Then & Now

I am continuing to read Jim Palmer's (author of Divine Nobodies) new book Wide Open Spaces. Shane Claiborne (Activist, Author, Recovering Sinner- http://thesimpleway.org/) says this about Jim's book-

"Jim knows the mess of the world. Jim knows the mess of the church. And he still has the audacity to believe that love wins. Here he has created a book that cannot help but leave you feeling closer to God, with a smile that isn't just for Sunday mornings, and filled with the hope that another world is possible."

Here is another excerpt I read last night from chapter 6-

Through religious conditioning, I was prone to locate spiritual realities outside myself. But little by little I was discovering them inside. Here are some examples:

Then: God is up in the sky.
Now: God dwells within me.

Then: I go to church to meet with God.
Now: God's presence is inside me.

Then: Christianity is me trying to be like Christ.
Now: Christianity is Christ's life in and as me.

Then: The benefit of knowing God is the love, joy, and peace God brings into the circumstances of my life.
Now: God inside me is my love, joy, and peace.

Then: Pastors, leaders, and teachers guide, teach, and train me.
Now: The indwelling Spirit is my primary teacher.

Then: Changing my behaviour is the goal.
Now: A new mind and heart is what God provides.

Then: People are as they appear in their physical human identity.
Now: What's most true about a person is his or her invisible spirit identity.

Then: The kingdom of God will one day come down onto earth.
Now: The kingdom of God exists now within me.