Lori’s Reflections
When I was a child, I made a promise to God. To be honest, I can’t really remember what it was. All I remember is that I broke it. And I was devastated. It took some time before I got up the courage to ask our pastor if God could ever forgive me. Of course the answer was yes, but it took still longer for me to believe it.
So I challenge you to take a minute and read all the promises God has made to you in the Bible. They are very personal. And know that they are absolutely set in stone. Tell them to yourself so you better understand who God is and how he feels about you. It will change you, I promise. No really, I do.
Shea’s Reflections
“If the tender yearning is gone from the advent hope today there must be a reason for it; and I think I know what it is […] popular fundamentalist theology has emphasized the utility of the cross rather than the beauty of the One who died on it.”
~Tozer
Pragmatism is defined as “an approach that assesses truth or meaning of things in terms of the success of their practical application.” Pragmatism is evil. Or least, it is when mis-applied. The saying… “When you are a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” is helpful here – pragmatism sways us to judge everything, and everyone, in terms of whether they are useful to us. As Janet once sang… “What Have You Done For Me Lately!?!” – and I fear we ask the same of Christ in these days of wide-spread ADHDeity. We don’t often intently seek the inherent goodness, the innate beauty, the intrinsic truth – we look at squirrels instead. And if something isn’t “working” for us, we toss it like slightly stale cookies rather than holding on to hope for which we were called by our Creator and Savior – the Almighty.
But at the same time, please be aware that we are victims as much as we are offenders here. Nurture and Nature have been stacked against us in this regard and so I will not ask you to rev up your power banks and just “do better”, nor will I ask you to pick up your swords and slay the pragmatic beasts as they come at you one by one. I only encourage to you see them for what they are, and then lift your eyes to your Champion – the Pioneer and Perfecter of your faith – the One who will arrive in glory.