Yesterday I had an x-ray taken that shows no cartilage in half of each knee. No wonder it's hurt so much over the years and I'm afraid to run. It was limping through the auto show that finally got me to get it checked out: I'm so relieved I wasn't just wimping out! I got a cortisone shot in one knee and it seems to work to relieve the pain, but I want a more permanent solution.
Got an answer to my message from the other day: he says that in 17 years of pastoring, he's seen more people with too high an opinion of themselves and fewer with the self-hate I mentioned although he agrees that self-hate is a form of idolatry because it means you think more of your own opinion about yourself than God's opinion of you. I bow to his anecdotal evidence but most of the people I know cover self-hate with bluster that looks like conceit. I don't know...
Had a student give me an apology for seeming to doze in class tonight. I didn't blame her. If I had to listen to anyone (even someone as wannabe interesting as I am) for the duration of the 2.5 hour class I would be snoozing. She's actually very sharp and certainly didn't need to apologize.
Got our car back from its $550 dollar visit to the auto shop: front end fixed and it's smooth riding again, just like it was when we first got it. It is quite a pleasure to drive it.
Had a solo dance lesson today because my wife is sick. Even so she still had to work all day, but I did have a good lesson. It's all about learning to be a better leader now: standing up straight, head up, frame strong, push with the right don't pull with the left. And our favorite teacher isn't planning to dump us: whew!!
Adventure in the morning taking a taxi cab to sick call: worked out well and cost only $15. We'll do it again when we have to. And they take credit cards.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Sermon comments Feb 24 07
Hi John,
First, I’m glad you and the elders have taken a stand and have chosen, through God’s leading, to lead us away from the Vineyard. I’ve read the documents carefully and am confident that you are taking the best of what the Vineyard was into a fellowship newly regenerated in the image of God.
About this morning’s message, I have the following ideas. For most of us, the problem is not that we love ourselves too much, it is that we hate ourselves too much. Self-hatred leads to (or comes from) self-judgment and a desire to punish ourselves. This judgment and punishment really sets us up as our own god, which is a form of idolatry.
Self-hatred and idolatry cannot coexist with love of God within the same person.
If you are not a Christian it may be that the opposite of self-hate is self-love. But, if you are a Christian, you must renounce the self-hate, which is idolatry, and fill up instead with love of God and all that entails.
Maybe this sounds like I’m disagreeing with what you said (or maybe you see ramifications that lead me into a contradictory position), but I don’t think I disagree with anything in today’s message.
The answer to self-hate is not self-love and maybe there are therapists that head in that direction. While I don’t agree with anyone teaching self-love, I do think some people need help with letting go of the idolatry that is self-hate.
Just a few thoughts…Michael Sprague
First, I’m glad you and the elders have taken a stand and have chosen, through God’s leading, to lead us away from the Vineyard. I’ve read the documents carefully and am confident that you are taking the best of what the Vineyard was into a fellowship newly regenerated in the image of God.
About this morning’s message, I have the following ideas. For most of us, the problem is not that we love ourselves too much, it is that we hate ourselves too much. Self-hatred leads to (or comes from) self-judgment and a desire to punish ourselves. This judgment and punishment really sets us up as our own god, which is a form of idolatry.
Self-hatred and idolatry cannot coexist with love of God within the same person.
If you are not a Christian it may be that the opposite of self-hate is self-love. But, if you are a Christian, you must renounce the self-hate, which is idolatry, and fill up instead with love of God and all that entails.
Maybe this sounds like I’m disagreeing with what you said (or maybe you see ramifications that lead me into a contradictory position), but I don’t think I disagree with anything in today’s message.
The answer to self-hate is not self-love and maybe there are therapists that head in that direction. While I don’t agree with anyone teaching self-love, I do think some people need help with letting go of the idolatry that is self-hate.
Just a few thoughts…Michael Sprague
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)