development, hurry & hustle

Reflections on episodes 1 & 2 of a podcast by two blokes on hurry & husstle, that we listened to on our road trip to an AGM & holidays

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Our hurry and our hustle aren't at all

the necessary things that they can seem,

in fact they might not play more than a small

part in a godly life! - that's what I mean.

And more than that, though work and rest are part

of what we're given by the God above,

they're worth no more than any burp or fart

a little child does, to earn parents' love.

The little one does not know all about

the process of it's growing up to be

more like its parents, till it can hang out

with them, when they declare "You're just like me!"

And so in trust of parents who know more,

who speak in love to save their children from

more hardships than they need, what they'll abhore;

the child's obedience from love is long

and far, the winner, honouring what's apt

to bring the best, and in that way "success",

is this entrusting self to who is rapt

in love and loves the chickens in their nest.

We don't decide to move from stone to chick,

although we do have some real parts to play.

The myst'ry of the change (which is magic)

occurs within each egg, from DNA.

As it just sits and rests within the dark 

of shell, but too within the warmth and care,

of mother chook, and where she chose to park

her nest, so that the best start happens there.

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Work from our identity, not for our identity.

Faithfulness is success

Honouring the process of becoming

The Day starts at sunset.

The week starts at shabbat.

As a society we've moved from people (by and large, in the pre-industrial world), being craftsman, to people being, through our focus on industry and money, a mindless cog in a machine…. (& creating our very identity through our work). Well, let's move back!

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Katrina Ellen Walker nee Heer.

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Katrina's fully 60 years today,

and still can be a little girl at heart.

Reminds me of what Jesus had to say

'bout living in God's kingdom from the start,

not taken in, excreted, and then loathed,

to leave imaginative, trusting ways.

This principle of growth, and teamwork, both

is quick to change, to take on what displays 

the goodness of what's good, for goodness' sake.

To watch & listen ev'rywhere around

within God's world where folk do often bake,

and outcomes can be known before they're found,

and have another go, instead of stop

and dig in heels, to never try again.

I've seen her look up, listen, do a hop,

and have another go at being friends.

And set herself to still respond with care,

and thoughtfulness to others, like me, who

will show some other face of God who's "there",

but also in each "here" we come up to.

And I've come up to God within this one

who's learning to be grateful in the grime

& messiness of life, to have some fun

while not denying present pain in time.

Which seems of such importance at this stage

of immaturity, in our womb-world.

Just sixty years, or just six days of age -

within this human family where we're hurled.

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Glad Paul, 17th September 2022CE

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Ambassador's message to the nations

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The two times in Acts where Jesus' ambassador to the non-Jewish nations, Paul,  was talking to a non-Jewish audience, he comes out with different, though similar beautiful explanations of the new conditions of interchange between these dimensions of reality: Heaven & Earth.

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We’re here to bring the Message of a new

agreement here between you people and

the maker of this world, a father to

each human whom he sees as in command

of this world, and maybe this Universe,

and since he gave us his own motive force,

we will not try to make you (that's perverse)

- unless you claim that as your way, of course.

But if we can persuade you, help you see

the sense in trusting, with wonder & awe,

the living God … embrace this God so we

can learn the reason we've been put here for.

The Ecosystem God; who made all this—

these spaces to exist, and live and be,

the heavens and the earth, sky, sea, all which

would live and move, & ultimately breathe

the breath, the wind, the spirit of all life,

that's worth the living, in the mind of God

and every thing within these places rife

with vast existence, and with care that's odd.

“In generations long before us, God

let all the different nations go their ways. 

But even then he didn’t leave each bod

with no clue -for he made what good displays 

within creation, poured down rain and gave 

the bumper crops that come, to tide the bad.

And with your bellies full, the way was paved

for grateful happy hearts, to see and add,

and be conduits themselves to others too.

And sure they might need help to do it well;

but help was right at hand, to help us do

what's needed, so to make this less like hell.

From scratch, he made the human race itself,

and made the earth hospitable, with hope

& heaps of time and space to live in health

we could seek after God, and not just grope 

around within the dark, but really find 

this God (who’s not remote at all) per chance,

he’s near as air we breathe, before, behind.

We live, and move in him, who made up dance.

God overlooked our ignorance in past

times, knowing that folk knew no better then

but I'm so glad to say that needn't last.

The spotlight's shone on New Adarm - that's when

he conquered death, and scarcity, and fear!

He's calling you to live in his own realm,

and in his way; to know that God is near.

He calls this change of life. He's at the helm.

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"..we’re here to bring you the Message, to persuade you to … embrace God himself, the living God. We don’t make God; he makes us, and all of this—sky, earth, sea, and everything in them. “In the generations before us, God let all the different nations go their own way. But even then he didn’t leave them without a clue, for he made a good creation, poured down rain and gave bumper crops. When your bellies were full and your hearts happy, there was evidence of good beyond your doing.” Acts 14:14‭-‬18 MSG

The other time Paul was talking to a non-Jewish audience he comes out with similar beautiful turns of phrase…

" Starting from scratch, he made the entire human race and made the earth hospitable, with plenty of time and space for living so we could seek after God, and not just grope around in the dark but actually find him. He doesn’t play hide-and-seek with us. He’s not remote; he’s near. We live and move in him, can’t get away from him! … … “God overlooks it as long as you don’t know any better—but that time is past. The unknown is now known, and he’s calling for a radical life-change. Acts 17:24‭-‬31 MSG

I want to grow in wisely expressing this God's amazing grace and thoughtful love. If you have any suggestions, as to ways forward for me, I'll (try to) listen carefully

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simply entrusting

simply entrusting 

(Yeshua's way)

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... simply entrusting himself to the one

who judges justly, then he went on

to do all the good that he could as the son

of creative love - who's already begun. 

He looked up… 

draft 1 audio with piano

draft 1 acapella (with Annabelle)

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Yeshua's way - to walk through life, & to follow: Acts 10:38-43; 1Pet 2:12,15,19-25; Ps 121; Ps 123; Mk6:41; Mk 7:34; Jn 14:8‭-‬14; Jn 5:16‭-‬17‭,19‭-‬20 (https://www.openbible.info/topics/doing_good_deeds)

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'gainst the grain! (through the pain)..

 

A family grieves a death and difficulties, while holding onto hope's resilience.

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Oh God, I don't know how ol' Bob goes now.

His brother Jack said: "We are all ok," that's "thanks to our Lord Jesus Christ" somehow.

"When we are weak, then we are strong.." today,

if we are - and we are! - I hear him say,

".. in Christ." That is the goal, and starting point,

the path to take on pilgrimage, the WAY!

The truth, the life worth living, the anoint-

ed leader of humanity, I'd say;

and I think Bob would quickly here agree,

so I can rest my fears, and trust (& pray)

and not be worried 'bout the waves at sea.

My brother's in good hands, if Christ is there,

and I am not his saviour, nor can be

much more than one of your small children's prayer.

I'm looking forward to what we shall see

of your good life, & love, and joy, and peace,

within this world, that tabernacles there

in skin-tent through which God would be released

to more of his small kids, quite unaware

that they've a Father who would be their own,

much closer than the links through DNA,

for ev'ry molecule, of ev'ry bone,

and ev'ry piece of ash and dust is made 

by him, and kept together in this world

that comes from his own mind, and thought, and will,

more than our night-time dreams that are uncurled.

Please help my brother Bob to stand up still.

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the oddity° or THE ODDICY° (of prayer)

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Is prayer a thing that I must do today? 

A job that must be done, a task itself?

Is it a thing, commodity, to pray?

- to then tick off, to know I'm in good health?

I am so small and feeble, and my mind-

set quickly altered, or my world-view changed

by some alternate story, which can bind 

yet hadn't worked before I was deranged,

gave up the core of life so that I'd "fit",

& treated secret sacred knowledge as

a common, public, marketplace, event1,

I didn't store up heavenly riches2!

I see it now quite clearly. Thank you God.

A mix between both "exercise" & "friend-

ship"; something to be tasted, with a nod,

a personal response or mindset wend-

ing, woven with a habit or a skill.

I s'pose it's not the only thing like that.

I see that other intercourses will

require that those prerequisites be met.

The mechanism always is a part

of everything experienced down here.

But hesed* loyalty is more than art

and must be first, not "virtually appear".

But while we humans learn to rule like YAH',

the worlds of mortals and immortals both,

there'll be a mechanistic side to pray-er,

but I must see that deeper is my trōth.

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° what goes with an oddity might be called a com-oddity, and what might express an oddity as well, might be an oddicy, which when spoken of in the singular can refer to both The Odyssey (the story of an epic journey of perseverance where Odysseus defeats the rude suitors camped in his pallace to reunite with his loyal wife) and Theodicy which refers to an answer to the accusation against providence implied by the presence of evil in the world.

1 recall the Samson story among the Judges, he didn't see his secret, personal, familial, cultic, national, cultural, covenantal nazarite offering to God as worth maintaining more than a marketplace agreement at the barbers. In retrospect, years down the track he sees it as more precious than his eyes, and his life.

2 think through the phrases (from Matthew:) "store up riches in heaven", and (from Luke:) "not rich towards God".

*  "hesed"= transliterated Hebrew word, often translated as loyal love, mercy, covenant love, lovingkindness, steadfast love, as in "the steadfast love of the LORD never ceases.." or when spoken of by a Jewish Rabbi in the Greek of the First Century, in the light of the coming and embodying of it in Yeshua, Paul of Tarsus said that "love (agape) never fails".

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b blessing..

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May God, the fount & source of hope himself, 

fill you with more of joy and peace by means 

of trust in him, the source of thriving health

so that you, creek of hope, keep flowing streams.

The pow-er of the spirit of bright truth,

that's holiness, determined to be real,

grows hope because she isn't just a sleuth,

her forté's building confidence and  zeal.

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Audio song, acapella (with a COVID cold)

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a blessing -

(Romans 15:13)

"ὁ δὲ θεὸς τῆς ἐλπίδος πληρώσαι ὑμᾶς πάσης χαρᾶς καὶ εἰρήνης ἐν τῷ πιστεύειν, εἰς τὸ περισσεύειν ὑμᾶς ἐν τῇ ἐλπίδι ἐν δυνάμει πνεύματος ἁγίου." ΠΡΟΣ ΡΩΜΑΙΟΥΣ 15:13 SBLG

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May God, the source of hope, fill you with all joy and peace by means of your faith in him, so that your hope will continue to grow by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Romans 15:13 GNTD

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Rom 15:13 NRSV-CI

May the God of green hope fill you up with joy, fill you up with peace, so that your believing lives, filled with the life-giving energy of the Holy Spirit, will brim over with hope! * * *

Romans 15:13 MSG

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The Spirit of Christ sufficed.

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Oh God, your spirit's conscientious work,

that simple looking for consistency,

and help to humble self to name the lurk-

king demons in my mindset that still see

the world as though I was the centrepiece, 

the cornerstone, the capstone of it all.

And ask for giveness for what we released

of hell into God's world, however small.

Oh God your spirit's wisdom work to bring

a sound mind to this Earth, as Jesus had.

So that through us, this Earth might dance, & sing

with human words, through humans, to their Dad.

We are the point of meaning for this Earth.

So will we subjugate our own desire,

to hopes and plans of he who gave us birth?

- at core; Will we bow down before the high'r?

The spirit, motivation, modus op-

erandi, as the means, but too the end,

the love that God says never will be stopped,

the only nec-es-sar-y thing, my friend.

The mem-or-y of what's been stored away.

The insight to help see farther because

of what the very cornerstone DID say

when visiting this earth, fulfilling laws!

And reaffirming all the hopes and plans

creative love could come up with itself.

To learn from, and be sitting our exams,

or exercises to build up true wealth*.

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*  "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal." (Matt. 6:20 NIVUK)  & "In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life." (1 Tim. 6:19 NIVUK) & "His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is short-sighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:3‭-‬11 NIVUK)

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