" In the waters of baptism the old Adam was drown,
but the bastard can still swim"
While most of my theological heroes have been servant-hearted senior citizens and teenagers in the church, I enjoy Luther's "saltiness".
I tend to think it's fairly misleading when a new believer views surrendering to Christ as the end of the road instead of the beginning. I have to admit that's what I thought. Many of the students I have known including myself have hope that Jesus will make all the hotties notice us, our grades will land us on the honor role and cops won't be able to pull us over anymore. My experience was exactly opposite. I found myself single, struggling in school and still getting stopped by the police. I truly did have a peace that was beyond all understanding despite all the misfortune.
Could following Jesus actually be more costly?
Could all this "Prosperity Theology" be insanely destructive?(don't get me started)
Could our "old adam" haunt us even as new creations in Christ?
YES, YES and another spoonful of Yes.
Bonhoeffer puts it best when he says "When Christ calls a man, he bids him to come and die". To me this is a better "sales pitch" for following Jesus than the all too popular "come get your blessing" spiel. Maybe the real blessing is in the dying?
I have a hunch that I'll be annoyed by the same couple of thorns for the rest of my life. Could he pluck them from my side? sure. Will He? Not sure. But there is something in the daily wrestling that reminds of my need for a Saviour.
" Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.
Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me."
under construction,
the younger
2 comments:
Good one Nate! When do we ever stop being "under construction"? At almost 58..I still am.
For me, the dying to self begins with putting down the laundry basket (my own agenda) and listening to the ones closest to me. The loving act of listening is "under construction" in my life. Love...The Womb Mother
i have to comment on the entire "single...bad grades...getting pulled over" (which i know where you're coming from and going with that comment). but, there's this entire thing that we, as believers, frequently overlook (i feel) and that is we are all under one authority.
as a fellow youth pastor, i hear you on their cries...and as an adult, when i feel i've been dealt a bad hand i really have to look at self and say "self...have i died to you today?" b/c simply...(other than not being able to find something to blame for single-ness)...did you study for the tests? were you speeding?
looking at the GREEN topics...are you doing your part? if our lord and saviour is THE GREAT I AM, don't we know that he's so much bigger than the entire GREEN trend? that, as a body of believers, we take care of the land he entrusted to us and rely on him to honor that and take care of our earth in return?
i'm not sure if any of this makes sense...but i'm totally loving this blog!!!
Post a Comment