Thanks, as always, for lifting God’s saving grace above all of life’s messiness.
A group of men that I love has been studying the book The Titus Ten, A Foundation for Godly Manhood, by J Josh Smith. I highly recommend it. In the chapter on Mission, our call to share the gospel with the kingdom, Smith reflects on Titus 3:2 (ESV) “to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.”
He suggests that this verse means to go out of our way to show kindness to every single person we come in contact with. That includes the tatted up guy staring at you at the red light, and the server at the coffee shop showing you contempt, and the over zealous MAGA lady at Kroger, and the well-dressed exec with a closed heart.
Smith says, just imagine the power, influence, and impact we can make if our lives are marked by “perfect courtesy”! My men’s group decided to try and retool our behavior to model this as homework. The texts the next morning, reporting failure in our new endeavor, were predictable. This is Christlike behavior, but we’re working on ourselves, and each time we do treat someone with even slightly imperfect courtesy is a great thing.
Blessings to you and Kathryn. Prayers for scans, consults, Roseland, and treatments to come.
As always, your words are a source of encouragement. Thank you.
Too often I confuse sharing with speaking. I am growing to believe that to share the gospel begins with loving. It may, or may not, lead to speaking. To share the gospel might be less about the words I choose, and more about how I see the person in front of me, and how I respond to their words.
Again, grateful for you kind and insightful comments.
I mean, you COULD vote for me, but pretty sure you have some far better options. And I’m not sure I completely trust anybody who would really want the job, anyway.
Another GPS post… to whom do we give our hearts? Is this about kingdom love or Empire worship?
But more to the heart of the matter…
As you noted, perhaps it’s all about making room for the “other,” by making room for each other’s belovedness, each other’s goodness, as an active participation in reminding each other of our God-given loveliness as Saint Francis and the Sow (Kinnell’s poem) so beautifully captures, as you did here in our day-to-day living. What a different world it would be if we could just try to live it, claim it, be it. Drop the striving —embrace the being, starting with our own loveliness and flowing out to touch each other‘s. Then fear of choosing incorrectly at the ballot would become a moot point.
Thanks, as always, for lifting God’s saving grace above all of life’s messiness.
A group of men that I love has been studying the book The Titus Ten, A Foundation for Godly Manhood, by J Josh Smith. I highly recommend it. In the chapter on Mission, our call to share the gospel with the kingdom, Smith reflects on Titus 3:2 (ESV) “to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.”
He suggests that this verse means to go out of our way to show kindness to every single person we come in contact with. That includes the tatted up guy staring at you at the red light, and the server at the coffee shop showing you contempt, and the over zealous MAGA lady at Kroger, and the well-dressed exec with a closed heart.
Smith says, just imagine the power, influence, and impact we can make if our lives are marked by “perfect courtesy”! My men’s group decided to try and retool our behavior to model this as homework. The texts the next morning, reporting failure in our new endeavor, were predictable. This is Christlike behavior, but we’re working on ourselves, and each time we do treat someone with even slightly imperfect courtesy is a great thing.
Blessings to you and Kathryn. Prayers for scans, consults, Roseland, and treatments to come.
Scott,
As always, your words are a source of encouragement. Thank you.
Too often I confuse sharing with speaking. I am growing to believe that to share the gospel begins with loving. It may, or may not, lead to speaking. To share the gospel might be less about the words I choose, and more about how I see the person in front of me, and how I respond to their words.
Again, grateful for you kind and insightful comments.
Oremus,
C
Chris Rhoden 2024!
Thank you for your inspiring words. How timely and reflective.
“Don’t give your heart to the Empire,
Just. Don’t.”
Thanks for the reminder. “This nation, under God shall have a new birth of freedom.”
I would vote for you Chris.
Thanks, Paul.
I mean, you COULD vote for me, but pretty sure you have some far better options. And I’m not sure I completely trust anybody who would really want the job, anyway.
Best,
C
Another GPS post… to whom do we give our hearts? Is this about kingdom love or Empire worship?
But more to the heart of the matter…
As you noted, perhaps it’s all about making room for the “other,” by making room for each other’s belovedness, each other’s goodness, as an active participation in reminding each other of our God-given loveliness as Saint Francis and the Sow (Kinnell’s poem) so beautifully captures, as you did here in our day-to-day living. What a different world it would be if we could just try to live it, claim it, be it. Drop the striving —embrace the being, starting with our own loveliness and flowing out to touch each other‘s. Then fear of choosing incorrectly at the ballot would become a moot point.