March 28, 2007

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  Okay, so I got Bored! (With the same music for so long) I’m upgrading my musicplayer,
  now that I’ve got my own computer back. The Irish music is in there, but there are more songs mixed in.
  I’m using a code from before “the crash”, so bear with me..the Christmas music isn’t all out yet.

  
  

  for those who hadn’t read the previous post, I’ve just tagged this on,
  since this doesn’t seem worthy of an individual entry.

  
  

  blessings…Jim
  
  + + +

  
  

   

  
  

  Well, she’s done it again! ( taught the “old man”) I am back from the Gulf now, and was
  musing about what clever Irish anecdotes and sayings might be
  worth putting up. I drifted over to Noelle’s site 
  and found something I think is far more worth saying.
  Without further ado…

  
  

  “I wish that the Christian body could be more open about flaws and mistakes. I think that’s something that is ruining the church these days. Everyone has to come to church looking a certain way. The pastor is forced to make it look like everything in his life is going according to God’s will. No one feels that they are able to be honest about things that have gone wrong in their lives and places where they’ve strayed from God. It’s not that its not allowed. It’s just that no one wants to believe its a problem. Sure, we see it in our own lives. We know that there’s a bunch of places we’ve screwed up. But we don’t want to hear it from anyone else and no one else wants to hear it from us. At least, that’s the impression we’re giving off. But why?
  
  I think that the church is afraid of having weaknesses in its body. We’ve forgotten that the grace of Christ is supposed to be sufficient to wrap around all those bumps and cracks to make us a united body. I think that people have forgotten that church isn’t where you go to pretend to be what you want. It’s where you go to be what you are so that you can praise God as truthfully and wholly as possible.
  
  I don’t think that you can let Christ take full control if you can’t humble yourself and admit that you aren’t perfect. Sometimes I feel this imperfection should be stressed above the ways we’re growing and succeeding in our Christian walk. Not to the point where it drags us down, but the point to where others are aware of our struggles and can lend a hand in our journey to change and renewal. I don’t understand how growth can be accomplished without fixing your weaknesses. And this can’t be done outside the Christian body. I’ve noticed, also, that all too often Christians…myself definitely included…will take mental notes in church or when talking to Christians friends about things that will help to fix a certain problem, but the actual struggling and attempting to do so is done outside this context.
  
  
  Perhaps I’m just blabbering. But I think it would do everyone…and here again I’m definitely talking about myself too…a lot of good if we could just be open about our trials. I’m sick of welcoming praise but being slow…and feeling like its only acceptable to be slow…to share my faults and my mistakes and be humbled and challenged. I really think that would do the body of believers a lot of good.”
  
  
  Through youthful eyes the world is seen
  in ways we’ve long forgot;
  And through those eyes our faded dreams
  are kindled, bright and hot.
  
  Lord, let us not forget the flames
  You lit in just-born days;
  Oh Let Your Spirit Light in us
  the vision of Your ways!
  

  
  

                                                     © copyright 3/21/2007 james a. smallish

  
  

  from 1 Timothy 4:11…Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young,
  but be an example for the believers in your speech, your conduct, your love, faith, and purity.
  

  
  

  
   

  • 3:31 pm
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