Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Open Invitation

This is the best description of grace I have ever come across:

You are accepted. You are accepted, accepted by that which is greater than you, and the name of which you do not know. Do not ask for the name now; perhaps you will find it later. Do not try to do anything now; perhaps later you will do much. Do not seek for anything; do not perform anything; do not intend anything. Simply accept the fact that you are accepted! If that happens to us, we experience grace. - Paul Tillich

The church needs to capture this and regurgitate it to the masses. Stop with the fear tactics and begin a new with love, begin a new with Jesus. Grace captures us; it captures us when were in distress, when were broken. Grace embraces us when we crawl through the pits of a meaningless and empty life. Grace embraces us in the moment that we come to the realization that our separation is deeper than we realized, because we have violated another life, “a life which we loved, or from which we were estranged” (Tillich). We are not separated from G-d. Jesus brought us near; the church has made us believe we are unloved, without, and in need. Find the idols in your life and destroy them. Come to understand the dangerous G-d, the one portrayed by Jesus, come to understand her on your terms.

Peculiar People is a ministry I have started, it is a ministry to help others discover the divine, to discover Jesus for the first time. It is a place to help us realize that we are not separated…that we are loved beyond belief. It is a place to have the prophet within you stirred out of slumber. It is a place to rediscover the Holy Scriptures. It is a place to allow the spirit to guide you. It is a place to have a good cup of coffee and cheap red wine. It is a place to cry. It is a place to be changed. It is a place to be angry. It is a place for you.

This is an open invitation to anyone who reads my blog. The first and third Wednesday of every month we meet at my house, 189 ½ East Water, Chillicothe, Ohio, 45601. It begins at 7:00, we usually get started into the exercises at 7:30-7:45….After words we share a common meal. If you have any questions call me at 740-466-9018.

2 comments:

Roogles said...

Hey John, I'm not going to make it this week, but wanted you to know I had a great time the night I made it up.

Can't wait to hang out and fellowship with you again.

anna said...

Hey, I couldn't come wednesday because we had band practice for next week's Big Wednesday.


Next time though!