt of my people.
I mourn and am overcome with grief.
Is there no medicine in Gilead?
Is there no physician there?
Why is there no healing
for the wounds of my people? (Jeremiah 8:20-22 NLT)

Slice of Infinity Snippets:
But beyond this, there are simply some realities in life that at times are overwhelming: the inevitability of ageing, death, and loss, poverty, hunger, homelessness, relational disruption, and many others. I grieve over those who find themselves on the losing end of things, who through no fault of their own always find themselves in last place or left behind. Lament arises from the despair of looking honestly at these realities for what they are, and wishing for something else. It is the despair that arises from not knowing what can be done or how to overcome.

Yet it has been said that “the cry of pain is our deepest acknowledgment that we are not home.” The author continues, “We are divided from our own body; our own deepest desires; our dearest relationships. We are separated and long for utter restoration. It is the cry of pain that initiates the search to ask God, ‘What are you doing?’ It is this element of a lament that has the potential to change the heart.”(3) If this is true, then sometimes my overwhelming sorrow, my feelings of bitterness over some of the harsh or inevitable realities of life are, in fact, the crucible for real change. The same waters of despair that seek to drown and overwhelm are the waters of cleansing. So indeed, let the tears flow, “for if [the LORD] causes grief, then He will have compassion according to his abundant lovingkindness.”(4) Let lament have its way of bittersweet transformation.

Comments: However often God must win, it is our most difficult but most triumphant loss. (Excerpt from Monday's blog)
Live By The Spirit! Present tense - "Go on Living!" (Danny / Elaine) Galatians 5:16

REAL relationships / POINT evangelism intro

Today, ask yourself this question:

How do I know God loves me?
Than ask, How do I convey to someone else that God loves them?

Our culture is filled with Modern and Post-Modern mindsets. Both of these are man made philosophies on living life. Moderns are prone to accept information before relationship. Whereas, Post-Moderns are likely to accept the persuasion of their relationships before, if not over, information.

Example: I know God loves me because:
Informationally- The Bible tells me so
Experientially- Someone who has loved me told me

In ministering to today's post-modern / post-Christian culture. I suggest getting people to FEEL that you care for them. I believe the modern mindset will also appreciate this approach.

At our church we try to implement POINT evangelism:
Personally touch people (Luke 10:25-37)
-Take time out of your busy schedule to look into their eyes and see the hurt of their lives, why they are the way they are; and why they do what they do.
- People are convinced that no one cares about them or what is really going on in their lives
Occasionally encourage them (Luke 5:27-32)
-People want to be touched at their point of pain, but then they want to be left alone.
-You must earn the right to be heard. In order to be heard, it takes time and a willingness to
build into the lives of people
I
N
T

Let's work on the first two this week. More to come in the weeks ahead.

May you be Christ to someone today.

Chad

Audio of REAL teaching and POINT evangelism

Triumphant Defeats by Jill Carattini

Take approximately 5 minutes to read this shortened version of yesterday's 'A Slice of Infinity'. Post comments to the blog for spiritual collaboration. Please email your prayer requests too.

So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, "Let me go, for it is daybreak."
But Jacob replied, "I will not let you go unless you bless me."

The man asked him, "What is your name?"
"Jacob," he answered.

Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome." Genesis 32:24-28 NIV

Slice of Infinity Snippets:
However often God must win, it is our most difficult but most triumphant loss. In this great surrendering that we find, as Fredrick Buechner says, "the magnificent defeat of the human soul at the hands of God."

Carrying the scars of a fresh wound, the humbled Jacob limped toward the brother he betrayed, on his way to becoming the father of a great nation. We, too, can be humbled by the God who refuses to leave despite the words we shout in protest and despite our constant refusal to surrender. We, too, can be awed by the God who says, "Follow me!" and expects us to trust that He will neither leave us nor forsake us. And we can marvel at the God who, carrying in his own body the scars of defeat, invites us to the very nearness that is our victory.

Comments:
I was reminded by God this weekend of something I have shared with some of you before. That is to say that the old adage of 'love the sinner, hate the sin' will likely not work. When we look at the culture around us and ask questions like, "why aren't they coming to me for help", and "why aren't people seeking me out for what I have?" I think we may be able to see that the perception at large of Christians is that we are hypocrites to the true Christ. People so often tend to see us as judgmental instead of healing. If you think about it, the biggest threat to religion in Jesus day, was Christ himself. And as our pastor said yesterday, and I believe he is right; the biggest threat to religion in our day is Jesus himself. Jesus comes to a broken world and offers healing. Is that what we are endeavoring to do? Or, are we endeavoring to tell people what they are doing wrong?

I believe if we can lead with our own brokenness, people will come to us. For, who wouldn't rather talk about someone else's downfalls rather than their own. And today's reading put this into a greater perspective for me as it helps us to look at defeat as a stepping stone. When God defeats us, we can not have won any greater prize.

As Danny and David (part of this Cougars group and long time friends) can attest, one of my biggest downfalls has been chasing girls. I have always chased girls for selfish reasons. Even to the point of hurting friends. Thank God for giving me a forgiving wife and for teaching me.

Love sinners(everyone), hate your own sin.

Risking Beauty by Jill Carattini

Take approximately 5 minutes to read this shortened version of yesterday's 'A Slice of Infinity'. Post comments to the blog for spiritual collaboration. Please email your prayer requests too.


“The LORD confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them. My eyes are ever on the LORD, for only he will release my feet from the snare.”- Psalm 25:14-15

Slice of Infinity Snippets:
I sometimes wonder if we have so stripped away the possibility of beauty in our encounters with Christ that we not only miss something real of God to behold in the world, but we miss opportunities to show the world the beauty of God--in hands and faces, in people who bestow crowns of beauty instead of ashes, in communities that repair ruined cities instead of causing further devastation.(1) Theologian William Dyrness laments the modern mentality that has somehow lost the sense of the “wholeness that beauty reflects.”(2) We are so mindful of beauty’s limitations; but isn’t it we who are limited as depicters of God’s beauty? “[When I look at] the moon and the stars that you have established,” sang David, “what are human beings that you are mindful of them?” (Psalm 8:3). Describing the very wholeness that beauty reflects, Dyrness continues, “Based on God’s continuing presence in the Spirit of Christ, God is somehow present in all beauty.”(3)
That is to say, the divine presence can be seen in the beauty of bringing the cup of cold water, in the stained glass mural of the great cathedral, or in the life that sits in broken shards before the potter. Moreover, if beauty is revelation, if creativeness is more than an object but an action of both play and work in God’s kingdom, if the Incarnation is a call to participate in the glory of God as persons who imbibe that glory, then there is most certainty in beauty the potential to save, for God is both the Source and Subject.

Of course, this is not to say that beauty is not a risk for the community of God. We are sinful and limited creatures in our ability to appreciate true beauty, and it is often an elusive concept to understand practically. We are artistically formed at the hands of a God who is far beyond us. We must indeed remember with David that it is we who fall short, we who must maintain the perspective of humility and keep before us a sense of mystery. But() we must also have the courage to risk beauty, living as those who recognize the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ and so choose to boldly proclaim and reflect this beauty in a world that would have otherwise.

Comments:
Can you find beauty today; In those you work with? In your family? In yourself?

Consuming Christianity by Jill Carattini

Take approximately 5 minutes to read this shortened version of yesterday's 'A Slice of Infinity'. Post comments to the blog for spiritual collaboration. Please email your prayer requests too.

“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.”- Psalm 19:14 NIV

“Starting with Samuel, every prophet spoke about what is happening today. 25 You are the children of those prophets, and you are included in the covenant God promised to your ancestors. For God said to Abraham, ‘Through your descendants^[a] all the families on earth will be blessed.’ Acts 3:24-25 NLT

Slice of Infinity Snippets:
There is a covered bridge in Georgia that extends over a scenic rushing stream. A well-worn trail leads its visitors to a succession of small cascading waterfalls over a series of massive rocks. Sitting atop one of these rocks recently, my husband turned to me and asked, "Do you ever think of the springs in France when you see a bottle of Evian for sale?"

My answer caught me more off guard than his question. I really hadn't ever thought of the springs, or the production, or for that matter, the importing that goes into the 20 kinds of bottled water we see on our grocery store shelves. In fact, I don't usually think about the origins of anything I consume...

Sociologists call this growing trend of perspective commodification, the progression of thought whereby the commodities we consume are seen in abstraction from their origins...

Author and cultural observer Vincent Miller writes of how such a manner of seeing and interpreting is making us more comfortable with engaging religion as commodity, lifting certain portions of a religious tradition from its context and historical background...

In Christ we live as recipients and guardians of a way of life in which belief and practice are intertwined with history, meaning, and hope. There is an origin to the grace we cling to; we are made whole because in Christ we are given a context, a story, a Source.

Comments:
When reading today's writing from Jill, I immediately thought of our detachment from Origin in the teaching of Cosmic Evolution. If we are not aware of the truth of our origin, how can we expect to be who God created us to be? Then, I thought of our culture of consumerism. Americans used to be producers and now we are mainly consumers. Consumerism leads to convenience and convenience to waste. We must be stewards and a return to ancient practices of stewardship should be in our sights. Finally, I thought of our need for a culture of LIFE. Without grounds for origin(God made me with a purpose) and with a convenience (serve me) mindset, we will make decisions based on what we 'feel' is best for us at the time. We need God's word to permeate our very beings on a daily basis; to be sustained by our God. As my friend Rich said in his devotional time this morning, "God still communicates the Truth to us through our hearts. (We) need to meditate on the Word of God and allow Him to lead (us). Lord, please take hold of our hearts and lead us to the Truth. Amen."

Take approximately 5 minutes to read this shortened version of yesterday's 'A Slice of Infinity'. Post comments to the blog for spiritual collaboration. Please email your prayer requests too.

My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify(Greek hagiazo set apart for sacred use or make holy) them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. John 17:15-18 (New International Version)

Slice of Infinity Snippets:
In one of the climactic scenes of The Lord of the Rings, the young hobbit, Frodo, laments the world he sees around him with all the tragedy and darkness that has befallen him. Looking at the difficulty in continuing on the path laid out before him, Frodo mourns, “I wish it need not have happened in my time.” Gandalf the Grey, ever his wise mentor, consoles him with these words: “So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work in this world, Frodo, besides the will of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the Ring, in which case you were also meant to have it. And that is an encouraging thought.”(1)

Like Frodo and the other members of the Fellowship of the Ring, we can so easily look around us and see the peril of the journey in this world. Our desire to avoid difficulty and pain, and our longing for another kind of world often distracts us from doing God’s work in God’s world, regardless of the times at hand. Yet, our longings for what is good, beautiful, and right for our world do not have to lead us to flights of fantasy, or to wishful thinking. Rather, our longing for a better world should compel us to action as witnesses to the gospel as the force of good for our world. Indeed, our longings can lead us to decide what we can do to make the best of the times we’ve been given.

Comments:
This past weekend a group of friends ran the Chicago Marathon with a cause of Pro-Life. Several thousand dollars were raised to give to many different organizations in an effort to end this injustice in America. To be part of this was something amazing. May I encourage you to look for causes that fight injustice and become part. There were several people running for causes. One shirt that stands out read, "Love Wins".

Share your passions with the group and lets move forward in service.

Thank you Pat (COUGAR) for adding fuel to the fire of passion for the Love of Jesus through service.

Incarnation Application by Margaret Manning

Take approximately 5 minutes to read this shortened version of yesterday's 'A Slice of Infinity'. Post comments to the blog for spiritual collaboration. Please email your prayer requests too.

Then I looked, and I saw a hand stretched out to me. In it was a scroll, 10 which he unrolled before me. On both sides of it were written words of lament and mourning and woe. And he said to me, "Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the house of Israel." So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat. Then he said to me, "Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it." So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.Ezekiel 2:9-3:3 (New International Version)

Slice of Infinity Snippets:
For most of us, the study of doctrine is best left to academics and theologians. If we’re honest, reading and studying theology is something most of us would like to avoid just as we’d like to avoid a root canal.

...The more I thought about the Incarnation, the more I realized that doctrine needs to be incarnational. Doctrine must be “enfleshed” in our very beings, just as our skin encases our bones and organs.

...Of course the preeminent example of incarnation is in the person and ministry of Jesus Christ. But incarnational doctrine begins all the way back in the Old Testament. God comes to be with his people in their wilderness wanderings as a pillar of fire and a cloud. God “dwells” among the people in the Ark of the Covenant, and then in the Tabernacle. Later, the Temple became the incarnational focal point of God’s presence with God’s people. Ronald Rolheiser suggests a profound incarnational application for this image: “The idea is that they should digest the word and turn it into their own flesh so that people will be able to see the word of God in a living body rather than on a dead parchment....We have to digest something and turn it, physically, into the flesh of our own bodies so it becomes part of what we look like. If we would do this with the word of God, others would not have to [only] read the Bible to see what God is like, they would need only to look at our faces and our lives to see God.”(1)

Could it be that we could so imbibe and ingest doctrine, and the beautiful teachings that come from God’s word into our lives, that they would radiate from our faces? That the way we lived, spoke, acted--even our very countenance--would give witness to the truth of God’s word? This is incarnation application. We incarnate God’s word, God’s truth and love, as our lives bear witness to Him. Doctrine is lived out, and our beliefs are enfleshed in our deeds and our actions, and even in our words. As St. Francis of Assisi said, “Preach the word of God wherever you go, even use words, if necessary.”

Comments: I notice quickly what types of Doctrine-especially worldly ones-people hold. Perhaps I am quick to judge. I pray that everyone I come in contact with recognizes the doctrines I hold. By 'eating' the clean things and avoiding the unclean, I pray I am radiating God's love.

Time and Transformation by Jill Carattini

Take approximately 5 minutes to read this shortened version of yesterday's 'A Slice of Infinity'. Post comments to the blog for spiritual collaboration. Please email your prayer requests too.

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 2 Corinthians 5:17 (New Living Translation)

Slice of Infinity Snippets:
To the one who has been united with Christ, the daily indwelling of God is a gift. Within our experience of time, the message of the gospel is all the more transformational, Christ is our moral influence daily, and through the Holy Spirit we are being further transformed into his image. But this kind of transformation is neither the dramatic change we often hope for, nor the steady linear progression we might expect. Like Paul himself, we find ourselves doing the things we don’t want to do, falling back into mindsets that need to be renewed, imitating a broken world more than we imitate Christ. Transformation at these times seems far less like Lazarus rising from the grave and more like a would-be butterfly refusing to come out of its cocoon.

But even here, Christ is surely near, the eternal urging us to see the potential in this very moment. Whether we make our bed in the depths, whether we fall repeatedly or seem to be moving backward, God is both near and at work. In the experience of time before us is the radical promise of transformation and the gift of looking glory full in the face. By the power of the Spirit, God takes the most wretched of creatures and changes him into the likeness of Christ, the most beautiful creature. Whether time is flying or standing still, for the worst of us,..., this is indeed good news.

Comments:
One way to experience God in your life is through service to others. May we start / continue to make space for unbelievers in our lives. This is as easy as saying hi or dropping someone a note and as difficult as inviting them over to your home.

Screaming Out Loud by Jill Carattini

Take approximately 5 minutes to read this shortened version of yesterday's 'A Slice of Infinity'. Post comments to the blog for spiritual collaboration. Please email your prayer requests too.

Why do you now cry aloud—
have you no king?
Has your counselor perished,
that pain seizes you like that of a woman in labor? Micah 4:9

Slice of Infinity Snippets:
In his book The Doctor and the Soul, holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl writes, "If we present man with a concept of man which is not true, we may well corrupt him. When we present man as an automaton of reflexes, as a mind-machine, as a bundle of instincts, as a pawn of drives and reactions, as a mere product of instinct, heredity, and environment, we feed the nihilism to which man is, in any case, prone."(1) Believing God is dead and humanity is the measure, the shrieking figure carries his philosophy to its logical response.

When the starting point is one without God, a philosophy of meaninglessness is an unavoidable outcome. Antitheists readily admit this, seeing meaninglessness as a logical consequence to life in a chance-driven world. And yet, they dismissively champion it as liberating or, at best, irrelevant. In an interview with Life magazine, paleontologist Stephen Gould stated plainly, "We are here because one odd group of fishes had a peculiar fin anatomy that could transform into legs for terrestrial creatures... We may yearn for a 'higher' answer--but none exists. This explanation, though superficially troubling, if not terrifying, is ultimately liberating and exhilarating."(2)

But is this really possible? I fail to see how meaninglessness can ever be liberating or a pointless existence irrelevant. Without screams of despair, I fail to see how we are to understand our lives.

Yet more so, how are we to understand our own cries?

Perhaps it is an incalculable error to determine our cries are not real and telling, the hunger for meaning not a signal of meaning's very existence. Screams of futility do not make sense if there never existed One to hear them. If life were at base merely chance and matter, there would be no need for purpose. Behind the cry of a life that searches for meaning, there is a mind that seeks the unsearchable and a heart in which eternity has been set. We cry aloud because there is a King.

Comments:
What does your world present you as? Reflexes? Material? Or maybe nothing more than chicken noodle soup that was struck by lightning? Don't listen. Don't trust in man's 'knowledge'. The issue is not the degree of difference between you and a monkey, but the difference is in kind. Trust in God who made you and formed you. Trust the one who knows who He created you to be.

What is Truth? by L.T. Jeyachandran

Take approximately 5 minutes to read this shortened version of yesterday's 'A Slice of Infinity'. Post comments to the blog for spiritual collaboration. Please email your prayer requests too.

Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the skies. Psalm 36:5

Scripture brings to light a quality of truth that is all too often lost in abstract discussions or in popular gnostic descriptions. Truth at the conceptual and content level must not be separated from truth at the practical level; the objective and verifiable must always be set alongside the existential and experiential. In other words, the answers we seek to questions of truth must satisfy our hearts even as they stimulate our minds.

The truth of God's being and character is far more than a set of creedal principles. This truth can transform our lives in terms of a loving and free relationship. From this God and his Word, we can receive true answers to the questions that are inherently raised within us. Who am I? Where did I come from? Why am I here? Where am I going? The answers God provides us are simple enough for a little child to understand and yet so profound that the deepest quest of the most sophisticated philosopher can be satisfied.

Comments: Yesterday, Uncle Jay commented on the actions of his son, Matt, and how as a boy visiting the streets of Chicago, Matt "would always go up and down the street giving his money to the homeless without any encouragement whatsoever he just saw they needed what he could give them, blessed are our youth and my we the adults never stop learning from them."

Here is a great example of what Truth really is - beyond concept or theory - Matt, even as a child, bore the image of his creator. Sacrifice of himself for others without regard to social status and without coaching. I know Matt, and although he likes to fight, he is also one of the softest persons in our family. Praise be to God for showing us our true character.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 1 Peter 1:3

Moving Beyond Ordinary Time by Margaret Manning

Take approximately 5 minutes to read this shortened version of yesterday's 'A Slice of Infinity'. Post comments to the blog for spiritual collaboration. Please email your prayer requests too.

"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. Matthew 6:2-5 emphasis mine

"When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. Matthew 6:16

September is a very important month for Jews and Muslims. For Jews, September contains two of their most high, holy days: Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. In the original language, Rosh Hashanah means "new year" and Yom Kippur means "day of atonement." What do these days entail for Jews? This is a time for serious introspection, a time to consider the sins of the previous year and repent before Yom Kippur. The ten days starting with Rosh Hashanah and ending with Yom Kippur are commonly known as the Days of Awe (Yamim Noraim) or the Days of Repentance.(1)
These "Days of Awe" are filled with wonder and worship, days of reflection, fasting and prayer, days of solemnity and solace. These are days meant to set the tone for the rest of the year even as they remind Jews to reflect on what has gone before. Among the customs of this time, it is common to seek reconciliation with people you may have wronged during the course of the year...Muslims similarly find September a month set apart, as it marks the month-long fast of Ramadan. Ramadan calls Muslims to concentrate on their faith and spend less time on the concerns of their everyday lives. It is meant to be a time of worship and contemplation, reflection and devotion.(2) ...Examining the practices of our Jewish and Muslim neighbors, we are reminded that every day should be a day of awe and devotion for followers of Jesus. Indeed, Jesus gave strong instruction to his listeners during the Sermon on the Mount recorded in Matthew's gospel. Jesus expected that his followers would engage in on-going acts of devotion like fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. ...The issue is not if we will do these devotional acts, but when we do them...While we may have very different reasons, beliefs, and expectations than our Jewish and Muslim neighbors, there is something to learn from their special seasons of devotion to enrich and even challenge our own Christian practice. ... And not just September, but every day and month of the year? Do not miss the opportunity for your own "days of awe" choosing instead to settle for ordinary time.

Comments: I have been told that when Daniel was caught praying and then thrown into the lions den, it is appropriately translated 'the prayer'. It is said that 'the prayer' of Daniel is a set prayer that was instituted around the time of Ezra after the exile to Babylon.
The • Shema: Deut. 6:4-9, 11:13-21, Numbers 15:37-41
• Amidah: (see below)(also called Shemoneh Esrei) This is known as the 18
benedictions or the standing prayers (created by Ezra)
• The Lord's Prayer

You can look up the Lord's Prayer and the versus above easily. Below I have added the Amidah. If you would like more info on ancient practices, see the book Finding our Way again by Brian McLaren

I would love to hear your comments on the Amidah

Bless you in Christ,
Chad

Amidah
(Morning, Afternoon, Evening)
O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise.
Patriarchs
Blessed are You, LORD our God and the God of our fathers, God of Abraham, God of
Isaac and God of Jacob, the great, mighty and awesome God, God supreme, Who
bestows loving-kindness and owns everything, Who remembers the gracious deeds of
our forefathers and Who brings a Redeemer with love to their childrenʼs children for
His Nameʼs sake. King, Redeemer, Savior and Shield! Blessed are You O LORD,
Shield of Abraham.
Godʼs Power
Your might is eternal, O Lord, Who revives the dead, powerful in saving, Who sustains
the living with loving-kindness, Who revives the dead with great mercy, Who supports
the falling, heals the sick, frees the captive, and keeps faith with those asleep in the
dust. Who is like You, Almighty, and who resembles You, O King? Who can bring
death and give life and can make salvation blossom forth! And faithful are You to
revive the dead. Blessed are You, LORD, Who revives the dead.
Holiness Of Godʼs Name
You are holy and Your Name is holy, and holy ones will praise You every day, Selah.
Blessed are You O LORD, the holy God.
Understanding / Wisdom
You bestow knowledge to man and teach understanding to mortals. Bestow upon us
knowledge, understanding and discernment from You. Blessed are You O LORD, Who
bestows knowledge.
Repentance
Return us O LORD, to Your Torah, and bring us near, our King, to Your service, and
bring us back in complete repentance before You. Blessed are You LORD, who
desires repentance.
Forgiveness
Forgive us our Father, for we have sinned. Pardon us our King, for we have
transgressed, for You pardon and forgive. Blessed are You O LORD, Who is gracious
and abundantly forgives.
Redemption
See our affliction, and fight our battle, and redeem us quickly for Your Nameʼs sake, for
You are a strong Redeemer. Blessed are You O LORD, Redeemer of Israel.
Healing
Heal us, O LORD, and we will be healed. Save us, and we will be saved, for You are
our praise. Cause complete healing to arise for all our ailments. For You are God,
King, Healer, faithful and compassionate. Blessed are You O LORD, Healer of the sick
of His people Israel.
Year of Plenty
Bless for us, O LORD our God, this year and all the kinds of crops for goodness, and
give a blessing upon the face of the earth. Satisfy us from Your goodness, and bless
our year like the good years. Blessed are You O LORD, Who blesses the years.
Ingathering Of The Exiles
Blast the great shofar for our freedom, and raise a banner to gather our exiles, and
gather us together from the four corners of the earth. Blessed are You O LORD, Who
gathers in the dispersed of His people Israel.
Restoration of Justice
Return our judges as at first and our counselors as in the beginning, and remove
sorrow and groan from us, and rule over us, You O LORD alone, with devotion and
compassion, and justify us in judgment. Blessed are You O LORD, King Who loves
righteousness and judgment.
The Righteous
On the righteous, on the devout, on the elders of Your people, the House of Israel and
on their remaining scholars and on the righteous and on us, may Your compassions
be incited, O LORD our God, and give a good reward to all who sincerely trust in Your
Name. Set our portion with them forever, and we will not be ashamed, for we trust in
You. Blessed are You O LORD, stronghold and security for the righteous.
Rebuilding Of Jerusalem
Return to Jerusalem, Your city, and dwell in her midst as You have spoken. May You
build it soon and in our days as an eternal building, and prepare the throne of David
within it quickly. Blessed are You O LORD, Builder of Jerusalem.
Kingship Of The House Of David
Cause the Branch of David to flourish quickly, and send us Your salvation, for we hope
for Your salvation all day. Blessed are You O LORD, Who makes the seeds of
salvation grow.
Acceptance of Prayer
Hear our voice, O LORD our God, take pity and show compassion to us, and receive
our prayer with compassion and favor, for You are a God Who hears prayers and
supplications. Our King, do not turn us away with nothing, for You compassionately
hear the prayer of Your people Israel. Blessed are You O LORD, Who hears prayer.
Temple Service
Be favorable, O LORD our God, toward Israel Your people, turn to their prayer and
restore the service to the Holy of Holies of Your House. And the fire offerings of Israel
and their prayers may You speedily accept with love and favor, and may the service of
Your people Israel be continually favorable to You. May our eyes behold Your return to
Zion in compassion. Blessed are You, O LORD, Who restores His Dwelling Presence
to Zion.
Thanksgiving
We gratefully thank You, for it is You Who are the LORD, our God and the God of our
forefathers forever. Our Rock, the Rock of our lives, Shield of our Salvation are You
from generation to generation. We shall thank You and relate Your praise: for our lives,
which are committed to Your power and for our souls that are entrusted to You; for
Your miracles that are with us every day; and for Your wonders and favors in every
seasonСevening, morning, and afternoon. O Good One, Your compassions were
never exhausted. O Compassionate One, Your kindnesses never ended. We have
always put our hope in You. For all these, may Your Name be blessed, exalted and
extolled, our King, continually forever and ever. Everything alive will gratefully
acknowledge YouСSelah! And may they praise Your great Name sincerely, O God of
our salvation and helpСSelah! Blessed are You, O LORD; Your Name is “The Good
One,” and to You, it is fitting to give thanks.
Peace
Grant peace, goodness and blessing; grace, devotion and compassion to us and to all
Your people Israel. Bless us, our Father, all of us as one, with the light of Your
countenance. For in the light of Your countenance You give us, O LORD, the Torah of
life and the love of devotion, righteousness and blessing, compassion, life and peace.
And it is good in Your eyes to bless Your people Israel at every moment and every
hour with Your peace. Blessed are You, O LORD, Who blesses His people Israel with
peace.
May He Who makes peace in His heights make peace on all of us and upon all Israel;
now let us respond: Amen.