Kenton J. Kutney

  Bonhoeffer - Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy:  A Righteous Gentile Vs. The Third Reich By Eric Metaxas, 2010 Would you be a spy? How far would you go? Could you really die for your faith? Have you ever wished you could do more as a spiritual leader? I have always been intrigued by the frumpy, unassuming character of G.K. Chesterton's sleuthing 'Father Brown' who also serves as a brilliant mystery crime-solver.  The role of a pastor seems almost timid against the principalities and powers.  It sounds fictional, but Bonhoeffer's life delicately balanced disciple making pastor with creative teacher, bold Confessing Church leader refusing allegiance to Hitler, and ultimately working as a double agent to plot Hitler's assassination.  This biography is declared to be one 'definitive, deeply moving narrative'.  I certainly found it to be compelling reading as I compared the uncertain times of the world in our day with the moral courage demonstrated by pastor Bonho...

(I thought this was clever) It is almost gardening time... Time to sow peas of mind, Lettuce be thankful, Turnip to help our neighbour, and always make thyme for loved ones!  

http://www.onbeing.org/blog/chris-martin-an-inclination-toward-warmhearted-inclusivity/8478#.VuSBNUxfD4A.facebook A great article on autism and navigating this world together. 'Perhaps it’s time to reimagine how we view and serve the autism community. A social deficit, like attending equally to all facets of the environment, can be restaged as an ethical strength, enlarging what we care for and about. We often demand that people with autism learn how to act more like “us,” some specious version of normal. But what if we spent more time trying to understand how each individual voice, precisely because it is different, might contribute to a larger and more invigorating conversation about who “we” are and how we’re changing to meet an increasingly complex and diverse world?'

A BEND IN THE ROAD IS NOT THE END OF THE ROAD When we feel we have nothing left to give And we are sure that the “song has ended”– When our day seems over and the shadows fall And the darkness of night has descended, Where can we go to find the strength To valiantly keep on trying, Where can we find the hand that will dry The tears that the heart is crying– There’s but one place to go and that is to God And, dropping all pretense and pride, We can pour out our problem without restraint And gain strength with Him at our side– And together we stand at life’s crossroads And view what we think is the end, But God has a much bigger vision And he tells us it’s only a bend– For the road goes on and is smoother, And the “pause in the song” is a “rest,” And the part that’s unsung and unfinished Is the sweetest and richest and best– So rest and relax and grow stronger, Let go and let God share your load, Your work is not finished or ended, You’ve just c...

Here's something a little different. A 2-in-1 book review: Something old and something new, something borrowed and definitely something 'blue'. Lincoln's Melancholy - How Depression Challenged A President And Fueled His Greatness , by Joshua Wolf Shenk, and Sideswiped - Three Keys To A Fresh Start After Suffering A Broken Heart , by Michael Voll.  One old and one new biographical exploration of brokenness; depths of the soul not well understood for many centuries. These are two stories for our time as depression is the number one disability we are facing today, ten times worse than it was 50 years ago. We're obviously not just talking about having 'the blues'. From a young age the sensitive Abraham Lincoln experienced psychological pain and distress - and he eventually learned how to adapt and endure. First there were the deaths of his mother, aunt, and uncle due to terrible illness, the loss of his brother in infancy, a long absent father courting a ne...

As Christians we must never get smug – we are saved, let world hang.   You cannot reconcile yourself to God: “The only thing of my very own that I contribute to my redemption is the sin from which I need to be redeemed” (John Stott said this , I think). Our response to all this mercy ought to be a loving obedience.  Philippians 2:12 "Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed — not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence — continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling." We need to stop pretending with 'facades' and ‘personas’ and co-operate with God as He shapes a depth of character in us.  God sometimes allows situations where doing the right thing is going to cost us.  ... Just a little reflection on dedication this New Year.

What we need most is to shine the change that the Light of the World truly makes in a person. That is the greatest apologetic.  (It is God's purpose for His Bride. 'Be' the Church; we don't merely go to a building and 'do' churchiness. That's just Churchianity and not the real Christianity the world needs to see so badly. It's as different as Winterfest is from the Spirit of Christmas.) To the cynical rationalist we only have to turn to old souls like Blaise Pascal - "The heart has its reasons that Reason cannot understand." Belief supersedes reason. Reason serves faith. Another wise person said: "I believe in order that I may understand." - Augustine I think that order is crucial. The greatest reply for the seeker to consider is, What is "the God who speaks" saying to me? If one is not even seeking to understand, then what more could we ever say endlessly into the wind? Even a witnessed miracle pr...