Love is thankfulness for the existence of the beloved

"Love is gratitude: it is thankfulness for the existence of the beloved; it is the happy acceptance of everything that he gives without jealous feeling that the self ought to be able to do as much; it is a gratitude that does not seek equality; it is wonder over the other's gift of himself in companionship. Love is reverence; it keeps its distance even as it draws near; it does not seek to absorb the other; it desires the beloved to be what he is and does not seek to refashion him into a replica of the self or to make him a means to the self's advancement. As reverence love is and seeks knowledge of the other not by way of curiosity nor for the sake of gaining power, but in rejoicing and wonder. Love is loyalty it is the willingness to let the self be destroyed rather than the other cease to be."  H. Richard Niebuhr

Legalism is the original sin

"Legalism is the attempt to be more God than God." Stanley Hauerwas, commenting on the lectionary reading of Gen 3:1-7 when Eve added to God's command, "...and you must not touch it..." (Gen 3:3). [Legalism is the original sin]

Each of the temptations is an attempt for Jesus to be the kind of God that overcomes death in a manner that seems assured. Top of the temple: End war, have peace, you can't do it with the devil's means. The NT has to be read Christologically, just as the OT has to be. How to overcome our temptations loses the Christological focus.

"Our first sin is our assumption that we know what sin is." Hauerwas quoting Barth. "Barth's language is an ontological impossibility."

If you think that sin is because on the whole we are pretty shitty people, you got it wrong. Sin is not "I've done something I'm ashamed of." Sin really is the refusal of God. Sin is the naming of alienation from God. It's very hard to remember that. We prefer sin to be just another name for being a bad person. 

Non-Pharisee Repentance

To find God we must repent of the things we have done wrong, but if that is all you do, you may remain just an elder brother. To truly become a Christian we must also repent of the reasons we ever did anything right. Pharisees only repent of their sins, but Christians repent for the very roots of their righteousness, too. We must learn how to repent of the sin under all our other sins and under all our righteousness – the sin of seeking to be our own Savior and Lord.

Discipleship, Jesus rejects using force

The encounter between Peter and Jesus (Mk 8:27-9:1) makes clear that the story of Jesus, like most good stories, changes the hearer. A story that claims to be the truth of our existence requires that our lives, like the lives of the disciples, be changed by following him. Jesus asks what no man should ask from another--his life. To be a disciple of Jesus requires a training beyond what any of them had imagined.

"Jesus deliberately rejected force and chose truth. Whenever Christianity shows an inclination to use constraint in its own defense or support, it thereby furnishes presumptive evidence that it has become a thing of this world, for it finds the means of this world adapted to its end." Walter Rauschenbusch, The Righteousness of the Kingdom, 1968.

Prayer to Start the Day

"This is another day, oh, Lord. I know not what it will bring. But make me ready, Lord, for whatever it may be. If I am to stand up, help me stand bravely. If I am to sit still, help me sit quietly. If I am to be low, help me to be so patiently. And if I am to do nothing, let me do it gallantly. Make these words more than words, and give me the spirit of Jesus. Amen."

Cross-Shattered Christ, Stanley Hauerwas, 2004

"Mystery" suggests that what we believe defies reason and common sense. What we believe does defy reason and common sense; but yet I believe what Christians believe is the most reasonable and commonsense account we can have of the way things are.

A Community of Character, 1981, Stanley Hauerwas

"Christians most important social task is nothing less than to be a community capable of hearing the story of God we find in the scripture and living in a manner that is faithful to that story. The only reason to be Christian is because Christian convictions are true; and the only reason for participation in the church is that it is the community that pledges to form its life by that truth." (1)

"That the church has often failed to be such a polity (concerned with the development of virtue) is without question, but the fact that we have often been less than we were meant to be should never be used as an excuse for shirking the task of being the people of God." "...(trust) in truth and love to banish the fears that create enmity and discord. To be sure, we have often been unfaithful to his story, but that is no reason for us to think it is an unrealistic demand. Rather it means we must challenge ourselves to be the kind of community where such a story can be told and manifested by a people formed in accordance with it..."

Man's maker made man

Man's maker was made man...that Life might die.

Face the facts, don't lie

Face the facts. Don't lie and deny and the truth about yourself and the world. It'll make you a better human being.

Sin, Peace, Truth, Joy, Life, Love

"It is a sin to think that you are capable of naming your own sin. You are only able to know your sin by being told by another." Stanley Hauerwas.

"When we think our brother or sister has sinned against us, such an affront is not against us but against the whole community." 

"It is an unpleasant fact that most of our lives are governed more by our hates and dislikes than by our love. I seldom know what I really want but I know what or whom I deeply dislike or even hate."

"Jesus brings not a peace of rest but a peace of truth. Just as love without truth cannot help but be a curse, so peace without truthfulness cannot help but be deadly." Learning to Love the Enemy, Stanley Hauerwas on Matthew 18.

Are you a Christian? "If you are a Christian you should be joyful in a way that people find attractive. It's not like I go around saying, 'Oh, you got to be like me,' but that people should think, 'Gee I wonder what makes them tick.'"

A Heart that Never Hardens

"Have a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts." Charles Dickens. 

The "how" of being a Christian

"I do not put much stock in 'believing in God.' (It) is a far too rationalistic account of what it means to be a Christian. I am far more interested in what a declaration of belief entails for how I live my life. ...the 'what' of Christianity is not the problem. It is the 'how.' ...we cannot understand the 'what' of Christianity without knowing the 'how' to be Christian. Yet then I worry about the how of my own life." Stanley Hauerwas, Hannah's Child. A Theologian's Memoir, On Being Stanley Hauerwas.

Love, Joy, Sin

"Love is the extremely difficult realization that something other than oneself is real." ― Iris Murdoch.

"Love is the nonviolent apprehension of the other as other." Iris Murdoch as quoted by Stanley Hauerwas.

"Christians are obligated to love one another...even if they're married. Love does not create marriage, but marriage creates loves." Stanley Hauerwas.

"If you are a Christian you should be joyful in a way that other people find attractive. It should make people wonder, 'Gee, what makes them tick?'"  Stanley Hauerwas.

"The idea that you need to be convinced you're a sinner in order to come to salvation is getting it backwards. By being saved in Christ you then are able to have some information as to what it means to be a sinner. That's the school of discipleship. The tents (modern evangelism) made sins too interesting. And it's exactly that Christians are saved from the narcissistic fascination with our sins." Stanley Hauerwas.

The Way to Exaltation is Suffering

God will never use a man effectively until He first wounds the man. 

We Have To Follow Our Dreams

Standing ovation for Glen Close's 2019 Golden Globes best actress acceptance speech:

"I'm thinking of my mom who really sublimated herself to my father her whole life. And in her 80s she said to me, 'I feel I haven't accomplished anything.' And it was so not right. What I've learned through this whole experience is that women, we're nurturers. That's what's expected of us. We have our children; we have our husbands, if we are lucky enough; and our partners, whoever. But we have to find personal fulfillment. We have to follow our dreams. We have to say 'I can do that, and I should be allowed to do that.'"

Marriage reflects the Father, Son and Holy Spirit

"And this is my prayer: that your love may abound (overflow) more and more in knowledge and depth of insight (wisdom), 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best (exceptional) and may be pure (sincere) and blameless (faultless) for the day of Christ,11 filled with the fruit of righteousness (uprightness, right living) that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God" (Philippians 1:9-11).

Philippians 1:9-11 is Paul's prayer for the Christians in the church of Philippi. Love necessarily includes knowledge, wisdom, discernment, being pure, blameless and righteous—all to the glory of God. The basis of Paul's prayer alludes to the Trinity--to the blessing of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

See Jesus More Clearly (Mark 8:22-25; 10:46-52)

"He took the blind man... When he had spit on the man's eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, 'Do you see anything?' He looked up and said, 'I see people; they look like trees walking around.' Once more Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly" (Mk 8:23-25). "'What do you want me to do for you?' Jesus asked him. The blind man said, 'Rabbi, I want to see.' 'Go,' said Jesus, 'your faith has healed you.' Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road." (Mk 10:51-52).

Getting Jesus Right (Mark 1:1; 15:39; 8:29)

"The beginning of the good news (gospel) about Jesus the Messiah (Christ), the Son of God" (Mk 1:1). "And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, 'Surely (Truly) this man was the Son of God'" (Mk 15:39). "But who do you say that I am?" (Mk 8:29). ["Whenever the impure spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, 'You are the Son of God'" (Mk 3:11).]

What's the big deal about getting Jesus right? What's a downright scary verse in the Bible? Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, "I never knew you. Away from me, you evil doers!" (Mt 7:21-23).

Be Kind and Gentle (2008 - 2018)

"I am gentle and humble in heart" (Matthew 11:29).

West Loop Church (WL) began in Jan 2008. 2018 began with our 10 year anniversary. These are some of my extemporaneous random reflections over the years.

1. Be kind and gentle (Mt 11:28). Jesus said, "I am gentle and humble in heart."  Mother Theresa said, "I prefer you to make mistakes in kindness than work miracles in unkindness." I realize that when I feel attacked, oppressed, imposed upon, criticized, slandered, gossiped about and experience injustice, I am reactive, angry, loud, defensive and offensive. I am anything but kind, gentle and humble in heart, even if I try to control my outward expressions. For the rest of my life, I pray to learn my Lord who is "gentle and humble in heart," though it will surely be with many failures.

Clean Your Room - Jordan Peterson

"If you can't even clean up your own room, who the hell are you to give advice to the world?"

Walk the Gospel Line (Galatians 2:1-14)

"I saw that they were not walking (acting) in line with (not following, not straightforward about, not obeying, deviating from) the truth of the gospel..." (Gal 2:14, various translations). "We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you" (Gal 2:5).

What is the gospel? What is "the truth of the gospel"? What does it mean to "walk in line with the truth of the gospel"? How do we "walk in line with the truth of the gospel" today?

Joseph's Coat, George Herbert

Sorrow ... such is his will

Who changes all things, as he pleases best.

For well he knows, if but one grief and smart (pain)

Among my many had his full career,

Sure it would carry with it even my heart.

And both would run until they found a bier.

Blameless, Just, Fear God, Shun Evil (Job 1)

"Job...was blameless and just, one who feared God and avoided evil" (Job 1:1b). "...a man blameless and just, who feared God and avoided evil" (Job 1:8). "Does Job fear God for nothing?" ("Would Job worship you if he got nothing out of it?") Satan replied (Job 1:9).

What is the relationship between perfect character and perfect life (Job 1:1, 8)? Are the two inevitably related? This question is at the heart of the book of Job.

Job 1 directly and indirectly poses all kinds of theological questions:

What you do in the Lord is not in vain. N.T. Wright

"What you do in the Lord is not in vain. You are not oiling the wheels of a machine that's about to roll over a cliff. You are not restoring a great painting that's shortly going to be thrown on the fire. You are not planting roses in a garden that's about to be dug up for a building site. You are--strange though it may seem, almost as hard to believe as the resurrection itself--accomplishing something that will be come in due course part of God's new world. Every act of love, gratitude, and kindness; every work of art of music inspired by the love of God and delight in the beauty of creation; every minute spent teaching a severely handicapped child to read of to walk; every act of care and nurture, of comfort and support, for one's fellow human beings and for that matter one's fellow nonhuman creatures; and of course every prayer, all Spirit-led teaching, every deed that spreads the gospel, builds up the church, embraces and embodies holiness rather than corruption, and makes the name of Jesus honored in the world – all of this will find its way, through the resurrecting power of God, into the new creation that God will one day make. That is the logic of the mission of God. God's recreation of his wonderful world, which began with the resurrection of Jesus and continues mysteriously as God's people live in the risen Christ and in the power of his Spirit, means that what we do in Christ and by the Spirit in the present is not wasted. It will last all the way into God's new world. In fact, it will be enhanced there." N.T. Wright, Surprised by Hope, pp. 219-220 . Your work is not in vain -- because of resurrection.

What to Do with Your Pain - ABCDE

Pain Makes You a Philosopher (Sermon at West Loop Church on Sep 9, 2018).

1. Accept it, not avoid it.
2. Bear with it, behold it, not blur it or bury it.
3. Confront it, not complain about it.
4. Deal with it, not deny it.
5. Embrace it, not erase it.

“...taking life seriously means...that whatever man does... has to be done in the lived truth...of the rumble of panic (pain) underneath everything. Otherwise it is false.” Ernest Becker, The Denial of Death.

Pain Makes You a Philosopher

Thanks so much for all your prayers and support for me as I had surgery to replace both my knees on Aug 10, 2018.

From July 9 to Sep 5, 2018 I was away in Malaysia. My bilateral knee replacement surgery was not planned, but I decided that it was the best option for me.

The constant symptom after surgery was the pain from the surgery, the sutures, the swelling, the stiffness and from the physical therapy daily. My daily activities was markedly curtailed, reading, studying and just sitting at the table was very difficult, and sleep was near impossible every single night, because there was no comfortable position and the pain felt worse than during the day. Thus, I thought about the "problem of pain" that all human beings experience with no exceptions.

The Kind of Man Paul Was (Acts 20:17-38)

What kind of a person are you? Truly?

As I was preparing for my bilateral knee replacement (Aug, 10, 2018), I obviously desired a good result from my surgery. But I realized that the kind of person I become and how I respond following the surgery is far more important than the good outcome of the surgery.

I began to think about the kind of man I should be. Paul's farewell address to the Ephesian elders came to mind, as Paul spoke freely from the heart expressing the kind of man he was.

What kind of man was Paul? What kind of person should I be as a man, a Christian and a leader?

Legalism, Liberalism and the Gospel

Ben Toh; June, 2018

Legalism (conservatives, generally“older”) “Jews”	Licentiousness (liberals, generally “younger”) “Gentiles”	The Gospel
God is holy – shape up.	God is love – be yourself	God is holy and love.
Man is a soul. Spiritual life important.	Man is a body. Physical life important.	Man is both body and soul.
Just teach the Bible (evangelism). Focus on the soul and eternal life.	Just do social justice. Focus on caring for the present life of all people.	Do both.
Sin is very serious – beat yourself up and/or beat up (criticize) sinners.	Sin is no big deal – ignore sin, minimize sin in yourself and others.	See Christ on the cross – he took your sin very seriously and still loves you.
Repent of “sin.”	Repentance? What is that?	Repent of sin, especially self-righteousness.
Reject physical pleasure. “Deny yourself.”	Satisfy your physical desires. What feels right is right.	Physical enjoyment is good, but live wisely.
Hard to embrace unrepentant people – people  who don’t change.	Embrace people with no consideration of whether they change or not.	Embrace people with prayer and tears for their repentance/conversion.
You must do this. You must do what I say.	You don’t have to do anything that you don’t want to do.	Do what is right in love (grace and truth).
You must earn righteousness.	You don’t really need righteousness. Who knows or cares what that is anyway.	Receive God’s perfect righteousness.
Critical, condescending, condemning, censuring, conditional.	Embracing, welcoming, unconditional, non-discriminatory. Ignore and overlook issues.	Face and confront issues with unconditional love.
Critical of (hates) liberals - too loose.	Critical of (hates) conservatives - too rigid, inflexible.	Critiques both. Loves both.
Impatient. Absolute.	Tolerant. Relative.	Gracious. Kind. Absolute and tolerant.
Just change.	People don’t need to change.	People can change, but it takes time. There are no quick fixes.

Either my way of the highway. Anyway is okay. Jesus says, "I am the way."

Living with Uncertainty and Insecurity (Psalm 91)

"For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go" "For He will give His angels orders concerning you, to protect you in all your ways" (Psalm 91:11, NLT, HCSB).

Troubles abound in life. No one's life is ever trouble free. No one's life is ever always a bed of roses. We may not think so, but even Bill Gates' life is hard. Life gets better, then it gets worse. Uncertainty in life is a certainty. Unpredictability should be predicted. Unexpected events should be expected. Life is like that.

How do we deal with such a life? Psalm 91 deals with such a life head on. Simple trust will bring us into a place of strong defense (Ps 91:2), the personal warmth of divine care, pledged defense (Ps 91:4) and a host of heavenly guardians every step of the way (Ps 91:11). Psalm 91 wants us to know that those who truly trust God are a protected species.

When Life Disappoints (Psalm 90)

Psalm 90 is about time – God's time and our time. It speaks about the shortness and preciousness of life. The truth is that Times Flies and Life is Short! How can you invest your life rather than just spend it? Each of us needs to evaluate how we use the precious gift of time. We need to regard each day as a valuable gift from God. We need to make the most of what little time we have during our lives--which is very very short in light of eternity (Ps 90:2)! How would you like to live your life?

My favorite metaphor of life is that of an eagle flying in the sky (Isa 40:31; Ps 103:5). An eagle looks beautiful and majestic. When it is flying, cruising or soaring in the sky it looks like a symbol of freedom. It appears able to fly in any direction--north, south, east, west, while ascending or descending--at any speed--fast or slow or mid-range speed--according to it's own choice and decision. This is the picture of a life of freedom as a Christ-follower, always led by the spirit (2 Cor 3:17) and never enslaved by anything or anyone (Gal 5:1), yet always consciously obedient and surrendered to God and freely in love with Him (Dt 6:5; Mt 22:37).

The Alliteration of Love (1 Corinthians 13)

Love (1 Corinthians 13) for God, each other and others:

1. The preeminence of love (1 Cor 13:1-3).
2. The practice of love (1 Cor 13:4-7).
3. The perfection of love (1 Cor 13:8-10).
4. The progression of love (1 Cor 13:11-12).
5. The permanence of love (1 Cor 13:13).

Love must always be present, predominant and persistent. May our love for God, each other and others be:

Grace, Enthusiasm and Power (Romans 1:1-17)

"As it says in the Bible, 'the just shall live by faith'" (Rom 1:17b, The Kingdom New Testament, N. T. Wright). " "The righteous by faith will live" (NET Bible).  "The people God accepts because of their faith will live" (CEV).

Romans 1:16-17 is the gospel, the theme and the thesis statement of Romans in summary form and the essence of Christianity. It summarizes Paul's theology as a whole.

"The gospel is not advice to people, suggesting that they lift themselves. It is power. It lifts them up. Paul does not say that the gospel brings power, but that it is (present tense = continually) power, and God's (omnipotent) power at that." Leon Morris.

Forgetting the Good Things God Has Done For You (Psalm 103)

Bless the Lord by Matt Redman is the most popular worship song of 2013. "Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits" (Ps 103:2, HCSB). "... may I never forget the good things he does for me" (NLT).

The book of Psalms is one of the truly majestic pieces of biblical literature. It is a collection of 150 songs inspired by the Spirit of God. Some of these celebrate the history of the nation of Israel. Others pronounce severe judgments on those who set themselves as enemies of God. There are psalms that are messianic in thrust: they point to the coming Messiah. Some psalms, though, simply lift up a chorus of praise to the Creator. Psalms 103 may be the “Mt. Everest” of praise psalms. It exalts the soul to breath-taking heights.

Who The Happy People Are

The term "blessed" (used 26 out of 45 times in Psalms) is recurrent in Wisdom Literature and describes the faithful followers.

1. Job 5:17; Ps. 94:12 — disciplined by Shaddai

2. Psalm 1:1 — studies and walks in God's word

3. Psalm 2:12 — takes refuge in YHWH

4. Psalm 32:1-2 — sin is forgiven

5. Psalm 40:4; 84:12; Pro. 16:20 — trusts in YHWH

6. Psalm 41:1-3; Pro. 14:21 — considers the poor

7. Psalm 80:6 — strength is in YHWH

8. Psalm 89:12 — know joy and walk in the light of YHWH's countenance

9. Psalm 119:2 — seek Him with whole heart, observe His testimony

10. Psalm 112:1; 128:1 — fears YHWH, walks in His ways

11. Psalm 146:5 — YHWH is his help

12. Proverbs 3:13 — finds wisdom

13. Proverbs 8:32,34 — listens to YHWH, keeps His ways

14. Proverbs 28:14 — fears YHWH

15. Proverbs 29:18 — keeps YHWH's laws