Comments for ruminations

Comment on “Keep Yourselves from Idols!” by Howard Burgoyne

Howard Burgoyne — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:29:44 +0000

Have you seen Greg Beale’s book, “We Become What We Worship”? It’s a study of the Biblical theology of Idolatry. I remember being just our of seminary in the late 80’s when the stock market crashed – a number of folks in my church were besides themselves, caught up in the tumbled prices. I had no money in those days, hence no money in the stock market – and I recall the disparity of emotional responses. Now that I do have some money in the stock market, the question has come back in the last year – am I fundamentally attached to the markets of this world or to the Kingdom? Do I inflate/deflate with the money cycles of Wall Street or am I fixed on the fortunes of Christ and the advance of His Kingdom?

Comment on Stories of God @ Work – @ Work! by Sherry Neuner

Sherry Neuner — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 23:18:24 +0000

My job as a teacher intrinsically requires me to be in relationships. There is a team of teachers with whom I work, an extensive support staff for my special needs students, administrators who keep the flow going, and oh, yeah…the kids, the reason why we all are there! Knowing that my calling is to public schools forced me long ago to focus on the meshing of my life as a Christ follower and one of a public servant. Using those two terms helps to keep me ever aware that there is NO separation between church and state in my heart and world. So when there is a co-worker going through tough times, I tell them I will pray for them. I seek the Lord’s guidance daily when it comes to doing my job in a way that brings my students up to the next level in their learning process. I pray to keep a right attitude and cheerful countenance among my peers. And I certainly make good of many opportunities to give God credit for what He has been doing in me, and for me, in the work place and in my personal life. My co-workers have seen me in some shining moments, as well as in some where my humanness has been very evident… all of that is real, authentic, but so is the grace I have to give each day and the willinness to let Him work to get me through those not-so-stellar moments. Every day is a day to work as unto the Lord in an environment where He has placed me before others. This may all sound like I am tooting my own horn…far from it. My teaching abilities are absolutely a gift, and He has allowed me to hone them over the years. My success is not mine, but His. (You can’t work with middle schoolers and think for one minute you actually have any control!!) It is Him, and only Him, who has gotten me through these many years. It is He whom others see when they see my skills. I am His vessel, filled, and being spilled out as a spiritual act of worship where I work. I feel so blessed to be His hands and heart in my school.

Comment on Merton – on Suffering and Oneness by Greg Hudson

Greg Hudson — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:46:52 +0000

Good afternoon, Lyle. Good stuff from Thos. Merton. As it turns out, my path has also been winding through the writings of Merton the last couple years. I have also found wisdom in his book “Spiritual Direction & Meditation,” and spiritual direction in “New Seeds of Contemplation” and “Contemplactive Prayer”–though these are for those called to a more contemplative spiritual path.

And he also openly, bravely moves toward a more shared spiritual space and understanding with various Eastern spiritual traditions, including Mahayana/Chan/Zen Buddhism (“The Zen Birds of Appetite”) and Taoism and a Taoist master (“The Way of Chuang Tzu”).” He goes open-heartedly and open-mindedly where God’s Spirit leads him. And broader, deeper understandings often follow.

Comment on Stories of God @ Work – @ Work! by Kim Ellery

Kim Ellery — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:14:05 +0000

I am a painter. God has blessed me with the ability and desire to create images and translate them the way I see them, and praise Him at the same time. When my paintings are on exhibit, people will ask me about the painting, it is then that God gives me the opportunity to witness His Grace and Glory.
I have one series of Paintings called “HOPE AND GLORY”. The first of the series hangs in my home. All though there are many paintings hanging, this one is always talked about.
The image is a beautiful bird. She is chained to the world. Her body shows the world holding on to her, she is in anguish. Everything she has is reaching for God, which is interpreted by a rainbow. The point I was tring to make in the painting is that no matter how bad things get while we are here on earth, we always have God, and we must keep our focus on Him. He is our HOPE!

Comment on Stories of God @ Work – @ Work! by jt

jt — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:49:08 +0000

On work

This is a simple tale of working with and around people, most of whom are not followers of Christ.

I enjoy many aspects of my job. Often I would say to myself, “This would be a fabulous job if it weren’t for the people.” God has made us to be part of community, and like it or not, working around people is the only way anything good happens!

In the cycle of ‘putting time in’ (ie: making a living and staying with one company for many years): In the beginning everything is new and exciting, which is good. Thinking that, ‘Yes, I can make a difference here’. Then the attitudes of others start to creep into my being. Yuck, yuck and more yuck; the discontent with management wage freezes, etc. You get the picture. All of this starts to cloud my vision. I find it hard to put a smile on my face. Where has my joy gone? My feet feel like I’m wearing lead shoes. It becomes more and more difficult to move through the day; sort of like running while your in chest-deep water. But then, comes the series we are hearing at Christ Church about our call to be salt and light in our homes, work place, and our world. To find my identity and recognition in that,”Hey! I am a child of the King of Kings, with a call to be more than what the world sees, for our home is not of this world anyway.”

Now, keeping this mindset, I find the troubles of the day aren’t so big, for nothing is going to happen that my Lord and I can’t handle. It’s great to have Him at the helm.

Comment on Bach’s Bible by mike bell

mike bell — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:57:26 +0000

Hi Lyle,

Thanks for sharing this. My mother’s love for J.S. Bach’s music was passed along to me at a young age and his music has captivated me from a child. I remember going to a concert in San Jose CA in the 70’s that featured the reknown organist Virgil Fox. It was almost exclusively Bach pieces because Fox absolutely adored Bach and set him on a pedestal just below the Lord himself. I remember Fox launching into a tirade about the so called “scholars” who claimed that nothing could be read into Bach’s music concerning his own personal beliefs. Needless to say, Fox thought this was “rot” and how could one not contemplate the heavenly lyrics and music of the B Minor Mass and not be thoroughly convinced of Bach’s “soul cry”. Carmel CA (where I was born) also has an annual Bach festival that features some of the best musicians in the world devoting their talents to performing Bach’s Spirit inspired works. If you ever get the chance…GO! I look forward to meeting this marvelous man of God someday!

Comment on A Poem…and a ’shocking’ Question by Barry Kerr

Barry Kerr — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 20:20:46 +0000

What does it mean to Live the Christian Life Through Grace?

Comment on A Poem…and a ’shocking’ Question by Stephen Mook

Stephen Mook — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 20:11:29 +0000

In her uncertainty of what prayer is, she seems to have found it’s essence; honesty through the poetry and divine presence of living each moment fully present.

Comment on Pray the Psalms (Jesus did!) by David Goodreau

David Goodreau — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 18:10:30 +0000

Thank you, Lyle, for the series on “Praying the Psalms”.
It has been a source of strength during some difficult times for me.

Comment on U2, Twitter, and What I did today by Cheryl Lavornia

Cheryl Lavornia — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 13:20:45 +0000

Hey, nice coverage and discussion of U2 by Dick Staub. Did you hear his “shout out” to you in the first coverage of Angels and Demons?