Reminder, If Necessary
Recently several blog posts have suggested that my work needs modification in order to meet the needs of the audience or get in alignment with popular Messianic thinking. So I offer this reminder.
Today’s Word is a personal exploration of biblical and cultural assumptions. That’s why the topics are so diverse and the biblical passages are so scattered. I am not trying to write theology or follow some topical idea or develop some theme. I write according to what I experience in my journey. That means that most of the time I am just connecting the dots. I write about relationships between ideas found in culture and in the Bible. I look for historical connections. I find interesting parallels between Scripture and material outside the Bible. I look for relationships between what we believe today and what the writers believed centuries ago. Sometimes this ends in blind alleys. Sometimes I make mistakes. But that’s the nature of open-ended exploration. I try not to start with a foregone doctrinal conclusion. I try to open up the paradigm assumptions that I grew up with. I try to see what’s there as opposed to what I wish were there.
All of this means that I am learning as I go. Things change. I’ve changed my mind about previous beliefs. I correct myself. I am just as subject to error as anyone else, and I try to be careful, but I have blind spots too.
If you find these explorations useful, mazel tov. If you don’t, that’s okay too. I’m not trying to please everyone. If you find that what I write about is upsetting, you might be in the right place. But if you want to argue about what you believe, then maybe you should start your own web site. Or choose to read someone who agrees with you. Remember, this is my journey. You can think what you want about what I investigate. If you don’t like it, go somewhere else. But you’re welcome to come along this road if you wish. And maybe we’ll learn something together.
I’m with you brother!
Skip I hope you get this reply as these past few days have been all full of local family and friends , I only disagree on one point this is OUR journey When I first came to this sight I was often troubled by what you and others said, It really rubbed me the wrong way. Now I have done a 180 and it is much better. Be blessed Brother
Me too…. right there on the train… clickti clack ……
THANK YOU for the invitation all those years ago … I’m on the journey with you and many others.
I agree totally with you Skip! We are ALL on this journey and together we can learn a lot that is if we are open to receive and use our own brain to understand what it is about with help of others. Can the Spirit of YHVH not help to convince us about the truth about Who He is and His ways with us??? Or do we want to hold on to what we think is true and therefore you can not let go and be open to some other truth?? The rabbies say that the Bible has many layers and walking with Skip on his journey has opened my eyes about Who YHVH is and what He wants with us all. It has shaken my christian fundament to pieces which was very painful but necessary to go through to start at the very beginning again and learn and build my fundament on the apostles and the prophets and the way YHVH really wants us to behave and live! Just like they did! With every article that Skip writes I learn something new and sometimes very deep!
Thanks Skip and YHVH bless you whenever you use your pen!
Mazel tov! All Aboard.
The voices in my head argue with Skip all the time…but somehow I prevail and we come back tomorrow to see what he has to offer 🙂
The introduction to other sources of Biblical study is what I enjoy the most. Skip has given me a ton of worthy reading material through his citations. And in a way, Skip’s offerings and those other sources become a topical map pointing out valleys and mountains that are down the road. Problem is I’m looking for a beautiful beach; Skip only provides photos of those.
lol…(laughed out loud) thanks for bring some levity to what by some could be construed as the seriousness of this one post.
Amein brother!!!
Skip, I respect you, your journey and your willingness to openly and honestly share yourself. Such intimacy is seldom experienced in relationships today. Perhaps that is because few will honestly search within, much less share what they discover. Your search for God’s truth and giving of yourself out of that is a most encouraging gift to me. Thank you. MAZEL TOV, indeed.
Shalom,
Lynnet
Margaret Heffernan writes: “Ideology powerfully masks what, to the uncaptivated mind, is obvious, dangerous, or absurd and there’s much about how, and even where, we live that leaves us in the dark. Fear of conflict, fear of change keeps us that way. An unconscious (and much denied) impulse to obey and conform shields us from confrontation and crowds provide friendly alibis for our inertia.”
Skip, No one who follows TW regularly can claim that you fear “conflict, change or confrontation” but we trust that when you admit to having “blind spots” you are open to the ideas, views and perceptions of your faithful followers and not just the elete scholars, rabbis and philosophers you love, quote and share. Yes, we may
want to argue about what we believe because, well, we believe it and we are human and stubborn. But by being here day after day we acknowledge that we also see the need for review and that may yet be persuaded to change our view because you show us that we don’t have all the facts or that we may have been brainwashed. I know I fit in that category, many times over and may yet matriculate to a higher place due to your due diligence. That process often takes time and friendly persuasion, not threats and intimidation. Learning is a 2 way street. I don’t doubt that only a select few here could teach you anything scholasticly, but life isn’t only about knowledge, your “journey” or even you.
You write eloquently about “vunerability”, “relationships” and “becoming human”. And while this virtual blog community cannot not replace real ones, the opinions of real people shouldn’t be discounted so easily. While the blood and deaths the video game “Sniper Elite” aren’t real; realize that cyber bullying can wound the spirit and kill the messenger. I once tried to kill myself and 19 years later I am still trying to find my voice and place, please don’t shut me up or out. Or anyone else….including yourself.
Amein my brother!!!
It is a great privilege to be able to talk with you Skip. Your personal search has been a catalyst to dig deeper for both Lise and I.
Your writings are my morning coffee! They wake me up and get my day started. Please keep sharing your journey for I too am a passenger, Toda raba!
If you don’t mind me being ” too chruchy”, I’ll tag along. Shalom
Some day I’ll learn,?, sorry for the double talk
I have learned so much from your writings over the years, keep on truckin’!
Writing will not stop. Just every once in awhile I wonder if the open blog really makes sense. Apparently it does. Thanks.
Don’t worry yourself with the little speed bumps, keep driving on home.
Skip…I’m glad the open blogging will continue (at least, for now.) For me, the comments are often as helpful and thought provoking as what you write. They often work in tandem with your TW…sometimes supporting, sometimes opposing, but, (usually) appreciated. It’s a very diverse group of people who comment and bring varying degrees of understanding, insight and perspectives to God’s Table. I don’t know for sure, but I’m guessing the King is smiling as He sees so many of us working so hard to better understand and discern His Truths.
With this statement you are revealing what faith is all about. Our discovery of what God wants from us. To please Him not anyone or anything else. To walk humbly in His personal calling. Not in peer pressure or group conformity. Keep on learning, keep on seeking for this will bring on a personal experience with God and remember Job had to loose so much to achieve. As does everyone call into a personal covenant…
Just a three day journey into the promised land. Through cognitive argument we just distance ourselves instead of redeeming our selves. And the three days become 80 years. Live and learn. Learn and experience.
Thank you for helping others on their personal journey.
No Dogma or theology as these do not redeem… Just mutual support. Amen
Skip, I want to thank you for being a good placeholder: for holding a place open (in your own journey, as well as through this blog) for us to practice being a Body: not only with you, but with each other, too (perhaps even with ourselves! Imagine that!). As others have noted, it really is not ‘just about you’ or ‘the rest of us’, but all together; we all need to “grow up” as a COLLECTIVE exercise, with sharing where we are at along the way as a valid medium of exchange.
Thank you for being a mature, older brother for me; it shows me as well as allows me to figure out how to grow up myself, which I am convinced is not possible without interaction with others who are likewise minded. (Thank you, everybody, for more than you could ever possibly know!)
Oh, and, by the way, I LOVE your messy, random, forward-and-back journey! Not only does it give me inspiration for mine, I actually have changed a LOT thanks to what you have shared. If you stopped today, I would still gratefully owe you for life and beyond.
In my walk the Holy Spirit has never once led me to orthodoxy type personalities. If you attempted to make changes to fit in a specific type of box I’m sure the Holy Spirit would would lead me elsewhere. At best I would be very disappointed with you. With Love.
Yep Allen, I was just thinking yesterday that the more individually we become who we where made to be by our creator the less boxes we fit in. The more I consider the truly gifted, astoundingly intelligent and profoundly unique characters I know, have known or have read (like my friend skip moen) I see that they are the objective not the norm. There is no normal only many nominal whole people. The more whole we become the more outstanding and often outlandish we appear. This is why before I plug in to TW. I flew out to see who Skip was not who he professed to be. He’s the real deal, but often to be sure of that you need to look the man in they eye’s as I have…
I agree Mark, the “eyes” have it for me too and we were hooked from the first day we met Skip and Roseanne on a ship where Skip was lecturing and I was desperate to find something to “hold on to” in my quest for Truth.
Ain’t going nowhere else now!
Nice! Looks very much like my own journey. Except I don’t write about it. 🙂
Ha Shem has given you the gifts He wants you to have – if others don’t like them, they don’t need to read them! I love your studies and find them insightful, meaningful and worshipful.
I appreciate you sharing your journey online Skip.
I’ve always seen Skip’s posts as what he has just described today and the open ends of the posts cause me to ponder for myself more in depth about the topic and how it relates to what the LORD is presently teaching me, which I appreciate, rather than having a conclusion provided for me as if it’s what I should believe.
The LORD unites us as one body but we all have different operations in the body to function specifically for the specific purpose God intended. Two different organs in the body can’t possibly function in the same exact way or else the body wouldn’t survive. In the same way when one organ is weak there are hopefully many more who are strong to sustain the body until the weak becomes strong. Our testimony of how the LORD is presently working in our lives is what makes our faith dynamic and alive. When our words resonate Truth with one another it pleases God and gives glory to God our Creator, Praise His Name. This sort of dialogue is making the best use of the internet today.
As I travel around the world on a frequent basis, daily consistencies bring familiarity and comfort: my daily prayer walk, dialogue with my wife, coffee, exercise, and Skip’s TW…!
We all see God’s goodness from unique perspectives.
Skip, I enjoy what your soul (and your lens) sees!
I’m just gonna agree with what everyone else says because I couldn’t add anything new to OUR respect and love for you. YOU are exactly where Yah wants you, to spread seeds, to water, to tend. I like the others LOOK forward to every day of TW. Thank you Skip! May Yah continue to bless you in your work!
Thank you again for your contributions and for making an open forum available. I do have some thoughts to share here, which are not brief, because I consider you, the people here, my own needs, the process, and YHVH and His purposes worthy of it. If you or anyone else doesn’t, that’s fine. I can accept that. If you and anyone else does, thank you.
As I see it, this IS your journey, but this is not JUST your journey. You and we all have chosen for this to be EVERYBODY’S journey, especially because you have chosen for us to have the opportunity to also share, even about your “journey”, as well as our own.
Everybody who reads Today’s Word is sharing in the “journey”, but even more so, those of us who actually share in response. So, just like you, our ideas here are also subject to the same disagreement of others, and not only disagreement with our ideas, but also to even have our ideas disliked, and not only to have our ideas disliked, but also to have even our own very character and our own very personalities disliked.
Hey, that’s life! And that is no different here for you than it is for the rest of us, as well as in our own personal lives with our own families, friends, and associates, and especially with our enemies, who, unfortunately, may even be our families, friends and associates, both elsewhere as well as here.
And this will continue to be the case here, unless you choose to stop this altogether, or to somehow stop or limit the contributions of others. I don’t think you will, nor do I think you should, and I at least hope you don’t, but the advantage that we have, as readers and especially contributors, is that we can take a break from Today’s Word or at least not take the risk of sharing some days, and you can’t. Well, you really probably can, but you apparently either don’t think you can or should or otherwise, just don’t want to, for whatever reason.
I, for one, don’t think it is necessarily best for you to write a Today’s Word everyday, even more than just taking a break on Shabbat. It doesn’t have to be a commitment or obligation on your part to write a Today’s Word every day. I would propose that, if needed, you consider taking breaks whenever that is best for you, if you can do that. You could take a break from writing for a day or more, or from reading or responding to our replies. You already do that to some extent anyways, and as far as I’m concerned, that’s absolutely fine and best. You don’t have to ask permission. You don’t have to give notification. You don’t have to explain. It IS your journey…..AND it is your web site! You may need to not care so much about certain things like how many TW’s you have accomplished or not trying to please everyone in that way of providing a daily TW. Who really cares, anyways, about such numbers, and why would they, other than for the sake of maybe vain selfish ambition or something? And I would find it hard to believe that the financial support of others is dependent upon receiving a Today’s Word EVERY DAY! If it is, trust God more or require subscription payments for TW!
The recommendation I would make is to at least eliminate the “thumbs down” option and to keep the “thumbs up” option. The “thumbs down” reply is either just not beneficial or, worse, easily misunderstood and confusing, often being without explanation, it just promotes negativity, and can be anonymously used as a cope-out by weak, cowardly, critical, opinionated, and divisive people who want to express disagreement and dislike without humbling themselves, having the courage and taking the risk of being vulnerable and transparent enough to be open, honest and assertive and offering the possibility of helpful input. With just the “thumbs up” option, it would be more positive and supportive. Then, anyone who wants to express their disagreement and dislike will have to identify themselves and more likely clarify the reasons for their contrary ideas, thoughts, and feelings, and that would potentially be more helpful in everyone learning the truth about themselves and their beliefs, and hopefully becoming more righteous.
Recently, however, on that one day in Today’s Word to which this reminder is most likely in reference, you received a lot of disagreement and dislikes, some via written comments, but also quite a bit via just “thumbs down” responses. However, a lot of other people also received a lot of disagreeing responses and dislikes from others, also largely via “thumbs down” responses, but also by some written comments, as well. I personally don’t think the disagreements with you and dislikes were primarily about your ideas, though there definitely was a good bit of that, as well. I also don’t think it was primarily about suggestions that your work needs to “get in alignment with popular Messianic thinking”. What did I miss, if that is the case?
Instead, though many people, maybe just playing it safe, give a disagreeing “thumbs down” without any clarifying comments, as usual, making it difficult to know for sure what they think, I personally think that many disagreements with you and dislikes in that particular Today’s Word were likely about an attitude, a tone, and the choice of words you had with different people. That’s how I took it anyways. I was actually a bit surprised and taken back by all that. But hey, if my perceptions are right, I’d say you’re “entitled” to have a “bad day”, as much as if not more than any of us. Or maybe it wasn’t a “bad day”. Maybe you were righteously justified in your “attitude”, tone, and choice of words. Who knows for sure? Anybody can have an opinion. That don’t make ‘em right! Let YHVH be the judge.
You may not agree with those veiled criticisms of others, and I don’t half blame you, because often no clarifying comments were offered by all the “’thumbs down’ people” who want to express their “negativity” of disagreement or dislike without taking the same risk of being truly humble and transparent like you and those of us who have the courage and take the risk of being transparent enough to share our sometimes contrary or controversial ideas, thoughts, or feelings on OUR “journey”.
Characteristically, you don’t have any worse of an attitude than anyone else on this web site, and often you may even have a better one. However, on that particular day, if I’m correct, you did seem to not only have some negative ideas, which is a necessary part of the “journey”, but more grievously, I think you had a general “negative” attitude, tone, and choice of words. But who would I be to condemn you for that? Nobody! And I don’t! Maybe you had a bad day with your wife or with the burdens of your ministry to the needs of others or just the wearisome of the darkness and sufferings of this life were getting the best of you. However, we still may disagree or express even dislike for those ideas or an “attitude”, tone, choice of words, or even aspects of character or personality, just as we have to “hear it” from you and others here on occasion when you and others think we “deserve it”. Again, that’s life, or maybe more accurately, that’s “community”! No pain! No gain!
Remember, this is OUR journey. You can think what you want about what we say. If you don’t like it, you can do something about it or, in all due respect, you can also go somewhere else yourself. But you’re welcome to let us go along this road with you, if you wish. And, like you say, maybe we’ll learn something together. But also, I personally can’t imagine anyone doesn’t already know that they can go somewhere else if they don’t like what you think about what you investigate, and therefore, I doubt that anyone needs such a reminder. Nevertheless, if you need reassurance and support, I know you know how to get that. And if this is one of those ways, so be it. I just don’ t think any of us should excuse ourselves or blame shift if we are in the wrong, and I think you likely were in that it sounded like you were in the flesh, and I don’t mind telling you so, just like I accept being told so here, myself.
Obviously, nobody has to apologize for others not agreeing with or liking our ideas. Nobody has to even apologize for others not agreeing with or liking our attitudes, tone, choice of words, or even our character, personalities, or conduct. The truth is, also, nobody has to even read what we have to say. I’m sure there’s people that don’t read what I have say and I can assure you there are some times that I don’t read what some others have to say. However, any of us can also apologize for having an “attitude”, tone, or our choice of words, if that is what is called for or if we want to win more agreement from or to be liked more by others, while we continue to try to be truth seekers and speakers.
So I say, if you find OUR contributions helpful, mazel tov. If you don;t, that’s okay too. Some of us here are also not trying to please you or everyone else either. If you find that what we write about is upsetting, you might be in the right place, also. But if you want to argue about what you believe, then, as far as I’m concerned, go right ahead. I expect it, plus it’s your web site. Or else block us, because we’re probably not going to start our own web sites. Or you can just choose to read someone who agrees with and always likes everything about you and what you say. Remember, this is OUR journey too. And you don’t have to love it, or like it, but you can leave it, or us, in the dust, and wipe the dust off your feet as you go, or send us on our way. Shalom and thanks again. Keep pressing on!
Lisa and Jerry, Thanks for your comment and insights. I hope they are heeded in order to “save” this virtual community. In a
(most?) recent post he stated:
“But it does make me think that perhaps the bog (sic) has run its course and it’s time to shut it down”. I hope not, but just in case this forum does disappear in the middle of the night as quickly and easily as a Jew or a believer in Yeshua would in Iran or in many parts of the Islamic world let me take this moment and bandwidth to thank Skip for having gave us the opportunity to share our thoughts, ideas and life on his dime. Thank you brother, but my heartfelt appreciation extends as much, if not more, to his audience for personally reading and responding to me and my messy life. Sadly, as a result of my childhood TBI, C-PTSD or whatever I can count on one hand (with a few digits to spare) the number of friends I have made in the real world in my 67 years, but I have found friendship, care and love here on this site.
It has been my honor to have interacted with all of you. Thank you. I have been enriched by your stories, struggles, lessons and lives. My life is not the same as a result of reading, wresting, replying and applying TW for the last almost 8 years. I trust it will continue unabated, but if my trust is in Skip to do what is right then I haven’t really learned anything here afterall. Shalom. Much love.
PS my email is Stanleynm@aol.com in the event of the worst case scenario.
SEE WHAT I MEAN? The “‘thumbs down’ only people” are doin’ their thing!
“The recommendation I would make is to at least eliminate the “thumbs down” option and to keep the “thumbs up” option. The “thumbs down” reply is either just not beneficial or, worse, easily misunderstood and confusing, often being without explanation, it just promotes negativity, and can be anonymously used as a cope-out by weak, cowardly, critical, opinionated, and divisive people who want to express disagreement and dislike without humbling themselves, having the courage and taking the risk of being vulnerable and transparent enough to be open, honest and assertive and offering the possibility of helpful input. With just the “thumbs up” option, it would be more positive and supportive. Then, anyone who wants to express their disagreement and dislike will have to identify themselves and more likely clarify the reasons for their contrary ideas, thoughts, and feelings, and that would potentially be more helpful in everyone learning the truth about themselves and their beliefs, and hopefully becoming more righteous.”
It wasn’t Michael Stanley who gave a “thumbs down”. It was some weak, cowardly, critical, opinionated, and divisive person who wants to express their disagreement and dislike without humbling themselves, having the courage and taking the risk of being vulnerable and transparent enough to be open, honest and assertive and offering the possibility of helpful input.
And I won’t be surprised if this comment gets a bunch of replies from the “‘thumbs down’ only people”, to further prove my point.
Hey, that’s life! But this is something that could be changed for the better, if there isn’t the cowardly man-fearing and man-pleasing spirit at work on site! I know I’m not being a “nice Christian”, but who said I was even trying to be a “Christian”, not to speak of being “nice”?
Jerry and Lisa, You were right ” it wasn’t Michael Stanley who gave you a “thumbs down”, but it doesn’t mean that I haven’t in the past or that it “was some weak, cowardly, critical, opinionated, and divisive person”. Please allow that some people may be shy, or non-confrontational, or are reticent by nature, and some readers may not have the time, ability or desire to voice their opinion, but they still had the ability to have their voice heard by one easy push of a button. Originally I liked your idea of eliminating just the ?option, as it would solve the present crisis, but maybe Skip should remove the ? too and we all just overcome our need for keeping score, approval or looking good.
If you like my suggestion please give me a BIG ?… oh, wait.
No. I’ll respect your preference to not give either. Plus, I’m feeling a little too shy right now and don’t have time to elaborate. ; )
As Jerry and Lisa suggests, maybe you should consider not writing a TW every day. Why not recycle some of your previous TWs’? And just a thought, but maybe you should consider asking those daily readers to contribute at least a $1. You would get about .67 of that $1 through PayPal. If you have 200 readers that would be about $1600 for the year that could be used for Jakarta or other projects. And for those who do contribute consider maybe offering a monthly discount on one of your books or maybe even a free audio file. Hope this is not too direct.
Or Skip could monetize the up and down votes. If you really like a comment it would cost you $1 for each ?. If you vote often you could buy them in bulk to save time and money. ?votes would cost you $5. All proceeds would go to the women and children in Jakarta. Win/win.
🙂
I have a profound sense that our Father is driving this vehicle. I’m in.
Thanks Skip and hello all!
Skip, I almost never post: I read your blog late at night when discussion has already taken place and a new post is about to be sent out, I ponder it during the day, but I have no opportunity to respond, and then the cycle repeats. However, although I am just an invisible presence, I want to shout out to you for doing what you were called to do and for doing it with passion and persistence.
I stumbled on you Grammar of Love about 5 years ago, and a new chapter of walking with God began for me. I read this article slowly, drinking in and reflecting deeply on each word you examined; I cried a lot when, layer by layer, my heart was being scrubbed and cleansed; and I sang with joy at new revelations and hope. I learned each word characterizing love by heart, applied it in my life, failed, went back and and read and thought about it again and again, and only when I thought I got it, I moved on to the next word.
The journey of going through this one article and the chapter on love in 2 Cor took me about 6 months. It was truly a life-changing experience! Then I signed up to receive your posts and became your avid reader.
Thank you for making us think for ourselves, question the familiar, and for bringing us closer to the Lord. I run to Him faster when I am afraid or uncomfortable than when I feel complacent. May He continue to lead you.
Skip, you were born to be not a pastor or a teacher or a preacher but a researcher taking the risk of thinking out loud. Thank you for your +7k TW, please don’t get discouraged. Here there are open minded learners tired of the skimmed 2% milk that really want to “eat” the meat and the bone of the Torah. I pray for you and your work, and I thank you for opening this virtual community that I am happy to be part of(eventhought my English is not as good as I want I love to interact from time to time- Thank you)
Thank you for sharing your journey. I am so grateful to walk with you and the others from whom I have so much to learn. Daily thoughts and reflections are welcome—when I miss any, I feel cheated. May you be blessed tenfold a you bless.
I am grateful to travel with you on this journey. Thank you for including others. May God’s blessings to you be multiplied as you bless us.
Thank you for sharing your journey
I’m happy to explore and be shaken up.its not always comfortable but hey who wants to walk in circles all the time! Keep on going Skip I’ve followed your journey for a few years and use your thoughts as a starter to my daily devotions. Blessings on you. Roger