Monday, August 27, 2012
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Dangerous Business
"Prayer is a very dangerous business. For all the benefits it offers
of growing closer to God, it carries with it one great element of risk:
the possibility of change.
In prayer we open ourselves to the chance that God will do something with us that we had not intended. We yield to possibilities of intense perception, of seeing through human masks and the density of 'things' to the very center of reality. This possibility excites us, but at the same time there is a fluttering in the stomach that goes with any dangerous adventure.
Don't we know for a fact that people who begin by 'just praying'--with no particular aim in mind--wind up trudging off to missionary lands, entering monasteries, taking part in demonstrations, dedicating themselves to the poor and sick? To avoid this, sometimes we excuse ourselves from prayer by doing good works on a carefully controlled schedule."
Source: Clinging: The Experience of Prayer
In prayer we open ourselves to the chance that God will do something with us that we had not intended. We yield to possibilities of intense perception, of seeing through human masks and the density of 'things' to the very center of reality. This possibility excites us, but at the same time there is a fluttering in the stomach that goes with any dangerous adventure.
Don't we know for a fact that people who begin by 'just praying'--with no particular aim in mind--wind up trudging off to missionary lands, entering monasteries, taking part in demonstrations, dedicating themselves to the poor and sick? To avoid this, sometimes we excuse ourselves from prayer by doing good works on a carefully controlled schedule."
Source: Clinging: The Experience of Prayer
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
When the goin' gets tough, the tough get goin'
Hold me back...I'm running the risk of losing all my readers...writing time is hard to come by these days! Its been teachers seminars, camping trips, work, and just down right worrying myself sick over this "Chick fil A" controversy. I count sheep every night these days...
Actually I don't give a "dingle berry" about Chick fil A...it all seems like an absolutely brilliant marketing strategy to me.
There IS something I did think about before I fell asleep the other night (It must have been before I counted sheep). Actually this "thinkingbeforeyoufallasleep" thing has been my nemesis. I've come to the conclusion that I just might be able to stop it by pulling a tight plastic bag down over my head for 20 minutes. Since I'm not interested in doing that, "thinkingbeforeyoufallasleep" is still running rampant.
I was thinking about the things that frustrate me as a teacher. Admittedly, one of the most frustrating things is when students drop out of school. It makes me feel like quitting. That's when I asked myself, "Who is leading who?"
Now, those of you not in the Mennonite tradition may not be familiar with "teacher turnover," but believe me, its in every Mennonite dictionary...our board chairmen have an intimate relationship with it.
I've heard many a teacher preach the little "don't drop out of school" sermon. Interestingly enough, many of these same teachers become little drop outs themselves within a year or two. The next time you launch into your little "don't drop out of school" sermon for your sixth graders, just remember that unless you're planning to teach for 6 years, they have every right to just turn your channel off.
This doesn't mean that what you're preaching isn't true. It just means you should get someone else to preach that sermon for you if you plan to drop out of teaching in the next year. Christian educators simply need to get off this hobby horse until we get our own act together...there's a reason our students aren't believing us(actions speak louder than words).
On of the biggest things our schools are thirsty for these days are gritty people that can run like camels, kick up their heels like mules, and never give up.
In opportune moments my dad used to tell my brothers and I, "When the goin' gets tough, the tough get goin"
Actually I don't give a "dingle berry" about Chick fil A...it all seems like an absolutely brilliant marketing strategy to me.
There IS something I did think about before I fell asleep the other night (It must have been before I counted sheep). Actually this "thinkingbeforeyoufallasleep" thing has been my nemesis. I've come to the conclusion that I just might be able to stop it by pulling a tight plastic bag down over my head for 20 minutes. Since I'm not interested in doing that, "thinkingbeforeyoufallasleep" is still running rampant.
I was thinking about the things that frustrate me as a teacher. Admittedly, one of the most frustrating things is when students drop out of school. It makes me feel like quitting. That's when I asked myself, "Who is leading who?"
Now, those of you not in the Mennonite tradition may not be familiar with "teacher turnover," but believe me, its in every Mennonite dictionary...our board chairmen have an intimate relationship with it.
I've heard many a teacher preach the little "don't drop out of school" sermon. Interestingly enough, many of these same teachers become little drop outs themselves within a year or two. The next time you launch into your little "don't drop out of school" sermon for your sixth graders, just remember that unless you're planning to teach for 6 years, they have every right to just turn your channel off.
This doesn't mean that what you're preaching isn't true. It just means you should get someone else to preach that sermon for you if you plan to drop out of teaching in the next year. Christian educators simply need to get off this hobby horse until we get our own act together...there's a reason our students aren't believing us(actions speak louder than words).
On of the biggest things our schools are thirsty for these days are gritty people that can run like camels, kick up their heels like mules, and never give up.
In opportune moments my dad used to tell my brothers and I, "When the goin' gets tough, the tough get goin"
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