The New Creation
Jesus didn't leave us with a set of principles to live by, but invited us to be participants in a new creation where his love equips us to live beyond the human systems that have dominated our lives. The Resurrection of Jesus opened a door for us to engage a Father's love with such transforming power that he reshapes everything about the way we relate to ourselves and the world around us. This conversation emerges as Wayne interacts with God Journey listeners as they comment about being open to Father's work beyond our religious borders and as they are learning to make room in our lives for others and asking, "How do we know that we matter to God?" This is a process, but with each passing of walking with him we continue to awaken to his way of doing things.
Podcast Links:
The Gifts of Perfection by Brene Brown
Tattoos of the Heart by Gregory Boyle
Wayne's Blog about a Richard Rohr Interview
Add your voice to our question/comment line: (805) 539-6980 or Skype us at "TheGodJourney".
If you'd like to help us provide for the needs of orphans and widows in Kenya, you can get the details here.
Podcast: Download
Subscribe: RSS
Hello! Just a quick note to add my thoughts. The final call in the podcast resonated with me in a profound way. (“Toni” talking about the disonnence b/t how she loves her children and questions about God’s love for her) It seems that the more I hear Father’s voice, the contrast b/t my thoughts and impatience becomes clearer. He has all the time he needs and is not in the same hurry that i am. Seems this may have been what Jesus referred to when Martha pleaded with Him to command Mary to help her. He never said, “Get out of the kitchen you stupid woman.” Rather His words focused on priorities and His love for Martha becomes clearer when we see that He engaged her in her very “busy” space and also His tender protection of Mary “what she has will not be taken from her”. Blessings, Sue
Wow. Each podcast gets better and better in describing the journey as it unfolds; and, where it leads. Using letters to invoke comment and discussion is extremely helpful. Hearing the words and feelings of others adds depth and understanding to the myriads of questions in trying to address all of the many confusions and hesitancies in following the new ‘nudgings’. The description of the new way is brilliant: A modern version of the fallacy one can put new wine into old wineskins.
Another comment: Wayne expresses a concern with being charged as a “universalist”. Interestingly, Hannah Whitall Smith and Hannah Hurnard were charged with the same thing late in their lives. As their ‘early’ theologies are still classics, it makes one think that there is something real there the rest of us have not seen yet; it may not be necessarily universalism as the rest of us think we understand it, but something about God we cannot see yet. I post this not as something we should seek, but to accept that we all have our own roads to pay attention to, learn from others what brings us enlightenment, and leave the judging to God.
Re: Anne says: 3/2/2013 at 8:49 am
I enjoyed your summation and conclusion. It reminded me of this from (The Shack: Where Tragedy Confronts Eternity). My only copy is somewhere in my cluttered office closet, so I pulled this off the net and hope it’s been quoted correctly.
“Remember, the people who know me are the ones who are free to live and love without any agenda.”
Is that what it means to be a Christian?” It sounded kind of stupid as Mack said it, but it was how he was trying to sum everything up in his mind.
Who said anything about being a Christian? I’m not a Christian.”
The idea struck Mack as odd and unexpected and he couldn’t keep himself from grinning. “No, I suppose you aren’t.”
They arrived at the door of the workshop. Again Jesus stopped. “Those who love me come from every system that exists. They were Buddhists or Mormons, Baptists or Muslim, Democrats, Republicans, and many who don’t vote or are not part of any Sunday morning religious institutions. I have followers who were murderers and many who were self-righteous. Some were bankers and bookies, Americans and Iraquis, Jews and Palistinians. I have no desire to make them Christian, but I do want to join them in their transformation into sons and daughters of my Papa, into my brothers and sisters, into my Beloved.”
Does that mean,” asked Mack, “that all roads will lead to you?”
Not at all,” smiled Jesus as he reached for the door handle to the shop. “Most roads don’t lead anywhere. What it does mean is that I will travel any road to find you.” End quote.
(The Shack) does not endorse or imply ultimate reconciliation for everyone but I do appreciate it’s fragrant beauty of ambiguity.
I’m familiar with Hannah Whitall Smith’s writings and many other believers, both past and present, who have embraced ultimate reconciliation in Christ for everyone.
I so agree with what you wrote, “Leave the judging to God”. Amen!
P.S. I do have hope beyond hell that there is ultimate reconciliation in Christ for everyone.
This was helpful. I have read that we tend to relate to God based on the way our earthly fathers treated us. My dad was very distant during my childhood and I tend to replay the negative tape in my head that says I’m not important. I know that God made me and loves me, but I am struggling to live in that warm and tender space that God has created for me. This morning I asked God how to know Him with more joy and excitement and peace than anything I have ever known. I realize that Wayne was not giving us a prayer to recite or a formula to follow, but today I had a few hours alone to mediate and reflect on God and this podcast gave me some much needed insight.
Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
I have read this scripture over and over again, but it was refreshing to hear that we are doing good works ALONGSIDE Him! Great podcast!
I hope that too Dave. And I thank God is God and I am not. Yep, leave the judging to z.Him. To me faith is resting in the fact that His purposes will prevail and He’s had this all worked out before time. He can be trusted.
And it’s okay when or that we don’t have the answers for many things.
God will show us in His time what He wants us to know.
Great podcast and I really like the idea of focusing on the question of what is that new creation that we have become. We know a lot about the old creation, and also now what the new creation is not, but its easy to only grasp snippets of what this “new creation” thing is. Your list of 27 points would come in handy.
On another note, I love the way you hold plans lightly for future trips, podcasts and activities. I recall my dad, who was very driven before he retired. A couple of days after he retired he came out to visit us in Japan and during that three weeks, it was like he had a full brain reset. Now we joke that his new catchphrase is, “We’ll see”. As in:
“What are you planning on doing today, dad?”
“We’ll see.”
“Do you think you’ll be taking a walk to the library today dad?”
“We’ll see.”
I feel like you are a “We’ll see” kinda guy, Wayne, where the “We” is you and God.
Have a great trip!
Cheers
Stephen
Appreciating the listener comments, letters and phone calls. I relate to bits of all of it. Same struggles and insights popping up all over this planet.