Of Revolutionaries and Atheists

http://www.markaelrod.net/2007/12/10/the-irresistible-revolution-comes-to-searcy/

A writer sometimes tours to promote his book. Some writers tour to promote their cause(s). Shane Claiborne is of the later group. If you consider Shane's life, then his recent invitation to the Downtown Church of Christ in Searcy, Arkansas (home of Harding University) if fairly remarkable. Though perhaps not as incredible as the recent appearance of the friendly atheist at ole HU.

Leaving a Legacy

As I get older, the reality of the ephemeral nature of this life becomes more apparent. We don't much think about it until you get that phone call. "Yeah, Ron and his family just told the church that he has throat cancer. His doctor's are saying it looks like a year or so." Or you come into class and your teacher is out for a "simple" doctor visit and you find out the next year that she's had surgery to remove a cancerous growth. (Twice that happened. Once she made it. Once she didn't.) Or you watch your grandmother slowly slip into eternity.

You can ask my wife. I've always longed to see the reality of my faith, to finally fulfill God's use for my life here, to be absent from the body so I can be present with the Lord. However, I'm now finding the stakes of death are a bit higher than they use to be.

This makes me ask: What legacy will I leave? Christian Psychologist Dr. Paul Faulkner advocates letter writing on an extreme scale: to children and grandchildren (of course), but also to greats and great-greats. Think about it: Would you like to receive a letter one day from a great-great grandparent? Maybe you'd freak out. You'd certainly call mom and ask about him/her. What would you like to know?

More than letter-writing though is the legacy we leave with those who walk with us in life. That legacy consists of the love you pour into their lives. I know Ron's children. They've always shown the rich treasure of love that he and Linda have placed in their hearts. I know because their children have served me and my family. Regardless of his future, his legacy is set. He reflects Christ, he serves his family with humility, and leads those entrusted to him with courage.

So, who has left a legacy in your life? And what would you tell your loved ones before you escape into the arms of God?

I Corinthians 15

Worship - can it be facilitated?

Recently I find myself not being able to study because I have too many songs playing in my head!

This summer I spent my time in Fort Worth visiting the Village Church in Dallas - 1.5 hrs away from my house. Why drive so much? At first, I was just curious about them since I had heard so much from so many people. I kept going back though because I found something very unique... which until just now, I hadn't been able to explain.

After this past Sunday's sermon I think I've figured it out. Sunday morning we had a speaker from Texas here in the UK. Craziness. yes. One of the things he said was basically that worship is not for us to enjoy but for God to enjoy. For us to desire to enjoy worship means that we are concentrating on ourselves and not Christ. This same concept was life changing for me in my first year of undergrad.

Coming at a time when I have truly been missing the songs I can sing so freely, I have had to wonder if perhaps I have strayed away from worshiping God, to desiring to enjoy worship for myself. I don't really know the answer to this question but I do know that certain songs lead me to think deeper about Who I am singing to. Not just think... but also to cry out louder, to sing freer, to feel fuller. Meaning either that certain songs facilitate worship or that I am completely engrossed with myself!

Most of the songs at the Village Church are written by their music pastor, Michael Bleecker. That man has a gift for writing songs that lead me in worship of Christ! I think maybe because the style is more conversational? I would imagine it would be hard to sing these songs and not give glory to Christ. Yet, I can't help but wonder if I just love and feel greater desire to sing because they are more in line with my style.

Anyone have any scripture that might indicated whether or not worship can be facilitated? I am not referring to worship as in just singing... but all of what it entails.

In case you desire to hear these songs I've mentioned, you can check them out on my Odeo link http://odeo.com/channel/263863/view

-Overwhelm Me
-My King
-Who You Are
-Glorious Day
-From the Inside Out

Child Preachers?

When I logged on to Yahoo today, I saw a clip from 20/20 titled "Child Preachers". I can't find the link to it but, if you go on video.yahoo.com, and search child preachers, you will find similar videos. The video starts by showing the 7 year old Baptist preacher from Mississippi.

I believe God uses kids, but something about this is very unsettling. At the end of the clip, the reporter asks him, "what are you saving people from" and the poor kid doesn't know how to answer her! He only knows that the whole world needs to be saved.

I feel this is very sad. This kid is loosing his childhood! He is already taking the role of an adult but in addition to that, probably having to deal with a ton of criticism while he's at it.

How does a kid get to that point? Is it need for attention and desire for parental approval that drives him? Has he been brainwashed? Is he seriously being led by God? Could it be that he is possessed by a demon as was the kid in Mark 9:17? While it might seem like it would not be to the devils advantage to have yet another preacher.. this has in my opinion made a mockery of the Christian faith. Look at the video, the kid does not appear natural... neither kid (african american boy of 9 years)

Anyhow - just thought I'd share about the existence of this video in case yall hadn't see it.

Evelyn

Desperate Faith, Faithful Desperation

I'm not a man of vision per se. That's not my gift. Thus far at least, that's been my wife's forte. So often, new ideas spring to her mind, but the vision to see them through is rarely clear.

My younger daughter has poor eyesight. This wasn't discovered until a few years ago when the school nurse called us. How had eight years passed with this undetected? Answer: she compensated, knew nothing different, and never complained. Today, I will usually set her glasses on the dresser each night after reading before bed.

For me there seem to be stages of vision in ministry, in service:
1) Everything is so cloudy and so difficult, you just want to run.
2) You hear a voice of hope or see a glimmer of possibility and cling to it.
3) God gives you a totally open door (or more than 1) to let you see "the next step".
4) The embracing of the opportunity and the ensuing harsh reality of new murkiness.

With each completed cycle, God has drawn us closer to his heart. We've found new reasons for hope. We are more profoundly passionate about experiencing his kingdom. These are all gifts poured into our life. And He grows in greater and deeper affection within our hearts. We become more willing to be poured out. Trust is more entrenched. And love toward Him flows more freely.

God Grew Tired of Us

I strongly encourage viewing National Geographic's God Grew Tired of Us. The movie follows John Dau and Panther Dior, two of the "Lost Boys of Sudan". Both rediscovered family, but many haven't. Both have preserved their culture; many haven't. Both lived and overcame; most didn't. Both John and Panther are finding ways to help their brothers.

The Gift of a Water Buffalo

"Oh, my God!"

His mercies are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
            Lamentations 3:23

Dragon attacks

There's a romantic image of the knight in shining armor riding off to fight a ferocious dragon for the sake of helpless, for the sake of the kingdom. In my own experience though, it's usually the other way around. The Dragon finds me. Last night, my son asked what it meant "to be under [spiritual] attack". I tried to explain a bit about the interaction between the world we see, the physical, and the one we cannot see, the spiritual. Then, how there are powers in that unseen world that surpass any we can view here, but that our God is so far above it all, that there is absolutely no comparison. Finally, but for God's own reasons, he has allowed them to exist and have sway to an extent in our own universe.

Such attacks range in duration and intensity. Their affects may even be felt across time. What do these assaults typically look like in your life right now? Has the dragon changed tactics on you over the course of your life?

Also, God has given us both armor and a weapon. Even Christ availed himself of the sword in his own desert defense. (Ephesians 6:10-20, Matt. 4:1ff, Luke 4:1ff) We must remember these truths when undergoing our own temptations. For only with truth, righteousness, peace, faith, our hope of salvation, His Word, and constant prayer for ourselves and others can we stand against such devastating schemes.

In need of prayer

Howdy to all who read!

I just got caught up on reading all entries of this blog!! This is a major accomplishment as I haven't read since probably two weeks before finals week last semester. Since then, I've graduated, spent 5 weeks working in Brazil, spent the rest of the summer in a temp job, and now have started grad school in the UK at Lancaster University.

It is quite a blessing to find words of needed encouragement from blogs that were written earlier in the year. I am glad I saved it for now ;)

I have recently come to the conclusion that I am truly not a very good individual. My heart and my mind war against God - and I have no idea how to give them over to Christ. I believe I have only come to realize this because I am now in a new setting. I guess I am going through many new emotions as part of being in this new setting. As I have started attempting to analyze why I feel the way I do, I've come to find some ugliness in my heart. I am quiet bothered by all this and even more so because I don't know how to change. It is a mindset... almost as though it were some sort of prejudice one grew up with (although not quite). How does one get rid of years of thinking in a specific manner? Could yall be praying for me?

Evelyn

A Study Prayer

This was meaningful for me. For full write-up and credit, see http://www.markaelrod.net/a-study-prayer/. (Mark Elrod is a teacher at Harding University, my alma mater.)

Creator of all things, the source of light and wisdom, lofty origin of all being,

Graciously let a ray of your brilliance penetrate into the darkness of my understanding and take me from the double darkness in which I have been born, an obscurity of both sin and ignorance.

Give me a sharp sense of understanding, a retentive memory, and the ability to grasp things correctly and fundamentally.

Grant me the talent of being exact in my explanations, and the ability to express myself with thoroughness and charm.

Point out the beginning, direct the progress, and help in the completion; through Christ our Lord. Amen

- Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)

Epiphany, Chaos, and Hopeful Redemption

Important Note: My wife has warned me over-and-over that this topic is volatile and may cause you to dislike me. I accept that risk even though I don't want anyone to hate me. But as I discuss "school choices" you may believe that I'm condemning your own experiences. That is *not* the intention. The choices I make are based on my own struggles and failures. Please bear this in mind.

Epiphany
On July 28th, I "discovered" that I was not going to be able to allow my children to continue at the Christian school that have been in. There was no money for the first payment. However, I had to be shaken from doldrum. That day, Tamara and I and our children went to the store to buy school supplies. We couldn't complete the check-out process. The checking account was empty and the 1 credit card we do use was maxed. Sometimes I wonder at my own stupidity. I knew the month would be tight, but didn't watch closely enough I guess. Then I checked when our first payment for their school was due! I was already 8 days over the due date. The late fee to be applied on the 31st. Again, I was astonished at my own lack of management. Of course, over the next few days conversation swung between chaos and sanity. Finally, on the 31st I went to the school's business office and pulled the children out.

Chaos
This left us with the next choice: public or home school? Now, my wife is the best teacher I've ever known, and I took classes for many years! I know that I'm biased, but honestly she ranks with the top 3 teachers I've ever sat under. Also, I must admit that I've never been particularly proud of our neighborhood with the exception of it's fairly unique diversity (even for Austin). But every day, you would find close to a majority of children return home to an empty house. And the impact that this has was confirmed by a student and friend who we faithfully see every Sunday; "Oh, don't get Ms. So-And-So! She gives homework every day. She's way too hard." My 4th grade daughter looked puzzled as she gently replied, "That sounds like every teacher I've ever had." And of course, to this point, I'd had the privilege of controlling which teacher my child had, though 2 or 3 (12 total teachers between the 3 kids) were far from a rosy experience. But, I knew that students were stringently punished for foul language and even expelled for repeated explicit references. And heads would spin and roll if such passed the lips of a teacher. We knew in public school, this could not be the case. The type of infraction that must take place would be much higher. But home school would mean that mommy would sacrifice her own job, one that provided bountiful affirmation (I said she was awesome) and plenty of adult interaction. There is was no financial benefit, but knew the impact on these young minds was significant.

Hope
On August 7th, we sat down as a family to hash things out. Tamara, a product of public school, explained the struggles she encountered. (I remained in silent ignorance.) Then my children one by one expressed their heretofore quiet desperation. Tamara also later recounted to me her silent cries, and saw into their fear. It was not unfounded. The children went to bed without having to cry themselves to sleep, knowing mommy was to be their next teacher.
(Hiatus: sister in town from Aug. 8-13.)

Redemption
But for Tamara and I, the inner struggles didn't stop. How to finance curriculum and the year in general? Last night, we found curriculum that seems fun for everyone. And in a few days, financing should be available. And this should push Tamara and I into a tighter relationship in many ways. We've gotta depend on each other more. But beyond all this, it seems that God is stripping everything away from us that we've been depending on. We're not sure exactly where it's going yet, but we think it may point us to our ministry with college students. In any respect, we know that full surrender is necessary. And that is exactly where we want to be. And perhaps, He will even redeem my pathetic stewardship skills...perhaps.

The Veil of Familiarity

C.S. Lewis on Tolkien's epic masterpiece

The value of myth is that it takes all the things we know and restores to them the rich significance which had been hidden by the veil of familiarity.

For more, see Who Were The Inklings?
---
myth (American Heritage Dictionary)

A traditional, typically ancient story dealing with supernatural beings, ancestors, or heroes that serves as a fundamental type in the worldview of a people, as by explaining aspects of the natural world or delineating the psychology, customs, or ideals of society

And as wikipedia explains, "The use of the term ['myth'] by scholars does not imply that the narrative is either true or false."

Christian Service

Sometimes we call it charity. This word connotes a fairly negative image to many in American culture and even considered taboo. But why? Being rugged, individualistic, and independent is a status symbol. And even reading II Thessalonians 3:10 tells you "If a man does not work, he shall not eat." But we seem to forget to ask, what if he is working, but not earning enough to feed, house, and clothe his family? The answer is clear! And yet too often we hear the cry of the activist spurning God in our ears saying "Where are all of you Christians?" Why do our buildings grow alongside the slums of our towns? Why shouldn't we not rob our sanctuaries in order to paint and repair our "Projects"?

Many are asking these questions. Christianity Today suggests there have been many projects where unbelievers examine us. Take a look at one such story. If you know of other such stories, please, let me know.

However, the question I ask myself is "Who is receiving more?" My outlook on serving others has change dramatically over the last several years. I use to dread it. A feeling of panic would explode in my stomach. But that's because my heart wasn't there. I had no relationship and wanted none with those I "served". It's different now. I'm the one who benefits from the time I spend with those in the projects. Granted, I don't know many and it's still tough starting those friendships, but at least I know what's on the other side now. I know that I need them. Maybe that's why Christ promised "you will always have the poor with you." (Mark 14:1-11) Remember, sacrifice is key, and yet once done, it no longer is a sacrifice because you are the one to receive charity's reward.

Links:
http://blog.christianitytoday.com/outofur/archives/2007/07/an_excursion_in.html
http://drewmarshall.ca/blog.html

Vacation

"How I spent my vacation" by Craig Copeland.

Just got back from vacation. It was wonderful this year. We took a long trip to camp at Fall Creek Falls in East Tennessee, an old stompin' ground for me and some old friends. We did lots of biking, hiking, baseball (well, wiffleball), and tons of swimming and creek walking. There's nothing quite as satisfying as cooking and eating outdoors, esp. when mom's doing the cooking. THANKS mom! Oh yeah, and my whole side of the family was there (Mom and Dad, my sister and her family, and my brother and his) along with a couple of our dearest friends. We spent a day at the Georgia Aquarium. Then on top of it all, Tamara and I started and finished "The Golden Compass" together on the drive out and back reading to each other much of the way. (I set the TV up and split the sound to 4 headphones for the kids.)

So, what's up out there? Or maybe no ones reading cause you got better things to do! (I see Kenaz started to Blog about Phuket, but quickly gave up the ghost or changed to another site. And Kirsten hasn't checked-in for a while.)

Christian Unity

I remember shortly after my baptism "getting serious" about paying attention during the worship service. Miss Bodiford (6th grade) was teaching me to take notes, so why couldn't it enrich the Sunday sermon for me? Amazingly, it did! That year Dr. Jim Howard brought a message of Christian unity and specifically expressed disappointment concerning the obvious lack of brotherhood and even continuing animosity with Baptist assemblies. (It was 6th grade! I can't quote him, though this is what I've taken from the message. Also, I'm sure he received all kinds of flack for that one!) Obviously, it stuck with me.

This last Sunday, an amazing thing happened. The Churches of Christ, Christian Churches, and the Disciples of Christ gathered together in downtown Austin, Texas at the Central Christian Church. It was the first joint worship service of the heirs of the Stone-Campbell Movement* in 120 years in the Greater Austin Area. I was there. We sang together, heard 3 sermons, and took Communion together. Typically, it took ~45 minutes longer than the 1.5 hrs set for it. Probably 300 were there. And typically, I cried through some of it. And not-so-typically, I said "Amen" without prompting many times.

How should Jesus' prayer for unity be fulfilled? (John 17) Though many condemn people like Martin Luther for this transgression, he never wanted a separation to occur. He wanted change within: "Reformation". (Today, the Lutheran Church probably stands closer to the Catholic church than any other body of believers.) The early 1800's heard a similar call in America, restore Christian unity. As the message of "Restoration" gained baggage, soon unity was lost among the grievances. Though my heart cries against the separation among Christian congregations, what can I do? What can we do?

"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me."

*NOTES: The Stone-Campbell Movement spawned the 3 groups above. Each look back to a tent revival at Cane Ridge, KY in 1801, and 2 primary men: Barton Stone and Alexander Campbell. But during the end of the 1800's and early 1900's these 3 groups broke fellowship with each other. In my amateur opinion, the US Civil War and our lack of compassion during the South's reconstruction created the first split. Inevitably, this set the precedence for the next tragic split. A hero of mine is a man named TB Larimore. During those dark days of disunity, he would preach in any church that asked him. He never took sides, never ranted about issues, and always simply spoke of Jesus. And he suffered for it at the hands of his own people.

Dream Wedding

Did you every expect Walmart to fulfill your every need? Evidently that's what's on the executives minds at the super store giant. Billed as the "Lucky in Love Wedding Search", Walmart is giving seven couples the break of a lifetime on the day of their lives on the wedding day of the millennium. There's (at least) one catch: the ceremony is performed in your local Walmart Lawn and Garden Center.

I think Walmart's marketing crew has made some decent, positive arguments positioning this contest in the best of light. Personally, I find a lot of redeeming value in their statements concerning the better utilization of ones finances. Shoot, that's why they stay in business now. (I use to enjoy their better-than-average store management and gracious return policies. There are also many arguments now against their global buying practices as it relates to human rights.)

However, I wonder about the compromises the couples make to accept such an offer. The gotcha with the venue hit me almost immediately. Perhaps the couples registering didn't have a special place in mind, or because of their insistence on using this significant date (7/7/07) lost out on their places of choice. Also, have you seen "A Charlie Brown Christmas"? CB becomes fed up with the commercialization of Christmas; a time for reverence and reflections on His holiness. I feel this intensely for these couples. And execs: DON'T have a contest. Just pick 7 and keep it on the DL. You could bet it would leak out without advertising. Fine! Let you marketing guys plan on company humility and then honor the couples quietly. I guess I wouldn't make a very good marketing guy.

http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=30070
http://www.usatoday.com/money/advertising/2007-05-29-ad-track-lucky_N.htm

Ramblings of a Vagabond

“This world is not my home, I'm just passing through.
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.
The angels beckon me from Heaven's open door
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore.

Chorus
O Lord you know I have no friend like you
If Heaven's not my home, then Lord what will I do?
The angels beckon me from Heaven's open door
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore.

My family used to sing that old song during long car rides to various destinations. Recently, I’ve been challenged to redefine my concept of home.

It’s funny that question, “Where are you from?” I’ve never really had a problem answering it. I’ve retained the immediate reply of “College Station” for the longest time, since if I’m on a trip with Ags, that answer would suffice for anyone, despite the “hometown” situation of each individual. On the other hand, I’m beginning to adopt Austin as more sufficient answer for the given question since my parents now live in Kansas, which is definitely not home due to the lack of unfamiliarity; and now that pretty much everyone I’ve known and loved (excluding one or two people) has disappeared from College Station, I wouldn’t necessarily consider that once-cherished place home as well anymore. When I hang out with Singaporeans, the obvious answer is Singapore, and yet, I am still illiterate of the cultural nuances and lack a command of fluent Singlish. So after these many “rojak”-like experiences, I’ve realized that my physical home has always been defined through other people, and this somewhat jostles my little utopian world.

Why? Because a) I don’t like thinking things just because other people think them and b) what then do I stand for? Accepting the lifestyle of a vagabond means you never see a glass only half empty or half full. You’re neither pessimistic nor optimistic about the place you inhabit because you know the bad and good of your current situation. In fact, because you can see the positive and the negative, you no longer just look at the glass; you taste the water, or in other words, you just tackle the experience. But in my opinion, that experience always seems to taste lukewarm. Okay, this metaphor has gone long enough…

Basically, my point is that I think I can relate when Jesus says, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” And I think as our society seems to be moving toward an era where physical boundaries no longer define who we are, an increasing number of people will soon go through this “crisis” (for the lack of a better word).

And so the hope that we have is this:

“Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” (2 Corinthians 5: 1-5)

This Semester, There Was No Spoon

Spoon boy: Do not try and bend the spoon. That's impossible. Instead... only try to realize the truth.
Neo: What truth?
Spoon boy: There is no spoon.
Neo: There is no spoon?
Spoon boy: Then you'll see, that it is not the spoon that bends, it is only yourself.

I never really enjoyed The Matrix until I started understanding all the Christian undertones. For the past couple of years, God seems to have reiterated a resounding theme throughout each one of my school semesters. One time it was about being proactive, another time it was about loneliness, another time it was about faith. This semester has undoubtedly been about perspective. Driving a car is different from riding in a car. Flying in a plane is different from jumping out of a plane. Hanging out with Singaporeans has definitely been different from representing Singapore. So in the end, I've come to the conclusion that nothing is truth but Jesus Christ because everything else is just based on human perspective (that in itself is continually changing). I think two major events brought me to this view:

1) Grad school - Turns out teachers know squat about their subject and textbooks only contain perspectives passed off for fact; in other words, that whole 3rd grade English assignment where you had to differentiate the "fact" phrases from the "opinion" phrases is completely and utterly useless
2) That fateful day in 2006 when Pluto disappeared from my solar system

Incidentally, I'm a real sucker for pleasing everyone, which is something I've never really liked about myself. Trying to please too many people tends to produce an outcome that never pleases anyone. But I think this blessing (or curse) has stemmed from the ability (or disability) of being able to relate to or to see multiple viewpoints. So, what's interesting to me is that Jesus never outrightly says, "Change your perspective." You can't even find the word "perspective" in the NIV translation of the Bible (but I'm not sure about the other translations). Instead, he gives parables and instructions such as "Do to others what you would have them to do to you" and "Love your enemies" to show us how to seek, not a different perspective for the sake of getting a different perspective, but Truth. With his parables of withering fig trees, prodigal sons, lost coins, and all other illustrations, I think that he hopes that some day we'll truly realize that "there is no spoon". After all, Jesus did say:

"I am the Way, the Truth, and the Light; no one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6

A Time to Retreat

If you've ever seen the mini-series "Band of Brothers", you begin to understand the horrors of war. The impact that such times have on your soul can weaken you to the point that the irrational appears right. Of course for the members of Easy Company, that could easily mean death. And so, time away of the front lines, an individual or company retreat, may mean the difference in life and death.

While an undergrad student, I decided to escape some Saturday to spend a day purely in prayer. It only remained an intention. Today, I still regret never doing this.

We often see our Lord retreating early in the morning before anyone else was awake. In fact, it's crazy the number of times the gospel writers mention it. I'm betting they asked Jesus what He was up to so early. And I'd bet that's what prompted them to ask Him how to pray.

I don't like war analogies when it comes to our spiritual life. We too often confuse whom we oppose. But Paul was clear that, "our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." When engaged in a life and death struggle, don't forget that you have to pray, you need to pray, and He longs for you to pray! (Gal. 6:10-20)

Recommended Reading Continued

I've also been trying to find some really good Christian blogs or just a place for daily thoughts to access. So Craig, thanks for mentioning it! I get weekly updates from GotQuestions.org which sometimes piques my interest, but I still have yet to find something that I am really excited about reading. However, I've also stumbled upon some really good books you all should check out:

*More than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell
A really detailed and compelling argument about the validity of The Resurrection
*Dancing in the Desert: Spiritual Refreshment for Your Parched Soul by Marsha Crockett
Good for the times when you get sucked into an abyss and find yourself alone and lost.
*Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
Matt's favorite. ;) But a really honest picture of how Christianity is seen today from a secular point of view.

There's another good reference book that I read last summer, but I can't remember the name. I'll post it later.

Recommended Reading (my first post)

I have a short list of blogs I visit either every day or every week. However, other than our own little piece of the web here :-) , there's 1 so far that stands out. His name is Terry Rush. You can find him simply at http://terryrush.blogspot.com. I write today because his last message is so profoundly simple, "Hear the Cry of the World", and his deep cry, his deep desire for our Jesus is so profound.

Some things about Terry: He writes practically every day. He's a preacher in Tulsa, OK. He leads and organizes the Tulsa Soul Winning Workshop every year. He has a beautiful family, which you can find blogs of his sons, Dusty and Tim, who I know from college. And most of all, he's desperate to reach the lost of our world with the message of Jesus.

Is there someone who blogs that gives you encouragement? Tell us!

Jesus Camp

This morning I happened to see an interview with the directors of the documentary, Jesus Camp. If you haven't heard about the movie or seen it, it basically follows the lives of three kids at an evangelical church camp in North Dakota. Although the directors didn't mean to turn the film into a political commentary, that's where the movie seemed to end up. So after watching the clip (it's just a featurette I found about the movie on YouTube), I'd like to know your thoughts about the hot button issue of the separation of church and state. Good? Bad? Of course it would be great if everyone was a Christian and we ruled society on Biblical principle. But can we or should we guide secular society by Christian standards if we have the power to do so or encourage it? The Bible seems to only speak of rules within the church.

Working Out

They tell us that we should exercise at least three times a week for an average of 30 minutes. That means for me, throwing on the sneakers, getting in my car and driving to the gym to turn on a treadmill to run in place for 30 minutes. It occurred to me today that this is how I feel:

I used to ride bikes, shoot basketballs, scurry after squirrels, and run away from the dog down the street (not a pleasant experience, but that's a story for another time). Essentially, I used to exercise not for the sake of exercising but for fun, for discovery, and for purpose. Not just for the sake of staying healthy. Whatever happened to that?

And then I was thinking, sometimes I do that even with my spiritual walk. I make the time in my life to hang out with God, but sometimes I do it just because I should do it to stay spiritually healthy, to get me through the day. Not to say that that's a negative thing, but sometimes I feel I'm just running on the same ideas and insights whenever I read my Bible, and even though I am encouraged to have enough energy for the day, I really yearn to be energized for the week, or at least, for the next few days.

There are a million and one ways to experience God from service, from being out in nature, from talking with people from different backgrounds, from tackling problems in different ways, from even walking to school by a different route, etc. so why must I stay on the spiritual treadmill where I sometimes find myself? I guess what I'm saying is that books, written commentary, group Bible studies, radio programs, and service projects are definitely beyond commendable to find insight and feed our faith; but, what other kinds of methods does God speak to you through? Basically, what are other ways does God talks to you out of the box (or outside the cage if you're a hamster)?

Hello, week! Thy name is chaos.

As we finish off the semester, just thought I would share what God reminded me of today.

"This is the day that the Lord has made;
Let us rejoice and be glad in it!"
Psalm 118:24

God made TODAY for us to REJOICE in it! Pray. Push. Carpe Diem!

Needed by God

I don't know why, but it seems to me that people like to be needed. We like to feel that we have some sort of purpose and that we're not just doing things for the sake of doing them. In that light, it occurred to me that God needs me. He needs you. He needs His family to do things on this Earth. Now I realize that God doesn't need anything and in fact, Philippians asserts that God will meet all our needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. But how awesome is the thought that God needs us to be bold, to be courageous, to be helpful, and to be willing to do His will whenever he calls? He leads us down a specific path, gives us a specific situation, and sends specific people to us because He needs us to hack through the brush, He needs us to learn a certain lesson, or He needs us to encourage His people and those who are not part of His family yet. I dunno, but this just changes a lot of perspective for me. I'm yet again getting worried and concerned about the usual stuff and some not usual stuff, but whether or not the "important" or desired things get done or happens, God needed me to do the things that has happened. He needed me to be there for the people I talked to. He needed me to learn lessons of humility, friendship, and faith despite the expectations I had. Anyway, this may not make sense at all to anyone, but heh, at least it makes sense to me. :)

Let's Make More Room

So I've been really encouraged to see the dialogue that has come out of this blog and would really like to widen the circle of contributors. As to keep the discussion somewhat small and personal, if you know of one or two persons who you think would like to contribute, please email me his or her email address at kirstenkwa@gmail.com so that I can send him or her an invite. Cheers!

The Nature of Sin

I was listening to a radio program by Chuck Swindoll and he was talking about how Jesus' trial was possibly the worst case in the history of jurisprudence. Jesus had 11 charges placed on him but was found guilty for none. His charge had been changed from blasphemy (which was not punishable by a Roman court) to treason. And so I wondered, how it could it possibly be that such an event could happen to a man who was innocent on all accounts despite having done nothing deserving of death or even some punishment. Yet he received many ruthless beatings, the cat of nine tails, being spit on by those who once welcomed him with "Hosanna", and a horrible crucifixion. By the time the Roman soldiers were done with him, the bible says that he barely looked like a man.

And when I thought a little more carefully, i realized that it was sin. Christ was not up against the devil. He was up against sin. Christ stood in the face of sin and sin could not bear the presence of one so holy and one who spoke truth like He did. And so against all logic and without any real reason for death sin took our savior beat him senseless, left no skin on his body unbroken and buried those nails into his hands. Our world has become so sin saturated that sin seems so normal and rational and its only when we look in to what Jesus and the Apostles said about us that we start to realize that there is something really wrong with the sin in our lives. Many of us cling to our sin in some secret compartment of our lives (myself included) and cling onto it tightly because sin feels better or seems better. And so there is a need to see sin for what it is and how it rationalizes the illogical. Or else it continues to creep into our lives slowly killing off every existence of truth or love in our life till we are an empty shell.

Know your enemy. When we start to realize the nature of sin with all our hearts then we move one step closer to enjoying Christ and being able to savor him for what he truly is.

"I've Got the Powah!"

It occurred to me at one point a while ago that I should explain the title of this blog. As I see it, the basic routine of life is sleep, eat, work, play (a little), sleep, eat, work, play (a little), etc. On another dimension, the basic routine of life is desire, strive, attain, desire, strive, attain, etc. And even when we're striving for the "right" reasons (i.e. working for God), we still go through this cycle. It's inevitable. But as Christians living on Earth, we've got the edge over our fellow human counterparts.

My dad emailed me a presentation that he used for his Faith and Business class which illustrated the "Sources of Power from the Human Point of View". These sources included: Positional power, Informational power, Charismatic power, Networking power, Influence power, and Capital power (i.e. PICNIC). Basically, humans love power. Nay, we crave it. But what is Biblical power?

1 Corinthians 1:23-24 says "but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God" and later in 1 Corinthians 6:14, Paul says "By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also." Overall, Jesus is POWER. We shouldn't have to crave human power because in Ephesians 1:18-19 Paul writes, "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know [...] his incomparably great power for us who believe."

What does this mean today? While we strive to get the grade and desire to get the job or just hope to please the Father, just know that we already have the POWER of God. Paul prays for the Thessalonians that "our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith" (2 Thessalonians 1:11). Later, Peter also writes "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness" (2 Peter 1:3). And therefore, we have no concern about the world's goals because the POWER we already have is so much greater than the power for which the world strives.

Not to say that there's anything wrong with striving for the good grades and desiring that dream job. It's just that, unlike the World, we as Christians have faith that the future will iron itself out despite the bad grades, despite the lack of money, despite being passed over for a promotion at work, despite the difficult questions, despite the lack of answers, despite the seeming silence of the Maker's voice.... Why? Cause through Jesus, we have POWER. Through Jesus, we have The Christian Edge.

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God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Which one do you pray to?

So yesterday I was talking to a muslim friend about Easter and several questions led up to these which I have listed below. How I answered her is also below but I would really love to hear if yall would've explained it differently.

• Do you think Jesus is God?
  
• Yes. While Jesus was the SON of God, because of the trinity, He is also God.
  

• Do you think Jesus was a prophet?
• No. Well, initially I answered yes then I thought about it and switched my answer. If Jesus was the expected Messiah, He did not need to prophesy about his own coming because He had come. Therefore by definition, he can't be a prophet. He's what the prophets prophesied about.

• Do you pray to Jesus or God? (I had previously discussed with her that because of Jesus, we can talk to God - He's our connection. I said this when explaining the difference between Christianity and Catholisism as the Catholics believe they need to pray to Mary so she can talk to Jesus. The Christians know Jesus is all they need and that Jesus interceeds on our behalf to God).
• I pray to both because they are the same "individual".

The problem in all of this is, how do I explain the trinity? Especially after already having made a distinction between the Son of God and God. I eventually told her that, due to our imperfect human minds we cannot comprehend God and so we make a distinction betwee Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit - and we name it the trinity but essentially its just God. God is able to take more than one form but God is God and Jesus is God and the Holy Spirit is God. Was this the correct answer? I am confused now.

Christ is risen!!!! Happy Easter :)
Evelyn

Good music and letter to the ladies

Hi all,

I went to Island Party (a big free christian outdoor concert) in Aggieland this weekend. Jimmy Needham, one of the artists who performed really caught my attention (lyrics and music style). It turns out he is a student at A&M, class of 07 and married! So, as I went to his myspace account to listen to his music, I saw a letter his wife wrote to other ladies. It was definately something I was in need of being reminded and thought that the ladies in this blog might appreciate reading it also. So - sorry guys, probably not of use to yal but you can go listen to the great songs!

http://myspace.com/jimmyneedham

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=21876848&blogID=165355953&MyToken=d6541f22-9e60-4778-b210-45526bb1840d

Evelyn

Christian Cursing

First, thanks for posting! It's so encouraging to me to see your feedback. Okay, now back to the point. I recently read the following off a Facebook post, and I thought it was pretty interesting. With the permission of the author, I'm posting it for discussion.
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Fucking, Fuck, God, Damn, God Damn, Ass, Shit, Holy Shit, Hell ARE THE SAME AS Freaking, Fudge, Gosh, Darn, Gosh Darn, Butt, Crap/Crud, Holy Crud, Heck AND SO ON

I suppose this is mainly to Christians, or just those curious to read this because of the title.

What makes these words different from each other? Nothing! You can argue it all you want, but really it's nothing except one's a less formal way of talking *they're both non formal ways of talking and looked down upon by higher classes, but one is higher than the other*.
When are people going to realize it's not the words you say, but how you say them that determines the word "profanity". I'm not sure where we got all that wrong because even in the Bible it's made clear that cursing is specifically hurting someone with your words.

**If you'd like me to prove it to you, I shall pick scripture and we can sit down and DISCUSS this... But I have no intentions of arguing with you if you're not going to have an open mind and just be stubborn about it...

Back to what I was saying though... According to the Christian Bible *the only one I've read* saying "You Dummy" is cursing. It is lowering someone's moral, someones standards. It seems that cursing, according to everything the bible says, is hurting someone intentionally... So where did we get substitutes for words that aren't effecting anyone?
If you watch Good Will Hunting, they say those "curse" words almost every other line. But that's how they were raised, that's the language they learned growing up. They're not hurting anyone by saying "Fuck You" when they say it, they're saying what you'd normally say "whatever" or "yeah right". It might seem a bit harsh because everywhere around us we see that those words are "curse words" thus hurtful to society. You're not even allowed to say FUCK on national TV, but FUDGE and FREAK is just fine when using it in the same sense. It's so ridiculous. And why do we stand for it? A bunch of ignorant folks decided to change the meaning of cursing because they weren't please with the phonics of the words...

BTW, this post was caused by me watching the NIGER South Park Episode. Great show, interesting concept... And not what they were trying to get across, but it drove my attention span a bit over the line. :-P
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I decided to post the actual words without bleeping it out because well, this is life. (And I'm a firm believer of telling it how it is.) This has been another topic that I've had to think through in the past, and I've even Wikied it for answers. There's even an article on the "4-letter words". After all, if Wikipedia is any indication of general trends, it should give a pretty good definition of what our *society* thinks of curse words. (Really, who knows what we consider society to be over the Net??) Anyhow, I'd like to hear your thoughts before I give mine.

Is everyone going to Heaven?

Ok Ill post something controversial that I thought up when reading Jonah recently. In that book, God says hes going to destroy Nineveh because everyone there is evil. Jonah goes and warns the people that God is going to destroy them, and then they all change their ways and worship God. And then God changes his mind and doesn't destroy the city, which makes Jonah angry because now he looks stupid.

Anyway, all throughout the Bible God says that unless you believe in him and follow his commands, you will go to Hell. But one thing none of us can say for sure is that God won't change his mind. In the end he might say, "oh all right, everyone get in here (Heaven). I just said that so hopefully a lot of you would change your ways."

Of course almost every indication in the Bible says that he WON'T do that, but my point is that he can, and might, do that. We should all live our lives based on the information that we must follow God to go to Heaven, but leave open the possibility that others too might join us.

This thinking is helpful when working in a place where 99% of the population is not Christian, and hundreds of them die every day not ever having heard the word of God. Ok Ive said enough!

The First Post

So I just found out that struggling doesn't have to be as difficult as I make it out to be. Recently, I've been struggling through the onslaught of homework, but instead of asking God to take away the pain, I've been thanking God for the pain. And you know what? The change in perspective has made all the difference.

A while later, I was reminded about this verse: "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:6-7

What was cool to me was that I could come up with this revelation before I read the verse, which yet again proves that the Spirit is truly our helper.