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Journal — March,
2004 |
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AN ONGOING
SPIRITUAL WEBLOG
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March 30, 2004
Any of you who are familiar with musician Bruce Cockburn know
that his music is deeply personal, spiritual and yet engaged in social action.
I’ve always been impressed with how he seems to be his own man. There’s
no phoniness and also no arrogance. It’s really remarkable the success
he’s had given his unwillingness to compromise his music (he’s extremely
well known in his native Canada).
Cockburn just returned from visiting Iraq. He wanted to see what was going on
for himself. You can read about it here at
the Sojourners site.
Another musical entry: I’ve been enjoying “Back
Home”, the Caedmon’s Call release from
a year ago, for quite some time. For some reason I never got around to reviewing
it…until now. Read the review and
visit their official site for
news about their current trip to India and new recording plans.
Tom Gilbert
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March 29, 2004
"I was irrevocably betrothed to laughter, the sound of which has always
seemed to me to be the most civilized music in the world."
The above quote is from Peter Ustinov, the noted actor and entertainer. He
has died at the age of 82. Ustinov delighted in making people
laugh – and he was quite good at that. He kept busy in life
and helped various causes. Lesson? Live life to the fullest.
He was once asked what he’d like as an inscription on his tombstone.
He quipped, "Keep off the grass."
Tom Gilbert
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March 26, 2004
Dealing with life on life’s terms is not easy. And whoever
said it would be? (see today’s
Daily Thought) It is a measure of God’s concern for us
that He told us through Jesus and the Word that we would have difficulties,
troubles, trials and persecutions. God’s being upfront and
honest with us. This should make us think twice the next time we’re
tempted to say, “this is not what I thought was part of the
deal”.
The biggest challenge I often face is the focus on the quick fix.
Oh, this can be so dangerous. I can be deluded into momentary relief
or comfort and think the problem is solved. Then it raises its ugly
head later on.
Here is yet another good reason for quiet time. In solitude we can be still
and stop the imperious urge to run away from a problem
to the falseness of a quick fix. This is not to say
the answers are not sometimes obvious. But even when
we know what we should do it might be prudent not to
rush into action.
First things first. Be still with God. The gift will be letting
go and accepting the guidance that comes in “a still small
voice” (1 Kings 19:12).
Tom Gilbert
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March 24, 2004
There are many good things about the United States. There are also
many troubling things. Originally our country was founded on a determination
to live free of tyranny. The early patriots who developed the Constitution
and Bill of Rights were determined that our government represents
the people and their inalienable rights of life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness. That, of course, means the right to religious
freedom.
Implicit in this is the right for people to choose what and who they
believe in, even if it means choosing not to believe in God. It’s
an interesting predicament when different sides clash over words
such as “one nation, under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance.
The matter
is before the Supreme Court to decide whether those words can
remain when the Pledge is recited in public places, such as schools.
We should not force anyone to follow a particular belief. Our actions
will speak the loudest in demonstrating our deeply held beliefs.
I believe in a nation that honors freedom and also acknowledges gratefully
a loving Creator that gave us free will. Ultimately, we are citizens
of God. That means we don’t apologize for our faith, nor do
we shove it down anyone’s throat.
Tom Gilbert
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March 23, 2004
"To live a spiritual life we must first find the courage to enter into the
desert of our loneliness and to change it by gentle and persistent efforts into
a garden of solitude. This requires not only courage but a strong faith. As hard
as it is to believe that the dry desolate desert can yield endless varieties
of flowers, it is equally hard to imagine that our loneliness is hiding unknown
beauty. The movement from loneliness to solitude, however, is the beginning of
any spiritual life because it is the movement from the restless senses to the
restful spirit, from the outward-reaching cravings to the inward-reaching search,
from the fearful clinging to the fearless play."
— Henri J.M. Nouwen, in Reaching
Out
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March 22, 2004
It’s easy to start a Monday feeling stressed and a bit overwhelmed.
Afterall, many of us are coming off a weekend where we relaxed and
slowed down our pace. When we return to our weekday schedule it’s
like being thrust back into the fast lane.
The good news is you can make a conscious effort to stay in the moment
and to invite God in. We can substitute “quiet and slow” for “loud
and busy”, if only for a few minutes. Get centered and your
priorities become clearer.
Tom Gilbert
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March 19, 2004
Spring is bursting out all over here in New Mexico. The sky is blue,
the sun is warm, the birds are singing and the trees are budding.
I’m going to attempt to match my insides to the outside!
Here’s a great prayer I was sent by a friend:
Lord, here I am today.
Imperfect.
Sinful.
Not loving You as I desire,
not loving others as I should.
Take me as I am.
You do love me as I am!
You are so good to me!
Help me to love myself, too.
Take what is good, the gifts You have given to me,
and use it for Your kingdom.
Take what is imperfect
and transform it into a blessing.
Take what is sinful
and teach me to grow in holiness.
Lord, here I am today.
Help me to do Your will.
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March 17, 2004
Ah, St. Patrick’s Day! On this day everybody
is a little bit Irish. However, most people know very little of the
actual story of St. Patrick. His life was no walk in a clover-filled
park. I’ve provided a link to the real story at our Spotlight
Link (it’ll only be up through today, so check
it out).
Here’s the wonderful old Irish prayer for you to meditate on
today:
May the road rise up to meet you,
the wind always be at your back,
the sun shine upon your sweet face,
the rains always fall softly on your fields,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand
Tom Gilbert
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March 15, 2004
It’s always important to strive for living a day at a time;
to be here in the present moment. This doesn’t preclude us
from looking back at our lives and events in our world – we
just don’t dwell there. We must look at the past as a way to
learn from it and to share how we deal with adversity with those
who might now be going through something similar.
A year ago the military campaign by the United States started in
Iraq. You recall the mood. Many were declaring the necessity of war;
others were crying out against it. I’m not going to dissect
it now. You can draw your own conclusions. What I do ask (myself)
is “how are things different today?” What lessons have
I learned? Am I living any differently?
This all ties in with the article I’m currently writing dealing
with transitions, a theme we’ve embraced here for this month.
It will be online soon and included in the next issue of our email
newsletter. You can subscribe to it here.
Tom Gilbert
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March 11, 2004
I always seem to have a pile of books that I’m reading at one
time. Some people can’t do that, and I understand. It’s
hard to keep your focus. But, it’s just a tendency of mine.
I’ll pick one up and read in it for a while, but often I’ll
start another book and read it while it holds my attention.
Currently I’m in the middle of a new cyber-serial, Princess,
by Staci Stallings. She’s a writer, a Christian, and committed
to sending positive messages to young people through her inspirational
romance stories. She’s honest and realistic in her writings,
so the writing is not “goody-two-shoes”.
I’ve also started House
of Gold by Bud MacFarlane Jr. His novels are thought-provoking
and hard to put down. I previously reviewed Pierced
By A Sword and Conceived Without
Sin.
Another fellow I think holds real potential is Tom Terry. He’s
like me, only more dedicated to his fiction writing because he’s
actually doing
the writing (not dreaming about it like I so often do). He spends
most of his time in media and missionary work (currently embroiled
in a battle to get a new broadcast license for Eagle
TV in Mongolia), but his short stories are speculative and value-based.
He reminds me a bit of my favorite sci-fi author, Philip K. Dick.
It’s all good and important to read the Bible and other powerful
(non-fiction) spiritual writing. But, take time to indulge your imagination
in the world of good fiction. Read Lord
of the Rings, read the Chronicles
of Narnia, read Todd
Dekker…just read!
Additional resource: article, Real
Living Through Fiction.
Tom Gilbert
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March 9, 2004
Did you watch ABC’s dramatic presentation, “Judas”,
last night? There were a couple of moments that were ok, but mostly
it was a typical TV movie filled with overly dramatic performances
(read "bad acting"). This was not a strict biblical interpretation,
but used scripture, sometimes inappropriately, to dramatize the story
of the disciple who betrayed Jesus. I think Joanne Brokaw’s review at ParishWebmaster.com is
on the mark.
Many of you might be looking for more films about Jesus, especially
with the current attention on The
Passion of the Christ. If so, check out The
Gospel of John, a faithful telling of that wonderful
gospel account. I have posted my review here.
In March some of our focus here is on the subject of transition.
Life is made up of different periods when change takes place (e.g.
school, jobs, marriage, retirement). If you’ve been job hunting
you may be interested in a new article I wrote for RelevantMagazine.com, Questioning
Job Interviewers.
Tom Gilbert
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March 8, 2004
Bold, bright, big, broad, boundless, bountiful, beneficial, bit-by-bit
broadcasting being.
Beautiful.
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March 5, 2004
I’ve been getting some insightful, fresh and invigorating emails
lately from the web site, tothesource.
Their tagline is “searching relevant contemporary culture”,
and indeed, they do that with some articulate insight. This has been
especially true with their essays on The Passion of the Christ,
and most recently, regarding last Sunday’s Academy
Awards results.
The writers do not appear to be pushing their agenda
or beliefs on others (at least in my opinion),
but they sure have some pertinent observations.
If you go to the site, check out the archives. Tothesource describes
themselves as “a forum for integrating thinking
and action within a moral framework that takes
into account our contemporary situation”.
Because we all live complex lives, but ultimately
want the simplicity of living in a way that is
aligned with the divine nature of all creation,
we need to keep critically examining our beliefs,
our culture and our motives. These emails have
helped me do that.
Tom Gilbert
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March 4, 2004
The new Living the Solution newsletter has been
sent out, so watch your email. If you are not a subscriber, but interested,
you can read it online here.
We invite you to sign up for the free,
bi-weekly ezine.
Here’s an interesting quote I came across: "You will forgive
people more easily when you end your need to make them wrong." — Brian
Koslow
Tom Gilbert
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March 2, 2004
Today’s “Super Tuesday” primaries will probably
lock up the democratic nomination for presidential candidate John
Kerry, unless John Edwards pulls some major upsets.
So many people in the United States are either disenfranchised by
the political process or apathetic. But, that can become an excuse
to put our heads in the sand. At the very least we should try to
stay up on the issues. Faith communities like Sojourners are
helping to raise the real religious issues in this election:
• Peace and national security;
• The environment;
• Global poverty and economic stability;
• Health care, jobs, educational opportunity, and a compassionate concern
for those who are left out
The Vote
by Issues web site can help you get a grasp on where
the candidates stand on various issues and also educate you a bit.
Tom Gilbert
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March 1, 2004
The numbers are
in: Opening day ($26 million +), opening weekend ($76 mil +) and
opening five days (over $117 million) in ticket sales. That ranks The
Passion of the Christ among the top best opening movies
ever. That strong opening is bigger than Lord of the Rings:
Return of the King.
Speaking of the final installment of the Tolkien fantasy on the big
screen, it raked in eleven Academy Awards as last night’s Oscars
ceremony. That’s a win in every category it was nominated
in.
Aside from box office receipts and awards, both stories have important
messages. Ultimately good and love defeat hate and evil. Sometimes
it is hard to see it, but the truth is (as the X-Files would say) “out
there”.
Tom Gilbert
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Scripture taken from the
Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.Copyright © 1973,
1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights reserved
throughout the world. Used by permission of International
Bible Society.
NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® and NIV® are registered trademarks
of International Bible Society. Use of either trademark for the offering
of goods or services requires the prior written consent of International
Bible Society.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible,
New Living Translation, copyright ©1996. Used by permission
of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189, USA. All rights
reserved.
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PSALM 118:24
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"This
is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad
in it."
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(NIV)
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