Peace Treatments

I had another dream last night. There was a small room, only about 8 x 8 in size.  Suddenly there appeared in the middle of the room an old black cannon.  The word "conflict" was heard and then I was flooded with several thoughts. It is difficult to formulate them in a blog but the gist is that when we get caught up in an ongoing dispute with another person we stop listening to them and only care about getting our point across.  Conversely, they stop listening to us and only care about getting their point across.  Demands set in and volleys of attack, put downs, judgements, and criticisms start.   The trouble is, it's not their volley of attack that hurts us, it's our volley of attack that hurts us.  When we send our volley of vindictiveness, or defensiveness, it is like firing off a cannon in a small room - the recoil from our cannon impacts and deafens us. Maybe this is why Jesus told us to turn the other cheek.

...on old ways ...on things done the way it's always been done ...on bickering and division ...on competition and arrogance ...on labeling and naming others ...on selfishness and pettiness ...on demanding our own way in the church, the Bride, as she is being prepared for her Groom. The sun is setting on falseness, and platitude, "Christianese" and religiousity, and complacency and striving.  Those who prefer the old ways and lament the way things used to be had better get ready for a vibrant and very unexpected,  Bride. I had a dream that I have been pondering for several weeks.  In the dream, I was invited to be a bridesmaid in a relative's wedding, but told her that I could not because of a brokenness.  The night before the wedding however, the brokenness was healed and I was able to attend as a bridesmaid afterall.  I found the same bridesmaid dress that the other bridesmaids were wearing.  I put it on, deciding to surprise my relative the morning of he