Random News and Thoughts
Well, the students are back at Harding. Counting graduate students, we have around 6,500 folks........and included in that number are another record number of incoming freshman. Kudos to the HU Admissions Office! If you get a chance to see a replay of chapel today, by all means do so. Andrew Baker has a very heart-wrenching story, and then different people at Harding participate in "cardboard testimonies". It's a footwashing for sure. We did this at Downtown several weeks ago, and it was one of the most impactful services that I have ever been involved with. WELCOME BACK HARDING STUDENTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I am presently reading "Divine Nobodies: Shedding Religion to Find God". I am not very far into it, but it is REALLY good. Pick it up if you get the chance. It's out in paperback.
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Here is a challenge.......scan through the Gospels and look for people coming to Jesus seeking SPIRITUAL help as opposed to PHYSICAL help. Kinda mind-boggling. Any thoughts you have would be appreciated.
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The last book I read was "Soul Cravings" by Erwin McManus. Jerry Morgan had suggested I read it, and I try to read anything McManus writes anyway after reading "The Barbarian Way". Here are a couple of excerpts:
"If those who are the religious elite are closest to God, why is it that they are so rarely closest to love? If God is love, those who know God best would love people most. Jesus said he came not to condemn the world, but to bring the world life. Why is it that so many who represent him are ever so quick to condemn?"
"Religion exists not because God loves too little, but because we need love so much. In the end all religions misrepresent God. They either dictate requirements for love or simply become a requiem for love. I think many of us have given up on God on this basis alone. We've been told that God is a reluctant lover and his standards must be met before there can be any talk of love. This is lunacy. Love exists because God is love. Our souls will never find satisfaction until our hearts have found this love that we so desperately yearn for."
"God is not passive, for love is never passive, but always passionate; and passion always leads to action."
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Seems like something important begins this weekend. Could it be time for COLLEGE FOOTBALL?!?!?!?! I might watch a game or two this weekend, if I can find one I'm interested in. Did somebody mention a game in the Georgia Dome?
3 Comments:
Only two instances I can think of, when someone in scripture came to Jesus with a spiritual need or question: Nicodemus, and the rich young man ... and I'm not sure either of them came to express a need so much as to confess a kind of faith. They recognized their need in His presence.
The fact that so many more came to Jesus with physical needs - and faith that He could supply them - makes me wonder if the point is that we all think we know what we need ... until we meet up with Him, face-to-face.
Then we fall on our faces, like so many others in scripture, out of awe or respect or shame or pure awkwardness, realizing how much more He has to offer than the paltry pitifulness we're asking for.
Re those who came to Jesus: very disturbing thought, since I tend to discount those looking for physical help.
But I wonder why we seem to have such a hard time bridging the gap, even when we do try.
God bless you friend. I miss you & the folks in Searcy. Hook 'em.....Seminoles! (just can't convert)
TimC
The important thing is "they came". He didn't give them what they thought they needed but what they really needed. Jesus was indeed the first wholistic healer. He fixed the whole man didn't He?
Wow, perhaps in this post Bro' David there is tucked away a wonderful model for ministry! What if we aim to heal body and soul when the needy come to us?
Now I'm off to another study...
In Him,
Royce
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