Whose intentions?

Intention and Decision

Throughout this fine book. Dallas Willard admonishes us to be intentional. He emphasizes that especially on pages 297-299. " Intention and decision are absolutely fundamental in this matter of apprenticeship to Jesus..."

But I wonder whose intentions are they really... ours or His? If intention / decision here is the same as surrender, then I'm on board. Most of my life, I have lived intentionally, decisively. They were my intentions and my decisions. Me being, me deciding, me thinking, me speaking, me doing... independently (of God or anyone else). If it is to be it's up to me... Illusory? Yup. Painful? Definitely.

Next, I believed I could come alongside God. I had more intentions and made more decisions, in a kind of symbiotic partnership with Him. But I did not surrender to Him. I did not submit.

Finally, after finding not much success in any part of myself, I gave up. I surrendered and tried living dependently... on God. This was actually pretty easy after getting a glimpse of His omnipresence - omnicience - omnipotence (He's the Man). Now, I ask for and wait for His intentions, His decisions. These days, I gladly live under His mission (submission).

God's Intention and Our Institution

Always the academician, Dallas suggests a Curriculum for Christlikeness in chapter 9. I wonder about our ability to pull this off. Must we rely on our own thinking, our own intentions, or own decisions? It seems to me the assignment is simpler, more childlike, and more elegant... first, be a son. And, receive a son's legacy. This, so we can become fathers.

Now, that's different from going to seminary, memorizing scripture, becoming pastors, having an institutional vehicle, etc. It seems to me that discipling (ourselves and others) is less a conscious curriculum than a life of dependence. I am concerned that thrall (Dallas' word) in methodological and theological doctrines can thwart God. There are no formulas! No institution can replace Him. Perhaps Dallas has something else in mind. I will find out in the next chapters...

Where are you guys? I am in Chapter 7... chugging along at a sloooow pace because this is a rich read and my brain is small. One effect: where before I had to work at knowing in the Spirit, now I have to work at knowing mortally... which is not just tough when I'm driving, it also reminds me of the "Matrix" experience... or like a reverse of normal consciousness vs. dreaming...

Who Really Does Know How to Really Deal with Life, Anyway?

• pg. 134-139 ("The Brilliance of Jesus: One final look," ending at "The Law and the Soul")
  In this section, Willard points out the fact that in our modern world, hardly anyone (and (and he includes professing Christians in this category, disturbingly) associates Jesus with intelligence or competence. Being considered "smart" in our world is to be seen as one who can effectively deal with life as it "really is," and Willard points out that very few see Jesus as someone who has the knowledge and skill to to do this. I don't have too much to comment on with this, but just wanted to pose a few questions to help us come to grips with who we have seen as "smart" in our lives.
• 1. Who do we think of when we hear the word "smart," "intelligent," or "competent"?


• 2. Who have we looked to and learned from in dealing with "life as it really is," as Willard puts it?

3. If we are to make progress towards giving Jesus this primary position in our minds, what will that look like? What steps do we need to make to lay a solid foundation to be His disciples?

I included a cover of Economist Magazine, because this is a publication that I frequently look to as an "intelligent" source of information about current events. I'm going to mull over how I can demonstrate in my life that I truly believe Jesus' thoughts on current events is much more intelligent and competent than anything I could read in Economist.

Actually "be good," not just do random good things

Reading for July 14-21: Ch. 5, pgs. 129-134 ("Master of Moral Understanding", ending at subtitle "The Brilliance of Jesus: One Final Look")

Before moving on to the content of chapter 5, I wanted to share how God challenged me this morning regarding what Bryan posted last time about misfits and outcasts. Yesterday, a judge in Hawaii sentenced a young man named Keli'i Acasia to 30 years in prison for killing an older gentlemen who intervened when Acasia and his friend Ben were in the middle of a botched burglarly attempt and assault in Waikiki.

(http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20090714/NEWS20/907140351/Nakoa+s+killer+gets+30+years)

During my 2.5 years at the Detention Home, I worked periodically with these boys (now young men). I can't recall if I ever heard this from them, but I can remember plenty of other kids like them referring to me, usually under their breath, as "f-ing haole") To be totally honest, I am very glad that Acasia will be kept safe from society for a very long time.

However, God also challenged me in the following way this morning: is my experience with His grace so concrete that I could still naturally approach Acasia and joyfully share with him that God's forgiveness, love, and strength is available to him, and that God could renew him and give Him an incredible meaningful life. Moreover, do I have the capability of feeling joy at the prospect of enjoying eternity with Acasia if he were to repent and become a disciple of Jesus? If not, why not? Do I think that Acasia is beyond Jesus' reach. If I have the courage to keep being honest, I'd have to question whether or not, in my heart of hearts, I've wanted to do physical harm to those who have wronged me. The answer is yes. This leads me to really desiring to grab a hold of the next chapter: how do I become a "good" person at my core, and not just settling for the "righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees" which settles for appearing good on the outside, but being filled with crap on the inside. I can relate.

Now for Chapter 5:

Here are the key quotes I found:

• He (Jesus) plunges immediately into the guts of human existence: raging anger, coentmept, hatred, obsessive lust, divorce, verbal manipulation, revenge, slapping, suing, cursing, coercing, and begging. It is the stuff of soap operas and the daily news--and real life.
• His aim is to enable people to be good, not just talk about it.
• We want to be good but are ready to do evil, and we come prepared with length justifications.
• But the centuries-long attempt to devise a morality from within merely human resources has now proven itself a failure.

You may wonder why I put a photo of Gerry Lopez on this post. Basically, Willard is going to develop an argument that that it is very, very important that we truly believe that Jesus is the smartest, most competent person in the history of man to ever teach on morality and what constitutes what it really means to be a good person. Moreover, He is the only one with the real answers of how to achieve this. I thought that a similar comparison would be if one wanted to learn how to master surfing Pipeline. Gerry Lopez was the very first guy in the '70's to ever ride this wave and single-handedly mastered the wave. Humbly admitting that Lopez is the "Pipe Master" and trusting in his guidance and teaching would be a sure way to learn how to ride pipe. Similarly, it crucial for us to trust in Jesus as the absolute most competent teacher to ever speak on how to become a truly good person and live in the flow of the Kingdom of God.

Here's my question for consideration for this reading:

What are the area(s) of your life where you absolutely know you need to be a good person through and through, and not just have right actions?

aloha,

Matt

“I’m an outcast, but don’t count me out.” June 30-July 12 Ch. 4 Reading:

“What Jesus Really Had in Mind With His Beatitudes” through the end of the chapter.

The first several pages of this section are basically an expansion on our reading from a couple of weeks ago. Here Willard goes into greater detail and anecdote on the true message of the Beatitudes: that God’s grace and blessing is available for ALL. “Thus by proclaiming blessed those who in the human order are thought hopeless, and by pronouncing woes over those human beings regarded as well off, Jesus opens the kingdom of the heavens to everyone.”`

So… what? How do I respond to the Beatitudes? One obvious response is to “jump for joy” because His grace has been extended to me! “Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven” (Matt. 5:12a). The other response, the external response, is described to us in the last few pages of this chapter: since God’s grace has been extended to everyone, I should do the same.

Who are the outcast, downtrodden, misfits in my circles? “Who would you regard as the most unfortunate people around you?” Willard lists several possible examples; one in particular caught my attention.

Confession time: I can be a very judgmental person. If I’m not walking in the mind of Christ at any given moment, I can find myself thinking all sorts of degrading things about those around me (especially when driving…). If I could pick one “vice” that I tend to react the most to in a judgmental way, it would probably be obesity. I’ve never been an athlete, but I’ve been blessed with a metabolism that has never really allowed me to get too far behind the ability to stay in decent shape. And I know those days are coming to a close, so I’ve strengthened my resolve to stay fit as I get older. So, without checking myself against the mind of Christ, I have little mercy (at least in thought) for those who have not been as blessed as I have with general physical fitness. What right do I have to look down on anyone else for this or anything else? Absolutely none. And it makes no sense logically either - I have close friends who are at least a bit overweight and not in the best shape, yet I don't think twice about it with them!

Father, help me to see and love everyone around me as you see them and love them, just as they are. Remind me of your grace extended to me that I may extend it to everyone around me, no matter how “unfortunate” they may be. “I am just a man with a heart and sinful hands… Lord, show me the way. I ask of you Father, let my words be Your words. Let my thoughts be Your thoughts. To You, I give my praise.” (–“Redemption,” ABR)

Who are the “outcasts” in your circles?

How can I/we foster a Christ-like attitude and response to them?

Any other insights out there?

Finally, gents, in the interest of the 4th of July holiday, this post and reading will take us through the 12th of July. The reading is only a little bit longer than previous ones, so it fits well and lets us conclude this chapter.

Brace for Impact June 22-28 Ch. 4 Reading: “Dealing With the Soul in Depth” up to “What Jesus Really Had in Mind With His Beatitudes”

I think the last sentence of this section pretty much sums it up: “By showing to others the presence of the kingdom in the concrete details of our shared existence, we impact the lives and hearts of our hearers, not just their heads. And they won’t have to write it down to hold on to it.”

This seems to have more implications for those of us who teach or preach than the others, but it can surely be applied to all of us in how we live our lives as a living lesson of God’s character to those around us. Goes back to Richard’s comment from last week: have you seen the Kingdom lately? Now we take it a step further: Where? How? What did it look like? How can I get me some of that?

As an example, one of the lessons I’ve learned in my life that I think comes close to being impacted the way Jesus intended to do with his teachings has to do with trials. I have never really been through any serious suffering in my life – I’ll be the first to admit it. But for some reason, through a few different times of emotional stress in high school and college (and beyond), I feel that God has given me a good deal of insight into how tough times are good, even great for me, how I’m tested and strengthened by them, and how much better I am for them on the other side. These thoughts and ideas on trials are now an integral part of my way of thinking, where before I had no idea. My “life flow” has been impacted, “leaving a lasting impression without benefit of notes, recorders, or even memorization.”

Though the parables described here are used as examples of how Jesus teaches, they all have a common theme: What does my heart look like? Or, how would it respond to these scenarios? What hit me particularly in that I’d never realized this before, is that the priest and the Levite in the Good Samaritan parable would be risking ritual uncleanness to help the man. We always scoff at those two, but with that variable thrown in, if I were in their shoes and completely honest with myself, I’d probably keep on walking by the beaten man as well. Where is my heart?

May we be truly impacted by Jesus’ teachings and his life as he intended to impact us.

So…

Where is your heart?

What lessons have you learned in life (or from someone’s teaching) that have truly impacted you?

How does your life and/or teaching impact those around you?

I thought I knew… but I had no idea… June 15-21 Ch. 4 Reading: “The Puzzle of the Beatitudes” up to “Dealing With the Soul in Depth”

Willard’s book here is continuing to do what I hoped it would: change my way of thinking. I’m sure I have a ton of erratic ways of thinking about God, myself, others, and just about everything. The trouble is that I’ve thought and lived these ways for so long that I don’t even know they’re wrong. Psalm 139:23-4, anyone? “Search me, O God…”

In these few pages, I’ve learned that I, probably like most Christians, have been thinking about the Beatitudes all wrong (if not you, then more power to ya!). According to what Willard writes, at least, which seems pretty solid to me – it certainly resonates. It makes me wonder: how many other crucial passages of Scripture (especially Jesus’ words) are out there that I’ve grossly misinterpreted?

It’s also a relief to be reminded again of what I should always be aware of: I bring NOTHING to the table in my relationship with God. He provides EVERYTHING. I cannot try to live the Beatitudes and thus achieve God’s blessing. As I’ve learned in these pages, that wasn’t even what Jesus meant with these words! How peaceful it is to be reminded of my freedom from the false gospel of salvation by works.

How thrilling to remember that if God’s grace and blessing extend to even the downtrodden described in the first parts of the Beatitudes, it certainly covers over me! Hallelujah… Reminds me of Brennan Manning’s The Ragamuffin Gospel, another book that changed my perspectives big-time (was that all the way back in High School when I first read that?). “’Jesus totally has this thing for ragamuffins…’”

A quote that resonated with me: “Those poor in spirit are called ‘blessed’ by Jesus, not because they are in a meritorious condition, but because, precisely in spite of and in the midst of their ever so deplorable condition, the rule of the heavens has moved redemptively upon and through them by the grace of Christ.”

So, now, what do the Beatitudes, or at least this one discussed, really mean?

Are there any other passages of Scripture you know of that may have been so skewed by our modern interpretations? Can you share your insight with us?

Aloha, BG

Conspiracy… the Resurrection!

Soo… some of us may have figured that once Fatty became a father, this blog would fall by the wayside. And who could blame him? We all understand, especially those of us who are parents as well (I think that’s almost all of us…?). Life is never the same again… mostly in good ways.

Well, I’ve enjoyed reading this book and everyone’s thoughts enough that I asked “his incredible HURT quadruple-marathoning swiftness” for permission to carry the torch for a bit, until some sense of normalcy returns to the Stevens household. Oh, wait – that’ll never happen (just kidding, Matt – don’t worry, you will survive!). So I’ll take a crack at putting up a post each week with a section of the book to read and some corresponding questions. Matt and I plan on passing the baton (yet another shameless running allusion) back and forth every month or so for the time being.

Before I take on this honour, however, I must inform everyone that I have a different version of the book than what I assume most have – mine is paperback, and from the UK. My page numbers probably don’t correspond with yours, and I have to deal with funny spellings of words like “colour”, “honour”, and “cheque”. But don’t worry, the chapters and headings (and the words, most importantly) are the same. So I’ll just call out the readings by headings, for example, from “Life in the Dark” up to (but not including) “Word from a Different Reality” in chapter 1. Just to keep us all on the same general thought as we read and post comments. If you want to keep reading, of course, no one’s stopping you (overachievers)!

I’ve just finished chapter 3: “What Jesus Knew: Our God-Bathed World”. So this week I’ll be starting on Chapter 4: “Who Is Really Well Off? – The Beatitudes”. Next week I’ll post the “assigned” reading and a few questions or quotes that got me thinking and/or praising. Forgive me if I don’t get a posting up on a like-clockwork regular basis – my reading time is pretty limited with two rugrats of my own, but I will do my best.

So, now that I’ve laid all that out, I’ll share some of my thoughts from the remainder of Chapter 3. The overwhelming thought that kept going through my mind as I read through this chapter is that I have not even scratched the surface of understanding how deeply involved and present God is in our world. I particularly have been challenged by the truth that the kingdom of the heavens is not some far-off cosmic place, but it is actually here as the “kingdom of the heavens.” This has started to change the way I pray, especially in, “Our Father, who art in Heaven…” and thus right here with me!

Space has always intrigued me since I was a kid, and as I've matured I've found it to be one of the most vivid manifestations of God's presence in our universe. Thus Willard's demonstration of God's truth really resonated with me - space is anything but empty! The picture above is not computer generated at all; it is a picture taken by the NASA Hubble Space Telescope of the Orion Nebula. God is the ultimate artist.

What are your thoughts? Here’s some questions to hopefully get us going again:

How do my common ways of thinking prevent me from fully realizing God’s presence in this world?

How can I combat these worldviews and experience God more fully?

Let's talk again! Aloha, BG

Are we doing this blog thing still? YES! April 5-11 Reading: pgs. 61-66

After weeks of being tempted away from The Divine Conspiracy community by the NCAA Tournament and ridiculous amounts of much cherished free time with Spring Break, I'm sufficinetly convicted to post the next reading!

Todd and Brandon and I have decided, however, to skip chapter 3 and move onto the more practical chapter 4 that starts laying the ground work on the Sermon on the Mount and what Jesus actually meant when he calls us to be his disciples. Perhpas we'll come back to chapter 3 later. Basically, its a look at the 20th century split in western Christianity between conservative evangelicals focus on believing right theology and liberal social gospelers focus on right action in the realm of the world's problems. Willard's main thesis is that neither of these camps come remotely close to addressing the truly great need of the individual soul to be reformed and re-made by intimate interaction with Jesus while we live out our days on earth.

The first part of chapter 4 focuses on the basic question of who God is and how we often fail to think accurately about His existence.

My favorite quote from this section is on pg. 64 where Willard writes "It is deeply illuminating of kingdom living to understand that his (Jesus) steady happiness was not ruled out by his experience of sorrow and even grief." I was struck with the thought "if this is true, Jesus is the one that I want to learn how to live from." With all the suffering, pain and injustice in the world (think of the worst situation you have ever seen; mine would likely be the Kibera slums in Nairobi, Kenya) Jesus lived a life meaningful life that was able to engage the world's neediest, and yet live a life permeated by joy. This is what I want, too, so I need to learn from Him. What or who else can truly offer this life option with integrity?

Questions:
How has your view of God matched up with the reality of God that Willard describes? How has it fallen short? Does it matter in terms of how we live day to day?

Final Thoughts
Its my intention, even after dropping the ball for a few weeks, to try to do my part to keep this little community together. I think it is worth fighting for and I'm excited to keep moving through this book with you guys. Maybe its just selfish because I benefit so much from reading your guys words. In an effort to make reading and commenting easier, I put your emails on the settings of this page so that you'll receive an email everytime someone posts or comments. I'm hoping this will take away the step of having to check the blog to see if anyone is writing. If this is annoying, feel free to take your name off or ask me to do it (it's in the "settings" part of the blog under "email")

alohas, fatty

Weekly Reading and a Good John Piper Sermon on the Recession

Week's Reading: pg. 21-27 (start "Made to Rule", end at "The Kingdom is Now 'At Hand'")

In these pages, Willard distinguishes between our kingdoms and what we have say over and His Kingdom and what He ultimately has say over. Willard's main point here, as I see it, is to grasp that the divine conspiracy Jesus offers is for us to willingly submit our kingdoms into His larger Kingdom purposes. When I first read this book, the entire concept of "kingdoms" seemed a clunky, awkward and sometimes confusing way to think of these matters, but I've come to appreciate the word "kingdom" more and more.

This week is a great opportunity for us to reflect on well we are deliberately submitting the things we truly have say over into His Kingdom purposes. I think it would be very productive for each of us to reflect on how conscious we are of our own kingdoms, and specifically how these relate to His Kingdom. Major areas for consideration: body, mind, emotions, marriage, finances, talents, job, friendships, etc. I think this is a great opportunity for us to share a little bit more of where we sense God calling us to be transformed the most in; certainly it will look different for each of us. I know I am super encouraged as I read your guys honest reflections and it spurs me.

Lastly, I missed the church this morning and ended up listening to a John Piper sermon about what purposes God may have for our current economic downturn. I was particularly challenged by his thoughts of personal sin that can be revealed during hard economic times (such as anxiety, fear, and self-reliance), as well as how these economic conditions can challenge our view of the challenges developing nations are constantly facing. Speaking more generally, I have found www.desiringgod.org to be a great resource; I often save teachings to my mp3 player and listen to them while working out. Peace out.

http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/MediaPlayer/3566/Audio/

The importance of community

great to hear your thoughts guys! here's my first post (i'm sorry for taking a while--my computer crashed recently, so it took me a while to get back online). i like how you've encouraged us from the outset to consider the church and the crucial role of community, rob...koinonia, baby! i think you've been key in our fellowship (e.g., faithcrew) and understanding of what it means to follow Jesus as a community in this regard. and i think this blog is a great way to practice community with each other, matty, no matter how far away we are from each other geographically. i'll keep this short, but i just came across an interesting link (sponsored by google) that i thought was a cool example, albeit nonreligious, of community at work (i know there are a ton of great community resources on the web, perhaps there are some that others also think worth noting--i particularly like the concept of the Tip Jar:)

http://moderator.appspot.com/#16/e=3cfc 

No Reading for This Week

Hey guys,

Todd and I talked Sunday on our run and decided it would be good for us to have a week off from pushing ahead in the book. I know some guys are still waiting on the books to arrive, and it is a bummer to try to read quickly to catch up. Keep the encouragment and challenging thoughts and insights flowing; I know I grow so much more when I see growth going on in other believers lives.

Matt

Trip down memory lane for the Faith Crew people

Had to load it as two files since youtube videos max out at 10 min.
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yav5guznj_E
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXrWyWDPj5s

A short note about commenting on the blog

I'm not sure if anybody else is running into this issue, but I have had trouble posting a comment when I am not actually logged in through my google/gmail account to the blog. I'm not sure why this is, but my suggestion is just to login everytime you plan on putting on a comment to make your life easier. Also, feel free to throw up new posts like this anytime.

Relevant video on marathoner Ryan Hall

Hey guys,

Last Sunday, our running group got on the topic of how our desire to train, improve, and ultimately win plays in with what God desires for our growth and development. I came across this video and was amazed at Ryan's story of how God taught him about using his desire to compete. For those non-runners out there, Ryan Hall is a committed believer who is probably the best American-born marathoner our country has seen in about 30 years. He is one of the few white dudes in the world who is close to mixing it up with the East Africans at the marathon distance. This video shows him doing a 15 mile tempo run at 5:00 min pace at 7,000 feet in adverse conditions...not bad!

Need inspiration to post your thoughts?

Look no further! Simply click on the link below, and think of the dozens of guys around the country who will be thinking these thoughts as they read your post! (I have Tim to thank for reminding me of this clip this past Christmas)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKjxFJfcrcA

But seriously, guys are throwing some great thoughts around and I hope it spurs us on. I appreciate and relate to Tim and Eric's words about overfamiliarity of the Good News leading to actual unfamiliarity. Todd, Brandon, Chantelle (Brandon's sister) and I went for a long run this afternoon and had some great conversation about the reading. I look forward to hearing more about how God is working!

Hearing Jesus' Invitation to the Kingdom Clearly

Readings for February 23-March 1: pgs. 11-21.

Key Quotes

"People think they have heard the invitation. The thing they have accepted it or rejected it. But they have not. The difficulty is to hear at all." (11)

"I think we finally have to say that Jesus' enduring relevance is based on his historically proven ability to speak to, to heal, and empower the individual human condition...He promises wholeness for their lives...Suddenly they are flying right-side up, in a world that makes sense." (13)

"So, C.S. Lewis writes, our faith is not a matter of our hearing what Christ said long ago and 'trying to carry it out.' Rather, 'The real Son of God is at your side. He is beginning to turn you into the same kind of thing as Himself. He is beginning, so to speak, to 'inject' His kind of life and thought...into you; beginning to turn the tin soldier into a live man. The part of you that does not like it is the part that is still tin.'" (20)

Key Questions

At what point in your life have you most clearly understood Jesus' invitation to discipleship? Has that invitation been dulled by years of "overfamiliarity"?

How has Jesus most clearly spoke to, healed, or empowered your life?


aloha, Matt

Reading for February 17 - February 22: Ch. 1, pgs. 1-10

Here are a few thoughts and questions to get us going. To be honest, Willard kind of showboats a bit early on here, covering a bunch of intellectual history only like a USC philosophy professor could. It's a bit dense, but my advice is to just push through; he is laying the intellectual groundwork for a sustained argument that will bear much fruit in the chapters to come, and the writing style does not stay at this level.

A few questions to guide our discussion:

1. How plausible is his story of the fighter pilot who slammed into the ground during a low level flight because she was disoriented?

Since we have an F15 and F16 pilot in this group, I expect expert contributions to this question. If my basic knowledge of fighter pilot culture is correct, I'm assuming that Tim would say that this is only common among Viper pilots, and Jeremy would say that only Eagle Drivers would ever become this disoriented. I leave it to these two log in and enlighten us.

2. Is higher education's ambivalence towards moral truth as dire as Willard suggests? Why is it so crucial to actually become a good person, morally speaking, rather than to just be taught to be clever about how one deals with moral issues?

To this question, there are a handful of guys on this blog who have both taken classes from the "experts" referred to that reside in Emerson Hall at Harvard, as well as taken "moral reasoning" classes also mentioned, including classes from Robert Coles. I think this could provoke some interesting responses.

3. Why is his paragraph about kids singing about being Oscar Meyer weiners so hilarious (in my opinion) but also eye-opening about how "upside down" our society really is? Check out the following commercial from 1965 for historical context, and consider, like Willard, what this commericial's existence actually says about our society. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNddW2xmZp8) How has consumerism in America warped us, and how aware or unaware are we of its effect on us?

Look forward to reading your thoughts.

aloha, Matt

PS: check out the following clip for a good F15/F16 dogfight that was in the IMAX movie, "Operation Red Flag," the excercise that Jeremy is now involved with.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INb-421E-mo&feature=related

Bios

I thought it might work well to have one post where we all comment on it and post our bios to get to know one another. Jeremy Miller did a great job of kicking it off for us today; I love the desire to see the talents God has given us in the right perspective, and consider how they might be part of His conspiracy here. aloha, Matt

Thank you Matt for launching this project and this blog. The book looks good in published excerpts. Any writing that says 'eternity has already started and that it is here now' appeals to me. The idea of hanging around and waiting for some sweet hereafter has never appealed much to me. It does say that, doesn't it? I look forward to receiving and reading it.

[Jon - buy your own or I will tear out pages I have read and send them to you... one by one...]

It is only now, in this time, that we can do such a thing as have a real-time dialogue like this... across thousands of miles. Considering our different backgrounds, circumstances, interests, etc., it will be interesting to discover each other through our discussions.

Since this is all about hearts, happy valentine day to all!

Eternity Has Already Started for Each of Us! A Few Thoughts on the "Foreword" and "Introduction"

Here's the thing that strikes me most from this reading: what we do and believe NOW, in our daily choices, whether they seem small or big, is part of our eternity. The person we are becoming for eternity and the substance of our character is being shaped right NOW. This is a sobering thought, but clearly Jesus' invitation to obedience and discipleship was great news to all who heard it when he walked on earth. As Willard points puts it, this was the "best life strategy" they had ever heard of and thought they would be fools to pass it up.

I am challenged by this, because I realize that I often view following Jesus as burdensome, and one more thing to do in a busy day. Instead, I'm going to try to pray that I would see Jesus' invitation to follow Him and obey Him as the greatest opportunity of my life, and it keeps getting offered to me day after day, by His grace.

Some key quotes I liked.

"Very few people today find Jesus interesting as a person or of vital relevance to the course of their actual lives." (xiii)

"What we have to believe or do now, by contrast, is real life, bursting with interesting, frigtening and relevant things and people." (xiii)

"More than any other single thing, in any case, the practical irrelevance of actual obedience to Christ accounts for the weakeed effect of Christianity in the world today..." (xv)

"The really good news for humanity is that Jesus is now taking students in the master class of life. The eternal life that begins with confidence in Jesus is a life in his present kingdom, now on earth and available to all." (xvii)

Welcome!

Aloha fellow co-conspirators,

Todd, Brandon and I are excited that our little running group/reading group might spread into a broader conversation on this blog. It is our hope that each one of us would be confronted, challenged and encouraged by Jesus invitation to full life in the Kingdom; life filled with obedience, joy and true adventure in walking with him both in this life and in eternity.

We will plan on covering about 10 pages each week, but dividing it according to breaks in the chapter that make sense. One thing that the three of us have discussed and really believe in is that we don't want to feel pressure that this is one more thing to do in the week and that we consquently should feel bad if we fall behind or couldn't meet one week. The truths in this book are way too important to put them into the same checklist categories we have with other goals that relate to areas such as work, running, or the like. Consequently, we are really trying to be positive and encourage each other to seek out one or two truths God would have us wrestle with, savor, and be changed by in that week. Hopefully this blog can help us see some of these insights from each other's unique perspectives and experiences.

We are excited to see how God might use this dialogue. Any suggestions on how we can carry on this discussion more productively will always be welcomed, especially since I've never really done a blog before, let alone try to be the administer of one.

Each new week, probably on Monday, I'll just put up a post of what we plan to read for that week, and perhaps a question or two related to the section. For the purpose of getting things rolling, the three of us in the running group are reading the foreword and introduction this week. I realize that most of you guys are still getting a hold of the book, so you might have to play just a little catch up.