New Beginnings

(originally posted August 14, 2008, updated June 30, 2019)

How long has it been since you made a new beginning, a fresh start, or gave another person a break?  Or do you spend your time and energy wallowing in the past, rehearsing your grievances, or even living weighed down by your own mistakes?  While it may easily become an exercise in pride to ignore your weakness and bad choices, sin as it were, God's intent is to release us and for us to release others from such stifling burdens.

One of my favorite passages is Matthew 18. Jesus begins by saying we must have the simple faith of children to get into heaven. Then he charges us to care for every child as if it were the one lost sheep of the flock. In the middle of the chapter, he commands that we go to the one who has offended us and seek, not expulsion but restoration; it is the foundational passage for Biblical peacemaking in which I have invested considerable time and energy. He finishes his message with the amazing idea that we should forgive others as often as necessary. When asked if 7 times was enough (How many of us have ever forgiven anyone even 7 times?), Jesus says, “No, not just 7 times but 70 times 7!”

God is the God of 70 times 7 chances, not just second chances. That is the ultimate in new beginnings. It means a fresh start, as often as we need it. He doesn’t command us to do more than he does, not by any means. That is good news beyond my comprehension because it is so amazing.

A decade or so ago, I posted a nearly daily blog of the same name in conjunction with a local Christian cable station that called itself GNS, the Good News Station. I sought to produce daily positive encouragement focused on the basics of the Gospel or Good News. As time has passed, the platform on the station's web site became unavailable and I too busy with other ministry. I set up this site before the station's plans were clear, but I have often thought of restarting my Good News focus as separate from my other blogs. I have also wanted to include the uniqueness of the Gospel and Biblical Christianity as distinct from religion, its common ritualistic approach, and the religious focus on human accomplishments. I have a Facebook page I named “Mundane Arcane” to encourage believers/disciples to recognize that this Gospel is both mystical and other worldly and yet accessible to the most ordinary person. In other words, I see much that is quite extraordinary and perhaps quite unexpected even to long-time Christian folk.

If you don't already know me, I am Roger Wilson. I am the author of this blog called Good News Sense. I hope we may have a nice long relationship. Mostly I will try to offer encouragement, good news to counter the unrelenting bad news in our world, and sometimes, I hope, a unique view to challenge your thinking. I also hope to tell you about the good things that are happening in our community, especially the Lansing-area “Community of Christ.”  I won't promise to be daily, but I will try to be here often.

If you check at the bottom of each of these “posts,” you will find a button that says “comment,” I hope you will feel free to use it. If you like to argue, then you'll be disappointed. I believe we have plenty of that already among congregations, denominations, and people, and even worse in our increasingly contentious and often angry communities. I am, however, happy to read positive feedback, gentile correction, and varying opinions as long as they are loving and kind. I look forward to hearing from you.