Amazing Grace by Kathleen Norris

I don't know if you had noticed or not but I do have a little section on the right hand side of the blog that has what book I am reading other than the book of the month. You may also have noticed that since I added this feature the book has not changed for quite some time. Sorry! I have been reading Amazing Grace, A vocabulary of Faith by Kathleen Norris since February. It must be a record for the longest it has ever taken me to finish a book! And part of that is because I have been so busy. Thankfully this book is not a story, it is a non-fiction where each chapter is different. It's great that it is one that you can pick up and read a couple chapters and come back and not have to try to catch back up on a story. Since I added that portion to the blog I decided that when I finish that extra book I will also give you a brief review of it and what's on the back of the book cover in case you may want to read it too. Plus I will let you know if a book will or will not be a candidate for a future selection. So without further adieu here is what the back of the book cover says:



Struggling with her return to the Christan church after many years away, Kathleen Norris found it was the language of Christianity that most distanced her from faith. Words like "judgment," "faith", "dogma," "salvation," "sinner" - even "Christ" - formed what she called her "scary vocabulary," words that had become so codified or abstract that their meanings were all but impenetrable. She found she had to wrestle with them and make them her own before they could confer their blessings and their grace. Blending history, theology, story-telling, etymology, and memoir, Norris uses these words as a starting point for reflection, and offers a moving account of her own gradual conversion. She evokes a rich spirituality rooted firmly in the chaos of everyday life - and offers believers and doubters alike an illuminating perspective on how we can embrace ancient traditions and find faith in the contemporary world.



I like the fact that she does go over this "scary vocabulary" that can turn off many people to the Christian Church. I think she writes in a way that is appealing to both the believer and non-believer because as the back of the book cover states she had to, "return to the Christian Church." She lets you know that she has been a skeptic too and still has to deal with those who don't understand why she has returned to the church. I think that those who are unsure or scared off by all the "lingo" that is used will relate to what she is writing about. Now when I say that it is a bit like reading the dictionary, but better, please don't take it the wrong way. Yes, who would want to read a dictionary but this is so much more. She gives you a word and then proceeds to tell you a story and give you some background on that word and her opinion on it. Odds are this isn't exactly what our book club is looking for so it will not be a future selection anytime soon. I was able to use some quotes out of her book for my blogging on The Shack so that was good. I think it would be a great resource to have but just not the type of book that I am looking to read right now. Let me know if you have any questions.




To comment on this post click on "comments" Type in your comment then where it has the drop down box click on "Name/URL" Type in your name, you do not have to have a URL. Then you can preview and post your comment.

May Extraordinary Women Night

May 1, 2009 at 6:00 pm

Our May Ewomen Night lesson will be “A Woman’s World: What’s for Sale in the Marketplace of Ideas” with Janet Parshall. A brief description of the DVD is as follows:

“Women have the power to impact the world and influence society. But many have no idea where to begin. Janet Parshall gives women a basic course in the social issues that will have a powerful impact on families and the church. She alerts us to what is happening in our world and how God may be calling us to be an active part of shaping our world.”

"In this lesson you will learn: The two conflicting world views predominant in our culture. How the family is under attack and what you can do about it. How Christians are being persecuted in the world of ideas. How to impact our culture for Christ."

We will be watching the DVD in the Historic Chapel followed by discussion with coffee and desserts in the fellowship hall. Please note Historic Chapel because the DVD system in the Sanctuary is being repaired at this time. I hope you can join us! Feel free to bring a friend.

P.S. Men's Griller's night will have their first get together this Friday night at the Melton/Barnwell Barn. It starts at 6:30 pm and Phil and Mark will be manning the grills. Men need to bring their own meat to be grilled and a side to share, and whatever they would like to drink.

To comment on this post click on "comments" Type in your comment then where it has the drop down box click on "Name/URL" Type in your name, you do not have to have a URL. Then you can preview and post your comment.

Da Judge

Disclaimer: Please have mercy and forgive me if I make an error on something for I have neither educational background nor the knowledge to enlighten you about some of the main themes of this book. I know there is much controversy surrounding this book. If I say something in error, remember that I am no expert and for this reason there are some parts in the book that are important that I will not touch on. Thank you.

I am intentionally skipping over discussion about the trinity and what it all does and doesn’t mean in this book. I’m sorry if you are not okay with me doing that but I know what I believe. It’s a fictional novel and not worth the argument it could produce, so I plan to avoid it all together. Maybe someone from church will want to do a post on it that is more knowledgeable. Anyone? Just let me know if you do!

In chapter 9 Mack goes out to the garden with Sarayu and comments several times on what a mess it all is, but at the same time beautiful. They have a long talk about what it means to decide if something is good or evil. Sarayu lets Mack know the garden mess is him and that it isn’t made right except by the relationship between God and Him. In chapter 10 Mack spends some time walking on the water with Jesus. They have a discussion about free will, relationships and submission and what they mean in the world vs. how God intended it to be originally.

But then we come to chapter 11 which since the first time I read it and thus far through the second time is the chapter that stands out the most to me. I’m not sure who this person is that is helping Mack learn about judging, but it did teach me something. I don’t consider myself to be a judgmental person. But just because I may not judge people on some things doesn’t mean I don’t judge them on other little things. And when it comes down to it does it really make a difference if it’s something big all the time or just lots of little quick snap judgments?

How often do we judge someone because of what they are wearing, how they look, how they might have been rude in the checkout line, how they made an error on a food order, how they were rude on the phone for no reason, how they cut us off in traffic, how come they didn’t volunteer for this at church, how they didn’t offer to help with this, how they did something terrible you hear about on the news? You and I both know that this list could go on and on forever.

We all have things that we make snap judgments about everyday or…. At least I know I do. It’s so easy to fall into judge or gossip about someone but then if we stop and think about reversing that it doesn’t feel so great. This is something that I have learned a lot about in the past couple years as I have grown in my faith. I have learned to recognize it and work on restraining my self from doing it. I once heard a sermon by a former pastor of Swift that I constantly refer back to in dealing with this struggle. He was talking about how easy it is for us when we hear about something on the television in the news to do a snap judgment and say, “They should just send them all to jail… or they just need to kill them all.” Well he said we need to take a look at ourselves and just because we haven’t done what they did and we aren’t on the news it doesn’t make us any better. It is only by the grace of God that we are not those people. (Now please don’t get this wrong, in no way are we saying lets free all the criminals or be on one side or the other of the death penalty… not going there.) The point is snap judgment and how easy it is for us to fall into its trap. If it was something hard to do the devil wouldn’t use it so often.

Mack questions, why this had to happen to Missy and why God didn’t stop it from happening. The person in the cave with Mack says, “He doesn’t stop a lot of things that cause him pain. Your world is severely broken. You demanded your independence, and now you are angry with the one who loved you enough to give it to you. Nothing is as it should be, as Papa desires it to be, and as it will be one day. Right now your world is lost in darkness and chaos, and horrible things happen to those that he is especially fond of.” Mack, just like many others wonders why God doesn’t do something about all the pain and chaos in the world and learns that God did do something about it through what Jesus did on the cross. I hope that coming away from this chapter we can remember that we don’t want to play the role of the Judge and that God wants us all to come to have a relationship with Jesus so that none of His children are lost.

To comment on this post click on "comments" Type in your comment then where it has the drop down box click on "Name/URL" Type in your name, you do not have to have a URL. Then you can preview and post your comment.

Mystery, Wonder and Awe

Disclaimer: Please have mercy and forgive me if I make an error on something for I have neither educational background nor the knowledge to enlighten you about some of the main themes of this book. I know there is much controversy surrounding this book. If I say something in error, remember that I am no expert and for this reason there are some parts in the book that are important that I will not touch on. Thank you.

I hope you have forgiven me for my extremely long post yesterday. It is hard when there is just so much to discuss. In chapters 7 & 8 we get to see Mack and our characters interact in the kitchen around the table. I think a part of the book that is kinda funny is when Mack doesn’t know what to do about saying grace when he is face to face with God. I imagine it would be different because you would be able to talk to Him face to face and actually see His face in response to your thankfulness.

When Jesus and Mack go down to the dock together and look at the stars and they have that peaceful time together, it reminds me that I need to make that time. I need to make the time more often to spend with just me alone with Jesus. Not only to have the quiet time but also to spend it just admiring His creation. When was the last time you laid out to marvel at the stars or just the clouds passing by? I know I haven’t done it in a long time. I used to love to lie in soft grass and just watch the sky and the clouds go by. It can be very relaxing. As they finish their time out on the dock Jesus reminds Mack that even though he feels lost sometimes it doesn’t mean he is. It is something that all of us need to remember when we are sad and feel lost inside that we are not lost because Jesus is not lost. When we allow Him to abide in us we are not lost no matter how much we feel like we might be.

In chapter 8 Mack questions Papa with something many people wonder, How can He say He is a loving God? Many people get hung up on the notion that God is an angry God waiting to punish us the minute we step out of line. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Papa says something to Mack concerning this question, “I’m not asking you to believe anything, but I will tell you that your going to find this day a lot easier if you simply accept what is, instead of trying to fit it into your preconceived notions.” Isn’t this something so many of us struggle with? We try to apply logic, science and rules to God so that we can understand Him. But really if we would just let it be instead of trying to make Him fit into our ideas, our lives would be a lot easier. I have had people ask me hard questions before about God and when I can’t answer them, because I don’t know the answer to something beyond our reasoning I’m okay. I’m okay with not knowing because I know I can always ask Him later. I am secure in knowing that I don’t have to have all the answers now, nor do I deserve them, nor would I be able to comprehend them. Some things are better left in mystery, wonder and awe. Papa says something else to Mack that I think many need to hear, “I am good, and I desire only what is best for you. You cannot find that through guilt or condemnation or coercion, only through a relationship of love. And I do love you.” God loves us and He wants a personal relationship with us. Not because we feel like we have to but because we want to. Our first healing steps toward God are forming our relationship with His son, Jesus.

To comment on this post click on "comments" Type in your comment then where it has the drop down box click on "Name/URL" Type in your name, you do not have to have a URL. Then you can preview and post your comment.

Too many pieces of pie

Disclaimer: Please have mercy and forgive me if I make an error on something for I have neither educational background nor the knowledge to enlighten you about some of the main themes of this book. I know there is much controversy surrounding this book. If I say something in error, remember that I am no expert and for this reason there are some parts in the book that are important that I will not touch on. Thank you.

In chapter 6 we have a lot going on and a lot said in the conversation between Mack and God. The title to the chapter is a piece of pie but for me to write a post I feel like there are just too many pieces of pie. Let me apologize ahead of time that this post may feel like it is all over the place but that’s kinda how I feel about chapter 6. Mack is adjusting to this and trying to get a grip on it all. He is trying to wrap his mind around God coming to him in the body of a large black woman and our Jesus in the book makes a good point, “Even though you might not think it, her timing is always perfect.” This is something that I think is right on. Even though we may not think so, God’s timing is always perfect even if we don’t understand it. One part I think is rather silly is when we hear Mack’s inner struggle and he says, “If she knew…” Of course she knows, does he really think that God doesn’t know what’s going on inside of his heart and head? But I guess he probably could be in shock still from everything because I probably would be too.

Mack lets Papa know his surprise over the way God is being revealed to him. Papa knows of course that Mack would act like this so that is why this was the way chosen to be revealed. This is to break down Mack’s barriers so that he understands that God is so much more than limited to a male or female. Because of Mack’s past he struggles with the idea of having the personal relationship with God as Father. In the book the aim is to try to heal him so that the personal relationship is reachable. God wants us all to know that He will be the entire father we need if we would just let Him. So many of us have had issues or absent fathers that it can be a big problem in our walk with God. God wants us to know that He is here for us.

In the other book I am reading right now, Amazing Grace: A vocabulary of Faith by Kathleen Norris, I came across a chapter on a similar subject. I pulled a quote from the book that I thought goes well with the point of breaking down stereotypical views of God, “One so often hears people say, “I just can’t handle it,” when they reject a biblical image of God as Father, as Mother, as Lord or Judge; God as lover, as angry or jealous, God on a cross. I find this choice of words revealing however real the pain they reflect: if we seek a God we can “handle”, that will be exactly what we will get. A God we can manipulate, suspiciously like ourselves, the wideness of whose mercy we’ve cut down to size.”

I think the book is trying to break down some stereotypes so that we will not try to “handle” God like Kathleen Norris states can happen. One question I found online from several sources is, “How is Young's description of God different from your concept of God? What parts of his description did you like and what parts didn't you like?" I did not get hung up on the depiction of God in the novel. It was shocking yes but I’m okay with reading it because I know in my heart that God is more than I could possibly imagine and I’m okay with not understanding exactly how God makes everything work.

Papa and Mack also have a conversation about freedom and what it means for us to have freedom in our lives. Mack is questioning if he had the freedom to come to the shack in the first place or the freedom to leave and Papa’s response is, “Just because I know you’re too curious to go, does that reduce your freedom to leave?” I have heard several debates between people about freewill and if God knows everything before we do it then how is it free. And I like Papa’s response to that debate.

The conversation keeps rolling and Papa and Mack get into a debate about if God was really there for Jesus on the cross, which is another issue many struggle with. Papa tells Mack, “You misunderstand the mystery there. Regardless of what he felt at that moment, I never left him.” And I think that is something that we all need to remember at times too. Just because we feel bad sometimes or bad things happen it doesn’t mean that God has left us. Then Papa asks a question of Mack for food for thought, “When all you can see is your pain, perhaps then you lose sight of me?” Which again I think makes another good point for when we do become angry at God and when we are in so much pain. We let it consume us and we lose sight of Him and that He is there for us. We think He has left when really we just need to open our eyes and let Him comfort us. Papa makes a good analogy when she is talking about the little bird and how we can forget that we were created to be loved but it doesn't mean that we aren't anymore. We are the ones that have forgotten, not God.

We wrap up the chapter with a reminder from Jesus that He would have died on the cross even if it were for only one of us. But what a joy it is to know that He died for ALL of us. For you, for me, for everyone.

To comment on this post click on "comments" Type in your comment then where it has the drop down box click on "Name/URL" Type in your name, you do not have to have a URL. Then you can preview and post your comment.

Introductions

Posting on The Shack is harder than I thought it would be. I had thought, "wow there is so much to discuss in the book that this will be easy." But now I am having a hard time getting my thoughts together and wrapping my mind around some of this. There is so so so much to comment and talk on that I find myself not knowing where to begin. So as we dive deeper into this book I may have to have a simple disclaimer before my posts, “Disclaimer: Please have mercy and forgive me if I make an error on something for I have neither educational background nor the knowledge to enlighten you about some of the main themes of this book. I know there is much controversy surrounding this book. If I say something in error, remember that I am no expert and for this reason there are some parts in the book that are important that I will not touch on. Thank you.” I’m hoping some of you that are more educated than I will be able to do some guest posting.

At the end of chapter 5, Mack enters the shack and meets up with our three characters that will be with us for a while in the book. If I were Mack standing there when the whole world started changing to spring time and he meets the characters, I have no idea what I would do… I would probably think I was dreaming or hallucinating but I just don’t know. First we have God played by Elousia a large black woman, Jesus played by a man who looks as if he is from the Middle East and Sarayu who looks to Mack like some sort of Asian spirit. Now I know this is far off from what we might imagine the trinity to be like but it doesn’t really matter because with God the possibilities are endless and this is just one persons take on what if's. Even with the shock of the way this trinity is portrayed, if you can get around that, there are several truths that the characters speak of throughout the book that one can easily look over when only focusing on the big picture. Remember this is a fictional novel for fun, not biblical doctrine. And for this reason I am going to try to steer clear of some of the larger themes to avoid a big theological discussion which I am neither prepared nor educated to have. I will try to pull out some of the other details that may have been easy to skim over. And one last plea, PLEASE if you have something that you want to write a post about in the book e-mail it to me and I will see about posting it for you. It would take much longer than a month for me to post everything there is to talk about in this book so if you feel like I am leaving something out that you want to discuss, write a post!

To comment on this post click on "comments" Type in your comment then where it has the drop down box click on "Name/URL" Type in your name, you do not have to have a URL. Then you can preview and post your comment.

May Book Club Selection

Our May selection for the book club will be, Having a Mary Heart in a Martha world by Joanna Weaver. I have talked to many people that have read this book and they really enjoyed it. I feel like this is something that many of us (me included) probably need a lesson in with today's busy bee world and the book God is calling for us to read next month. Here is what is on the back of the book cover:

The life of a woman today isn’t really all that different from that of Mary and Martha in the New Testament. Like Mary, you long to sit at the Lord’s feet… but the daily demands of a busy world just won’t leave you alone. Like Martha, you love Jesus and really want to serve Him…yet you struggle with weariness, resentment, and feelings of inadequacy. Then comes Jesus, into the midst of your busy life, to extend the same invitation He issued long ago to the two sisters from Bethany. Tenderly, He invites you to choose “the better part” - a joyful life of intimacy with Him that flows naturally into loving service. With her fresh approach to the familiar Bible story, Joanna Weaver shows how all of us – Marys and Marthas alike – can draw closer to our Lord: deepening our devotion, strengthening our service, and doing both with less stress and greater joy.

The book includes a study guide in the back because many churches do bible studies on this book so you have that great resource to dig deeper. If you are interested in a Pre-order please contact Kathy. In the next couple of days she will be e-mailing you with the information for a possible Pre-order. And as always local libraries and bookstores have some copies available. We will no longer be raffling off the book at the meetings but we will still have door prizes. Remember our April meeting is May 2nd and our May meeting will be May 30th. Hope you all enjoy and can't wait to see you again!

To comment on this post click on "comments" Type in your comment then where it has the drop down box click on "Name/URL" Type in your name, you do not have to have a URL. Then you can preview and post your comment.

The Great Sadness

Disclaimer: Please have mercy and forgive me if I make an error on something for I have neither educational background nor the knowledge to enlighten you about some of the main themes of this book. I know there is much controversy surrounding this book. If I say something in error, remember that I am no expert and for this reason there are some parts in the book that are important that I will not touch on. Thank you.

We jump in at the beginning of the book to every parent’s worst nightmare. When I heard about what was taking place in this part of the book I really didn’t care to read it. I stay away from scary movies because I don’t like this type of thing. The author foreshadows a couple times what is coming with Missy. He describes the talk about the Indian princess who sacrificed herself and when Mack consciously is making a memory to remember her like she is at those precious last moments he has with her (unknown to him). We can tell that something bad is coming. What happens to their family is horrific and I could not imagine going through it. If you are reading this and you have lost a child, I am sorry. I pray you allow God to wrap his loving arms around you and comfort you in your time of grief.

Back to Mack and his trip to the shack, what would you do if confronted with a note from God? I wonder what I would do if I were confronted with the same situation. If God sent me a note would I believe it? Right now at the point I am in life I would probably tell someone. I don’t think I would keep it to myself; I would need to go get some wisdom from my pastor or assistant pastor to decide what to do. I just think it makes it interesting when you think about what you might do. I found a question online on several websites but I’m not sure where it originated. “Why do you think Mack's encounter with God took place at the shack? If God were to invite you somewhere, where would it be? (In other words, where is the center of your doubt and pain)?” The second question is not for you to answer online but just for personal reflection. I think God brought Mack to the shack because maybe he knew that no where else would pull Mack in like that place with the significance it had for him. Logically if you picked other scenarios like the park or the falls, it just doesn’t fit. The shack is secluded and right in the middle of God’s creation and Mack’s great sadness. This is where Mack needs to be to let the healing begin from the loss of his daughter and the loss of his relationship with his Heavenly Father.

To comment on this post click on "comments" Type in your comment then where it has the drop down box click on "Name/URL" Type in your name, you do not have to have a URL. Then you can preview and post your comment.

Papa

Disclaimer: Please have mercy and forgive me if I make an error on something for I have neither educational background nor the knowledge to enlighten you about some of the main themes of this book. I know there is much controversy surrounding this book. If I say something in error, remember that I am no expert and for this reason there are some parts in the book that are important that I will not touch on. Thank you.

In the first chapter we jump right in as Mack gets his unexpected note from “Papa”. When you first read this you are drawn in to see what all this meeting at the shack is about. We are told that this name comes from a personal name his wife, Nan, uses for God. I’m curious to know what others think of this use of the name Papa for God. I think it is a neat perspective because it is just another word for Father which is the way many of us talk to God in prayer. The name I use the most for God in my prayers is probably Father or Heavenly Father. What do you call God when you call on Him in your prayers? Is there any name that you use more than others? We have so many wonderful names to call Him but we all know we can be creatures of habit so I am just curious to know if there is a name that comes the most often in your prayer time.

I have a plain grey bible cover that I use to keep my bible in, that keeps it nice and protected plus I love how it can hold all kinds of miscellaneous notes or articles. But my favorite part about my cover is on the front it has listed in a neat design all the different names we call Jesus. Messiah, Son of Righteousness, Emmanuel, The Good Shepherd and so many more! I love reading the front and all these wonderful names by which we can call our Savior and it just makes me smile. So with all the different names for God that we can use to form our relationship with Him… well that just makes me smile too.

I know that as we read further into the book the subject of the name “Papa” will come in again with more discussion and we will focus on it again then. I hope as you start to read through the next few chapters you keep pushing yourself through them. When I was first told about the book I was scared of these next chapters and what exactly I would be reading about but I’m glad I pushed through.

To comment on this post click on "comments" Type in your comment then where it has the drop down box click on "Name/URL" Type in your name, you do not have to have a URL. Then you can preview and post your comment.

Extraordinary Women Conference

We have a group from the church attending the Extraordinary Women Conference next weekend April 24-25, 2009. We have 3 tickets available for $39.00 each. If you were to buy them at the door right now they would be $89.00 each. This is a great deal! Please contact me as soon as possible if you are interested in attending and would like one of the tickets. If price is a problem we have people willing to donate their tickets just so it gets used. You can go to http://www.ewomen.net/ to find out exactly what the conference is about and who will be there. Contact me if you have any questions or if you would like one of the tickets. Thanks!

God is near

Disclaimer: Please have mercy and forgive me if I make an error on something for I have neither educational background nor the knowledge to enlighten you about some of the main themes of this book. I know there is much controversy surrounding this book. If I say something in error, remember that I am no expert and for this reason there are some parts in the book that are important that I will not touch on. Thank you.

Well my long break from blogging is over. I didn't really mean for it to be a break but I have had alot going on in my life right now. Excuses aside, luckily we have an extra week in April, so hopefully I should be good on my timing. I hope you enjoyed our last guest post from Pastor Keith. I sure did. I have had some others express interest in writing a guest post and I welcome you to do so. You can e-mail me what you have written and I will see about getting it on here if it is to long for a comment space. Even if it is on a past book it is no problem!! Now on to other business, this post will be short as I just want to take a couple minutes to comment on the forward from the book.

In the forward to the book it is written with the actual author talking in first person giving us some background on our main character. This prepares us for the use of Mack's perspective through the rest of the book. The author writes in a way so that we may perceive this to be a true story even though it is a fictional novel. Even with fiction the background story he gives us of Mack is something that sadly is common for alot of people coming from an alcoholic and abusive family. If this is the case with you, I am sorry. If you didn't know or don't know now, God was with you, He is always there. Something from the forward that catches me right away is that the author reminds the reader that even if you don't believe in God it doesn't mean He isn't there. God is near.

So maybe you are already a believer and are reading this book for entertainment and to maybe get something out of it. Or you aren't a believer and someone handed you this book and said "Here I think you should read this." I hope that you can pull some important themes out in the days ahead. I know that there is some questionable matieral in this book that we will touch on but there is also some wisdom and comfort to be found in this story of Macks. I have talked to many people who have read the book and they either like it or they don't. So to each their own! We will see where it takes us in the month ahead. Happy Reading!

To comment on this post click on "comments" Type in your comment then where it has the drop down box click on "Name/URL" Type in your name, you do not have to have a URL. Then you can preview and post your comment.

The Glory of God

Okay I am super excited about todays post which is from our very own Pastor, Keith Cardwell, at Swift Church in Foley. I know you are going to enjoy it and without fruther adieu here he is:

Amber asked me to write the final post for Same Kind of Different. I’m glad to do so. What follows is from the March 29 sermon at Swift Church. I used two examples from the book that I think are evidence of God’s glory revealed to us.

Sometimes God's glory is an external, visible, expression. Scripture tells us that God’s glory can be in the thunderstorm. God's glory is seen in the plagues, in the cloudy pillar, in the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai and in the Ark of the Covenant.

In the NT and particularly John, the glory of God is evidenced by Jesus’ miracles that point to (honor, reveal) God and God in Jesus. We see it in the changing water into wine of John 2. “the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.”

We also see the Glory of God visible in the resuscitation of Lazarus. Jesus asked Mary and Martha: “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”

If you believe, you will see the glory of God! All around the glory of God is being revealed. We see visible expressions of his presence and his splendor. We see evidence of his miraculous power and grace. Sometimes it’s a dramatic, miraculous cure. Other times it’s less noticeable, perhaps only noticeable through faith.

The book Same Kind of Different as Me is a true story filled with examples of the glory of God revealed.

The main characters: Denver, an aging black share-cropper now living in at homeless mission in Ft. Worth. Calloused, forgotten, hopeless. Ron, an international art dealer-a Christian whose first love is for money and its trappings. They are brought together by Debbie, Ron’s wife, who has a vision for glorifying God by volunteering at the Ft. Worth homeless mission. God uses each of them to challenge the other to see God beyond their comfortable existence. The glory of God is revealed when Denver and Ron, both set in their ways and their biases, are “converted” to fully embrace each other as people of God.

In once scene Debbie is severely sick. Ron comes down to the mission where by now he is a regular. He asks the cook if he has seen Denver. “Probably sleeping” is the reply. It is already afternoon and Ron can’t help but think Denver is lazy. The cook informs him otherwise. “You don’t know?”
“Know what?”
“Well, when Denver heard about Miss Debbie, he told me she had a lot of friends that would be praying for her all day. But he figured she needed someone to pray for her all night, and he would be the one to do it.”

Ron’s eyes widened. The cook continued, “So, he goes outside at midnight, sits down next to the dumpster, and prayers for Muss Debbie and your family. When I get up and come down here at three in the morning to get breakfast going, he comes in for a cup of coffee and we pray here in the kitchen for her until about four. Then he goes back outside and prays til sunup.”

Ashamed, Ron realized again how deep grew the roots of his own prejudice, of his own arrogant snap judgments of the poor. (138)
If you believe, you will see the glory of God!

The truth is sometimes it is our darkest moments that we see most clearly God’s glory revealed. God’s glory fills us when our faith remains in the downturns of our lives. God’s glory burns in us when we hold fast during the storms of temptation. God’s glory is evident when we cling to the assurance of God’s love even when we see no reason for God to love us. God’s glory bursts forth in great splendor when we live well—and die well--the example of children of God.

Again from Same Kind of Different. Debbie has died. At her memorial service, Denver gets up to speak.

“God has blessed me that someone would come to me that was concerned about me and not interested in whatever bad places I had come from. Ever since I’d known her, Miss Debbie offered for me to come to church here, but wadn’t no way I was comin here!” “So she came and got me and brought me. I tried to stall at the door, but she said, ‘Come on in,’ and she walked in here with me just as proud. She was a real lady.”

As Denver left the podium, two men stood and clapped. Then the entire congregation stood, and applause thundered through the church. For 19 months people had prayed for and expected a miracle. Suddenly Ron realized he was staring one right in the face. A face that didn’t try to hide from him anymore. A face with eyes that were no longer angry and yellow, but clear and a powerful brown. A face that beamed a joyful smile when it seemed once to have forgotten how. (195)

If you believe, you will see the glory of God!


To comment on this post click on "comments" Type in your comment then where it has the drop down box click on "Name/URL" Type in your name, you do not have to have a URL. Then you can preview and post your comment.

Fight the good fight and keep the faith

My apologies yet again for not posting often enough. Debbie has passed away and they have buried her. I think we have another good piece of advice from Denver in chapter 53. Denver talks about when you are grieving and talking to God to just let it all out, “Since He can see right through your heart anyway, you can go on and tell Him what you really think.” I think that it is important to remember this not only when we are grieving but also in life in general. It’s okay to get mad and share your feelings with God because it’s not like you are hiding anything from him. Share with Him, let it all out, you will feel closer in your relationship with Him when you do.

There are some moments in the book that deal with sprits. One where Denver sees Debbie at Rockytop and another with Ron and Denver at Hershalee’s old house in Louisiana. Now nothing like this has ever happened to me so I can be skeptical when I hear stories similar to this at times. But my position is that how do we know that they aren’t telling the truth and who are we to judge or deny them what they saw and felt. So saying that, we know the reason for the visitation with Debbie was to make Denver comfortable. So what about the situation in Hershalee’s old house? This was something we discussed at the meeting this past Saturday and I am just curious to see if anyone else has a take on it.

I love in chapter 66 when Denver is getting ready to preach at the Baptist Church and he tells Ron all that he needs to say to introduce him, “Just tell em I’m a nobody that’s tryin to tell everybody ‘bout Somebody that can save anybody. That’s all you need to tell em.” It is amazing how simple Denver makes it. Isn’t that what all of us should be doing? Being humble before God and our peers and just letting others know that we just want to share about the, “Somebody that can save anybody.”? I love that part too.

So as we wrap up the book I have to quote the very end which is my favorite part of ALL and what I believe is the basis for what we all need to take away from this book; to help us in our connections with other people. “But I found out everybody’s different – the same kind of different as me. We’re all just regular folks walkin down the road God done set in front of us. The truth about it is, whether we is rich or poor or somethin in between, this earth ain’t no final restin place. So in a way, we is all homeless – just workin our way toward home.”

I hope you enjoyed this months’ selection and will enjoy the next month as well. Please remember to look over the rest of the reading guide questions that I didn’t post that are in the back of your book and think about them. Think about who is it that God is calling you to make a difference in their lives. You can go to http://www.samekindofdifferentasme.com/ and go to the FAQ’s part and get an update on where Denver and Ron are now as well as updated pictures. Yes they are making a book of "Denverisms". That just makes me smile. May we all aspire to be more like Debbie who fought the fight and kept the faith.

Sunrise at Rocky Top

Photo courtesy of samekindofdifferentasme.com

To comment on this post click on "comments" Type in your comment then where it has the drop down box click on "Name/URL" Type in your name, you do not have to have a URL. Then you can preview and post your comment.