In Yoke

On 9/7/08, the Waco Tribune Herald posted a front page article regarding the selection of Gov. Sarah Palin as the GOP nomination for VP, and sought to draw a parallel with our culture's acceptance of women being qualified for service to their country, at the highest level, and the current growing phenomenon of women serving as senior pastors in seemingly conservative, evangelical protestant churches. Will this move affect the SBC's stance against women pastors? Terri Jo Ryan interviewed DorisAnne Cooper, pastor of Waco's Lake Shore Baptist Church to obtain her views on the matter. I thought DorisAnne did an admirable job in vetting the issues. (Although I would not classify Lake Shore as conservative, or evangelical. :)) Several things have emerged from this ongoing discussion that I feel strongly about. I will begin by posing them as questions --to more effectively frame the discussion: 1 . Is there truly a parallel between the qualifications between (A)secul...

I am not looking for enemies. I don't think any of us do that intentionally.  However, I was drawn to this prayer from the horrors of Dachau concentration camp in 1945, written by a Serbian dissident Orthodox Bishop,  Nicholai Velimirovic -  who defied the Nazis when they overran Yugoslavia in 1941--before they attacked Russia.  His perspective was undoubtedly sharpened by his encounters with the bloodthirsty Nazi tormentors at Dachau.  He was driven into the arms of the Spirit. Oh to become as attuned to the grace of our Lord, without the torments of enemies. I am refreshed by his deep perspective. Taken from “The Illumined Heart” by Frederica Mathewes-Green The Prayer of Bishop Nicholai Velimirovic of Serbia .   Written from Dachau prison in 1945. "Bless my enemies, O Lord. Even I bless them and do not curse them. Enemies have driven me into your embrace more than friends have. Friends have bound me to earth; enemies have loosed me from earth and demolished all...

"Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression, and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love." -Martin Luther King ________________________________________________ "Hostility is like an infectious   disease. Whenever we indulge in a violent act or even in hostile words, we are passing this disease on to those around us. When we quarrel at home, it is not just a domestic problem; we are contributing to turmoil everywhere."- A teacher of meditation in ancient India, Patanjali , wrote that in the presence of a man or woman in whom all hostility has died, others cannot be hostile. In the presence of a man or woman in whom all fear has died, no one can be afraid. This is the power released in true nonviolence, as we can see in the life of Mahatma Gandhi. Because all hostility had died in his heart, he was a profound force for peace.---   Eswaran I have struggled with this concept for my whole life, and only now , as I app...

Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. --Matthew 13:12 This is a strange paradox, a little-known secret. Jesus isn't speaking of worldly goods. He is speaking of a very rare kind of treasure: the more you draw on it, the more you will have. For instance...The more patient you are with people, the more patience you will have. The more generous you are today, the more generosity you will have tomorrow. The more love you give, the more loving you become. The principle can be stated in the plainest of terms: if you are selfish with your love, the scant security you cling to will be battered by life. But if you give of yourself freely, your security will be unshakable. Your joy will be limitless. You will always have more to give.--Eswaran I see this mystery at work in all sorts of ways as I seek to become more open to the mind of Christ, and allow the Spirit to guide the way my heart is listening. W...

It seems that sometimes in life, we must simply let go, and stop clinging to "our stuff" --in order for the satisfaction and blessing of God to be realized. I "gave up" the college ministry and the desire to lead and to influence---and have been able to witness the able team building and leadership of my dear friends and respected colleagues flourish and bear fruit. Yesterday at Calvary the fruit of their planning and organization, and inspiration was so evident. Students shared their experience as a part of the Calvary fellowship, and many students were in attendance...50 in bible study alone...what a time. Becky and Charlie, Jeff, Genevie, Ray and Mallory--were all so lucid and effective in communicating their hearts about what the fellowship means to them. Inspiring, and so confirming. I am blessed to be able to step back in and simply be a team member...and a mentor to students--the role I most appreciate and through which I am most blessed...my fellow team memb...

The wine of life is oozing drop by drop, the leaves of life are falling one by one. -Omar Khayyam "Like leaves, we come into this life, are here for a few days, and then are gone. Nobody remembers us, and nobody misses us. As long as we believe that we are separate, we inevitably have to die. Our immortality is in the whole, which never dies. In living just for personal profit and pleasure, no matter under what philosophical name we may call it, our real personality withers away. It cannot be otherwise. When you become aware that you are not a leaf but the tree, something amazing happens in your life: you are able to act spontaneously, almost effortlessly, for the good of all. This is the proof of your awareness that you are the tree: everywhere it will motivate you, everywhere you will see what contribution you can make. You won't have to deliberate the pros and cons. You won't need a computer to provide you with a plan of action. You will know instinctively, intuitively,...

I went to the root of things, and found nothing but Him alone. -Mira Bai "The Lord is not someone outside us who lived in a given place at a given time. He is right within. " [Luke 17:20-22] from Eswaran : "Throughout creation, God is the principle of creativity itself. Even some of the greatest scientists and philosophers have yet to grasp this simple truth. One well-respected astronomer calls it cowardly to conclude that God created the universe just because we cannot comprehend the conditions of its creation. This great scientist is still thinking of God as someone outside, holding court beyond the Andromeda galaxy; he hasn't glimpsed that all this is God, and wherever there is light, or beauty, or excellence in anything, we are seeing a little more of His glory. But, as Mira says, to see this vision we cannot just stay on the surface of life picking up a few baubles of pleasure and prestige. We have to get deep, deep below, and go to the root of all things."...