A little introspection this morning

those who know me really well know that periodically, i can go through a depressive cycle.  it’s usually brought on by life events that undermine my self-esteem or cause me to question the value or worth of my life effort.

(…as a side note, i think i ought to write a little about depression one of these days.  it is an issue that faces many, if not the majority of people in our culture.  failure, rejection, loss, fear, guilt, pain…you name it…are all triggers that can result in the paralysis of depression.  what do you think?)

i’ve gone through one of those stretches recently and when i do, i always seem to come through on the other side with new insight about myself, or about god, or about friendship, or about loyalty, …but always about truth.  this time has been no different.

truth is, i crave depth.  depth of friendship…depth of conversation…depth of meaning.  i want…and need…friends that talk honestly and deeply…unafraid to speak the truth and stay close enough to heal and forgive (when it’s required).

i love to play and laugh and hang out.  i love to talk about sports and jobs and politics and education and television shows and the best new tools for home improvement.  let’s face it, i can talk shallow and surface and meaningless stuff with the best of you!

but at the end of the day, i crave heart to heart.  i long for friendship that goes below the surface.  the relationship that goes beyond what i do to who i am is what brings me to wholeness.  i want to have people in my life who want to know about what i believe and what moves me to tears and what i’m afraid of and what grabs my heart.

i want people in my life who want to talk about purpose, and not just events…meaning, and not just effort…destiny, and not just destination…doubts and fears, and not just frustrations…the grace of god, and not just religion…truth, and not just the church…heart and passion, and not just personal goals.

i have some of those people.  i want more.  i need more.

how about you?  do you live deep below the surface…or are you skimming?  what are you offering to others?  what are you requiring of others?

go deeper.  now.

Axioms…from my perspective

the word “axiom” comes from the greek word ἀξίωμα (axioma) and from the verb ἀξιόειν (axioein), meaning “to deem worthy”.  it also means “to require”, which in turn comes from ἄξιος (axios), meaning “being in balance”.  among the ancient greek philosophers, an axiom was a claim which could be seen to be true without any need for proof.

on thursdays, i’ve decided i’m going to give some of my personal life axioms…truth that, from my perspective, is self-evident.  sometimes practical.  sometimes philosophical.  sometimes whimsical.  but truth, no less.

i know we live in a day where the concept of truth is battered.  it is often vilified or surrendered to the throne of cultural relativity or, worse… shoved to the back room of irrelevance.  but no matter.  i will hold to truth.

and for the record.  all truth is god’s truth.  just because something isn’t written in the bible doesn’t make it automatically questionable.  complex mathematics and intricate scientific process can still be true, even though it is not in the writings of the apostle paul.  music and poetry and fiction  can express beauty and integrity and reality, even though it was not written by king david.  there is truth in the philosophy of eastern mystics and muslim clerics and catholic priests and american politicians.

i’m not suggesting that everything is truth.  i am saying that truth can be found anywhere…and when it is found, it is god’s truth.  undebated and absolute.

i’m looking forward to thursdays.

Let’s get it right

man, i found a quote today that blew me away.  i found it on this site.  vince antonucci, the author, is a pastor at a pretty off the hook church that doesn’t just talk about reaching people that are far from god…they actually do it.  he wrote about being invited to speak at a conference on the topic of “contemporary without compromising”.  here’s what he said about it:

“I’ve been pondering this (just a little) and I think I’ve decided I have an issue with the assumption underlying this seminar. Like, why isn’t there a workshop on, “Traditional Without Compromising”? Sounds funny, doesn’t it? But maybe that’s just because we’ve been conditioned to think that way by those who are “in charge” and come up with these topics…

Think about it this way: In the Gospels, who were the people who compromised the truth of God’s Word? It was the Pharisees. And were they “Contemporary” or “Traditional”? They were traditional.

And in the epistles, who do we see compromising the truth of God’s Word? It was the Judaizers. Were they “Contemporary” or “Traditional”? They were traditional.

We assume that if you’re not doing things the way they’ve always been done, that must mean you’re changing God’s truth. But maybe the reality is when you keep doing things the way they’ve always been done, you’re in greater danger – that you are holding on to human tradition and elevating it above God’s truth.”

What do you think?  Agree or disagree?

mmmm….

after my sermon today, i’m feeling slightly hypocritical after my post yesterday…

there’s a fine line between speaking the truth (especially when it is critical) and casting an overly judgmental stone.  in my sermon, i was harsh and confrontive about leaders in the church who openly disregard the clear teaching of the word because of their belief that god has spoken to them…personally…and given them special anointing (or power) to play ball outside the rules.

sorry…i’m no expert, but that’s just wrong.