MSI Press Blog

  excerpt from Joshuanism   by Tosto -  The post/Christian God A profound moment in my journey to seek and know God took place in an art gallery. I was in Seattle, visiting a friend of mine. I had some free time, and John had some free time, so I decided to fly out and kick it in the Emerald City for a few days. This was during the height of my Christian experience when I was still green behind the ears and miles away from questioning any of the marvelous things I believed. In fact, I was working at a church at the time, directing the music and worship ministry. The trip west was a welcome diversion. John and I were strolling through the gallery, surveying the local talent, when a curious painting caught my attention. John went over to ask the docent something, and I stood in front of the unusual painting, studying it deeply. The painting, you see, was titled God . But the painting itself was quite simple. The artist only used two colors: a purple sphere on a black backgr...

So says the responsory this morning, but there is an uncomfortable truth embedded inside it: most people don’t think of God in critical moments. Not because they’re bad or faithless, but because human cognition, trauma, culture, and spiritual formation all pull the mind away from the very help that is present. In short, p eople don’t turn to God in critical moments because stress narrows attention, modern life trains us toward sel f‑reliance, and many have never practiced noticing God’s presence. We change that by building habits of recollection, teaching a theology of presence rather than performance, and creating communities where turning to God is modeled, normalized, and embodied. Why people don’t think of God in critical moments 1. Stress collapses the field of awareness Under threat, the brain’s attentional system narrows to immediate survival tasks. This is not a moral failure — it’s physiology. Unless someone has practiced “God-awareness” under normal conditions, it won’t app...

  Today's excerpt comes from A Believer-in-Waiting's Encounters with God by Elizabeth Mahlou Silent Running Just when I begin to think that I understand perhaps a small slice of God’s grace, I find myself back at the beginning. Physical things happen to me that I do not understand. Mystical things happen to me that I do not understand. Where are these experiences supposed to lead me? Or, am I supposed to sit tight and let their transforming power alone affect me? I just don’t know. So, confusion reigns. While I am grateful to God for the unexpected and unexplainable healings, I have received, they, too, have left me in a state of confusion. Why would God intervene in my fate in this way? Am I supposed to be doing something in response? When it comes to mystical experiences, I find myself even more confused. Are these personal, intimate gifts for maintaining in a private relationship or are they joy and knowledge to be shared with others? If the latter, then I do such a poor jo...