September 25, 2017 Chapter 5: In Over Our Heads
I had to go back and read this chapter twice before I began to understand it and like it! I had an Old Testament teacher in the seminary who would often wonder if the entire Bible was written by one person. He said that because he believed it tied in so well together all the way from Adam and Eve to the great book of Revelation. in some ways I think McLaren would agree.
In this chapter he seems to be inviting us to see each story building on the previous story, as he would put is a move in the right direction. Noah teaches us one thing about God, but then the tower of babel another, then Joseph another and on and on right up to the life of Jesus, his resurrection and the great Pentecost event. these stories as ways of helping us to better understand God go hand in hand to help us become image bearers of God.
I think in many ways we can see this in our own families. My dad's parents did not graduate from high school, but my dad did. My mom and dad did not go to college, but several of their children did. Many of my nieces and nephews have gone to college, graduated and are now raising their families. What is in store for their kids? hopefully it will be a continual progression toward a little better life, a life a little more full.
But that fullness only comes when we are able to share with them the one thing that really matters: to pattern our life on the life of Jesus and to be better image bearers for our God.
Monday, September 25, 2017
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
September 18 (or there about), Chapter 4: The Drama of Desire
Greetings Fellow Pilgrims:
First of all, an apology for being late with this post. My earnest desire was to go to breakfast on Monday with my brother priests and then come home to write my blog post. Well, after breakfast a few of my brothers were going to walk the bridge. So I joined them. When we got to the top of the bridge I knew something was wrong. I was short of breath, had a tightness in my chest and a numbness in my left arm. Exactly what I thought! So off to the emergency room I went. Several tests and a heart cath later, a new stent was placed in my Left Anterior Descending Artery. Modern medicine is amazing because I was home in less than 24 hours and feeling well enough now to resume many of my regular activities, including this blog. So here we go...
Last week we were talking about the patterns of life...and how to find ways to pattern our life after the life of Jesus. Sticking with that theme I shared with your four patterns that I put on the walls of my classroom when I was teaching eighth grade. The idea being that any student who could figure out all four got a special treat. The first three were always discovered in the 1st week; the fourth one was never discovered. Here's the mystery one...8, 5, 4, 1, 9, 7, ... the next numbers are six, three, two and zero. I write them that way because the pattern is the single digit numbers in alphabetical order. Here's the thought. Everyone looks at the problem as a math problem, but there was another way to look at it, a word problem.
When looking for the patterns of Jesus' life, we have to sometimes "think outside the box." We can get so caught up in what we believe the patterns should be, or might be or must be that we limit our exploration of what the patterns could be. To truly understand Jesus...to truly pattern our life after his, we have to see him anew each day.
This week's reading capture that as well. Which tree do we desire: the tree of life or the tree of competition? Can we find contentment in following the pattern of Jesus or do we desire always the tree of what's next, what's better, what's in it for me?
I like the part in this week's reading where McLaren writes: "True, Adam and Eve grabbed for the chance to be like gods...but Jesus didn't grasp at godlike status...(pg 17)" this truth is given to us in the suggested reading from Philippians 2:5. "Have among yourselves the same attitude as Christ Jesus. Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness and found human in appearance." It is easy for me to look back at my life and see when competition and the desire for something stood in the way of me seeing like Jesus would see, or being an image bearer for God.
But the good news is that like a stent in your artery makes blood flow again, the continual pursuit of a stronger faith, a better pattern of living, help us to become a better image bearer for God.
Greetings Fellow Pilgrims:
First of all, an apology for being late with this post. My earnest desire was to go to breakfast on Monday with my brother priests and then come home to write my blog post. Well, after breakfast a few of my brothers were going to walk the bridge. So I joined them. When we got to the top of the bridge I knew something was wrong. I was short of breath, had a tightness in my chest and a numbness in my left arm. Exactly what I thought! So off to the emergency room I went. Several tests and a heart cath later, a new stent was placed in my Left Anterior Descending Artery. Modern medicine is amazing because I was home in less than 24 hours and feeling well enough now to resume many of my regular activities, including this blog. So here we go...
Last week we were talking about the patterns of life...and how to find ways to pattern our life after the life of Jesus. Sticking with that theme I shared with your four patterns that I put on the walls of my classroom when I was teaching eighth grade. The idea being that any student who could figure out all four got a special treat. The first three were always discovered in the 1st week; the fourth one was never discovered. Here's the mystery one...8, 5, 4, 1, 9, 7, ... the next numbers are six, three, two and zero. I write them that way because the pattern is the single digit numbers in alphabetical order. Here's the thought. Everyone looks at the problem as a math problem, but there was another way to look at it, a word problem.
When looking for the patterns of Jesus' life, we have to sometimes "think outside the box." We can get so caught up in what we believe the patterns should be, or might be or must be that we limit our exploration of what the patterns could be. To truly understand Jesus...to truly pattern our life after his, we have to see him anew each day.
This week's reading capture that as well. Which tree do we desire: the tree of life or the tree of competition? Can we find contentment in following the pattern of Jesus or do we desire always the tree of what's next, what's better, what's in it for me?
I like the part in this week's reading where McLaren writes: "True, Adam and Eve grabbed for the chance to be like gods...but Jesus didn't grasp at godlike status...(pg 17)" this truth is given to us in the suggested reading from Philippians 2:5. "Have among yourselves the same attitude as Christ Jesus. Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness and found human in appearance." It is easy for me to look back at my life and see when competition and the desire for something stood in the way of me seeing like Jesus would see, or being an image bearer for God.
But the good news is that like a stent in your artery makes blood flow again, the continual pursuit of a stronger faith, a better pattern of living, help us to become a better image bearer for God.
Monday, September 11, 2017
September 11, 2017 Chapter 3 A World of Meaning
Dear Fellow Pilgrims,
Long before I was a priest and a teacher at the High School level, I taught eighth grade at a parochial school in Indianapolis...Go SPN Chargers! Each year I would start he year with four different number patters on the four walls of the classroom. The first three were like the ones that started this chapter:
1, 6, 11, 16, 21, 26... or 1, 4, 2, 5, 3, 6, 4... or 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21...
Then I added this one... 8, 5, 4, 1, 9, 7...
I would tell my students that the first student to complete all 4 puzzles would win a steak dinner at a local restaurant. No one ever got all four. I'll give you a chance before I reveal the answer next week. What do you think is the pattern to the last one?
I loved the following lines in this week's reading... "In John's Gospel, we are inspired to look for the pattern in a poor man traveling across the land with a band of students and friends, telling stories, confronting injustice, helping people in need. If we learn and trust the wisdom that comes in creation and in Jesus we will live our lives in a new way, John says." I have always maintained that most Christians know about Jesus but few know Jesus. I like that McLaren invites us to find the pattern in the Word made flesh...to find the pattern of the life of Jesus.
It is easy for me to give into other kinds of patters...the pattern of the good pastor....the pattern of a generous friend...the pattern of a dutiful priest...Sometimes those patterns fit the pattern of the Word mad flesh and sometimes they don't. How much better of a pastor, or friend, or priest would I be if I truly followed the pattern of Jesus?
I try now to live my life a little bit differently by rooting myself in the one who gives me life!
Fr. Tom
(PS...Only a couple of people have been posting thoughts...How about a few more of you jumping in and sharing your thoughts. If you aren't sure how, give me a call and I'll help you out.)
Dear Fellow Pilgrims,
Long before I was a priest and a teacher at the High School level, I taught eighth grade at a parochial school in Indianapolis...Go SPN Chargers! Each year I would start he year with four different number patters on the four walls of the classroom. The first three were like the ones that started this chapter:
1, 6, 11, 16, 21, 26... or 1, 4, 2, 5, 3, 6, 4... or 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21...
Then I added this one... 8, 5, 4, 1, 9, 7...
I would tell my students that the first student to complete all 4 puzzles would win a steak dinner at a local restaurant. No one ever got all four. I'll give you a chance before I reveal the answer next week. What do you think is the pattern to the last one?
I loved the following lines in this week's reading... "In John's Gospel, we are inspired to look for the pattern in a poor man traveling across the land with a band of students and friends, telling stories, confronting injustice, helping people in need. If we learn and trust the wisdom that comes in creation and in Jesus we will live our lives in a new way, John says." I have always maintained that most Christians know about Jesus but few know Jesus. I like that McLaren invites us to find the pattern in the Word made flesh...to find the pattern of the life of Jesus.
It is easy for me to give into other kinds of patters...the pattern of the good pastor....the pattern of a generous friend...the pattern of a dutiful priest...Sometimes those patterns fit the pattern of the Word mad flesh and sometimes they don't. How much better of a pastor, or friend, or priest would I be if I truly followed the pattern of Jesus?
I try now to live my life a little bit differently by rooting myself in the one who gives me life!
Fr. Tom
(PS...Only a couple of people have been posting thoughts...How about a few more of you jumping in and sharing your thoughts. If you aren't sure how, give me a call and I'll help you out.)
Monday, September 4, 2017
September 4, 2017 Chapter 2 Being Human
Dear Fellow Pilgrims,
For a while I taught seniors at Roncalli High School in Indianapolis. Every year around spring break I would have one of my students ask if they could confess what they were going to do so they could save time when they got home. (the answer was always no). The second thing they would tell me is that they were going to get a tattoo on spring break. I would always answer: "If you must get a tattoo, get one that says Imago Dei" Then I would explain that Imago Dei is Latin for in the Image of God.
It seemed appropriate for the readings of this week. We are created, each one of us, in the image of God. As McLaren points out that means above all that we experience the world through relationships. The readings for this week remind me to focus in on the relationships I have in my life. Try not to take them for granted. That can be difficult as we navigate this world in breakneck speed. But good to keep in mind nonetheless.
Question number three I find most interesting because I think there are so many people who reflect God's love to me.
There's Ethel who was a parishioner in Indianapolis. She was simple and holy and had a smile that radiated warmth. She could laugh at herself easily but was never too critical of another. Most of all, she was kind.
There's my friend, Tony, who has a passion for life and learning and growing. Tony is never satisfied and is always striving for more. I think God is like that...always wanting more but more for us...
Members of my family show me God all the time. They put up with me! They let me be who am and challenge me to be more than I think I can be.
What about you? What strikes you about the readings this week? Who shows the image of God to you?
Dear Fellow Pilgrims,
For a while I taught seniors at Roncalli High School in Indianapolis. Every year around spring break I would have one of my students ask if they could confess what they were going to do so they could save time when they got home. (the answer was always no). The second thing they would tell me is that they were going to get a tattoo on spring break. I would always answer: "If you must get a tattoo, get one that says Imago Dei" Then I would explain that Imago Dei is Latin for in the Image of God.
It seemed appropriate for the readings of this week. We are created, each one of us, in the image of God. As McLaren points out that means above all that we experience the world through relationships. The readings for this week remind me to focus in on the relationships I have in my life. Try not to take them for granted. That can be difficult as we navigate this world in breakneck speed. But good to keep in mind nonetheless.
Question number three I find most interesting because I think there are so many people who reflect God's love to me.
There's Ethel who was a parishioner in Indianapolis. She was simple and holy and had a smile that radiated warmth. She could laugh at herself easily but was never too critical of another. Most of all, she was kind.
There's my friend, Tony, who has a passion for life and learning and growing. Tony is never satisfied and is always striving for more. I think God is like that...always wanting more but more for us...
Members of my family show me God all the time. They put up with me! They let me be who am and challenge me to be more than I think I can be.
What about you? What strikes you about the readings this week? Who shows the image of God to you?
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