Probably the most direct one you have done yet Jon. Not just because its EXACTLY how I feel right now (well, that and a bit empty like that stick man); but because I had hoped that in going into my birthday that (the 12th) that I would at least have this part of my life answered better than it is.
oh la, I’m trying to see myself as a member of the Christian church and leave my cosy existential individualism behind, don’t think it helped loosing an arm.
Robb - I think many churches hang on to way too many songs of yesterday!!! but let’s not start that old chestnut off again!
But the promises of yesterday are well worth hanging onto. Jesus said (Matthew 6) ‘don’t worry about tomorrow, tomorrow will worry about itself’ and a personal favourite of mine - ‘Who by worrying can add a single hour to his life?’.
I think it’s ok that we don’t always know where we’re going
And if you were Richard Dawkins you would say - you are a bundle of selfish genes. You come from nothing and you are going to nothing. Good night and God bless.
have you been reading http://xkcd.com? The author of it has done some pretty powerful cartoons with stickmen (http://forums.xkcd.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=18375). Probably not safe for work though, 99% of xkcd is fine, but then there’s one that is 18-rated.
Overheard at the feeding of the 5000, “So long, and thanks for all the fish!”
I forget the name and number but there’s a verse something like “A man choses his path but the Lord directs his steps”.
There are pat “Christian” answers which easily fall of the tongue.
Sometimes they work, sometimes they are hollow, empty, facades.
Who am I? - A child of God.
Where did I come from? - God’s desire to show his love and other attributes.
Where am I going? - Well, that kind of depends - are you meaning in your home and career; or, ultimately and eternally?
Whilst getting even close to knowing about where the living of life here is going sometimes just ain’t gonna happen, there is definite knowledge of where you may go finally and eternally.
The journey there via life here is the punch line.
fswood… don’t you just hate those pat answers? i think that the journey is what we have, discovery is the joy and the sadness along the way… the journey is lifes adventure, for better for worse.
Kathy put a saying up on the wall here;
“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience.
We are spiritual beings having a human experience.”
Seemingly light: rather profound actually if well understood.
Eternity can be difficult to keep in sight when knee-deep in Today.
I KNOW that when eternity comes this life will be just a hazy memory; but, eternity doesn’t pay the electric bill - cash does.
Well now, wait a minute, doesn’t the God who has given me eternity say something about supplying our fleeting temporal needs?
So, why the sweat and anxiety?
Because, back to that saying, “We are spiritual beings having a human experience.” And that dichotomy of a Christ saved spirit living in a fallen human world is inherently stressful.
Who are you? Where did you come from? Can I come?
Comment by Robb — April 11, 2008 @ 12:56 am
the questions everyone asks.
Comment by dawn — April 11, 2008 @ 1:45 am
Probably the most direct one you have done yet Jon. Not just because its EXACTLY how I feel right now (well, that and a bit empty like that stick man); but because I had hoped that in going into my birthday that (the 12th) that I would at least have this part of my life answered better than it is.
You gift is amazing, thanks for sharing with us.
Comment by arjwdotcom — April 11, 2008 @ 2:33 am
A bowl of petunias?
Comment by steve — April 11, 2008 @ 6:38 am
4) Shouldn’t that be 42!
Comment by slowburn — April 11, 2008 @ 7:11 am
Ah - the big three questions. Big questions are like busses in heavy traffic - they come in threes don’t they?
I rather like these:
1) Who is Jesus?
2) Who am I (with particular reference to Q1)?
3) What am I going to do about it?
Comment by Richard M. — April 11, 2008 @ 7:36 am
Hey thanks for the REFLECTION.
Comment by dennis coburn — April 11, 2008 @ 7:51 am
Why am I reading this?
Does it contribute usefully to something?
Should I respond?
Comment by swordfishBob — April 11, 2008 @ 8:02 am
“I don’t know where I’m going.
But I sure know where I’ve been…”
Comment by Dr Ruth — April 11, 2008 @ 8:26 am
But as a church are we just hanging onto the promises and the songs of yesterday?
Comment by Robb — April 11, 2008 @ 8:27 am
I work with teenagers so…
Dunno, huh? dunno
Comment by Jonathan S — April 11, 2008 @ 11:01 am
oh la, I’m trying to see myself as a member of the Christian church and leave my cosy existential individualism behind, don’t think it helped loosing an arm.
Comment by subo — April 11, 2008 @ 11:33 am
Robb - I think many churches hang on to way too many songs of yesterday!!! but let’s not start that old chestnut off again!
But the promises of yesterday are well worth hanging onto. Jesus said (Matthew 6) ‘don’t worry about tomorrow, tomorrow will worry about itself’ and a personal favourite of mine - ‘Who by worrying can add a single hour to his life?’.
I think it’s ok that we don’t always know where we’re going
Comment by Dr Ruth — April 11, 2008 @ 12:00 pm
Well let’s waste no more time!!
Comment by Robb — April 11, 2008 @ 12:03 pm
Steve - correction on your comment.
The bowl of petunias’ only thought was “On, no, not again.” It was the whale that remarked on the questions of life.
Comment by Chris — April 11, 2008 @ 12:35 pm
And if you were Richard Dawkins you would say - you are a bundle of selfish genes. You come from nothing and you are going to nothing. Good night and God bless.
Comment by Mark Roques — April 11, 2008 @ 1:22 pm
What is the point? of everything? of anything? Just an average day in my life, then? Well, maybe less so now than in the past…
Comment by Carole — April 11, 2008 @ 1:39 pm
Why am I?
Comment by Joe — April 11, 2008 @ 1:43 pm
Chris. #15. You are right. I just prefer the bowl of Petunias response. It speaks to me of an unknown purpose.
Comment by steve — April 11, 2008 @ 4:03 pm
have you been reading http://xkcd.com? The author of it has done some pretty powerful cartoons with stickmen (http://forums.xkcd.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=18375). Probably not safe for work though, 99% of xkcd is fine, but then there’s one that is 18-rated.
Comment by John Ferguson — April 11, 2008 @ 4:24 pm
I like the liberationist missional questions…
Who am I?
Who are you?
Who are we?
shalom - dave
Comment by Dave — April 11, 2008 @ 6:11 pm
Overheard at the feeding of the 5000, “So long, and thanks for all the fish!”
I forget the name and number but there’s a verse something like “A man choses his path but the Lord directs his steps”.
There are pat “Christian” answers which easily fall of the tongue.
Sometimes they work, sometimes they are hollow, empty, facades.
Who am I? - A child of God.
Where did I come from? - God’s desire to show his love and other attributes.
Where am I going? - Well, that kind of depends - are you meaning in your home and career; or, ultimately and eternally?
Whilst getting even close to knowing about where the living of life here is going sometimes just ain’t gonna happen, there is definite knowledge of where you may go finally and eternally.
The journey there via life here is the punch line.
Comment by FSWood — April 11, 2008 @ 10:58 pm
Overheard at the feeding of the 5000, “So long, and thanks for all the fish!”
Who’s up for Cod in Breadcrumbs?
Comment by Robb — April 12, 2008 @ 1:15 am
Psalm 139
Comment by steve — April 12, 2008 @ 6:06 am
Spend too much time on the first and it all descends into naval gazing.
Too long on the second and blame gets thrown around.
Hard choices to be made with the third.
Comment by gilly — April 12, 2008 @ 11:57 am
arjwdotcom … happy birthday!
psalm 139… everyones favourite.
i’m not sure swordfishbob.
fswood… don’t you just hate those pat answers? i think that the journey is what we have, discovery is the joy and the sadness along the way… the journey is lifes adventure, for better for worse.
Comment by jonbirch — April 12, 2008 @ 2:34 pm
john ferguson 20… no i’ve not seen it. i shall go and look now.
Comment by jonbirch — April 12, 2008 @ 3:31 pm
Hey Jon;
Kathy put a saying up on the wall here;
“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience.
We are spiritual beings having a human experience.”
Seemingly light: rather profound actually if well understood.
Eternity can be difficult to keep in sight when knee-deep in Today.
I KNOW that when eternity comes this life will be just a hazy memory; but, eternity doesn’t pay the electric bill - cash does.
Well now, wait a minute, doesn’t the God who has given me eternity say something about supplying our fleeting temporal needs?
So, why the sweat and anxiety?
Because, back to that saying, “We are spiritual beings having a human experience.” And that dichotomy of a Christ saved spirit living in a fallen human world is inherently stressful.
Okay, this is getting too deep, I’m going off to play with my trains.
_________________
Forrest Scott Wood
Hey Dude; go fly a kite!
April is National Kite Month - http://www.nationalkitemonth.org/
Anybody can do kites; they aren’t Rocket Science - see:
http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/airplane/kitetrim.html
Comment by FSWood — April 12, 2008 @ 7:00 pm