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Living The Solution – Online Newsletter |
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September 22, 2004 ISSUE |
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Opening Thoughts:
Turning
Autumn is here and the leaves are turning color. The weather is turning,
too. It was cool this morning, just 49 degrees in Albuquerque and a
chilly 29 in Gallup.
The world keeps turning and so do my thoughts. They turn towards concern
for the day, financial worries, relationships and a multitude of selfish
interests. Sometimes they even turn to God.
“Turning it over” is an expression often heard – sage
advice when we are fretting about things not going the way we want.
Just turn it over to God. Easy to say; hard to do.
This morning I turned on the light in the kitchen and started coffee.
I turned on the gas fireplace to fight the chill. I turned on the radio
for a bit of musical company. I turned the water on for a hot shower
and I let my thoughts turn to the day ahead.
What I most need to do is turn inward. Turning towards the Divine
Presence quietly dwelling in the “inner closet” of my heart,
I suddenly realize (again) that everything will turn out just the way
it is supposed to. Then I can confidently and humbly turn outward and
face the world. I can turn around and see you – really see you – and
together we can turn our lives around.
Now it’s your turn.
Peace and joy,
Tom Gilbert
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IN THIS ISSUE
Feature Article: Portrait of a Radical - Review
In The Spotlight: Adam’s Return
Daily Thoughts: Prayer is the First Thing
Prayer & Sharing Requests
Quotable: Who Has the Power?
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| FEATURED
ARTICLE |
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Video Review – Portrait of a Radical:
The Jesus Movement
By Tom Gilbert — September 2004
One of the most fascinating and complex figures in all of history is the man,
Jesus of Nazareth. Much of our history revolves around this son of man and son
of God. Despite the cynic’s claim that life has no real spiritual meaning
Christ came to teach otherwise.
Portrait of a Radical: The Jesus Movement, is a fascinating video compiled by
D. J. Kadagian (Four Season Productions) that combines powerful images of art
and music with the compelling insights of three of todays noted theologians to
give a fresh, introspective and challenging look at Jesus Christ.
The video opens with the statement from Richard Rohr, a Franciscan priest, author,
speaker and modern day prophet asserting “we can only take the great truths
in little doses…the big truths are simply too much for the psyche at any
one moment.”
I’ve watched this video several times and participated in a small group
study discussing the themes. Like Rohr’s statement the video must be taken
in chunks to mine the gold found on it. The program introduces you to the time
in history that Jesus was born in to and gives important historical background
to the climate of political and religious tension in Palestine during the Roman
occupation. People everywhere were looking for relief from oppression and into
this slice of time came a man professing a truly radical way of viewing God.
I recommend this video because it will challenge you to go beyond stereotypes
of Jesus Christ. The remarks and insight from the three theologians – Allen
Dwight Callahan, Richard Rohr and Houston Smith — will also challenge you
to examine how closely you are following the tough call of the one who reveals
a loving and merciful God.
Read the entire review here
Discover more thought provoking reviews
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| IN THE SPOTLIGHT |
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Adam’s
Return: The Five Promises of Male Initiation
 Richard
Rohr, OFM, has spent much of his life working in the area of male spirituality.
His highly anticipated new book, Adam’s Return: The Five Promises
of Male Initiation has just been released.
In American society today, men have plenty of everything - money, sex, power,
education - and many voices telling them how to be happy and successful. But
to a diverse group of men, young and old, the question of what it means to be
a man is still perplexing. Richard Rohr has spent decades learning about these
practices so that he can help awaken men to their own masculinity, their deep
spirituality, and their potential for leadership.
You can purchase this book here.
See more at our Spotlight
Specials page
Many people are discovering the great prices, selection
and ease of shopping at our Living the Solution online store. It’s secure, extensive
and worth a look. Visit our online
store. There's something for everyone.
When you shop with us, you support our ministry – thank you!
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DAILY THOUGHTS & REFLECTIONS |
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Prayer is the First Thing
The first thing I want you to do is
pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Since prayer is
at the bottom of all this, what I want mostly is for men to pray--not shaking
angry fists at enemies but raising holy hands to God. And I want women to
get in there with the men in humility before God, not primping before a
mirror or chasing the latest fashions but doing something beautiful for
God and becoming beautiful doing it. (1 Timothy 2:1, 8-10, the Message)
Prayer is such a powerful, fulfilling,
relational, and threatening thing. It is powerful because
it can and does change things and lives; relational because
it is simply a conversation between you and God, and without
the theatrical nonsense we usually hear from most religious
leaders; threatening because it requires us to become transparent
before God and ourselves, opening up all of our good and
exposing our selfishness (and for most of us that is not
a place we want to go). But we must if we want to really
be the person God created us to be. We must get past our
fears and past the shopping list style of prayer. We have
to get past the revengeful prayer, you know, “Get those
evil doers”, the drunks, the abortionists, the Republicans,
the Democrats, or whoever it is you hate today.
We must come before God raising our hands - our holy hands - out of love and
adoration for the one who loves us, pursues us, heals our hearts, and sets us
free. Thank Him daily, constantly even, for His love, guidance and provision
in our lives. Pray not for revenge on those who stand against us but pray for
their souls and hearts that they too may find and enter into an intimate personal
relationship with God.
We so often miss the point about prayer. We think it is a mechanism to get what
we want here on earth when it is really a loving conversation about how we, with
God living through us, can reach others and lovingly invite them into the family.
It’s about thanking God for His love and care. Yes it is also about standing
against our enemies, but we must understand that our enemies are not those around
us of flesh and blood. No, our enemies are Satan and his fallen ones.
Spend time in prayer today. Raise your hands in holiness and adoration to your
King, your Father, your Friend, and your Lover.
Live it with Passion
Pete Reinbold
Get daily inspiration with a Scripture verse and commentary
at
Daily Thought
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PRAYER REQUESTS & RESULTS |
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Prayer works. It really does.Submit your prayer
requests and we will pray for them.
Of course, we keep your information confidential.
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My thoughts are shared regularly on the pages of
our web site, especially on
the Journal pages.
We welcome and appreciate your feedback. If you would
like to submit an article please see our writer's
guidelines.
It is our hope that the content of Living The Solution will
stimulate you to deepen your faith. That is certainly a result for us in both
our writing and reading. If you would like to see articles on a particular topic
or you have comments please let us know.
Send an email
Quotable: Who
Has the Power?
“We can have no power from
Christ unless we live in a persuasion that we have
none of our own.”
— John Owen (1616-1683)
Copyright 2004 Living the Solution, all rights reserved.
Tom Gilbert
Editor/Web-servant
Living The Solution
www.livingthesolution.com
P O Box 25584
Albuquerque, NM 87125-5584
Toll free 1-800-399-2564 ext 105 (US only) or 505-247-3232
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