Author: Norman Eric Peterson

Who Am I?

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It seems obvious on the surface of my mind. I am the sum of parts of my experiences. What is that calculations sum? It is an operating system that has ‘evolved’ over the years. That seems to be the ticket! All those bad things that happened in my childhood, the ones I have written about. The grade school and high school disappointments and abuse. Then the list gets longer and longer and somehow it seems that the hard stuff dominates.

As I drive a familiar route to town, I note that place and this house where offense originated and the old righteousness and desire for judgment and justification rises like that stuff in our septic tank. It smells badly and it seems like the sweet smell of revenge and anger to someone that deserves it. The hard parts are true. It did happen and we were wounded and insulted and sullied perhaps. It was wrong and we deserve justice.

Is that where I want my thoughts to stay today and tomorrow? Does anyone understand me because of these things? Of course they do and they cannot wait to tell you the same story. Over and over again. Everyone.

That’s not who we are, we are a new creation. We were made to be an image of our creator. We have gone astray and Just like our first ancestor, Adam, we go our own way. After all, our Lord told Adam and Eve if they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they would die. Well, they walked out of the garden, obviously still alive but were they? What died then? Their identity. Not the image of God. Some folks think that means God looks and acts just like us then except with bigger feet and hands. That’s not what was meant or written. He wants to walk with us. Give love away and laugh all the way to the 1st bank of eternal romance. Now Adam and his wife, Eve had to have an identity they created. Anger, frustration, loss, betrayal. The usual we use too. It seems our self identities we create are mostly “you don’t know the hell I’ve been through!” type. Of course that doesn’t work well because everyone has been there.

We were created to love Him and the people He made too. Now we create ourselves to ask the worst questions of each other. Do you love me? That is a question of want and need and our fear that we will be discovered as a deceiver. Hunger for approval, not love. Can you recollect another relative that is such? Go way back to the beginning. Did God really say?

A great speaker started me on this path of life and it is only recently I have understood what is the difference between darkness and light. My wounds and the constant unwrapping of the bandages to show them is indeed just an absence of light. My new way is to heal and show the light of Christ. Put off the old and put on the new. Show your light before men. Awaken and find yourself as a new creation. Able to move through the world, overcome with joy and spreading it about as a young girl throws flowers at a wedding before the bride and grooms path.

“When is the Messiah coming? Why don’t you ask Him yourself? He is outside the city gate healing people.” 1. He tells us to listen to Him and He will create a new man within and you will laugh and begin to hear His voice when He tells you to show other people these things. A sign of a wonder as joy replaces sorrow and loss we have embraced as long as we have been alive. “Tell me once again, I need to know you’ll never leave me, when my world grows dark. Take me in your arms and love me like the way you do” 2. It’s pretty good. Jack Gator

1. Father Anthony 4th century desert father 2. Jon Thurlow Special thanks to Dan Mohler for inspiration

The Music of the Spheres

/ Norman Eric Peterson / 1 Comment

There is one thing for Norm, only one thing that he has embraced within since he was ten years old. It is seven musical notes that urge him on to seek more notes like that. A musical pathway that opens up into a canyon of music, ringing to him with the release of beauty sung or played.

The seven notes are the beginning notes of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata. When Norm could play the piano, he would play that piece after lunch at home by himself. It calmed and washed all the grade school confusion away. He would walk back to school and often, the neighborhood bully with the odd Croatian name would push him around a bit. Like most bullies, he was afraid of Norm and probably would have made a good friend if Norm had known how to do that. A learned skill for life later for him.

The music that stuns when he hears it or plays it suddenly makes him shiver with delight. “Oh, it’s You!” It draws the inventor of music to share the wavelengths of love with Norm. Feels good.

His favorite author, C.S. Lewis describes ‘the heavens’ filled with planets and stars continuously singing to us. It’s in his classic ‘Out of the Silent Planet’ series. We don’t listen because it’s always there.

It happens unexpectedly which makes it even more enjoyable. Music is the transcendent language. Anyone or anything that has hearing can understand the language. But here isn’t really a series of books or classes that can teach us how to do so. Norm likes the way the music can catch him by surprise. A bird of impossible clarity singing the sun up. A two bit country band starting up a Bob Wills waltz in some forgotten venue. Norm hit the first three notes with double stops and cannot stop hearing them some half a century later. A worship set that ended with a guitar playing harmonics along with soft brushes on the trap drum. There are so many delightful surprises in music that go far beyond any expectation. A lot of them are totally for that moment, mostly teamwork unrehearsed. A ‘band’ sort of wading through a piece they have worked out. Suddenly Someone else sings and plays and the music swirls like a surprise wind. It catches the top gallant of your joyful sail and heels you over with a shout and speed.

‘Music, it calms the savage breast’ when nothing else can. Sunsets, shooting stars, an eclipse or two can be seen or painted and captured. The rush of breath of the stunning scene usually doesn’t come with a photo of these things. The immediacy of music, fading as soon as it’s played. Our minds caught off guard like an unexpected camera flash can do. What a language! Speaking in the tongues of sound.

It is the voice of our creator whispering those notes. He is worshiped for eternity with singing and instruments only found in the mind of a dying musician being presented with his score sheet. “If I could write down those notes! A man just reading that music would never grow ill nor die”1.

So, that’s Norm’s fascination and he suspects there are many others that experience the same thing. Satellite radio? Music of the Sphere’s indeed! It’s pretty good. “Every planet in his proper sphere is moving mankind in harmony and sound” 2.

Jack Gator

1. C.S. Lewis “The great divorce” 2. Henryson {Fables 1659)

Paradise Lost Resort

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It was subtle at first and seemed to come from several directions. At first it seemed like from the Alcoran, often nowadays referred to as the Muslim holy book, The Koran. It denies that Jesus is God along with the Father and the Spirit. This is also found today in Unitarianism which is sort of a ‘feel good’ religion. No original sin, God sits with Enoch, Abraham, Noah and Elijah. Not Jesus. David’s vision in psalm 110 is my favorite one by the way.

There are many of note that have embraced the Unitarian Church. It insists that John the apostle was made up and not mentioned in any of the other Gospels. The Jehovah Witness’ seem to be on board with that denial of Jesus’ divinity as well. Their syllogism falls apart with a close look at the logic. Their logic or premises state that if Moses’ command from God was to worship the one true God, then worship of Jesus is wrong. The other pillars of that syllogism? Opinions, not facts. The roof on that logic is sitting on the ground, not supported by facts.

This sideways movement has dropped into my world by a beloved friend that is upset that I pray to Jesus and not to the Father. Everyone in that movement (including Muslims} are very adamant about this.

I grieve for my friend for now it appears he has fallen under the spell of this. It seems that the sticking point is that Jesus is the Judge of all. Of course, in John 5 Jesus declares the truth of those who do not honor the Son do not Honor the Father.

I can tell this has happened to him as he writes to me now that I am the deceived one believing in a corrupted and altered Bible. This is such an old attempt by so many up to this day. He referred adamantly to Brad Ehrman’s books as the basis for rejecting half of the new testament including the Gospel of John.

On Brad Ehrman’s writing:

With a few exceptions when he admits he’s not certain, I’m struck by Ehrman’s usual unswerving confidence that he is 100 percent right. He is, just like evangelicals, relying on an ultimate authority—but instead of the Bible, it’s his own intellect. He is very well grounded in Christianity as he once was a priest and well educated in the faith. He would be an excellent lawyer as he could convince a jury whatever way he wanted them to see. All of his research, all of his ‘sources’ are presented as solid and irrefutable. By whom? It is obvious to me and many, many other concerned and more learned people than I that Mr. Ehrman has now been seduced into declaring that all scripture is errant and only he has the truth. What was the question that Pilate asked Jesus? Mr Ehrman is echoing the old question: “did God really say?” Ehrman also makes a lot of cash from his book sales. Nice. Better pay than declaring Jesus is the light of our world. Darkness pays well but the retirement plan is not good.

I have heard Jesus speak audibly to me, I have seen my best friend enter into paradise. I prayed to Jesus in the hospital over my good friend for healing. As I have prayed to Jesus, He has changed my life from an atheist to a prayer warrior. My friend knows this. I continue to love him and pray for him. If I listen to Jesus, he always talks to me and guides me. Often I don’t listen and lose my way. He is gentle and kind and understands completely. Many times He has lifted me with his strong hand and helped me back on the highway of holiness.

“I consulted 12 major translations by different teams of Hebrew scholars, all of whom don’t hold biblical text to be inerrant. Their translations contain only minor differences. All of them suggest Job is indeed speaking of seeing God in the afterlife.” 1. 

This denial of Job’ words s is just one example of Ehrman’s practice of either: (1) inaccurately conveying what the Bible says; (2) accurately conveying what the Bible says, then declaring it’s wrong; (3) arguing the text really doesn’t say what Christians believe it says (why does that matter if what it really says is also wrong?); and (4) citing Scripture in support of his contentions, even though he regularly dismisses Scripture’s validity! Pray for him and for my friend and for me. Truth is freedom, Shalom, Truth to you. Norm the fiddling Gator

1. A big thank you to Randy Alcorn for inspiration and truth

Reading Russian Poetry on the Porch Swing

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It seemed appropriate. A long day in the beautiful and bountiful garden, spaghetti with some of the fresh zucchini. Back to weeding to the center bench and the glads surrounding it? Open the fancy umbrella and drink ice water to cool down. Too many bugs now.

Grabbing a book to read, it was one that Norm liberated from one of those bird house free books kiosks. It was an obvious find of great worth. Hard covered and printed in 1902 by Chitauqua Library and Scientific Circle. It is a survey of Russian literature by Isabel R. Hapgood. A treasure accompanied by a very small paperback of the writings of Descarte on top of it!

At the end of the book on Russian literature, there was Dostoevsky as the capstone of the volume.

Still astonished by the perfect gift of an absolute stranger, Norm began to read about Feodor Mikhaliovich Dostoevsky. A quote from the book had a simple and astounding reason for the success of of Dostoevsky’s writing in his book, ‘What is to be done!’

He united two things which touch the most responsive chords in the human heart—the thirst for easy happiness, and the imperative necessity for ascetic self-sacrifice. The human condition that has not changed since we were created. These stories capture our heart and it was the summation of most of his work.

Norm began to stutter in his mind and get that ‘contemplative expression’ while gently swinging on the porch and enjoying the cool evening breeze. As goes the saying, Norm’s mind makes a visit now and then. This was one of those times. The sacrifices of the entire family came into view that cause the self-sacrifice for the happiness? Norm had just finished picking some of the tasty early snow peas and Julie topped the container off with some strawberries.

A good friend that drives the UPS truck showed up as Norm was walking to the house with the small bounty in a Tupperware container. The driver that has always deserved gifts of coffee in the winter. As Sean, the driver,reached for the package, Norm offered up a question; “Do you like Snow peas?” It was affirmative and the home grown strawberries were a sweet topping on the container. Perfect timing. Sean said he would bring back the plastic container and the gift was given. As usual, the fellowship between them was brought to the forefront with smiles. A hard days work for them both and the gift and the giver were blessed with those smiles.

Gifts from God and hard work to draw them out of the seeds that contain all of the information to grow. Very small seeds, as all life draws from that beautiful creation of the seed and the pollinator. Hard, honest work culminating in worship and grateful hearts. It’s pretty good. Jack Gator

Riddles of the Sphinx

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A few years ago there was a great Greek play. It still has great impact and the script has been turned into a movie. Rumor has it that the title of this column will be on the Marque.

The main character of the play is Oedipus, the future King of Thebes. Rumor on the boulevard has casting looking seriously at Mark Wahlberg or his brother Danny. They have the personalities to portray Oedipus. Action with great facial recognition and emoting skills.

Later, as a cameo will be a great new actor, Tony Fauci as Sigmund Freud who took the play and made a complete fabric of psychiatric analysis. It seems logical but Oedipus did not need the advice of Mr. Freud. He was clueless and not consumed by the syndrome. He was a super puzzle solver however. We get down to the riddles he solved.

“What goes on four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon and three in the evening?” The answer (spoiler alert) A baby, a man and a man with a walking stick.

There was another riddle, it is not certain it will be in the film; “There are two sisters, one gives birth to the other and she in turn, gives birth to the first” This one is not in the script. Too hard as the riddle was a more recent addition and even harder than the first. The answer is, the sisters are day and night. Good riddle, but the audiences will be baffled again and as a teaser for the preview it is one too many.

So the movie/play goes on (it was performed in many venues including London’s famous Royal Opera house) It should be directed by noted critic of almost everything, our current president, but he is not capable at this time to direct anything.

The ending is tragic in the original play and may not sit well with audiences or critics who usually enjoy these types of films. The main character blinds himself and his mother commits suicide. That could be rewritten with Caveats to the playwright. He has been dead for a number of years and the agency that represented him no longer exists either.

So, the credits will feature the original playwright, Sophocles and his old office building up on Mars hill in Athens. His writings are now available in your local library or on Amazon. A good author who had some great ideas that were well received and still are. He was not available for an interview for the rushes.

If you like intrigue, plots with surprising twists accompanied by tragedy, this play and soon to be movie is for you! Bring a college student of the classics who the explain the original play. It’s pretty good. Jack Gator

A Most Fantastic Performance in a few Years

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There is a recording made of copper, coated with gold, and sealed in Aluminum. It’s a little dated, so it would have to be played on a record player. Most likely a 33 1/3 rpm. It could be a 78 or a 45 too. Details are unsure at this time.

This recording, obviously, is pretty expensive to make AND there is only one such disk in existence. At this time, it is in transit to a stranger a few thousand miles away with a very vague address as well.

It is unknown whether it will be playable or if the stranger has a record player available to play it. It’s a dicey shipment and the cost of making and shipping it is very ‘steep’ The music performers are not getting paid very much except in royalties which have yet to be determined.

The reasons given for not sending the record player are mainly the cost of shipping and the size of the player itself. There are other things in the shipment (special cameras, recording devices, and radios to send pictures from the cameras. Pretty state of the art stuff as the shipment was made in the middle sixties! There is a short statement on the record that offers friendship to the recipient and a request to return the favor if possible.

The shipment could have contained a good scotch or some maps and addresses to contact us. We all wonder what will become of this gesture of friendship to a total stranger. An unknown stranger who’s only address is vague to say the least.

It was 1965 when the shipment was made and the arrival time is also vague. The vehicle that has the camera has taken some great photos that it sent back and there is some concern for the power demands to keep sending updates on the shipment’s progress.

You may have guessed at this point that the shipment was on a NASA spacecraft, Voyager 1. Some great photos came out of the cameras and the spacecraft has entered ‘deep space’ and the shipment of the gold coated record is on the way. The vague address is the closest star system to us, next door neighbors as the universe goes. Proxima Centuri, about 4 light years away. It would only take 4 years to send a message to them via a cell phone but there are no cell towers on the way to boost the signals.

The Voyageur spacecraft will arrive at the shipment destination in approximately 167,000 years and by that time a few changes may have occurred in our star system. Speculation from the ‘experts’ in these things believe that by the time the record arrives our sun will have collapsed and earth will no longer exist. Oh well, at least the recording will survive for millions of years as it ‘speeds by’ that close star with perhaps people like us that even have 33 1/3 record players! They will, of course have to see it and get their hybrid craft up to about 10,000 MPH to catch it. Who knows?

The recording? Pretty swell. There are two musical performances to illustrate our civilization. First one is Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto 2 and the second is Chuck Berry’s “Johnny be good.”

Chuck already had a gold album with more songs, but what the hey. Think of the royalties!

This surreal story is found in last years July issue of Scientific American. First time photos of Uranus and Neptune included. Long live Rock and Roll! A bonus feature of this incredible double album It’s pretty good. Jack Gator

Photo of ‘deep thought’ Courtesy of the Hitchikers guide to the Galaxy

Men who cannot be Ignored

/ Norman Eric Peterson / 1 Comment

There have been a few men in history that commanded by their presence and words t hat startled the world and those within their speaking. An example that was written by Ben Johnson of Francis Bacon comes to mind. “The fear of every man that heard him was that he would come to an end” Indeed to have been of that time, to be there, listening “his hearers could not cough nor look aside from him, without loss”

Perhaps we have been in that situation, startled and in the presence of a speaker so captivating, so filled with undeniable truth, that these things would occur to us as well. Billy Graham comes to mind. Standing alone, filling entire stadiums with eloquence and truth that the usual mutter and shuffling was gone from hearing. All within hearing indeed, captivated by one man telling us things we have longed to hear.

Another man, several centuries ago was Cicero of Rome, was similar and heard well. Before him was a man that spoke and wrote of experiences that could barely be understood and continue to this time to be treasured. His experiences and recollections of history cannot be dismissed as mere stories. Thousands of writers confirm what that man wrote and those words must be read and understood by all men. Many efforts have been made to share those words with the world. Even to the point of recording them in languages that have no written language.

Every man with an open heart can read these words and then so moved, read them again and again. This man’s words were written several centuries ago by a man known by most by his first name! He was in the presence of the man that he knew, the man he wrote about. This man, John, was best friends of this man. Beloved actually. The stories he has told stun Norm when he reads them and reveal truth he has ached for all his life. Words that prove that the ache has occurred to many men before him. Cervantes, Defoe, Bunyan and Donne to name just a few of them. Worth the read to understate the beauty that awaits you.

The man that John spoke and then wrote about was the Messiah Jesus who indeed captivated all who heard Him ( what a privilege to have been there for that!) I have attempted to write about these things in my columns and have been chastised and told not to do so. Rather than rant about that, I wrote one more missive complementing my detractors for listening to my words. It was enough to even provoke one them to telling me they admired my boldness and devotion to truth. Still, afraid of offending others, they could not recant. Their loss and the readers of their publications loss.

I suggest to you to read John’s story and his clear recollection of the life and words of Jesus. All the way to the end of the book that contains his and other writers from the beginning to the end of their lives. Many names are used and they all are the names of Jesus. Accurate visions of the times before His birth and His transformation into the most important Son of Man that ever lived, died, and returned to tell us of wonders for our lives to this day.

These stories have been spoken about around our world. The hushed crowds that listened to Billy Graham and Martin Luther King and countless others heard them too. These stories are even found in bedside drawers in hotels throughout the world. It’s the Bible. Venerated by millions and despised by millions. As all men, we are disturbed by these words and we always have a choice to reject them or take them to heart and speak to other men about them. Questions and discussions of that book are encouraged and welcomed. Doubt and fear usually inculcate questions, good questions too. Even the famous writers of old went there. Read them too. “I think, therefore I am… and if I think, why do I think about God? Where does that extraordinary train of thought come to me?” That’s Descartes thoughts. It’s pretty good. Jack Gator

What are we Accepting when we accept Christ?

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There is a common saying around the world that means much more than the two words it says. It is about acceptance and it can be very misleading to some of us. Accepting a gift is pleasant as it also is getting a package from the brown truck. They could be one in the same as well! You must, of course open the door and let the package into your home. If you are not at home, the gift will be left on your doorstep. Maybe.

The thing I am referring to is the common phrase, Accepting Christ. It is usually a cause for celebration by both the recipient and family. But what does the phrase imply? Is it just like opening your door to have a package of renown given to you? It would seem the phrase would indicate that someone finally made up their mind to indeed open their door and receive a Man. It seems so simple, but what does it really mean to us?

I like the phrase, ‘Accepting the Word’ It means so much more and it doesn’t mean an instantaneous change and a new person that almost glows. Of course, there can be immediate change, but at times nothing really seems to change in us. It can be world shaking as it was for Norm! He had been seeking some answers to questions he had. The big ones. “Who made the universe and why? Why is the world such an awful place at times? Why do I think and do things that I know are wrong?” The philosopher Descartes got right to the point. I have a mind. Then why do I think about God? Why is that thought even in my mind?

Questions that we all ponder and pontificate on. We all have ideas to answer those queries as well. As was said by one of the wisest men known: “ Those who are given over to preconceived ideas are forced to defend what they cannot prove” Cicero 36 BC. We cannot prove big answers but some try with science and theory. Evolution is one of the greatest children’s stories ever expounded upon. It has entertaining value, much akin to science fiction classics. We evolved a brain with more synapses’ than there are stars in the Milky Way? Ben Carson pointed to that evolutionary absurdity.

We have all heard them from some pretty smart guys. The know facts but they do not know truth. They are brilliant scientists and tell us that a big firecracker exploded a few millennia ago (the big bang) and all we know and see came of it. The new question which has not been answered is where did the firecracker come from and who lit the fuse? The only thing they really can say is the fact the universe exists and how incredible and eternal it is. Big numbers, speculation and scientific analysis. Jaw dropping distances and sizes.

All those questions can be answered within the pages of one very old book. You most likely have heard of it and probably have one. You can find one easily, even in drawers in hotels! It starts “In the beginning” which indicates that time started then which is incomprehensible to us but we read on, and it starts to make sense. A lot of sense. It states that at that exact beginning moment, God created the building blocks of the universe. Then He made us to enjoy Him and His incredible creation. He really enjoys us more than we can imagine. Further into the book it states: In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and Word was God. All the scholars and teachers that Jack has met agree on the description of Jesus as ‘the Word’ That makes sense too fter a while of study. A lot of reading starts with the above questions.

God. Father, Son and Holy Spirit. All of the three God and separate as well. I know what you are thinking. If you are anything else than a Christian, then it doesn’t make sense. If you are a Christian it doesn’t make sense at times either. Ask someone in your circle of friends to talk about it with you. Dig and keep asking questions. Be unrelenting in your pursuit of God and knowledge of Him.

Read and then study in ‘the word’ (Bible) coupled with some pretty savvy authors. My all time favorite for the tough questions is C.S.Lewis and his seminal magnum opus, ‘Mere Christianity’ You might have read or seen the movie of his book, Chronicles of Narnia. (That work is a wonderful primer for Mere Christianity.) Read Mere Christianity a few times and then put it down for a while and then read it again. And later, when looking for some ‘light’ reading, read it again.

There was a group of scholars from Berea (modern day Greece) that studied like I am asking you to do. So perhaps another way of saying the tremendous realization of ‘accepting Christ’, would be following Him and studying Him. It’s nice to read about real things. There are thousands of manuscripts that authenticate these stories. Incidentally, there are only six known manuscripts that authenticate Homer’s Odessy. Only a dozen or so that authenticate Islam. Facts and history. The more copies to compare with the other copies the better, right? Maps of our world and events. Some folks even deny obvious truths such as the world being round and the existence of California (the term existence is variable in this case)

The best time is to talk to Jesus is right now. He is delighted to talk with you. He is eternal and can be your intimate best friend forever. The description Norm likes is ‘Become best friends with Jesus’ The hard part is not to think it out and be quiet with our very limited comprehension of truth and friendship.

One of my all time favorite stories that goes back a ‘few’ years ago (centuries) is from the desert fathers. I probably have quoted this in a previous post, but it bears repeating:

One seeker of truth visits Father Anthony and asks him; “when is the Messiah coming? Anthony answers; “why not ask Him yourself? He’s out by the city gate healing people” Later on the seeker comes back and says; “He lied to me, He said he was coming today and He isn’t here” Father Anthony laughs and says; “He didn’t say He was coming today, He said listen!”

Think about that for a while and when you are ready, just sit down, ignore all those thoughts we fill our minds with, and listen for His quiet and perfect voice. Listening, a hard thing to do at any time amidst all our clutter of words. The answers we immediately cannot wait to speak when other people speak to us. Listen, and let it go in deep. If He asks us to do something, anything at all, don’t think about it but act. The reward of joy is in listening to Him. He is indeed nearby, healing people. He will heal you too, healed in ways we cannot begin to comprehend.

It’s pretty good. Jack Gator

Intimacy and Prayer

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There is something special about Gator’s living room chair. It is very comfortable and with a quilt, precious and defrayed, sleep arrives. A book by Norm’s favorite author is icing on the relaxation dessert. A delightful meal.

A bit earlier at the transition time between afternoon and evening (1700 hours.) Supper, not dinner which is a lunchtime meal. Many debates about these delineations occur. Norm always uses the term dinner pail of old. Something you thus carry to whatever work site you go to. The field or the factory. He is adamant about this!

Home grown cauliflower, rice and squash accompanied by family grown heritage wheat baked into flatbread. A bit of cranberry wine and the Friday Shabbat with candles and a blessing and a toast to the King of the Universe. That is a very old Jewish tradition and now, with a Messianic Daughter-in-law, it is a delightful communion every Friday (not religiously but joyfully) as the family sits around the table. It is more than sufficient to get Norm’s nose out of a book and into the kitchen. When their ‘daughter in love’ is there, she sings the blessing in Hebrew, and we toast the Lord before eating.

The rest of the week can vary from the ‘smash and grab’ style from the fridge to a giant pot of rice and vegetables flavored with Tikka Masala and Bragg’s salty sauce. Food, it brings people together to feast and relax. Perhaps it can explain the lone man, sitting on the counter stool eating breakfast. No one to talk to except the wait staff.

A nice slow breakfast with perhaps a newspaper on the left side of the plate. Like Norm when he is eating his break fast.

Often, it is Norm sitting alone, munching his exquisite designer cinnamon toast and drinking the best coffee he can make. Keeping a close eye on the fire he has lit in the parlor stove. What is it about eating either alone or with loved ones that satisfies? Eating favorite food with what our Lord has given us is pretty good. He made us that way.

There is a similarity with attendance at the ‘church’ of familiarity (or new). The term church refers to the people of the world around us that profess a Christian faith, not a building perse. Names are used from scripture to make it easier to find the buildings and tell others were you go to be in fellowship. You know them, most of them. Of course, being used to Norm’s penchant for oddity he wonders why certain names, scriptural names are not used. The first church of Long suffering perhaps or the church of Self-Control. Norm likes the Church of Fruitfulness.

An expected and surprising fact is that intimacy with our Lord Jesus and intimacy with one another can begin with shared prayer. Norm and Julie, his wife have found great freedom and developing relationships with small groups of people that pray with one another. Many gatherings of worshipers on Sunday do not know each other closely nor pursue it. Praying for one another engenders another level of fulfilling growth with fellow believers.

The size of the congregation seems to not be a factor in the amount of people who join together for prayer during, before or after ‘services’ (an annoying word, services, for Norm. He associates that word with plumbers or oil changes) Praying for the Pastor’s message to go deep and be joyful as well. A good prayer subject for sure.

Julie and Norm find themselves drawn to prayer groups anywhere they go to. In small gatherings and huge ones of ten thousand. The interesting fact is that the number of people who do this intimate activity seems to remain the same no matter the size of worshipers. Around five to ten people are drawn to pray in the time that other people gather. They were a bit anxious when they visited a pleasant and very large church recently. What will it be like?

A revival such as the stadiums filled with Billy Graham speaking? A gathering they went to a few years ago on the National Mall in D.C. In Washington was with small groups of a dozen or so that sang and prayed together in tents on the mall. 50 tents in all. It was huge and it also encouraged small groups all at the same time. A vast majority of people are not drawn to pray in small groups, out loud with one another. It’s familiar to Norm and family. Intimacy with Jesus engenders intimacy with believers. So no matter the size of the ‘congregation’, prayer teams stay the same. Not everyone’s calling. That’s perfectly OK and normal. Hard to have an intimate relationship with new people. Mega churches no longer look intimidating to them. Just the parking lots.

Intimacy with Christ is an easier task with shared prayer however. The world now has a fear of being ‘exposed’ for the weakness’ we all have in our life. With Jesus’ spirit living inside of us we are learning this about ourselves. The hard life and the wounds have actually made it obvious for us. A Lord that knows us because He knew us before we were born. It brings a hunger for Him and His spirit.

As Norm’s favorite author, C.S. Lewis eloquently puts it. “A good life seen at the end. A life that has gone to the Lord’s printer.” A life surrendered to the Son.“I’ve never seen a Son like this before” A .

Indeed. A faithful and perfect Son that created everything that is and was and will be. He offered His life just for me. And you. An ancient myth of god dying and coming to life that is now real as Lewis writes. A fulfillment of the dreams and visions of many men from all time.

It’s pretty good. Jack Gator

A. Jon Thurlow

We Accept What?

/ Norman Eric Peterson / 1 Comment

There is a common saying around the world that means much more than the two words it says. It is about acceptance and it can be very misleading to some of us. Accepting a gift is pleasant as it also is getting a package from the brown truck. They could be one in the same as well! You must, of course open the door and let the package into your home. If you are not at home, the gift will be left on your doorstep. Maybe.

The thing I am referring to is the common phrase, Accepting Christ. It is usually a cause for celebration by both the recipient and family. But what does the phrase imply? Is it just like opening your door to have a package of renown given to you? It would seem the phrase would indicate that someone finally made up their mind to indeed open their door and receive a Man. It seems so simple, but what does it really mean to us?

I like the phrase, ‘Accepting the Word’ It means so much more and it doesn’t mean an instantaneous change and a new person that almost glows. Of course, there can be immediate change, but at times nothing really seems to change in us. It can be world shaking as it was for Norm! He had been seeking some answers to questions he had. The big ones. “Who made the universe and why? Why is the world such an awful place at times? Why do I think and do things that I know are wrong?” The philosopher Descartes got right to the point. I have a mind. Then why do I think about God? Why is that thought even in my mind?

Questions that we all ponder and pontificate on. We all have ideas to answer those queries as well. As was said by one of the wisest men known: “ Those who are given over to preconceived ideas are forced to defend what they cannot prove” Cicero 36 BC. We cannot prove big answers but some try with science and theory. Evolution is one of the greatest children’s stories ever expounded upon. It has entertaining value, much akin to science fiction classics. We evolved a brain with more synapses’ than there are stars in the Milky Way? Ben Carson pointed to that evolutionary absurdity.

We have all heard them from some pretty smart guys. The know facts but they do not know truth. They are brilliant scientists and tell us that a big firecracker exploded a few millennia ago (the big bang) and all we know and see came of it. The new question which has not been answered is where did the firecracker come from and who lit the fuse? The only thing they really can say is the fact the universe exists and how incredible and eternal it is. Big numbers, speculation and scientific analysis. Jaw dropping distances and sizes.

All those questions can be answered within the pages of one very old book. You most likely have heard of it and probably have one. You can find one easily, even in drawers in hotels! It starts “In the beginning” which indicates that time started then which is incomprehensible to us but we read on, and it starts to make sense. A lot of sense. It states that at that exact beginning moment, God created the building blocks of the universe. Then He made us to enjoy Him and His incredible creation. He really enjoys us more than we can imagine. Further into the book it states: In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and Word was God. All the scholars and teachers that Jack has met agree on the description of Jesus as ‘the Word’ That makes sense too fter a while of study. A lot of reading starts with the above questions.

God. Father, Son and Holy Spirit. All of the three God and separate as well. I know what you are thinking. If you are anything else than a Christian, then it doesn’t make sense. If you are a Christian it doesn’t make sense at times either. Ask someone in your circle of friends to talk about it with you. Dig and keep asking questions. Be unrelenting in your pursuit of God and knowledge of Him.

Read and then study in ‘the word’ (Bible) coupled with some pretty savvy authors. My all time favorite for the tough questions is C.S.Lewis and his seminal magnum opus, ‘Mere Christianity’ You might have read or seen the movie of his book, Chronicles of Narnia. (That work is a wonderful primer for Mere Christianity.) Read Mere Christianity a few times and then put it down for a while and then read it again. And later, when looking for some ‘light’ reading, read it again.

There was a group of scholars from Berea (modern day Greece) that studied like I am asking you to do. So perhaps another way of saying the tremendous realization of ‘accepting Christ’, would be following Him and studying Him. It’s nice to read about real things. There are thousands of manuscripts that authenticate these stories. Incidentally, there are only six known manuscripts that authenticate Homer’s Odessy. Only a dozen or so that authenticate Islam. Facts and history. The more copies to compare with the other copies the better, right? Maps of our world and events. Some folks even deny obvious truths such as the world being round and the existence of California (the term existence is variable in this case)

The best time is to talk to Jesus is right now. He is delighted to talk with you. He is eternal and can be your intimate best friend forever. The description Norm likes is ‘Become best friends with Jesus’ The hard part is not to think it out and be quiet with our very limited comprehension of truth and friendship.

One of my all time favorite stories that goes back a ‘few’ years ago (centuries) is from the desert fathers. I probably have quoted this in a previous post, but it bears repeating.

One seeker of truth visits Father Anthony and asks him; “when is the Messiah coming? Anthony answers; “why not ask Him yourself? He’s out by the city gate healing people” Later on the seeker comes back and says; “He lied to me, He said he was coming today and He isn’t here” Father Anthony laughs and says; “He didn’t say He was coming today, He said listen!”

Think about that for a while and when you are ready, just sit down, ignore all those thoughts we fill our minds with, and listen for His quiet and perfect voice. Listening, a hard thing to do at any time amidst all our clutter of words. The answers we immediately cannot wait to speak when other people speak to us. Listen, and let it go in deep. If He asks us to do something, anything at all, don’t think about it but act. The reward of joy is in listening to Him. He is indeed nearby, healing people. He will heal you too, healed in ways we cannot begin to comprehend.

It’s pretty good. Jack Gator