My Weekly Devotional

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revsdd

revsdd

Well-Known Member
As I said a few days ago, for several years I've published a more or less weekly devotional message through my blog, distributed online through Twitter, Facebook, etc. I'll start sharing it here and see if it's of any interest or value to people. I'll just update this every week with my latest offering. Responses and thoughts are always welcome.

For the week of November 28, 2016:
"... Moses said before the Lord, “Listen! I am unskilled in speech, so how will Pharaoh listen to me?”" (Exodus 6:30) Speaking truth to power. This was the dilemma that was facing Moses at that moment. God had asked Moses to speak the truth to power: to go to Pharaoh with the demand "let my people go." And - understandably enough - Moses was hesitant. "How will Pharaoh listen to me?" he said. And it was a good question. And it remains a good question for people of faith today - why would "power" listen to us? And it seems to me that - with tragic consequences - the question causes people of faith (and the church corporately) to react in one of two ways. First, we can become very insular. So we think only about ourselves and we care only about ourselves and we stop trying to make any sort of difference in the world around us - because why would anyone who matters listen to us anyway? Or there's the second option. Sometimes we choose to accommodate ourselves to or even ally ourselves with those in power.We become a part of the power structure. But when you're a part of the power structure it's hard to hold the power structure accountable. So we might be listened to, but what we're saying isn't the radical, world changing message of Jesus. This was the tragedy of christendom: the church gained worldly power and then compromised itself to try to hang on to it, choosing not to speak the truth to power but to turn a blind eye to power. Moses had to face this dilemma. "How will Pharaoh listen to me?" Well, maybe Pharaoh wouldn't. But God freed the people anyway. And maybe the powers today won't listen to us. But God will still be active. We should never be afraid to speak the truth to power, or despair that we can make a difference when we do, or just give in in the hopes of sharing in worldly power. We should simply speak the truth - God's truth - to power. The results of that witness we leave in God's hands.
 
For the week of December 19, 2016 I'm reflecting on a story about a church in Dundalk, Maryland that's being threatened with a $12000 fine unless they refuse to allow homeless people to sleep on their property. It made me think about the innkeeper who had no room in his inn for Mary and Joseph - but at least found them something rather than just leaving them on the streets. It also made me think about our responsibilities to the poor and homeless, and the cost involved in being disciples of Jesus.

http://randomfaiththoughts.blogspot.ca/2016/12/a-thought-for-week-of-december-19-2016.html
 
Looking ahead to the new year this week. Reflecting on how bleak many people found 2016, and how many seem to think 2017 is even bleaker. So I turned to 1 Peter 3:15 ("and always be ready to make a reply to anyone who asks you to explain the hope that is in you.") People of faith should always have hope. Hopefulness should be a natural condition for a disciple of Christ. How should that show itself? How do we explain it?

http://randomfaiththoughts.blogspot.ca/2016/12/a-thought-for-week-of-december-26-2016.html
 
I was a little late getting to my devotional writing this week. Lots to do. I wanted to reflect a little bit on the idea of leadership, which is much in the news lately, but didn't want it to become just a reflection on the news or a shot at anyone in particular. I've been doing some personal study on Exodus recently, and lately I've been looking at the plagues Egypt suffered and I thought there was a connection between that story, and how to exercise leadership - both poorly and wisely. So, here's what I came up with:

http://randomfaiththoughts.blogspot.ca/2017/01/a-thought-for-week-of-january-23-2017.html
 
I don't know how a person splits themselves like that. You have to do the individual thing if you're going to have any success out in the real world. An overflowing of helpfulness and co-operation will generally result in your ideas being used without thanks or acknowledgment or recognition, and someone more individual getting the promotion that might have been yours.

I'm also very interested in the work of Marshall Rosenberg, of Non-Violent Communication fame, where the core of his philosophy is that of people, and groups, identifying their needs through the indicator of their emotions. Very individual, and where a group, still very tribal.

So it's like you have to have a dual persona, one for the work world, one for your church and home world. It must be easier in more communal societies, using Korea as an example, where "we" is used much more than "I".
 
Some psychologists suggest that when individualism begins to integrate ... we thus get a social psyche ... something that authority wouldn't like as (abstract sense) it smells of a greater conscience ... devious thing in reality ... all part of the incarnate ... considering there's a'Moor to come! With it's own uplands & Downs ... additional equity and equin-ifi(ephi)-cation in the race ... race 'n, or reason!

No reason to have such incidents when in an purely emotional realm ... thus the word is all chewed up and we must put the order back when out of here ... you belief this dimension (dementia) is chaos ... dear Lord next step ...
 
BetteTheRed said:
I don't know how a person splits themselves like that. You have to do the individual thing if you're going to have any success out in the real world. An overflowing of helpfulness and co-operation will generally result in your ideas being used without thanks or acknowledgment or recognition, and someone more individual getting the promotion that might have been yours.

I'm also very interested in the work of Marshall Rosenberg, of Non-Violent Communication fame, where the core of his philosophy is that of people, and groups, identifying their needs through the indicator of their emotions. Very individual, and where a group, still very tribal.

So it's like you have to have a dual persona, one for the work world, one for your church and home world. It must be easier in more communal societies, using Korea as an example, where "we" is used much more than "I".
Click to expand...
By the way, thanks for your thoughts, Bette. I agree with your first paragraph, but I guess I would wonder if we truly need thanks or acknowledgement or recognition - and if so, why we need them? And, do we need the promotion? That's an interesting subject.

I can't say that I'm familiar with Marshall Rosenberg. Perhaps I'll have a chance to familiarize myself with his work. Thanks for mentioning him.

Your third paragraph is certainly correct. Some societies and cultures are more communal; others more individualistic. I wonder to what extent the expression of the gospel is influenced by the surrounding culture. In other words, how much do we choose to fit in and how much to we choose to stand out? My own bias is that Christianity is ideally communal more than individualistic, but has the Western church simply bought into individualistic expressions of faith? And at what cost?

Thanks again.
 
Does hate separate emotions and thus cause bliss (Joie) as a divine side of curiosity and interest in asking questions?

Thus the prodigal state ... an all-about situation ...
 
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