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The Upside Down World ~ The Blog

Apr 6, 2014
5 min

Overcoming the Fall

At the fall, Adam and Eve’s eyes were opened to what they looked like from the perspective of someone who didn’t like them very much. Prior to the fall, they were defined by God who thought they were as cute as toddlers in a bath tub. After the fall, they realized that this wasn’t the only possible way of being seen. God looked at them through the eyes of a loving, doting father. But his is not the only perspective in the universe. We also have an enemy whose entire reason fo

Apr 4, 2014
1 min

Grace Explained

A little Friday funny for you. 🙂 Pass It On! Tweet Email More Print Share on Tumblr WhatsApp #grace #christianity #humor #christianspirituality #religiousmemes #spirituality #memes #religion

Apr 3, 2014
2 min

On Poverty and Doing All Things

Today Ben Irwin gives us a closer look at two frequently quoted bible verses: “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13, New Revised Standard Version) . . . For some, “I can do all things” means scoring touchdowns and clearing the bases. But that’s not exactly what Paul had in mind. Paul was sharing that he’d learned to be content no matter what his circumstances – rich or poor, hungry or well fed, in prison or out. What Paul was saying is not so

Apr 3, 2014
1 min

Prayer of St. Francis

Just some old timey religion for your Thursday morning! #christianity #prayer #christianspirituality #spirituality #Stfrancis #religion

Apr 2, 2014
2 min

What Ever Happened to “Shake the Dust From Your Feet?”

Words of wisdom from Scott Dannemiller, aka The Accidental Missionary on how to deal with those you disapprove of: Recall what Jesus told his closest buddies the first time he sent them out. He told them to heal, cure, and comfort, proclaiming God’s name along the way. And he added, “If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet.” (Matt 10: 14) Sounds harsh, right? But he doesn’t add, “And leavest thou a flami

Apr 2, 2014
3 min

The Genuis and Challenge of Christianity

The genius of Christianity is that it demands you give mental agreement to all sorts of things you don’t actually agree with. Love your enemies. Every man is your neighbor. You’ll be judged by how well you showed love to the least attractive, least moral, least appealing, most repulsive people you meet. Don’t judge. All those beatitudes about the meek and the suffering and the pure of heart. We don’t believe any of that stuff. We say we do, but we don’t really. Yet if we want

Apr 2, 2014
1 min

Only Idols Require Humans to Defend Them . . .

IJS Pass It On! Tweet Email More Print Share on Tumblr WhatsApp #christianity #christianspirituality #religiousmemes #spirituality #memes #religion

Apr 1, 2014
2 min

Are You Sure You Want To Be a Disciple?

Today’s exegesis is on Mark 9 and comes from J. R, Daniel Kirk: Jesus had to show them. The kingdom of God is not like they think it is. “Being first,” says Jesus, “entails being last, and servant of all.” Jesus then takes a child: the low person on the ancient totem pole of social hierarchy. His words are stunning: “Whoever welcomes one of these children in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me isn’t welcoming me but God, who sent me.” . . . The story continues. John

Mar 31, 2014
1 min

Christian Tattoo ~ 700 AD Edition

I thought this was cool. A woman whose mummified remains were found in Sudan a few years back, had a Christian symbol tattooed on her inner thigh. The symbol is a picture made from the letters of the name Michael, presumably for the arch angel. The symbol has been found in churches and other decorations made by ancient Christians in the area. This tattoo was the first tattoo found from this era. You can read the story here. Researchers theorize that it may have been meant for

Mar 31, 2014
3 min

Exegesis and Why Noah Isn’t a Jewish Hero

So . . . heard any good exegesis lately? What’s an exegesis, you ask? (Or maybe you don’t ask. Too bad. I’m going to tell you anyways.) Exegesis is simply the practice of explaining a section of text from the bible. So, a lot of sermons include exegesis because they start with the text and then offer an explanation as to their meaning. A good exegesis is a thing to make the heart sing. My favorite are the ones that show you something in the text you never noticed or understoo

Mar 31, 2014
1 min

Hold All Things Lightly . . .

Happy Monday! Pass It On! Tweet Email More Print Share on Tumblr WhatsApp #christianity #christianspirituality #spirituality #memes #religion #inspiration

Mar 30, 2014
4 min

What Not Judging Is and Is Not

I wrote last week about not judging as a form of spiritual discipline. It occurs to me that part of our problem with not judging is that there’s a great deal of confusion regarding what is meant by not judging. So I thought I’d share a couple of thoughts regarding my understanding of it. Primarily, not judging means being open to correction. My parents used to always say to me, “you think you’re always right”. Which was true. If I thought I was wrong, I would change my mind.

Mar 28, 2014
5 min

Love and Balance

One of the habits of Christians which has always been baffling to me is the tendency to seek balance. So, they might try to find the balance between God’s love and his holiness. Or mercy and judgment. Forgiveness and wrath. Sin and freedom. This approach shares a good deal in common with the Eastern religious concept of yin and yang. The idea is that there are two opposing forces which when brought together in the right balance create a whole. However, the idea of balance is

Mar 28, 2014
1 min

Sins and Mistakes

Pass It On! Tweet Email More Print Share on Tumblr WhatsApp #christianity #inspirational #forgiveness #christianspirituality #spirituality #memes #life #religion #sin

Mar 27, 2014
4 min

The Hardest, Best Spiritual Practice I’ve Ever Tried

Learning how not to judge has been the most demanding, arduous and painful spiritual discipline I have ever undertaken. It’s also been the most fruitful. I could probably write books and books filled with stories and lessons I would never have encountered if I had not made a commitment to practicing this discipline. While most people probably don’t think of not judging as a spiritual discipline, this is exactly how I’ve practiced it. It’s something I do out of obedience and d

Mar 26, 2014
4 min

Colonizing Cities for White American Jesus

No one likes to think of themselves as racist or prejudiced. Even the KKK denies being a racist organization. Which for some people just affirms the deeply held idea that there’s something wrong with people of color. If there wasn’t something wrong with them, people of color wouldn’t have so many problems now that racism isn’t a problem. How can racism be to blame when there are no more racists among us? Of course, racism and the residual effects of centuries of being raped,

Mar 26, 2014
5 min

God and Laughing

God loves laughter. Humor makes us laugh because it triggers delighted surprise to hear that things we fear – being alone, being unloved, being ridiculed – aren’t as awful as it seems. And when it is awful, it isn’t as serious as we thought it was. When God gave us a sense of humor, He was telling us not to be so afraid. ~R. Trotter, The Upside Down World I have a real soft spot for humor. It is one of the great joys of life. I’d give up sex, wealth, tasty food and reading b

Mar 25, 2014
2 min

Playing With Our Lives?

Did you know that all animals play? I knew some did, but hadn’t realized how widespread play is in the animal kingdom: the existence of animal play is considered something of an intellectual scandal. It’s understudied, and those who do study it are seen as mildly eccentric. As with many vaguely threatening, speculative notions, difficult-to-satisfy criteria are introduced for proving animal play exists, and even when it is acknowledged, the research more often than not cannib

Mar 25, 2014
1 min

Job’s Wife

Well, it happened again. OK, it actually happens nearly every time someone decides to write about the book of Job. Inevitably they take a swipe at Job’s wife for telling Job to “curse God and die”. She’s unfaithful. She’s unhelpful. She’s a tool of the devil, tempting Job to blaspheme. Bad, bad Job’s wife. Actually, not bad, bad Job’s wife. Bad, bad us. Seriously. All those dead children? She had carried, birthed and fed them with her body. Job’s lost wealth? That was her wea

Mar 25, 2014
2 min

Your Goodness Isn’t Filthy Rags

If there’s one word which describes my experience of 2014 so far, it’s “inadequate”. I have felt utterly inadequate to the challenges of my life. Whatever good I can and have done has been wholly inadequate. In fact, this feeling has been so strong that I have frequently found myself battling a sense that anything I do or try to do is pointless. And into this jolly state of affairs, a few little church mice come whispering in my ear, “it’s all filthy rags. Whatever you do is