here it comes a beautiful collision
it's happening now.
12.30.2006
12.23.2006
12.20.2006
12.19.2006
12.14.2006
Death is very mysterious.
What is death? The absence of life.
But what does it mean to have no life? to have no feeling? no sense? no thought?
What is the opposite of existence? nonexistence?
But if something is nonexistent, then it has no definition; we cannot truly comprehend nonexistence because of its undefinable nature.
So how do we face death in all of its mystery?
Can we? sanely?
Is death the gloriousness of life? the culmination of every moment of experience--all of the good and bad and beautiful and mundane and joyful and burdened--compressed into a fraction of your life. Moments.
Or is it the opposite?
...
Very simply: we don't have answers. We don't have the understanding of why.
That mystery may be enough of an answer for some. But it may not be for others.
Death is tough.
I am so sorry for your pain. Your dad. Your grandfather.
Death has no consoling words.
Sometimes God doesn't cut it either. Sometimes hearing: "God wanted your father to be in Heaven with Him and the angels," or "God will always be with you no matter what happens," sometimes they just don't work for you.
And that's OK.
There are some moments where words can't do their job. That's OK.
Sometimes, we just need a moment to.. breathe. To get sense of what's going on around us. Take a moment to be alone and gather your thoughts. Be still.
Grieve.
I am so sorry.
regards,
wes
What is death? The absence of life.
But what does it mean to have no life? to have no feeling? no sense? no thought?
What is the opposite of existence? nonexistence?
But if something is nonexistent, then it has no definition; we cannot truly comprehend nonexistence because of its undefinable nature.
So how do we face death in all of its mystery?
Can we? sanely?
Is death the gloriousness of life? the culmination of every moment of experience--all of the good and bad and beautiful and mundane and joyful and burdened--compressed into a fraction of your life. Moments.
Or is it the opposite?
...
Very simply: we don't have answers. We don't have the understanding of why.
That mystery may be enough of an answer for some. But it may not be for others.
Death is tough.
I am so sorry for your pain. Your dad. Your grandfather.
Death has no consoling words.
Sometimes God doesn't cut it either. Sometimes hearing: "God wanted your father to be in Heaven with Him and the angels," or "God will always be with you no matter what happens," sometimes they just don't work for you.
And that's OK.
There are some moments where words can't do their job. That's OK.
Sometimes, we just need a moment to.. breathe. To get sense of what's going on around us. Take a moment to be alone and gather your thoughts. Be still.
Grieve.
I am so sorry.
regards,
wes
12.13.2006
"My brothers and sisters of the mars hill community,
may this Christmas season, peace on earth, not be an esoteric nice fuzzy phrase about some day that you put on a Christmas card. But may it be the entire way that you've oriented your life. May people say about you: 'there goes a peacemaker,' and may people see something of the peace of God in the way that you live and move and have your being. Peace be with you."
--rob bell, from Calling All the Peacemakers (part I)
If you're interested in hearing more about this, go to www.mhbcmi.org and locate their messages under "listen," every message is free and you can also subscribe to their podcast in iTunes, just search for mars hill bible church. it's worth listening to.
regards,
wes
may this Christmas season, peace on earth, not be an esoteric nice fuzzy phrase about some day that you put on a Christmas card. But may it be the entire way that you've oriented your life. May people say about you: 'there goes a peacemaker,' and may people see something of the peace of God in the way that you live and move and have your being. Peace be with you."
--rob bell, from Calling All the Peacemakers (part I)
If you're interested in hearing more about this, go to www.mhbcmi.org and locate their messages under "listen," every message is free and you can also subscribe to their podcast in iTunes, just search for mars hill bible church. it's worth listening to.
regards,
wes
12.12.2006
At a show tonight, I was asked by a couple tonight what I was studying for in school. When I responded with "Religious Studies," they were taken aback (in a way). The man (at this point noticeably inebriated) remarked that he actually received the highest marks in his religion classes during school and that he never "fucking understood why." I'm not going to lie, his remark made me chuckle.
Why is it that society places such a negative view on religion? If I were to be completely honest, I wouldn't blame them in the slightest way.
In a way, I feel obligated to defend "religion," but at the same time I know what it deserves.
Religion (specifically Christianity) has become a corporation in our Western society, and so instead of being seen as something free, vibrant, and alive.. It has become structured (wide and shallow), and misleading.
To paraphrase Rob Bell, how did something so amazing become so looked down upon? If Jesus' story is the greatest of its kind, how did it ever become something it was never intended to be?
I'm beginning to believe that one of the greatest threats to Jesus' message is not money, or self-righteousness, or sin, or hell, or even Satan himself; but Christianity, religion.
Religion is a dangerous idol. When we worship our churches, and our doctrine we have turned Jesus into something He never was.
I don't care who you are, or what you believe in.. If you are are "believing" because it is convenient or because of the status quo, do us all a favor and take the responsibility of finding out who you are. Don't let empty motives define you. You're far more valuable than emptiness.
This is important to Christianity in our world, today. Don't believe in convenience.. but seek out the truth of Jesus' message and find freedom in the life he so willingly surrendered.
Don't settle for rules and checklists and offering plates. But truly discover what Jesus' message means to you and what it means to the world.
This is how we change the world: By realizing that He is the center, Jesus is the point of all things. Not overtly religious assholes. Not self-help Christian books. Not Christianity. Not the ink of the Bible.
Look through the ink, and find out what it means. What does it say? Look at Jesus' life and we find the greatest exposition and rising action and climax and falling action this world has ever see and ever will see.
The story is far more than how to build buildings to worship in, it is how to build lives with which we resonate with the glory of God. From which truth and humility and love echo throughout creation, deeply rooted in the farthest reaches of the universe; and at the same time, in the deepest confines of our being.
If we take it seriously, how can it ever be anything different?
Why is it that society places such a negative view on religion? If I were to be completely honest, I wouldn't blame them in the slightest way.
In a way, I feel obligated to defend "religion," but at the same time I know what it deserves.
Religion (specifically Christianity) has become a corporation in our Western society, and so instead of being seen as something free, vibrant, and alive.. It has become structured (wide and shallow), and misleading.
To paraphrase Rob Bell, how did something so amazing become so looked down upon? If Jesus' story is the greatest of its kind, how did it ever become something it was never intended to be?
I'm beginning to believe that one of the greatest threats to Jesus' message is not money, or self-righteousness, or sin, or hell, or even Satan himself; but Christianity, religion.
Religion is a dangerous idol. When we worship our churches, and our doctrine we have turned Jesus into something He never was.
I don't care who you are, or what you believe in.. If you are are "believing" because it is convenient or because of the status quo, do us all a favor and take the responsibility of finding out who you are. Don't let empty motives define you. You're far more valuable than emptiness.
This is important to Christianity in our world, today. Don't believe in convenience.. but seek out the truth of Jesus' message and find freedom in the life he so willingly surrendered.
Don't settle for rules and checklists and offering plates. But truly discover what Jesus' message means to you and what it means to the world.
This is how we change the world: By realizing that He is the center, Jesus is the point of all things. Not overtly religious assholes. Not self-help Christian books. Not Christianity. Not the ink of the Bible.
Look through the ink, and find out what it means. What does it say? Look at Jesus' life and we find the greatest exposition and rising action and climax and falling action this world has ever see and ever will see.
The story is far more than how to build buildings to worship in, it is how to build lives with which we resonate with the glory of God. From which truth and humility and love echo throughout creation, deeply rooted in the farthest reaches of the universe; and at the same time, in the deepest confines of our being.
If we take it seriously, how can it ever be anything different?
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