tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28586092.post8390343699620056930..comments2024-01-22T14:53:11.410+03:00Comments on Ministry2Kenya: "Loving my Neighbor": Challenging Quotes from John Wesley (1703-1791)debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01714981143292248579noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28586092.post-82773131443543224442011-03-18T13:52:21.409+03:002011-03-18T13:52:21.409+03:00Wow, re: "hearing his name more often than Go...Wow, re: "hearing his name more often than God's" !!<br /><br />I'm an extremist too!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28586092.post-37170058541678294402011-03-18T12:34:32.429+03:002011-03-18T12:34:32.429+03:00Jo mentioned the book to me recently. Do you guys ...Jo mentioned the book to me recently. Do you guys have a copy of it? If so, I'd love to borrow it.debhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01714981143292248579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28586092.post-84556690813830978622011-03-18T12:29:38.272+03:002011-03-18T12:29:38.272+03:00If we treat Wesley as an extremist then I agree, a...If we treat Wesley as an extremist then I agree, and I'm with you both.<br /><br />Talking about extremists, have either of you read 'Crazy Love', by Francis Chan? He was a Pastor of a large Californian church who quite about a year ago because, as he says, he was hearing his name more than God's name being uttered in his church. He shares a view, rather extremist some would say, that the majority of Western Christians will not end up in heaven. In a nutshell it's because of their lukewarmness, and the bit in Revelation about 'spitting them out'. I felt challenged, even though I'm no longer a Western Christian, or at least I don't consider myself to be one, by his view.<br /><br />If you haven't read it I'd recommend it.Jon Parsonshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09957869403808942268noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28586092.post-42387386749804649062011-03-18T12:15:01.380+03:002011-03-18T12:15:01.380+03:00Cool! Then call ME an extremist!
Naomi, I love yo...Cool! Then call ME an extremist!<br /><br />Naomi, I love your "even for a moment" and "ONE choice" ideas!debhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01714981143292248579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28586092.post-33963514189755073892011-03-18T12:06:33.092+03:002011-03-18T12:06:33.092+03:00For me, it is a reminder to be just that, balanced...For me, it is a reminder to be just that, balanced.<br /><br />Most of the quotes that resonate with me, encourage me or challenge me are not spoken by complacent men/women ... they are most often extremists in their views and belief systems. <br /><br />The definition of an extremist is "One who advocates or resorts to measures beyond the norm."<br /><br />If we all practiced our daily life, made our daily choices based on the norm, then these quotes are truly calling us to step outside of them ... even for a moment.<br /><br />I would love to see what this world would look like if we all made ONE choice that reverberated from Wesley's viewpointAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28586092.post-91434270973929525602011-03-18T11:57:04.350+03:002011-03-18T11:57:04.350+03:00Cool! I love that you're applying his "ex...Cool! I love that you're applying his "extreme" ideas to your normal everyday life (buying clothing for a wedding) and buying Jo a gift. I think that's great!<br /><br />re: finding a balance - I totally agree. EACH one of us has to do that for ourselves! And it will look different for each one of us. That's the beauty, isn't it?<br /><br />I think quotes such as these help us to avoid becoming complacent. And I also think complacency is a dangerous place to remain.debhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01714981143292248579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28586092.post-79851178715812613892011-03-18T11:46:59.524+03:002011-03-18T11:46:59.524+03:00I think it's great practice to be stretched in...I think it's great practice to be stretched in our thinking Deb. I am always up for that, it would be too easy to become complacent about these sorts of issues without any challenges. <br /><br />How much should one conform to the society one is in? Should I wear a decent suit to my sister-in-law's wedding in April, or get something from Toi that will do the job but may be frowned upon by some? <br /><br />I guess I think that there is a balance to be found, and that Wesley's quotes don't appear to allow for that - they are fairly extreme. Maybe he deliberately wrote them that way to challenge people and get them thinking, but if what he writes is true then he lived them out. I respect him for that but wonder if all are called to do the same? <br /><br />I was thinking about the quotes when I went to look for a birthday present for Jo on Wednesday. I suppose to strictly apply them to my life I would have bought her something completely essential. I didn't do that, and nor do I think it would have been right to do that. But why do I think it's ok for me to buy something that is not necessary when there are people starving etc.<br /><br />For me the answer lies in our human view of our life in this world, compared to God's perspective of life here as a minute fraction of eternity.Jon Parsonshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09957869403808942268noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28586092.post-76447988712802067632011-03-18T11:22:13.944+03:002011-03-18T11:22:13.944+03:00Jon, I appreciate your ideas. In fact, I really mi...Jon, I appreciate your ideas. In fact, I really miss the VBI study we did on this subject. I loved the dialogue it generated.<br /><br />I certainly can't pretend to speak for the man. What I do know is that his context was primarily clothing and food - not perfume (that Jesus applauded) or a temple (that God commanded).<br /><br />I do believe God wants us to enjoy all foods. However... I think it's wise for each one of us to challenge our own thinking and our own actions from time-to-time. Wesley's thoughts are - to me - a good way to do that.<br /><br />You and I rub shoulders on a daily basis with poor people. Don't you think it's a good practice to be stretched in our thinking - not only about how we relate to them - but also how we live when we return to our own homes?debhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01714981143292248579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28586092.post-10279302029797522002011-03-18T08:51:00.582+03:002011-03-18T08:51:00.582+03:00So he wouldn't have supported washing Jesus...So he wouldn't have supported washing Jesus' feet with a bottle of expensive perfume? And what about, in the old testament, the amount of money that was spent on the building of the temple?<br /><br />Does God want us to eat only the mst basic of food that will sustain us, rather than enjoying the variety of food he has given us? <br /><br />I have been thinking about this quote since you posted it, and I think that I don't agree with him. I don't believe we, as Christians, are called to try to right all the wrongs of the world. I believe we are called to make a difference, yes, but if we all did that then there would be no need for such extreme measures that Wesley was supporting in these quotes.<br /><br />It's actually a very materialistic view in my opinion, and I don't believe God views us that way. Yes, God created us all equal, but that doesn't mean that, in the eyes of the world, we should all be equal. <br /><br />Is that a contentious thing to say?Jon Parsonshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09957869403808942268noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28586092.post-87019922232112494482011-03-16T14:05:50.285+03:002011-03-16T14:05:50.285+03:00Challenging is the perfect word to describe these....Challenging is the perfect word to describe these.Miss Britthttp://www.miss-britt.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28586092.post-21899390854752679762011-03-16T10:44:24.167+03:002011-03-16T10:44:24.167+03:00All amazing quotes ....All amazing quotes ....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com