i am completely over the whole rob bell public bashing, public defending, long back-and-forth status comments thing and so i am hoping this will be my last post on the matter, but i think this is a valid point [and the title which i thort of as i came in here to write is pretty relevant as well] i recently read this comment at the end of another long rob bell - is he a [...]
just watching the rob bell furore that has swept up has once again brought something to the fore which i think needs comment and some thort by people who claim to be Jesus-followers... one of the accusations that has been made against rob bell is that he is a universalist which as i understand it is someone who believes that everyone is going to end up in heaven, and by definition no one ends up [...]
been wandering around the simple way page and reading thru a couple of shane's articles and really being inspired and challenged and challenged to inspire... here is an extract from 'Downward Mobility in an Upscale World', an article by Shane Claiborne "Over the years I have come to see how charity fits into — and legitimizes — our system of wealth and poverty. Charity assures that the rich will feel good while the poor will [...]
years ago a book called 'Velvet Elvis' came out by this new kid on the block, rob bell, and everyone was reading it and telling me it was the greatest book ever and blah blah blah... i eventually got hold of it [was going thru my phase of taking my time to rush to trending books] and read it and didn't particularly dig it all that much - it was ok and there were some [...]
so back in new year's times i met a guy called gabe at an event i was mc'ing and it wasn't the greatest of meetings - we had a difference of opinion over some or other thing, i blogged about it without using his name (altho everyone who had been at the event knew who i was talking about) and he (and more particularly his friends) didn't like that i did that so much (some [...]
not to be confused with 'can't i just enjoy this big thing first?' some people refuse to let go of stuff. and it kills them. some people it actually genuinely physically kills them, cos you can trace ulcers and other stress-related diseases and conditions to the unforgiveness and disappointments that they held onto for a considerable amount of their lives someone once said "holding onto unforgiveness is like drinking a cup of poison and hoping [...]
i came across this article about barack obama's personal faith and the unsurprising statement that it is the call to look after 'the least of these' [matthew 25, sheep and goats parable] that keeps him focused... very cool... excerpt from article below - link to full article and clip here 'President Barack Obama gave an unusually personal speech about his religious faith on Thursday, saying that "it is the biblical injunction to serve the least [...]
so i really want to punt this site again - think my beautiful wife valerie put me on to it - it's called common prayer and it basically has like a prayer devotion for the day so usually a bit of an extract of some significant story (today was on Rosa Parks, who refused to give up her seat on the bus in the states which ignited the whole civil rights movement) and then a [...]
i am really enjoying the site common prayer which gives a prayers (or prayers) and sometimes a brief uplifting story - i struggle to spend much time in prayer myself day to day in terms of just putting time aside to really dive into God, but i have found this site helpful just to help direct my prayer times or get me started or focus more... i really enjoyed today's story... Marcella of Rome (325 – 410) [...]
if you haven't yet, first read the previous blog link to the shane claiborne article on prayer - and then check out this site which appears to have a prayer or prayer list per day - i think this is going to be something that will help direct my prayers as i think i am a particularly bad pray'er and something like this to stimulate and direct and get me started might be just what [...]