You know who you are
Something Appetizing
Prayer is a hunger.
How did Jesus develop new humans?
Interestingly enough, he did not begin by teaching them spiritual disciplines.
Instead, he let them walk alongside him and get a feel for what being human was all about.
They all watched and helped him in his mission. A few were invited to watch him pray. But, they
themselves were not devout. In Luke's retelling, it isn't until the 11th chapter that Jesus' disciple asks him:
"Lord teach us to pray."
What follows may be the most recited words in history.
"Our Father..."
Being human means being connecting to God in a way unique to all of creation.
Here's a prayer from Kenya that may whet your appetite:
From the cowardice that dare not face new truth
From the laziness that is contented with half truth
From the arrogance that thinks it knows all truth,
Good Lord, deliver me.
He must have been ravenous for God.
How hungry are we to feel human again?
How did Jesus develop new humans?
Interestingly enough, he did not begin by teaching them spiritual disciplines.
Instead, he let them walk alongside him and get a feel for what being human was all about.
They all watched and helped him in his mission. A few were invited to watch him pray. But, they
themselves were not devout. In Luke's retelling, it isn't until the 11th chapter that Jesus' disciple asks him:
"Lord teach us to pray."
What follows may be the most recited words in history.
"Our Father..."
Being human means being connecting to God in a way unique to all of creation.
Here's a prayer from Kenya that may whet your appetite:
From the cowardice that dare not face new truth
From the laziness that is contented with half truth
From the arrogance that thinks it knows all truth,
Good Lord, deliver me.
He must have been ravenous for God.
How hungry are we to feel human again?
Tags: humanity
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Geoffrey Baines on -
A few things come to mind as I read this, Alex.
The first is a question: "What is prayer?" The "Lord's Prayer" seems to open up the possibility of living (walking) with God and with people - what the commandments look like when they are a prayer.
The second is to mention a lovely phrase Brian McLaren includes in 'Finding Our Way Again', quoting a Catholic nun, who spoke about "faithing our practices" rather than "practicing our faith."
Thirdly, life is about being hungry for that life of walking with Jesus through the ordinary things of a day - something that bursts open my thinking and imagining at the beginning of every day.
Thanks for this and the Kenyan prayer.
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Permalink Reply by Michael Alexander McManus on -
recently i try not to make a distinction between prayer and everyday life (that's actually the first time i've used that word in a while lol). as far as my life is concerned, prayer is just interacting with the world, making decisions, that is the most fundamental way humans interact with god. I know how good it feels to go be by yourself just spending time worshiping god in the stillness, but personally, i feel much more alive and personal with god when i interact with him in everyday life.
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Permalink Reply by Mark Juane on -
I can't help but think that Jesus did not begin to develop new humans until the Promise from the Father showed up and entered into the hearts of those who believed in and followed jesus. It seems to me that we "participate in the divine nature" first through receiving Jesus' DNA. According to Dallas Willard in his "The Spirit of the Disciplines," we nurture that DNA by positioning our hearts and bodies to connect to God through the spiritual disciplines.
Is it possible that proximity to Jesus imparted a way of life to his disciples that shaped their lives to become receptacles of His DNA through his Spirit?
When we look at the life of Jesus, I believe we are seeing what it means to be truly human. Do we hunger for that? Do we long to be just like him? If so, how do we go about that?
I think about the passage in Romans 8:28-29 and it seems to teach that every circumstance in our lives are meant to ultimately conform us into the likeness of Jesus. I think that's only possible when his DNA is in us. Perhaps what Jesus' life gives us is a new way of relating to the world that allows our new divine natures to be expressed and developed?
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Permalink Reply by terry timm on -
i love the way Peterson captures Jesus words in Matthew 11:
"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."
it's monday morning and after a very intense weekend of ministry, i am feeling a little bit less than human (from the physical side of things at least). i am seizing some down time to hopefully get a bit closer to Jesus personally. this monday morning rhythm on M is a good point of reconnection.
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Permalink Reply by Mark Juane on
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Terry, what can be more human than being tired after an intense time of ministry? This happened to Jesus too. What did he do? He fell into such a deep and comfortable nap that even a howling storm couldn't wake him up! So as you lay your head on a pillow to catch a nap some time today, remember that by doing so, you are still following Jesus. Peace. :-)
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Permalink Reply by Michael Alexander McManus on
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why do you use the term DNA? you don't actually mean to say that we get the physical blood of jesus in us do you?
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Permalink Reply by Mark Juane on
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Of course not.
The way I understand what Jesus was trying to do, he was creating a new humanity...a new creation. For that to happen, we needed to be "born from above" or "born of the Spirit" or traditionally, "born again." That rebirth which is made effectual by the Holy Spirit and catalyzed by our faith in Christ, imparts a new spiritual DNA...a re-creation of what drives us from within.
I admit that I don't have all the language and understanding to articulate it any more clearly than this. But the way I've processed it is that just as I physically look like my dad and grandfather because of my inherited DNA...I can also "look like" Jesus more and more because of an imparted spiritual DNA. That DNA is the new nature that I receive from him and allows me to walk in his ways and even do some of the things he did.
And in our framework here at M, IMHO this is what it means to be human.
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Permalink Reply by Michael Alexander McManus on
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haha, just clarifying. it could be confusing when someone doesnt know the lingo u know :D. thats an interesting concept, although the way i see it, is that we are all human by nature, and we just need to be reminded not be completely redone.
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Permalink Reply by Mark Juane on
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hehe...I know. My bad to assume that my use of DNA would be understood by all.
I'd have to reply that saying that we are all human by nature is...incomplete. We are all human by nature but we are broken, marred and damaged humans. This damage is what I believe the New Testament describes as the "sinful nature." I don't believe that to be fully alive means that we accept greed, selfishness, pride, etc. as part and parcel of being human. I do believe that these destructive realities in the human condition is not what God originally intended for the human race. In fact, these things dehumanize. What I hope in and hold to by faith is that Jesus came to secure a way for humanity to be restored and recreated.
Hope that makes sense to some degree...
PS...I love the dialogue on this site! :-)
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Permalink Reply by Michael Alexander McManus on
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sure, as long as we limit our lives in any way (i believe humans have an infinite nature as well) we are not fully alive, greed/selfishness/pride are all limits to human potential, i dont just see them as bad, they actually limit our potential. but also i dont think that that is natural to human beings, rather it is learnt, and even possibly genetically passed on(im not so sure about this one but its possible check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YELTEu8-Ldg if that sounds interesting to you), sadly. i think thats what jesus did, which technically from my point of view, and somewhat ironically, is nothing special, haha, or at least it shouldnt be.
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Permalink Reply by patrick voo on -
I remember listening to a theology professor in Mexico City once as he told a story about a farmer he knew named Pepe. Pepe believed that his family's farming practices were essentially killing the arable land, and so he decided (against all conventional and offered wisdom) to instead sell off his harvesting assets to purchase trees from the government. He decided to try to replenish the earth.
Of course his family and friends were absolutely bewildered by this. And as they peppered him with questions as to why he would sacrifice any potential of livelihood to plant trees, his answer was simply "come help me and I will tell you".
I keep thinking that that was Jesus' way of revealing our divine coding too. That as his followers participated in the work that he was carrying out, they somehow discover this new truth and reality in a way that simple verbal responses cannot.
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Permalink Reply by Michael Alexander McManus on
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yes but where do you draw the line between blindly following and faith? we do need reason for our actions dont we?
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