The View from the West Mesa

If there are things that together compose the sine qua non of the disciple’s life, Scripture is surely one of them. Scripture provides our primary physical revelation of both God and our purpose. It is with Scripture that we can measure our transformed being as we mature. Scripture is the authoritative record of God’s interaction with Man. But Scripture, simply learned, memorized, parsed, and critiqued in an academic sense is powerless and fruitless. Approaching Scripture as an interesting product of Man’s existence is to miss its import. Scripture’s purpose is to lead us back to where we started; back to who God made us to be. Scripture reveals in its opening verses that Man (male and female) was made in the very image of God. Unlike the other animals, there is something different about Man and his being. It is not that we have physical bodies, or legs, or lungs, or blood. That we have a spirit is closer to the mark, but does not quite grasp the image concept. That image of God that w...

As we begin a new year, we are reviewing our belief statement. Here's a draft of mine.... ___________________________ I believe first and foremost that God is, that He created everything that is, and that He sustains the creation by His power. I believe that God loves all people, that He seeks to commune with them, and that the separation of people from Him causes Him sorrow and grief. I believe that God sent Jesus to reveal the character of God, to heal Man, and to make a way for Man to return to his original relationship with God which He did by living a faithful life and dying on the cross in submission to God. I believe that Jesus rose from the dead and ascended to Heaven where He mediates between God and Man. I believe that God remains active in the world through His Spirit who is given to all believers and who transforms Man by working in them and interceding between God and Man. I believe that Scripture is the divine physical record of God’s revelation of Himself and as such...

The Jesus Prayer is a very old prayer used by Christians to keep God in mind and keep themselves aware of His presence. It is very short, having a pretty much fixed content for centuries. The prayer is essentially a prayer for mercy but includes acknowledgement of Jesus's relationship with God and the Christian, and acknowledgement of the Christian's dependence on mercy as a sinner. Worded variously, an Orthodox version reads "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." Worded or thought in this form, the prayer is easy to say and can be used to focus us on our mission and place in God's plan. In the middle of chaos or around distractions, this short prayer can serve a useful purpose. During periods of more extended quiet, the prayer can be expanded by reflecting on its words. The following is an example of using the prayer in this manner. "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." "Lord, master, king. I don't k...