Viral Faith

"The Spirit who inhabits us is not mute, restricting himself to an occasional nudge, a hot flash, a brilliant image or a case of goose bumps."           -Dallas Willard in Hearing God I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.   John 10:14-16 NLT One of the most misunderstood roles of pastoral ministry is that of leading congregational discernment.  This is Biblical practice of seeking direction and vision from God.  Even just reading this, causes some leaders discomfort because we have been taught that to seek this kind of direct communication from God is far too mystical for contemporary followers of Jesus.  It is best left to the "few" who we (the church) oft...

Discipline without desire causes drudgery Anonymous  "Don't handle! Don't taste! Don't touch!"? 22 Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them. 23 These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person's evil desires. Colossians 2:21-23 Lenten season begins today and is the 6 week period of time celebrated on the traditional Christian calendar prior to Easter.  The purpose of the season is further consecration and dedication towards Jesus Christ.  In order to do that, there was often a temporary cessation of certain pre-selected activities that were understood to interfere with the consecration process.  In the medieval world, this was most often fasting from meat as meat was seen as a luxury and it was felt that luxurious indulgences interfered with the soul's ability to connect with God. Fast forward ...

Redeeming Halloween "It seems like Halloween is a bigger holiday than Easter in this country", is a quote from my prayer partner who grew up in eastern Europe. Its always interesting when someone can see something with fresh eyes that are not conditioned by the repetitiveness of our yearly experiences. The Christian community has been divided in regards to Halloween. Many see it as clearly demonic, with its fascination with death, the occult, and darkness. A second opinon within Christian circles is to treat it as a cultural celebration and just go with the flow. Further still, other Christians see it as an opportunity to demonstrate the love of God, and embrace it. These opinions represent a continuim beginning with avoidance/denouncing to embracing/celebrating. While people along the continuium have valid arugements and sound conclusions, I think we are missing the point of discussion. Take a step back for a moment and consider my prayer partner's initial statemen...