Posts Tagged: "Walter Brueggemann"

holy saturday post

So that the world may be made Easter new, without greedy lack, but only wonder

- - Life With God, Uncategorized

Thankful Notes (#237)

This was a good day. Maybe not a typical Saturday, but still… good. My dad has been in his new house next door for two nights now and we are in the beginning stages of establishing a new rhythm.

Tomorrow is Easter Sunday, and, of course it will be different.

I’m not 100% OK with that, but then again, I have no power to change these things. I am proud of what our church is doing. Years and years ago, I remember hearing Pastor Tommy Barnett talking about, “When you poke something, what does it bleed?”

Our church bleeds serving and giving… and something about that reminds me of Jesus.

We will have our Drive-Thru Food Bank tomorrow at 10am and 5pm. Groceries and toiletries and Easter baskets for kids will be handed out to anyone who comes through. And I know a good number of our church family will stop by with donations.

kainoa for post

We also have a special Easter edition of our NWLife Weekly Conversation Video Podcast featuring some beautiful music performed by our band, and an Easter story summary told by one of our own kids—Kainoa, and an outdoor sunrise reading of John chapter 20 by Shannel, and a conversation among the teaching team about what Easter means to us.

shannel reading for post

While my heart longs for a different kind of Easter Sunday, it is also at peace and fully satisfied with what we have managed to do as a church in these strange times.

I hope you will join us, either in person or online, tomorrow for the most unique Easter of our lifetime.

An Easter Prayer by… Read More

a summons to a different way of life

Lent Day 12… A Summons To A Different Way Of Life

- - Life With God, Uncategorized

From Walter Brueggemann (Devotions For Lent: A Way Other Than Our Own):

One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see. —John 9.25

The confrontation between the authorities and the man who can now see is a dramatic one. It is a contrast between old established truth that keeps everything under control and assures certain entitlements, and on the other hand new inexplicable possibility by Jesus and eventually his people.

So imagine us as participants in this great drama. Standing before Jesus is the one with new life who worships him and the defenders of old truth who refuse him. They each and all must decide about Jesus. It turns out that seeing is to accept Jesus and blindness is to refuse him.

And now we stand before the new chance of gospel possibility and old managed truth. Old managed truth, like the rule on the Sabbath, takes… Read More

first sadness then gladness post

Lent Day 11… First Sadness, Then Gladness

- - Life With God, Uncategorized

Today’s Lent post is from Walter Brueggemann’s devotional book, A Way Other Than Our Own.

Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.

Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep.

—Luke 6.21b, 25b

In his “woe,” Jesus reviews the “laugh now” party. The “laugh now” party consists of those who celebrate the way things are, who benefit from the way things are. The “laugh now” party is filled with buoyancy and confidence, looks extremely well fed, speaks only positively, and sleeps unhindered at night.

Jesus says of the “laugh now” sect: “You will mourn and weep.” You will have your laughter silenced. You will plunge into grief when the bubble bursts, as it surely will. You will face loss, because… Jewish control will not last and because the Empire of Rome, like every empire, will pass away soon. And you will be left bereft.

Mourning and grieving and weeping have to do with… Read More

lent come back post

Lent Day 1… An Invitation To Come Back

- - Life With God, Uncategorized

I’m planning on blogging through the 40 days of Lent – sharing from some of my favorite Lent devotional books, as well as some of my own thoughts. Today’s post comes from Walter Brueggemann’s beautiful little book, A Way Other Than Our Own.

Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake their way, and the unrighteous their thoughts; let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. —Isaiah 55.6-7

The face of God shown here is of a Lord near at hand, ready to forgive, a God of grace. But this is a… Read More

trap false self post

The Trap of Marketing a False Self

- - Life With God, Uncategorized

Humans long for unconditional love, but market a false self to get unconditional love. Hence, our true selves are neither known or loved. —Bruxy Cavey

I wear fake glasses. Let me explain…

About 18 years ago, I had LASIK surgery on my eyes. Since that time, I’ve pretty much had 20-20 vision. I don’t need glasses – not for reading, not for distance, not for vision.

But I started wearing fake glasses a while ago. They seemed like a nice decoration for my head (I’m bald, so there isn’t much else happening on my head). Glasses also frame in my eyes nicely—hiding the fact that I don’t really have eyebrows. And one more thing… glasses can make you look smarter.

So I wear fake glasses. Not all the time. I wear them on Sundays at church. I wear them when I’m dressed up and going out. Basically, I wear them once or twice a week. And the rest of the time there are no decorations on my head.

The funny thing about my fake glasses is: people who mostly only see me on Sunday don’t recognize me when they run into me and I’m NOT wearing my fake glasses. It’s almost as if they only know the “decorated” me, not the undecorated real me.

In a small way, this demonstrates the trap of marketing a false self. People see the image you project while failing to discover the real you.

And when people love, respect, or admire the projected you, the real you is… Read More

BETTER POET POST

If You Want To Be A Better Christian, Work To Become A Better Poet

- - Life With God, Uncategorized

From Professor Richard Beck…

A few months ago I was giving a chapel talk to ACU Honors students about what I called “the poetry of the Christian life.” The ideas were taken from Walter Brueggemann’s book Reality, Grief and Hope.

I shared three things with the students.

First, I said, when you look at the poetry of the prophets you see three different sorts of poetry, each with a different emotional tone. The prophets sing three different songs.

The first song is prophetic rage and indignation. This is the cry, “Let… Read More