Perfection

I just read this blog post from "Single Dad Laughing", which is the blogsite title. It is very intriguing discussion of the human condition the author calls Perfection. Here is the link - check out the thoughts posted.

I agree with this author and many others seem to connect with him too. Here is what he is saying after seeing the responses to his post....

Here are the numbers for the first week of the post:

Page views: more than 250,000
Facebook share count: more than 11,000
Twitter posts: more than 380
Comments: more than 800
Personal emails to me: more than 300
Blog mentions: more than 950
I do not share these numbers to boast the popularity of my work. I share these numbers to help you understand the importance of the message. The need for the message. The desperation for the message.

The message telling us all to be "Real".

What do you think? I must admit...at times I suffer from the Perfection disease...how about you?

Legalism - Legalist

For our working understanding of legalism, I'm going to defer to Chuck Swindoll and his take on legalism...excellent!

Chuck Swindoll defined the legalism problem as:

...when we get into areas that are not set forth in Scripture, either in precept or even in principle. These may be such things as length of hair, tattoos and other body piercings, skirts or pants for women, makeup or no makeup. Those are not scriptural issues. Sometimes these issues are cultural, and you do have to address them when you are in that particular culture. But I think legalism begins when you do or refrain from doing what I want you to do or not do because it's on my list and it's something that I am uncomfortable with.

Then, Chuck gives his blunt advice:

The problem with legalists is that not enough people have confronted them and told them to get lost. Those are strong words, but I don't mess with legalism anymore. I'm 72 years old; what have I got to lose? Seriously, I used to kowtow to legalists, but they're dangerous. They are grace-killers. They'll drive off every new Christian you bring to church. They are enemies of the faith. Other than that, I don't have any opinion!

So, if I am trying to force my personal list of no-no's on you and make you feel guilty if you don't join me, then I'm out of line and I need to be told that.

And everybody said: AMEN!

Moralism - A Moralist

Here is a working definition for what we will call moralism from The Jolly Blogger, David Wayne. I think it is a good one.

"When I describe moralism or a moralist I want to be careful to say that others may describe them differently. To my knowledge there is not commonly accepted definition of moralism that you might find in a theological dictionary or encyclopedia. So, I'll preface all of what I say here with an "it seems to me that . . . "

Those of us who use terms like moralist and moralism, use them loosely as a synonym for pharisee or pharisaism. There may not be an exact one to one correlation between the terms but it points us in the right directions. Moralists tend to follow the Pharisaic approach to life and ministry. Among other things, the Pharisees were characterized by:

1. A focus on external behavior.
2. A sense of moral superiority toward those who don't meet their standards.
3. A corresponding agenda of moral reformation in the lives of individuals and society.
4. A ministry of condemnation - i.e. it is very important to the moralist/phraisee to denounce sin.
5. A separatist mentality - "the world" as the moralist or pharisee sees it, is a source of corruption and defilement which they must avoid.

We could say more, but you can get the idea by just reading the gospels and observing the characteristics of the pharisees."

The Book of Eli discussion

Last Tues. night we gathered together to watch the movie, The Book of Eli. This is a very thought provoking and interesting movie. If you are more interested, just Google a review and check it out. I'm not in the business of movie reviewing or recommending, so you will be spared my opinions here. The movie did stir a few thoughts in my head regarding "church", the bride of Christ.

The movie has the classic protagonist (Eli, the hero - lead character) vs. antagonist (Carnegie, the character who opposes the hero) plot line, but there is much more. For me, Eli reprsented freedom and Carnegie represented bondage, oppression power and control. Carnegie used the classic means to wield power; money, possessions, food/water and sex.

Eli was pursuing a path that lead to freedom, yet he was distracted by the intensity of his mission, which shackled him in a greater purpose; relationships with others. In The Book of Eli, all elements of the good vs. evil story portrayed the human condition so beautifully.

The question that comes up for me as I reflect is; how does the "church" well intentioned as it may be, wield power and control over people. We recognize the obvious in world history, so I'm not going to dwell on events of the past, a sad story for sure. I am thinking of today. I would submit to you that in today's church, the use of power and control is witnessed in what we will call moralism and legalism. Do you agree? What are your thoughts? How would you define these two terms?

Please add your comments and we will define these terms next time. Thanks in advance for sharing.

Vic

Following the Light - The Way Out

The apostle John seemed to recognize the light and referenced the light as being a person.

See this...In the beginning the Word already existed. He was with God, and he was God. He was in the beginning with God. He created everything there is. Nothing exists that he didn't make. Life itself was in him, and this life gives light to everyone. The light shines through the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

God sent John the Baptist to tell everyone about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. John himself was not the light; he was only a witness to the light. The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was going to come into the world. John 1:1-9

John is announcing that Jesus is the Light and he was coming into the world. Jesus' teaching through the parables also points us to Light and its power to bring us out of hiddenness (darkness).

Parable of the Lamp

²¹ Then Jesus asked them, “Would anyone light a lamp and then put it under a basket or under a bed? Of course not! A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light will shine. ²² For everything that is hidden will eventually be brought into the open, and every secret will be brought to light. ²³ Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”

²⁴ Then he added, “Pay close attention to what you hear. The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given—and you will receive even more. ²⁵ To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.”

Parable of the Lost Coin

⁸ “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it? ⁹ And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin.’ ¹⁰In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.”

In both of these parables, Jesus seems to be bringing a certain signifcance to light. He seems to be saying that light is required for us to find the way out and that He is the light. He also is calling those who He is speaking to; to listen, pay close attention. He is impressing on the ones He is speaking to that this is very important.

He wants us to know Him and that He is the way out of the labrynth. The Light will lead us home. And home is where the freedom is, no more darkness, no need to hide in the labrynth of our minds and hearts.

What is required of us to access the power of the Light, to find the way out of the labrynth? More about that next time... your thoughts?

Hope in the Laybrinth of Hiddenness

Will you journey with me in finding the way out of the labrynth of hiddenness? You've come with me this far, so follow me into the place of hope for the way out of hiddenness. There is freedom in the Way. It is risky and messy but when one finally comes out from behind the mindless pathways of hiddenness in the labrynth, there is an undeniable release into life.

In the first century the apostles who were following Jesus were caught up with a life of hiddenness. There were so many voices competing with Jesus that were offering pathways out of a life of hiddenness. Most of the voices were saying, "this man can't be telling the truth, he can't possibly fufill our laws in himself, get back in the labrynth of laws where it is safe." Thomas asked this question of Jesus;

Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life... John 14:5-6

Jesus also said this to Thomas and the others. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10

Hmmm, you might be pondering all of this and saying, "here we go...this guy is taking me down the road to religion, not another one of those." Hang in there with me, as I've come to discover that Jesus didn't come to take anyone down the road to religion. I really believe the thief is involved in leading people down that road, not Jesus.

Below you will read a famous verse quoted all the time in the context of going to heaven. John 3:16 I have included the verses that follow because there is something for us here in the pathway to freedom from hiddenness.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

Did you notice the references to light there and contrasting light with darkness? In my understanding at this point, I think darkness = hiddenness. We all like the darkness, because we think we can't be seen. The labrynth of hiddenness is a place of darkness.

Jesus is referenced by the apostle John as Light.

Could it be that a way out of the labrynth of hiddenness be found in following Jesus? We will explore this possibility next time. Your thoughts?

Finding a way out

Finding a way out of the labrynth of hiddness is not easy for most of us. Many of us have spent years practicing and performing in the mental maze of hiddeness. We think we are protected there, so we keep searching for new protective pathways. The problem is that as we continue on this journey we are working our way toward exhaustion. We are headed to a turn in the labrynth that brings disillusionment and despondency because we can never find a pathway that fully and completely protects us.

We spend so much self-effort and striving to please others and to mask our real selves. It is really maddening and yet we keep on keepin on, and some times get validation from those around us who don't know any better themselves. And then the ulitmate, we think that all this effort and moral striving pleases God. It is all a lie. It is all deception and it will never lead to fulfillment.

We have lost sight of this truth, "Without faith (trust), it is impossible to please God". Hebrews 11:6 What is trusting in God all about you say? It is first about acknowledging our hiddeness, our efforts to be in control, make our own way, be all powerful. It is coming to grips with the fact that the life I've been living is all about me and I've been bluffing my way along, caught in this hideous labrynth. How to get free, how to find my way out, is there hope? Can you relate to the labrynth of hiddeness? Are you there now? Stay tuned, there is hope, there is a way out. There is good news.

Labrynth of Hiddeness

I have been thinking about labrynths lately. This thinking has been focused on relational hiddeness for me. I really don't know what the signifcance of labrynths are in ones spiritual journey. The pictures I share here are just to get you tracking with me as I talk about how humans (I) hide in relationships, and why this is so destructive. My context is mainly in the world of men, and that is where I will focus this blog post.

The labrynth that I visualize is the one above, made from shrubs. In this labrynth see how I could hide around the corners and get lost, seeking the next turn to stay away from you. It could be a fun game to stay hidden from you, as you try desperately to find me. It's the old "hide and go seek" game I used to play with my neighborhood friends, only this time in a labrynth.

Unfortunately, I have learned that I can play that same game with relationships and I don't need a labrynth. The labrynth of hiddeness exists in me. I have crafted the labrynth out of the pain, hurt and guilt I've experienced in relationships over the years. Actually I was born into the labrynth so to speak. Here is how that happened. Take a look at what is recorded in the Bible...Genesis Chapter 3 -

¹ Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"

² The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, ³ but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' "

⁴ "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. ⁵ "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

⁶ When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. ⁷ Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

⁸ Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. ⁹ But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?"

¹⁰ He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid."

Hiding was the response the first humans had after they disobeyed God and chose to be their own Gods. Adam and Eve set hiddeness in motion for the rest of us and we've been practicing it ever since...creating elaborate labrynths of hiddeness for our lives. We even deny and make excuses for our hiding, just as our ancient ancestors did in the Bible. Not much has changed over the centuries. There are more stories of hiddeness in the news every day.

The good news...there is freedom from the labrynth of hiddeness, and the cost for the freedom is free for you and me. Free for you and me, doesn't that sound good! In my next post I will share with you how I came into this freedom and am continuing to experience it in deeper ways every day. Love has everything to do with it, but that is for the next post. See you soon.

Winter Olympic observations

As a family, we have been enjoying the Winter Olympics together on television. The games are going on just north of us and several times we've been tempted to hop in the car, head to Vancouver, to see some events. Our enthusiasm was squelched when we found that ticket prices are just outrageous.

On the left is a picture of some Olympians who participated in the winter games of 1960. The games were held at Squaw Valley in No. Calif./Nevada. These athletes were true amateurs. I was explaining to Ellie and Carly, the Olympics are not for amateurs any longer.

Every event we watch, for the most part, is filled with what are essentially professional athletes. For me, an older guy, some of the Olympic intrigue and connection is gone. The sponsorship of these athletes is all about big money.

Seeing perseverance, teamwork and comraderie amongst the athletes is somewhat redeeming for me. I'll hang in there for a few more nights. It is a family night activity and a time for sharing too.

Open door to Bo's Cafe

Welcome to Bo's Cafe. We have good coffee here, occasionally we serve some amazing desserts, but that all depends on the chef, whether he's up to it or not. Guaranteed there are some interesting characters here. Bo's meets at www.boscafe.com but you can also find us at other places around the states. Sometimes the cafe gathers in a home. Stay tuned!

Bo's Cafe

Have you ever been to Bo's Cafe? I'm not sure many people have really and that saddens me. Why do so many people choose other places to visit, places that offer no hope, no help, no healing? Why? Why? Why? I had an acquaintance, we will call him Mack, who never entered Bo's Cafe. I gave him an invitation several times. I even said I'd go with him.

For whatever reason, he chose not to come with me. He lived in so much pain, so much confusion and so much brokenness. Bo's Cafe could have been a place of refuge for him. There he would have found men who would have welcomed him, listened to him and joined him in his pain. Mack often chose alcohol to numb his pain; alcohol instead of real relationships. He knew it didn't work for him.

I attended the celebration of Mack's life yesterday. There were quite a number of folks there sharing that Mack worked hard, played hard and tried hard in this life. He was a relatively young man; two teenage kids will miss him more than they know right now.

There is pain in my heart for Mack and guys like him. My comfort rests in that Mack is at peace now, no more angst, striving, struggling, brokenness or pain for him.

Let's turn to you. Would you come to me to Bo's Cafe?; a place of love, healing, forgiveness, freedom and grace-filled relationships with a group of broken people. Bo's Cafe is real and alive today. Stay with me for more and pick up the book, Bo's Cafe at www.amazon.com