Comments on Lawrence W. Wilson: Growth Rings

Great, very thought-provoking message, Larry. I h...

2009-08-02T19:31:09.853-04:00

Great, very thought-provoking message, Larry. I have enjoyed the other speakers/preachers (especially Ken), but was also glad to have you back preaching.

I was thinking about the rings. With our houseful of people, the Scriptures have taken on new meaning. What we are learning is that "things" do not matter, whether used, broken, borrowed, or etc. What truly matters is that the love of Christ is seen/felt in out home.

I think the very last ring (the goal) is total submission of self to God. I have been moved by this statement by John Hyde, "Self must not only be dead, but buried out of sight, for the stench of the unburied self-life will frighten souls away from Jesus."

If our goal is to show the love of Christ to those in our home, we must put aside self. I sure don't want the self-life to frighten these souls away from Jesus. It's a high calling and so difficult, but it is our goal. Pray for us.
Thanks so much for presenting the Word so clearly. Pat

I grew up surrounded by people who seemed to think...

2009-07-31T11:44:14.450-04:00

I grew up surrounded by people who seemed to think the totality of Christ's work was that someday he'd return and beat all the bad people and show the world they'd been the good ones all along. It wasn't until I went away and came back that I saw how distorted a view that was. That's why I organized mine the way I did; we're all going to have our own set of defining polarities, I guess. :-)

About John 6, how else can I understand it? If he'd meant something else, wouldn't he have backpedaled when people started leaving?, but he left no wriggle-room whatsoever. Since I want his life within me more than anything else, who else can I turn to? :-D

@Philangelus ... I like your paradigm, stages of f...

2009-07-31T08:18:35.541-04:00

@Philangelus ... I like your paradigm, stages of faith based on mercy/justice. I think we could also list stages based moral behavior or attitudes. We may go from--guilty unaware, to guilty and fearing punishment, to forgiven and permissive, to grace-filled and holy--or something like that.

As to John 6, I think you and I may have a different understanding of the Eucharist ... as many Christians do :-)

Thanks for these good thoughts.

I found four different stages myself, stressing a ...

2009-07-31T07:54:24.708-04:00

I found four different stages myself, stressing a growth from longing for justice to hungering for mercy:
http://philangelus.wordpress.com/2008/07/31/phases-of-christian-awaiting-the-return/

John 6, though, is so much more than asking the disciples to believe in "the supernatural." He was asking (demanding) them to do one specific supernatural thing, and most of the crowd was disgusted and confused enough that they walked. But he didn't back down. He was willing to lose everyone, even the twelve, rather than compromise. And then those that stayed with him until the end did get to eat his flesh and drink his blood at the Last Supper.

As such, I guess I can't agree that he "used a graphic image." I believe he meant it literally. Eating and drinking something makes it a part of you, and he made it so he could physically become a part of us. The ultimate nourishment. No other degree of closeness to the Divine would suffice.