Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: PICNIC - deadline 7-12-12 @ 9:59 AM NY Time (07/05/12)
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TITLE: Selectiveness | Previous Challenge Entry
By Ramona Cook
07/06/12 -
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Jesus taught many lessons around a table as food was being enjoyed.
People are more relaxed and open to favorable discussions over the table set with good food.
I recall a writing instructor who advised his class to invite the Editor or Publisher, whom they wished would read their writing, to a nice lunch. Food sharing is one way to open the path to conversation.
The Bible is filled with the idea of food. Jesus is The Bread of Life. The Scriptures are our spiritual food.
We love those buffets and smorgasbords covered with all kinds of food. Of course we don’t really like every dish on the table. We have our preferences. But isn’t it beautiful to look at so much delightful and artful samples of food?
Yes, we Americans have the reputation of picking and choosing what we want, and I promise you that I appreciate that fact. We are decision makers and we choose the things we want to enjoy. We are capable of letting others make their decisions as they wish while we also do our thing. We are tolerant.
Maybe we have drunk the water of tolerance, allowing many ways and preferences, so long that we have lost the understanding that some things cannot be tweaked or mixed with other components but must be kept pure and untainted.
The Word of God is one of those things which cannot be tweaked or mixed with our likes and dislikes.
It seems to me that our doctrines and teachings are mixed with so many things not found in the Bible.
Even when the doctrine and teaching is pure and untainted, we seem to feel we have the God given right to pick and choose which teaching we like and do not like. We therefore look strange against the plumb line of measure for a Christian character.
This is a serious tendency which we engage as Christians because it makes us erroneous and incomplete in our relationship with God. This which we engage robs us of complete truth; it prevents the miraculous works which Jesus said we should do.
God thinks He is God. While He is loving and merciful and concerned enough with us as individuals that He knows the number of hairs on our heads, He does not give to us the liberty of tweaking His Word.
Have we not all worshipped and studied with those who do not like to mention “blood” in the group of learners, or Hell, or sins? Have we not been ridiculed for believing that all the Scriptural Food is to be consumed into the mind and heart?
Next time we attend a buffet or smorgasbord, or a picnic, and the food is there for our choosing to eat what we like and to refuse what we do not like, let us recall that spiritual food from the Bible is very different. We must consume all of it.
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Lynn
This was nice to read. I get it.
For ex. Jesus taught many lessons around the table. What lessons were they? How did they impact the lives of those who heard them? What can we learn from what Jesus taught?
I love your last paragraph!
When I say, and I often do, that, "God thinks He is God," it is my tongue in cheek way of saying, "And Who do we think He is?" "Is God correct that He is God?"
If He is God, we should pay attention.
Maybe I should find another way to ask the question or to pose the thought.
Many thanks,
God bless~
Try working on flow. Your first three sentences are completely different thoughts that sort of jump around, instead of feeling connected as I know you intended. This is kind of true throughout. Many different ideas and thoughts being expressed and, often with about the same length sentences. Varying sentence length, some with commas, some with series of words, some starting with a verb, other starting with a noun, etc. All of this makes the writing more interesting and better holds the readers attention.
Also, the challenge is anonymous so judges can be as objective as possible. You should avoid responding to comments within the feedback until after results are posted. ;)
Your idea of encouraging others to feed on spiritual food is a good one. With some fine tuning, you could learn to present it in an easier to read and grasp way. Keep writing!
"We Americans" is not exactly true. I'm an Aussie and there are lots of Brits, Canadians, South Africans and Kiwis on this site.
Don't assume every Christian is faced with the same challenges.
:) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)
I'm not sure what Geoffrey's point is. Seemed to me the "audience" for your piece was American, whether you thought about it that way or not. There's an entry in Masters this week whose audience is Sunday school kids. I'm not offended by that, nor should he be offended that a story was aimed at Americans.
I'm also not sure what he means about not assuming every Christian is faced with the same challenges. I didn't think you assume anything of the sort.
Again, congrats on your placement. ;)