Thoughts on being "Nice"

Did you check out my "mild" comments about Hollywood Pres? You should have seen what I wrote as a first draft.

Remember my poem on Loving your Enemies from November 5th
http://poemsfromgod.blogspot.com/2004/11/al-fallujah-on-loving-our-enemy.html

We must learn when to throw tables. One weakness/strength of PCUSA is we do everything decently and in order, so we try to make everything look nice. Now that worked for Mr. Rogers, but men need to learn to be dangerous, ie PK, wild at heart. If we are going to make church interesting enough for men to want to come, we need to make it dangerous.

Ah, the new template, no more emerging church (I always get this image of some white pasty guy emerging from 10 years in the catacombs). But now the dangerous church. Challenging you to hear God. Challenging you to actually live your life as if you really had taken Jesus into you. (That is one place, Catholics don't go far enough, its not just taking His body in ,but taking Him IN). I've had some interesting experiences with God. It does get frustrating to see what so many don't see.

Found a copy of the PCUSA Bible test for ordination online on Steve Whitney's blog at
http://www.whitneyhq.com/biblecontent/
Without studying took the 2004 & 2005 tests, scored 82%, I'm weak on the Psalms and wisdom writings. Now I know what I need to read. How many elders would pass? How many know what they don't know? The greatest blessing for all of us. To know what we don't know. The blessing Jesus gave the rich young ruler, who didn't appreciate it at the time, but may have later.

But it isn't book knowledge. It is knowing Truth, the person of God, His Joy, His Love. For that a four year old will do. That was when I accepted Jesus in my Grandmother's kitchen.

If you want full contact Christianity, just let me know, we need it. Full truth, with full Love. Instead we have way too much of Jesus the nice guy, meek, mild, inoffensive, who would never send his disciples away into a storm like the real one did, then came to walk past them. We don't understand this guy, we want Jesus the nice guy.

So here he is:

Jesus a Nice Guy
You want Me
to be nice.
Just love you.
Just forgive you.
Accept you are broken.
Admit your sin.
Observe My commandments
they are My demand.

In awe & terror
flee from My face.
You can’t make
slightest demand.
You oppress the poor.
Your alliance robs the needy.
Your leaders lie.
You tolerate evil.

You want Me
to be soft.
To make you comfortable.
To make no demands.
Because I love you
I refine you.
I let Shishak (2 Chron 12:7)
Pillage your temple.

I drove the merchants
from your temple.
I strip you of all
that keeps you from Me.

© Presbypoet, March 26, 2000

Do you know this Jesus?