Jonathots Daily Blog
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A gathering honoring the life and legacy of a man who was friend, father, grandfather, pop, G-Pop, each soul adding his or her leaf of color to the Tree of Hope.
Music: Love Beyond Reason
by Jonathan Cring
Performed by Soul Purpose
Click here to visit Clazzy Art website!
Jonathots Daily Blog
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STUDY science, because it explains how God put things together.
HONOR Earth, because it is the beautiful home God has provided.
TREASURE humanity, for He holds each life dear.
Science, Mother Earth and Humanity: These three are one.
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Jonathots Daily Blog
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44 words.
Yes, 44 words that changed the realm of faith from a God belief to a source of relief.
Standing on a hill, Jesus of Nazareth explains to his disciples that the law they had been following was being fulfilled in the lifestyle he was teaching. It is a philosophy that no longer promotes worship, praying, fasting and trying to be better than other people. Jesus transforms the message from religion to reality.
And now for the 44 words:
“Therefore…”
In other words, in conclusion. If you were wondering where we were heading, here it is. What follows will be the prophesy of the day.
“…if you’re offering your gift at the altar…”
Church should no longer be your life. If you do go, then go with a good heart, but don’t go anymore because you’re afraid. Don’t go anymore because you think it makes you a cut above the rest of humanity. And make sure when you go, you’re offering something instead of demanding.
“…and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you…”
Tune your spirit. Stop waiting to hear messages from heaven. All the messages will be coming from the Earth. And by the way, get rid of your gender bias. Don’t think the Jesonian is just for the brothers and not for the sisters, or for the sisters and not the brothers. You’re listening because you know if you’re going to hear the voice of God, it will come from those around you. Often it will be expressed as a chunk of disgruntled dissatisfaction they may have with you. In other words, be prepared to change. Don’t think you’re going to participate on Earth without being revised.
“…leave your gift there, in front of the altar.”
Get the point? It’s not about the gift. It’s not about the altar. It’s not about the worship service. It’s not about your devotion. All of that can be left when there’s a need to be a person to another person, to generate something personable.
“…first go and be reconciled to them…”
Cease insisting that this is the hard part. Stop giggling as you pretend that it’s so much easier to love God than it is your fellow-humans. If that’s the case, you’d better start practicing, because God has no intention of accepting a congregation which gathers to criticize the people He loves.
“…reconcile…”
Learn reconciliation. Reconciliation is the measuring stick of the depth of your spirituality.
“…then come and offer your gift.”
It will wait. It’s not as important as the feelings and consideration of another fellow-traveler. This is no longer a reaching for the sky, but instead, reaching out to those around you, and in doing so, finding God.
The sermon that Jesus spoke on that mountain many years ago was based upon the concept that the best way to find God is to stop looking for God, but instead, discover His creation. In doing so, you will ask, seek and knock your way into the Kingdom.
For understand clearly: God will have a people who become people to honor people by working with people–to love people.
*****
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Jonathots Daily Blog
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Every January 1st, a preacher friend sends me an email with his prophecies for the new year.
His predictions are always pretty general–and also grim. I guess he thinks it’s a safe bet in a world of tribulation, to foretell disaster.
It’s just too easy to be upset.
It’s way too predictable to continue to complain about the circumstances.
Yesterday morning when I arrived at Carteret United Methodist Church, I was looking for people who were fed up with being depressed.
I think Pastor Frank was pretty surprised at the turnout. After all, it was New Year’s Day and a tremendous opportunity for folks to use it as an excuse not to come to church.
But they didn’t.
We gathered, we sang, we mused, we laughed, we cried, we fellowshipped and we left–believing that certain things must be honored, or honor will leave our world.
1. Love your neighbor is not optional.
Although we spend much time in diplomacy and negotiations with countries which are determined to hurt one another, the truth of the matter is, our greatest possibility lies in the souls who still insist on loving and believing in each other.
2. Be of good cheer.
Nothing is ever accomplished from a defeated position of gloom. If knowing the facts upset you, then choose the bliss of ignorance–because in the long run, it is not intelligence or education that saves us, but rather, the wisdom we garner from the data that gives us the power to believe.
I so enjoyed the congregation in Beaufort, South Carolina–and may I tell them:
The good news is that there’s a song of praise that needs to be written every day.
And the better news is that I, for one, want to meet my Creator with that song in my heart.
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Jonathots Daily Blog
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On Sunday morning, I had the privilege, honor, joy and excitement to be with the congregation at the Memorial United Methodist Church in Appomattox, Virginia.
One hundred fifty-one years, one month and one day earlier, on April 9th, 1865, just three miles down the road, Robert E. Lee surrendered the 28,000 remaining soldiers of the Army of Northern Virginia to General Ulysses S. Grant, thus, for all intents and purposes, ending the Civil War.
I admire Lee for that.
I don’t agree with all the things that he did or set out to achieve, but I am greatly impressed by the fact that Robert recognized when the cause he was pursuing had taken a sharp left turn–and rather than being an expression of states’ rights, had become the oppression of the black race.
He could have continued to fight, hiding in the mountains and the forests which permeate Dixieland, and probably prolonged the conflict for months or even years.
He brought it to an end.
He surrendered.
He had the wisdom to know there’s a time to attack and a time to surrender.
So many lovely human beings I met on Sunday at Memorial United Methodist. Story after story, human feeling after feeling–each one deeper in its expression.
Pastored by a fellow named Russell, who seems to have discovered the correct balance of humanity and leadership, the folks have come to the same impasse as Robert E. Lee.
Surrounded by a religious community which continues to believe it can force its convictions on others who do not share in the faith, these people at Memorial are at a crucial crossroads.
For I will tell you, as Christians, it is time for us to surrender before we become as irrational as the extremist Muslims.
And the terms of the surrender are very easy:
“I will no longer use the Bible to attack other people.”
Instead, I will use it to help me become a better person. I will use it for encouragement. I will use it for beautiful language at a wedding or funeral. I will use it to remind me of my need for the goodness of God. But I will never use it again to attack other people.
The war between the state of human beings in this country needs to stop. There is no sign that the Republicans and Democrats will cease fighting.
No, it falls the lot of intelligent, Jesus-loving people to step in and surrender.
We need to live our lives to the fullness that we understand.
We need to learn whatever else comes from the heart of God and the truth of knowledge.
And in the meantime, we need to love without fear of it being insufficient to the need.
That’s the good news.
The better news? If more than living, learning and loving is necessary, we’re all screwed.
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Jonathots Daily Blog
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Even though G-Pop knows that his children are smart and sharp enough to make good decisions for themselves, he is a bit concerned that the recent redefining of leadership is quite confusing.
Leadership is not an accumulation of stats and facts to place on your resume, or the ability to get people to vote for you to confirm your prowess.
Leadership is very simply an awareness. It is a two-part principle.
Anyone who is going to be a great leader:
Yes, there is a truth we know. It is our treasure-house, holding the contents of our understanding.
Telling the truth is essential. And even though lying has jokingly become a national pastime, everyone eventually becomes weary of a liar and unceremoniously boots the scoundrel out the door.
But we can’t stop with our truth. We can’t halt in the middle of the road, build a fort and say, “We need go no further.”
Telling the truth has to give way to hearing the truth. A leader must be submissive to listening to what he or she does not know. It requires a stillness in the soul, remaining silent for a season in order for personal truth to grow from acquiring new information.
If you cannot tell the truth and hear the truth, you will never be a good leader.
So G-Pop hopes that his children will ask four very important questions when they consider what leaders to honor:
1. Do they tell the truth?
2. Do they honor the truth?
3. Do they know there is more truth beyond themselves?
4. Are they searching for that unknown truth?
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Jonathots Daily Blog
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In an age when Facebook has attempted to simplify relationships down to “friend” and “unfriend,” it might be of social significance to each one of us to look at the Jesonian approach to human interaction.
Contrary to popular opinion, Jesus did not love everybody with the same intensity. There were measures, concerns, confinements and meters to his affection and devotion.
Understanding that those judgments were not based upon prejudice, but rather, practicality, is the beginning of forming a way of dealing with humanity, preventing you from becoming jaded.
Jesus put human relationships into four categories:
1. Friend.
His definition of “friend” was very specific. He traveled with twelve disciples for more than three years before he referred to them as friends–and then he said he felt he could do so because he could “share his life with them.”
A true friend is a rarity because you must be willing to share the good, the bad and the ugly without fear of incrimination.
2. Acquaintances.
These are people Jesus interacted with who shared a common purpose, but not necessarily a transparency. They were the many individuals who believed on him because they encountered a miracle. But generally speaking, these acquaintances did not end up following him, but departed on their own to start a new life, or were instructed by Jesus to go back to their homes and spread the good news.
3. Adversary.
It will probably astound you when I say that most of the interaction you have with your fellow-travelers will be adversarial.
An adversary is someone you really want to grow to appreciate and love, so you’re learning to cooperate with each other, while also being fully aware of your differences. This is why Jesus told us to “reason with our adversary.” Don’t criticize them; don’t kill them. Find the areas where you concur, and interact in those ventures without forcing agreement in others.
4. Enemies.
And finally, an enemy is simply defined as someone who does not wish you good will. Enemies are not happy when you succeed.
They may not plot against you nor gossip but they do not rejoice when you rejoice, nor mourn when you mourn.
This is where the variety and intensity of Jesonian affection is put into place. So:
We love our friends because we can be completely open with them.
We honor our acquaintances because we share so much in common that it establishes a deep sense of human-hood.
We commit to our adversaries because they keep us thinking and challenge us to have a good reason for what we believe instead of stumping and stomping around about our contentions.
And we respect our enemies because that is the only way we can assure ourselves that their animosity will not easily be turned into action against us.
Fortunately, the treatment for all of them is easy to remember:
A multi-faceted love.
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A voice writing in the wilderness
Jonathots Daily Blog 