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Monday, June 29, 2009
The Art of Sacred Cow Tipping
A Sacred Cow is defined as "a bizarre combination of attrition, malfeasance, and abuse, originally derived from a concept that might have had some merit until a group of individuals bent, twisted, and perverted it into a philosophy, doctrine, or point of law that no longer bears any resemblance to the original intention." It is generally considered an untouchable subject, tradition, form of doing a thing, or even an untouchable person. The idea is that if you want peace you must not touch this sacred cow.
Sacred Cow Tipping's purpose is to use our collective Spirit led intentions and consciousness to move these heavy, burdensome and outmoded "cows" to the wayside so that real progress can continue.
Nevertheless, our not-so-friendly Sacred Cows aren't gone yet and they haven't changed their minds. These "cows de resistance" continue to plop themselves in the middle of progress again and again. One has to beg the question, "How much longer can we afford to let this happen?" At what point does indecision and procrastination destroy our chances to take effective action
We must Tip The Sacred Cows to free us from the malaise of the Status Quo and facilitate positive change. I think you might be very surprised by the negativity and wasted effort these Sacred Cows create and on a mass scale.
Here are the steps as you play begin this sacred duty:
Consider how the Sacred Cow applies to you.
Reach back into your experiences and into your family tree to identify your, your family's, and your church's sacred cows.. Use this reality check to help you release any contracts, agreements, obligations or decrees that keep you bound to each Sacred Cow..
Think about it while focusing on the Circle of Actions, Inaction, and Circumstances (events, traditions, etc.) that goes with it. Graph the web of interconnected events, expectations, persons, and beliefs that sustain the sacred cow.
Take the first answer you get and move on to the Spirit - led consideration.
The circles and graphs are focusing your thoughts and energy to create positive, proactive change and shift negative energy.
Play again to tip your own Sacred Cow, whatever it may be.
Remember when you are looking at the Circles, you are clearing out limited, polarized thinking. You may experience subtle energies running through you, you might feel a little disoriented or emotional at first. Just keep breathing, relax, pray, and let go. When you release your agreement with falsehood, you are detaching from a larger, collective agreement. Not only will you feel better in the days and weeks that follow, you will have increased freedom and peace of mind.
What is one thing you could do to celebrate your freedom.
Sacred Cow Tipping's purpose is to use our collective Spirit led intentions and consciousness to move these heavy, burdensome and outmoded "cows" to the wayside so that real progress can continue.
Nevertheless, our not-so-friendly Sacred Cows aren't gone yet and they haven't changed their minds. These "cows de resistance" continue to plop themselves in the middle of progress again and again. One has to beg the question, "How much longer can we afford to let this happen?" At what point does indecision and procrastination destroy our chances to take effective action
We must Tip The Sacred Cows to free us from the malaise of the Status Quo and facilitate positive change. I think you might be very surprised by the negativity and wasted effort these Sacred Cows create and on a mass scale.
Here are the steps as you play begin this sacred duty:
Consider how the Sacred Cow applies to you.
Reach back into your experiences and into your family tree to identify your, your family's, and your church's sacred cows.. Use this reality check to help you release any contracts, agreements, obligations or decrees that keep you bound to each Sacred Cow..
Think about it while focusing on the Circle of Actions, Inaction, and Circumstances (events, traditions, etc.) that goes with it. Graph the web of interconnected events, expectations, persons, and beliefs that sustain the sacred cow.
Take the first answer you get and move on to the Spirit - led consideration.
The circles and graphs are focusing your thoughts and energy to create positive, proactive change and shift negative energy.
Play again to tip your own Sacred Cow, whatever it may be.
Remember when you are looking at the Circles, you are clearing out limited, polarized thinking. You may experience subtle energies running through you, you might feel a little disoriented or emotional at first. Just keep breathing, relax, pray, and let go. When you release your agreement with falsehood, you are detaching from a larger, collective agreement. Not only will you feel better in the days and weeks that follow, you will have increased freedom and peace of mind.
What is one thing you could do to celebrate your freedom.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
The Broken Snow Covered Field
the
broken heart
is a
snow covered field
slashed by
a joyous bubbling brook.
for there
in the crevices
of a broken heart
God's love for all mankind
- - - flows - - -
broken heart
is a
snow covered field
slashed by
a joyous bubbling brook.
for there
in the crevices
of a broken heart
God's love for all mankind
- - - flows - - -
The God Who Cares For The Broken Hearted
Click on each reference for a wonderful understanding of God's care for the broken hearted:
Definition of A Broken Heart
•devastating sorrow and despair; "he is recovering from a broken heart"; "a broken heart languishes here"
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
•A subjective feeling of grief or loss
en.wiktionary.org/wiki/broken_heart
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
•A subjective feeling of grief or loss
en.wiktionary.org/wiki/broken_heart
Monday, June 22, 2009
Drs. Cloud & Townsend: Sin Is More Than External Deeds
The above examples bring us to another point about sin. Sin is not just something we do; it is not just behavior. It emcompasses the roots of behavior as well. Too often we think of sin only in external terms, not internal. Jesus warned, "Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also?" (Luke 11:39-40)
The two examples above -- the man hurt by his wife and my hypothetical example of someone hurt by a parent -- show the importance of dealing with internal motivations. Unresloved anger and hurt can turn into bitterness and lust. Hatred for authority has probably ruined more careers than lack of training. And many other monsters lurk in the shadow of the human breast. Consider this: (read Mark 7:20-23)
Many illnesses, failures, addictions, relationship difficulties, and destructive behaviours originate in these motivators. As Jesus said, the fruit comes from the tree (Matt. 12:33-35). To look inside and resolve these issues is the key to having the outside be good. If we are full of "crummy stuff," then we will exhibit crummy behavior, the same holds for good stuff.
The truth is, though, that all of us have crummy stuff within us. It is part of the fallen nature, the "sickness" of sin, as Jesus put it (Mark 2:17). If we are ever going to get well, we have to have the safety to look inside, confess it, grieve it, repent of it, and "put off [our] old self, which is being corupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of [our] minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousnes and holiness" (Eph. 4:22-24). We have to be made new from the inside out, and that begins with facing how ugly things are inside.
We all need a place where we can say, "You won't believe how sick I am! Let me tell you about this thought I had today." We need to make this kind of confession normal. Then we can begin to clean up our insides. [ HOW PEOPLE GROW, by Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend, Chapter 8: Pulling The Weeds, pgs.306-307]
The two examples above -- the man hurt by his wife and my hypothetical example of someone hurt by a parent -- show the importance of dealing with internal motivations. Unresloved anger and hurt can turn into bitterness and lust. Hatred for authority has probably ruined more careers than lack of training. And many other monsters lurk in the shadow of the human breast. Consider this: (read Mark 7:20-23)
Many illnesses, failures, addictions, relationship difficulties, and destructive behaviours originate in these motivators. As Jesus said, the fruit comes from the tree (Matt. 12:33-35). To look inside and resolve these issues is the key to having the outside be good. If we are full of "crummy stuff," then we will exhibit crummy behavior, the same holds for good stuff.
The truth is, though, that all of us have crummy stuff within us. It is part of the fallen nature, the "sickness" of sin, as Jesus put it (Mark 2:17). If we are ever going to get well, we have to have the safety to look inside, confess it, grieve it, repent of it, and "put off [our] old self, which is being corupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of [our] minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousnes and holiness" (Eph. 4:22-24). We have to be made new from the inside out, and that begins with facing how ugly things are inside.
We all need a place where we can say, "You won't believe how sick I am! Let me tell you about this thought I had today." We need to make this kind of confession normal. Then we can begin to clean up our insides. [ HOW PEOPLE GROW, by Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend, Chapter 8: Pulling The Weeds, pgs.306-307]
Saturday, June 20, 2009
More Comments On Theology
Are our theologies theorems, from pure logic?
This is a question we must stop and evaluate every new generation - or more truthfully everytime we study or base a decision on a belief system (theology) - and with every entry into a new culture or new phase of our own culture.
If I read history right, God used to be the center and reason for all of our studies. We used to use almost all the -ologies to study and discover more about God through examining his work in various arenas. Of course even this was not not a study of God directly but indirectly, a pursuing of Romans 1:18-20.
The study of doctrine and beliefs is commendable and necessary. Study implies an openness to evaluate, and reevaluate, and reevaluate, man made statements and non-inspired words against what God has continued to reveal of Himself through his ongoing dealings with men and the created world and the meaning of His Truth as recorded in scripture.
To teach theological systems as if they were canon, is not study. It is indoctrination and teaching the words of man as if they were sufficient and complete. Theology taught without openness about the weak points of each system and the human choices made (we blame it on faith - these human choices taken by faith) in order to reconcile otherwise unreconcilable tension between parts of God's revealed truth is to be less than forthright. This hedging borderson deceit and dishonesty. It limits critical study. It put forward humann logic as the excuse to play God with the tensions within scripture and within God's direct involvement (history) in the world.
Are our theologies theorems?
Sometimes this needs to be answered from the standpoint of pure logic and also by evaluation of the true longterm fruits our theologies grow - division not being the least plentiful fruit.
This is a question we must stop and evaluate every new generation - or more truthfully everytime we study or base a decision on a belief system (theology) - and with every entry into a new culture or new phase of our own culture.
If I read history right, God used to be the center and reason for all of our studies. We used to use almost all the -ologies to study and discover more about God through examining his work in various arenas. Of course even this was not not a study of God directly but indirectly, a pursuing of Romans 1:18-20.
The study of doctrine and beliefs is commendable and necessary. Study implies an openness to evaluate, and reevaluate, and reevaluate, man made statements and non-inspired words against what God has continued to reveal of Himself through his ongoing dealings with men and the created world and the meaning of His Truth as recorded in scripture.
To teach theological systems as if they were canon, is not study. It is indoctrination and teaching the words of man as if they were sufficient and complete. Theology taught without openness about the weak points of each system and the human choices made (we blame it on faith - these human choices taken by faith) in order to reconcile otherwise unreconcilable tension between parts of God's revealed truth is to be less than forthright. This hedging borderson deceit and dishonesty. It limits critical study. It put forward humann logic as the excuse to play God with the tensions within scripture and within God's direct involvement (history) in the world.
Are our theologies theorems?
Sometimes this needs to be answered from the standpoint of pure logic and also by evaluation of the true longterm fruits our theologies grow - division not being the least plentiful fruit.
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