Lately I have been studying a lot about the resurrection of Jesus Christ and what that means for this world. When speaking of what exactly happened when Christ raised from the dead and brought about His kingdom on earth, many scholars like to use the term of the kingdom as "already here but not yet fully." Although this is true in some aspects, this way of wording it can easily lead us into a dualistic mindset resulting in separating the world in Christ from the world of the "secular." Dietrich Bonhoeffer offers a clarity to this delima:
"One is denying the revelation of God in Jesus Christ if one tries to be 'Christian' without seeing and recognizing the world in Christ. There are, therefore, not two spheres, but only the one sphere of the realizations of Christ, in which the reality of God and the reality of the world are united. Thus the theme of the two spheres, which has repeatedly become the dominant factor in the history of the church, is foreign to the New Testament. The New Testament is concerned solely with the manner in which the reality of Christ assumes reality in the present world, which it has already encompassed, seized, and possessed. There are not two spheres, standing side by side, competing with each other and attacking each other's frontiers. If that were so, this frontier dispute would always be the decisive problem of history. But the whole reality of the world is already drawn into Christ and bound together in him, and the movement of history consists solely in divergence and convergence in revelational with the rational. But between the two there is in each case a unity which derives solely from the reality of Christ, that is to say solely from faith in this ultimate reality. This unity is seen in the way in which the secular and the Christian elements prevent one another from assuming any kind of static independence in their mutual relations. They adopt a polemical attitude toward each other and bear witness precisely in this to their shared reality and to their unity in the reality which is in Christ"
Source: A Testament to Freedom: The Essential Writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Worthy Readings : Being and Doing
"It is hard to know what else Jesus could have said to have made his point more clear. Let us restate it one more time: according to Jesus, there is not authentic Christianity, discipleship or Christian ethics apart from DOING the deeds he taught his followers to do. A fuller summary, influenced in part by a careful reading of the Great Commission would be this: the "deeds" dimension of Jesus' teaching enjoins concrete obedience to Jesus' commands, deed-teaching and disciple-making. Disciples of Jesus study, obey, teach and train others in the deeds Jesus taught and practiced. They do so, we must recall, as a joyful response to, and participation in, God's gracious deliverance and inauguration of the kingdom through Jesus Christ."
"Enter through the narrow gate...for the gate is narrow and the road is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it." Christian existence is a path that is followed, a way of living that is practiced. The road is narrow, many miss it. This is a terrifying warning, and one that makes no sense if the Christian faith is understood merely or even primarily as intellectual assent to convictions about Jesus, as an inspiring and encouraging personal relationship with him, or as a forensic transaction gaining us admission to heaven."
~ Both from the book Kingdom Ethics
Simply, Christ calls his followers to be salt and light in this word, flavor of moral goodness as opposed to moral evil that leaves a bad taste in the mouth, and light, as examples to a dark world of how humans are to genuinely live... Doing deeds and caring for the oppressed so that the world may see and give glory to our Father in heaven. We are to be signposts in a hopeless world proclaiming that death has been defeated and pointing towards the future hope. It is a sad thing to see the teachings of Christ reduced to a mere ticket into heaven resulting in a detachment and escape mentality from this world, cutting the nerve of any action to be apart of God's plan of redeeming it from corruption and evil.
"Enter through the narrow gate...for the gate is narrow and the road is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it." Christian existence is a path that is followed, a way of living that is practiced. The road is narrow, many miss it. This is a terrifying warning, and one that makes no sense if the Christian faith is understood merely or even primarily as intellectual assent to convictions about Jesus, as an inspiring and encouraging personal relationship with him, or as a forensic transaction gaining us admission to heaven."
~ Both from the book Kingdom Ethics
Simply, Christ calls his followers to be salt and light in this word, flavor of moral goodness as opposed to moral evil that leaves a bad taste in the mouth, and light, as examples to a dark world of how humans are to genuinely live... Doing deeds and caring for the oppressed so that the world may see and give glory to our Father in heaven. We are to be signposts in a hopeless world proclaiming that death has been defeated and pointing towards the future hope. It is a sad thing to see the teachings of Christ reduced to a mere ticket into heaven resulting in a detachment and escape mentality from this world, cutting the nerve of any action to be apart of God's plan of redeeming it from corruption and evil.
Friday, July 16, 2010
The Power of Peppermint
Next time you hop on your bike, try dabbing a few drops of peppermint essential oil on your wrists. Smelling peppermint can help you ride harder and faster, upping your caloric burn by 15 percent. A study conducted at Wheeler Jesuit University found that athletes who sniffed mint ran faster, gripped stronger, and pumped out more push-ups. Chewing on minty gum or a Lifesaver can have the same effect, since taste and smell are so closely connected.
From: Psychology Today: June 2010
From: Psychology Today: June 2010
Tame Your Temptations
Ever tried to quit a bad habit, or even create a new one? Of course, we all have and this is a constant factor of life. Change. I recently read a great article in the Psychology Today magazine that made a lot of since about how the mind really works when tying to tame your temptations.
The article suggests that the key to strengthening self control is not to quit "cold turkey," whatever your are struggling with or even trying to implement in your life, but rather to set modest goals. The truth is, and anyone that has tried to keep a New Year's resolution can say, that our willpower can wilt. We break our resolutions, whenever they may be, for various reasons, including pushing our willpower beyond its limits. Using willpower puts strain on the brain, depleting our glucose reserves and sapping our energy. This then leads to a weakened resistance, eventually a handful of cookies in your mouth or 2 packs of cigarettes in one day. Resisting two temptations simultaneously taxes our will even more. To avoid willpower fatigue one should set manageable resolutions and tackle only one at a time. For example, if your trying to quit smoking don't try to quit drinking coffee in the same week!
Another suggestion that they recommended was to set up barriers between yourself and the temptation. Like not having a particular food in the pantry to even tempt you to indulge or avoiding certain types of people during that time that may trigger you to give in.
What is the most powerful control weapon? Simply having a humble view of your capabilities. Taking a realistic approach to quitting a bad habit or starting a new one is ultimately the best approach.
The article suggests that the key to strengthening self control is not to quit "cold turkey," whatever your are struggling with or even trying to implement in your life, but rather to set modest goals. The truth is, and anyone that has tried to keep a New Year's resolution can say, that our willpower can wilt. We break our resolutions, whenever they may be, for various reasons, including pushing our willpower beyond its limits. Using willpower puts strain on the brain, depleting our glucose reserves and sapping our energy. This then leads to a weakened resistance, eventually a handful of cookies in your mouth or 2 packs of cigarettes in one day. Resisting two temptations simultaneously taxes our will even more. To avoid willpower fatigue one should set manageable resolutions and tackle only one at a time. For example, if your trying to quit smoking don't try to quit drinking coffee in the same week!
Another suggestion that they recommended was to set up barriers between yourself and the temptation. Like not having a particular food in the pantry to even tempt you to indulge or avoiding certain types of people during that time that may trigger you to give in.
What is the most powerful control weapon? Simply having a humble view of your capabilities. Taking a realistic approach to quitting a bad habit or starting a new one is ultimately the best approach.
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