what would Jesus do

Meeting me where I am

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Yesterday’s post has been on my mind.

“I have yet to meet a CEO who does not care … Who will not step outside the box to meet someone where they are … (who will not) override their own polices … to “meet someone where they are”.”

And then this morning GSHJ added this verse: Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning.” Matthew 19:18

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It was not this way from the beginning.

Because your hearts were hard.

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What Would Jesus Do? WWJD.

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Well …

As a “follower of the way” … as a “disciple” who knows the Master’s heart and mind and soul and very being …

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Is the question even necessary?

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It was not this way from the beginning.

I have yet to meet a CEO who does not to “meet someone where they are”. 

And yet almost every organisation I have “met” does everything in its power to deliver the opposite.  Every organisation I have met is riddled with fear dressed up as policy.  Dressed up as the computer says.  Dressed up as I would love to but I can’t.  Dressed up as “every (senior manager) you speak to will tell you the same as I am telling you”.

Really …. ?

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It was not this way from the beginning.

In the beginning it was God and some dust and a rib.  Should have been easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy.  But three is a crowd.  And God got in the way.  So A&E went into hiding.  Because your hearts were hard (or soft or duplicitous).

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In the beginning it was a great concept delivered by the few to the few.

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Such a great concept that more were needed to satisfy demand.  And the few became the many.  And the CEO became distant from the many.  And the many arranged themselves to be the few to the many.  And the few to the many told the many how things were needed to be.  And as the many became a hierarchy – an institution – whose survival now mattered to so many … hearts were hardened.

It was not this way from the beginning.

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For years I have looked at the Gospels and wondered why Jesus lasted only three years.  Why after the cross and all that he floated back upstairs.  Why the few were left with the few rather than the many.  And then the few became the many.  And the few interpreted for the many as the Master had interpreted for the few – and hearts were hardened.

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My relationship with God Soft Hands Jesus is above all other relationships.

 

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It is above “the church” … It is above being “scripturally correct” … It is above “discernment” … It is above all the stuff I have been taught is “The (accepted and correct) Way”.

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It is even above “WWJD?”

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Love is simple and not any of the things I have been taught.

Love “is always the answer (now what’s your question)?”

Love is the brutal and gritty determination and strength of a parent for their child.

Love is the hard as nails defence of wondrous humanity of each for each.

Love is genuine and without duplicity.

Love is generous and kind without transaction.

Love is who we all would like to be when … and if … and but … (when we can afford to be).

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Like … never!!

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“What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” (Mark 8:36)

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GSHJ is my CEO.

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Because The Way is easy and light – because …

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Is who I am.

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From the beginning.

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Getting the job done

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Facebook post by “Clergy Coaching Network”
“The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state,
but rather the conscience of the state.  It must be the guide and the critic
of the state, and never its tool.  If the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal
it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.

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And a selection of comments …
I have problems interpreting what was intended for a theocracy to be for a non-theocratic state like America.
Jesus was very political.
But that prophetic zeal must always be tempered with discernment to assure that the Holy Spirit is behind the message.
What does he mean by prophetic zeal?
Read Amos or Micah or Hosea.

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And “theocracy” … ?
“Theocracy, government by divine guidance or by officials who are regarded as divinely guided. In many theocracies, government leaders are members of the clergy, and the state’s legal system is based on religious law. Theocratic rule was typical of early civilizations.”
And “prophetic” … ?
“The adjective prophetic traces all the way back to the Greek word prophētikos, meaning “predicting.”  You know who’s really good at predicting stuff?  Prophets.  Usually, prophetic is used to describe a thing — like a warning, a feeling, or a complaint — rather than a person.”
And “zeal” … ?
“Zealous is the adjective for the noun zeal “eager partisanship”; the latter has a long e, but zealous has a short one: ZEL-uhs.  It can have a slightly negative connotation, and people are sometimes described as “overzealous,” meaning they try too hard.”

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More and more I see the clergy “qualified (in God)” having this consequence.

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All the theological-and-seminary-production-line-consequence of a bible “authorised” by scholars (themselves previously qualified in God).  Just seems too familiar – a constant throwback to the good old (biblical) days when Jesus kept saying:

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“You have seen it written but I say … “

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All the theological-and-seminary-production-line-consequence of … “Let’s get back to the original Greek” … “Scholars are agreed that this definition – “ … “If only you would actually study your bible (like I do) – “ …  Just like the good old (biblical) days when Jesus kept saying:

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“All of that don’t get you close to God … “

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I have a job.

When something goes wrong we go forensic:  “What happened, why did it happen, how can we stop it happening again?”  And I find myself suggesting that instead of yet another “process change” – we just care a little more and a little better.  That we remember why we are doing “this” and who we are doing “this”for. 

In my job it is a bunch of wonderful human beings we call a “temp team”.  A bunch of “temps” who are our company out there in all these different Client’s premises.  A bunch of human beings just like us – with lives to live, bills to pay, people they love, frustrations and hope and dreams and comfort zones.

And we can “process map” the hell out of “caring for them” …  But just “caring for them” – loving them for who they are, what they are and where they are … always!

That gets the job done.   

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The qualified in God clergy have a job.

And it isn’t “working for the church”.   It isn’t about running a slick operation called the church.   It isn’t about being qualified in God.   It isn’t even about NOT being a “false teacher” (more deja vu … “You have seen it written but I say … “)

And I find myself suggesting that instead of yet another debate about “going back to the original” for yet more “spiritual discernment” …

We just care a little more, a little better.  That we remember why we are doing “this” and who we are doing “this”for … for a bunch of wonderful human beings who are neither “our flock” nor “the lost” … but a bunch of humans just like us with lives to live, bills to pay, people they love, frustrations and hope and dreams and comfort zones.

And we can “correctly interpret” the hell out of the bible “caring for them correctly” …  But just “caring for them” – loving them for who they are, what they are and where they are … always!

That gets the job done.   

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Restored to a forfeited condition

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 Qualified.

That word says so much about us. What training have we had, what exams have we passed, what trust should be put in us now we are qualified … and the division is seeded.

Qualifications.

He is not qualified to do this, she should get some qualifications, why do I have to be qualified – it’s only a piece of paper … and on and on.

Church.

Has this exact problem: seminary training, theological training, the institution’s demand for “knowledge about” on the assumption that “knowledge of” is the minister’s problem – because the training and assessment will weed out those who have “not found the right God” already.

Division.

A qualified leader, shepherd, whatever you name you use – and an unqualified flock, congregation, called out something. A divine relationship made for heaven. A relationship relying on God to fix the shortcomings. That fixing relying on the fix-ees realising they need fixing, accepting they need fixing, and actively participating in the fixing (or saving and relationship as we more usually call this).

Allowing.

There is an assumption of “allowings” necessary in this cobbled together kind of pathway to heaven. And if one party sees no need for “allowing” – then the pathway to heaven is strewn with good intentions tripping up others along the way – which becomes a very narrow and bumpy road indeed (or salvation and relationship as we more usually call this).

“Jesus also told them a parable: “Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? A disciple is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully qualified will be like the teacher. Why do you see the speck in your neighbour’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbour, ‘Friend, let me take out the speck in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbour’s eye.”” Luke 6:39-42

There it is: “ … everyone who is fully qualified will be like the teacher.”

From out of the mouth of The Teacher Himself.

Which counts me out – I am not fully qualified (or even partially qualified).

Oh well, let’s all leave to those who are (and we are taught that as well).

Hiya God, good to see you again – how are You doing this fine morning … ?

This morning God Soft Hands Jesus took me to Mounce and the Greek version of that word.  And as I am not fully qualified – I simply followed His lead.  Here is what “the Mounce version” has to say:

“… but everyone when fully prepared will be like his teacher”

And that word “prepared” – καταρτίζω (katartizō) – means this according to where GSHJ guided:

to adjust thoroughly; to knit together, unite completely, to prepare, provide, to qualify fully, to complete in character, fit, ripe, to repair, refit, to supply, make good, to restore to a forfeited condition, to reinstate.

“to restore to a forfeited condition”

Qualified – fully qualified – becomes not bits of paper …. becomes “fully prepared” (by Who if not The Teacher?) … becomes “restored to a forfeited condition” (by Who if not restored by The Teacher?).

A forfeited condition.

Life before allowing God. Life before allowing God to indwell. Life before allowing God Soft Hands Jesus to become “my better half”. Life before allowing me to become what I am today. And tomorrow and the day after and the day after that.

So long as I keep “allowing” my “forfeited condition” to become my real “living and loving condition” – my daily condition – my true condition: Him in me and me in Him – not for my benefit – my salvation – my life ever after … not that “only” …

But because that is contagious – it is a virus – it is the condition we each have forfeited. It is a condition we each deserve to have restored in an abundance of diversity. That rich abundance He creates in the very “lost world” we inhabit.

So some call it “Love”, some call it names our “fully qualified” institutions say is “not the right God”, some of us say is “not the right God”, all of us (!!) say is “not the right church” – and we tend to leave it to others (the ones who are qualified) to tell us “what is right and what is not” …

And in so doing  … ?   We forfeit our “true condition” again – and again – and again … Because we do not “allow” the very God we are arguing about.

God Soft Hands Jesus (or whatever your name and religion) does not demand pieces of paper.

He allows each of us to become One with Him. One in Him. And whether we accept that invitation or not … He is abundant in each of us – just waiting to blossom with us when we are ready to blossom with Him. Each of us. No matter the name we give Him.

He simply desires our “forfeited condition” to be restored to our empowering and liberating and loving reality.

Guess what?

If you do, if you have, if you are … that means (to the unqualified me) that YOU are like The Teacher!  YOU have the contagion!  I am like The Teacher – I have the contagion!

Because Love is like God – too big to be made safe, to be boxed, to be tucked away  in a neat cupboard: Love IS the answer – all we have to do is to allow ourselves to be restored in Love. Unconditional Love – universally similar, universally abundant, universally liberating, and universally uniting.

Do you serve the “right God” in the “right way”?

I do!

Then why not allow others to do the same in “their way” with “their God: also being restored to a “forfeited condition”.  What have you to lose?  What have you to gain?

So why not allow each to allow Him … why not allow yourself to allow Him … and allow me to allow Him … unconditionally universally and lovingly.  Just as He Loves.

That is light overcoming your own darkness, my own darkness – that is restoring (to a forfeited condition).

And that is uniting.  Because that is Love.  One Love that connects all.

Because that is what Love “does”.