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ANNNNNNND.......we're back in the Upper Room! #VI
15 years ago
General
YES! I have returned after a wonderful weekend of work! I'm sure most don't know my job...well, I'm a support worker of sorts for people with mental and physical disabilities, and I love it! Anyway, one of the clients hired me to take him out for a mini-vacation this weekend...which is why there was no devotionals for the last 2 days and not getting the list organized...but I'm back and with a little something extra to make-up for it!
This should be more what we stand for....but that just little old me. XP
~Wally Bear
Tony Campolo on Red Letter Christianity:
All around the world, there are young people saying: We have no problem with Jesus. But, we do have great problems with the church. We want to relate to Jesus, but we are put off by so much of what goes by the name of “Christianity” today.
To those young people and to all Christians, we are saying: Can we at least agree that to be a follower of Jesus means to commit yourself to what Jesus specifically asks us to do? In the modern era, we’re so concerned about theology and orthodoxy. Red Letter Christians are equally concerned about what we would call orthopraxy: Doing the things that Jesus tells us to do. We take the Sermon on the Mount seriously so that moves us to be nonviolent resisters rather than people who are drawn toward supporting war. We take it seriously when Jesus tells us: “Blessed are the merciful.” We take seriously what Jesus says about economics. Does Jesus really mean it when he tells us that rich people are going to have a hard time getting into heaven? Should we take it seriously when Jesus says to older people like me: Do not lay up riches for some future day? Are we truly to minister to the poor of the world? That’s what Jesus tells us to do.
The Red Letter movement is just getting underway now. I just came back from the United Kingdom and the BBC is hot to trot to cover this movement. People inside and outside the church are tired of Christianity that is only concerned about theology and is not concerned about the real lives of people living around the world. We are mobilizing men and women around the world, mostly young people, and we’re asking people to wear a wristband that says I’m a Red-Letter Christian. We want to move beyond the word “evangelical.”
The movement is picking up steam even as we speak. Red Letter Christians are quick to point out that the word evangelical has too much ugly baggage right now for us. If you go to Harvard or Stanford, and you identify yourself as “evangelical,” they immediately assume you’re anti-gay, anti-women, pro-war and you support this whole host of issues that are part of the political right. Instead, we want to emphasize living Christ-like lives. That means living out those red letters of Scripture.
Mary Albert Darling on Red Letter Christians:
Being a Red Letter Christian means that we go back to the words of Jesus. A lot of people are mainly focused on reading the epistles, especially Paul’s letters in the New Testament. As Christians, many people seem to start with what Paul says as they define Christianity. That’s important, but for Christians the whole Bible needs to be read in light of the gospels—starting with the gospels.
We’re saying: Let’s look at what Jesus actually says and let’s frame our whole approach to the Bible in light of what Jesus says. Paul’s letters address a whole lot of relational issues in the church. That makes sense because churches were forming and people were having trouble getting along with each other. So, Paul is writing to people about what it means to be a representation of the kingdom of God.
But we want to go back and, first, look at what Jesus says. As Red Letter Christians, we’re not a formal organization. We’re trying to be inclusive. We’re trying to be holistic. We’re trying to say that, as Red-Letter Christians, we recognize that justice and ministry to the poor are essential to understanding and following Jesus.
Now on to the devotional!!!!
Cheering Us On
Read Hebrews 12:1-3{link)
Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us.
-Hebrews 12:1 (NRSV)
WHEN I ran track in high school, I was often afraid that my performance would not measure up. I feared humiliation and mocking. This worsened after we lost by one point to a team that our coach particularly wanted to beat. He spent the bus ride home disparaging us with violent and profane language. Later, I talked this over with my grandfather, a retired coach. His advice was simply to give all I had and be at peace with that.
During our next home meet, I resolved to conquer my fears and to give my best. Rather than focus on the race as I should have, I focused on contending with these fears. As I rounded my last turn, however, I glanced into the stands and saw my family loudly cheering me on. Seeing them inspired me so much that I forgot my fears and finished with my best time ever!
The Bible speaks to us of a cloud of witnesses who surround us, helping us to forget the weight of our fears and the shame of sin so that we can finish the race. Let us change our focus from the things that bind us and instead switch our attention to the support God offers as we run the race.
Mack McKinney (Texas, USA)
Prayer
Source of our strength, help us to do what we can and to leave the rest with you. Amen.
Thought for the Day
Focusing on God can free us from our fears and doubts.
Prayer Focus
Gratitude for my "witnesses"
This should be more what we stand for....but that just little old me. XP
~Wally Bear
Tony Campolo on Red Letter Christianity:
All around the world, there are young people saying: We have no problem with Jesus. But, we do have great problems with the church. We want to relate to Jesus, but we are put off by so much of what goes by the name of “Christianity” today.
To those young people and to all Christians, we are saying: Can we at least agree that to be a follower of Jesus means to commit yourself to what Jesus specifically asks us to do? In the modern era, we’re so concerned about theology and orthodoxy. Red Letter Christians are equally concerned about what we would call orthopraxy: Doing the things that Jesus tells us to do. We take the Sermon on the Mount seriously so that moves us to be nonviolent resisters rather than people who are drawn toward supporting war. We take it seriously when Jesus tells us: “Blessed are the merciful.” We take seriously what Jesus says about economics. Does Jesus really mean it when he tells us that rich people are going to have a hard time getting into heaven? Should we take it seriously when Jesus says to older people like me: Do not lay up riches for some future day? Are we truly to minister to the poor of the world? That’s what Jesus tells us to do.
The Red Letter movement is just getting underway now. I just came back from the United Kingdom and the BBC is hot to trot to cover this movement. People inside and outside the church are tired of Christianity that is only concerned about theology and is not concerned about the real lives of people living around the world. We are mobilizing men and women around the world, mostly young people, and we’re asking people to wear a wristband that says I’m a Red-Letter Christian. We want to move beyond the word “evangelical.”
The movement is picking up steam even as we speak. Red Letter Christians are quick to point out that the word evangelical has too much ugly baggage right now for us. If you go to Harvard or Stanford, and you identify yourself as “evangelical,” they immediately assume you’re anti-gay, anti-women, pro-war and you support this whole host of issues that are part of the political right. Instead, we want to emphasize living Christ-like lives. That means living out those red letters of Scripture.
Mary Albert Darling on Red Letter Christians:
Being a Red Letter Christian means that we go back to the words of Jesus. A lot of people are mainly focused on reading the epistles, especially Paul’s letters in the New Testament. As Christians, many people seem to start with what Paul says as they define Christianity. That’s important, but for Christians the whole Bible needs to be read in light of the gospels—starting with the gospels.
We’re saying: Let’s look at what Jesus actually says and let’s frame our whole approach to the Bible in light of what Jesus says. Paul’s letters address a whole lot of relational issues in the church. That makes sense because churches were forming and people were having trouble getting along with each other. So, Paul is writing to people about what it means to be a representation of the kingdom of God.
But we want to go back and, first, look at what Jesus says. As Red Letter Christians, we’re not a formal organization. We’re trying to be inclusive. We’re trying to be holistic. We’re trying to say that, as Red-Letter Christians, we recognize that justice and ministry to the poor are essential to understanding and following Jesus.
Now on to the devotional!!!!
Cheering Us On
Read Hebrews 12:1-3{link)
Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us.
-Hebrews 12:1 (NRSV)
WHEN I ran track in high school, I was often afraid that my performance would not measure up. I feared humiliation and mocking. This worsened after we lost by one point to a team that our coach particularly wanted to beat. He spent the bus ride home disparaging us with violent and profane language. Later, I talked this over with my grandfather, a retired coach. His advice was simply to give all I had and be at peace with that.
During our next home meet, I resolved to conquer my fears and to give my best. Rather than focus on the race as I should have, I focused on contending with these fears. As I rounded my last turn, however, I glanced into the stands and saw my family loudly cheering me on. Seeing them inspired me so much that I forgot my fears and finished with my best time ever!
The Bible speaks to us of a cloud of witnesses who surround us, helping us to forget the weight of our fears and the shame of sin so that we can finish the race. Let us change our focus from the things that bind us and instead switch our attention to the support God offers as we run the race.
Mack McKinney (Texas, USA)
Prayer
Source of our strength, help us to do what we can and to leave the rest with you. Amen.
Thought for the Day
Focusing on God can free us from our fears and doubts.
Prayer Focus
Gratitude for my "witnesses"
"I have no denomination, I'm a Christian and that's it."
~Wally Bear
~Wally Bear
~Wally Bear
~Wally Bear