Nothing worth blogging
Pretty normal day today
So I'll write Haiku
Five, Seven, and Five
I like to do this sometimes
Exercise my mind
Exorcise some thoughts
Get the creativity
and get me thinking
Sometimes in college
Before writing a paper
I would write Haiku
It would help me think
It helps the words start to flow
Clear, concise, just right
I like funny ones
These have been boring so far
My apologies
_______________
O, I hate gophers
Tearing holes in the landscape
I try to kill them
I hate potholes too
And ruts in the field at church
Uneven surface
Mowing is harder
The mower stops abruptly
When you hit a hole
Gophers and Drivers
Unknowingly destroying
Hours of hard work
Drivers are OK
They're supposed to park right there
Over on the field
Gophers, however
Are nasty little vermin
I hate them a lot
I dream about them
Yes, it's very strange, I know
I'm somewhat obsessed
I haven't seen one
I haven't killed one for sure
In quite a few months
Very, very soon
I'm sure I'll see one again
And it's gonna die
Monday, March 30, 2009
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Hammock
I found out about this band called Hammock. They are an ambient ("shoegaze" is the real genre) band. The guy who wrote "God of Wonders" is one of the two guys in the band.
They are fans of Sigur Ros and Jonsi from Sigur Ros is a huge fan of theirs. So they are good.
And they are Christians. There is a new movement called "post-worship," which is based on "post-hardcore"/"post-rock" music used in church/worship settings.
I read about it in Christianity Today. It was in the actual magazine, and I can't find a link on their site to the story.
I think this is a good idea. Instead of trying to infuse congregational songs with ambient and atmospheric textures, make the congregational songs pop-y. It's easier to sing to. That's why it's called pop music. It's popular.
Then do some instrumental stuff in times of silent reflection. That's what we've been doing lately during Lent in our services. I hope we can work it in occasionally throughout the year.
I think it makes more sense than trying to be all emo in your worship leading.
They are fans of Sigur Ros and Jonsi from Sigur Ros is a huge fan of theirs. So they are good.
And they are Christians. There is a new movement called "post-worship," which is based on "post-hardcore"/"post-rock" music used in church/worship settings.
I read about it in Christianity Today. It was in the actual magazine, and I can't find a link on their site to the story.
I think this is a good idea. Instead of trying to infuse congregational songs with ambient and atmospheric textures, make the congregational songs pop-y. It's easier to sing to. That's why it's called pop music. It's popular.
Then do some instrumental stuff in times of silent reflection. That's what we've been doing lately during Lent in our services. I hope we can work it in occasionally throughout the year.
I think it makes more sense than trying to be all emo in your worship leading.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Talking to Hippies about Jesus Part 5
To read the first part of this story, read these other blogs:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
On Tuesday morning, March 17, I woke up around 6:30. I usually get up around 8:30. I didn't fall asleep until about 2 the previous night, so needless to say, I didn't want to get up. I remembered that Jackson had planned on meeting me at church at 6:45 AM. But, I didn't actually get out of bed until around then.
I threw on some clothes, drove to church, and went in my office.
I counted the money we'd collected the previous night in our impromptu offering. I expected to find $60 or so.
I was shocked to find $145 in the offering. 15 young adults (I think we were all 18-26) gave to some strangers. We definitely aren't very rich compared to most people in our society, but everyone gave out of what they did have.
Jackson and I took Will and Kim to Wal-Mart. I didn't tell them how much money was given. We bought them a new tire, breakfast, and a tank of gas and had extra money, which we put in the church's fund for helping people in need.
The conversation that morning was about herbal remedies for all sorts of illnesses and wasn't as spectacular for me as the previous night. One thing that was great was praying for them as they left us at the gas station.
In the past, I've done this for people as I move them on towards wherever they're traveling. But this time something was different.
I knew we'd handled things right. We met all their felt needs and even some they didn't mention to us (that they were hungry). On top of that, we had a great conversation about who Jesus is and what He has done for us. So we prayed not with a generic blessing, but with a specific prayer for God to meet them in their circumstances, which we knew.
But mostly I left with a different feeling. Instead of feeling so good because it feels good to help people, I left feeling joy. In the past I've felt "joy," but it presented itself more as happiness. This time, I felt what I'd call "peaceful zeal." That is, I felt completely normal and re-energized in my personal pursuit of God and refocused as a leader. I want to live missionally, and not think that people in other countries are missionaries.
I don't know if I will see Will and Kim again, but I know that they left us blessed. You can read that last phrase both ways and it will be true.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
On Tuesday morning, March 17, I woke up around 6:30. I usually get up around 8:30. I didn't fall asleep until about 2 the previous night, so needless to say, I didn't want to get up. I remembered that Jackson had planned on meeting me at church at 6:45 AM. But, I didn't actually get out of bed until around then.
I threw on some clothes, drove to church, and went in my office.
I counted the money we'd collected the previous night in our impromptu offering. I expected to find $60 or so.
I was shocked to find $145 in the offering. 15 young adults (I think we were all 18-26) gave to some strangers. We definitely aren't very rich compared to most people in our society, but everyone gave out of what they did have.
Jackson and I took Will and Kim to Wal-Mart. I didn't tell them how much money was given. We bought them a new tire, breakfast, and a tank of gas and had extra money, which we put in the church's fund for helping people in need.
The conversation that morning was about herbal remedies for all sorts of illnesses and wasn't as spectacular for me as the previous night. One thing that was great was praying for them as they left us at the gas station.
In the past, I've done this for people as I move them on towards wherever they're traveling. But this time something was different.
I knew we'd handled things right. We met all their felt needs and even some they didn't mention to us (that they were hungry). On top of that, we had a great conversation about who Jesus is and what He has done for us. So we prayed not with a generic blessing, but with a specific prayer for God to meet them in their circumstances, which we knew.
But mostly I left with a different feeling. Instead of feeling so good because it feels good to help people, I left feeling joy. In the past I've felt "joy," but it presented itself more as happiness. This time, I felt what I'd call "peaceful zeal." That is, I felt completely normal and re-energized in my personal pursuit of God and refocused as a leader. I want to live missionally, and not think that people in other countries are missionaries.
I don't know if I will see Will and Kim again, but I know that they left us blessed. You can read that last phrase both ways and it will be true.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Talking to Hippies about Jesus Part 4
Recently I've been telling the story of Will and Kim. If you haven't read the previous parts of the story, you may want to check them out
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
We left off at the end of the Young Adults' group. I asked people to put money in a small box that we could use to buy tire for these stranded travelers. As people filed out, Julie, Lauren, Josh Mello, and I stayed with Will and Kim and talked to them for 3 hours. Jackson said he would be back in the morning to help get a tire.
We talked about all kinds of things that night. They told us their stories.
Kim grew up Catholic, and went to a Southern Baptist College (and graduated). She definitely believes in some stuff that isn't biblical, but she also believes in the power of Jesus, and has recently experienced his power over demons in her life. Will told her earlier that he didn't believe her about that story, and we were the first people besides him that she'd shared it with. It was great to gain her trust and speak honestly about the power of Jesus. Kim kept saying that she felt best when she stayed on "the Jesus path," and that she knew that's where she was supposed to be.
Will is more syncretic--he blends more faiths--but also says he has accepted Jesus, and without Jesus dying, there would be no "light" in the world. His idea of "light" is a blend of Christian and New Age beliefs, and he believes in reincarnation as well. He has been trained in shamanic rituals and has been into all sorts of spiritualism. But, we also got the impression that he does his healings and rituals in order to make money.
He's 23 years old, grew up in the Appalachians in western North Carolina. He grew up in a very conservative church and family, and doesn't like right-wing republican christians, which I took to mean Evangelicals. Because he was different from his family, he said they kicked him out at age 14, and he lived in the woods. He said he still graduated High School with honors, and then went to a year of technical school to be trained as a welder.
He definitely was burned by his experience with his family and church. He doesn't like that churches don't help the poor. He says that if you're not going to live like Jesus, then you have no right to preach (which we agreed with). I asked him if he was more put off by the belief that Jesus is the only way (a central evangelical belief), or by the lack of help. I didn't really get an answer, but I felt like we very well could have been the first Bible-believing Christians to not only help him, but express that we disagreed with him--Jesus is the only way.
Will asked us to explain the idea that no matter what we do, we can't enter heaven because we aren't perfect.
This led to about an hour of just explaining the gospel. That was so cool. We got to not only meet their physical needs, but help them understand the truth that Jesus loves them, and is the only one who can bring salvation. We talked about how we all make mistakes, and no matter how many good things we do, no matter how many people we help, we can't earn our way to heaven.
At the end, Will still was talking about the same things, but he also said to Jackson the next morning that he really appreciated the conversation the previous night, and that he knows that God allowed their tire to go flat so they would end up in that conversation.
Mello gave his Bible to them. Kim said they've lost a few Bibles to dogs chewing them or flooding. Mello said, "here, this one's dog-proof."
Around 11:30, they went out to their van to sleep, and we closed up the church and went home. I couldn't sleep for awhile that night as I thought about what had just happened. But I had to be back at church by 7 AM to wrap things up with them.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
We left off at the end of the Young Adults' group. I asked people to put money in a small box that we could use to buy tire for these stranded travelers. As people filed out, Julie, Lauren, Josh Mello, and I stayed with Will and Kim and talked to them for 3 hours. Jackson said he would be back in the morning to help get a tire.
We talked about all kinds of things that night. They told us their stories.
Kim grew up Catholic, and went to a Southern Baptist College (and graduated). She definitely believes in some stuff that isn't biblical, but she also believes in the power of Jesus, and has recently experienced his power over demons in her life. Will told her earlier that he didn't believe her about that story, and we were the first people besides him that she'd shared it with. It was great to gain her trust and speak honestly about the power of Jesus. Kim kept saying that she felt best when she stayed on "the Jesus path," and that she knew that's where she was supposed to be.
Will is more syncretic--he blends more faiths--but also says he has accepted Jesus, and without Jesus dying, there would be no "light" in the world. His idea of "light" is a blend of Christian and New Age beliefs, and he believes in reincarnation as well. He has been trained in shamanic rituals and has been into all sorts of spiritualism. But, we also got the impression that he does his healings and rituals in order to make money.
He's 23 years old, grew up in the Appalachians in western North Carolina. He grew up in a very conservative church and family, and doesn't like right-wing republican christians, which I took to mean Evangelicals. Because he was different from his family, he said they kicked him out at age 14, and he lived in the woods. He said he still graduated High School with honors, and then went to a year of technical school to be trained as a welder.
He definitely was burned by his experience with his family and church. He doesn't like that churches don't help the poor. He says that if you're not going to live like Jesus, then you have no right to preach (which we agreed with). I asked him if he was more put off by the belief that Jesus is the only way (a central evangelical belief), or by the lack of help. I didn't really get an answer, but I felt like we very well could have been the first Bible-believing Christians to not only help him, but express that we disagreed with him--Jesus is the only way.
Will asked us to explain the idea that no matter what we do, we can't enter heaven because we aren't perfect.
This led to about an hour of just explaining the gospel. That was so cool. We got to not only meet their physical needs, but help them understand the truth that Jesus loves them, and is the only one who can bring salvation. We talked about how we all make mistakes, and no matter how many good things we do, no matter how many people we help, we can't earn our way to heaven.
At the end, Will still was talking about the same things, but he also said to Jackson the next morning that he really appreciated the conversation the previous night, and that he knows that God allowed their tire to go flat so they would end up in that conversation.
Mello gave his Bible to them. Kim said they've lost a few Bibles to dogs chewing them or flooding. Mello said, "here, this one's dog-proof."
Around 11:30, they went out to their van to sleep, and we closed up the church and went home. I couldn't sleep for awhile that night as I thought about what had just happened. But I had to be back at church by 7 AM to wrap things up with them.
Monday, March 23, 2009
God Provides: a lesson in perfect timing.
I'm losing my job at the print shop. I can't go into details yet, and I may not ever on this blog, but it looks like the very longest I will still be employed at the print shop is the end of May. Most likely it will be sooner. It's not based on my performance. It's not based on the economy really. It's based on my bosses' decision to do something else with their own lives and the fact that I work at a small business.
The good news is that God provides. Just last week, Julie and I found out we didn't owe $1200 on our taxes as I'd anticipated. Instead, we're getting $300 back from the US Government, and almost $200 from the state governments of Utah and California. This enabled us to get out of credit card debt.
So we have enough, even though I just got a pay cut at church, and I'm losing my second job.
We have enough. That's all we need.
I know God honors our obedience to Him. I know He provides for us when we care for the poor. Keep reading the story about Will and Kim. I think God has used my obedience to shape my story.
The good news is that God provides. Just last week, Julie and I found out we didn't owe $1200 on our taxes as I'd anticipated. Instead, we're getting $300 back from the US Government, and almost $200 from the state governments of Utah and California. This enabled us to get out of credit card debt.
So we have enough, even though I just got a pay cut at church, and I'm losing my second job.
We have enough. That's all we need.
I know God honors our obedience to Him. I know He provides for us when we care for the poor. Keep reading the story about Will and Kim. I think God has used my obedience to shape my story.
Talking to Hippies about Jesus Part 3
It's taking me a lot longer to tell this story than I anticipated. A lot of other things are going on in my life so I'll have to interject some other blogs also.
But as far as the story about Will and Kim goes, I think we were at the part where Josh Mello and I had just introduced ourselves.
Will and Kim lived in Bolinas, which is in Marin County, and about halfway between Bodega Bay and Point Reyes. Kim said she grew up Catholic, but went to a Southern Baptist College in Florida. She said she had become much more open to other religions since moving west, since she had to be. But, she told us that she always felt best when she was "on the Jesus path."
Will was a lot younger looking than her. He was more into general spirituality, but also talked a lot about "God and Christ."
I told them I'd gotten some people to start cooking some food for them inside, and pretty soon, Lauren and Eric had brought it out for them.
I left Will and Kim with Josh Mello, Lauren and Eric, and went inside to start the meeting. Mello and Eric took them to Wal-Mart to see if they could get a tire, while we talked about the parable of the shrewd manager.
Throughout the night, I tried to tie in the concepts in Luke 16 with what was going on. It wasn't hard, really.
Jesus said to use money to make friends for the sake of eternity. He said that what you do with little, you will do with a lot, and what you do with money shows what you will do with eternal things.
It turned out that all the tire places were closed, and I learned that Will and Kim were on their way back to camp out in the church parking lot. They live in their van.
Back at our meeting, I shared how I believed that God had given us the resources to help Will and Kim. Not just because they need material things, but because people like them go to the church knowing that Jesus wants us to help. When they show up, we build a relationship with them, and then fail to help, they leave the church angrily. Will had told us earlier that he left the church as a child because it didn't help people in need. He said that the two of them always try to help others, even when they have less than most people in our society. This was a new attitude for me. And I shared it with the rest of them.
So, we took a low-key offering to pay for a tire. I had one of the guys look to see how much a tire would cost. Online, it cost in the low $40 range. So I figured it would be $50 or $60. I didn't share the cost, just that I believed God has given us the resources to answer the questions he presents us with.
Prayer is more than just about requesting things from God. It's about preparing your heart to answer when God has requests for you.
So, some of the people hung out as usual, and a few of us went to talk to Will and Kim (who were back from the Wal-Mart tire center by this point).
Lauren, Julie, Josh Mello, and I ended up talking to Will and Kim until about 11:30 that night. What did we talk about? Stay tuned for the best parts of the story.
But as far as the story about Will and Kim goes, I think we were at the part where Josh Mello and I had just introduced ourselves.
Will and Kim lived in Bolinas, which is in Marin County, and about halfway between Bodega Bay and Point Reyes. Kim said she grew up Catholic, but went to a Southern Baptist College in Florida. She said she had become much more open to other religions since moving west, since she had to be. But, she told us that she always felt best when she was "on the Jesus path."
Will was a lot younger looking than her. He was more into general spirituality, but also talked a lot about "God and Christ."
I told them I'd gotten some people to start cooking some food for them inside, and pretty soon, Lauren and Eric had brought it out for them.
I left Will and Kim with Josh Mello, Lauren and Eric, and went inside to start the meeting. Mello and Eric took them to Wal-Mart to see if they could get a tire, while we talked about the parable of the shrewd manager.
Throughout the night, I tried to tie in the concepts in Luke 16 with what was going on. It wasn't hard, really.
Jesus said to use money to make friends for the sake of eternity. He said that what you do with little, you will do with a lot, and what you do with money shows what you will do with eternal things.
It turned out that all the tire places were closed, and I learned that Will and Kim were on their way back to camp out in the church parking lot. They live in their van.
Back at our meeting, I shared how I believed that God had given us the resources to help Will and Kim. Not just because they need material things, but because people like them go to the church knowing that Jesus wants us to help. When they show up, we build a relationship with them, and then fail to help, they leave the church angrily. Will had told us earlier that he left the church as a child because it didn't help people in need. He said that the two of them always try to help others, even when they have less than most people in our society. This was a new attitude for me. And I shared it with the rest of them.
So, we took a low-key offering to pay for a tire. I had one of the guys look to see how much a tire would cost. Online, it cost in the low $40 range. So I figured it would be $50 or $60. I didn't share the cost, just that I believed God has given us the resources to answer the questions he presents us with.
Prayer is more than just about requesting things from God. It's about preparing your heart to answer when God has requests for you.
So, some of the people hung out as usual, and a few of us went to talk to Will and Kim (who were back from the Wal-Mart tire center by this point).
Lauren, Julie, Josh Mello, and I ended up talking to Will and Kim until about 11:30 that night. What did we talk about? Stay tuned for the best parts of the story.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Talking to Hippies about Jesus Part 2
On Monday nights, I usually get to church around 6:45 to finish setting up for Young Adults' Group. Julie makes the coffee and tea. I light the candles, put on some music, and grab whatever I forgot to get out of my office.
At 6:30, we got a call from Chris, the youth pastor who lives in the parsonage, which is at the church. He said there was a couple whose van broke down. He said he couldn't really help them because he was home alone with all his kids. Chris has 4 foster kids and 3 biological kids (his adopted daughter, Anna, was out of town). 6 of those kids are little kids, and one is 15. Needless to say, he had his hands full.
So, he told me their tire was completely shot (metal was sticking through the rubber), they were almost out of gas, and when he asked if they were hungry, they said they hadn't eaten in three days.
Chris knew that the Young Adults' Group has had the opportunity to help people a few times in the past, and we've responded a little better each time.
Julie and I got to church, and we waited. I knew some new people were coming, so I needed to make sure we had enough regulars in the church to welcome them and to prepare food. I also wanted to make sure some other people were there to help these stranded travelers, since I would have to also run the meeting. I really wanted to talk about the parable we were talking about since it also related to what was going on (see last blog for info on that one).
So, I waited for Josh Mello to get there, and we went over and introduced ourselves to Will and Kim.
They were sitting on the bumps in the parking lot. They looked dejected.
They smelled like campfire and their 1995 Dodge Caravan looked even worse.
I said, "Hi, I heard you guys are having some tire problems."
They said, "Yeah. The pastor said he would try to see if he could get us some help."
I said, "Well, we want to see what we can do. My name is Josh, and this is also Josh."
"I'm Will," he said.
"I'm Kim," she said. "We're just two hippies traveling to Mount Shasta."
And that's how things got started.
I'll tell you more about what we did for them physically, and why it made all the difference. I'll tell you about how I think we may have been furthering their dependence. But I'll also tell you about why I think it was worth it. I'll talk a little about how I decide when it's OK to help people even if it is actually hurting them physically in the long run (e.g. handouts).
Stay tuned...
At 6:30, we got a call from Chris, the youth pastor who lives in the parsonage, which is at the church. He said there was a couple whose van broke down. He said he couldn't really help them because he was home alone with all his kids. Chris has 4 foster kids and 3 biological kids (his adopted daughter, Anna, was out of town). 6 of those kids are little kids, and one is 15. Needless to say, he had his hands full.
So, he told me their tire was completely shot (metal was sticking through the rubber), they were almost out of gas, and when he asked if they were hungry, they said they hadn't eaten in three days.
Chris knew that the Young Adults' Group has had the opportunity to help people a few times in the past, and we've responded a little better each time.
Julie and I got to church, and we waited. I knew some new people were coming, so I needed to make sure we had enough regulars in the church to welcome them and to prepare food. I also wanted to make sure some other people were there to help these stranded travelers, since I would have to also run the meeting. I really wanted to talk about the parable we were talking about since it also related to what was going on (see last blog for info on that one).
So, I waited for Josh Mello to get there, and we went over and introduced ourselves to Will and Kim.
They were sitting on the bumps in the parking lot. They looked dejected.
They smelled like campfire and their 1995 Dodge Caravan looked even worse.
I said, "Hi, I heard you guys are having some tire problems."
They said, "Yeah. The pastor said he would try to see if he could get us some help."
I said, "Well, we want to see what we can do. My name is Josh, and this is also Josh."
"I'm Will," he said.
"I'm Kim," she said. "We're just two hippies traveling to Mount Shasta."
And that's how things got started.
I'll tell you more about what we did for them physically, and why it made all the difference. I'll tell you about how I think we may have been furthering their dependence. But I'll also tell you about why I think it was worth it. I'll talk a little about how I decide when it's OK to help people even if it is actually hurting them physically in the long run (e.g. handouts).
Stay tuned...
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Talking to Hippies about Jesus Part 1
I have a story to tell. I took place on a great day in March 2009.
It was the day before Saint Patrick's Day. It was the day I met 2 hippies traveling to Mount Shasta. They had been in Marin County--in Bolinas.
It was also the day I was supposed to lead a young adults' group through the parable of the Shrewd Manager in Luke 16. Originally, I was going to talk about that parable a few weeks earlier, but at the last minute I'd shuffled things around, and now I was stuck with this parable on March 16.
Most scholars agree that it is the most confusing parable. I'll explain it briefly. Jesus says that this manager knew he had to trick his boss to keep his job and/or make a deal with his boss' debtors so that when he got fired they would love him so much that they would welcome him in.
Jesus is making a point that we should be resourceful, thinking, prepared people.
In Luke 16:9, he says that we should use worldly wealth to make friends for ourselves and in doing so, we will find ourselves welcomed into eternal dwellings.
In verse 10, he explains that whatever you do with a little shows what you will do with a lot, and in verse 11, he tweaks that a little and says that whatever you do with money shows whether or not you are trustworthy to have/use eternal things.
Then, he says we must love God and hate money (verses 13-15).
All in all, the passage is saying to love God, and use money to care for other people. In doing so, he will entrust us with more.
It was in this context that God brought 2 needy hippies to our church, and it was in this context that a group of 15 young adults did what they read in the Bible and met their needs.
Keep reading the next few days to hear the story of Will and Kim and all the amazing things God taught me through my experience with them.
It was the day before Saint Patrick's Day. It was the day I met 2 hippies traveling to Mount Shasta. They had been in Marin County--in Bolinas.
It was also the day I was supposed to lead a young adults' group through the parable of the Shrewd Manager in Luke 16. Originally, I was going to talk about that parable a few weeks earlier, but at the last minute I'd shuffled things around, and now I was stuck with this parable on March 16.
Most scholars agree that it is the most confusing parable. I'll explain it briefly. Jesus says that this manager knew he had to trick his boss to keep his job and/or make a deal with his boss' debtors so that when he got fired they would love him so much that they would welcome him in.
Jesus is making a point that we should be resourceful, thinking, prepared people.
In Luke 16:9, he says that we should use worldly wealth to make friends for ourselves and in doing so, we will find ourselves welcomed into eternal dwellings.
In verse 10, he explains that whatever you do with a little shows what you will do with a lot, and in verse 11, he tweaks that a little and says that whatever you do with money shows whether or not you are trustworthy to have/use eternal things.
Then, he says we must love God and hate money (verses 13-15).
All in all, the passage is saying to love God, and use money to care for other people. In doing so, he will entrust us with more.
It was in this context that God brought 2 needy hippies to our church, and it was in this context that a group of 15 young adults did what they read in the Bible and met their needs.
Keep reading the next few days to hear the story of Will and Kim and all the amazing things God taught me through my experience with them.
Christians Should be Politically Independent
In my last blog, I wrote that Christians should love the Kingdom of God and serve whatever nation they are in.
I've come to realize that most Christians have an inconsistent theology of politics.
Perhaps the best way to explain this is to look at stereotypical Republican Evangelicalism.
The theology behind the beliefs of the religious right looks like this:
1. Abortion and Homosexuality are wrong from a biblical perspective.
2. Christians are to be the salt of the earth and influence the world around them.
3. Therefore, it is good for Christians to promote our moral beliefs through the laws of the land.
4. Christians fight for laws banning abortion and gay marriage.
I would break this thought process down like this:
1. Christians believe ____________.
2. Christians are to influence the world.
3. Christians are to take their belief in __________ and try to introduce it to the legal system.
Many evangelical Christians (if not most) also believe that it is good to look after the poor. The Bible teaches this. However, most evangelicals do not think that is the government's responsibility.
I have a question: is this because you think that it's the church's job and not the government's? Or, is it because you have been so influenced by the Republican party that you are more loyal to the party platform than the Bible?
It really doesn't matter. Let's take the system of applying Biblical truth to politics (that I laid out earlier) and apply it to the issue of caring for poor people.
1. The Bible teaches that we should care for the poorest and "least" in our society.
2. Christians are to be the salt of the earth and influence the world around them.
3. Therefore, it is good for Christians to promote our moral beliefs through the laws of the land.
4. Christians should introduce legislation to help poor people through the resources of the government.
If you agree with my logic, which I think is pretty solid, then you have to ask if it's possible to attach yourself to the party platform of either the Republicans or the Democrats.
So, I feel that it is wise for Christians to be unaffiliated with either political party. And I believe that if you claim to be an intellectual Christian who values thinking and logic, then you must think about this issue and make that decision.
A side note, if you insist on picking a party....
Rick Warren points out that the Bible has 100 times as many verses about the poor as it does about homosexuality (see the most recent issue of Relevant magazine).
So, if you have to pick a party based on the Bible, you should consider being a democrat. Especially, if you are an evangelical, who believes in sola scriptura--Scripture is the only rule for faith and practice.
I mostly say that because most of us Evangelicals are Republicans--and tend to listen to their political ideas instead of God's commands for our lives.
The fact is that the Democratic agenda isn't God's either. Both are wrong. Both are incomplete. That's why I'm independent, and why I recommend making that same decision.
I've come to realize that most Christians have an inconsistent theology of politics.
Perhaps the best way to explain this is to look at stereotypical Republican Evangelicalism.
The theology behind the beliefs of the religious right looks like this:
1. Abortion and Homosexuality are wrong from a biblical perspective.
2. Christians are to be the salt of the earth and influence the world around them.
3. Therefore, it is good for Christians to promote our moral beliefs through the laws of the land.
4. Christians fight for laws banning abortion and gay marriage.
I would break this thought process down like this:
1. Christians believe ____________.
2. Christians are to influence the world.
3. Christians are to take their belief in __________ and try to introduce it to the legal system.
Many evangelical Christians (if not most) also believe that it is good to look after the poor. The Bible teaches this. However, most evangelicals do not think that is the government's responsibility.
I have a question: is this because you think that it's the church's job and not the government's? Or, is it because you have been so influenced by the Republican party that you are more loyal to the party platform than the Bible?
It really doesn't matter. Let's take the system of applying Biblical truth to politics (that I laid out earlier) and apply it to the issue of caring for poor people.
1. The Bible teaches that we should care for the poorest and "least" in our society.
2. Christians are to be the salt of the earth and influence the world around them.
3. Therefore, it is good for Christians to promote our moral beliefs through the laws of the land.
4. Christians should introduce legislation to help poor people through the resources of the government.
If you agree with my logic, which I think is pretty solid, then you have to ask if it's possible to attach yourself to the party platform of either the Republicans or the Democrats.
So, I feel that it is wise for Christians to be unaffiliated with either political party. And I believe that if you claim to be an intellectual Christian who values thinking and logic, then you must think about this issue and make that decision.
A side note, if you insist on picking a party....
Rick Warren points out that the Bible has 100 times as many verses about the poor as it does about homosexuality (see the most recent issue of Relevant magazine).
So, if you have to pick a party based on the Bible, you should consider being a democrat. Especially, if you are an evangelical, who believes in sola scriptura--Scripture is the only rule for faith and practice.
I mostly say that because most of us Evangelicals are Republicans--and tend to listen to their political ideas instead of God's commands for our lives.
The fact is that the Democratic agenda isn't God's either. Both are wrong. Both are incomplete. That's why I'm independent, and why I recommend making that same decision.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Don't love the USA, just serve it
Earlier, I wrote a blog about Barack Obama's book The Audacity of Hope. Here's a follow-up containing more of my thoughts.
The main thing I realized from reading The Audacity of Hope is that Christians should love the Kingdom of God, and serve the United States or whatever country they are in.
I no longer believe in loving the USA.
I am glad that I live here. You might say that I love it, but I'd rather reserve that word for God's Kingdom.
The book of Daniel makes it clear that we are to serve both God's kingdom and whatever nation we find ourselves in.
But I want to make sure that I am loving God's kingdom, which will never fail.
The United States is not going to last forever. It will end. It could end sooner than a lot of us thought. And it may not end in catastrophe. It may just end in a slow, steady decline.
Reading Audacity showed me that whether conservative or liberal ideas are leading the way, they're going to fail at some point. They're all imperfect.
I love God's Kingdom, and I will serve the United States in a way that glorifies God.
Obama wrote that people in politics all love their country. I agree that he's generally right, but I also agree with what I heard Rick Warren say recently. It was something to the effect of "the real history makers are pastors and Christian leaders. What they're doing is of eternal significance."
And I think that if you want to make a real difference in a nation, make a difference in the Kingdom, don't try to better the US. The next blog will go into details about why I now believe it is impossible for a Christian to have a party affiliation and to remain fully consistent in what they believe, as they take their beliefs out to their logical end.
The main thing I realized from reading The Audacity of Hope is that Christians should love the Kingdom of God, and serve the United States or whatever country they are in.
I no longer believe in loving the USA.
I am glad that I live here. You might say that I love it, but I'd rather reserve that word for God's Kingdom.
The book of Daniel makes it clear that we are to serve both God's kingdom and whatever nation we find ourselves in.
But I want to make sure that I am loving God's kingdom, which will never fail.
The United States is not going to last forever. It will end. It could end sooner than a lot of us thought. And it may not end in catastrophe. It may just end in a slow, steady decline.
Reading Audacity showed me that whether conservative or liberal ideas are leading the way, they're going to fail at some point. They're all imperfect.
I love God's Kingdom, and I will serve the United States in a way that glorifies God.
Obama wrote that people in politics all love their country. I agree that he's generally right, but I also agree with what I heard Rick Warren say recently. It was something to the effect of "the real history makers are pastors and Christian leaders. What they're doing is of eternal significance."
And I think that if you want to make a real difference in a nation, make a difference in the Kingdom, don't try to better the US. The next blog will go into details about why I now believe it is impossible for a Christian to have a party affiliation and to remain fully consistent in what they believe, as they take their beliefs out to their logical end.
I read Obama's book...here's what I think
I just read The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama. He wrote the book in 2006, before he was running for President, and a few years after first being elected as a Senator. It was a really good book, and I'm glad I didn't read it before the election, or I probably would have bought an Obama sign, because his ideas as laid out in the book are consistent, and further developed than what he was able to explain during the campaign.
I don't want to go into all the policy stuff he laid out in the book. But, I do want to say that I found him to be not only a great writer and speaker, but someone who thinks things out very well. He is consistent in what he thinks, even if I disagree with him. He also is very respectful of everyone he disagrees with, including President Bush. He says that he knows that almost all politicians are in their line of work because they love their country. He also acknowledges that although he values bipartisanship, he is a democrat, and so there are certain things he believes that republicans won't.
I like the way he talks about his faith. I find Obama to be a strong Christian, but definitely not an evangelical. He also says that himself.
As for abortion, Obama believes that the fetus is a body part of the mother. I hadn't heard that argument before. I guess that shows how much in the Christian bubble I am/have been. I disagree with that statement, but if he really believes that, at least he is consistent. However, I also agree with Obama's intention to lower the number of abortions. I've yet to see him actually do anything about that, but I am willing to give him some time.
I also know that just because he wants to do something doesn't mean that other democrats, who are less consistent in their beliefs, or who haven't thought through what their decisions mean as well as Obama has (i.e. Nancy Pelosi), will attempt to hijack Obama's ideas and turn them into typical liberal ideas.
As far as the McCain campaign's assertion that Obama was the most liberal senator, I fully disagree. He may have voted that way, but his thought process and his reasons for voting that way show he is a centrist, who often had to make the tough decision to vote in ways he wished weren't either-or situations.
I don't fully agree with Obama. I'm not what one of my friends' dad calls "O-bots," but I respect his thought process and I think he will be a good president throughout his term in office (whether that's 4 or 8 years). I also would challenge people who disagree with him to read one or both of his books instead of getting fed what to think about him by the media (whether that's conservative, liberal or "unbiased" media). That also goes for those of you who get your news through hearsay. If someone (even if it's someone you respect) tells you what they heard, that's not good enough. Dig into it yourself.
There will be 2 more blogs on this book coming up.
I don't want to go into all the policy stuff he laid out in the book. But, I do want to say that I found him to be not only a great writer and speaker, but someone who thinks things out very well. He is consistent in what he thinks, even if I disagree with him. He also is very respectful of everyone he disagrees with, including President Bush. He says that he knows that almost all politicians are in their line of work because they love their country. He also acknowledges that although he values bipartisanship, he is a democrat, and so there are certain things he believes that republicans won't.
I like the way he talks about his faith. I find Obama to be a strong Christian, but definitely not an evangelical. He also says that himself.
As for abortion, Obama believes that the fetus is a body part of the mother. I hadn't heard that argument before. I guess that shows how much in the Christian bubble I am/have been. I disagree with that statement, but if he really believes that, at least he is consistent. However, I also agree with Obama's intention to lower the number of abortions. I've yet to see him actually do anything about that, but I am willing to give him some time.
I also know that just because he wants to do something doesn't mean that other democrats, who are less consistent in their beliefs, or who haven't thought through what their decisions mean as well as Obama has (i.e. Nancy Pelosi), will attempt to hijack Obama's ideas and turn them into typical liberal ideas.
As far as the McCain campaign's assertion that Obama was the most liberal senator, I fully disagree. He may have voted that way, but his thought process and his reasons for voting that way show he is a centrist, who often had to make the tough decision to vote in ways he wished weren't either-or situations.
I don't fully agree with Obama. I'm not what one of my friends' dad calls "O-bots," but I respect his thought process and I think he will be a good president throughout his term in office (whether that's 4 or 8 years). I also would challenge people who disagree with him to read one or both of his books instead of getting fed what to think about him by the media (whether that's conservative, liberal or "unbiased" media). That also goes for those of you who get your news through hearsay. If someone (even if it's someone you respect) tells you what they heard, that's not good enough. Dig into it yourself.
There will be 2 more blogs on this book coming up.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Spring is here...at least in me
The last days and weeks have re-energized me.
There are challenges, but I can feel the rebirth.
Today I was reflecting on my emotions and realized that my mood may be more affected by the Seasons than I realized.
Which led me to think about the origins of Lent.
Lent was started by European Churches. It is to be a season of not hearing God while searching for Him.
It ends just around the time that the cold European winters are turning to sunnier, warmer spring, and even on a psychological and physical level, we are going to feel rejuvenated for that reason alone.
So maybe the reason that Lent happens right before Easter, even though Jesus fasted about 3 years before He went to Jerusalem to die (most likely) has more to do with the geographic origins of the church than we realize.
I mean, does it make sense for Southern Hemisphere Christians to practice Lent, and then celebrate the rebirth of Easter just as Fall is starting? I think not.
__________________________
It is in this economic downturn, though, that I find the most joy.
God has been teaching me to live more simply, and due to the economy it is becoming easier and easier to say no to luxury.
We're about to embark on a new journey in our young adults' ministry that won't look at all like a conventional church, nor will it look like any ministry that I've done. Well, it will include parts of a few things I've experienced, but it will be structured in a way I haven't experienced, and I am energized by the simplicity of it.
I am zealous for Truth. I am zealous for Simplicity.
I long to Listen.
I desire to Intercede.
I need Family.
I want to Engage the world, particularly those neglected by society who are far from God.
And that is the LIFEcycle that we will be living through as Young Adults at Mark West Neighborhood Church.
Listening. Interceding. Family. Engaging.
It will be an adventure. Adventures are fun.
There are challenges, but I can feel the rebirth.
Today I was reflecting on my emotions and realized that my mood may be more affected by the Seasons than I realized.
Which led me to think about the origins of Lent.
Lent was started by European Churches. It is to be a season of not hearing God while searching for Him.
It ends just around the time that the cold European winters are turning to sunnier, warmer spring, and even on a psychological and physical level, we are going to feel rejuvenated for that reason alone.
So maybe the reason that Lent happens right before Easter, even though Jesus fasted about 3 years before He went to Jerusalem to die (most likely) has more to do with the geographic origins of the church than we realize.
I mean, does it make sense for Southern Hemisphere Christians to practice Lent, and then celebrate the rebirth of Easter just as Fall is starting? I think not.
__________________________
It is in this economic downturn, though, that I find the most joy.
God has been teaching me to live more simply, and due to the economy it is becoming easier and easier to say no to luxury.
We're about to embark on a new journey in our young adults' ministry that won't look at all like a conventional church, nor will it look like any ministry that I've done. Well, it will include parts of a few things I've experienced, but it will be structured in a way I haven't experienced, and I am energized by the simplicity of it.
I am zealous for Truth. I am zealous for Simplicity.
I long to Listen.
I desire to Intercede.
I need Family.
I want to Engage the world, particularly those neglected by society who are far from God.
And that is the LIFEcycle that we will be living through as Young Adults at Mark West Neighborhood Church.
Listening. Interceding. Family. Engaging.
It will be an adventure. Adventures are fun.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Further thoughts on New U2 songs: Magnificent
I think I'll probably write a few blogs on my thoughts on what the heck Bono is talking about on the new U2 album. I've read some blogs by theologians and pastors, and they might be right. But they could be hoping that Bono views the world like they do, and misreading what he means. Here's my attempt.
So far, my favorite song on the CD is "Magnificent." This song is the most overtly Christian song on the CD, to me, and is essentially a worship song. It also has quickly become one of my favorite U2 songs from a musical perspective.
It's weird how so many of the reviews I've read think that this song is just about Bono being a self-consumed rock star, and they like it for that reason. They think the line "I was born to sing for you," is about Bono saying he was predestined to rock out. But he's obviously talking about God.
Well, here are the lyrics, so check them out, and then I'll break down what I think:
Magnificent
Magnificent
I was born
I was born to be with you
In this space and time
After that and ever after I haven’t had a clue
Only to break rhyme
This foolishness can leave a heart black and blue
Only love, only love can leave such a mark
But only love, only love can heal such a scar
I was born
I was born to sing for you
I didn’t have a choice but to lift you up
And sing whatever song you wanted me to
I give you back my voice
From the womb my first cry, it was a joyful noise…
[Magnificent lyrics on http://lyricsmusicvideo.blogspot.com ]
Only love, only love can leave such a mark
But only love, only love can heal such a scar
Justified till we die, you and I will magnify
The Magnificent
Magnificent
Only love, only love can leave such a mark
But only love, only love unites our hearts
Justified till we die, you and I will magnify
The Magnificent
Magnificent
Magnificent
The song is addressed to "Magnificent," and we know that this "Magnificent" refers to God. One reason is that "Magnificent" is always capitalized in the liner notes. Another reason is the language used in the seond verse. The inclusion of "I give you back my voice," and "joyful noise" show that Bono has a much stronger understanding of worship, and specifically worship music than most Christians, particularly most evangelicals.
I believe that Bono is a Christian--I've studied his lyrics--and I believe that Barack Obama is a Christian--I'm reading one of his books, and I've read his speeches on faith. But I know that both don't claim to be evangelicals. I know they aren't sold on the exclusivity of salvation through Jesus. But I also think that the important thing is that they are following Jesus. Yeah, they are leading people astray by not being exclusive, but their example as Christ-followers starts making up for that error (as far as how they impact other people).
Anyway, back from my tangent.
In the first verse, Bono seems to be talking about faith and a relationship with God as being for this life, and that he's not so sure about an afterlife. And I'm OK with that. I am sure of an afterlife, but I've questioned whether we go to heaven, or whether heaven comes here. And I'm OK with not being totally sold that either one is right.
And, in the chorus, Bono uses the phrase "Justified till we die," which could be based on the fact that he's not even sure there is an afterlife, or it could refer to the fact that because we are justified, we're not going to die. And if that is the case, then should you really call it an "afterlife?"
I know there's heaven. And I know Bono believes it, based on the title of this CD "No Line on the Horizon," which indicates that it is about the line between Earth and Heaven going away. This is a hopeful album not written from the perspective that Heaven has arrived on Earth and life is perfect (like many Christian albums), but from a place of longing for Heaven to invade the Earth.
Anyway, God is magnificent, and it's exciting to me that so many people are going to love this song that proudly states that we were born to praise God. This is the purpose of life.
So far, my favorite song on the CD is "Magnificent." This song is the most overtly Christian song on the CD, to me, and is essentially a worship song. It also has quickly become one of my favorite U2 songs from a musical perspective.
It's weird how so many of the reviews I've read think that this song is just about Bono being a self-consumed rock star, and they like it for that reason. They think the line "I was born to sing for you," is about Bono saying he was predestined to rock out. But he's obviously talking about God.
Well, here are the lyrics, so check them out, and then I'll break down what I think:
Magnificent
Magnificent
I was born
I was born to be with you
In this space and time
After that and ever after I haven’t had a clue
Only to break rhyme
This foolishness can leave a heart black and blue
Only love, only love can leave such a mark
But only love, only love can heal such a scar
I was born
I was born to sing for you
I didn’t have a choice but to lift you up
And sing whatever song you wanted me to
I give you back my voice
From the womb my first cry, it was a joyful noise…
[Magnificent lyrics on http://lyricsmusicvideo.blogspot.com ]
Only love, only love can leave such a mark
But only love, only love can heal such a scar
Justified till we die, you and I will magnify
The Magnificent
Magnificent
Only love, only love can leave such a mark
But only love, only love unites our hearts
Justified till we die, you and I will magnify
The Magnificent
Magnificent
Magnificent
The song is addressed to "Magnificent," and we know that this "Magnificent" refers to God. One reason is that "Magnificent" is always capitalized in the liner notes. Another reason is the language used in the seond verse. The inclusion of "I give you back my voice," and "joyful noise" show that Bono has a much stronger understanding of worship, and specifically worship music than most Christians, particularly most evangelicals.
I believe that Bono is a Christian--I've studied his lyrics--and I believe that Barack Obama is a Christian--I'm reading one of his books, and I've read his speeches on faith. But I know that both don't claim to be evangelicals. I know they aren't sold on the exclusivity of salvation through Jesus. But I also think that the important thing is that they are following Jesus. Yeah, they are leading people astray by not being exclusive, but their example as Christ-followers starts making up for that error (as far as how they impact other people).
Anyway, back from my tangent.
In the first verse, Bono seems to be talking about faith and a relationship with God as being for this life, and that he's not so sure about an afterlife. And I'm OK with that. I am sure of an afterlife, but I've questioned whether we go to heaven, or whether heaven comes here. And I'm OK with not being totally sold that either one is right.
And, in the chorus, Bono uses the phrase "Justified till we die," which could be based on the fact that he's not even sure there is an afterlife, or it could refer to the fact that because we are justified, we're not going to die. And if that is the case, then should you really call it an "afterlife?"
I know there's heaven. And I know Bono believes it, based on the title of this CD "No Line on the Horizon," which indicates that it is about the line between Earth and Heaven going away. This is a hopeful album not written from the perspective that Heaven has arrived on Earth and life is perfect (like many Christian albums), but from a place of longing for Heaven to invade the Earth.
Anyway, God is magnificent, and it's exciting to me that so many people are going to love this song that proudly states that we were born to praise God. This is the purpose of life.
Monday, March 09, 2009
2 Ways God Speaks to Me
Recently I've been in a season of wondering why I'm not hearing God's voice. I've gone through doubt. I've been in a place where I would question why I'm more concerned with getting people to mature in their walk with Christ while I wasn't believing much outside of my head. I wanted to see God as more than a system of belief.
I know that there are seasons in our lives where faith is all we have. Seasons where God asks us to press into him. Seasons where it's OK to have a system of belief instead of an intimate relationship with Jesus. Sometimes God lets us go through these times.
When you plant a lawn, you have to stop watering it as much after awhile. This helps the roots to go deeper. In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus says that the reason the seed sown on the rocky places dies for lack of root.
In the same way, we need to go through times where we don't hear God as much. That deepens our roots.
____________________
In essence, this is the meaning of Lent. We press into God. We are patient. We wait.
Lately, God has again spoken to me in ways that are clearly His voice and not my own thoughts.
Around a month ago, I was mowing the field at church and came up with a whole plan of how I would organize church volunteers to do this work. About 3 hours later, my dad said we needed to look at making budget cuts, and that he wanted to know my opinion on having volunteers do the landscaping and janitorial work for the church.
I laid out my plan of how it could be facilitated in a way that didn't overwhelm anyone, and how it would help teach the members of our church about stewardship, and help them better understand and live out Jesus' teachings.
I knew that God had spoken to me through timing.
____________________
On Saturday night, I couldn't sleep. It was the daylight savings time change, but I ended up laying awake in bed until 4:35 AM. I think Julie fell asleep around midnight. (That's only 3 1/2 hours because of the time change). When I lay awake and can't sleep, I ask God, "Why am I awake? What is it that I need to pray for? What do you need to tell me?"
I know God works in those times when we can't sleep.
At first I was thinking about all these ideas of how to do modern liturgy. Stuff like responsive readings done with video that could work at a Good Friday service.
Then I questioned, "why do I want to get people to respond to this?"
I didn't feel like much of what I wanted to teach was taking root in my heart. I believed it in my head but it didn't bring me great joy that "he was crushed for our iniquities"(Isaiah 53).
I spent awhile (it was 2 minutes. It was 20 minutes. I'm not sure--I was sleepy) asking God to move in my heart.
I wanted him to speak to me in a way that was for my relationship with him, and not to show me how to lead.
I think He did. In the next hour or two, it became so clear to me how to implement a number of changes in the young adults' ministry in our church that would not only benefit the young adults in our church, but our church as a whole. And in doing so, it would take so much pressure off of me.
I feel that this new ministry approach is God's way of saying, "take my yoke upon you, for my burden is easy and my yoke is light."
I won't say what it is yet, but I will say that it is called the LIFEcycle, and that the L stands for Listening to God.
It's simple, includes all major parts of what we do as believers.
I'll introduce what we're going to be doing here on my blog sometime after I introduce it in real life. And this all depends on whether any of it actually happens.
But I feel like I have God's vision now for what to do, and while it still means I'm leading and doing, it also puts me in a better place as a disciple and as a listener of God.
I know that there are seasons in our lives where faith is all we have. Seasons where God asks us to press into him. Seasons where it's OK to have a system of belief instead of an intimate relationship with Jesus. Sometimes God lets us go through these times.
When you plant a lawn, you have to stop watering it as much after awhile. This helps the roots to go deeper. In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus says that the reason the seed sown on the rocky places dies for lack of root.
In the same way, we need to go through times where we don't hear God as much. That deepens our roots.
____________________
In essence, this is the meaning of Lent. We press into God. We are patient. We wait.
Lately, God has again spoken to me in ways that are clearly His voice and not my own thoughts.
Around a month ago, I was mowing the field at church and came up with a whole plan of how I would organize church volunteers to do this work. About 3 hours later, my dad said we needed to look at making budget cuts, and that he wanted to know my opinion on having volunteers do the landscaping and janitorial work for the church.
I laid out my plan of how it could be facilitated in a way that didn't overwhelm anyone, and how it would help teach the members of our church about stewardship, and help them better understand and live out Jesus' teachings.
I knew that God had spoken to me through timing.
____________________
On Saturday night, I couldn't sleep. It was the daylight savings time change, but I ended up laying awake in bed until 4:35 AM. I think Julie fell asleep around midnight. (That's only 3 1/2 hours because of the time change). When I lay awake and can't sleep, I ask God, "Why am I awake? What is it that I need to pray for? What do you need to tell me?"
I know God works in those times when we can't sleep.
At first I was thinking about all these ideas of how to do modern liturgy. Stuff like responsive readings done with video that could work at a Good Friday service.
Then I questioned, "why do I want to get people to respond to this?"
I didn't feel like much of what I wanted to teach was taking root in my heart. I believed it in my head but it didn't bring me great joy that "he was crushed for our iniquities"(Isaiah 53).
I spent awhile (it was 2 minutes. It was 20 minutes. I'm not sure--I was sleepy) asking God to move in my heart.
I wanted him to speak to me in a way that was for my relationship with him, and not to show me how to lead.
I think He did. In the next hour or two, it became so clear to me how to implement a number of changes in the young adults' ministry in our church that would not only benefit the young adults in our church, but our church as a whole. And in doing so, it would take so much pressure off of me.
I feel that this new ministry approach is God's way of saying, "take my yoke upon you, for my burden is easy and my yoke is light."
I won't say what it is yet, but I will say that it is called the LIFEcycle, and that the L stands for Listening to God.
It's simple, includes all major parts of what we do as believers.
I'll introduce what we're going to be doing here on my blog sometime after I introduce it in real life. And this all depends on whether any of it actually happens.
But I feel like I have God's vision now for what to do, and while it still means I'm leading and doing, it also puts me in a better place as a disciple and as a listener of God.
Thursday, March 05, 2009
Injury of the month
Hopefully this isn't actually my "Injury of the month," but my "Injury of the year." I tend to go through phases where I get hurt a lot, be it due to my own carelessness or something else.
Last night, I was cutting some bread around 10 PM. I didn't want to have to do any dishes or clean anything up, so I was holding the bread over the sink to keep the crumbs off the counter. I sliced right through the bread and into my left middle finger.
It was fairly deep (maybe 3/32 of an inch). I was using a pretty new bread knife. It's good that it was so sharp, but since it's serrated, it did a little extra damage.
It stopped bleeding after about a half hour. And it hasn't been too painful, but typing this blog, even though I'm not using that finger to type (which is annoying--I keep missing keys) is making it hurt more.
At this point, I have no idea if I will be able to play guitar for church on Sunday, which will be interesting to deal with if it comes down to it.
Last night, I was cutting some bread around 10 PM. I didn't want to have to do any dishes or clean anything up, so I was holding the bread over the sink to keep the crumbs off the counter. I sliced right through the bread and into my left middle finger.
It was fairly deep (maybe 3/32 of an inch). I was using a pretty new bread knife. It's good that it was so sharp, but since it's serrated, it did a little extra damage.
It stopped bleeding after about a half hour. And it hasn't been too painful, but typing this blog, even though I'm not using that finger to type (which is annoying--I keep missing keys) is making it hurt more.
At this point, I have no idea if I will be able to play guitar for church on Sunday, which will be interesting to deal with if it comes down to it.
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Creation vs. Evolution and the new U2 album
Tonight, Julie and I were talking about how believing that God created the earth in 7 days isn't really that critical to your faith. And how I am completely fine with Christians who believe that God used evolution to make stuff, so long as you believe that God is a Creator.
Even if you don't believe that God is Creator, I think you're probably still a Christian if you simply believe that Jesus died for your sins and rose again, and that He is God.
But anyway, I just was listening to the new U2 CD that came out today. There's a song on it called "Stand Up Comedy."
Bono is definitely making references to evolution (maybe social darwinism?) and to God. At first, I got the impression he was stating that he is a believer in literal Creation, or that he's not so sure. Then, I decided he was saying that it's more important to love people than to brag about how great you are, since you just so happened to get the right genes to be smart or great, which sounds like godless evolutionism to me (I'm OK with those who believe in evolution, but to not include God as the one who guides it is problematic for me, and seems un Bono-like).
This song also might be expressing a move from Christianity to Universalism, which I am not supportive of, and which I have feared Bono might make at some point.
But, other songs indicate he still believes in God in some fashion, which rules out the godless, random evolution I thought of. Maybe he is addressing someone who views the world in that way.
Check out the lyrics and decide for yourself....
Stand Up Comedy
One thing I'm sure about is that he is making a number of references to pride/ego. And a lot of people think they're just so lucky to be smart ("the DNA lottery" line). This song references both psychology and physics.
The line "C'mon ye people/ we're made of stars" makes me think he's not rejecting evolution, or maybe he's just making a statement on the laws of thermodynamics.
I don't know. But the point that we should stop helping God like a little old lady is pretty cool.
Even if you don't believe that God is Creator, I think you're probably still a Christian if you simply believe that Jesus died for your sins and rose again, and that He is God.
But anyway, I just was listening to the new U2 CD that came out today. There's a song on it called "Stand Up Comedy."
Bono is definitely making references to evolution (maybe social darwinism?) and to God. At first, I got the impression he was stating that he is a believer in literal Creation, or that he's not so sure. Then, I decided he was saying that it's more important to love people than to brag about how great you are, since you just so happened to get the right genes to be smart or great, which sounds like godless evolutionism to me (I'm OK with those who believe in evolution, but to not include God as the one who guides it is problematic for me, and seems un Bono-like).
This song also might be expressing a move from Christianity to Universalism, which I am not supportive of, and which I have feared Bono might make at some point.
But, other songs indicate he still believes in God in some fashion, which rules out the godless, random evolution I thought of. Maybe he is addressing someone who views the world in that way.
Check out the lyrics and decide for yourself....
Stand Up Comedy
Love love love love love… / Love love love love love…
I got to stand up and take a step / You and I have been asleep for hours / I got to stand up / The wire is stretched in between our two towers / Stand up in this dizzy world / Where a lovesick eye can steal the view / I’m gonna fall down if I can’t stand up / For your love
Love love love love love…
Stand up, this is comedy / The DNA lottery may have left you smart / But can you stand up to beauty, dictator of the heart / I can stand up for hope, faith, love / But while I’m getting over certainty / Stop helping God across the road like a little old lady
Out from under your beds / C’mon ye people / Stand up for your love / Love love love love love…
I gotta stand up to ego but my ego’s not really the enemy / It’s like a small child crossing an eight lane highway / On a voyage of discovery / Stand up to rock stars, Napolean is in high heels / Josephine, be careful of small men with big ideas
Out from under your beds / C’mon ye people / Stand up for your love
Love love love love love…
God is love / And love is evolution’s very best day
Soul rockin’ people moving on / Soul rockin’ people on and on / C’mon ye people / We’re made of stars / C’mon ye people / Stand up then sit down for your love
Love love love love love… / Love love love love love…
One thing I'm sure about is that he is making a number of references to pride/ego. And a lot of people think they're just so lucky to be smart ("the DNA lottery" line). This song references both psychology and physics.
The line "C'mon ye people/ we're made of stars" makes me think he's not rejecting evolution, or maybe he's just making a statement on the laws of thermodynamics.
I don't know. But the point that we should stop helping God like a little old lady is pretty cool.
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