Wednesday, January 11, 2006

Reminder to Myself

Jesus/Grace
Emergent/Missional

These are the foundation for our dialogue here…I just wanted to remind myself.

Regarding grace…

I have been thinking through the frailty of our souls. The context of this thought process is the Hebrew (and Greek for that matter) understanding of our Souls. Soul is our life source/breath as opposed to Spirit, which is that which related to God. In this Biblical paradigm only humans have Spirit; however, other animals have soul. No worries at our not being unique only humans received their non-material being from the very breath of God. Look it up Bible scholars if you take issue.

Our soul then is our humanness or human lifeness. (Oh well let me make up words.) Granted soul and Spirit are so intertwined we cannot divide them (see Hebrews I think). Still because Hebrew and Greek have two distinct words for each so I think it is a valuable observation.

So I have been thinking through the frailty of our souls especially as represented in the Psalms. For example in Psalm 103 our soul’s praising of YHWH is steeped in His grace for us even though we are sinful (vs. 3) and sick (vs. 3) and previously dwellers of the pit (vs. 4) i.e., frail. His response to us is no less then a paradox (from our human perspective—because we are frail in our understanding too). To our status in the pit He crowns us with love and compassion. What an unworthy coronation. He also satisfies our desires and renews our youth as the eagle’s.

It is a no brainer but WOW what grace, WOW what a reason for my inmost being to Praise the Lord! Again it is a simple thought that we all know but our all powerful and sovereign and Jesus loves me, a fail human with sin and sickness and…

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I too remind myself of the things that I have read about the Bible. i.e. fasting. I have yet to read the passages myself, but I have read examples of Biblical figures who have fasted for various reasons. Yet, I have not heard of people in modern America follow these practices. I am not sure why. If we are sick enough, we do not eat, and that is a fast. And our bodies heal in that time of fasting.

I am not sure why I think about fasting. Maybe because my diet is pretty close to the standard American diet. That means junk food and improperly nutritional balanced. And maybe I feel that is apart of why I lack energy and have a hard time sleeping.

So maybe I will fast for a day in the future. And have a couple short prayers; hope for an epiphany of diet changes. Then I hope I can better my diet. And improve my well being.

Heath
heath.beltran@*removeme*.gmail.com