Right in the middle of it all.

Every day at home (well, I strive for the "every" part) I begin by sitting in my favorite black leather chair, looking out from my 5th floor perch, across the road to a wildlife refuge, cup of coffee, lap blanket, lamp and reading a devotion from Henry Blackaby, one from C.S. Lewis and then some passages in the Bible. Did I say how much I love my iPhone? I have a Bible app that gives me 1) Old Testament, 2) Psalm and 3) New Testament passages each day. And, considering the reaction to the last few days of posts of the introduction to my next book, "No thank you, I'm just looking," the passages were...well let's just say they were not there by accident. 

I received some very passionate responses to my posts, actually spawned by the way I broke the introduction into two sections, deciding to do so, so that it did not appear too long to read in one sitting. And, as providence would have it, the first part ended after what read like an attack on the integrity of the Church and, as some people responded, my tonality of hypocrisy and condemnation of Christianity. I was staggered by this, knowing that this could not be further from the truth. After some "quick" reflection (including that dog-head-tilt-to-sharp-pitched-sounds gesture) I did what any humble, grace-filled, blessed man would do: I DEFENDED MYSELF! I used all my rhetorical wit, edge and (OK, I will admit to owning "some") self-righteousness to justify my platform and what I termed "challenge the paradigms of complacency and hypocrisy" that some (actually I really believe only the minority) Christian leaders incorporate under the banner of holiness and godliness. Our current day Pharisees. 

After a full two days of receiving, responding and now taking this all into (    ), I share what happened in my reading. Here is exactly what passages came up on my "vertically inspired & planned" iPhone Bible passages for today:

1. Leviticus:15

2. Psalm 117

3. 2 Corinthians: 10-11

1. Leviticus:15 -- Phew! in my counting, Moses uses "unclean and/or uncleanliness" 35 times in this chapter. Yes, it is all about "discharges"...and that is enough detail to get at my point. Man, there is a lot of stuff (some toxic) in us that needs to be "discharged." Pride. Arrogance. Greed. Lust. Envy. Power. Control. Hate. Judgement. And, I stand at the front of the line. Send in the gauze patrol, fast! 

MY TAKEAWAY: To live clean is to discharge the things from the body that, either through organic processes of procreation or infection, must go through their natural cycle of elimination. Then, you can  bring yourself to the tabernacle to be offered as a clean version of yourself. 

2. Psalm 117 -- Right in the middle of it all. The middle chapter of the Bible...is also the shortest. Twenty-nine words say it all...for all people...God's love.

"Praise the Lord, all you nations;

extol him, all you peoples.

For great is his love toward us,

and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.

Praise the Lord."  NIV

MY TAKEAWAY: to live a full and blessed life "right in the middle of it all" (Temptation. Distraction. False Prophets. Deception. Commoditization. More. Better. Faster.) requires only that you remember the power promised in 29 words "right in the middle of it all" that God holds the truth, the light and the way...for all of us.

3. 2 Corinthians 10-11: Paul might have been known (as referred to in some evaluations from scholars) as a weak or meek presence in person; hardly the case in his letter writing! In the previous Chapter 7, he softens the sting of his third letter (it was never found...wonder why.):

"8Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it - I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while - 9yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us." NIV

Paul goes on in 10-11 to speak of his authority and purpose and commitment and sufferings incurred on behalf of carrying the Good News of a better way for doing life. Not in defense of his actions, but with joy and passion and love for each one of them.

MY TAKEAWAY: There is a major difference between casting stones of judgment  that hurt and wound and cause people to retreat, and stones cast gently into the waters of culture, thinking and other peoples' lives that, given the time and intention can ripple into each other through dialog, exchanging our "goods" and becoming living water that flows in the right direction.

In the middle of it all. With you.

For emphasis -- (b)