Reflections on a Blog

Creating and moderating a blog is sort of like throwing a big open-house party. As the host, it’s my responsibility to determine the theme of the event, to set the tone and atmosphere for it, to cater it, to make sure that the overall conversation remains lively, interesting, and moving in a positive direction, and to provide the music and/or entertainment for it. It’s even appropriate and necessary to circulate among the guests to have a little one-on-one communication, and to make sure that each person has everything that he or she needs. If I do my job as a good host, the guests will begin to open up and interact with one another on their own, and everyone will feel connected, and will have a good time.

Of course a blog is also a community, a think tank, a forum, and an idea exchange (among other things)…but it is definitely a party…at least this one is.

The evolution of BLOGINTHENOW has been very interesting to me, and I have learned a lot through the process of creating and maintaining it.

One thing that I find particularly remarkable (even though it could change today) is that after having answered a negative post a couple of weeks ago and seeing that turn into a positive thing, I made the decision to just go ahead and publish all negative comments from strangers in cyberspace and try to answer them. But when I made the decision to publish the negative feedback, all the negative feedback stopped! It’s so amazing to me how that principle works.

Anyway, I wanted to share something with you that isn’t about the blog, but it is in fact pertinent to what the blog is ultimately about. There is a gentleman who has visited our church on occasion, and he and I have just recently talked at length for the first time. He and his family attended CITN on Easter Sunday, and in the sermon that day I referred to something that he had said to me a couple of days before. Later, I worried a little that I might have offended him for calling him out in front of everyone like that, so I e-mailed him to make sure that I hadn’t.

Here’s an excerpt from his response…

_________________________


Hey Bishop Swilley,

I also enjoyed our conversation the other day. I sort of miss having those type spiritual conversations. I am very analytical so I really enjoy exploring the hidden things of GOD. You and I seem to share a similar theology which is neat for me...it's not as common for me to find "believers" that I can have an "open" conversation with. Some have GOD all figured out and have placed HIM in a nice neat box. Then there are those of us who are crazy enough to ask questions and explore the possibility that just maybe GOD and his/her WILL or PLAN may not fit in the box we have created for him/her. I feel fortunate and grateful to GOD for the gift of our relationship...friendship.

I am not uncomfortable with you referring to me in any sermon. There are preachers and then there are pastors/shepherds. Preachers preach out to a crowd(which is fine, GOD is in that), while Pastors/Shepherds shepherd the flock. When you come to the pulpit you come to Shepherd the flock that is in the house that day...It feels almost like we are having a conversation with you. Your style is very present to the moment. By the way, this whole preacher vs Shepherd revelation/concept I just received/learned by observing you this Sunday...thanks for the revelation!

_________________________


I’ve thought a lot about what it means to be a Shepherd the last couple of days, and I would like to say that this forum not only allows me to be the host of a party…it enables me to be a shepherd of a flock.

By the way, I’m perfectly fine with the way my friend used both gender pronouns to refer to God. As I have told you before, even though we use the masculine pronoun to refer to our heavenly Father, we know by the Spirit (and from the Scriptures) that He is as "female" as He is "male"…just as much our heavenly Mother as he is our Father.

Well now, that might start up some negative comments, after all. Could be. Could be not.

Do y’all need more chips and dip?

The Lord is My Shepherd!

Hey, bloggers! Happy Friday! TGIF! WEEKEND!!! It's going to be a great one at CITN, and I hope that you're all a part of it.

As most of you know, a new, fourth edition of my devotional A Year In The Now is soon to be released, but some of my AYITN devotees may not know about my other devotional based on the 23rd Psalm called Twenty-Three, New Reflections on the 23rd Psalm and You. It's very different from AYTIN, but it has helped a lot of people get through some major crises in their lives. But you don't have to be in survival mode to appreciate it...it is full of the medicine of the Word in a preventive maintenance sense. If, however, you know someone who is currently going through a really hard or stressful season, it would make an excellent gift for them.

If the following ministers to you, you would enjoy Twenty-Three...



THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD, I SHALL NOT WANT...

HE MAKES ME LIE DOWN IN GREEN PASTURES...

HE LEADS ME BESIDE STILL WATERS...

HE RESTORES MY SOUL...

HE LEADS ME IN THE PATHS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR HIS NAME'S SAKE...

EVEN THOUGH I WALK THROUGH THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH, I WILL FEAR NO EVIL, FOR YOU ARE WITH ME...YOUR ROD AND YOUR STAFF COMFORT ME...


YOU PREPARE A TABLE BEFORE ME IN THE PRESENCE OF MY ENEMIES...

YOU ANOINT MY HEAD WITH OIL, MY CUP RUNS OVER...

SURELY, GOODNESS AND MERCY SHALL FOLLOW ME ALL THE DAYS OF MY LIFE,

AND I WILL DWELL IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD FOREVER!























Selah!

I'll Be Back! (AND THEN SOME)

Good Morning, bloggers!

I'll be back to post an article later today. If you want to connect with each other, go ahead and start without me...I'll catch up with you all later.

Bish


___________________________

OK, it's a few hours later and I'm back...thanks for getting started...by the way, I'll be out of the country for most of next week (Tuesday through Saturday), so I don't know if I'll be able to do anything with the blog or not. I'm taking my laptop with me...we'll see what happens (more about that later)...

Listen, I know that yesterday was kind of a strange day for a lot of you...it was for me, too. Shake it off...get into the now. It's a new day...

I'm in kind of a prophetic mode today, so I'm going to speak to you in pictures...

This is for someone...in my spirit I hear "What you see today is just the tip of the iceberg...don't be disappointed...don't be frustrated with what you perceive to be limited resources...there's so much more than you can see on the surface right now...God is more than enough!"



And this is for someone who has never logged on before (it will be a sign to you because you'll know what I mean by this)... "This isn't an impossible situation...the answer is right before you...think with your WHOLE BRAIN for a change, and you will resolve this issue before sundown today."



And for the one who is battling with depression today... "Give yourself a break...just relax a little, and stay connected...someone has a word here for you today."



And here's one for a regular blogger... "STOP WORRYING! THERE'S A BIG ANGEL ASSIGNED TO THIS CASE, AND HE'S GOT IT UNDER CONTROL!"




OK, that's all...I try not to overthink stuff like this...I just go with the flow...if one of them is for you, speak up and let me know...

For Unto..."US"!

For unto us... not unto me… not unto you... but unto us, the collective, corporate community of mankind...the household of humanity...unto all of us, a child is born; unto us, the global family, a Son is given, and the responsibility of the government will rest on His broad shoulders. In fact, all the governments of all the peoples of the world will ultimately recognize Him as their one true foundation, for the earth is His, and He belongs to all of us . He will be the physical embodiment of the “I Am,” the God who defies description; and, in an attempt to define the indefinable, He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase and expansion of His kingdom and government and peace there will be no end. He will reign initially from David's throne and over His kingdom, establishing it and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time, on into the eternal now. The passionate zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

Isaiah 9:6,7 - The Bible In The Now


I haven't really started paraphrasing the book of Isaiah yet (or anything else in the OT, for that matter), but I have done a few passages here and there. These two verses were already posted on the CITN website for Christmas, but I wanted to use them again in the light of "US" (U-nified S-ynergy?) describing a blog community. The prophet said that Christ would be revealed to US...and Jesus said that where two or more are gathered together in His name, that there is a manifestation of His presence. Dearly beloved, we are gathered together here today in cyberspace, in His name, for a revelation!

This is how we do it...



eing vulnerable doesn't have to be threatening. Just have the courage to be sincere, open and honest. This opens the door to deeper communication all around. It creates self-empowerment and the kind of connections with others we all want in life. Speaking from the heart frees us from the secrets that burden us. These secrets are what make us sick or fearful. Speaking truth helps you get clarity on your real heart directives. - Sara Paddison


istening, not imitation, may be the sincerest form of flattery.– Dr. Joyce Brothers







ne learns people through the heart, not the eyes or the intellect. - Mark Twain







ood communication is as stimulating as black coffee, and just as hard to sleep after.
- ANNE MORROW LINDBERGH



f you were all alone in the universe with no one to talk to, no one with which to share the beauty of the stars, to laugh with, to touch, what would be your purpose in life? It is other life, it is love, which gives your life meaning. This is harmony. We must discover the joy of each other, the joy of challenge, the joy of growth.
- MITSUGI SAOTOME



one of us is as smart as all of us. - Ken Blanchard




he life I touch for good or ill will touch another life, and that in turn another, until who knows where the trembling stops or in what far place my touch will be felt.
- FREDERICK BUECHNER


ow does one keep from "growing old inside"? Surely only in community. The only way to make friends with time is to stay friends with people…. Taking community seriously not only gives us the companionship we need, it also relieves us of the notion that we are indispensable. - ROBERT MCAFEE BROWN


verything has been said before, but since nobody listens we have to keep going back and beginning all over again. - Andre Gide





ever doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. - MARGARET MEAD


ne kind word can warm three winter months.
- Japanese Proverb



e are all longing to go home to some place we have never been — a place half-remembered and half-envisioned we can only catch glimpses of from time to time. Community. Somewhere, there are people to whom we can speak with passion without having the words catch in our throats. Somewhere a circle of hands will open to receive us, eyes will light up as we enter, voices will celebrate with us whenever we come into our own power. Community means strength that joins our strength to do the work that needs to be done. Arms to hold us when we falter. A circle of healing. A circle of friends. Someplace where we can be free.
- Starhawk



(From a department store window in Malaysia)

ONE ON ONE

Hello bloggers and blogerati!




Welcome! You’re in the right place, and I’m glad that you’re here! Those of you who just entered through the CITN site, and are in the habit of clicking on the One On One link to read my daily web column might be surprised to find yourself in this part of cyberspace, but from now on that link will usher you directly here to my personal blog site.

If this is your first time visiting me here, you will have (or should have) noticed music playing on your computer. That’s my playlist of 100 songs which consists of worship, inspirational, gospel, and positive secular selections of every genre (my tastes are obviously quite eclectic). The songs shuffle, so you will hear a different one every time you log on. If you prefer to read without the music, you can either turn your computer volume down, or scroll down to the player and pause it. The songs can play continuously for hours before repeating, and many people just leave the site on to enjoy the music throughout their whole day.

You will notice that some people post comments here using their name, others post under “anonymous”, and still others choose to use a blog pseudonym, a practice that is quite common and accepted in the world of blogging. It’s all a matter of personal preference, and I’m fine with however anyone chooses to participate. If you’ve never used this format, don’t be intimidated by it…it’s really easy, and once you become familar with it, you’ll find that it’s very cool.

You can still blog on the CITN site about the services, the monthly E.A.C.H. award winners, and special events...and A Year In The Now, and the Scripture of the Day will sill be posted there daily.

If you take the time to read through the daily comments here, you will see that there are quite a few “regulars”, and that they have definitely formed a community (which I love). The group is made up of CITN members and friends, members of cyber-CITN from around the world, and others who just found us through surfing the internet and bonded with us here. But it’s not a clique or a closed society, so please feel free to let your light shine here with the rest of us! I am the blog moderator, and I do reserve the right to screen out things that I think are inappropriate for whatever reason, and I make no apology for that. But I am willing to answer honest questions when I can, and even to allow the expression of opposing viewpoints on occasion, if I believe that the comments serve a purpose, or give me an opportunity to address something that I think is important.

Don’t be disappointed that the season for One On One as you have known it has ended. I think that if you take a look around here, you will see that this blog really is a place for me to interact “one on one” with you more effectively and initimately than before.

You are important to me and to CITN…more importantly, you are important to God! Your insights may be a blessing to someone here, so let’s hear what you have to say. Don’t be shy or withdrawn or aloof…there is a term for those who read blogs and never contribute to them…they’re called “blurkers”. So my word to you today, one on one, is simply this: DON’T BE A BLURKER…BE A BLESSING!



P.S. If you prefer to view this in full screen, you'll need to log on to
www.bloginthenow.blogspot.com

Let There Be Light!

I love what goes on here every day, because there is a lot of light in this place! Some of your posts make me laugh...some of them make me cry...some of them just bless me...but they all make me think! When I first started this blog, it was important to me that it be a completely separate entity from the CITN site, but in the last few weeks, the line dividing the two sites has become increasingly blurred. And I'm OK with that, so beginning today, or sometime this week, there will be a link leading here where the One On One has been for over a year. The CITN blog will remain active for discussion about the services, messages to the monthly E.A.C.H. award winners, and for feedback and dialogue about special events like School of the Bible. Of course, AYITN and the Scripture of the Day will continue to be posted daily, and I hope that you will all continue to support that blog, because it serves an important and unique function.

I'll probably be back to add some more to this later today, but I want to talk about the value of an exchange of ideas in this format. You know, I ususally end my One On One with the words HONOR THE PAST...LIVE IN THE PRESENT...CREATE THE FUTURE, and I really like this quote a lot because it expresses those concepts in a practical sense... "Why is it that, as we grow older, we are so relunctant to change? It is not so much that new ideas are painful, for they are not. It is that old ideas are seldom entirely false, but have truth, great truth in them. The justification for conservatism is the desire to preserve the truths and standards of the past. Its dangers, of which we are seldom aware, is that in preserving those values, we may miss the infinitely greater riches that lie in the future." - Dr. Dale E. Turner


When we all share our ideas here in a positive way, the light just gets brighter and brighter.

Even God says, "Come, let us reason TOGETHER...".

On many occasions Jesus would say

"You have heard it said ____________________ (fill in the blank),

but I say unto you ______________________" (fill in the blank).


I so very much appreciate that the participants in this cyber-community honor the "but I say unto you" part!


In the meantime...I command a blessing on your insights expressed here today...

I bless your ideas...

I bless your dreams and visions...

I bless your revelation...

I bless your creative communication...

And I declare that the very windows of heaven are opened up for you (and in you) today...that His Kingdom comes, and His will is done in cyberspace, as it is there...

LET THERE BE LIGHT!

HE IS...

Chapter 20 - John In The Now

1. Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and was surprised to find that the stone that had been lodged into the entrance had somehow been rolled away.
2. As soon as she assessed the situation, she immediately ran to find Simon Peter and the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and when she got to them she blurted out, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb and we don’t know where they have put Him!”
3. When Peter and the other disciple heard this, they just took off running to the tomb to see for themselves.
4. The two disciples initially were running together, but then the other disciple picked up speed and outran Peter, arriving at the tomb first.
5. And when he got there, he stooped down to look inside and saw the linen grave clothes lying there, but he didn’t enter the tomb.
6. But when Peter got there, he just went right in and also saw the little pile of linen material lying there.
7. Next to it was the piece of cloth that had been used to cover Jesus’ face, neatly rolled up and in a place by itself.
8. The disciple who got there first then entered the tomb and, when he saw the whole scenario, he believed fully in the resurrection.
9. For as yet the disciples had not made the connection that the Scriptures had said that He would rise from the dead.
10. But even though he believed, the disciple didn’t know what to do about it, so he and Peter both just went back to their homes.
11. Mary Magdalene, on the other hand, remained there and just stood outside the tomb weeping. And at a certain point, while she was still in tears, she stooped down and looked into the interior.
12. Inside she saw two men who appeared to be angels, all dressed in white, sitting where Jesus’ body had been. One was sitting at the head, the other at the foot.
13. They turned and looked right at her and asked, “Why are you crying?” She answered, “Because they have taken away my Lord’s body, and I don’t know where they have put Him.”
14. As soon as Mary said this, she became aware that someone was standing right behind her. So she quickly turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she didn’t realize that it was Him.
15. Jesus asked her “Why are you crying, Ma’am? Who are you looking for?” She just assumed He was the gardener and said, “Sir, if you have removed His body, please tell me, so that I can go and get it.”
16. Then Jesus said to her, “Mary!” Suddenly, the sound of His voice penetrated her stupor and, realizing who He was, she cried out, “Teacher!”
17. When she reached out to embrace Him, He told her, “Don’t try to hold on to Me, Mary. I am making the transition into the Father’s dimension, and you can’t keep Me here. I no longer belong in the physical body that you are used to seeing and holding, so don’t touch Me. But tell My disciples that I am going to our Father and to our God.”
18. So Mary Magdalene went immediately to the disciples and declared to them that she had seen the Lord. She also told them what He had said to her.
19. But the disciples were afraid of the religious leaders, so, on the evening of that same day, they assembled themselves and barricaded the doors of their meeting room. But as soon as they built the barricade, Jesus just appeared in the middle of the room and said to them, “Peace be with all of you!”
20. When He had said this, He showed them all His hands and His side and, when they got over the shock of seeing Him, they became exuberant and began rejoicing.
21. Once again He said to them, “Peace be to all of you; just as the Father sent Me into this dimension, now I am sending you to all the people of the world.”
22. Then He took a deep breath and began to breathe and blow on them, and into them, in the same way that God had breathed into Adam in the creation. As He continued to blow on them, He began to say, “Receive…receive…receive the Holy Spirit.
23. “Receive the power to forgive sins; if you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you refuse to forgive them, they are unforgiven. You now have the same power and authority on the earth that I have had, not just to heal diseases, but to forgive sins, as well.”
24. Now Thomas (called the Twin) was one of the twelve, but he was not with them in the room that night.
25. So when the disciples recounted to him the story of Jesus’ amazing appearance and the transfer of anointing that took place there with them all, he was more than a little skeptical. When they told him that they had seen the Lord, Thomas said, “Unless I see the holes in His hands made from the spikes and put my finger through them and put my hand into the opening in His side made by the spear, I will not believe.”
26. So, a full week later the disciples were all together again, this time with Thomas, with the doors barricaded just like before. And in the same way, Jesus appeared in the middle of the room and said, “Peace be to all of you!”
27. Then He looked at Thomas, held up His hands in front of Him and said, “Go ahead, Thomas, put your finger through the holes in My hands and reach into the open place in My side. I don’t want you to be an unbeliever, so if this is what it takes to get you to believe, then please explore all of My wounds; see for yourself and believe!”
28. But Thomas didn’t have to touch Him. He knew immediately that it was Him and simply said, “My Lord and my God.”
29. Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me with your natural eyes, you have believed. But there is a special blessing for those who have the faith, the vision, the imagination, to believe in what they can’t see.”
30. Jesus actually did many other miraculous signs in the presence of His disciples, miracles that are not even recorded in this book.
31. But the ones that are recorded here are written that you, the reader, may believe that Jesus was and is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing in Him you may live your life to the fullest in His name.





Happy Resurrection Day, bloggers!