Monday, February 14, 2011
Christian Spirituality Cohort
I'm super-excited to be a part of this new Christian Spirituality Cohort Fuller Seminary is offering: http://blog.tonyj.net/2011/02/a-doctor-of-ministry-from-fuller-theological-seminary/. Tony Jones will be leading the cohort along with some wonderful speakers and authors from all over the world. I'm honored to be a part of this Doctorate of Ministry program through Fuller and look forward to seeing what God's going to do with our group. What are you doing to allow God to grow your soul closer to Him today?
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Why Forgiveness is Tough At Times...
I read these words from one of my favorite authors, Henri Nouwen, as I was preparing for the message tomorrow. It comes from "Forgiving in The Name of God".
We are all wounded people. Who wounds us? Often those whom we love and those who love us. When we feel rejected, abandoned, abused, manipulated, or violated, it is mostly by people very close to us: our parents, our friends, our spouses, our lovers, our children, our neighbors, our teachers, our pastors. Those who love us wound us too. That's the tragedy of our lives. This is what makes forgiveness from the heart so difficult. It is precisely our hearts that are wounded. We cry out, "You, who I expected to be there for me, you have abandoned me. How can I ever forgive you for that?"
Forgiveness often seems impossible, but nothing is impossible for God. The God who lives within us will give us the grace to go beyond our wounded selves and say, "In the Name of God you are forgiven." Let's pray for that grace.
Really got me thinking...what about you?
We are all wounded people. Who wounds us? Often those whom we love and those who love us. When we feel rejected, abandoned, abused, manipulated, or violated, it is mostly by people very close to us: our parents, our friends, our spouses, our lovers, our children, our neighbors, our teachers, our pastors. Those who love us wound us too. That's the tragedy of our lives. This is what makes forgiveness from the heart so difficult. It is precisely our hearts that are wounded. We cry out, "You, who I expected to be there for me, you have abandoned me. How can I ever forgive you for that?"
Forgiveness often seems impossible, but nothing is impossible for God. The God who lives within us will give us the grace to go beyond our wounded selves and say, "In the Name of God you are forgiven." Let's pray for that grace.
Really got me thinking...what about you?
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