Tag Archives: bible
There is an old Buddhist proverb that Christian Piatt shared with us at our big pub night a few months back – “If you ever meet Buddha along the road, kill him.” Then Christian, perhaps a little shockingly, suggested that we do the same for Jesus.
Granted, Christian wasn’t being literal – his point was that getting to know Jesus is a central and lifelong act of discipleship. The instant we think we have Jesus or God figured out is the same instant we probably need to start over. We won’t ever know all there is know to about the one we call Savior – there will always be something more to learn.
We can’t ever “get” Jesus completely, but we can keep getting closer to him.
It’s funny how we often do the opposite though in our spiritual walk. We put up walls as if we have gone far enough or figured everything out. This might allow us to justify our own behavior or habits as being okay, like how slave masters would use the Bible to justify owning slaves. It also could prevent us from really moving to a place where God wants us to be, being open to a mission project in our community, connecting with a neighbor who might be in need, or sharing our own grief and heartache with a community of support.
I’m grateful then that Jesus didn’t build walls. Even in our scripture that we talked about this past Sunday, Matthew 15:21-28, where Jesus at first throws up this wall to a Gentile woman who is in deep need, that wall eventually gets torn down and a table is put in its place. Jesus’ heart is opened and broken for this mother and God’s abundance is shared. Even if the text says they don’t share a literal meal, they sit at the same feast that the one at the center of all creation invites us to join.
That’s what the Table strives to be about – tearing down walls and sitting around tables – so together, we can figure out who Jesus is and what Jesus is calling us to do with our lives. That’s what I believe church should be about. That’s what I think the world needs more of. What do you think?
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Leave a comment | tags: bible, buddha, christian piatt, compassion, discipleship, feast, god, grief, growing, jesus, kill him, learning, love, need, neighbor, proverb, scripture, share, tables, tear down, the table, theology, walls | posted in Links, Words, Worship Guides
(Or what if tomorrow wasn’t going to be different than today?)
Ecclesiastes is a bleak book. Yet, you occasionally catch verses from it prominently read at weddings, funerals, on cards, specifically Ecclesiastes 3 which goes:
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to throw away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.
That might sound poetic and beautiful, but it comes in the midst of wailing and lamenting about the state of affairs of the world and life. All is vanity, the book begins. Everything will eventually pass away into dust. This isn’t the struggle to deal with suffering as we find in the book of Job – it’s more of a deep questioning of the cyclical nature of all things. Are we just wheels in the cog? Do our lives make a difference in the inevitable passing of the seasons? If we work hard in our lives, will the next person come along and redo all of our work? What is the point?
I imagine that if I could ask anyone to read this book in worship on Sunday, it would be Bill Murray. (For example, check out this clip from Groundhog Day which I may use Sunday.) He alone would capture that mix of dark humor, sarcasm, and world weariness that comes across from these writings. I like that this book is in the Bible. It counters some of the heady optimism that we encounter in other parts. Yes, we can make a difference – yes, God is passionately involved with Creation. But, things cycle and change, sometimes beyond our control. There is a season for all things, which is both good and bad.
In the end, the simplest things are the moments to savor in life. Enjoy your food. Drink well. Find joy in your hard work. Do the little things well, and perhaps the big things will take care of themselves.
“This is what I have seen to be good: it is fitting to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of the life God gives us; for this is our lot.” Ecclesiastes 5:18
See you Sunday or somewhere in between!
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Leave a comment | tags: bible, bill murray, bleak, creation, cycles, dust, ecclesiastes, enjoy, for everything there is a season, god, hard work, little things, nathan hill, preaching, savor, seasons, simple things, the table, toil, vanity, worship | posted in Links, Video, Words, Worship Guides
On September 27, Faith in the City, our weekly pub group, invites everyone to join us for an evening of Banned Questions about the Bible with author Christian Piatt and musical guest HOYOTOHO. This is going to be a blast – free pizza, great conversation, and awesome music. Christian Piatt is an author, poet, and musician from Pueblo, CO, though he originally hails from Dallas (and is still a Dallas Mavericks fan). We’ve been using his book at our weekly pub nights as a starting off point for our conversations about life, God, faith, and the world.
The whole event kicks off at 7:30 PM, with local rock heroes, HOYOTOHO. (Lead singer Calvin has jammed with the Table praise team a few times, by the way.) Pizza, salad, and sodas are free. The usual Tuesday evening drink specials are in effect. Childcare is also available at the church (629 N. Peak St). Anyone is welcome, especially those with questions about faith.
RSVP on Facebook here.
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Leave a comment | tags: awesome, banned questions, beverages, bible, bryan st tavern, childcare, christian piatt, conversation, discussion, east dallas, free, hoyotoho, jesus, pizza | posted in Links, News, Small Groups, Upcoming Events
I’m excited about our September sermon series called STRETCHING.
Regardless of political affiliation, spiritual background, occupation, or age, most people understand that our world is changing, and each year, we face new kinds of questions that challenge not just our intellects but also our faith. Some of these questions may be easier than others to answer, but most challenge us to our core. What about my friend who is fundamentally a good person but has only been hurt by the Christian faith? Why does my country keep waging wars on other nations? Why are so many black young men incarcerated? Why are we stuck in an endless loop of political bickering when larger problems loom for our world?
We may have heard answers to these questions. We may know where we stand… but we may not. We also may not understand that the Bible, though wielded as an instrument of judgment by a lot of folks, may offer completely different answers than we think. This is a series to discover some of those answers. And though we may disagree, by stretching deeply around these issues, we may be more prepared to love others as God loves us.
Here’s a preview:
September 11 – Deep Wounds
Finding healing and hope in times of war
September 18 – Open & Affirming
Understanding God’s gift of sexuality
September 25 – Finding Reconciliation
Living for reconciliation in a diverse world
October 2 – A Universal God
Is God bigger than one people or one tradition?
October 9 – Real Conversations
Learning how to agree to disagree
Stay tuned for more updates as this great new conversation unfolds, beginning September 11.
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Leave a comment | tags: bible, changing world, controversy, east dallas, east dallas christian church, god, healing, hope, hot topics, jesus, judgment, learning how to agree to disagree, love, message, october, political bickering, reconciliation, scripture, september, series, sermon series, sexuality, spiritual stretching, stretching, the table, war | posted in Upcoming Events, Words, Worship Guides
Like many of you, I struggle trying to find balance in life. Whether its work, family life, time for me, or time with God, I’m always having to make choices that reveal where my priorities are. Sometimes, it feels like I make the wrong choices. Other times, I make the right choices. It feels like I’m doing a high wire act over the Dallas skyline.
This has been especially true for me as I just sent my wife and kids off to Korea. When they are here, I can easily tune myself out when I am in their presence with tv, computer, or work issues. But now that they are gone and our apartment is so quiet, I regret tuning them out at all. I would give anything for them to be back, even with my kids’ uncanny ability to leave out toys in unlikely places so I can step on them and almost require medical attention.
In the moment of life, priorities can easily get mixed up. Yes, bringing home financial resources to provide for our family is so important, but is it important enough to risk missing out on events in their life that only come around once?
Is taking on a second job to pay off debt worth it if it means we end up working ourselves into exhaustion?
Can we find time in our lives to say “no” to our family so we can rest in quiet or have a conversation with a close friend over a cup of coffee?
If we commit to growing as followers of Jesus, how do we make spirituality a daily affair in the chaos and unpredictability of life?
These are not easy questions to answer, and yet we are all there in one way or another. Learning how to set boundaries and priorities may go a long way in determining the kind of balance we develop in our life. And it is so hard to do.
I don’t have all the answers, but I am inviting you to share in conversation with us through the month of June at the Table. We’ll be digging into these questions, looking at some great stories and passages in the Bible that challenge us, and listening to God and one another as we seek balance and wholeness. Maybe you know a friend or two who might be interested in this conversation.
Let’s practice this tightrope walk together.
See you in June!
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3 comments | tags: balance, bible, career, chaos, conversation, dallas, deborah, east dallas, explore, family, feeling out of balance, finding balance, followers, hope, how to say no, join, june, kids, life, message, music, nathan, no, passages, questions, relationships, say no to your boss, sermon, sermon series, spirituality, stories, struggle, sunday, table, work, worship | posted in Upcoming Events, Words
