Spirit Gives Birth To Spirit

An Excerpt From my Book: "Zen Christianity:" Jesus encouraged us to practice radical, unconditional forgiveness. It is the very type of forgiveness that has proven to have the most health and relational benefits for ourselves and others. Jesus says in his famous Sermon on the Mount, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’   But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.” ( Matt 5:38-41, NIV) He was presenting a radical forgiveness that was a way of life.  “If someone asks you to go one mile,” as the oppressive Roman soldiers often gave the Jews their packs and had them carry them, “go two miles.” He showed us an example of radical

     I think the semantics of that phrase is a nudge from God. Jesus is coming again on Tuesday. And Monday. And today. There is a collection of Jesus' parables in Matthew 25 about the Kingdom of God and when it will come.  Jesus relates this parable:  “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.

 “’…All these commandments I have kept,’ the young man said. ‘What do I still lack?’ Jesus answered, ‘ If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me. ’ When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.” I am sitting in Starbucks on Black Friday at 5:30 am.  There are cars frantically racing about outside on destinations to shopping malls and big box stores that promise deals for Christmas shopping. I don’t have the money to do likewise. That our society makes a holiday out of consumption is indicative of the consumption that drives our capitalist economy. But yesterday I spent the day in thankfulness with my family at Thanksgiving dinner.  We spent time with others whom we love, thankful for their comfort, and I thought upon all the gifts God had given us.  One blessing from earlier this year is this laptop.  I received a bonus at work from my new organization.  It is

              How to people come to know God?  It is different for everybody to some extent, but there are commonalities to most Christians' walk.  Usually, people in the United States were introduced to some sort of contact with a religious institution when they were children.  It may have been through and Aunt or Uncle, maybe a grandparent, or their parents may have taken them to church on Christmas and Easter.  Many had parents that attended church regularly and they grew up among their peers in Sunday School.  I think the majority of kids then fall away from these fledgling beliefs in their teenage years.  This is very common and it is often an outgrowth of establishing their independence from their parents and family.  But then something happens.  God begins to woo them back. Through senses, interactions with others, a spiritual book, perhaps even some tentative reading of scripture, God makes them aware of himself.  And then they inevitably go through some trial.  Trials lik

              Just who was Jesus?  That is a very complicated question. To most Christians, he is the divine son of God.  But this is based on a certain reading of scripture that is not necessarily shared by all. Exactly what does it mean?  This is not common to all, and is in fact different for every Christian. Who did his disciples say he was?  Jesus asked this of his disciples in Luke 9:18 – 9:22. “Once when Jesus was praying by himself, and his disciples were nearby, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” They answered, “John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others that one of the prophets of long ago has risen.” Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “The Christ of God.” But he forcefully commanded them not to tell this to anyone, saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law, and be killed, and on the third day be raised" (Luke 9). The “Christ of God” tr

I woke up at 9:00 this morning, threw some clothes on and headed out the door.  I was meeting with the a ministry leader at 9:20 that morning because I had expressed an interest in joining their care ministry at my new church. Just before I left, I sent him a letter that I had written that week for a young man who I had visited in the adolescent psych unit at the hospital.  I thought it would give the ministry leader some insight into my interactions with my care receivers, as I had been a Stephen Minister for 5 years and a lay chaplain at my previous church. When I got there, I sat down with the ministry leader.  We got to talking and I asked him what he did for work previously.  He said he was a pharmacist.  Then he said something that perked my ears: He said his first rotation was for a Psychiatric Hospital in Ohio.  He said there was razor wire around the high wall surrounding it and double locked doors on every ward.  I asked him if it was for people with mental issues that had co

Much has been written and sung about love.   From Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet to Johnny Cash and Bob Dillan.  To modern poets, writers and musicians. But what about Platonic love?  What about love of neighbor.  Well, pretty much the entire New Testament, and many parts of the Old Testament are about this kind of love.  But it is summed up best in Jesus’ teachings and actions.  In Luke 6, Jesus sums up what this kind of love looks like, “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.  To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to