Saturday, July 02, 2005

One point of reflection I've had since meeting with Jim the other day is this: most people would rather think of themselves as "right" than "good." This includes many I've come across within the emerging church scene. Even while claiming to want to break the rules and be creative, they aren't willing to risk being dangerous, simply because they don't want to be wrong. This is primarily a theological reference, but it can bleed over into other areas as well. They pride themselves on having the right theology.

But I wonder how much thought they give to being good. A lot of us do good things, and we do them for good reasons (in other words, we have good motives). But are we focused on doing these things because we want to be good, or because it's just the right thing to do? I may be splitting hairs here, but this is an important concept to me. I want to not only live in a pattern that Jesus lived (which produces good actions), but want to be like Jesus . . . in other words, I want to be good. This is an incarnational statement. If I am good, and my heart is good, then good things will flow out.

Now, either approach - being right vs. being good can lead to spiritual pride. But if I am right, then I can take credit for my stellar and rigorous thinking and behavior. If I am good, I have to acknowledge that I am so partly because of my submission to the work of the Spirit, and partly because of the grace given to me as Jesus lives through me.

Just a couple of Saturday evening thoughts before I sit down to dinner with the one I love.

posted by Steve at 4:59 PM
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spirit farmer data

I'm Steve Lewis. This used to be my blogging home. My online home is now at SpiritFarmer.com. When this blog was my active online home, I lived in Seattle. Now I live in London, UK. I follow Jesus (poorly most of the time), worship simply, read a lot, watch culture, go to school, listen to music, write, enjoy art, and drink a lot of coffee.
e-mail me: spiritfarmer@gmail.com
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seattle spots

victrola coffee
zoka coffee
university of washington
church of the apostles
quest church
sanctuary church
shoreline vineyard


sites i visit

off the map
theooze
next-wave
metacritic
nt wright



a few of the blogs in the feedreader

tallskinnykiwi
jason evans
joe boyd
kevin rains
alan creech
chris marshall
bill bean
eugene cho
jordon cooper
dwight friesen
john chandler
amy palmer
ryan bolger
rudy carrasco
ryan sharp
sings in the sunshine
rick bennett
scot mcknight
karen ward
alan hirsch
dan kimball
petey crowder



i'm reading it

colossians remixed
africa unchained



i finished reading it - 2007

generation me
jesus and the restoration of israel
god's continent
glocalization
globalizing theology
gustavo gutierrez: essential writings
jesus and the eyewitnesses
garlands of grace
twenty poems to nourish your soul
the black swan
dancing in the streets
made to stick
signs in contemporary culture
hit the bullseye
revolution
the politics of jesus
readings in christian ethics
toward old testament ethics
the kite runner
principles of conduct
velvet elvis
the irresistable revolution
they like jesus, but not the church
the great omission
ishmael
charisma: the gift of grace, and how it has been taken from us
the starfish and the spider
a perfect mess
the world cafe
the new faces of christianity
leaving church
journeying in faith
the creed
creators
transforming mission
metaphors we live by
foolishness to the greeks
personal knowledge



states i've spent time: 2007

washington
texas
british columbia
oregon
california
georgia
oh yeah, denmark, too



i wrote it

managing conflict in the 'new world'
music review: over the rhine
film review: bonhoeffer
music review: fighting jacks
film review: the passion of the christ
how reality tv changes lives
the best tv article you've ever read
corks & caps: a wine lover's story of change
america's idols
random, disorganized thoughts about life after the katrina disaster
missional . . . plain and simple
on becoming post-gnostic



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