Monthly Archives: July 2015

For the Bride: Compassion Rising

Posted on July 31, 2015 by Steve Harper

Today, I end my comments on the practice of non-judgment.  Like the earlier posts on the principle of love, I am sure there is much more that could be said about this important topic, but I will let what I … Continue reading →

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In-Sight: A Jelly Sandwich

Posted on July 29, 2015 by Steve Harper

When my grandmother got older, neither of her two children (my dad and his sister) thought she was eating properly.  The crisis was precipitated by her wanting to eat jelly sandwiches instead of a “proper meal.”  I was present on … Continue reading →

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Journey: Get on the Arc

Posted on July 27, 2015 by Steve Harper

Read: Spirit of Holiness The world (that is, everyone and everything) is heading toward judgment.  The Bible makes that clear, and McLaren does not sidestep that fact, or dismiss it in this week’s reading. But what kind of judgment?  If … Continue reading →

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For the Bride: From Letter to Spirit

Posted on July 24, 2015 by Steve Harper

The early Christians recognized they were stewards of a great Mystery–the Mystery that had within it power to give life or to deal death.  Whether the Mystery did one or the other depended on how they used the Law. In … Continue reading →

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In-Sight: Sunrise/Sunset

Posted on July 22, 2015 by Steve Harper

The sun does not pop up in the morning or fall down in the evening.  Sunrises and sunsets occur gradually.  And they do not happen only once, but in a daily cycle that brings variety and enrichment to the basic … Continue reading →

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Journey: Push Back/Push Back?

Posted on July 20, 2015 by Steve Harper

Read:  Spirit of Power When we follow the Spirit, we eventually experience push back from a person or group who feels we have ceased to do good and begun to do harm.  That’s because no one and no community is … Continue reading →

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Editorial: Suspend the Sorrow

Posted on July 17, 2015 by Steve Harper

As I sit down to write these words, the Reverend Benjamin Hutchinson and his partner, Monty, are getting married today in the Cass County Courthouse in Western Michigan.  As they do this, Reverend Hutchinson has been forced to resign as … Continue reading →

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For the Bride: Judged by Scripture

Posted on July 17, 2015 by Steve Harper

Douglas Burton-Christie calls the early Christians’ refusal to be judgmental  a “hermeneutical act” (The Word in the Desert, p. 280).  He means that the early Christians took Matthew 7:1 with utter seriousness.  To refrain from judgment was to trust the … Continue reading →

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In-Sight: Off To A Good Start

Posted on July 15, 2015 by Steve Harper

I sometimes repeat topics and themes I’ve written about previously.  I do this not only because new people subscribe to Oboedire, but also because there are some things I believe are foundational for attentive Christian spiritual formation. Today, I want … Continue reading →

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Journey: Ripple Effect

Posted on July 13, 2015 by Steve Harper

Read:  Spirit Conspiracy The coming of the Holy Spirit was like a big divine rock dropped into the lake of life.  Like any splash, it created a ripple effect which continues to this day.  In this week’s chapter, McLaren describes … Continue reading →

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Site Updates: Starting Year Six

Posted on July 11, 2015 by Steve Harper

I began Oboedire in July 2010.  It has evolved in terms of topics and other things related to this online ministry.  But the mission remains the same: to encourage and cultivate attentive Christian formation. Some of you have been part … Continue reading →

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For the Bride: Seeing Possibilities

Posted on July 10, 2015 by Steve Harper

Jesus lamented that too many people had eyes to see, but did not see (Mark 8:18).  The early Christians believed that one manifestation of spiritual blindness was judgmentalism. When healed by grace, restored spiritual eyesight would see possibilities in other … Continue reading →

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In-Sight: Change One Preposition

Posted on July 8, 2015 by Steve Harper

We are just one preposition away from ministry in Jesus’ Name.  Instead of viewing ministry as ministry ‘to’ people,  we need to be in ministry ‘with’ people. Theologically, this is the incarnational principle: Emmanuel–God ‘with’ us.  It resonates with Jesus’ … Continue reading →

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Editorial: The SCOTUS Decision #2

Posted on July 7, 2015 by Steve Harper

This post continues ideas I began a week ago. The SCOTUS decision regarding same-sex marriage will not end disagreement.  But it does exist as a landmark decision that will now influence subsequent conversations. The conversations will revolve around whether covenant … Continue reading →

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Journey: Going Down!

Posted on July 6, 2015 by Steve Harper

Read: The Spirit of Service A long time ago, Henri Nouwen introduced me to what he called, “the selfless way of Christ,” what McLaren refers to in this chapter as downward mobility.  I have not found any concept in the … Continue reading →

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For the Bride: Narrow Vision

Posted on July 3, 2015 by Steve Harper

In his book, The Word in the Desert, Douglas Burton-Christie notes that the early Christians realized how easily they could deceive themselves into thinking they could know the condition of another person’s heart, and thus accurately pass judgment on them. … Continue reading →

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In-Sight: Healing A Wound

Posted on July 1, 2015 by Steve Harper

In medicine, a simple rule guides the treatment of a wound: the deeper the wound, the longer the healing.  Physicians treat deep wounds differently and commend patients to exercise patience while the body responds to treatment and completes the healing. … Continue reading →

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