06.30.07
Posted in life at 4:02 pm by Brandon
So, I’m barbequeing today. That means I’m in and out of the house at a torrid pace.
Thelma, one of our cats, has been napping on and off. Fortunately for me, she took a minute to educate me on what it means to be a follower of Christ.
As I was waiting for my guests to arrive, I decided to check my email. Thelma took a moment to climb onto our bed while I sat there with my laptop and rub up against me. I said to her, “Thelma, I love you. You keep coming back to me.”
That’s about when I realised that she was totally devoted. She’d given her heart to Jen and I. This, of course, does not mean that she doesn’t have her moments of annoyance or wandering. But the bottom line is that despite her occasional misbehavior, she keeps coming back.
Someday I hope to be as devoted a follower as my cat Thelma.
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Posted in life at 4:02 pm by Brandon
So, I’m barbequeing today. That means I’m in and out of the house at a torrid pace.
Thelma, one of our cats, has been napping on and off. Fortunately for me, she took a minute to educate me on what it means to be a follower of Christ.
As I was waiting for my guests to arrive, I decided to check my email. Thelma took a moment to climb onto our bed while I sat there with my laptop and rub up against me. I said to her, “Thelma, I love you. You keep coming back to me.”
That’s about when I realised that she was totally devoted. She’d given her heart to Jen and I. This, of course, does not mean that she doesn’t have her moments of annoyance or wandering. But the bottom line is that despite her occasional misbehavior, she keeps coming back.
Someday I hope to be as devoted a follower as my cat Thelma.
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Benjamin said,
July 2, 2007 at 10:14 pm
Oh come on - be a man and call it pussy theology like you wanted too
Malchom said,
July 6, 2007 at 5:55 am
Thanks for the simplicity of your message. I appreciated it.
Red Seven said,
July 9, 2007 at 2:35 pm
Um … what Benjamin said.
Devotion is a fantastic thing, provided you’re devoted to the right thing. I had a dose of “pussy theology” myself today. The postman opened my door to deliver a package (it was unlocked; I was upstairs) and continued his/her rounds without closing it all the way. I went downstairs an hour later to find the door wide open — and two cats, asleep on the couch not two feet away.
Whew!
Whether that was devotion (a virtue) or sloth (a vice), I’m grateful for small things today.
Loving god said,
July 14, 2007 at 6:18 pm
The love and devotion that god holds for you is beyond all things you will ever know.
Dan said,
July 26, 2007 at 12:23 am
What fruit will grow in a True Christians life:
1. Repentance - A 180 degree turn away from sinful behavior and towards Godly behavior.
2. Thankfulness - A thankful heart that is grateful for what God has done… and shows itself in a cheerful disposition.
3. Good Works - A life that becomes others centered (helping the aged, feeding the poor, teaching children, etc.) Not self centered (all free time consumed in personal hobbies and interests)
4. Fruit of the Spirit - An ever-growing capacity of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and self control in the life of the believer.
5. Fruit of Righteousness - Doing the right thing according to the way God defines it in his word. Not according to the way man defines it in his own mind.
We are here to get fruit bearing Christians not decisions for Christ to fill pews.
If we understand the parable in Mark 4:3-13 then it unlocks the secret to all parables: Foolish virgin=false convert Wise virgin=Genuine conversions. The good fish, the bad fish. The man who built his house on rock and the man who built his house on sand. The one who built his house on sand is the one who hears the word of Jesus but doesn’t keep them. False Convert.
6 characteristics of a False Convert:
1. Mark 4:5 - Lack depth of understanding. Immediate results impressive changes occur quickly then false convert will fall away from their faith over time and the results and changes disappear.
2. Luke 8:6 - False convert lack moisture in other words they lack the life-giving and life-sustaining power of God’s word. To a false convert the Bible is dry and uninteresting and struggles with daily devotions.
3. Matthew 13:6 - False convert have no roots like a plant that dries up when the heat comes because it’s roots aren’t deep enough to reach water to sustain it. So is the false convert who’s faith dries up where persecution comes his roots of faith don’t run deep enough to reach the life sustaining water of God’s word and Holy Spirit.
Mark 4:16 - False Converts receive the word with gladness. Hears the gospel message with gladness and really seems to latch on to it. He may express, for example, with tear filled eyes of joy. How this is the answer he’s been looking for. When any test or trials comes his way, excuses become his trademark he falls away from following Jesus.
5. Matthew 13:20 - Repeats that same point false convert receive the word with joy (at first)
6. Luke 8:13 - Because they do believe for a season this is the one that fools the most people because they do believe, for a short time, the Gospel message. These false converts walk and talk a very good game. They often sincerely believe the Vital truths. That Jesus was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died a sacrificial death and rose from the earth and that he was fully man and fully God. they believe those things in their mind. When it comes time to deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Jesus into test and self sacrifice the false convert displays, slowly but surely, the truth that they never believed in their hearts. Never made that commitment to Christ and eventually becomes distracted by the worries and opportunities of life and lives for himself not Christ.
Without Doubt said,
July 28, 2007 at 1:06 pm
It is amazing what we can learn from animals. AS they rely on us for care, so do we rely on Christ. You have made that coneection for your readers, and hopefully they can see where you are coming from.
P.S. I am more of a dog person, but I too have thought about this in the past. Good Work.
Click here to visit WithoutDoubt.net for for an edgy new Christian clothing line!! Check it out!
odog said,
August 2, 2007 at 6:32 am
the cat isn’t devoted, it was probably hassling you for some attention.
fuzzit said,
August 11, 2007 at 12:05 am
I like your feline theology…I think there is more metaphor there.. God and human thinking is like human/ cat thinking, it puts things in perspective: there is so much we cannot know.
Br. Jay said,
August 18, 2007 at 10:27 pm
It is amazing what our pets can teach us about being devoted. I have a fantastic dog, who loves no matter my mood that day. I would that I could love God that consistently.
mandy said,
August 31, 2007 at 8:51 am
interesting stuff here…..
wanted to let you know i’m listing you in Blog Day’07.
blessings!
D Rho said,
August 31, 2007 at 5:42 pm
Nice post. My first time here, and I like it!
I have a cat. She is a great source of blogging inspirtaion for me as well, so I’ll add my own little theological connection to my cat’s life here:
My cat always comes around when she’s hungry. She’s persistent about getting that food. She’ll nap and sit and linger around the front door all day in the hot sun just so I’ll see her there when I get home. Hoping that I’ll pour her a bowl of tuna & chicken flavored Friskies. There ain’t no way she’s walking to the neighbors’ to get there generic brand kibble.
She shares too, with all the neighborhood feline kind! I once got home from a late night run to the store (to buy Friskies) only to find a pride of what looked to be a conglomeration of stray cats, alley cats, house cats, and a possum chillin’ in and around my front yard waitning for me to arrive with the tasty edibles.
I’ll let you make your own connections theologically…
Jen said,
September 7, 2007 at 11:59 am
I miss your posts!
denise said,
September 9, 2007 at 7:53 am
I used to have a beautiful greeting card, purchased at the Art Institute of Chicago, with a quote that said something like
“to be a cat in the house of God, at one with the master, at home with the mistress…”
and it had a Japanese watercolor of a cat napping in the sun. I believe it was a translated quote, but it struck me so much that I hung it on the wall with the little bible quotes and other things meaningful to me in college.
Something about the restfulness of the image reminds me of that radical parable– the farmer who sowed the seeds then went to sleep, letting God do all the hard work of transformation and growth, after.
Benjamin Britten wrote a wonderful piece of music about the way his cat circled round before lying down, which I believe he said was his cat’s way of praising God.
Funny– it’s been twenty years since I heard that song (in Spokane Washington, across the continent) and probably 25 years since I laid eyes on that card from the Art Institute. Thank you for reminding me. Be a cat in the house of God, and find a sunny window. It’s not everything, but simple devotion is good.
denise said,
September 9, 2007 at 1:37 pm
Uh-oh, I was way off with the Benjamin Britten, forgive me: it was Christopher Smart who composed the song about the cat praising God… it must’ve been in a concert program that also included some Britten, twenty years ago.
“For I will consider my cat Jeoffrey” is the piece. Many pardons.