The View from the West Mesa

I watched an initial training for the Nurtured Heart Approach today. It is a child development system that seeks not just to reduce "poor" behavior but to turn the energy of the caregivers toward "good" behavior. In one segment the observation is made that if you asked a bunch of kids to suggest behavior rules for their own group, they would begin to list things like no hitting, no yelling, no talking while the teacher is talking, no horseplay, and no throwing things. Pretty standard, uh?  Do you notice anything about that list? It's a list of "nos." The kids have been taught that rules are "don't do this and don't do that." This is so ingrained in them that when asked for their rules, they readily provide a stream of what not to do. The problem here is obvious - there are no expectations or rules for what you are  su pposed to be doing. There isn't even a mix of answers from the kids of positive and negative rules - they are

Christos Anesti! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!      The earth shakes           the garden is split           not in anger but in celebration           of new creation      The stone roles away           rock upon rock           the earth responding           to welcome her Creator      Angel of lightening           shimmering white           guarding and inviting           to witness and tell of new life      Soldiers and guards           terrified turn to ashen and white           not glowing, but shrinking           afraid of new life      Two women bring spices           enter the place of death           expecting continued sorrow           surprised by new life      A gardener in the path           offering resurrection greetings           held and worshipped in the garden           bringing new life to the Creation Alithos Anesti! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Resurrection Fresco Icon, Greek Orthodox Church of St. Katherine, Naples, FL

The Great Commission in Matthew 28 is often used to encourage missions and evangelistic activities. Through the history of the church, we have seen a number of such examples from the first and second Great Awakenings, and the Billy Graham Crusades. They’ve continued more recently with a number of popular preachers whipping up large crowds in various parts of the world. In all of these, we find the urging to “be saved.”  The statement of Jesus comes at the end of Matthew’s Gospel which is significant. Jesus has already sent his disciples in sets of two to tell the gospel, giving them specific instructions as to what to do in different locales based on the reception they receive. This sending in chapter 28 then isn’t something absolutely new. Too, both John and Jesus preached a gospel – the good news – of the kingdom of God and it’s immanent and imminent coming. What is interesting is that the lead-in to the Great Commission is Jesus’s statement that “all authority in Heaven and on