The World I Dream

On the way to the Mt. Juliet Panera Bread, where I sit now, I was reflecting on an interesting conversation I had with some friends of mine on Wednesday evening at the Panera in Hermitage. (I work from these two Panera's alot) As soon as I got here, I brought the notebook out of hibernation and got on Merriam-Webster online and this is what I found:

In searching for "reality", the number one definition is, "the quality or state of being real." So, logically, I search for "real", who's number one entry is the adjective (most commonly used) form of the word, who's number one definition is, "of or relating to fixed, permanent, or immovable things."

This begs the question that was among the conversation this past week. What things are permanent? Let me say what things are not. In the metaphysical sense, human bodies, buildings, trees, cars, coffee, computers, etc, etc, etc. ANYTHING that has a beginning and an end is not permanent, hence is not real. Only that which exists in the spiritual realm are eternal, hence, real. It's fascinating how many things we feel exist in the spiritual realm, but really, do not. Take evil, for example. Evil has a beginning an and end. It has not always been and will not always be, therefore, it isn't real. Though evil isn't real, guess what IS...Love. Hmm, fancy that.

Does anyone else feel a little bit like we're in the Matrix?

Tags: real, reality, love, evil, the matrix

Megachurch Pastor Braves Emerging Church Cohort Meeting in Atlanta

Megachurch pastor Andy Stanley recently "braved" the Emergent Village cohort group meeting in Atlanta. Adam Walker Cleaveland has all the details. As Adam explains, it's "a perfect example of two people from very different backgrounds and theological trajectories coming together through friendship, with an eagerness to know the Other more and learn from each other." Good on ya, Adam!

Hi, I'm Steve K.

Hi, I'm Steve Knight, co-organizer of the Charlotte Emergent Village cohort group. You can read all of my thoughts on my personal blog, if you're so inclined. I want to thank John O'Keefe for inviting Anthony Smith and myself to join in the conversation on this blog. I'm excited to see greater community develop regionally in the emerging church of the Southeast U.S.A.! Shalom.

The Truth I Knew but Didn't Know I Knew

As of late, some friends and I have been discussing the reality of perfect love and what the world would look like if all humanity lived in and through it.

Anyway, my buddies turned me on to a book called Love Trumps Karma by Karyn Henley, a local Nashville girl. In LTK, Karyn too explores what such a world would look like.

Anyway, this morning as I was reading a few chapters at Starbucks in Hermitage while eating my two cinnamon cake donuts and sipping on a tall banana coconut frappucino, God revealed something in my spirit that leaves me utterly dumbfounded as I wonder at how I have not yet seen such a simple Truth. So here it is...

In 1 John 4, verses 8 and 16 say that "God is love." Genesis 1:26 says, "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image...'". If God is Love, that is perfect love, then that is His image. So the fact that God made humans in His image means that deep in our hearts He wrote into all humanity the image of Himself, of His Love.

Traditional thought and teachings imply that somewhere in the course of time, probably as a consequence of "the Fall", humans somehow lost or at least corrupted that image. However, I cannot recall or find any scripture(s) in the Bible that would indicate such. What more accurately happened is that humans, Adam and Eve, chose to disobey God in eating of the tree of the knowledge of good AND evil (when they had only previously, the knowledge of good) and in so doing, allowed themselves to be governed by knowledge, fear, reason, and the like. It was not God that hid from them, but they that hid from God--fearing the assumption of His wrath on their actions. (Where they came up with the concept of His wrath or anger is mind boggling--since they had only known Him in as Love before this time.)

So the reality remains that the whole of humanity has written into the very deepest fibers of our being, at our very core, perfect Love. The problem is that our awareness of such a gift has been lost in centuries and generations of hate, fear, and greed. The quest, therein, is to discover how we might be reconnected with and consciously aware of such love within us, that we might live in it.

Tags: love, spirituality, christianity, perfect, humanity

Grace-What a Concept

"At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. [emphasis mine]" That's verses three through seven in Titus, chapter 3.

Titus 2:11 also says, "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men."

Something drastically stands out to me in these passages...they're in past tense. "...has appeared...", "...kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared...", "...saved us through washing...by the Spirit...", etc.

Hmm, I wonder why? Actually, its more than wonderings, its personal speculations and inclinations at the moment, but both interesting and perplexing nonetheless.

Tags: Grace, Titus, Bible, Questions

new voices

i just sent out an invite to steve knight and anthony smith. it will be great having them part of the team :D