Our Father is Not Custodial
I was speaking with some friends over a Skype conference last night. It was the last of 4 meetings some great men and I had over Robin’s book “The Healing Path.” I have many thoughts brewing from that extended conversation but for now I just want to mention a word. It was a word a wrote on my notes pages a couple weeks ago in a previous group chat appointment. The word is custodial. The word was mentioned in the context, I believe, of learning to receive the Father’s love and understand his affection for us as something greater and deeper than simply custodial.
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Orphans, Slaves, Sons: Part 2 of 2
Here Ben and Robin Pasley, and Laurie Thornton join forces over coffee and discuss the most recent article at www.churchthink.com about embracing our sonship. Getting out of slavery, and leaving the orphanage are both discussed. This is 2 of 2. Enjoy.
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Orphans, Slaves, Sons: Part 1 of 2
Here Ben and Robin Pasley, and Laurie Thornton join forces over coffee and discuss the most recent article at www.churchthink.com about embracing our sonship. Getting out of slavery, and leaving the orphanage are both discussed. This is 1 of 2. Enjoy.
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Orphans, Slaves, Sons
“Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.” Galatians 4:6
Let's take time together to discover what it means to be God's sons. Let's be free from slavery, and free from the life of the orphan.
Who Are the Children of God?
In order to set the stage for our discussion we must first understand, “Who are the children of God?” Well, in one sense we might easily say everyone is a child of God because we can see their very life has come from God. The intellectuals in Athens held to this point when Paul addressed them in Acts 17, and he used this idea to reinforce their understanding that God was our creator (as they said “we are His offspring”) and was not something made of our hands or a religious invention. We can ascribe the word “children” to be synonymous with “created by” in this sense, but we should not stop there. If we do stop there, then we can come to a quick conclusion: “If God did create us, and we are like his children, then what else is there to be concerned about? After all God could not abandoned His own, nor is there any need to consider religion, judgement, or the after-life.” We can see how easily this sentiment could grow strength, especially in our modern intellectual climate where metaphysical truths and absolute ideas about God or eternity are laughed off as archaic, bankrupt inventions.
Basics of Fathering, Part 2
Here is the audio interview between Ben Pasley and Mark Weaver where they discuss the article "Basics of Fathering" from Churchthink.com. This is the second of two parts.
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Basics of Fathering, Part 1
Here is the audio interview between Ben Pasley and Mark Weaver where they discuss the article "Basics of Fathering" from Churchthink.com. This is the first of two parts.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Basics in Fathering
SOME BASICS IN THE GRACE OF FATHERING
Scripture Note: 1Th. 2:11 For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children...
Different than mentoring by a degree
Mentoring is not fathering, exactly, even though fathering certainly involves mentoring. I will explain. As you may know, Mentor was a character in Homer’s ancient work: The Odyssey. In this drama King Odysseus (Ullyses) leaves Mentor, a friend, in charge of his son and his palace when he leaves to fight the Trojan War. Easy to see root meanings there. The idea of professional tutelage, or character coaching is popularized in the French author François Fénelon’s book covering the mentoring of a famous French duke. In both examples, and in real life, we do not expect that a mentor is a “bloodline” relationship. In most cases we view mentoring as the addition of a professional coach to build in a younger person a degree of aptitude in skill, intellect, or character for their betterment. Fathering may certainly require all the elements listed above, but it requires something more wouldn’t you say?
How to Act Like a Son, Part 2
I posted an article at churchthink.com on April 9th, 2008 by the same title. Now we take that article and use the content as a discussion tool. Ben interviews Gary Adolphe. Part 2 of 2. Don’t forget to post a “review” of ChurchThink at iTunes sometime soon!
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How To Act Like A Son, Part 1
I posted an article at churchthink.com on April 9th, 2008 by the same title. Now we take that article and use the content as a discussion tool. Ben interviews Gary Adolphe. Part 1 of 2. Don't forget to post a "review" at iTunes sometime soon!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
How to Act like a Son
Scripture Note
Prov. 4:1 Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding.
Part I
Like a “Dummies” guide for sonship
I love those books for “Dummies.” I don’t feel condescended to when I pick one up, rather, I feel that I will get the fundamentals laid out in a quick, easy-to-read manner and that all the non-essentials will be happily omitted. Great. So here is my offering to you. A quick, easy-to-read primer on some of the essentials of acting like a son. No big work on the concept, the theology of, or the great historical works surrounding...just the bare essentials for action. This article is not meant to be exhaustive. You may find things to add. Email me.