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To fully understand today’s Gospel (John 9:1-41) of Jesus restoring the sight of the man born blind, we need to go below the surface of the story. This is so often the case when Jesus speaks or acts. He wants us to look deeper into the inner meaning of the story. To do that in this passage, each of us needs to think of our ourselves as the one who is blind, the one who needs the touch of Jesus to help us to see. So that’s the first step. If we think we can see, that we have everything sorted out, that we think we know all the answers, then we are in trouble. It is when we know we are blind and need God’s light that we are getting somewhere.
So that means first, that we shouldn’t think we have all the answers to the problems of the…
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Alongside literary giants like Shakespeare and Tolstoy are the Berenstain Bears. (Maybe that’s a stretch, but just go with me on this one.)
In one of their timeless classics we learn about The Magic Toeshoes. Basically, a young bear wants to be a ballerina. But her toes are wobbly. So an old ballet master takes pity and gives her some “Magic Toeshoes,” saying that with these shoes she’ll be steady and confident.
Convinced of their power, she tries them on and is amazed at the result. As the year goes on, and as the big recital approaches, everything is set for her performance. But then, on the night of the show, she forgets her magic toeshoes at home!
Upset and anxious, she tells the old ballet master, who then discloses that they were never magic in the first place. They were just ordinary shoes.
So out onto the stage she…
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To often we settle for second best when it comes to our spiritual walk. We expect excellence in the products we buy. We demand excellence from employees or students. But when God asks us to be excellent we consider it to difficult or too demanding. Jesus gave us his very best. Give him the best you can through the reliance and power of his Holy Spirit.
One of the most important attributes of the family is connection. Connection benefits everyone involved because it gives and recieves mutual support, encouragement, accountability, and a sense of value and self-worth (among other things). The family of believers in Jesus Christ should have connection as its trademark. Connection is an individual choice. It can not be dictated from above.
Peace isn’t a pristine lake with glassy water. Peace is a bird safely in a nest being tossed about with the wind and pummeled by rain as thunder and lightning crash around it. Peace is actively pursuing God in the midst of the storm. It doesn’t come easily, but it is worth the effort.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 