devotion: giving hearts

"Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."  James 1:17

Augustine has said that the "root of all sin is pride."  It is when we think excessively of ourselves.  This seems to be the hallmark of our contemporary culture, however.  We are told that we have to constantly fight for ourselves, because who would do it for us?  Every product is specially targeted and marketed to us.

One thing that struck me in Haiti, was when we climbed to the top of a mountain after a 3 hour hike.  At the top, everyone sat down to eat the energy bars they had purchased in america, packed to Haiti, carried 3 hours in the sun.  Knowing of the hunger of the children who had joined our hike, people broke off parts of their energy bars to give a child.  In response the child divided this already small morsel even further so that he could give some to each of his friends who came along the journey.  This type of story plays out through-out impoverished third world countries.  It is actually in cultures of abundance where we so desperately hold onto the things we have "earned" out of fear of loosing them.

As people of faith, who believe that every good gift comes from God; why is it so hard to let go and let God?  What things do we hoard?  Feel entitled to?  What would it take to create a spirit of genorsity and sacrifice in your heart?

They'll let anyone in the pulpit these days...

Devotion: Believing

Is it possible that we are too smart for our own good? Paul's letter
to the Romans--one of the denses book of the Bible seems to suggest
this. Paul writes, "For although they knew God, they neither
glorified him as God or gave thanks to him, but their thinking became
futile and their foolish hearts darkened." Paul likes to contrast
knowledge with faith. Even though people "knew" God, that does not
necessarily mean that they believed in Him.
In our wikipedia age, access to information is easy; but believing in
things is far more difficult. By believing in something it means that
we are also willing to commit ourselves to it. Like the great scene
in White Man Can't Jump, which explains the difference between Hearing
and Listening, believing is a deeper far more personal and intimate
form of knowledge.
Paul opens his theological rich letter to the Romans specifically for
this purpose...He does not just want the Romans to know the belief
systems of early Christianity, he wanted them believe that "God
demonstrated his own love for us in this; while we were still sinners,
Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)

How do you make that leap from knowing to believing? What is hard
about "belief"? What beliefs are you willing to commit your life to?

Ah Tabor...

Tabor's most recent discovery raises an important question: why would first century Jews inscribe their caskets with a symbol of Christ's resurrection if they were buried 200 feet from the supposed bones and children of Jesus of Nazareth? I doubt his impending documentary, and book tour will talk about this discrepancy in his work.

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