Word of Life Church Podcast

<p>The gospel is first and foremost a story—it’s the story of Israel, the story of Jesus, the story of God saving the world. And this story is what all the great stories in one way or another point to—because, indeed, Jesus Christ is Lord of the Story.</p>

<p>The unique way Christians talk about God is found in ancient language. We say God is a Holy Trinity. We believe the one true living God, the creator God, the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob has been revealed in three distinct persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We believe in one God, one divine essence and substance in three persons. The doctrine of the Trinity is important and essential because it tells us who God is and subsequently who we are. </p>

<p>The church born on Pentecost -- the very first church -- devoted itself to four things:</p><p>1. The Apostles' Teaching (Didache)</p><p>2. The Fellowship (Koinonia)</p><p>3. The Breaking of Bread (Eucharist)</p><p>4. The Prayers (Liturgy)</p>

<p>Tanakh is a Hebrew acronym for the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings/Psalms. After his resurrection Jesus told his disciples, "Everything written about me in the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms had to be fulfilled." Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. If we want our minds to be opened to understand the Scriptures, there’s one essential key: The aim and end, the Alpha and Omega, the promise and fulfillment of all Scripture is…Jesus Christ!</p>

<p>The Apostle Paul speaks often of the mystery of Christ as the supreme revelation of God, but this in not a mystery we can place under our control. In his poem The Magi, William Butler Yeats aptly describes the incarnate Word born at Bethlehem as "the uncontrollable mystery on the bestial floor."</p>

<p>The landscape of our current culture seems to be filled with fury and it has left the condition of our souls vexed with anxiety. If we trust and follow Jesus, the one who cares for our soul, he will lead us, as the Good Shepherd, out of the landscape of fury and into pastures of peace.</p>

<p>Do you believe in ghosts? The disciples may have. Upon seeing the resurrected Jesus, they wrongly assumed he was a ghost. This opens the door for Jesus to assure them(and us) that he has risen indeed. If Jesus has been raised, then death has been defeated, and we need not fear. Therefore, Jesus continues to ask "Why are you frightened?".</p>

<p>One way to think about the resurrection is to see it as Jesus’ first step towards ascension. Another way is to think of the resurrection of Jesus like a wormhole, a tunnel through time and space. From this perspective, Jesus went into death creating a passageway from this broken down world into God’s new world where all things are new again. In stepping through that doorway into the place where God the Holy Spirit is making all things, we have the opportunity to participate with the Spirit. We participate by stripping off everything associated with our old sinful nature and putting on our new nature created to be like God. We strip off everything that doesn't look like Jesus so we can be like the God revealed in Jesus. A new life is waiting for you. Are you ready for it?</p>

<p>Turning and turning in the widening gyre</p><p>The falcon cannot hear the falconer;</p><p>Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold.</p><p>-W.B. Yeats, The Second Coming</p><p><br></p><p>In him all things hold together.</p><p>He is the head of the body, the church.</p><p>He is the beginning,</p><p>The firstborn from the dead.</p><p>-St. Paul, Colossians 1:17–18</p>

<p>ABOUT THIS PODCAST</p><p>Brian Zahnd, Cole Novak, and Jacob Taylor discuss The Harrowing of Hell in this special Good Friday episode. This is the last episode of conversations based on Brian's new book The Wood Between The Worlds: A Poetic Theology of the Cross. We hope you have enjoyed this series and invite you to subscribe for future related content.</p><p><br></p><p>GET THE BOOK - The Wood Between the Worlds by Brian Zahnd</p><p><a href="https://wolc.com/twbtw" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://wolc.com/twbtw</a></p><p><br></p>

<p>Jesus Christ—the Logos made flesh—is the true icon of the living God. The world has at last truly seen God. And what is the climactic, definitive moment of God’s self-revelation in Christ? It’s the central event in the gospel story—the crucifixion. The cross is the pinnacle of divine self-disclosure.</p>

<p>ABOUT THIS PODCAST</p><p>Brian Zahnd, Cole Novak, and Jacob Taylor explore themes from the Lord of the Rings epic by J.R. Tolkien and more specifically how power should be handled by those who follow Christ. This episode continues conversation based on Brian's new book The Wood Between The Worlds: A Poetic Theology of the Cross. Follow for more episodes each Thursday in Lent.</p><p><br></p><p>GET THE BOOK - The Wood Between the Worlds by Brian Zahnd</p><p><a href="https://wolc.com/twbtw" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://wolc.com/twbtw</a></p><p><br></p><p><br></p>

<p>ABOUT THIS PODCAST</p><p>Brian Zahnd, Cole Novak, and Derek Vreeland discuss the wild images and stunning message of the book of Revelation. This episode continues conversation based on Brian's new book The Wood Between The Worlds: A Poetic Theology of the Cross. Follow for more episodes each Thursday in Lent.</p><p><br></p><p>GET THE BOOK - The Wood Between the Worlds by Brian Zahnd</p><p><a href="https://wolc.com/twbtw" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://wolc.com/twbtw</a></p><p><br></p>

<p>ABOUT THIS PODCAST</p><p>Brian Zahnd, Cole Novak, and Derek Vreeland explore topics ranging from the betrayal by Judas to the Protestant presumption that there can be no salvific work after the moment of death. This episode continues conversation based on Brian's new book The Wood Between The Worlds: A Poetic Theology of the Cross. Follow for more episodes each Thursday in Lent.</p><p><br></p><p>GET THE BOOK - The Wood Between the Worlds by Brian Zahnd</p><p><a href="https://wolc.com/twbtw" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://wolc.com/twbtw</a></p><p><br></p><p>FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA</p><p>Facebook: https://<a href="http://www.facebook.com/wordoflifechurch" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">www.facebook.com/wordoflifechurch</a></p><p>Instagram: https://<a href="http://www.instagram.com/wordoflifechurch" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">www.instagram.com/wordoflifechurch</a></p><p>YouTube: https://<a href="http://www.youtube.com/wolctv" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">www.youtube.com/wolctv</a></p><p><br></p><p>PASTOR BRIAN ZAHND ON SOCIAL MEDIA</p><p>Facebook: https://<a href="http://www.facebook.com/brianzahnd" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">www.facebook.com/brianzahnd</a></p><p>Instagram: https://<a href="http://www.instagram.com/brianzahnd" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">www.instagram.com/brianzahnd</a></p><p>Twitter: https://<a href="http://www.twitter.com/brianzahnd" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">www.twitter.com/brianzahnd</a></p><p><br></p><p>CONNECT WITH A PASTOR</p><p>Do you need prayer? Are you new to Word of Life Church? One of our pastors would love to connect with you. Fill out the form at <a href="https://www.wolc.com/connect" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.wolc.com/connect</a></p><p><br></p><p>ABOUT WORD OF LIFE CHURCH</p><p>Word of Life is located in St. Joseph, MO. We are seeking to be an authentic expression of the Kingdom of Jesus in the 21st Century. You can learn more at <a href="https://www.wolc.com" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.wolc.com</a></p><p><br></p><p>GIVE</p><p>To make a financial contribution to the ministry work of Word of Life Church visit <a href="https://www.wolc.com/give" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.wolc.com/give</a></p>

<p>ABOUT THIS EPISODE</p><p>Brian Zahnd, Cole Novak, and Jacob Taylor discuss the role of beauty in the Christian faith. This conversation continues to discuss themes from Brian's new book The Wood Between The Worlds: A Poetic Theology of the Cross. Follow for more episodes each Thursday in Lent.</p><p><br></p><p>Watch this episode on at <a href="http://youtube.com/wolctv." rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Youtube.com/wolctv.</a></p><p><br></p><p>FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA</p><p>Facebook: https://<a href="http://www.facebook.com/wordoflifechurch" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">www.facebook.com/wordoflifechurch</a></p><p>Instagram: https://<a href="http://www.instagram.com/wordoflifechurch" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">www.instagram.com/wordoflifechurch</a></p><p>YouTube: https://<a href="http://www.youtube.com/wolctv" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">www.youtube.com/wolctv</a></p><p><br></p><p>PASTOR BRIAN ZAHND ON SOCIAL MEDIA</p><p>Facebook: https://<a href="http://www.facebook.com/brianzahnd" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">www.facebook.com/brianzahnd</a></p><p>Instagram: https://<a href="http://www.instagram.com/brianzahnd" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">www.instagram.com/brianzahnd</a></p><p>Twitter: https://<a href="http://www.twitter.com/brianzahnd" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">www.twitter.com/brianzahnd</a></p><p><br></p><p>CONNECT WITH A PASTOR</p><p>Do you need prayer? Are you new to Word of Life Church? One of our pastors would love to connect with you. Fill out the form at <a href="https://www.wolc.com/connect" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.wolc.com/connect</a></p><p><br></p><p>ABOUT WORD OF LIFE CHURCH</p><p>Word of Life is located in St. Joseph, MO. We are seeking to be an authentic expression of the Kingdom of Jesus in the 21st Century. You can learn more at <a href="https://www.wolc.com" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.wolc.com</a></p><p><br></p><p>GIVE</p><p>To make a financial contribution to the ministry work of Word of Life Church visit <a href="https://www.wolc.com/give" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.wolc.com/give</a></p>

<p>"Beauty demands to be noticed; it speaks to us directly like the voice of an intimate friend. If there are people who are indifferent to beauty, then it surely because they do not perceive it." - Roger Scruton, Beauty</p>

<p>ABOUT THIS PODCAST - Brian Zahnd, Cole Novak, and Jacob Taylor sit down for a conversation about theodicy and centered on the idea that only the suffering God can help. This conversation continues to explore themes from Brian's new book The Wood Between The Worlds: A Poetic Theology of the Cross. Follow for more episodes each Thursday in Lent. </p><p><br></p><p>GET THE BOOK - The Wood Between the Worlds by Brian Zahnd <a href="https://wolc.com/twbtw" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://wolc.com/twbtw</a></p><p><br></p>

<p>Once a symbol of imperial terror, the cross has become the eternal symbol of divine love. When we look upon the cross today, we don’t see an instrument of torture and death; we see the supreme demonstration of God’s love. We see the lengths to which God will go to save the world.</p>

<p>Brian Zahnd, Cole Novak, and Derek Vreeland explore the paradox of God revealed in the crucifixion of Christ on the cross. This conversation continues to explore themes from Brian's new book The Wood Between The Worlds: A Poetic Theology of the Cross. Follow for more episodes each Thursday in Lent.</p>

<p>The cross of Christ is the wood between the worlds.</p><p>There is the world that was and the world to come,</p><p>and in between those two worlds,</p><p>is the wood upon which the Son of God was hung.</p>

<p>It's nearly impossible to comprehend how shocking Jesus' call to "take up your cross and follow me" was to a first century audience. It would not have been heard as a call to a pious spirituality. It could only be understood as a call to martyrdom. And what could be more shocking than that?</p>

<p>The Uncreated Light of Tabor illuminates the Old Testament. The Light brighter than the sun that shines from the face of the Transfigured Christ turns the Old Testament into a brand-new text. At the Transfiguration we learn that Jesus is the telos of the Old Testament.</p>

<p>Everyone is searching. Everyone who hasn't given up and succumbed to despair and surrendered to nihilism is searching for something. And ultimately, whether they know it or not, they're searching for Jesus.</p>

<p>The fame of Jesus spread throughout Galilee, then Judea, then the Roman Empire, and then throughout the whole world, so that Jesus of Nazareth is far and away the most famous person in history. Fame is connected with fascination. We're fascinated by famous people—we want to know more about them. And fascination with Jesus Christ is the essential thing. But wherein lies the fame of Jesus? What is Jesus famous for?</p>

<p>To follow Jesus is to embark upon the risk of becoming—it’s the lifelong journey of becoming who you are meant to be. And this journey is always a risky adventure. There are gains and losses, successes and failures, victories and defeats. Sometimes you walk on water for ten seconds—and the next moment you're crying out, “Lord, save me!” And in that moment of risk Jesus does save you. But the greater truth is this: As long as you're moving toward Jesus, there’s really never any risk at all.</p>

<p>The story of Jacob's Ladder in Genesis has a powerful influence upon our theological imagination:</p><p><br></p><p>It speaks to us of the reality of another world called heaven.</p><p><br></p><p>It speaks to us of another order of being called angels.</p><p><br></p><p>It speaks to us of the possibility of a ladder of interaction between these two worlds.</p>

<p>One of the reasons that after nearly fifty years of following Jesus and after over forty years of full-time ministry that I’m not bored, burned out, jaded or cynical, is that many times and in many ways—including by dreams—I’ve been warned and wooed by the Holy Spirit to travel by another road.</p>

<p>Ours is an age of acute empirical perception that affords spectacular scientific and technological developments, but our age is also an epoch of dire spiritual dullness leading to a deep poverty of the soul. This lack of spiritual perceptivity engenders a profound sense of emptiness and meaninglessness. To recover meaning we need to rediscover the paths of unseen existences.</p>

<p>Monsters</p><p>Dave Matthews Band</p><p><br></p><p>Broke old toy soldiers lined up one, two, three</p><p>Little kid and everything I did just to save my paper queen</p><p>'Cause love won't let me go</p><p>Yeah, no army's gonna save my soul</p><p>'Cause love won't let me go</p><p>Nothing in the closet</p><p>Nothing underneath the bed</p><p>Just the monsters in your head</p><p>I hear strange voices at every step I take</p><p>No, you can't cross the ocean if you can't get past the break</p><p>Even if fear don't put you down</p><p>Won't you lean on me while I'm around</p><p>Oh, no rope to hang the dead</p><p>No line to save the drowning man</p><p>Just the monsters in your head</p><p>Nothing in the closet</p><p>Nothing underneath the bed</p><p>Just the monsters in your head</p><p>See killer's eyes and painted faces</p><p>The Devil wants your soul, but Jesus saves</p><p>Traffic jam is an angry maze</p><p>The Devil wants your soul, but Jesus saves</p><p>Chutes and ladders, pick-up sticks</p><p>Counting cars and counting bricks</p><p>Driving past the ol' five-and-dime</p><p>Can't get nothin' for a nickel since a long, long time</p><p>I won't let you down</p><p>Nothing in the closet</p><p>Nothing underneath your bed</p><p>Just the monsters in your head</p><p>No rope to hang the dead</p><p>No line to save the drowning man</p><p>Just the monsters in your head</p><p>Love won't let you go</p><p>Love won't let you go</p>

<p>The Holy Trinity is a sanctuary of perfect love where there is never any fear, discord, or sorrow. It is from this sanctuary that the the Holy Spirit is sent as the Paraclete—the one who comes alongside to help us.</p>

<p>John the Evangelist originally concluded his Gospel with chapter twenty. But sometime later, perhaps to affirm the leadership of Peter and to dispel a rumor about himself, John wrote and additional chapter -- a chapter that can be described as a lovely coda.</p>

<p>On the first Sunday in Lent the lectionary takes us to the wilderness temptation of Christ. As Jesus prayed and fasted forty days in preparation to launch his ministry—a ministry that would announce and enact the arrival of the kingdom of God— he was beset with three satanic temptations. The first two temptations involved misuse of miraculous powers. But it was the final temptation that was the most insidious of all: the temptation to receive political dominion over the kingdoms of the world in exchange for bowing down to the devil. The third temptation deserves special attention, not only because it was the most sinister, but because it is the temptation that has beguiled and beleaguered the church for seventeen centuries.</p>

<p>Jesus knows that all forms of spirituality built on legalistic, rule-based religion focused on behavior modification is a dead-end road. It cannot produce life. Inward transformation, a change of the heart and the formation of character, becomes the foundation for real life in the kingdom of God. Jesus warns us of the judgment that is to come if we allow anger to become angry words that seek to hurt and destroy. It is ok to get angry, but there is a massive difference between being a person who feels angry and being an angry person. One is Christlike and one is not. If we are to be made new, renewed in the likeness of God, we have to deal with our anger issues. To do so we need to answer at least three questions: How do I respond to the anger I feel? How do I resolve the anger that seems to linger? What about righteous anger?</p>

<p>When Isaiah penned his “Rivers In the Desert” poem, Judah was in a bad way—internally Judah was corrupt and externally it was under threat of foreign invasion. But the poet of audacious hope does not despair; instead he proclaims that God will come, and in that day it will be said, “Here is your God!”</p>

<p>Paul says that Christ has abolished death and brought immortality to light, and he says this is the gospel. And it is! But it’s not the gospel we’re accustomed to hearing. Over time the gospel has been reduced to be almost exclusively about forgiveness. Of course forgiveness is a beautiful component of the gospel, but that’s not all there is. The gospel in its fullest and most grand presentation is about the abolition of death.</p>

<p>Where there is no war, is in heaven above, where Christ reigns supreme. In the world above, the world to come, the war is already won. The devil has been cast down and no longer has any place in heaven above. Heaven is the place where there is no war, so keep your head in heaven above.</p>

<p>This sermon is an exploration of the fundamental truth that many of us know, but most of us find hard to believe. 1 John 4 lays out the extraordinary claim that God is love. The implications for our lives and the world we live in are profound and unlimited in the light of this reality - if only we can come to know and believe that it is true. May we let go of our false self and let our true self be known and loved by the God who is love.</p>

<p>After the ancient people of God crossed the Jordan River and entered into the Promised Land, they stacked 12 stones to serve as a memorial that God indeed had remained faithful to God’s people. The resurrection of Jesus is our memorial stone as the renewed people of God. Jesus’ resurrection was not a collection of stones stacked by human beings, but a single stone that God rolled away when life triumphed over death. Resurrection as a memorial stone is a way of seeing. Our painful past is often recorded in our memories in black and white, but resurrection colors everything with hope and life. The resurrection as a memorial stone changes how we look at our suffering personally and collectively because the resurrection of Jesus is a signpost pointing us to a future resurrection of our own.</p>

<p>The Gospel of John decidedly and deliberately differs from Matthew, Mark, and Luke. John the Evangelist wants to give us a theological Gospel containing the highest possible Christology. In his opening sentence John tells us that this one who is the Word of God is fully divine. While the other Gospels give genealogies and tell us that Jesus comes from Bethlehem and Nazareth, John is not interested in those particular biographical details. For John the only genealogy of Jesus that really matters is that he is the Son of God, who was in the beginning with God, and that he is the truth of God who comes from heaven, that is from above.</p>

<p>Sanctuary<br>Hiss Golden Messenger<br><br>Feeling bad<br>Feeling blue<br>Can't get out of my own mind<br>I know how to sing about it<br><br>Ring of bone<br>A little lonely<br>I better hit the road, child<br>We can cry into the phone a while<br><br>Jubilee<br>Find me<br>Steady with your hope now<br>That little light's gotta last a while<br><br>Like an arrow to the marrow<br>I know it feels like hell now<br>'Til we make it to the other side<br><br>You want good news<br>You want sanctuary<br>When you try to get real<br>Oh, they break you on the wheel<br>You wanna move<br>You want sanctuary<br>That's all that I can offer to you<br>From the bottom to the bone<br>To the bone<br><br>Get used to the bad news<br>It's all part of the show, child<br>Handsome Johnny had to go, child<br><br>Did you feel the bad news?<br>Oh, there's something you should know now<br>Little things that'll cut you down<br><br>Ragged people<br>Hard times<br>And the lightning strikes the poorhouse<br>The rich man cries like a crocodile<br><br>Salvation<br>Despair<br>But the game that they taught me<br>Sometimes it feels like it just ain't fair<br><br>You want good news<br>You want sanctuary<br>When you try to get real<br>Oh, they break you on the wheel<br>You wanna move<br>You want sanctuary<br>That's all that I can offer to you<br>From the bottom to the bone<br>To the bone<br><br>Yeah, to the bone<br>Ah, to the bone<br>Yeah, to the bone<br>Ah, to the bone<br>Yeah, to the bone<br>Ah, to the bone<br><br>Feeling bad<br>Feeling blue<br>Can't get out of my own mind<br>But I know how to sing about it</p>

<p>Quiet Town<br>The Killers<br><br>A couple of kids got hit by a Union Pacific train<br>Carrying sheet metal and household appliances<br>Through the pouring rain<br>They were planning on getting married after graduation<br>Had a little baby girl, trouble came and shut it down<br>Things like that ain't supposed to happen<br><br>In this quiet town<br>Families are tight<br>Good people,<br>They still don't deadbolt their doors at night<br>In this quiet town<br><br>When we first heard opioid stories<br>They were always in whispering tones<br>Now banners of sorrow mark the front steps of childhood homes<br>Parents wept through daddy's girl eulogies<br>And merit badge milestones with their daughters and sons<br>Laying there lifeless in their suits and gowns<br>Somebody's been keeping secrets<br><br>In this quiet town<br>They know how to live<br>Good people who lean on Jesus<br>They're quick to forgive<br>In this quiet town<br><br>Now whenever I'm near the town<br>I'll find some reason to give<br>And I will walk with the dead and the living where I used to live<br>And every time I see my parents in the prime of their lives<br>Offering their son the kind of love he could never put down<br>Part of me is still that stainless kid, lucky<br><br>In this quiet town<br>Salt of the land<br>Hard-working people, if you're in trouble<br>They'll lend you a hand<br>Here in this quiet town<br><br>The first crop of hay is up<br>School let out and the sun beats down<br>Smoke billows from a Sunday train<br>That cries away from a quiet town</p>

<p>Unconditional (Lookout Kid)<br><br>Unconditional (Lookout Kid)<br>Arcade Fire<br><br>Lookout kid, trust your heart<br>You don't have to play the part <br>They wrote for you<br>Just be true<br>There are things that you could do<br>That no one else on earth could ever do<br>But I can't teach you, I can't teach it to you<br><br>Lookout kid, trust your mind<br>But you can't trust it everytime<br>You know it plays tricks on you<br>And it don't give a damn if you are happy or you're sad<br>But if you've lost it, don't feel bad<br>'Cause it's alright to be sad<br><br>Lookout kid, trust your body<br>You can dance, and you can shake<br>Things will break, you make mistakes<br>You lose your friends, again and again<br>'Cause nothing is ever perfect<br>No one's perfect<br>Let me say it again, no one's perfect<br>Right<br><br>A lifetime of skinned knees<br>And heartbreak comes so easy<br>But a life without pain would be boring<br><br>And if you feel it, it's fine<br>I give you everything that's mine<br>I give you my heart and my precious time<br><br>Lookout kid, trust your soul<br>It ain't hard to rock n' roll<br>You know how to move your hips<br>And you know God is cool with it<br>But some people want the rock without the roll<br>But we all know, there's no God without soul<br>Right<br><br>A lifetime of skinned knees<br>And heartbreak comes so easily<br>But a life without you<br>Would be boring for someone like me<br><br>And if you feel it, it's fine<br>I give you everything that's mine<br>I give you my heart and my precious time<br>(Precious time)<br>(Give you everything)<br>I give you my heart and my precious time<br><br>Unconditional<br>Unconditional<br>No matter what you do<br>It's unconditional <br>Unconditional <br>No matter what you do<br>It's unconditional</p>

<p>Waiting On A War<br>Foo Fighters<br><br>I've been waiting on a war since I was young<br>Since I was a little boy with a toy gun<br>Never really wanted to be number one<br>Just wanted to love everyone<br><br>Is there more to this than that?<br>Is there more to this than that?<br>Is there more to this than that?<br>Is there more to this<br>More to this, more to this than<br><br>Just waiting on a war?<br>Just waiting on a war?<br><br>Every day waiting for the sky to fall<br>Big crash on a world that's so small<br>Just a boy with nowhere left to go<br>Fell in love with a voice on the radio<br><br>Is there more to this than that?<br>Is there more to this than that?<br>Is there more to this than that?<br>Is there more to this<br>More to this, more to this than<br><br>Just waiting on a war?<br>Just waiting on a war?<br><br>Just waiting on a war for this and that<br>There's got to be more to this than that<br>Just waiting on a war for this and that<br>There's got to be more to this than that<br><br>I've been waiting on a war since I was young<br>Since I was a little boy with a toy gun<br><br>Is there more to this<br>More to this, more to this than<br><br>Just waiting on a war?<br>Just waiting on a war?<br><br>Just waiting on a war for this and that<br>There's got to be more to this than that<br>Just waiting on a war for this and that<br>There's got to be more to this than that<br>Just waiting on a war for this and that<br>There's got to be more to this than that<br>Just waiting on a war for this and that<br>There's got to be more to this than that<br><br>'Cause I need more<br>Yeah, I need more<br>Just waiting on a war<br>Just waiting on a war<br>Yeah, I need more (for this and that)<br>(There's got to be more to this than that)<br>Yeah, I need more (just waiting on a war, for this and that)<br>(There's got to be more to this than that)<br>Just waiting on a war</p>

<p>Sunday, July 31, 2022<br>Life ain’t always empty…<br><br>Don’t get stuck in the past<br>Say your favorite things at mass<br>Tell your mother that you love her<br>And go out of your way for others<br>Sit beneath a light that suits you<br>And look forward to a brighter future<br><br>Life ain’t always empty…<br><br>Sink as far down as you can be pulled up<br>Happiness really ain’t all about luck<br>Let your demeanor be your deep down self<br>And don’t sacrifice your life for your health<br>When you speak, speak sincere<br>And believe me friend, everyone will hear<br><br>Life ain’t always empty…<br><br>Bring your own two cents<br>Never borrow them from someone else<br>Buy yourself a flower every hundredth hour<br>Throw your hair down from your lonely tower<br>And if, and if<br>You find yourself in the family way<br>Give the kid more than what you got in your day<br><br>Life ain’t always empty…<br><br>Never let a clock tell you what you got time for<br>It only goes around, goes around, goes around<br>Take your family name for your own great sins<br>'Cause each day is where it all begins<br>And don’t give up too quick<br>You only get one line, you better make it stick<br>If we give ourselves to every breath<br>Then we’re all in the running for a hero's death<br><br>Life ain’t always empty…</p>

<p>Mary and Martha do not represent two kinds of people—the contemplative person and the practical person. Mary and Martha represent two choices—two choices we all have to make. Jesus said that Mary made the better choice. Mary chose to be an everyday mystic.</p>

<p>The life of the age to come for those who are seeking first the kingdom of God is a “go and do” kind of life. Near the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, "Not everyone who calls out to me, 'Lord! Lord!' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter" (Matthew 7:21). This may be one of the most sobering things Jesus has to say. Calling Jesus Lord is not the same thing as doing what the Lord Jesus says.<br><br>Our life in pursuit of Jesus is not primarily about theology (what we believe), liturgy (the shape of our worship), or piety (our heart’s devotion), but a way of living shaped by the Holy Spirit around the death and resurrection of Jesus. Yes, what we believe about God is important. Yes, worship and prayer are important. Yes, devotion and passion for God are important. But each of these find <br>their significance when they prompt us to go and do.</p>