Stushie’s Stuff

CHURCH LEADERS should con­sider being tested for HIV to help banish the stigma attached to testing, an expert at UNAIDS (the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS) has said in advance of World AIDS Day next Monday.

A Lambeth Palace spokeswoman, responding on Wednesday, said that African bishops had already had themselves tested as an example to others, and that the Archbishop of Canterbury believed that church leaders should take a lead in educat­ing people about the issues.

In part of a statement expected on Monday, Dr Williams will say: “Recognizing that people living with HIV is us not them, whether its leaders and congregations, congrega­tions and ‘outsiders’, it’s us. It’s all of our business . . . church leaders and church congregations taking responsi­­bilities for educating the wider public.”

Sally Smith, the Geneva-based UNAIDS partnership adviser who called for the testing, said: “This is an important way for religious and community leaders to break down the stigma often associated with HIV and testing.”

Everyone should know their HIV status, to make informed health decisions, she said in an interview published in full on the Church Times website today.

Read the rest of the story here…

The economic crisis and stock market meltdown makes us all feel uneasy. Where is God in these uncertain times?

Podcast version here

Psalm 46:5 God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.

Economically, people are hurting all over the world. The stock markets are fluctuating wildly; businesses are closing down; unemployment is at an all time high for decades. There just doesn’t seem to be a lot of hope going around and some of us are wondering what we should be thankful for this year.

Spiritually, people are also hurting around the world. When uncertainty creeps into our society, God becomes a scapegoat for our frustrations and fears, our anxieties and anger. How can He allow all of this suffering to continue? Why doesn’t God do something about it? With all of His power, He could straighten things out and let us all lead healthy, wealthy, and successful lives.

But then we would just become puppets and wouldn’t know freedom. We wouldn’t experience triumph over hardship, or even learn from our mistakes. Each day would be the same and eventually, in my opinion, all of our feelings – good or bad – would shut off entirely.

So what does God do about uncertain times? How does He help us overcome our present troubles?

God abides within us, giving us guidance and encouragement, as well as granting us mercy and grace.  It may seem trite to some people, but for those who maintain a strong spiritual connection to God, it is a wonderful blessing. Our future is in God’s hands; in fact, God is our future. As Christians, we look forward to an amazing day when we will be with God. Jesus, our Savior, has given us an everlasting opportunity to enter God’s Kingdom here on earth. Stock markets may rise and fall; jobs may come and go; but the love of God endures forever.

Prayer:                        Lord God, everything seems to be changing in our world, and at times we are fearfully anxious. Help us to cling to Your promises and allow us the holy experience of Your comforting presence in our hearts, minds, and souls. We pray this in the Name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord forever. Amen.

Chapter 10: Wade in the Water

P140    What Jesus had been suggesting, Mack finally allowed into his consciousness. He was talking about walking across on the water. Jesus, anticipating his hesitation, asserted, “C’mon, Mack. If Peter can do it…”

Q:        What is Jesus trying to do with Mack when he asks him to walk on the water? Why does this request make Mack hesitate?

Matthew 14:25-31      During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

“Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

P141    Jesus: Such a powerful ability, the imagination. That power alone makes you so like us. But without wisdom, imagination is a cruel task master. …do you think humans were designed to live in the present or the past or the future?

…now tell me, where do you spend most of your time in your mind, in your imagination; in the present, in the past, or in the future?

Q:        How much do we live our lives in our imagination? Why do you think God planted that ability within us? When does our imagination help or hinder our faith?

Deuteronomy 28:64-67 Then the LORD will scatter you among all nations, from one end of the earth to the other. There you will worship other gods–gods of wood and stone, which neither you nor your fathers have known. Among those nations you will find no repose, no resting place for the sole of your foot. There the LORD will give you an anxious mind , eyes weary with longing, and a despairing heart. You will live in constant suspense, filled with dread both night and day, never sure of your life. In the morning you will say, “If only it were evening!” and in the evening, “If only it were morning!”–because of the terror that will fill your hearts and the sights that your eyes will see.

P142: Jesus – Mack, do you realize that your imagination of the future, which is almost always dictated by fear of some kind, rarely, if ever, pictures me there with you?

It is impossible for you to take power over the future because it isn’t even real, nor will it ever be real. You try and play God, imagining the evil that you fear becoming reality, and then you try and make plans and contingencies to avoid what you fear.

The person who lives by their fears will not find their freedom in my love.

Q:        What things make us insecure and unfaithful to God? Why do we rarely picture Christ as being at the heart of our future? What does this tell us about our faith?

John 14:1-3     “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

P144    Jesus    -           Our earth is like a child who has grown up without parents, having no one to guide and direct her. Some have attempted to help her but most have simply tried to use her. Humans, who have been given the task to lovingly steer the world, instead plunder her with no consideration, other than their immediate needs.

Q:        Why do we dominate the earth and abuse it? How do our modern lifestyles affect our planet’s ecosystem? What should we be doing as Christians to change this?

Psalm 24:1-2   The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.

P145    Jesus -  have you noticed that even though you call me Lord and King, I have never really acted in that capacity with you/ I’ve never taken control of your choices or forced you to do anything, even when what you were about to do was destructive or hurtful to yourself and others.

To force my will on you, …is exactly what love does not do. Genuine relationships are marked by submission even when your choices are not helpful or healthy.

Q:        Why doesn’t Jesus take charge over our lives? Would we expect Him to change things to suit ourselves if He did? How can we allow Him to influence our choices? Why are we sometimes resistant to this?

1 Peter 4:1-2   Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.

P146:   Jesus – I don’t want slaves to my will; I want brothers and sisters who will share life with me.

That’s because like most men you find what you think of as fulfillment in your achievements, and Nan, like most women, find it in relationships.

Q:        How can we fulfill our lives in Christ? How would that affect our accomplishments and relationships?

John 17:21-23 Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me . May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

P147:   Jesus – Women, in general, will find it difficult to turn from a man and stop demanding that he meets their needs, provides security, and protects their identity, and return to me. Men, in general, find it very hard to turn from the works of their hands, their own quests for power and security and significance, and return to me.

Q:        Why do we find it so difficult to return to Jesus? What obstacles get in our way?

Matthew 11:28-30      “Come to me , all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

P148:   Jesus -  Power in the hands of independent humans, be they men or women, does corrupt….remember, I am not about performance and fitting into man-made structures; I am about being. As you grown in relationship with me, what you do will simply reflect who you really are.

I came as a man to complete a wonderful picture in how we made you. From the first day, we hid the woman within the man, so that at the right time we could remove her from within him. We didn’t create man to be alone; she was purposed from the beginning.

Q:        What makes us identify ourselves through what we do, instead of focusing on who we are in God’s eyes? When we end up glorifying our achievements, do we cheat God?

Isaiah 46:5-7 “To whom will you compare me or count me equal? To whom will you liken me that we may be compared?

Some pour out gold from their bags and weigh out silver on the scales; they hire a goldsmith to make it into a god, and they bow down and worship it.

They lift it to their shoulders and carry it; they set it up in its place, and there it stands. From that spot it cannot move. Though one cries out to it, it does not answer; it cannot save him from his troubles.

P149:   Jesus    -           Seriously, my life was not meant to be an example to copy. Being my follower is not trying ‘to be like Jesus’ it means for your independence to be killed. I came to give you life, real life, my life. We will come and live our life inside of you, so that you begin to see with our eyes, and hear with our ears, and touch with our hands, and think like we do. But, we will never force that union on you. If you want to do your thing, have at it. Time is on our side.

Q:        Are our lives meant to copy Christ? Is he not an example to us? What is the author trying to convey by making Christ speak these words? What do you think he means by ‘time is on our side’?

John 13:15-17 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

1 Peter 2:21    To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example , that you should follow in his steps.

Two Million Sparkling Lights Will Be On Display at Gaylord Opryland Resort’s A Country Christmas

Nashville, TN

(Vocus) November 21, 2008 –

The outdoor Nativity display (www.ChristmasatGaylordOpryland.com) on the iconic Magnolia Lawn of the Gaylord Opryland Resort for this year’s 25th Anniversary of A Country Christmas (www.ChristmasatGaylordOpryland.com) is surrounded by two million sparkling lights.

Nowhere does the meaning of Christmas shine more brightly than at the resort a Travel Channel program calls “The Most Christmassy Hotel in the Nation.” The outdoor Nativity is comprised of 50 white statues, some of which are eight-feet tall, that depict the story of the legendary trip to Bethlehem made by Jesus, Mary and Joseph. The tale is narrated for all those who stroll along the nearby path. But that is only one of The Four Greatest Nativities at Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, Tenn.

A second glistening Nativity is located in ICE!, which in 2008 is a theater full of 2 million pounds of giant ice sculptures telling the story of the How the Grinch Stole Christmas! by Dr. Suess. The main theme may change from year to year, but each year thousands return to ICE! just to see the grand finale, a 9æF room where a larger-than-life Nativity scene is carefully displayed with special theatrical lighting, all hand-carved from massive blocks of sparkling clear ice. Here, guests stop for longer than the temperature would seem to allow, listening to the story of Christmas as the sculptures are lighted one by one, including a 15-foot tall ice angel.

Read the rest of the story here…

VATICAN CITY, NOV. 21, 2008 (Zenit.org).- The Vatican will be taking a step toward promoting a greener culture next week as it inaugurates new solar panels on the roof of Paul VI Hall.

The inauguration will take place Wednesday at the headquarters of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, a Vatican communiqué reported today.

The 2,400 solar panels replace the deteriorating concrete roof panels, and the photovoltaic cells will convert sunlight into electricity, and generate enough power to light, heat or cool the 6,000-seat hall.

The Vatican says the solar panel project is one of the “concrete and tangible initiatives” of the Vatican to promote the protection of the environment.

Read the rest of the story here…

DES MOINES (AP) — Don’t expect to hear these Bible stories at church.

Cannibalism, rape, a bear that mauls children — this is the Bible?

They’re among six stories from the Old Testament acted out in “Terror Texts,” a musical at Northwestern College in Orange City.

Adding to the shocking nature of the stories are the theatrics, with actors decked out in Goth attire, a rock band and a mosh pit.

Theater professor Jeff Barker said the obscurity of the stories belies their value.

Read the rest of the story here…

Washington, Nov 22 : Churches in the capital city of United States are putting their best foot forward in a bid to woo the most sought after Christians in the world today- the Obama family.

Ever since Barack Obama won the US Presidential election, all the churches, ranging from Methodist, Baptist, United Church of Christ, Presbyterian, Episcopal, are courting the Obamas to be regulars in their pews on Sunday mornings.

In fact, Amy Butler, pastor of Calvary Baptist in Northwest Washington said that when she decided to woo the Obamas, a friend in the local faith community told her to join the line.

Read the rest of the story here…

From Big Network News

Correctly handling the word of truth is something that all preachers should remember. Omitting what we don’t like from scripture only causes us to rewrite the Gospel and reject God’s Word.

Podcast version here

2 Timothy 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

I’ve been a bit remiss these past couple of weeks in writing these devotionals. It’s been really busy at the church I serve, and lately I’ve had difficulty in prioritizing my time. It makes me feel ashamed because I’m always advising people to make time for God. It seems as though the pastor hasn’t been practicing what he preaches, so I need to get back on the right track.

I’ve also been more aware of what constitutes correctly handling the word of truth. At a big meeting the other day, which was full of pastors and elders, someone preached a really good sermon on chapter three of John’s Gospel. It was a great message of hope and full of the Spirit, but the preacher only preached from John 3: 1-17. She opted to omit verses 18-21, which actually ends the conversation between Christ and Nicodemus in this chapter. It made me wonder why. Here are the verses:

John 3:18-21 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”

You see those last four verses reveal how serious it is to reject believing in God through Jesus. Up until that point in the chapter, Jesus is attempting to teach Nicodemus about the love, grace, and mercy of God. But He ends His conversation with dire warnings, and so when we preach from that chapter, we need to be prepared to correctly handle the word of truth. It may be a lot easier to ignore the bad bits and just preach the good, but when we do that, we end up rewriting the Gospel and making Christ’s words suit ourselves.

Do I wish that Jesus had never spoken verses 18-21? Sometimes, but then I remember that God’s grace is never given cheaply or just casually placed before us. We are given an invitation to believe in Jesus, along with an opportunity to receive salvation. It is never thrust upon us and each person must accept or reject it. The consequences of our decision are plainly expressed by Christ; we can never complain to Him that we didn’t understand our options. Grace and judgment go hand in hand. How we finally experience them depends upon the choice each one of us makes.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, Your Gospel gives us the greatest opportunity of a lifetime for each one of us. You offer us the hope of being forgiven for all of our mistakes, and restored to God’s favor for all of eternity. This is the greatest blessing that we can receive in our lives. But You do not force this upon us; instead You allow us to use our free will to determine whether or not we will accept Your invitation. Grant us the wisdom to respond lovingly to this everlasting gift. Remind us of the consequences which will follow our final choices. In Your Holy Name, we humbly and gratefully pray. Amen.

Chapter 9: A Long Time Ago, In a Garden Far, Far Away

P128    Mack about Sarayu (Holy Spirit) – No wonder so many people are a little unnerved at relating to her…She obviously is not a being who is predictable.

Q: Does having  the Holy Spirit in our lives make us feel uncomfortable? Why/ why not?

Romans 9:1-4

I speak the truth in Christ-I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit – I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of Israel.

P 129   Sarayu – A fractal…something considered simple and orderly that is actually composed of repeated patterns no matter how magnified. A fractal is almost infinitely complex. I love fractals, so I put them everywhere.

P 131   Sarayu: Oh, Mackenzie, if only you knew. It’s not the work, but the purpose that makes it special. And…it’s the only kind I do.

Q:        Why are we so obsessed with getting things accomplished rather than asking ourselves what is the purpose behind our actions?

Galatians 3:5

Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?

Sarayu: I created everything that actually exists, including what you consider the bad stuff. But when I created it, it was only Good, because that is just the way that I am.

P132    Mack:  Then why has so much of the ‘Good’ gone ‘bad’?

Q:        Why has so much of the ‘Good’ gone bad?

Sarayu: You (humans) are truly blind to your own place in the Creation. Having chosen the ravaged path of independence, you don’t even comprehend that you are dragging the entire creation along with you.

Q:        Where do we see the effects of our disobedience in the world? What motivates us to spoil God’s good works?

Romans 1:18-20

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

Sarayu: That is the wonder and adventure of exploration, a piece of what you call science – to discern and discover what we have hidden for you to find.

Sarayu: For any created being, autonomy is lunacy. Freedom involves trust and obedience inside a relationship of love.

Q:        Why do we associate freedom with independence? How can freedom involve trust and obedience?

Romans 15:13

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

P133:   Sarayu: Humans have a great capacity for declaring something good or evil, without truly knowing.

P134    Mack:  That’s going to bother some people. There are lots of people who think it (Garden of Eden) was only a myth.

Sarayu: Well, their mistake isn’t fatal. Rumors of glory are often hidden inside of what many consider myths and tales.

Q:        What do you consider to be the truths about the Garden of Eden? Why do many people attribute it to being a myth?

Genesis 2:8-9

Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. And the LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground–trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Sarayu: When something happens to you, how do you determine whether it is good or evil?

And how confident are you in your ability to discern what indeed is good for you, or what is evil?

Q:        How do we determine what is good and evil? How do we know this to be true?

Hebrews 5:12-14

In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil .

P135                Sarayu…that which you determine to be good will change over time and circumstance. And then beyond that and even worse, there are billions of you each determining what is good and what is evil. So when your good and evil clash with your neighbor’s, fights and arguments ensue and even wars break out.

And then if there is no reality of good that is absolute, then you have lost any basis for judging. It is just language, and one might as well exchange the word good for the word evil.

Q:        Why are we so resistant to absolutes in our society? If there is no absolute right or wrong, why do we both reward and punish people?

The choice to eat of that tree (in Eden) tore the universe apart divorcing the spiritual from the physical.

Mack:  I spend most of my time and energy trying to acquire what I have determined to be good…and I spend a huge amount of energy and worry fearing what I’ve determined to be evil.

Q:        How could Adam & Eve’s disobedience wreck the harmony between the physical and spiritual? How true is Mack’s statement above to your own life?

P136    Sarayu: You must give up your right to decide what is good and evil on your own terms. That is a hard pill to swallow; choosing to only live in me. To do that you must know me enough to trust me and learn to rest in my inherent goodness.

Q:        Why are we afraid to give up our right to determine what is right and wrong? How can we live by and with the Spirit?

Both evil and darkness can only be understood in relation to both Light and Good; they do not have any actual existence. I am Light and I am Good. I am Love and there is no darkness in me. Light and Good actually exist.

John 12:35-36

Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going. Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light.” When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.

P137    Sarayu: No Mack. A child is protected because she is loved, not because she has the right to be protected.

Mackenzie, Jesus didn’t hold on to any rights; he willingly became a servant and lives out of his relationship to papa. He gave up everything, so that by his dependent life he opened a door that would allow you to live free enough to give up your rights.

Q:        What did Jesus give up to become one of us? How has His sacrifice helped our salvation?

Hebrews 2:8-9

In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

P138:   Sarayu: And well you should, Mackenzie, because this garden is your soul. This mess is you! Together, you and I, have been working with a purpose in your heart. And it is wild and beautiful and perfectly in process. To you it seems like a mess, but to me, I see a perfect pattern emerging and growing and alive – a living fractal.

Q:        What kind of messes are our own souls experiencing? How can we get the Holy Spirit to work with us to make our souls wild, beautiful, and perfect in process? What does that mean to you anyway?