tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8215116066445385512.post7727883409548302287..comments2023-07-13T05:20:07.334-04:00Comments on Reflections from Broadneck Baptist: ChoicesAbbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04823753643734462481noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8215116066445385512.post-2338513881593506172009-01-24T11:48:00.000-05:002009-01-24T11:48:00.000-05:00I like what you've said this week and last week ab...I like what you've said this week and last week about listening for God. Obviously, it takes a conscience effort to make time for our relationship with God. But I think it's easier to make time to talk to God than to listen to God, because of the discipline required to quiet our own thoughts. <BR/><BR/>Perhaps it's those thoughts that convince us that the belly of the beast is a better place to be for now.<BR/><BR/>On an unrelated note, check out http://www.biblegateway.com/ You might be able to use it to make links to the weekly Bible passages. Of course, there's something to be said for the initiative of looking up on the verse on our own. But if you want to take advantage of all the lazy-enabling the internet has to offer, those verses could be just a click away.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8215116066445385512.post-32767815627057894172009-01-22T11:13:00.000-05:002009-01-22T11:13:00.000-05:00"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make yo..."Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."<BR/><BR/>Joann made an interesting observation recently about this passage as she was studying it this week, I thought it important to share in light of your multi-layered point.<BR/><BR/>Joann noted that some translations read "fishers for men" or "fishers for people." Okay...so what? Then she explained that she read it also as fishers on behalf of people and related it to servanthood. Wow. Interesting.<BR/><BR/>The Jonah passage (as well as the Mark passage, of course) makes me think of the physical discipline you mentioned last week. The inhabitants of Ninevah put a very symbolic and dramatic physical action into play to represent their spiritual turmoil. Whether we are fishing for or on behalf of people, it is still a physical action to display and shape an inward idea. <BR/><BR/>The practice you discussed is not nearly so dramatic physically at first. But perhaps if we think in terms of our life pace, stopping to listen and pray for a moment from a dead "run" can be quite a change! As someone who cooks quite a bit, feeding someone is pretty darn fun and dramatic for me on a physical level. But maybe these things are just as dramatic spiritually for most of us, too.<BR/><BR/>And of course, all of things are a choice! Or rather, hundreds of small choices (something I've said and heard before).<BR/><BR/>Maybe we need to explore the physical here in relation to choice. Was there choice here for Jonah? Is sitting in a whale's belly much of a choice? Or was it what it represented that made it a choice for Jonah. Or maybe he just needed some serious exfoliation...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com