Creating Your World

Before I begin, let me lay down this disclaimer.  This blog is the inquiry into a specific thought or idea that I have heard before, and that others a presently practicing and are Facebooking and Tweeting similar thoughts and ideas about each day.  So, thank you to those of you who already express the same sentiment.  You know who you are.    

Recently, have been contemplating the thought, and probably more accurate, the reality that we as individuals create the world in which we abide.  Each day I hear this strangely odd voice telling me to create my reality.  I hear it so often, that it’s generating an overwhelming curiosity.  What is this phrase that I am hearing in my head and in my ears about creating my reality?  Could it be God?  Or, is it just me?  Hmm….  I wonder. 

Here’s another disclaimer.  I am not this type of person who easily believes that I can think things into existence. This is not who I am.  I am not one who simply believes that I can think material things into my possession.  I do believe however, that we can generate for ourselves positivity and negativity.  In other words, if you think badly you can create a certain atmosphere where bad things occur.  Likewise, if you think positively positive things can occur. 

This may seem a bit odd, but the truth of the matter is that we are in control of the outlook and most often the reality pertaining to our situations and circumstances. 

Normally, I bark at such theories calling it irrational and unintellectual bull and nonsense.  But, today I am taking a different approach. I am intrigued by this thought, so I feel that it is my duty to continue exploring the matter. 

The reason why I say that I normally bark at such theories that presuppose that we are in control of our reality is because, what do I say to the person who had no choice in the matter pertaining to their situation?  How do I explain, job loss, and homelessness, and mental illness, and rape and murder, and other such overwhelming tragedies like earthquakes and tsunami’s that wreak havoc on  humanity any given Sunday?  To that, I do not have an answer.  I can’t and will not sum it up as bad Karma. If you don’t know what I mean then Google it.  To think in that manner is not my cup of tea and to provide a Christianized answer would be too easy as well.  Therefore, I am not ashamed in saying I don’t know, and that I can’t explain those particular situations.  I don’t know why people incur such tragic situations.  I don’t know why when I was a little boy that my younger sister died of Leukemia. I can’t explain it.  I don’t try.  Do I try to make sense, yes?  Do I succeed in making sense, no?  Did my mother and father create a reality in which my little sister had to die?  I don’t think so.  Did my little sister create her own reality, one that ended in the loss of her life?   I don’t think so.  So, for me to sit here and try to explain the unknown is simply foolish. Instead, I try to respect the unknowable, and the tremendously unexplainable ways in which God and creation work.  This may be another topic, but for now, it hurts less, and I’d rather honor the mysteries of God than to keep trying to answer the unanswerable.        

So, instead of trying to explain tragedy, I rather explore the idea that the average person is quite capable of creating a world or reality for his or her self that is remarkably great and significant. I mean that I believe that as an individual we can choose to view our life, or world in any way we choose to view it.  It is ours for the choosing.  It is our reality or world to create.  It is not up to anyone else but us to create our reality.  What we accept and how we view the world in which we live in is entirely up to us.  There is no way around this.  Perspective is always a matter of choice, and each of us always has a choice in this matter.  Therefore for me, in my world I create and allow to exist ideals that include optimism, hope, peace, blessing, prosperity, greatness, success, joy, fellowship, friendship, love, happiness, nobility, regality, wonder, amazement, exuberance, and much, much more! 

This is how I begin to create my own world, with my thoughts!  Secondly, I do my best to employ a set of principles that help me to reach my goals and objectives.      

First, the outlook of my current situation or circumstance must remain positive.  This is the starting point.  It is imperative that I gain and keep the proper perspective about my current situation. 

Second, building specific habits that help me actualize a certain goal is critical.  Goals and dreams without an action plan, is just creative imagination.  I tell myself that I must work for the life that I desire.  There are no handouts and there are no free lunches.  If I am blessed along the way then so be it, and that’s just icing on the cake. 

Third, build reinforcement.  If the goal is to create wealth, build the necessary reinforcement it takes to help you stay the course. 

Fourth, I continue to speak positively about my situation, myself, my family, and my ability to obtain my goals. I resist the temptation to allow excuses, and distractions to derail me from achieving my goal. 

Fifth, I always, always remember that God desires for me to be successful and God is with me and not against me.

These are my thoughts and ideas about creating a world in which one is happy and content.  Thanks for reading.    

Church and culture of young adult

I recently read an article that claimed that studies
show that twenty something year olds are dropping out of church at an alarming
rate.  When questioned, they gave reasons
that the church is non-community, homophobic, out of touch with the real world,
legalistic, anti-art, judgmental and anti-intellectual.  Furthermore, twenty year olds claimed that
someone or something wounded them; they were members of a church where the
pastor committed some sexual sin, or were members of a congregation where the
leaders were more concerned with the building than the care of the people. Even
still, as if those few reasons are not enough much of their disappearance is
because of the changing culture.  Here,
the church seems to disconnect from the pace and trend of current technological
advances and lags behind leaving a chasm between church and real world.  Because of the trend and pace of technology, community
happens elsewhere, within the world of social media instead of the local
church. 

The aforementioned reasons are interesting and
thought provoking to say the least. While the comments do provide modest critique about the community of the
church and to some degree is necessary it fails to realize two very important
points. 

First, church and community don’t just happen on its
own.  Intentional relationship based church
and community happens when individuals are unafraid and openly willing to be
involved with others.  It’s like sending
a friend request except it’s done in person. To this, what strikes me as odd is that outside of the church most twenty
something year old people are very pursuant of intimacy, love, commonality,
career, goals, human rights, and political and social equality, which all specify
community, but for one reason or another have great difficulties doing the same
within the context of the four square walls we call church.   

Secondly, and it’s my view, although probably stated
before asks the question, “When did updating your current status on a
particular social network to a bunch of so called friends qualify as community.”  Is this some sort of new kind of community
that speaks to the heart of our human existence?  Quite possibly.  I mean its worthy of our attention.  Or, are we seeing a redefinition of community
morphing into something greater as our lives become more globally centered.   Hmm, more globally centered.  Is that really what is happening?  If so, then maybe, just maybe it’s time that
we rethink church.   

After talking to self for a few days and doing a bit
of mental jousting, I decided to ask my 21-year-old daughter what she thought.
To her point, and probably the underlining reason why twenty something year olds
are leaving the church is because the church does a poor job at providing the
common ground necessary to foster community. She said, while church is good, it doesn’t provide the common ground
that work, school, military, and other social places do which are necessary to
foster relationships.  She said people
come and go at church and it’s easier to neglect community because there is
nothing that brings people together in a real intimate way.  Work, school, and other social institutions
force people to build relationship whether good or bad.  The church doesn’t do this.  So, for a young adult, it is easier to go
somewhere where you are known and people listen to you, talk with you, and
share with you.  In other words, it’s
easier to find community on a popular social network than it is in the
church. 

This being said, maybe church ought to be intentional
about creating a community like atmosphere where individuals get to know one
another in a real and intimate way. Traditional church is done in the fashion that people go to hear God
speak through the pastor or leader.  This
is okay in a sense.  But, it begs to
question that if the church is losing membership to social media then maybe it’s
time that we do church at the table where different aspects of Gods voice can
be heard, and through that each person is valued, known, and appreciated as
someone special.  How this is done is difficult,
and maybe this is just a start.  But, if
church continues in the way that it has been for centuries then maybe it is time
that we take a cue from these twenty something year olds and do something
different.   

The kingdom of God for a contemporary society still means the 'rule, reign and manifestation of God' in the earth.

Theory, Philosophy, Conception

Ok, respectfully speaking we reason between that which is actualized and that which is realized. The 'Kingdom of God has come' means what for a 21st century theologian? Or better culture and society. Despite all attempts and efforts to define or legitimize this concept, our limited perspectives fogs right paradigms. Simply put accurate definition is futile.

Over the next several months I will attempt to unpack, flesh out, and dress this kingdom concept. No holds barred. I will seek to set aside the lenses I often use when in conversation with scripture as to be unburdened and unrestrained and unrestricted in framing a piece that is obtainable and pragmatic for contemporary society.