discipleship Archives - Michael Rose

Why Hate the Sin and Love the Sinner Doesn’t Work

Posted on March 6, 2022April 13, 2022 by Michael Rose

It surprises many to learn that the phrase hate the sin and love the sinner is not in the Bible. This idea seems to have originated with St. Augustine (c.424) in one of his letters when he used the phrase “Cum dilectione hominum et odio vitiorum” which translates as “with love for mankind and hatred…

Fat Souls Part 2

Posted on November 8, 2021November 8, 2021 by Michael Rose

In our first reflection on Fat Souls, Adams-Farmer based on her reflection on S-I-Z-E ideas by Bernard Loomer. As we discovered in the last post, a Fat Soul is a beautiful soul characterized by its capacity for love, deep relationships and openness. Openness to new. Ideas, perspectives, levels of complexity, non-dual thinking without becoming defensive…

War on Christmas? Still?

Posted on December 2, 2018December 3, 2018 by Michael Rose

Fresh snow has fallen on the CornCob City, my prairie home. The Town has the parks adorned with decorations and lights. It’s quite pretty – the twinkle of the lights and the Merry Christmas signs. And yet not so heartwarming because over the past few years, in reaction to a manufactured War on Christmas,…

Human Being versus Doing. Towards Wholeness

Posted on October 30, 2018October 30, 2018 by Michael Rose

I am not alone when I admit I have wrestled with the being versus doing dichotomy. In essence, it’s a longing to live more authentically, to experience meaning in those things we do and not feeling disconnected from our sense of being whether by mindless rote, guilt or unhealthy obligation. I know that this was…

Loving our Enemies doesn’t mean denying our Anger

Posted on April 5, 2018February 23, 2021 by Michael Rose

I’m so excited to see many of my friends actively engaging in trying to live lives of love. It continues to be a personal mission of mine to encourage and inspire people to love well. Learning to live loved and live love is a truly transforming way to impact ourselves, homes, cities, and the world….

Trash Talk with Scripture

Posted on January 15, 2018March 14, 2018 by Michael Rose

In my quiet time this morning I was reading a piece of scripture for the New Testament. I found myself lingering around Jesus’ temptation in the desert in Matthew 4. 5Then the Slanderer carries him off into the Holy City, and stood him upon the pinnacle of the Temple, 6And says to him, “If you…

Listen Deeply – a Contemplative Prayer exercise

Posted on April 22, 2017 by Michael Rose

The practice (grace) of seeing God in and through all things will serve us well in season and out. I invite you to sit quietly and turn your thoughts to Jesus. In this contemplative prayer exercise relax and picture Jesus and let that image come to rest in your heart. This is a gentle practice…

The Welcome of God

Posted on May 31, 2016September 2, 2016 by Michael Rose

Can you think of a time when you were made to feel really welcome? Where the host(s) went out of their way to ensure that you felt comfortable and well served? What did that look like? How did that make you feel? What difference did this make for you? How about in a situation where…

Square Peg in a Round Hole World

Posted on April 19, 2016November 23, 2022 by Michael Rose

David Hayward, aka as the Naked Pastor posted a cartoon recently (see above). This cartoon spoke to me, and I am beginning to understand why I resonate with it, and it is for deeply personal reasons. Confession time. I feel like a square peg, and I have all my life. For most of my…

Can’t Buy the Kingdom of God

Posted on March 1, 2016March 14, 2018 by Michael Rose

There is a virus that seeks to hijack healthy spirituality. In effect, it makes not only our faith very small, but it makes us smaller as people. The difficulty is that this virus masquerades as a form of godliness, and it works it’s toxicity subtlely at first, and before we know it, we are scratching…