Irenic Thoughts

Irenic. The word means peaceful. This web log (or blog) exists to create an ongoing, and hopefully peaceful, series of comments on the life of King of Peace Episcopal Church. This is not a closed community. You are highly encouraged to comment on any post or to send your own posts.

1/17/2008

God laughs at anxious nonsense

Whether we acknowledge it or not, our conviction about the character of th universe directly affects our personal use of power. Thus leadership, at its core, is a theological issue, a matter of human belief about God: the universe is neither indifferent nor unfriendly. It is for us! God loves us better than we love ourselves.

God does not reject us because we are short, jug-eared, old, paunchy, and slow with numbers. Nor are we loved because we are tall, slim, and intellectually robust. God laughs at all that as anxious nonsense....

God bets on our capacity to respond to love and to live lovingly, never violating our freedom to choose, ready at all times to receive us as we are, as we have been, as we will be.
—the Rt. Rev. Bennett J. Sims, retired Bishop of the Diocese of Atlanta, quoted from his book, Servanthood

10 Comments:

  • At 1/17/2008 9:28 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    I love the photo and love the words even more.

     
  • At 1/17/2008 12:42 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    If I can endure for this moment,
    whatever is happening to me.
    No matter how heavy my heart,
    or how dark the moment may be.
    If I can but keep on believing,
    what I know in my heart be true.
    Then darkness will fade into morn,
    and with this dawn a new day to.

     
  • At 1/17/2008 2:37 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Searching,

    You can endure for this moment, but what about the next and the next and the next? Believing is one thing, but faith is trusting God at this very moment and taking the path that he has provided for you to the light of your new dawn. The darkness may fade from one moment to another, but the light will never truly shine until you do this.

     
  • At 1/17/2008 6:59 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    searching, believing in the ultimate fact that God indeed "bets on our capacity to respond" to HIM ... that HE will assist us as we walk into HIS incredible light and follow, follow, follow; never to turn back, for turning back is almost turning one's back on God, but He "never violates our freedom to choose" and loves us as best...always.

    What is the truth of thine heart? My prayer would be one that darkness would not fade into more darkness...but rather, as anonymous mentioned, to the light of your new dawn.

     
  • At 1/17/2008 8:50 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    The light of my new dawn. I know I will see it someday.

     
  • At 1/18/2008 9:14 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Carpe Diem, Searching!!!
    Quickly!! Without hesitation!!
    It is yours for the taking.

     
  • At 1/18/2008 11:18 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    I am not that brave yet! To seize the day is to be brave and strong.

     
  • At 1/19/2008 6:38 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    No one is brave and strong without our Lord Jesus Christ who instills in us the ability to go and complete that which He requires of us.
    God Bless You Searching

     
  • At 1/19/2008 8:01 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    To seize the day one doesn't have to be brave and strong, for the Lord calls the weak and the humble unto Him. All He is asking is that we trust Him to show us the way. Take the opportunities that He presents and have faith.

     
  • At 1/19/2008 8:11 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Searching,
    Perhaps you can take comfort in knowing Jehovah-Shammah, the One who will never leave or forsake you. HE is always here. We are instructed to take comfort and be encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is our Helper. We are not to be seized with alarm - to not fear or dread or be terrified. HE is always here...always with us as we move into the light of our new dawn. The rest of this verse says What can man do to me? My faith moves me to the knowing and understanding that our El-Elyon, our Most High God is the First Cause of everything, the possessor of the heavens and earth. HE is the one and only Everlasting-God, Great-God, Living-God, Merciful-God, Faithful-God, our Mighty-God. HE is all Truth, Justice, Righteousness, and Perfection. HE is ALL things for ALL people, that we would reach out and allow HIM to take us by the hand and move in a positive way into HIS higher calling on all of our lives.
    Blessings to you this day Searching.

     

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