Wednesday, June 23, 2004
Thoughts on the Priesthood of Believers
That is the beauty of Postmodern thought, that we can really break down what we believe and rethink it to see if it is something real.
Below are some thoughts that were my answers to questions posed.
I think of the "priest relationship" on the terms not that the priest or collective body of Christ are higher of more enlightened or more spiritual and on and on, but rather we believers are all equal...where once the separation of Priest and Layman was a division of Us and Them...where the true meaning is just US as in Believers in Christ and not divisions. Make sense? Equality as in we are all able to do as the OT priests and approach God.
A paid Pastor is one who is full time attending the Flock...he is the one who oversees the function of it as an entity. Again, it to me does not mean that the Pastor is on a higher plain of conscience than the congregation, but rather he is the main "servant" of the congregation.
As for a difference between paid and lay ministers.... of course money! Hahahaha
Really I see no difference just one is freer to facilitate.
I don't know if we need a "new/old" model. I see we need to be genuine. To have our focus be on Jesus and walking in the Kingdom on earth as if we were already in Heaven.
Jesus tells us that if we lift Him up He will draw all men unto Him. Only as people meet our living savior can one become real or totally human...authentic and genuine.
Again the measuring stick to me is not about a "model" but about a "Person" who is Jesus. To just follow a model means to me we missed the boat and are looking at programs and not the reality of Christ in us our hope of Glory.
Just some thoughts,
iggy
Monday, June 14, 2004
A funny thing happened on the way to the Blog
This is my response in a discussion on appearing judgmental as I sort the new adventure of postmodern/emergent thought.
It is funny you mentioned pulling your arms and legs off. I was
trying to work on my Blog about being a kid and pulling legs off spiders or the
wings off flies...the problem is I am the spider or the fly.
Meaning there are some things that I have allowed to become a part of me...as a human
being... not a spider of a fly. I feel like I am pulling my own
wings off and seeing how many legs I really need to walk around. Most
don’t see the pain. Most only see that I am judging or saying that they
are wrong. But I do feel like I was walking in a darkly lit room,
and now the lights on...and all I am doing from my perspective
is saying ”watch out for that ottoman”...“hey there is a step there you might trip on”.
To the “blind” it is annoying I am sure. hahahaha.
To me it is annoying a bit also.
I want to just turn and leave it all behind and
maybe I will someday.
Yet, as of now I still see many who see dimly what I am saying and
can hear this faint call to authenticity and a genuine faith. I am not
against anything but where some seem to focus on besides Jesus...I
mean a rocking “worship” song is really cool and I can even get into the
musicianship and praise God for their talent and worship in song.
But,if all I do is focus on the worship team, I miss the intimacy that as a
collective Body can share when united in Christ in praise.
Blessed,
iggy
Sunday, June 13, 2004
Does God see only Black and White
Black and White.
God is Truth.
Right and Wrong?
He is Righteousness.
Darkness and Light or Grey?
He is Light.
But on the human side? Things are messed up and sometimes we just don't know...Hebrews 11: 31. “By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace”....yet she was a liar and a Harlot.... I understand how these reconcile...but some without understanding that God can fathom greater depths of right and wrong beyond black and white and gray can not reconcile this. God can judge in a rainbow of colors.
We often sit with a black and white judgment...
A woman who was a prostitute gave birth to a child. She sought help but found none. As her addiction became worse she began to sell her baby daughter to men so she could have more drug money. To man's eye she is beyond evil and not worth anything and should get anything bad that could happen to her.... But God sees her as a soul worth saving and even died for her...all she has to do is receive Jesus. And all is forgiven. Covered by the blood of Jesus and by Grace. By the worlds standard she should still pay for her crimes. But as a sister in Christ, she is as all of us, saved.
But where would most of us be... I confess I might be inclined to pick up stones...
But God's Grace is beyond our conception. It is infinite Grace...So if this woman is evil and God loves her... does God love evil?
I hope you say no.
Is there Black and White? Yes, But not "all" things are Black and White.
Truth is pure and undiluted when God lets it loose, yet as it is filtered through our finite sinful minds it get distorted... even for us Christians.
I believe instead of the labels of black or white, to walk in total dependency on Christ. To walk in His ways for they are not my ways.
This is beyond black and white. Beyond right and wrong, but becoming more like Christ himself.
I know some of you won’t get this but that is ok.
Blessings,
iggy
Wednesday, June 02, 2004
Looking for a good Church…
I really don't have much choice in churches here in Billings. I mean I do, but I recently began thinking about the statement, "I am looking for a good Church."
Am I looking for programs for my child, or an entertaining sermon. How about the best worship band so I can do "worship". I wonder what I am really looking for...
I believe that people are looking for the True church or the Real church.
I believe people are looking for the Real Jesus and the True Jesus and the Real People that represent Him.
We are too busy playing "church" and not being the body of Christ. We are too busy representing our doctrinal stance and not representing Jesus.
We are too occupied with our "preferences" and "opinions" that we confuse them with Truth. We are too busy trying to be, when we already are.
We are the Church, the Body of Christ, and His beloved Bride.
We are "united" in Christ, not our preferences and personal beliefs.
I am not trying to be a Christian. I am a Christian.
I am not trying to live in Christ, He is my Life.
Again people want something real...and Jesus is real!
He is who we must lift up. He is the one who will draw all to Him.
We are only to receive them into the Kingdom and worship and rejoice.
I pray we stop playing church and be the Church.
Blessings,
iggy
Sunday, May 16, 2004
Today with a Friend
I know we share much in common and I love my friend dearly. Yet, I see things so differently now and without critisim, it interested me that he wanted input to his sermon. On one hand I see this is good..."Did I communicate clearly?" I see nothing wrong with that. Yet, again I pray that as a church his congregation does not pat him on the back and say "good message" but with tears and a changed life, he sees a community changed for the better and come to meet our Lord Jesus in an intimate way.
Pastor Les, I love you brother. You are a great friend. I wish I had been a better one and stayed in better touch over the years. Now, only 150 miles apart and not 1200 with 3 states in between, I hope to talk with you even more.
I see you as how Jesus will great me in heaven. Open arms, open heart, and a big hug.
Never judging me but gently nudging me towards the truth.
Blessings,
iggy
Saturday, May 15, 2004
Lessons at Burger King
Yet, having a money problem did not stop the woman. She sat down as the man went and bought a burger. I was very impressed. I decided to tell her I thought that what she did was really cool, and she seemed very kind. She explained how she was homeless, and to not feel bad for her because it was her choice. I asked her name and I noticed her eyes when I did. She seemed shocked that someone cared enough to ask that question. She looked at my wife and me as if she was recalling it … she said “Debbie”.
She smiled and I really don’t remember what else she said. I did smell the alcohol on her breath and understood her choice…but she seemed different after I asked her name.
I pondered on this event a few days later and realized that there is one who knows our name. He knows much more than that. He knows everything about you and me.
In fact He has written our names in the book of life and will never erase it.
He promises to take care of our needs. To Him a burger is nothing when to us a burger is everything.
Debbie showed me something. She had compassion. She was were the other guys was, on the cold street. “If we give someone a drink of water, I will remember it”.
It seems so simple, compassion. Why is it though so hard to get up and put it into action?
That day God used a simple homeless woman to teach me and to shame me.
Not in a bad way…but to take notice of the things around me. To move when compassion has a moment to be done.
The question I have now every day is, “how will compassion take form today? And when it does what will I do?
Blessings,
iggy
“I walk the balance between Heaven and Earth
Sometimes I soar, often I slip - but I am never alone.
He caught me; reached all the way from sky to sea
He pulled me out of that ocean of hate, that enemy chaos,
the void in which I was drowning.”
Psalm 18 - The Message
Thursday, May 13, 2004
The Blind and the judgmental
Well, when you can dazzle with brilliance, you baffle with___________!
This is what I feel is done many times in answer to many posts in an
effort to appear, spiritual, intelligent, _______ ,(fill in the blank).
Also, I was told I am looking for the bogey man everywhere.
These were from "friends", where in one breath they say
"We love you, iggy" then in the next breathe insult me over the translation of scripture I use...oh, NKJV by the way. but not KJV "only".
I have these insane dialogs with these friends who tell me I am judgmental, yet when I say "who are you to inspect someone's fruit,especially if you don't know them", they condescend and say I do not stand on the truth of "rightly divide the Word of God".
Funny, when I seem to see much of their theology marginal at best. Usually out of context or understood through their particular pet doctrine. Too full of "correct doctrine" that I wonder if God still matters to them.
I am blowing off steam. I know it. It is just when I seek to have an enlightened conversation and we wallow in the mire, I keep hearing, "Don't cast pearls before swine".
I see so many Pastors so preoccupied with their pet doctrines that they forgot their first love, oh they mouth it, but deep down it is all about how good my sermon was, or the music was great, or we got 6 saved today! I would not even set foot in their church! "Oh, great a postmodern/emerging thing, those are cool. I am totally immersed in the Postmod thought, it is really 'in' right now. All you have to do is submit a business plan, meet with the elders, and we will see if it fits into our plan. It would be a great program!" As my last pastor stated to me.
I left that Church...
I want to hear, "God was great today, He was so awesome". "I was reflecting on what was said today and I think I need Jesus". "I am so glad this worship is not a once a week thing but a life thing". "When do we serve our community?", "When's soup?"
I just see these "friends" settling for less. As they sit inspecting fruit are so blind to their own judgementalism. Didn't someone talk about a speck and a plank in ones eyes? Lately all I have in mine are tears.
A day at the Lake
The other day I was at a local lake, well it is more a pond. The sign calls it a lake, so it must be a lake. The water was really smooth and I could not resist picking up a rock and tossing it in. As it hit the water it caused ripples. I tossed another one and caused another ripple, again and again until ripples were hitting ripples.
I stood there and contemplated the water as it became still again. I then tossed a huge rock in and watched the ripples go and still fade…
Then I thought well that was fun, it is too hot to just stand here so I jumped in and became totally submersed in the cool refreshing water. It just seemed to be better that way.