Tag: Dr

Bench Players

GuillaumeG

There are a lot of bench players out there. You know the ones; they are on the team, but they are never quite in the game. Oh, they will cheer the players on the field with great gusto, but they never seem ready to enter the game as much as others.

We find them in all walks of life— sports teams, churches, business departments, etc. Some “players” would rather sit/stand on the sidelines and cheer rather than getting into the game. They never quite measure up.

In my line of work I find many bench players who cheer the team on; they just don’t want to play. What they settle into is a critical spirit that rains down on their fellow team members who are giving it all they’ve got. These bench players know how to get things done, of course, even better than those embroiled in the game, even better. They just never do it. And if they do have a better solution, we’ll never know it. Ah, if only they would play.

So, what kind of player are you? It’s easy to tell. If you are in the game, you are battered, bruised, dirty; discouraged one minute, elated the next. If you sit on the side and merely criticize those in the game, your uniform is spankin’ clean; you may have a great perspective on the overall game, but you are just not invested in it enough to get roughed up by the other team.

Real life needs players who play. Churches need players who play; and who are not afraid of getting beaten down every now & then. We need genuine Christians who are invested in the game. They are invested in their church and its goals. We already have too many bench players as it is.

Which kind of player do you think you are? Hint— look for wounds, cuts & abrasions.

Bleeding a little here,

  Gary

Mindless Christianity

 Mindless Christianity                 Imagine if you will a recent Study released by the Pew Research Center that showed Christianity to be the one religion that people are fleeing from, more than any other religion in the world.

http://holykaw.alltop.com/christians-fleeing-faith-faster-than-any-other-religion

Now imagine that you are a part of that religion and see no evidence of this in your churches. Worship services are great, the pastor’s sermons hit the nail on the head every week, the average age of the congregants is 35-45, the building is paid off, and you enjoy your Christian life in the midst of friends & family.

What you don’t see are the people who are not there. They are long-gone— playing golf, enjoying a relaxing Sunday morning at Starbucks, at home, boating, or simply sleeping in. The thought of going to church on a Sunday morning never enters their minds.

Too many of us have become mindless about those whom we never see. They are just “them,” or “non-Christians,” “the unsaved.” They are non-entities. We organize commando raids, evangelistic thrusts, into their midst and then regroup to “debrief.” Really!?! Whatever happened to being part of our society, our community, having neighbors we actually know and enjoy?

Actually, whatever happened to meaningful engagement? It feels as if the majority of our Christian community has ceased functioning, at least when it comes to clear, mindful thought. We find it so much easier to simply sit there and have someone who is an authority tell us what to think, believe, and DO. Then it slips out of our brains by that afternoon or evening.

With all the great minds of our past who launched the amazing movements of our faith past— the Cistercians, Augustine, Anselm, Francis of Assisi, Benedict, the Moravians, the Sacred Heard of Jesus, even those pesky Protesters, Calvinists & Huguenots, Pilgrims & Puritans— All made deep intellectual, yea academic, contributions to the history of Christian thought.

Today, not much thought is taking place in our churches. It has been replaced by a casual intellectualism and glancing references that support our personal perspectives. Even books are written for those with no more than an 8th grade reading level. Really?!? That’s it!?!

Ergo, please try to learn to think more deeply about your faith. Read some richer books than simple personal testimonies, or “sweet-Jesus” stories. Read books you cannot understand. Learn the differences between Christianity & Islam, between Catholics, Presbyterians, and Pentecostals. Learn the issues surrounding the emerging/emergent church. Think through possible loving responses to Bruce Jenner, One Direction, and the challenges put forth in the music of U2.

None of us were born brainless, mindless automatons; but there is ample evidence that we have striven doggedly to move in that direction.

For what it’s worth,

  Gary

Bathed in Yellow

Vincent Van Gogh, Christians, Dr, Gary Davis, God, reflection, vision                  It is not an unknown fact that painter Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890), used yellow in his art to signify the presence of God. In many of his self-portraits he was bathed in hues of soft gold and yellow.

Vincent lived a troubled life. Though he was the son and grandson of Dutch Reformed Church ministers, his own faith was tumultuous; he was constantly plagued with doubt, low self-esteem, and depression. So much so that at age 37 he took his own life with a single gunshot.

His paintings reflected his life— vague, obscure images, dark & brooding; yet with that thread or point of golden yellow burning through somewhere on the canvas. Whether point or thread, it is always there.

His art reflected his own life, to be sure; but it also mirrors so much in our own lives as well. The Christian life is not a glorious, joyous road to travel. Like van Gogh, we too find ourselves in places of darkness and confusion more often than not. Sometimes, the yellow glow of grace is totally lacking— or, at least it seems that way. At other times it feels like a distant star we can barely make out in the heavens. Or, as in Starry Night, we are engulfed within it—  “the glory of God shown ‘round about them.”

This is the way it was meant to be. Our faith is worth very little if we only bask in the glory of God’s golden hues. But this world is a complication of darkness and light.  It is in those dark times, in turbulence & testing that the steel of our trust in Christ is proven.

But you already know that. What you must constantly keep before your vision is the reality that your strength must come from God and not merely from within (II Tim. 2:1). In times of deep tribulation, our strength will eventually give out, fade, and collapse. Therefore, it is much easier to rely on Christ’s strength from the very onslaught of trouble rather than to tack it on after our own wears out.

For what it’s worth,

  Gary

Fast Faith

Dr, Gary, Davis, Fast, be still, race, Christian,           Let’s see…, how to be a Christian in the 21st Century—

·        Go to school.

·        Clean the house.

·        Shopping.

·        Go the plant, the office, wherever.

·        Shovel the snow.

·        Shovel more snow.

·        Drive the kids to Saturday sports practice.

·        Pick up the kids from sporting events.

·        Attend a small group with other Christians.

·        Maybe, if there’s time, have personal devotions each morning.

·        Oh, and go to church Sunday morning for an hour, maybe an hour & a half.

Now, back to the beginning…, repeat.

Is there anything missing? Probably. You’re thinking of something right now, aren’t you; and that made you think of something else!?! Is there no end to the things that chomp away at our lives?

We are moving too fast and our faith is having a hard time keeping up.

Just following my conversion to Christianity I remember a chapel speaker saying “There is enough time in each day for you to do all of God’s will.” Although my life often mocks this axiom it still raises a consideration at the end of every day. Did I make a difference today? Did I come any closer to fulfilling God’s design on my life? Most days…, yes.  But there are some days I would rather forget.

Being a genuine Christian in our post 9/11, postmodern, postChristian world is no simple matter. You need to find your “Christian-self” in the midst of the normal people who surround you. What visible aspects show others that you are genuinely a follower of Jesus Christ? How did you matter today for the sake of Christ’s glory and the Kingdom of God? What do normal people think about your “Christian side?”

Answering these questions will be different for all of us. But one similarity will run through every answer— and that is our need to slow down to allow our Lord to catch up to us. Give up on a fast-faith. It’s not worth it. “Be still… .”

For what it’s worth,

  Gary

After the Resurrection

Dr, Gary, Davis, Clueless, Christianity, Jesus, Tomb, Resurrection, waiting           Goin’ fishin’.” In essence, that is what Jesus’ closest disciples opted to do after His crucifixion. It was over. But Jesus asked them to wait— to wait for 3 more days. Three days of asking— What went wrong? What do we do now? Why wait to get on with our lives?

Have you ever felt that emptiness that follows the death of someone close to you— a mother, a dear friend, a child? It’s an emptiness that has no resolution, no closure; just a, flat, raw, void. It does pass; eventually.

Then the resolution to keep-on-keeping-on sets in; one foot in front of the other; another day to face. And you do it with a big hole in your life.

Sometimes it feels like Christ’s Church is still waiting. Waiting for something to happen. We say we’re looking forward to our Lord’s return, but we hardly live like it. We’ve established a new-normal. Faith without vibrancy, expectation, or longing—a settled faith that gives little regard to Christ’s commission to “make disciples” and to declare that He has conquered death and opened the door of heaven.

In too many ways, we have established a wrote-religion. You know what I mean— it’s what we do on Sundays. Same thing— week after week.

Isn’t it time somebody tackles our boredom and shakes things up a bit. Jesus certainly did. Ask yourself these questions—

  •   What difference is my faith making to people outside the church?
  •   What challenges me to make a difference?
  •   What can I do to overcome my uncomfortable feelings when I am surrounded by normal people?
  •   How can my life matter to others?
  •   What do I need to do to change?

The Resurrection took the Jesus’ disciples by surprise. May He surprise us still, today. Be afraid!

For what it’s worth,

  Gary

Response: The Science is IN: God is the Answer

Religion, God, Spirituality, Dr Gary, Davis, Clueless, ChristiansFor people within the sphere of religion, any religion, Brian Bethune’s & Genna Buck’s article The Science is IN: God is the Answer (McCleans, 30 March 2015), comes as no surprise. People raised in secure loving religious homes tend to have greater skills at facing the realities of adulthood. Children raised within this kind of environment tend to be better equipped at re-defining themselves when they reach both puberty and that “ah-ha” moment we now define as “individuation.” i.e. that phase in life wherein a child ceases to define his/her-self in terms of their parent’s values and creates their own value system, beliefs, and life priorities. Granted, this can be a time of trial & error run amuck; but, hey, that’s what growth and transition are all about. If you get it right the first time, you’re holding on way too tight!

            That being stated, I have encountered a LARGE number of twenty-somethings, who come from religious families— conservative Christian, liberal Christian, Jewish, Catholic, Muslim (Sunni/Shiite), and others, who are a psychological mess. Their lives have no borders or boundaries; they can’t make a decision about anything; commitment to anything is terrifying; and their ties to any belief system change hourly. “If you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you’re with.”

            I’m sure Lisa Miller’s (the researcher who studied this topic for 18 years) efforts yielded factually supported data. But I wonder if she ever actually met an adult child from a conservative Christian family? Or Catholic family? Or modern-day Jew? There is very little faith left to their religion. They are, in effect, practical “religious-atheists” who call upon their religious roots in times of disorientation or trouble and then quickly return to their lives as really nice people.

                Our societies search for spirituality outside of faith has only yielded a feel-good-faith; certainly not one that will hold up under the pressure of postChristian non-presuppositions about why it’s not all about me. It is, ya know.

Centenarian

Florence Davis-05                Today, March 16th, would have been my mother’s 100th birthday. She exited this life just two months shy of her 98th birthday, January 19, 2012. She lived a valuable and influential life, teaching prisoners, caring for the poor, and moving among high ranking governmental officials, even Presidents.

But her real value was at home, to my sister and me as “mom.” Just mom. We did not know her in her other, more public roles; nor did we know our father, Earl Carlton Davis, as the founder of our present-day mega-ton maritime industry. For us, he was just “dad.” Never mind that he drank with Presidents and stevedores alike, and ran the gamut from the FBI to the Mafia members. He was, at home, just dad.

Now that they are both gone, my sister, Carol, and I reflect on their lives often. What they gave us was immeasurable.

Dad gave me his horrible sense of humor; a malady I suffer even to this day. My mom simply mixed up the punch-line with the joke. We forgave them both for these gifts years ago.

My mother’s consistent tenacious character has formed my character in deep ways. It is hard for me to let go, to give up, or quit. My dad passed along his toughness to fortify my determination.

My dad’s meanness taught me how not to be a father. Although, I’m not that sure I was that great of a father anyway.

Dad’s congenial character taught me diplomacy. I learned to compromise and still get things done right. That was an art, his art, and I am glad I’ve inherited so much of it.

But it was my mom’s personal Christian faith that most informed my early years, teen years, and throughout college & graduate school. Though I had my father’s personality, I definitely had my mother’s faith. She rarely passed it along to us through words; rather, it came to us through her attitudes and actions; and through prayer— lots of prayer. She was the embodiment of Jesus Christ Himself for us! Her prayers even drew dad back to God, through years of disappointment & anger.

Has there been someone in your life who has had a rich, deep impact on you? Thank God for them! Get in touch with them. Thank them yourself, before you miss the chance.

We kids are a dumb lot, often unable to see the love and care of those closest to us. It’s probably time we tuned-in a tad more and appreciated what God has given us.

Thanks mom, for everything…, & Happy Birthday!

 

For what it’s worth,

  Gary

Endangered Species

dr, Gary, Davis, Clueless, Christian, Da Vinci, Endangered, Species, Humans,

                  More than 2,200 years ago, Protagoras, an Ancient Greek philosopher, was credited as saying—

Man is the measure of all things.”

Plato interpreted this to mean that there is no absolute truth. Rather, only that which an individual believes to be true IS true.(Wikipedia)

WOW, there really is nothing new under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 1:9) The individualistic thinking of our day isn’t that much different. People believe whatever they want, true or not. The common sentiment is that we can create our own truth. No external reference points necessary.

Well, except for things like surgery on MY body, gravity, airplane construction, definitely automobiles, especially the brakes, and rocket trajectory, for those of us chosen for the first Mars mission. In these areas, and many, many more, we want the Absolute Truth followed to its most precise definition.

It is curious that the idea of man being the measure of all things cannot stop the rain just after you’ve washed the car; or prevent traffic jams & heart attacks. Maybe we’re measuring something else? The goal, of course, is to control everything around us, even though we know that is impossible.

Nonetheless, we still try.

Why?

A goal of absolute control is at the base of man is the measure of all things. We have longed for safety from the inception of our species. We crave safe borders and a safe platform upon which to base our lives. For many people on this planet, that amounts to the accumulation of things, building a barricade between us and the world outside. Thus has personal wealth risen to such preeminence. Money provides not only safety but barriers as well.

In protecting ourselves and building walls to keep out the undesirables, we have intentionally undermined our own existence. We were created to dwell among others, working and living together to make this world, our village, a safer, more enjoyable place to be. But in constructing barriers, nations, tribes, etc., we have formed communities that exclude others. Is this a good thing? Look at world history. You tell me.

In so many ways we have assured our own extinction in our lust for control and security. This was not the way it was meant to be. Our Creator’s desire was that we be like Him, in community, intrinsically woven together in one another’s lives. Instead, what we have done on this planet is to divide & conquer. We hoard natural resources for our own survival and not for the inclusion of others.

In so doing we have added to the extinction of our species—humanity, male & female, created by God, and sought the destruction of those not like us.Brilliant!

For what it’s worth,

  Gary

Vermicompost

Dr, Gary, Davis, Clueless, Christian, Worms, Compost, Vermicompost                 Vermicompost is the product or process of composting using various worms, usually red wigglers, white worms, and other earthworms to create a heterogeneous mixture of decomposing vegetable or food waste, bedding materials, and vermicast. Vermicast, commonly known as worm poop, is the end product (pun intended) of the breakdown of organic material by an earthworm. -Wikipedia

We had a cute little depressing nursery rhyme when I grew up— “Nobody loves me, everybody hates me; I’m gonna go eat worms.” ‘Turns out that might not be a bad idea. Worms seem to have a way of turning organic materials into a super-rich fertilizer. Eventually, they will even turn you and me into fertilizer. Doesn’t that just make your day!?! So the next time you feel like $#*%, enjoy it! You’re finally on your way to making a difference in this world. Worm poop at last!

You can find a ray of hope in everything. In pain, in prison; in terrible poverty or in facing death, there is always a hope that beams within us just below the surface of what everyone else sees. Why is that? Where does it come from? I believe it is a remnant of the glory of creation, where the entire Universe came into Being. Birds have it, I know dogs do, and children…, they have it. WE have it too; it’s just that we’ve allowed it to be buried deep within the dark void of our souls, unable to break through to the surface.

I’ve had my share of pain and horror in life, betrayal and judgment: somehow I’ve always been able to feel that glowing ember of hope, burning deep within, underneath the anguish of the moment, or month, or year. I truly believe that it was placed there by our Creator; it’s there to remind us that we are not alone. That leftover spark from the first millisecond of time is what still connects us to the Universe and to the God who made us. If I did not believe that, I would be no more than a speck of dust— a compilation of atoms that even the worms wouldn’t want. That connection is the real “god-particle.”

So the next time you feel like worm-poop, try to feel that tiny glowing spark of Creation still glowing with you. It’s there. Go digging. [Note- You might have to dig through a lot of worm poop to get to it.]

For what it’s worth, poopy-head,

  Gary

You are Not Welcome in This Church

locked doorIn a world where most normal people find very few reasons to go to church some of the biggest roadblocks come from the other side— from within the church. Gone are the days of churches trying to be “seeker-sensitive.” People are not seeking anymore; at least not in the direction of the church. The Christian religion is no longer seen as a place to find the answers to life’s deeper question.

            Of course, fewer people are even asking those deeper questions any longer. There are just too many other things that demand our complete attention all the time. ALL the TIME! If it’s a choice between sleeping in on a Sunday morning and going to church, guess what wins? If it’s a choice between finding baby sitters for the kids so you can have your car repaired and a quiet coffee with a friend or going to church, guess what wins?

            So if you ever get to church and the door locked, the posted information inadequate, or the preacher to be the judge-from-hell, you are most probably NOT going to return. Lousy coffee is also a great deterrent to keep people away. In my opinion, every church should have Starbucks™ level coffee, even if you have to charge for it. Few things in a church better communicate we-don’t-think-much-of-ourselves-or-of-you than bad coffee. End of rant.

            Except maybe, the “Them & Us” syndrome. If you’ve ever visited a church and felt totally alone, you are not alone. I’ve been in churches where not one person has said hello to me! And I was the guest-speaker. Things that make you go Hummmmm?

             Allow me to suggest that you read further in this article by Joe McKeever. And for Christ’s sake, literally, let’s do something about this stuff.

            It seems that some churches have the social savvy of a door knob— which is also locked.