A little About Me and Conflict Process

Recently I had to write a paper for a Communications class, in which displays the process to view conflict.   In doing so we had to pull s narrative from our personal lives and break it down into the steps in the cycle.  I choose to cover a story that both haunts and comforts me to this day.  I hope you enjoy it as well, and if nothing else well you learned the process in which conflict is viewed. haha

Prelude.  For the first time, that I can remember, is a series of times following times, I managed to disappoint my grandparents.  Now normally, in most families this wouldn’t be such catastrophic event, but for me it was cataclysmic.  See my grandparents, my mother’s parents, raised me for most of my life.  Several reason to why; but mainly due to my dad not being around and my mother not being the most stable parent.  My grandparents were very active Christians (Monotheistic Apostolic Pentecostals) and with my grandfather being a minister; he had raised me to follow in his footsteps.  For the most part I wanted to as he had done or so I thought that is what I wanted. Then on came high school graduation and the choice of what I was going to do after was coming even quicker. 

Trigger.  It was an ordinary dinner scene, my sister, mother, grandmother, grandfather, and of course I was there, all eating after grace was said.  The topic was quiet the same as well, what is Adam going to do first?  Now before you think I am this poor kid with no options, don’t worry I had three; (1) Work on receiving my Pastoral license, (2) go to Valparaiso University and study Theology, or (3) do both at the same time.  When the question arose, I felt it as good of time as any to tell them all what I really wanted to do.  They asked if all was in line, and had I picked what I was to do first?  And my response came to their surprise as yes, yes it is. 

Initiation. My response was not what they expected to follow the yes.  My answer was; I will be studying Political Science with a legal concentration. I remember I said it so fast that the question from my grandfather was; what?  This was due to the to him not understanding me and not his clear and utter shock that was to come later.

Differentiation.  Once I repeated it the conversation took a turn towards pure disbelief, and didn’t get any better.  Now don’t get me wrong I had some of the greatest grandparents in the world, I was sincerely blessed.  Moreover it wasn’t them trying to rule my life, as much as it was simply the notion everyone felt  God had a called me for and Lawyering wasn’t it.  The usual response came, “You will study what God wants you to” and then mine “and how might you all know what god wants” I tried to explain why this change and where it all came from but it was no use, for it was falling on deaf ears.

Resolution.  The end to this story is more of an unexpected but moreover understood resolution.  My grandfather died about four months after this skirmish, and I am not saying he took this to the grave; but I do believe it cut him to the core.  It may have even took him those four months to completely be at peace with it.  However it took me a lot longer to come to rest with the notion I had made him happy with my final decision.  After his death I sprinted off to the Marines, did the Marine thing, and it wasn’t until a little conversation with my grandmother right at the end of my four year enlistment where I found out his (my grandfathers) true feelings.  She told me in a letter “Hunny I just wanted to finish this letter in saying I know you have wrestled with your demons all throughout your short life, and have thought for quite some time now you Granddad died disappointed in you for not perusing his goals for your life.   But I want to tell you of a conversation him and I had a few nights before his untimely death.  He told me that he had found more respect for you in coming out and telling us of your goals, than he would have if you just followed along never actually having the desire of what you were studying for.  He said it took him a bit of time to see it but that was the day you became a man in his eyes.  If he could take back that dinner and the conversation that he would.  He found the relationship that you both shared prior to the conversation and the unchanged one that continued after was a testament to the love of father and son you all shared.  He also told me that if the law thing was where you wanted to go then he was sure God would use you there and see you through.  Adam given all you have done since, military service, raising two boys, I can say without any doubt in my heart you have made me proud and him extremely proud and I am sure on the streets of heaven he brags about you every day.  I can hear him now saying “that’s my son Adam, he’s going to go to Law School, and oh did I mention he was a Marine!””

After reading this a few months later I declared a minor in Theology at Valparaiso University and a few short months after that made it my second major.

The Prayer Of Abandonment

Today while watching one of my favorite TV shows I stumbled upon a line that was spoken and it touched me to the core.  The TV show was the West Wing and the episode was Posse Comitatus.  Now I know most of the lines they quote are made up; however this one wasn’t.  Sparing you all the names of characters and who said what the line was;

“Who was the monk who wrote, "I don't always know the right thing to do, Lord, but I think the fact that I want to please you pleases you.”  

Well the monk was Thomas Merton, a 20^th century mystic from and Catholic writer.  He was a Trappist monk of the Abbey of Gethsemane, Kentucky, and was also known as Father Louis.  He wrote a prayer known to the Catholic organization as The Prayer of Abandonment.  Now all though the line isn’t exactly the words used by Father Louis, it does sum up pretty a whole section of the prayer.   

*My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going.

I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end.

Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.

But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you and I hope that I have that desire in all that I am doing.

And I know that if I do this, you will lead me by the right road although I may know nothing about it.

Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death, I will not fear, for you are ever with me and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.*

The prayer, I think, hits to the core of the way I have felt for quite some time and to the core of how many people feel.  146 words are all it is but in those few short lines a message is conveyed that I find irresistible to my soul. 

“My Lord God I have no idea where I am going” How many feel that way sometimes, for me it’s the majority of the time.  But it’s that line “I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you” that hits home to me.  I don’t know about you, but I do not know God well enough to know his every desire nor do I think anyone does.  So I worry about pleasing him, and I do think the fact that I want to please him pleases him. 

Now it is without question that the scripture that had some kind of inspiration to this prayer was the 23^rd Psalm, the last section of the prayer illuminates the words of the author of the 23^rd Psalm. 

I cannot help but to notice that it says, here in this prayer and in the Psalm, “in the shadow of death.”  If you are in the shadow of death you are in the grip of death.  To be in the shadow you are more than just in the presence of death, death is lurking over you, yet I will not fear.  That is a bold statement of faith. The faith that it takes to be in the grasp of evil and say I will not fear for you are with me is unmeasurable, and I just hope and pray daily I have that faith.

I hope you pray this pray as I will or at least remember it.  The words are a powerful sign of not only faith but humbleness, obeisance, and a broken, contrite heart.  As the apostle Paul said; keep the faith.

God Bless.

God’s Love expressed through “I Will Always Love You” An Exercise!

I was browsing Facebook like many of us do when we are bored and came across a video of a Taiwanese boy singing Whitney Houston’s I will always love you.  At first glance I passed by it thinking another memorial video to her after her untimely death.  But, at second glance I thought to myself “let’s hear it song by a male.”  Upon hearing his voice says the words I began to ponder thoughts of Jesus, and what if this was how he felt before his death.  What if these lyrics were echoed not only in his mind; but also in his love throughout the ages.  I proceeded to apply these lyrics to moments throughout the Bible.  I will expand upon this later on down the road for an Easter Post, however read the lyrics and listen to the song and think of all you know about the Love of God and apply it.  See what you find and share it with us.  Check out the post in Easter to see where I went with it.

If I should stay, I would only be in your way.  So I'll go, but I know I’ll think of you every step of the way.
And I will always love you.  I will always love you.  You, my darling you. Hmm.
Bittersweet memories that is all I'm taking with me.  So, goodbye. Please, don't cry.  We both know I'm not what you, you need.
And I will always love you. I will always love you.
I hope life treats you kind And I hope you have all you've dreamed of .And I wish to you, joy and happiness. But above all this, I wish you love.
And I will always love you. I will always love you. I will always love you. I will always love you. I will always love you. I, I will always love you.
You, darling, I love you. Ooh, I'll always, I'll always love you.

Read more: WHITNEY HOUSTON - I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU LYRICS http://www.metrolyrics.com/i-will-always-love-you-lyrics-whitney-houston.html#ixzz1mNoprUGz 
Copied from MetroLyrics.com 

A Little Comedy

A Theology Professor of mine shared this with me and a few others today. This was after a conversation had with him on how some Christian sects contextualize certain areas of the Bible, but not others. For example women not allowed to be clergy members because Paul made mention to in in his letters. However, he also spoke against men and women adorning themselves in gold but that is never taught. Anyways Enjoy its comical.

The Need For Churches! Is There One?

We, as Christians are the temple of the Holy Spirit, we make up the body of Christ, we are the church. So is unnecessary to worship our deity that lives and dwells within us in some special building. I mean didn’t Jesus say "The Kingdom of Heaven is within you" if so where is the need for a big, adorned, manmade structure?

When a person becomes a true believer in Christ, that person becomes a subject of the Kingdom of God. That person begins to be drawn to the spiritual side of humankind, and wants to delight in the things of God. Humankind can see a spiritual Kingdom and can know God through prayer and reading of his word. So what is the need for all the festivities?

Is it needed to meet in a church building? After all 2 Thessalonians 1:9 says our failure to obey God, or to be holy, places us in danger of eternal punishment. That alone speaks to the need to meet with a like-minded people, as to reset our eyes on God and his ways. According to Scripture everyone is guilty of sin 1 Kings 8:46 says;

"There is no man who does not sin." "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"

Or when Paul said in Romans 3:23;

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

We cannot change our build, we are incapable of changing our sinful condition. I liken this to what the Prophet Jeremiah spoke of when he begged the question;

"Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots?”


The truth is, we cannot obey the ways of the Lord because we have neither the desire nor the ability to do so. We are by nature rebellious toward God (Ephesians 2:1-3). The Bible calls our rebellion "sin."

To put it very simply I believe the need to fellowship with a like-minded people is the reason for meeting physically; but, this doesn’t necessarily need to be done in buildings we call churches. It is not our attendance every Sunday that saves us. It is not what we pay in tithes that save us. It is not what we wear or don’t wear throughout the week that saves us. It is by God’s amazing grace that saves us. (Ephesians 2:8)

Paul said in Philippians 2:12;

“Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,”

We work it out ourselves. Religious organizations, although they do a lot of good, do not save us just like belonging to one will not save us. I believe we can do this by just meeting with like-minded people. For some of us that is praying and meeting with peers to discuss the word of the Lord, for others it is attending church every Sunday. I stand here not today to say churches are bad. I am simply pointing out instead of judging someone because you do not see them in church, think. Think maybe the way you come to worship God may not be the way I do.

This isn’t to bash on churches or the people who attend regularly. I am simply trying to point out the need to think outside of the box. What makes you comfortable might not bring comfort to all. What you call going to church may not be what everyone considers going to church.

Our churches today do great things for the world around us. I just want to point out so do individual believers. After the ripping of the vial in the Holy of Holy’s, as spoken in Matthew 27, allows man to come freely to God. He showed that God does not only dwell in a building, He dwells in our hearts. We do not have to meet at a special building or enter a special room to worship God. Worship and servitude comes from a desire to be like God, to be with God, to achieve theosis. I leave you with Acts 17:24-25

“God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands”

My Review On Walter Brueggemann's The Prophetic Imagination

What is the role of a prophetic figure; to curse, to heal, to bless, to advise, to make aware, to summon all of this in some form or fashion, or is more than just a message? Moreover, what is a prophetic ministry? These are the central issues that Walter Brueggemann’s The Prophetic Imagination takes hold to. Walter Brueggemann, a Protestant Old Testament scholar and theologian walks the reader through this notion of a “royal consciousness” a phrase he uses to describe the issue of numbness in society. It is this need to understand the numbness or complacency factor in a society that Brueggemann makes a critical issue in his work. He argues in order to understand how a Monarchical figure or the people in a society act, think or even view the current situation they are placed and how prophets come about and delivers their message; one must grab hold to the idea set fourth of royal consciousness and replace it with an alternative one. He goes onto explain the need of an atmosphere in a society conducive to the prophetic figure to come about. Brueggemann goes on to speak about the four societal have to’s for a prophet to exist as well as how the prophetic figure operates in the forces around him/her in order to pierce the royal vial by evoking, nurturing, or nourishing the status quo so that the message sent from a deity can penetrate to the heart of the people and the situation.

Through this notion of piercing and breaking the complacency factor that the prophetic figure has to sever Brueggemann reveals factors such as the following to examine the ministry of an intermediary.

• Central vs peripheral intermediaries
• Bringing about an alternative consciousness
• Energizing vs criticizing techniques
• The looking at Jesus and his ministry as a prophetic ministry

The way in which the intermediary does this is relied upon the prophet’s prophetic imagination as is pointed out time and time again in this scholarly examination into the prophets of old and a foreshadowing of today’s complacency. It is through this imagination the prophet takes you out of you zone of comfort that the kingdom has invoked and inserts an alternative consciousness of viewing the current situation at hand.

Brueggemann takes the reader through the Hebrew children coming out of Egypt with Moses and the exodus to the rise of the Solominic period in Israel. He then takes the reader through the fall of the United Kingdom of Israel all the way to the life and ministry of Christ, and how he resembles a prophet in his daily life and messages.

I believe by Brueggemann starting his work with the breaking away from Egypt and the introduction of Moses he lays out a framework to America and our own, what will be later called, royal consciousness.

“The American Church is so largely enculturated to the American ethos of consumerism that it has little power to believe or act……..The internal cause of such enculturation is our loss of identity through the abandonment of the faith tradition.” (Brueggemann pg 1)

It is here he introduces the beginning idea to the alternative consciousness. He explores how the Israelites are no longer happy with the way in which Egypt is treating them and how the powers of Egypt can no longer keep them unaware of their unhappiness. He brings to light social issues of today and our own breaking away from the status quo with what he deems as a alternative consciousness.

It is also in the first chapter he hits the reader with the view of what a prophetic ministry should look like. He explains that a prophetic ministry should nurture, nourish, evoke this alternative perception, or give an alternate way of viewing the situation in order to criticize what is happening; but allowing the listener draw their own conclusions. (pg3) Another words the criticizing without directly having to mention the kingdom itself .

He then leaves the ministry of Moses and introduces what he calls the Solomonic period. Here he argues the lack of prophetic figures or voices of opposition shows the royal concussions. He explains that since the kingdom was operating to the advantage of most numbness set in and what normally would raise flags and be spoken out against silence had now set in. Issues such as; foreign wives, temples to other gods and so on were never opposed.

I see this to be a critical look at our own situation today. When looking at the way Brueggemann lays out the kingdom of Solomon it is clear the reason for this lack of acceptance of the way things are is not only this royal consciousness it goes deeper than that. It is this notion of the kingdom supplying all of your requests. In my opinion this is a seemly large flaw that Brueggemann does not address enough. Solomon not only used the temple and its center in Jerusalem to unite the kingdom around the throne, no it goes way beyond that. He essentially fulfills all of Israel’s requests made to kings ago to Samuel. In 1 Samuel 8 the people ask for a King; but, one crucial line that I feel Brueggemann either overlooked or did not emphasize enough was verse 19 and 20.

9 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.”

“We will be like other nations” this line is crucial. Israel’s request went way beyond wanting a King they wanted to be exactly like other nations. Brueggemann plays this off to Solomon doing all of this to create a royal consciousness; however I sincerely believe Israel already wanted this and had the consciousness set way before Saul let alone Solomon. By wanting to be like other nations Israel wanted a temple for their God, they wanted a capital city, the wanted a life where outsiders could come to one place and see the glory of their kingdom or a place that would be established throughout the near east where not only the anointed of Yahweh sat on his throne but Yahweh himself came down and rested his feet. This is exactly what Solomon fulfilled, and to say he created this royal consciousness and make it appear out of nowhere in my opinion is an overlooking of the peoples original request. The Hebrew children already had this mind set pre Saul.

On page 42 he introduces this idea that Monarchs or leaders introduce this word forever and try to establish this sense into the peoples mind as if a brainwashing is happening. But I have to disagree that the people want it in a sense. With Solomon he indeed instated the sense that their kingdom would be forever, that it would last from everlasting to everlasting. However the children of Israel already wanted this as pointed out in the previous paragraph. He goes to say it is the job of a prophetic figure is to incorporate this in their ministry. Now with most prophets this was done in a manner by predicting the end of forever in order to persuade the people to change their ways. However one man came along and used it in a different way.

Brueggemann then sums up with the life of Christ and its form as a prophetic ministry. He examines how everything form the life of Christ to the message he presented plays out in a prophetic way. He plays an authoritative role and destroys the notion of paying for forgiveness, the importance of the Sabbath, and the notion of all were created equal and should fellowship together. The most important aspect of Christ’s work is the encompassing of this forever sense and changing it from an earthly forever to a heavenly forever by doing this he then incorporates his whole life in the mission

Brueggemann lays out a simple point about forgiveness but takes on the point I made about changing the view of forever. He explains why Jesus’s action here was so grave.

“if a society does not have an apparatus for forgiveness then is citizens arte fated to live with the consequences of any violation. Thus the refusal to forgive sin amounts in a social control.” (pg 85)

This is dyer to the life and mission of Christ. By him forgiving who he could then while he was on earth it helps to establish this alternative consciousness of what forever means. Thus criticizing the authority that existed, and allowing people to be forgiven here and now showing no sin to big. This eliminates any social control by refusal to forgive. This is crucial to the ministry of Christ and a big deciding factor in why he was crucified for being a heretic.

So what is the role of a prophetic figure; to curse, to heal, to bless, to advise, to make aware, to summon all of this in some form or fashion, or is more than just a message? I contend that Brueggemann finds it to be all of these in some ways and one or two in others. Why is there no consistency? It is left to the Prophets own interpretation on how to reach the people. The prophet must decide what is more persuasive, what gets to the heart of the issue. He prophet decides how to use his prophetic imagination.

Applying The Love Formula

In 1^st John 4:8 a scripture sets the basis for what I have called the love formula.  Here the scriptures are pointing out God’s love as well as ours.  But 4:8 says something, in my opinion, very special and unique.  The author makes a bold statement.

⁷ Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. ⁸ Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

God is love!  Now it seems so simple, but if we think about it and really apply it to other scriptures in the bible it bring them to a whole new light. 

Using what is known as the only universal language mathematics we can bring verses throughout the bible to a whole new light.  See mathematically speaking if something is equal to something else it can be said they are the same.  For example if God=Love then it is safe to conclude Love = God, and if this is true then the words are interchangeable.

Lets do this with a few important scriptures to see a new meaning.  Let us start with John 1:1.  In John  1:1 John is speaking to this notion of before creation God and the word existed. 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Now if we apply our formula let’s see a new meaning.

          In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with Love, and the Word was Love.

Look at the newness that brings, in the beginning of creation was Love (God) and the words he spoke were with love, and the word was Love.  All that was done was done for love.  See we can get so caught up in the motions we forget that at the heart of it all was Love.

Let us look at what happens when we take a well know scripture like 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 and interchange Love for God this time.

Original

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. ⁸ Love never fails.

Transferred by 1 John 4:8

⁴ God is patient, God is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ God does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. ⁸ God never fails.

Wow that is so powerful.  Yes it reaffirms all we know about but God, but that bold verse 8 “God never fails” or “Love never fails”.  That says it all

This goes to show that when we apply things to God’s word and step out of the box for a second we can bring newness since of feeling to the things we have read hundreds of times.  It also goes to show the role of a follower of Christ and that of a loving neighbor ready to help and never to judge.

I hope you all go and apply this to other verses or even life.  Share what you find with this.  After all 1Thesolonians says;

¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another with these words.