Comments on: Live Like Jesus http://www.theologicalmusingsblog.com/2007/04/18/live-like-jesus/ Random discussions about various topics, with an emphasis on simple church and other out-of-the-box thoughts. Sun, 21 Aug 2011 06:17:04 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Steve Sensenig http://www.theologicalmusingsblog.com/2007/04/18/live-like-jesus/comment-page-1/#comment-5616 Steve Sensenig Thu, 26 Apr 2007 02:22:32 +0000 http://www.theologicalmusingsblog.com/2007/04/18/live-like-jesus/#comment-5616 <strong>Sarah</strong>, I'm working backwards on responding to comments tonight, so I already welcomed you to the blog on the later post that you commented on. However, it would probably be more appropriate to welcome you on this post, since this was where you commented first. So....welcome! And thanks for your response on this. "Help us, God" indeed! :) Sarah, I’m working backwards on responding to comments tonight, so I already welcomed you to the blog on the later post that you commented on. However, it would probably be more appropriate to welcome you on this post, since this was where you commented first.

So….welcome! And thanks for your response on this. “Help us, God” indeed! :)

]]> By: Sarah Rooney http://www.theologicalmusingsblog.com/2007/04/18/live-like-jesus/comment-page-1/#comment-5600 Sarah Rooney Wed, 25 Apr 2007 19:38:16 +0000 http://www.theologicalmusingsblog.com/2007/04/18/live-like-jesus/#comment-5600 Loved this post. I have been so radically challenged lately - God is really confronting my typically western/1st world expression of Christianity. I'm in process of learning to obey what Jesus actually said (from loving the poor to healing the sick). As one guy put it, "We are teaching so much information about God, but we aren't teaching OBEDIENCE. Jesus said to teach them to obey all that He commanded". Obviously, this is part of the transition currently underway with 'simple church' and 'emergent church.' Like you, I don't know that I can fully identify myself as 'emergent' or whatever (even though I've long been outside of institutional church). All I know is that I must BE the church OUT THERE.... and the only way I can do that is to obey what Jesus said to do! :) I also appreciated Mike Ross's complete honesty. If we're from the west, I think we all struggle with this to varying degrees. I pray God would renew our minds to see from heaven's perspective - such a radical change that our whole value system would be completely turned upside down. That our treasure would be in eternity - all our investment would be into eternity. (I'm reminded of Jesus words, "Woe to you rich, for you have your comfort in full." Yikes! Help us, God! :) Loved this post. I have been so radically challenged lately – God is really confronting my typically western/1st world expression of Christianity. I’m in process of learning to obey what Jesus actually said (from loving the poor to healing the sick). As one guy put it, “We are teaching so much information about God, but we aren’t teaching OBEDIENCE. Jesus said to teach them to obey all that He commanded”. Obviously, this is part of the transition currently underway with ‘simple church’ and ‘emergent church.’ Like you, I don’t know that I can fully identify myself as ‘emergent’ or whatever (even though I’ve long been outside of institutional church). All I know is that I must BE the church OUT THERE…. and the only way I can do that is to obey what Jesus said to do! :) I also appreciated Mike Ross’s complete honesty. If we’re from the west, I think we all struggle with this to varying degrees. I pray God would renew our minds to see from heaven’s perspective – such a radical change that our whole value system would be completely turned upside down. That our treasure would be in eternity – all our investment would be into eternity. (I’m reminded of Jesus words, “Woe to you rich, for you have your comfort in full.” Yikes! Help us, God! :)

]]> By: Steve Sensenig http://www.theologicalmusingsblog.com/2007/04/18/live-like-jesus/comment-page-1/#comment-5452 Steve Sensenig Sat, 21 Apr 2007 03:46:21 +0000 http://www.theologicalmusingsblog.com/2007/04/18/live-like-jesus/#comment-5452 <strong>All</strong>, I apologize that I have been so delinquent in responding here. I appreciate all the good comments, but just haven't taken the time to engage with them. I apologize. All, I apologize that I have been so delinquent in responding here. I appreciate all the good comments, but just haven’t taken the time to engage with them. I apologize.

]]> By: Bryan Riley http://www.theologicalmusingsblog.com/2007/04/18/live-like-jesus/comment-page-1/#comment-5441 Bryan Riley Fri, 20 Apr 2007 14:23:28 +0000 http://www.theologicalmusingsblog.com/2007/04/18/live-like-jesus/#comment-5441 What amazes me is that we use this language often in evangelical circles: Enter into a personal relationship with Jesus. But we live most of the rest of our lives as though there is nothing personal about God. We dont' walk with Him, talk to Him, listen to His voice, ask Him what we should do (unless we are in desperation or it's something really big and even then we rarely wait on Him to respond), etc. I think God is all about relationship. It starts there and it is eternal there. What is eternal life? To know God. 1 John says it over and over again. I think what has happened is that we have the wrong picture of the character of God and thus don't trust Him as we should to be all that He is in our lives. We are living idolatrous lives because we really dont' see Who God Is. What amazes me is that we use this language often in evangelical circles: Enter into a personal relationship with Jesus. But we live most of the rest of our lives as though there is nothing personal about God. We dont’ walk with Him, talk to Him, listen to His voice, ask Him what we should do (unless we are in desperation or it’s something really big and even then we rarely wait on Him to respond), etc. I think God is all about relationship. It starts there and it is eternal there. What is eternal life? To know God. 1 John says it over and over again.

I think what has happened is that we have the wrong picture of the character of God and thus don’t trust Him as we should to be all that He is in our lives. We are living idolatrous lives because we really dont’ see Who God Is.

]]> By: Larry Who http://www.theologicalmusingsblog.com/2007/04/18/live-like-jesus/comment-page-1/#comment-5425 Larry Who Fri, 20 Apr 2007 02:10:03 +0000 http://www.theologicalmusingsblog.com/2007/04/18/live-like-jesus/#comment-5425 Good points, Steve. My guess is that we don't have to look for an enemy to discover if we are true-blue Christians. Most of us don't even like our neighbors. So, forget about loving them. Good points, Steve.

My guess is that we don’t have to look for an enemy to discover if we are true-blue Christians. Most of us don’t even like our neighbors. So, forget about loving them.

]]> By: Craig V. http://www.theologicalmusingsblog.com/2007/04/18/live-like-jesus/comment-page-1/#comment-5414 Craig V. Thu, 19 Apr 2007 16:04:23 +0000 http://www.theologicalmusingsblog.com/2007/04/18/live-like-jesus/#comment-5414 Doctrines and creeds take a lot of abuse, but I'm not so sure they are near the root of what keeps us from following Christ. The real problems are issues of the heart. Doctrines and creeds are tools to help us understand the reality which is Christ. A hammer isn't a bad thing, though I may be tempted to view it as a bad thing if it's used in hate. The real problem, though, isn't the hammer, it's the hate. Great post Steve. I hope and pray for God to use you and Christy in rich ways of love, by his grace, on this new adventure in him. Doctrines and creeds take a lot of abuse, but I’m not so sure they are near the root of what keeps us from following Christ. The real problems are issues of the heart. Doctrines and creeds are tools to help us understand the reality which is Christ. A hammer isn’t a bad thing, though I may be tempted to view it as a bad thing if it’s used in hate. The real problem, though, isn’t the hammer, it’s the hate.

Great post Steve. I hope and pray for God to use you and Christy in rich ways of love, by his grace, on this new adventure in him.

]]> By: Alan Knox http://www.theologicalmusingsblog.com/2007/04/18/live-like-jesus/comment-page-1/#comment-5409 Alan Knox Thu, 19 Apr 2007 14:37:29 +0000 http://www.theologicalmusingsblog.com/2007/04/18/live-like-jesus/#comment-5409 Steve, Yes! New life in Christ is not about stating a creed or defending a confession. It is about life! Living a Spirit-indwelled and Spirit-enabled and Spirit-led life. Studying Scripture is worthless (yes, I said worthless) if we are not living what we are reading and studying. -Alan Steve,

Yes! New life in Christ is not about stating a creed or defending a confession. It is about life! Living a Spirit-indwelled and Spirit-enabled and Spirit-led life. Studying Scripture is worthless (yes, I said worthless) if we are not living what we are reading and studying.

-Alan

]]> By: phil hawkins http://www.theologicalmusingsblog.com/2007/04/18/live-like-jesus/comment-page-1/#comment-5407 phil hawkins Thu, 19 Apr 2007 13:09:18 +0000 http://www.theologicalmusingsblog.com/2007/04/18/live-like-jesus/#comment-5407 Steve, I grew up in evangelical churches where they gave kids pins for memorizing verses and rattling off all the names of the books of the Bible. All the traditional stuff... Anymore, when I meet a Christian who is new to me, I'm not all that interested in how much Bible they know, but in how much Bible they live. And I know I'm no paragon of perfection in this myself, but I'd rather be 50 feet along on the right road than 50 miles down a side track. By the way, I got my blog set up Tuesday, have 3 posts on it now. Let's see if I can make a link that works:http://postmodernredneck.blogspot.com Don't know how that came out, it took me a couple of tries. Well, if the link doesn't work, at least you have the address. Hopefully I'll get the hang of it someday. Phil Hawkins Steve,

I grew up in evangelical churches where they gave kids pins for memorizing verses and rattling off all the names of the books of the Bible. All the traditional stuff…

Anymore, when I meet a Christian who is new to me, I’m not all that interested in how much Bible they know, but in how much Bible they live. And I know I’m no paragon of perfection in this myself, but I’d rather be 50 feet along on the right road than 50 miles down a side track.

By the way, I got my blog set up Tuesday, have 3 posts on it now. Let’s see if I can make a link that works:http://postmodernredneck.blogspot.com
Don’t know how that came out, it took me a couple of tries. Well, if the link doesn’t work, at least you have the address. Hopefully I’ll get the hang of it someday.

Phil Hawkins

]]> By: Heather http://www.theologicalmusingsblog.com/2007/04/18/live-like-jesus/comment-page-1/#comment-5402 Heather Thu, 19 Apr 2007 11:04:55 +0000 http://www.theologicalmusingsblog.com/2007/04/18/live-like-jesus/#comment-5402 Steve - Thanks for sharing. There is so much inside me right now that I think I could write a book, but I won't ;) I just wanted to say that you inspire me. Thanks for always sharing your heart like this ... Blessings!! Steve -

Thanks for sharing. There is so much inside me right now that I think I could write a book, but I won’t ;) I just wanted to say that you inspire me. Thanks for always sharing your heart like this …

Blessings!!

]]> By: Mike Ross http://www.theologicalmusingsblog.com/2007/04/18/live-like-jesus/comment-page-1/#comment-5390 Mike Ross Thu, 19 Apr 2007 03:44:54 +0000 http://www.theologicalmusingsblog.com/2007/04/18/live-like-jesus/#comment-5390 Chills, Steve, chills ran across me when I heard the term ‘Red Letter Christians’. I have been imploring the people that show up at our house for fellowship to ‘forget the rest and just go back and read the red words’. The context for this comment was our struggle to find what it means to be a Christian. A true Christian. And what true community and church are. Obviously I didn’t mean to really forget the rest, I just wanted to clarify. My journey has taken me to Honduras where God showed me community and compassion taking place. My journey has taken me out of the mainstream church, into a quasi-emergent/purpose-driven church, into my home, into small discipleship groups, into blogs, into inner-city Philly to meet up with friends following out those red letters at the simple way and ultimately into the red letters myself and individual time with God. If I’m completely honest, I’m not sure I can be a Christian. I like stuff too much, I like living a comfortable life, I like being admired and respected and looked up to, I like people to see me with people of influence and who have a coolness factor. I don’t like people who are hurting, who are poor, I don’t like emotionally needy people, I don’t like people who are not on my self-perceived intellectual level, I don’t like people who aren’t cool. I really hope this grace thing is as good as they say it is. I can’t recommend strongly enough Greg Boyd’s book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Myth-Christian-Nation-Political-Destroying/dp/0310267307/ref=pd_bbs_2/104-6032280-0361553?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1176953330&sr=1-2" rel="nofollow">The Myth of a Christian Nation,</a> in response to what Campolo had to say. When I get home I’ll quote from one of my poly-sci books about how politicians evoke God to be on ‘our’ side and for political gain. Mike P.S. It has truly been a couple of crazy, enlightening, and encouraging days on here. Thanks again! Chills, Steve, chills ran across me when I heard the term ‘Red Letter Christians’. I have been imploring the people that show up at our house for fellowship to ‘forget the rest and just go back and read the red words’. The context for this comment was our struggle to find what it means to be a Christian. A true Christian. And what true community and church are. Obviously I didn’t mean to really forget the rest, I just wanted to clarify.

My journey has taken me to Honduras where God showed me community and compassion taking place. My journey has taken me out of the mainstream church, into a quasi-emergent/purpose-driven church, into my home, into small discipleship groups, into blogs, into inner-city Philly to meet up with friends following out those red letters at the simple way and ultimately into the red letters myself and individual time with God.

If I’m completely honest, I’m not sure I can be a Christian. I like stuff too much, I like living a comfortable life, I like being admired and respected and looked up to, I like people to see me with people of influence and who have a coolness factor.

I don’t like people who are hurting, who are poor, I don’t like emotionally needy people, I don’t like people who are not on my self-perceived intellectual level, I don’t like people who aren’t cool.

I really hope this grace thing is as good as they say it is.

I can’t recommend strongly enough Greg Boyd’s book, The Myth of a Christian Nation, in response to what Campolo had to say.

When I get home I’ll quote from one of my poly-sci books about how politicians evoke God to be on ‘our’ side and for political gain.

Mike

P.S. It has truly been a couple of crazy, enlightening, and encouraging days on here. Thanks again!

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