“Live to be forgotten so that Christ may be remembered.”
– D. E. Hoste
(One of the Cambridge Seven who gave their lives to Christ in China from the late 19th century.)
Category Archives: definitions
Live
Lent
In the Western Christian world, the celebration of Lent began yesterday (Wednesday – I’m posting from Korea and its already Thursday here). In the reading on culture I have been doing lately, I have been reminded how very small (as a proportion) Western style Christianity is compared to the global church.
A moment ago I saw a tweet (from CT) that warned against turning Lent into a self help program with God as your coach.
Whoa, this really bears thinking about. Indeed, in our desire to receive blessing from celebrating the church seasons… let’s be careful that they are not ritual or tradition (remember what Jesus said about the traditions of man) for their own sake… or a self help program. You can’t help yourself; if you could, why was there an incarnation, a crucifixion and a resurrection?
Exalt Jesus through Lent, don’t engage in some false humility from guilt.
just friends?
A friend told me about an article he read in the AARP magazine. It was about a movie that apparently depicts friendship. The reason he mentioned it is that the article had a bit in it about four kinds of friends: must, trust, just and rust. The categories and their creator are listed at the end of the article HERE.
A must friend is the first one you call with big news.
A trust is one you can count on, but not quite in your inner circle.
A just friend is one who is an acquaintance.
A rust friend is one who has stood the test of time.
This bears thinking about. Who are your must friends? Who are your rust friends? Who, among your trust or just friends should you cultivate deeper relationships with? To whom should/could you be a must friend?
Filed under definitions, seeking understanding
Post-Christmas
Just got home from the Foley-Luper-Penno Christmas, this year at the Penno’s. As we were driving home from mid morning through pretty heavy traffic, I was thinking as I always do about the post Christmas feeling.
For me Advent is an awesome season because it is a time of anticipation of the holiday of Jesus incarnation. It is wonderful to think deeply about the Incarnation itself especially as we consider the helplessness of the baby Jesus. This was especially clear to me this year with a little William present. I was amazed as I was considering the helplessness of our 3 month old and realizing that God became a human, a baby… in a helpless condition.
Indeed this is what humility means, to lower oneself to serve another. In this case Jesus leaving heaven to come to earth to serve us through his birth death and resurrection.
To me the holiday seems to be over but the truth of Jesus’ work for us never ends.
I’m thinking about how we should truly celebrate Christmas by humbling ourselves and serving someone else.
Merry Christmas indeed.
Needed Wisdom from Sacred Chaos
Luke Davis has weighed in on two issues that need understanding: 1) the Duck guy thing and 2) Mark Driscoll writing scandal…
Read his thoughts:
The Kerfluffle Many Christians Have Overlooked
Okay. Everyone and their pregnant poodle have commented on the Duck Dynasty/A&E/Phil Robertson/Cracker Barrel’s foot-in-their-mouth controversy.
Christianity Today Magazine raised the question of idolatry… HERE
Filed under culture, definitions, seeking understanding
Guest Post: Significance of Christmas
I received this in an email… I was so encouraged by it that I asked to share here on KingdomTravelin.com, the writer lives and works among friends who are Muslim and will remain anonymous.
I feel passionate today. I just finished writing a talk that I will give in front of a very large group of students (mainly Muslims). The theme is: “What is Christmas”? After researching for many hours different sources I was amazed at how little was actually said about the true significance of this amazing event!
People focus on the fact that it is the wrong date, on commercialism, on various traditions, a few might even mention Immanuel etc.
To me (especially since I will be using things from within Islamic theology about Jesus) the true significance and uniqueness of Christmas is: ALMIGHTY GOD HAVING THE DESIRE TO DWELL WITH HIS PEOPLE, THEREBY FULFILLING OUR INHERENT LONGING FOR INTIMACY.
NO other faith or worldview offers a God who breaks into human history as a helpless baby (and then gives his very life for Creation). In every other system, God remains distant, and unreachable…..
How glorious that we have ABBA who reaches us, comes down and dwells among us—and yet it is just a foretaste of even better things to come.
I am thankful that I have been given revelation of this profound truth, and may many more receive this supernatural touch here and beyond!
Let us remain in touch with the Spirit and not get distracted by other spirits during this Christmas season!
kingdom travelin' 