joescheets

“Your new life is going to cost you your old one.

“It’s going to cost you your comfort zone and your sense of direction.

“It’s going to cost you relationships and friends.

“It’s going to cost you being liked, and understood.

“But it doesn’t matter. Because the people who are meant for you are going to meet you on the other side, and you’re going to build a new comfort zone around the things that actually move you forward.

“Instead of liked, you’re going to be loved.

“Instead of understood, you’re going to be seen.

“All you’re going to lose is what was built for a person you no longer are.” — Brianna Wiest, The Mountain Is You

I was pointed here by a couple of friends who wish to remain anonymous —-

https://www.theologyproject.online/post/complementarian-rhetoric-revisited-al-mohler-methodists-and-a-hasty-generalization?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1UsjhQ6iFqYe_Y6k7ceORmdc8VQNQv43vaJ5StXil1fOyL0I4Hoz2t9YQ_aem_AaSQDQepmwsXtghSx6n8kb_xmR_t2GBF_puWwbQpMNR4C2kBJh4mAsXSdv_PYRFPrroDezoMZ2oG0h724WkQdZVl

https://www.facebook.com/share/L9tvaA29hiWnQgTQ/?mibextid=WC7FNe

—- What say you?

Several years ago, son LJ4 and I began reminding each other of the unique perspective each day gives. For example —

Finally

Friday

— And in Matthew 25 our Lord gets really explicit with this perspective —

^31-33 “When he finally arrives, blazing in beauty and all his angels with him, the Son of Man will take his place on his glorious throne. Then all the nations will be arranged before him and he will sort the people out, much as a shepherd sorts out sheep and goats, putting sheep to his right and goats to his left.

^34-36 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what’s coming to you in this kingdom. It’s been ready for you since the world’s foundation. And here’s why:

I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.’

^37-40 “Then those ‘sheep’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’ Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.’

^41-43 “Then he will turn to the ‘goats,’ the ones on his left, and say, ‘Get out, worthless goats! You’re good for nothing but the fires of hell. And why? Because—

I was hungry and you gave me no meal,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
I was homeless and you gave me no bed,
I was shivering and you gave me no clothes,
Sick and in prison, and you never visited.’

⁴⁴ “Then those ‘goats’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering or sick or in prison and didn’t help?’

⁴⁵ “He will answer them, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me—you failed to do it to me.’

⁴⁶ “Then those ‘goats’ will be herded to their eternal doom, but the ‘sheep’ to their eternal reward.”

(Christ Jesus, in The Message Version)

Several years ago, son LJ4 and I began reminding each other of the rich nature of each day. For example —

Thankful

Thursday

— Christ Jesus in the RDSV of Matthew 13:9-16, Pay attention.

From John Meunier, with his graciously expressed permission —

I want to offer a thought that I realize is not popular.

The United Methodist Church is attempting — or claiming it wants to attempt — to do something that it incredibly difficult. Indeed, I’m not sure any protestant church has ever pulled it off. We say our goal is to become a vital denomination while making space for people who disagree very deeply about questions of morality and justice.

We cannot do that by accident or by fiat. It will require a kind of theological imagination that we’ve not yet been able to muster and practical peacemaking skills that we have failed to develop for the last 50 years.

The battles of 2019-2024 (and before) have been waged with all the tools of secular politics. The wonderful atmosphere everyone describes at GC 2024 came about because one side won the political war and the other side retired from the field. But the deep distrust and deep divides at the ground level and among the rank and file of United Methodists remain.

To move beyond war, we are going to need to have inspired leaders who can see and imagine a peace and unity that is unlike anything anyone in the UMC has known for their lifetimes. Unless our plan is to sink into a tepid pluralism in which everyone has their own theology and the name “United Methodism” has no meaning, we are going to need to construct an ecclesiology and a theology that a broad range of people recognize as distinctly Wesleyan and also makes room for deep disagreement over what constitutes sin and righteousness. Even describing it in this short post feels like describing an impossibility — a circle with four corners.

It is challenging for me to imagine such a church existing. Everything I know about vital organizations requires a kind of unity of vision and purpose that feels impossible to construct out of shattered fragments we have right now. Everything I understand about church renewal involves a clarity about identity that I cannot see among us right now.

To get the kind of renewal that people are talking about usually requires eliminating disagreement and dissent. We claim to want to become a church that holds disagreement in its bosom but also becomes a vital and growing force for the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I can’t imagine how we can do those two things at once. We need leadership and inspiration on an order we’ve never known if we are going to do this.

The alternative to doing this hard work, of course, is some form of decline and internal warfare. This is the path of the last century. It is the way that leads to destruction.

— What say you?

Several years ago, son LJ4 and I began reminding each other of the savory nature of each day. For example —

Wonderful

Wednesday

— Who hath ears to hear, says Christ Jesus in the King James Version of Matthew 13:9, let him hear.

I’m going to try and reach across a couple generations here to tell you the most important thing. I am confident that I know about life. I’m 70. I’m done. You are just starting. I only want to help you.

The slightly uncomfortable feeling of awkward humor is okay. It’s not something you need to fix. I totally admire the ambitions of your generation to create a more just and inclusive society. I think it is also wonderful that you care so much about not hurting other people’s feelings and the million and one ways we all do that every second of every day.

It’s lovely to want to fix those things, but, all caps, BUT, what I need to tell you as a comedian, do not lose your sense of humor. You can have no idea at this point in your life how much you are going to need it to get through. Not enough of life makes sense for you to be able to survive it without humor.

— Jerry said more. A lot more. Maybe we’ll scoop out some more later.

Meanwhile, whaddya say about this excerpt? I’d love to hear from you.

Several years ago, son LJ4 and I started reminding each other about the fabulous nature of each day. For example —

Terrific

Tuesday

— Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember? (Christ Jesus, Mark 8:18)

Several years ago, son LJ4 and I started reminding each other about the superlative nature of each day. For example —

Magnifient

Monday

— Blessed are your eyes, for they see, says Christ Jesus in Matthew 13:16, and your ears, for they hear.

I got this via Kristen Grant (with my highlights again) —

Something to think about….

What if you were a single parent with a child . You work full time for $14.00 hr. You bring home roughly $800 .00 per paycheck (bi-weekly).

Your bills:

$1, 000 . 00 / rent

$150 .00 / electrical

$250 .00 / car payment

$150 .00 / car insurance

So let’s do the math :

You bring home about

$1,600 .00 a month & your bills average about $1,550.00 (give or take).

You’re making it, but barely.

This doesn’t even include groceries, internet, cable, cell phone, etc .

(nor does it include child tax credit, or child support)

Now, it’s a really cold December and you get a power bill for $600 .00

How do you pay that?

To put it simply , you don’t.

Because you can’t.

So your power gets shut off.

But you know what your lease says?

It says you get evicted if your utilities are terminated.

So now you’re in court crying to a judge who doesn’t care, & you have 10 days to get out.

Well you’re in luck, because you found somewhere with 3 days to spare & it’s only $650.00 a month!

But to get in, you must pass a background & credit check. Which you can’t because you just got evicted.

You’ve never been a criminal, but even if you could pass it, you’re looking at $1300 to move in, after paying the deposit & first month’s rent.

Time’s up ….

Landlord shows up at 7am with the police & changed your locks.

So, now you’re living in your car with your 7 year old son & everything you need to get by.

You tried to get a storage unit, but you don’t have a billing address so they won’t sell one to you. So you could only take what would fit in your backseat.

You pay to shower at local truck stops & eat whatever can be cooked in a gas station microwave.Someone sees you & your son living like this & calls C.P.S; guess what happens next ? ? ?

They remove your child from your care.

As if this isn’t devastating enough, you lose your job too. (Because “an employee losing their child reflects poorly on this company .”)

So now, you apply for an apartment with the region where the waiting list is 3-7 years.

Then you go into Wal-Mart to put in an application.

When you get back to your car you see that your back window has been smashed & someone helped themselves to your belongings. Remember that it is December & really cold. Now you have damage to your only shelter.

You call your car insurance, who says your deductible is $1,000.00

~ AND ~ they’re going to increase your monthly rate since you’re now

“ high risk .”

You call the homeless shelter as a last resort & all their beds are full.

I’ll stop here …..

Because I think you get the point .

The people we work with everyday are these people .

WE ARE THESE PEOPLE .

We are all so close to homelessness & don’t even realize it .

All it takes is :

* one unexpected bill~

* one fender bender~

* one lay-off ~

* one house fire , etc.

Instead of talking trash about people who are poor , homeless , or need assistance , why don’t you try being grateful that you’re not in their shoes …… YET !

This is about staying humble & being kind .

BE THANKFUL FOR WHAT YOU HAVE

We Are All Struggling In Different Ways..