Thoughts from Aaron of Court House

Pillars that are Built to Last

2007-06-21T06:11:00.000-07:00

I’m presently reading the book “Built to Last.” It’s one of the most amazing books I’ve ever read. I’ll just be honest and say it is really shaping my worldview right now. In it we are presented with some of the greatest “visionary” companies created. I won’t go into it all, and I will probably blog on it more later, but one of the main points was that as an organization, “We must preserve our Core Values and Core Purposes while allowing fluid change in our Cultural & Operating Practices as well as our Specific Goals and Strategies.” Now that is not an exact quote, but it’s close.
So I’ve been thinking, in the church what are our CORE VAULES and CORE PURPOSES. To keep up the pillars theme what can we not change? These are mine … you may not agree … but that’s ok.

1) The Oneness of God: The Trinity is the crux of our message really. There is one God somehow in three persons. Each person of the trinity is equally God, but is not the other person of the Trinity. I love the Greek word used to describe how the Trinity “dances with oneself.” BEEEE-UUUUU-TIIIII-FULLLLL. I will never compromise on this.

2) The Divinity of Jesus: While this seems like a no-brainer, I think I should put it up anyway. Christ was Fully man and Fully God. We can’t explain it or understand it but we must believe it and preach it. Within this I put that he literally died and literally and physically rose from the dead.

3) The Power/Personhood of the Spirit: Some have called the Holy Spirit the stepchild of the Trinity in American Evangelicalism. We don’t really talk about Him, nor do we even call Him a Him. We cannot survive or move without the indwelling of the Spirit. This includes guidance from Him, Healings, The Fuits of the Spirit (see how that works), and allowing Him to freely move in our lives and worship services.

4) The Wesleyan/Arminian Perspective: Sorry to all of my 5 pointer friends, but I can’t let this go. I totally believe that I have free will, and that God’s sovereignty does not over-rule that. I believe that I can only move towards God at his wooing, but that all are wooed. Also, that the Cross of Christ is more powerful than the choices of man. Adam Sinned … yes … we all have to deal with that. Christ died … now sin has to deal with that. I believe we can live above the drive to sin, not of ourselves but through the power of the Spirit of God (see above).

(Side note I have no reason to feel that we have to use the phrases “second definite work of grace” “Entirely sanctified” or other phrases that may not work or may be flawed. But that is for the next post.)

5) The Church is important: I realize that the Church is flawed and dirty. I realize that the Church has done much wrong in the “name” of God. I recognize many of my generation think it should be torn down …. I REFUSE. Barna’s Revolution is heresy. We can’t just abandon the institution that God set in place to be his people and Jesus said would be his body. In “Built to Last” Jim Colins says that we must be ready to

“Be prepared to kill, revise, or evolve and idea, but never give up on the company”

I think that is right on. The Church must and will live on!

So those are my five for now. There are others I’m sure and as soon as I post this I will think of them. Thoughts? Have I included ones I shouldn’t? Or leave out some that should be in? What are yours?

Pillars ... another way to hold up the ceiling?

2007-05-31T11:28:00.000-07:00

As I sat through the revival service I was a bit perturbed. I was stuck right behind a pillar and I could not see the speaker. I leaned up, back, left, and right, pretty much attempting anything I could to look around this stupid blockage. The Preacher made a facial expression and everyone laughed … but not me … I couldn’t see his face. Only his left ear and a bit of his collar could be viewed from my vantage point. Now don’t get me wrong, it was a nice pillar (for you folks in the south that really is Pillar, like the structure that holds up the ceiling, not the thing you lay your head on at night.). As older pillars go I’m sure it was a sturdy one as well. However, it was really impeding my view of not only the speaker but much of the stage, choir, and cross as well.

Now I like pillars just as much as the next guy. They are functional, pretty, sturdy, and they keep the ceiling from falling in. However, what if there was another way? What if we could throw in a flying buttress or something? Isn’t there some other way to hold up the ceiling without encumbering the sight of everyone behind it? Granted the people that had been there a while had gotten used to it, perhaps even their grandparents had paid for it to be erected when the sanctuary was expanded. I don’t really know what all the logistics were for this particular obstruction, all I know is it was in the way. These objects had held up the ceiling for a long time, but it didn’t look like they were changing, or moving anytime soon.

How many times do pillars in the church show up? Those things, doctrines, objects, or people, which may have held up the ceiling for a long time, but now, are impeding the view of others, and perhaps even the progress of the Gospel.

I’ve seen so many of my friends entering ministry for the first time and the run directly into a pillar. Perhaps they want to move youth group from Wednesday night to Thursday. One wanted to use a projector instead of the “youth hymnals” that someone’s parents had invested in. One suggested that his students research the multiple interpretations of Revelation … that didn’t go over very well. How about using a video series instead of preaching all of the time? NOT IN THIS CHURCH!

Oh let’s be honest though, this isn’t a new thing. A preacher friend told me he almost got voted out of a church because he used candles for advent and that was “too catholic.” Or perhaps the pastor that put the cross up in front of the pulpit and the decorating committee got mad because the cross “didn’t’ fit the décor.” These types of things make me want to scream “ISN’T THERE A BETTER WAY TO HOLD UP THE CEILING?!?”

It’s sad to watch old buildings be torn down. Recently I walked through the gutted student center at OCU (formally CBC). I had some great memories in the building, and I was sad to see it torn down. But when I turned around I saw a massive structure now dwarfing the old one. This was the new ministry center, and for it to be built, the other had to go.

Dr. Keith Drury wrote an article once that you had to decipher what to write theology in. You see some theology and doctrine is important but can be changed, that stuff is written in pencil. Other stuff was written in ink, it can be blotted out, but only after much more thought and deliberation. The final category was blood. There is some theology that is written in blood and should not ever be changed or taken away.

Is it possible that not only doctrine and theology, but church practice, church function, and maybe even people, are put into these categories. Are hymnals a pencil issue? Is carpet color even on the radar? Is communion an ink or blood? And more so is there really someone that your church can’t live without? Does the time come when the pillars in the church need to step aside?

Thoughts?

I am not, but I AM is

2007-05-22T07:03:00.000-07:00

So I realize that I’ve been slacking hardcore, and I want to apologize. I have however been working on my thoughts on Peter so I thought I’d give another installment.

“Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were troubled saying “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear. But Immediately Jesus spoke to them saying “Be of good cheer it is I; do not be afraid.”

The fourth watch of the night is someplace between 3:00 AM and 6:00 AM. If the feeding of the 5000 had happened around 6:00 PM the evening before, the disciples had been rowing for perhaps six to nine hours! The had to have been totally exhausted, for they had rowed “many furlongs” away from the land (each furlong is about 2 football fields) and still had much to row. And then out of nowhere an apparition starts moving its way across the water towards them. And the passage says “and they were troubled.”

I can remember my first “horror flick.” I was 16 years old and a group of us wanted to watch Scream. It was the big hit that year and anyone that was anyone was watching it. Yes I realize that I wasn’t 17 yet, and yes I realize I had been forbidden to watch these types of movies, and especially if I was not yet of age. So with much guilt, yet excitement, we turned it on. The first scene is still burned into my brain: the girl making popcorn, the phone rings, that raspy voice asking “what’s your favorite horror movie.”

I even remember that I was laying on the top part of the couch because there wasn’t enough space to go around. Slowly the plot started to weave its way through, mystery here-murder there, slow scary music sprinkled as appropriate. Each of us only left the room to grab a quick Mountain Dew, or to release one we had partaken of earlier in the evening. Suddenly, the movie took a turn, the girl was running away, the killer hot in pursuit, the music starts to climax and there is a knock on the window beside me!!!

I scream; flip off of the couch (busting my lip and bruising my arm) and take off up the stairs (typical scary movie move, going upstairs when I should be going out the front door). Now we all know what happened … I don’t even have to tell you, one of the guys thought it would be funny to scare the others. However, for the rest of the night I was convinced that there was something out there. My brain started playing tricks on me. Every movement was a killer, every sound a monster, every light a threat to my very existence.

That, I believe, is the state of the disciples as we enter into this part of the passage. They are tired, their arms are hurting, their minds are weary, and they look to see something walking towards them. They were more than troubled. They were petrified, horrified, stupefied, any other “--fied” that means freaking out! As if their problem of the storm wasn’t bad enough there is a ghost out to get them. And then come these words …

“It is I; do not be afraid.” Or perhaps translated “I AM!” This was more than just a simple “Hello” this was a declaration that God had come upon the scene.

We can go back to Ex 3:11-17. Moses is about to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt and he asks God what He is to tell the people when asked “what is the name of this God?” And God responds “I AM WHO I AM.” You will tell them “I AM has sent me to you.” Once again a declaration has been made. This name is wrapped around the verb “to be”. The “present one” the one “who is.” What an exhilarating thought to the Israelites, their GOD is present! Even in Egypt “He is!” Even at their low times, their tough times, their times of fear and persecution “He is.” And at the times that we are not strong enough “I AM is.” And when things are going crazy and we don’t know who is in control “I AM”. When waves are crashing down on us and our boat is being tipped and we don’t know who is strong enough to keep us moving forward, “I am not, but I AM is!”

So Christ walks out, the very problems that seemed over their head were now laying at his feet. Those monstrous waves looked little more than a kiddie pool. The wind was nothing more than a soft breath. For God had shown up. Life is not easy, especially when things get out of control and I’m at my lowest points, and I don’t know who can help. I have found that I cannot … but I AM can.

The totalling of tea

2007-02-08T09:06:00.000-08:00

The discussion is bound to come up at some time in most theological discussions. Specifically in groups that contain college or high school students, it rears its ugly head. “Is drinking wrong?”, “Can I be a Christian and socially drink?” and other various forms of this question are asked in Sunday school classes, small groups, and youth meetings all over America every night. Each night someone scrambles to proof text this or that verse as to why it is or is not permissible. Everyone tells stories of their own experiences as to why they do or do not partake in the fermented fruits of the vine.

I’m always fascinated as to the passion that this issue brings to the front. Those who drink seem to defend their choice with more fervor than I defend my choice to be single right now (and that is a lot of fervor). Those who choose to not drink seem shocked to think that any Christian could ignore the clear teachings of the Church on the subject (nudge nudge wink wink).

Well I know you all are DYING for my take on it. Many smarter than me (i.e. Doug Thompson, Ken Schenk, Keith Drury, Kevin Wright, and Mike Cline) have written on this subject, and have probably done it much better than I. However, that being said, I’m gonna throw my half cent in (probably not worth two) and see how it flies.

“The Bible doesn’t say it’s wrong”

You are absolutely right. There is nothing in the Bible that says you should not drink, UNLESS you were taking a vow. However, there are many verses about not getting drunk and Eph. seems to have the best “And be not drunk with wine”. So there you have it, end of discussion, drink but don’t get drunk. Ehhhh… I’m not sure I’ll buy that. The Bible does not say that pedophilia nor polygamy nor slavery are wrong either. Don’t believe me? Well check it. It says a man should lay only with his own wife, but not that he couldn’t lay with all of his own wives. The Bible discusses not having sex with your own children, but says nothing of marrying someone else’s child. Check it. Also slavery is not only condoned, but Colossians 4:1, and Ephesians 6:9 actually explain how to treat slaves.

Yet, we say all of these are wrong now in the church. Wanna turn some heads? Try bringing up in your next small group that you think pedophilia is ok, or that you are taking on multiple wives, or that you are thinking about buying a slave, and see what happens. We have recognized through progressive revelation, and through the changing of our hearts that these things aren’t good. That as Christians we should try and be separate from these actions. (And by the way next time someone tells you that the government can’t legislate morality, bring up slavery and polygamy and pedophilia, and ask why do we legislate those morals?)

Now you could say that slavery was different back then, and so was polygamy, and you would be right. Slaves were treated better, and were not picked by their race, but because they sold themselves into slavery to pay off debts. Well my question would be: was drinking different then. Did the biblical writers understand alcoholics? Did they foresee the thousands of people who would be killed in drunken driving accidents? Did they understand an 86 proof whiskey, 80 proof vodkas, 100 proof bourbons that contain 40-50% alcohol? This I doubt.

“It is healthy to drink red wine in moderation.”

You are absolutely right, again. Drinking red wine in moderation has been attributed to reducing the risk of heart disease, most likely due to antioxidants called flavonoids found in red wine. Red wine also contains a substance called resveratrol, which may reduce the risk of blood clots. Resveratrol is found in the skin and seeds of grapes. But it isn't known if grapes provide enough resveratrol to have a significant health benefit. Wanna know what else has these things? Red grape juice!! HA!! Yeah I’m serious. Mayo Clinic cardiologist Martha Grogan, M.D, says so. Wanna know what else she says?

“The American Heart Association doesn't recommend that anyone start drinking alcohol just to prevent heart disease. If you already drink alcohol, do so in moderation. Keep in mind that drinking too much alcohol can increase the risk of:
§ High blood pressure
§ Obesity
§ Stroke
§ Cancer
In addition, even light drinking can lead to alcohol addiction.”

So why drink the alcohol which can lead to all those things, when red grape juice has very similar if not identical effects? You know what really helps your heart? Olive oil. Drinking about two tablespoons a day, or eating foods that contain at least six grams of oil in them, will produce this effect. Odd though, I don’t hear a ton of people clamoring to get to the olive bar. Or bragging about the new bottle of olive oil they have in the oil cellar. Also, you can crack open a bottle of fish, for your twice weekly serving of omega three.

Do I drink?

Have I ever drank alcohol? Yes I have, twice actually. The first time was in a bottle of pop while I was in Europe. I had downed 90% of the bottle when I looked at the label and realized that it had some alcohol in it. Roughly the same amount that would be downed if you took four spoons of cough syrup instead of the normal two. The other time as later that week. In communion. I took a thimble full of real wine and drank it as Jesus’ blood shed for me. It was quite the partying weekend as you can plainly see.

No I don’t drink. For a few reason’s actually. My denomination asks me to not drink. So I don’t. I believe in submitting yourself to the authority which you are under. Most of the denominations that I would ever be a part of do not allow drinking either. I could be an alcoholic. I don’t really know. How many sips does it take to figure out that you are addicted? I don’t particularly want to find out to be honest. So for me the safest bet is to step back and say “I don’t think the risk is worth figuring it out.” (side note, it is my understanding that the salvation army didn’t use alcohol in their communion because they dealt with so many alcoholics and didn’t want to cause anyone to start up again)

So is it wrong to drink? I’m not going to tell you. I hate discussing things in “right” and “wrong”. If you are an alcoholic, or you could be one and don’t know yet, then I say it’s VERY unwise. As I have gotten older I’ve begun to ask myself a few questions. One being “is the action that I am doing bringing glory to God.” Obviously that can be asked of a lot of my actions: video games, blogging, and facebook. However, I’ve yet to hear of anyone who got so addicted to these that they killed someone while under the influence of them, or spent all of their money to get some at the local pub. (and I’m sure some of you have heard of that, and I know to refute my point you are going to bring up said story).

Fact is I don’t drink. I don’t think it’s wise. I don’t think it brings me closer to God. I think I can drink other things, and do other things to have fun in a more constructive way. And I’ve yet to hear a good reason as to why I should start.

2007-01-19T11:44:00.000-08:00

You scored as Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan. You are an evangelical in the Wesleyan tradition. You believe that God's grace enables you to choose to believe in him, even though you yourself are totally depraved. The gift of the Holy Spirit gives you assurance of your salvation, and he also enables you to live the life of obedience to which God has called us. You are influenced heavly by John Wesley and the Methodists.
Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan
93%
Neo orthodox
79%
Classical Liberal
54%
Emergent/Postmodern
50%
Roman Catholic
50%
Reformed Evangelical
46%
Fundamentalist
25%
Charismatic/Pentecostal
21%
Modern Liberal
18%
What's your theological worldview? created with QuizFarm.com

I had taken one of these a few years back, so I thought I'd try it again. I got pretty close to the same score. Not surprisingly I'm still VERY wesleyan, and still not very fundy ... Ironically enought the 3 at the bottom are pretty much my three least favorite. I thought I'd be a bit less liberal and a bit more emergent, but I suppose it's my mood for the day.
Ok well it's back to the studying for me.

My strip club experience

2007-01-12T08:13:00.000-08:00

Last night Michael Tipton took me to a strip club. Well, that is not totally true; I will rephrase. Last night Michael Tipton took me to three strip clubs. Now before you shut down my blog and remove it from your “favorites” list, let me give you a bit of an explanation.

Last semester a Prof. from Wesley College started standing in front of a strip club in Jackson, Mississippi. She would tell the men walking in that she was praying for them. She would walk around the parking lot and pray. One of the managers asked her to leave … she didn’t. The next week she brought some students. Throughout the next few weeks each Thursday, they were there … and reactions were mixed to say the least. One student has been punched in the face, a dog was released on a few students, the head professor was kicked, and many threats of “bad things” that were/are going to happen.

So Last night at 10:00 PM The Right Rev. Tipton and I took a trip to downtown Jackson, across the bridge of no return (cause the railroad tracks are so jacked up the almost blow your tire out… but that’s a story for another day). We then parked in a used car lot, and met with about 14 other students who were there for the same task. We split up and went to three different “adult clubs”. Tipton and I walked across the street to the closest one, and immediately a man in an orange shirt came out the door and started walking right towards us. “Looks like some new faces today,” he exclaimed, “you guys bringing in recruits?” Everyone laughed as he, Terry*, walked around and shook hands with the students. Each asked him how his family was, what was going on in his life, and other various questions. I found that this particular guy had asked the group to pray for his family a few weeks back. He then brought his truck around and said, “Hey I got my MercyMe CD back, I’ll play it for ya while you pray.” With that, he turned on the music and walked back into the club, letting me know it was nice to meet me before he disappeared back into the smoke filled building.

Michael and I then walked down to the next club. We were greeted by a student who explained to us the situation. While the previous clubs head manager (the dog releasing guy) was pretty mean, this clubs bouncer was really nice. Apparently, on one exceptionally cold and rainy night, Ray* came out to the students and said, “I am standing out here cause I’m gonna make $500, but you guys are out here cause you believe in something … I admire that.” I was able to talk with Ray* a little bit, and hear his story. He’s been bouncing for 20 years. He has two children, both under ten years of age, and he is only addicted to cigarettes now. He cautioned me to “watch out for drunk drivers,” and to “stand on the curb if they get too close.”

After that discussion, we walked to another establishment. This particular one was where one of the students had been punched a few weeks ago. I enquired about that particular story and he explained. He had been talking to a potential customer, and the manager Ted* took exception to it. Soooo…..what was Ted* to do other than punch a student. The action was much less hopping at this place, but just as I was leaving, a dancer came out. One of the guys asked her if she needed help loading stuff into her car, and she smiled and said no she could handle it herself. It was here that my heart started breaking. These girls, this situation, everything going on took a face, was given flesh, just walked outside. One of the female students told me they had brought the other manager a Christmas gift before they had left for Christmas, and said it seemed like he was warming up to them.

As Michael and I returned to the club we started at the students were in a fairly heated discussion with a man that had just left the club. At one point he said something about his sister being a lesbian, at that moment Terry* said something I will never forget “So is mine, and I’m glad. I see what guys are like here every night, and they are jerks. They’re bad news.” What a statement. This man would rather his sister be with a girl because he saw how poorly men acted at this club. Terry* then told the group that the girls had forgotten they were coming, however next week were going to bring out coffee and donuts to the group. As Terry* and I discussed his random piercing, his affinity for pain and suspension, and his statements “when I die I’ll become dust, but these piercings will still be there…. That’s all I’m leaving this world” and “I like pain… it helps me remember that I’m still alive …. Here in ‘paradise’.”

I left a different person. My mind has not stopped working since I came back. How do people like Terry* and Ray* hear the gospel. What does it take to have them think about their lives? What does it take to get them to contemplate a better life? Apparently, it takes a group of brave students and Christians walking around the outside the parking lot ... praying.

Sin, God, Us

2006-11-28T08:24:00.000-08:00

Sin has marred everything. That’s what I started this journey explaining. Sin has messed up everything. It’s infected as a virus, as a pungent smell of rancid meat, feel free to come up with your own illustration, whatever it is for you the fact remains it marred the face of creation.

Our relationships with everything changed the moment that sin entered the world. Our relationship with God, self, nature, and others all changed.

God.

Genesis 3:9-10 “Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, ‘Where are you?’ So he said, ‘I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.’”

How had the relationship changed so badly? This was Adam, the one who had walked with God, who had communed with him, who got to hang out in God’s creation, and now he was hiding from his friend, his creator … his God. What a shift. It feels like my last date ;-) … you know the kind ... things are great and poof it turns on ya, and your like “what changed??” God had to be hurt at the shift of relationship. His creation had turned on him seemingly instantaneously. But this was worse than “Aaron you’re a great guy but I just want to be friends …” no this was “God you’re ok, but we want to control our own lives.

And now Adam is scared of God. He’s naked and hiding from the one who sees him more clearly than anyone else. The relationship is suffering because Adam is pulling away, and it starts in motion the dangerous effects of sin. This really is the root of our problems. We have a marred image of God. Look a few verses earlier as Satan tries to get eve to eat the fruit, what does he use? He tries to change her image of God. When our view of God is messed up, then our are quick to follow.

Self

Genesis 3:11-12 “And he (God) said, ‘Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?’
Adam finally realized that he was naked. He noticed that there was something wrong with this state. Odd that it didn’t bother him before sin, but now he was shamed and he hid. This is the second state that sin corrupts. We first have a corrupted view of God and we subsequently have a tarnished view of self. No one had to tell Adam that he was naked now, he just knew it. And something inside of him said he should hide because God was coming.
So many “worm theologies” want to show us how small we are, and how big God is. And in a sense they are right, however there must be a balance. We were created in the image of God, and we are something special. We are the only beings I am aware of that get to commune with God of our own free will. We get to love him and have him love us. We get to worship him and have him inhabit our praise. I am not advocating a false sense of grandeur for humans, nor am I advocating we all run around naked; however I am advocating a healthy sense of self worth. Not only were we created by God to be in his image but when that image was marred he crafted an elaborate plan to bring us back.
When our concept of God is marred, then we immediately move to a poor concept of self. At this point the sin cycle is out of control. God becomes this judgmental, all-powerful, all-judging critic. He is the all-seeing eye of Mordor from Tolkien’s Ring trilogy, looking for one sin so he can smite us as the all-mighty smiter. Once we start to view God like in this way, we become these little slugs who always have to look over our shoulder for our salt wielding creator. Any time our view of God becomes marred we immediately have a marred view of his creation, starting with ourselves.

(Next post Creation and others.)

Of Sin and Hamburger

2006-11-06T09:36:00.000-08:00

With the recent fall of Ted Haggard, I believe the issue of sin has been brought the forefront of the Christian and moreover Evangelical mind like never before (or at least since the last scandal). A man at the front lines seemingly fighting against sin and its consequences gets caught up in the very sin that he preached so strongly against.

My heart breaks for a man like that. One who got swept away into the darkness of sin and became addicted to the secretive nature of living a life that was not consistent with what he was preaching. As I waded through the stories and news articles images of past leaders, friends, and mentors flashed across the movie reel in my mind. Each memory still painful and dreamlike, yet very real.

Sin affects everything. That is where any discussion on holiness or full salvation must start. Since the fall of man sin has infested every relationship, thought, concept of self, action, natural object, and concept of God. All of these have been marred by sin entering the world.

A few weeks ago I was given a task, an objective, a mission that was pressed upon whether I chose to accept it or not. The plan was to take six tubes of hamburger meet out of our freezer at home, maneuver them into a plastic bag and transport them from my house to my grandmother’s house five blocks away. Accordingly, I counted out six tubes of hamburger, placed them in a plastic bag and into the back of my mothers van, and transferred them to my grandmother freezer, once again counting out all six tubes. My task was completed … or so I thought.

Four days later my father asked me to take my mothers van to church and put gas in it on the way back home, so my mom would be able to drive it to work the next day. As I stepped into the van I noticed a certain … aroma, which was permeating the air. Perhaps “aroma” is not the proper word. I feel as if “nasty stench of rancid meat” would more aptly describe the odor.
I couldn’t figure out what could have made the smell, therefore I drove to church and led worship for the youth group not giving the smell another thought. After service my father was in the parking lot, and I explained to him that there was a certain aroma in the van and I felt as if, perhaps, we should check it out. My uncle asked what it smelled like and I replied something to the effect of “much like rancid meat.” As Uncle Jim opened the door he confirmed that “Yes,” the smell did smell “much like rancid meat.”

After a thorough search, we found the culprit. It was a seventh tube of hamburger meat that somehow snuck into the van (I am presently blaming it on Zoe … my year and a half old black lab). The package was swollen with hamburger juice ebbing from the top. The smell was awful and the look was almost as bad. I threw the package away and felt as if my job was done. However, I found 3 days later when I got in the van, that my job was not done. Although the meat was gone the stench still lingered. And what a stench it was. Seven bottles of Febreeze and two cans of air freshener later, I still had a problem. Finally, I had to shampoo the entire carpet. I had to unbolt the seat and remove all of the nasty juice that had soaked into the carpet. Just removing the meat was not enough; I had to get to the root of the problem.

I believe that sin is the same way. We should not and cannot be content with just forgiveness (getting the meat out of our lives). There must be a deeper cleaning that makes the smell go away. If all God was capable of doing was getting the meat out, but the stench of sin and decay was always there, we would not believe in a very powerful God. Sin must be dealt with on all levels because it infects all levels of life.

(next blog the four fold problem of sin)

Virus

2006-11-01T12:39:00.000-08:00

My dad’s computer caught a virus … like a bad virus. I don’t really know how. There is a bit of speculation as to how the virus got on the computer, but the fact of the matter is it did. It’s there and there is nothing we could do to get it off. Oh and we tried. We deleted things, downloaded things, reloaded and restored things, but it was there set in and actually getting worse. You see this particular worm multiplies and gets in so deep that there is nothing that you can do to fix it. Even if you turn off the computer and tap F10 when the computer comes back on, to try and make it go to factory settings … nada. So how you ask do I get this stupid worm out of my computer … this worm that has infected everything, every program registry, system, and causes my computer to act in ways it shouldn’t … how do I fix that problem?

Apparently there is a disk. A disk that comes from the outside. A disk that in a sense is connected to my computer and is an embodiment of my computer programs, in that it has the code of the programmer on it. When you put this disk in, the computer goes back to what it was created to be without the virus. A fully functioning complete computer.

To me the doctrine of Original Sin (OS) was odd. I couldn’t really grasp why it was so important to understand that nothing good could come from me. I took me a while to understand that I was infected with the virus of sin. So much so that only when something (moreover someone) from the programmer was inserted would I become a fully functioning complete human. We weren’t made to be a mess. We weren’t made to be incomplete. However when sin entered the world it dirtied everything. Every program, every restore, every system, became infected. However, God in his mercy came down and was “inserted” into the world, and although he was connected with the world and embodied all it meant to be human, he conquered the virus.

So what does that mean? How much of the virus could God conquer? I don’t know how long I will be doing this but I think I’m going to use my next few blogs to put my thoughts on “Full Salvation” down before I move on with a few more sections of the Peter Book. Thanks for indulging me.

pain

2006-10-02T05:20:00.000-07:00

I’m going to take a quick break from the book to give you some personal thoughts.

I have been thinking a lot about pain recently. I am not contemplating that, I stubbed my toe pain, or even, my girlfriend broke up with me, pain, but real pain. The type of that rips at your soul and makes you question things, that is the type of pain I have been mulling over. You see the problem is that I don’t understand it. Now don’t get me wrong, there are many things I don’t understand. I don’t understand how many licks it takes to get to the center of a tootsie pop. I don’t understand why we pay athletes tons of money to put a ball into a hoop. However, I can live with those things and say, “it’s a mystery.” Yet, this concept of pain gnaws at me. It bothers me. It makes me question things.

Sometimes I think we do one of two things with pain: either we treat it too simplistically, or we tread around it too carefully. I’m going to be honest, it always bothers me when someone is hurting and another well-meaning person says “God has a plan for this you just can’t see it yet.” While that may be true to some extent, I really don’t think it helps anyone in the situation. Nor do I think it is good to totally ignore that someone is in pain and just move on.

C.S. Lewis is one of my favorite authors. I love the Chronicles of Narnia; I thought that The Screwtape Letters was an excellent book; anything he has written I have enjoyed. I thought The Problem with Pain was a masterpiece; a great intellectual discourse on why there was pain in the world, and why it had to be there. And then came A Grief Observed. A brilliant and transparent book that Lewis wrote after his wife died. He starts to understand pain and grief better.

A friend tells him that “… the same thing seems to have happened to Christ: ‘Why hast thou forsaken me?’” Lewis’ response? “I know. Does that make it any easier to understand?” You can almost hear his heart being wrenched from his chest as his mind tries to play catch up and reconcile his faith with his feelings

“Not that I am (I think) in much danger of ceasing to believe in God. The real danger is of coming to believe such dreadful things about Him. The conclusion I dread is not ‘So there’s no God after all,’ but ‘So this is what God’s really like. Deceive yourself no longer.”

I recall thinking the same things throughout my High School and college years. God was so real to me that I couldn’t get rid of him altogether, however there were moments where I wondered what kind of God was I serving.

I remember a time when I had been healed as a freshman in high school. I suppose I should have been joyous. I expect that I should have had better thoughts, and better words. Nevertheless, all that I could really think was “Why was I, one with so little faith, healed, and my sister, one who thirsts for God daily, not?” (Before we go on, I do not want any particular responses to that question. I have come to the realization that it will never be answered, and I’m ok with that, smarter people than you have tried and failed. Thank you for your thoughts, but move on to the next section please.)

As I got older, I saw more pain, and these were the worse types. They were not caused by any act of free will, or any particular choice; NO, freaks of nature, tsunamis, hurricanes, and earthquakes caused them. My “freewill” defense went out the window on those situations. And my intellect mocked me. “Come and answer Aaron, come and fix this problem of pain.”

So what is my answer? What is my grand scheme to help all in pain or who are watching someone they love experience it?

I don’t know. I don’t have an answer. I have no intellectual reason for all of the pain in the world. I don’t know why an all-loving, all-powerful God allows for this kind of suffering either. I suppose many of you will read this and come up with something. And that’s ok. If you want to share it that is ok as well. I’m always impressed with those that can rationalize better than I. Those whose minds work in overtime, and overdrive. As for me, I’ll end with this. It is from Lewis in his last chapter.

“I thought I could describe a state (of grief); make a map of sorrow. Sorrow, however turns out to be not a state but a process. It needs not a map but a history …”

Until we experience real pain, we don’t understand it, and even then we are so blinded we can’t comprehend it, and once we are over that, the scars won’t let us totally recall it. Perhaps I will try to grasp it after death … and maybe not even then.

A birthday ... again

2006-09-29T08:20:00.000-07:00

I looked at a post I wrote last year and I thought I'd repost with added words.

So it's my birthday . . . I celebrated by getting up and going to tennis, and then played a rousing game of NCAA Football 2006. (Which I won 52-21 GO V-tech) I then ate some breakfast and as a treat, decided to skip a class so I can finish a paper that is due today.

(well I don't have to do papers anymore, and I haven't played video games in a long time, excluding my trip to school)

I promptly checked my facebook every few hours to see if anyone had dropped me a “happy birthday.” Got one from an ex, two from friends back home I never talk to anymore, and one from the cute girl that serves me coffee. I thought that was a nice gesture on all accounts.

(I still am checking my facebook and I am still getting messages. However, no exes have left me any, the cute girl from coffee is dating someone, and the friends really don't talk to me anymore)

You might ask,” So why are you putting this up Aaron?” You would state, “You promised you wouldn’t just update us on your life. You said that you would only do stuff on here that you really thought mattered ... Well I am getting to that.I have found that birthdays just don’t seem as important as I get older. The fun stuff and parties as a kid have passed and I don’t get a new bike every year, nor do I get a new video game. The best I can hope for is a good time with the boys out at B-dubs or Steak n’ Shake. Don’t get me wrong, I love both of those, I am just saying stuff changes.

(an added change I don't actually go to either of those anymore becaue the guys are no longer around. However my parents are taking me to the mongolian grill!!)

Now I look at my Christian walk, and I wonder if I have done the same thing. Sunday Service has become a time for me to “learn about how to do ministry,” rather than worship God. Instead of celebrating the fact that I go to a Christian school and have the opportunity to worship God with my classmates, I complain about how boring chapel was and why don’t they tone down the music a bit and stop bringing in speakers that are not “theologically sound”.

(I still do this some, and I'm working on it I promise)

I feel like the “newness” of Christianity has worn off. I find myself trudging along not really as in love with Jesus as I may have once been. I find myself cleaning dishes while others sit at his feet. I find myself celebrating another “birthday” without the party and bike.Now, I suppose that the parties and bikes have to go for all of us, and I realize that “mature faith” needs to grow up as well. However, my prayer is I can get back to the faith of an 8-year-old kid waiting for his birthday party to begin. I want to party.

(I have been renewed!! Working for God has been great, and I think my love for Jesus has been invigerated)

(Lyrics that have made me think even more deeply about this.)
Jars of Clay "Like a child"

Dear God
Surround me as I speak
The bridges that I walk across are weak
And the frustrations fill the void that I can't solely bear

Dear God
Don't let me fall apart
You've held me close to You
But I have turned away
And searched for answersI can't understand

They say that I can move the mountains
And send them falling to the sea
They say that I can walk on water
If I would follow and believe
With Faith Like a Child

Sometimes When I feel miles away
And my eyes can't see Your face
Well I wonder if I've grown to lose
The recklessness I walked in light of You

They say that I can move the mountains
And send them crashing to the sea
They say that I can walk on water
If I would follow and believeWith faith Like a Child
They say that I can move the mountains
And send them crashing to the sea
They say that I can walk on water
If I would follow and believe

They say that love can heal the broken
They say that hope can make you see
They say that faith can find a Savior
If you would follow and believe
With faith Like a Child

Going against the wind

2006-09-25T07:04:00.000-07:00

Therefore, the disciples continue to push forward. As the waves get higher, and the wind move with increasing force they start to get nervous. What did this Jesus character expect from them? Sure many of them were fishermen, and had grown up rowing on this sea, but none of them had seen a gale quite like this.

Then they become a bit hesitant, even doubting why they were out here. Why could they not just turn around and head back? Jesus was still back on the shore. Then this realization hits them “how is he going to get on the other side?” They start to discuss things amongst themselves. “Did he really just feed all of those people?” Then doubt creeps in “maybe he wanted us to stay on the shore and wait for him.”

Yes, the disciples were rowing against the wind. They were struggling against the current. They were going against the grain. And it was hard. If it was hard to fulfill God’s purpose then, why do we expect it to be any different? I will never promise anyone that the center of God’s will is the easiest, or even the safest place to be, but I will ALWAYS promise that it is the best place.

When I think of going against the grain, I think of my little sister Heather. Heather is two years younger, and a foot and a quarter shorter than I am. However, what she lacks in age or size, she makes up in pure determination. You see Heather was born with Down’s syndrome, and she had to fight for whatever she accomplished. If I had half of the drive or will of my sister, I would have been the best athlete my town had ever seen, and probably have been the valedictorian of my class. She graduated High School taking normal classes, and then graduated from a vocational school, focused in childcare. She knows what rowing against the wind is all about.

At a Junior High camp I was a counselor at, someone came up with the brilliant idea to take 210 junior high kids canoeing. Then another genius decided to put me in charge of the safety of these students. I and another counselor were to stay in the back of the pack and make sure each camper made it safely to the end of the creek. Heather got the easy job. She sat in the middle of the canoe, took of her shoes, and let her feet drag in the water.

Everything was going swimmingly until I looked up and saw a stalled canoe, inhabited by two very blonde, much uncoordinated, junior high girls. To clarify I am not trying to be mean, I am only stating the facts. If anyone has ever attended, or bless your heart, coached a junior high girl’s basketball game, you understand what I mean. They trip over the foul line, stop to tie their shoes in the middle of a drive, throw passes into the stands, and throw up hideous, borderline sinful, shots. It is not their fault, I know, their coordination has yet to catch up with their bodies, however, it is what it is.
As I stated before these particular girls were stalled in their canoe. It was stuck upon a large rock, and despite their best attempts, it was not moving. They had finally resorted to standing in the canoe, and trying to push off the rock at the same time. Now anyone who has taken High School science (which these girls obviously had not) is aware of Newton’s laws of physics. One of these goes something like this: For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. So the girls pushed, the canoe tipped, and both were flung into the water.

Now I was not thrilled with this particular action, because I knew I was responsible for the well-being of these now very wet students. I did not want to jump in. The water was cold, and I had jeans on. If anyone has ever had on wet jeans, you understand why I was not eager to take the plunge. As I was contemplating my plan of action, the other counselor had already dived in, and was swimming towards the girls. Now I was not only going to be wet, but I was going to be wet and look like a jerk. I took of my shoes and socks, and jumped in.

As I reached the girl, I realized she had herself in quite the predicament. While she had a life jacket on, it was not serving her very well. You see she was reaching for each of her shoes, which were floating in opposite direction, and as she was reaching, her head was being pushed down into the water. THIS GIRL WAS GOING TO DROWN WITH A LIFE JACKET ON! I immediately grabbed the shoes, since they were apparently more important than life to her, and then proceeded to help her back to the shore.
At this point, I was feeling pretty good about myself. Pin an S on my chest and call me super counselor I thought. I wanted to be able to share my victory with someone so I turned to where I had left heather and the canoe with a huge smile on my face. That smile was quickly replaced with a look of distress because neither Heather nor the canoe was there. I had apparently forgotten some of my High School science classes as well, because the current had taken heather straight towards the rapids. As I looked up I saw her standing on the back part of the boat, paddle in hand screaming “BUUUBBBBYYYYYYY, WHEN I GET HOOOOMMMMEEEEEE, I’M TELLING MOOOOOOOMMMMM.”

Heather knows what it is like to swim against the current. She knows what it is like paddle against the waves. She knows what it is like to go against the grain. As Christians, we have to realize that we are going against the grain. The world is going to hate us. The Devil is going to fight us. Things are not going to be easy. To be stripped of the selfish worldly mindset, and to embody a Christ-like one, is hard. It takes work, and it takes the realization that we are going against everything the world is for. To accomplish the goal that Christ has set for us, we must be willing to paddle against the wind. I will never promise anyone that the center of God’s will is the easiest, or even the safest place to be, but I will ALWAYS promise that it is the best place.

Pursuing the Call

2006-09-19T06:36:00.000-07:00

This is a small part of a chapter of a small book that I have considered writing. I don't know that it will ever get done ... but I'd like your thoughts anyway. I may post more in the days to come ... or I may not.

After feeding the crowds, Jesus sends the disciples out on the sea while he goes up to pray, alone, as he has become accustomed to do. Suddenly the winds become contrary, and the fishing boat is tossed about on the now restless water. The account in Matthew tells us it was the “fourth watch” meaning it is somewhere between three and six o’clock in the morning. Assuming Jesus fed the crowds even as late as eight or nine o’clock the previous evening, these committed followers had been rowing for five, six, even seven hours.

They must have been getting tired. Their arms were starting to get weary; the rain had left them soaking wet; the wind was cutting, stinging their face; and the water was splashing up into the boat. To say this was not an ideal boating experience would be a gross understatement. However, they knew that Christ had sent them. Their Lord, their rabbi, had told them to get into the boat and go to the other side before him, and that was precisely what they were going to do.
I have heard too many well meaning Christians say, “The door opened so it must have been God’s will.” Conversely, most of us, myself included, have said, “The door closed, so it must not have been God’s will for me.” These disciples were battered, wet, and tired, but they were answering the command that Christ had put upon them, closed doors and all.

I am reminded of a time when a bird got loose in my church. I was walking through the darkened sanctuary early one morning. I had finished praying for individuals in the church, and my friends who were still back at college, and I was just calling one of them to see how he was doing. It was dark and peaceful, just how I like my mornings. When suddenly from the ceiling flew down a dark mysterious creature. It was coming right at my head. Now I am not too masculine to admit I screamed. Perhaps screamed is not the right word … I shrieked. I shrieked like a pre-adolescent girl whose older brothers were torturing her favorite doll.
Now I was hoping that this shrill eardrum busting sound would somehow deter or at least distract my new adversary. Unfortunately, this was not the case. This suicidal kamikaze-ing dive-bomber was preparing for his next attack. He swooped once more and disappeared out of one of the side doors.
At precisely this moment, the church secretary walked calmly into the sanctuary. I laid down the hymnal that I had picked up, my weapon of choice, picked up my cell phone, which I had dropped during battle, and adjusted my clothing, which had been wrinkled during my drop to the floor, mid-shriek.
“Aaron,” she proclaimed with a slight hint of indignation in her voice, “there is a bird in the church!”
“NO?!” I replied with mock shock, “well thank you for that wonderful news update.”
After that lovely exchange I stormed off, hymnal in hand, looking for my arch nemesis. And I found him, oh yes I found him, perched upon one of the doors to the outside. However, in the light he did not look nearly as menacing or dangerous. You see, he had been slamming himself against the glass doors for what appeared to be a long time. He was battered, bloody, and tired. When he saw me coming, with my hymnal of mass destruction, he started banging again, almost tirelessly against the clear pane.
I got the key walked to the door, and opened it. Then I looked to find the bird had disappeared. I did not see him fly out of the door, nor did I see him fly down the hallway, whatever the case may be he was gone. Throughout the next few days, we searched for the bird. We even brought in a black lab to try to sniff him out. Nonetheless, all of our searches were in vain; we never did find the bird. Somehow, my rival had gotten out.

You see the bird knew his goal. He was not supposed to be in the church, he was supposed to be outside, and he was not going to let anything, be it windows, glass doors, or crazy hymnal wielding pastors, stop him fro getting out.
That, my friends, that is how one ought to respond to the directions of God. If I am called to do something, I do it, and I do it with reckless abandon. If a door shuts, yet I know I am led that direction, I slam against it until it opens, or I merely find another way out. Giving up is never an option. Whether like the bird I am battered and bloody, or like the disciples, I am wet and exhausted I must press on towards the call that Christ had laid upon me.

What a week

2006-09-15T14:59:00.000-07:00

I have had a busy week. Last week I was the “crusade coordinator” for Team Delta Force. What is Team Delta Force you ask? Well I would suggest going to my buddy Mike Cline’s blog for that (http://reclinerramblings.blogspot.com/2006/09/muscle-ministry.html) I’ll just say that from the website they are “the most diverse, gifted and experienced group of ordained speaking athletes in the world”
So what does mean? It was one of the most impacting weeks I have ever seen. What did it do for my church you may ask? Well a few things

I) It got current members involved. It started Sunday morning when 25 people came down to the altar, some for the first time, but many coming to dedicate themselves for a week of service. My “stage crew” was basically 12-15 guys from ages 18-54 (the 54 yr old has 20-inch arms and bench-presses over 400 pounds so that was helpful). For many of the guys this was the first “ministry” they had been involved in. And I would like to take this moment to publicly thank them I could not have done it without them. Also, many of the women in my church cooked for the team. This was great because it meant I did not have to take four guys that eat like 7 meals a day out every evening. I had a whole group of senior citizens greeting at the doors and some even came backstage afterwards to do altar counseling. I cannot tell you how many people in my church were rejuvenated during this time.

II) It brought in unchurched people. I have never seen so many unsaved nonbelievers in one place ever. Wednesday night we had about 1000 people and Thursday night we had 1200 people. Our church averages around 750-800 on Sunday mornings so this was significant. I watched people walk in and never take off their hats. I saw kids bring food and drinks into the sanctuary. I tried to do the “Christian handshake” and people just looked at me. AND I LOVED EVER MINUTE OF IT! How amazing is it to see that many people who have never stepped foot into a church.

III) Masses heard the gospel in a positive light. I personally watched over 850 people walk forward to the altar (I will discuss this more later) but I was just as excited that literally thousands of people got to see Christian Men who are sold out and preaching a pure gospel. I promise you in all of the revivals (save ones by my dad) and camp meetings that I have ever been to, I have never heard the gospel presented more clearly. These men recognized that there is a heaven to gain and a hell to lose, and hell is too hot and there are too many souls hanging in the balance to sugar coat or water down their message.

IV) 850 people came forward. How do I know this? Because I have the cards. Almost every person that walked down came to a room and filled out a card explaining what kind of a commitment they had made, and put their address and phone numbers, and if they would like a follow up visit. Granted a few people slipped out the back doors and into the darkness, but almost everyone from 6 year old to teens, to 80 year olds put down their information

V) All ages came! Yes, the majority of the people that came down were under the age of 18. We had around 400 cards for 12 and under. We had 300 for 13-17 year olds. But, here is the clincher. Almost 75 were from the ages of 18-30 (the unreachable generation if you will) and another 75-100 were from 30 and up. We had three people over the age of 80 come down to the altar and fill out a card.

I’m just going to be honest and say that I have never experienced anything like this in my life. I am still a bit high from all of the success stories. Many of the people were at church this past Sunday morning and I haven’t even started the follow up yet. It’s been a good week.

Tonight the question is why

2006-09-03T19:57:00.000-07:00

Tonight the question is why?

Tonight my heart aches, back breaks, shoulders shake
From the pain, weight, and sobs.

My mind hurts, as nothing works
Quite like it should.

Dark nights turn to days I know
But now bitter seeds are sowed
And the harvest seems to be the same.

I know I’m real small, and not tall
And I cant’ see all
Of his plans

But right now my empty hands, want to grasp
I want to lay down this happy mask
And weep and cry
And just ask why
Such a beautiful rose has to whither, bruise, and die.

---Aaron Duvall

Tonight a good friend died. She was one of the happiest human beings I know. I had never heard her complain in my life. She was never just good, never “ok”, she was always terrific, until she couldn’t say that anymore, and then it was a thumbs up and a salute. She was the best example of unconditional love that I had ever seen. Always good for a hug and a smile. I hope some day when I become a good Christian I can be one like Kim. I don’t think she would have complained about this. But tonight I’m not Kim. Kim Hawk is heaven, and I’m here …. Tonight …. Asking why.

Camp meeting time

2006-08-19T13:03:00.000-07:00

I apologize for my lack of posting. I really do care about you kids I swear. It’s just that some people put out good thoughts once a week (i.e. Keith Drury) some every other day (i.e. Doug Thompson), some seem to blog two or three times a day (Dr. Schenk coming to mind), but me … I get about one good thought a month… and that may be a stretch.

Ok so on to my thoughts for the month …

I have been at camp meeting this past week. Now let me explain, I am a big camp meeting fan. I’ve grown up on them. I love them. I also love preaching. When I’m in the car by myself I pop in tapes of preachers I like. Yes I know this makes me a dork, and I’m ok with that. Anyway, this has been the best set of preaching that I’ve ever heard at a camp meeting. Dr. William Ury is one of my favorite all time preachers (he’s up there with Stephen Manley, Joe Duvall, Steve DeNeff). Dr. Thomas Hermiz (The new GS of the CCCU) has a great preachers voice and is bringing the message of sanctification and holiness amazingly well. Dr. Mark Smith (The new president of OCU formally CBC) has also been exceptional. The worship has been very good, mixing modern and traditional, contemporary and oldschool, I think I even heard a Chris Thomlin song, WHAT?!?

So my question is, why is it that the altars have not been lined? Why do the teens rush to the altar along with a few younger pastors, yet most of the adults don’t blink an eye. They don’t even move. Worse, many of them walk out of service as the altar call is being announced. I distinctly remember Dr. Ury saying “if you are not waking towards God you are walking away from him,” and minutes later hordes of elderly were walking out the back of the tent as I watched teens pass them in the other direction going towards the altar. What a stark illustration.

It is easy to say that things aren’t going well in America or in the church. We whine and complain about a lack of revival in the church. I myself sometimes find myself falling into a trap. The first few nights I felt ok, because I looked and saw young people going down to the altar, and then Dr. Ury hit me with this. “How sad is it, that we use the young people as a front to our own spiritual death. We let them go to the altar and then say ‘look how healthy our church is.” Ouch.

So I started watching and realized he was right, and I can’t figure out why. “there isn’t enough holiness preaching” I hear. “If there were more then we’d have revival.” Ok so why not now? You’re going to have to come up with a better excuse because that’s the best holiness preaching I’ve ever heard. “more hymns” “more contemporary” more anything.

How about this? More Jesus. Sounds good to me. Perhaps if we would realize that the question is not why should we go down to the altar, but why we shouldn’t go down we’d have less problems. Maybe we gotten so stuck in two tripism (one trip for salvation and one for sanctification) that we have forgotten what it’s like to seek God. Heaven forbid the people around us think we are seeking God, they may think we have sin in our lives, and then they would think we aren’t sanctified. I am going to say this as plainly as I can. If we do not change our hearts we will die. As churches, as a denomination, as an entire movement. I’m not a prophet, but I am a concerned pastor. One who has grown up hearing phenomenal preaching, solid theology (thanks dad), and one who is worried that if we don’t start making some changes the next generation will lose the message of hope that we have. Melvin Maxwell said it amazingly well last weekend “if your product isn’t selling then you need to change your methods.” Even if we have the best message and “product” ever, it doesn’t matter if no one is hearing it. And if we do not change our hearts and fall before God, there isn’t going to be anyone around to proclaim it.

the missing generation

2006-07-05T08:38:00.000-07:00

A while ago I was reading a blog and came across this article http://21stcenturyministry.blogspot.com/2006/06/invisible-church.html

In it the author points out that there are very few of the 18-35 demographic in many churches. And I suppose since it was 18-35 a few years ago we can say that the 18-40 demo isn’t very strong.

Last Sunday night my church (http://www.heritagememorialchurch.org/) did not have service. We changed our service to Monday night so we could have it outside and watch fireworks afterwards.(And by service I mean litteral service, worship, preaching, testimony the kit and cabodle). So Pastor Joe and I went church hunting. We wanted to find a church that had a Sunday night service that perhaps we could learn from or at least glean an idea or two off.

We went to the first a strong church within our own denom … they have small groups on Sunday nights (during which I saw no one under 40 walk in); however the senior adults did get together for a service in another venue. Strike one. So we drove around the town, “Surely,” we were thinking “there must be a service someplace.” Well … there wasn’t really. Strike two. Finally we settled down at a Baptist church that was having a patriotic sing night. It was good time. A children’s choir sang, other groups got up and sang … but when I looked around I noticed something. There was one couple sitting in the congregation of 200, which was between the ages of 18-38.

Now I’m not lashing out at this church because I know the church, and I know that there are younger people that attend on normal Sundays, and they have a strong youth group. However, I think they are a microcosm for churches all over America.

Have we coddled the baby boomers for so long that we have lost the generation under them? “More programs!!” shout the boomers, “Yes!!” adds another, “and give us praise choruses, they want more choruses.” “Oh and be irreverent they love that!” pipes another from the corner of the room.” “But not irrelevant, that’ll kill ya” quickly adds his wife.

Is it possible that perhaps the 30-50 age group doesn’t really get this newer generation? Is there a reason are churches have a decent amount of that group (at least the more progressive ones, I realize many churches are of the 50 and up category), yet you can’t find a gen x’er to save your life.

So Monday night I looked out at my own congregation, “Watch out for the log in your eye” style. I nervously counted as I walked around the shelter house, and out by the volleyball court, and over under the trees. A few hear, a few there … hmmm this is better than I expected. So Pastor Joe and I sat down and started writing down names. Only ones we knew were there (so as not to be accused of cheating). So although the real number is probably substantially larger than this we named around 245 people. Then we broke down age groups. 70 were from the 18-38 age group. Another 79 were from the 18 and under. Wow, I thought, that’s not bad. On a Monday night when a decent sized group had gone to another location to watch the fire works we pulled around 29% from that "missing generation." (60 were from the 38-55, and 36 were from the 55 and up for those of you keeping score)

Now I don’t want to take any credit for this, because I had little to do with it. However let me tell you who did: Doug and Linda Miller. You see Doug and Linda (DL from now on) started a Sunday school class a few years ago. They recognized a need for another young adult SS class because the other “young adult class” was now actually a middle aged class, but they didn’t want to change their name. :-) The class started with a few couples, but they were tight. They had a Friday party once a month, played volleyball ever Friday they weren’t at the party, held baby showers, and girl’s nights out, as well as boy’s nights in. They went to movies together and played paintball together, all under the loving care, and watchful eye, of one couple with a dream.

DL didn’t even have any kids in that age range at the time (although they do now, and the two boys are doing very well in the group), no it was not for selfish reasons, nor numbers or growth, but for community that they reached out. What a thought … community. No big programs, no choruses, just solid, affirming love and community. Their relationships transcended church and Sunday school, and landed right down in the middle of real life.

This group celebrated new additions and mourned losses, fought and cried, laughed and loved, and everything in between … and they did it together.

2006-06-20T08:43:00.000-07:00

The fullness of
Your grace is here with me
The richness of
Your beauty’s all I see
The brightness of
Your glory has arrived
In Your presence God,
I’m completely satisfied

For You I sing I dance
Rejoice in this divine romance
Lift my heart and my hands
To show my love, to show my love

A deep deep flood,
An Ocean flows from You
Of deep deep love,
Yeah it’s filling up the room
Your innocent blood,
Has washed my guilty life
In Your presence God
I’m completely satisfied

For You I sing I dance
Rejoice in this divine romance
Lift my heart and my hands
To show my love, to show my love
“Divine Romance” -- Phil Wickham

I realized something this week. I’m into romance. Yup, I’m a romantic, what can I say? I like stories that end well. I like stories of pursuit and success. I like for the guy to woo the girl and get her in the end. I like a story where against all odds love somehow prevails.

“How?” you ask, did I come to this realization? Well I watched a movie. The entire time the “couple” kept doing things to hurt each other and make the other jealous. Finally, the guy realizes that he had been a jerk and tries to win the girl back … but it was too late. She leaves. And I felt bad. I kinda wanted to throw up. I kept thinking “This may be real life, but this can’t be the way it’s supposed to be.”

And I’m pretty sure I’m right. God used the idea of romance and marriage to show the relationship between the church and himself. He chose us!! Us, the church. He ordained that the church would be his body on Earth once Christ returned to be with the father. He pursued us. He kept on giving grace, even, and especially, when we didn’t deserve it. And then we turn on him. And I think it makes him sick.

In the Old Testament I keep reading these passages where God tells Israel that they are pretty much prostitutes. Leaving him for whatever they can get. He calls them she-camels in heat, and female donkeys who go looking for lovers. He asks them to look around and name a place where they have not been ravished. And he explains how angry he is, and how much he should punish them. But in the end, it seems, there is something like “but I love you so much that I would take you back as soon as you turned toward me.”

But I just can't shake the feeling that is not the way it’s supposed to be. Romance is supposed to work as such: He pursues because he blindly loves. We accept, for how can we not respond to he who loves us blindly, who pursues us with reckless abandon, to one who would die just to spend eternity with me. And then we spend our lives growing in one another, learning and becoming one.

So yes, I am into this divine romance thing, and maybe, just maybe, it will spill into the rest of my life ;-) … perhaps we should explore this further.

A Life of Apologeticts

2006-05-25T06:43:00.000-07:00

In the book Adventures in Missing the Point, Tony Campolo recalls an experience he had with two of his advisees at the University of Pennsylvania. One was a brilliant, neo-Marist-atheist, and the other was a committed Christian, yet not an intellectual. Both decided to go to Cornell for graduate work, and were to be roommates. Tony was worried that the neo-Marxist who loved to argue would overwhelm the Christian and drag him into his atheistic beliefs.

You can imagine my surprise a year and a half later when I visited with them both at Cornell and discovered that the neo-Marxist had become a Christian. How was that possible? I asked seeing what a good arguer he was.
“I always won the arguments,” the ex-atheist said. “It seemed like every evening I would give him an array of good reasons why religion in general was ludicrous, and how the belief that Jesus was the incarnation of God was untenable. But at the end of every argument, after I had won the confrontation decisively, my buddy would always say, ‘But I know that Jesus is real. I know that Christ is alive. I sense his presence. I have experience a sense of his leading in my life. You may have won the arguments, but you cannot undo what I know to be true. Jesus is alive in me.’
“What could I say to that? Sooner or later my attacks were no match for his defense. How could I unconvince him of something so obviously real in his life?”

What a powerful testimony of faith! Even when his position seemed un-defendable and when his intellect knew that he had lost the arguments, he continued to believe in that which he knew was true; that which he had faith in.

I’m starting to realize that most worldviews, most positions, most opinions, and our choices to follow these ideologies are chosen by a priori commitments. We choose what to believe and then go on constructing are arguments after the fact.

I am finding that apologetics and intellectual defenses do great work in reaffirming one’s faith. I love to read Lee Strobel and Evidence that Demands a Verdict. But my question is can these create faith or do they just confirm for those who are seeking faith?

I recall a story about a well-known Christian apologist that had traveled to secular schools debating with atheists and student bodies over the proofs for Christianity. At one such event a student came forth and asked a question. The apologist quickly answered and twisted the question back towards the student. The student stuttered for a moment and answered as best he could, but his answer was met with a flurry of other, more difficult questions. Finally the student answered the only way he had left … “I don’t know.” The apologist answered “As such, do you really think you should be asking me questions.” As the student body was clearing out one young lady was over heard saying “I don’t care if the (explicative) is right, he’s a jerk and I’m not buying it.”

A life lived in accordance to the Gospel is the most powerful apologetic that we can share. We has humans are emotional beings and the choices we make are as influenced by those emotions as they are our logic and intellect.

THOUGHTS?

Reason defined?

2006-05-23T07:29:00.000-07:00

Now if anyone else was writing this particular blog and they did not define what “faith” and “reason” meant early on I would be upset. I would be the jerk in the comment box that was saying “how can you say that when we don’t know what the words mean to you.” So I’m going to do my best of defining these two terms. If you have a better definition that you think would help I would love to hear it.

Reason: rea·son n.
1. The basis or motive for an action, decision, or conviction.
2. A declaration made to explain or justify action, decision, or conviction: inquired about her reason for leaving.
3. An underlying fact or cause that provides logical sense for a premise or occurrence: There is reason to believe that the accused did not commit this crime.
4. The capacity for logical, rational, and analytic thought; intelligence.
5. Good judgment; sound sense.
6. A normal mental state; sanity: He has lost his reason.
7. Logic. A premise, usually the minor premise, of an argument.

I think that each of these has probably a bit of what I mean. Numbers two, three, and seven are probably the ones I will be dealing with the most. That which is logical. Not only that which is logical, but that which conforms to logic.

So what does this look like in a church or faith sense? Well I don’t really know exactly. Obviously their must be some sort of order or logic behind that which we believe. If there wasn’t then there would be no way to communicate it or really to live it out. However, does everything have to fall into the neat and orderly categories that reason likes to put it in.

Faith and Reason

2006-05-17T12:02:00.000-07:00

So, in the last few blogs I have been looking at for the past few weeks, there has been a common theme in my thought process. What's with "reason"? So I know that's a broad thought, and it is one that can be dealt with for a long, long time, but I want to at least play with it for a little bit.

How important is reason to the Christian walk, and furthermore to the everyday walk that all people deal with. There seems to be a great tension with “faith” and “reason” whether it be in Science, Religion, Govt., Church matters, or well just about anyplace else.

We are all children of modernity, well most of us anyway. We were taught a modern view of science (that it is objective and totally correct). Matter does not move without being acted upon first. FACT! Electrons float around in these nice little lines around the outside of the nucleus of an atom. FACT! The speed of light is always constant. FACT!

And then I came to college. There I learned that Science is not objective, but biased just like everything else. I learned that matter does move without being acted upon (quarks inside of atoms), and Electrons are flying all over the place we don’t really know where they are all the time, and the speed of light has actually slowed down over time.

This put me in quite the predicament. Reason was being tested and losing on multiple fronts. I learned that matter can take up the same space at the same time as long as we don’t observe it, and other crazy facts. This then started to change my view of scripture, philosophy, and life in general.

So I think I’m going to play with this idea in my next few posts, but I’d like some reactions first. Where does reason fit in with religion? Where does Faith fit in with life as a whole … Am I exercising it at least a bit when I take a step, or sit down?

Wearing masks and gloves

2006-04-05T12:10:00.000-07:00

I realize this is not about heresies and I promise I will get back to them eventually but I thought that this was an interesting story and point I wanted to make.

I was in the hospital today visiting a man who was in “reverse isolation,” meaning he could not be touched and we had to wear masks over our nose and mouths. I had had this experience before, but it was normally because the person lying in the bed was contagious and therefore I did not want to/should not tough them unless I wanted their problem to become my problem. However, this time was different because the man was being protected from me. The hospital did not want me to get my germs on him.

I was almost indignant; I am healthy, what is he going to get from me? I mean I can understand me not wanting things from him, but come on; from the way he looks he could use some of my healthy germs (if there was such a thing).

My fear is that those two things are problems plaguing the church.

I. We feel that those that are “sick” should not be touched. We do not want to invest in their lives nor do we want to touch them for fear of getting their germs. I am reminding of a time when we were taking campus wide communion. The speaker was discussing how we were going to take communion together, and “this was an act that we could all participate in as Christians.” Furthermore, “When we were taking communion together it was how we recognized we were all sinners in need of Christ’s love.” The communion was to be served from one person to the next.

I watched as the girl in front of me took out her “germ-x” and put some on her hands. I remember thinking “how thoughtful of her to not want to get her germs on the next girl.” However, she then passed to “Germ-x” to the girl serving her and said, “Would you mind using this?” I couldn’t’ help but chuckle “so much for us all serving and getting our hands dirty together.”

What breaks my heart is that I think we as the church are “germ-x”ing people out of the kingdom. Do not show up here until you’ve cleaned up a bit.

II. I have determined as I watch some people within the church that call themselves believers, I DO NOT want our new converts meeting them. These people are negative, rude, cynical, and most of the times showing very little fruit. They are so “clean” that they see no need to interact with non-believers if not for the chance to put them, the pastor, the church, or other Christians down.

When I bring someone new around I want these venom-spewers to put on a mask and gloves. I don’t want their “healthy germs” getting on the new people and making them sick.

How sad is it, that there are some people, and some churches whom I want to cover them up so they want infect the unchurched world before I can get to them?

My Prayer is that I will never be in either of these groups. Lord let me live my life in a way that I’m not scared to get “dirty” with the unchurched, but let me stay “clean” enough that when I do interact with them, I don’t infect them with germs they may not have had before.

A quick break for station Identification

2006-02-22T13:15:00.000-08:00

I am taking a break from the Christology today. I want to talk about something I about which I am a little more passionate. I watched a man die today; not metaphorically or spiritually. I was physically in the room as a man breathed out his last few breaths. I stood there and hugged the family. I prayed with them as they asked us to “pray for peace please.”

At that moment, I gained a whole lot of perspective on ministry and on life. I do not think they cared about my theology; they did not care if I was a good preacher, or if I understood the theandric union. All they really wanted I think was a warm body that loved them to hug.

Sometimes I get caught up in a lot of junk that really is not important. Most recently, I have been fighting online about tithing, and Civil Religion, and the environment, and I have been real caught up in it. Very passionately staking my claim and logically making my case. I was fighting about stuff that is useless when there are souls hanging in the balance!

I recognize that everything effects and plays a part in your theology and ministry, but man …I am on the front lines right now and I don’t have time for the ivory tower. I was talking to a friend of mine and he said “If it is impeding people from getting into the kingdom then it needs to be dealt with, and if you have a new way to help people see Christ in a better light then fine, but quit complaining, people here enough of that.”

Moreover, he was right.

A while back, my dad was talking to a man and the man was dying. He told my dad “I don’t want to leave my wife but if I can see my son in heaven right when I die I think I can manage.” Then was not the time to discuss soul sleep and bodily resurrection with this guy. I don’t’ know exactly what dad said but I think it was something like “Being absent of the body is being present with the father, I think Jesus will take your hand and lead you to heaven.”

I want to comfort people and show love. I want to love and love to its fullest. I want to preach a complete Gospel of a resurrected Jesus who ransomed me, brought me to the father, and gave me the Holy Spirit. I want to show people that “JESUS LOVES ME THIS I KNOW!!”

And for them to know that is enough to start it out!!

Soft Christologies

2006-02-20T20:40:00.000-08:00

Adoptionism was an early heresy that has consistently shown up throughout the history of the church. It states that Jesus was only a man and he was later “adopted” by God. This view permeates modern Christianity, specifically in *yes I’m going to use the word* liberal and mainline churches.

“The position gives the human Jesus an independent status. He would simply have lived on as Jesus of Nazareth if the special adoption by God had not occurred. This was more a matter of God’s entering an existent human being than of a true incarnation. Sometimes this event is regarded as unique to the life of Jesus’ sometimes it is compared to the adoption of other human beings as children of God.” [1] (Christian Theology, Millard J. Erickson, 728)

(although not explicitly I feel that this is the view of “The Last Temptation of Christ.”)

Adoptionism is what Gerald O’Collins would call a soft Christology. Those believe in the full humanity of Christ but seem to compromise the divinity. They are also, those that show Jesus as a mirror, or a representative of God, as opposed to actually being God. (once again popular among the American church)

Ebionism is a view of Jesus that says he is totally and uncompromisingly human. Trough a rejection or at least a denial of Paul’s letters they decided that Christ was not God or truly anything supernatural, but merely a normal human having good commune with God.
“Jesus as, according to the Ebionites, and ordinary man possessed of unusual but not superhuman or supernatural gifts or righteousness and wisdom. He was the predestined Messiah, although in a rather natural human sense. The baptism was the significant event in Jesus’ life, for it was then that the Christ descended upon Jesus in the form of a dove. . . Thus Jesus was primarily a man, albeit a man in whom, at least for a time, the power of God was present and active to an unusual degree” (Christian Theology, Millard J. Erickson, 694)

Here you see the underlying adoptioninist view, as well as the overall “soft Christology” that is voiced. This is the most humanistic one in my opinion. We all can pull this off, and in reality we don’t need Jesus, he was just there to help us figure out what we can become.

As easy as it is to rip on evangelicals falling on the opposite side log I have to say this is the largest problem in the church today. It is far too common to see a mainline church love the concept of Jesus and his teachings, but they want the “Sermon on the Mount” without the Christmas or Easter story to back it up. Although I will discuss the “other side” of this problem I will always say I would rather someone error towards the divinity than away from it.

The Mystery of the Union

2006-02-03T11:45:00.000-08:00

“’We confess that He is very God and Very Man; Very God by His power to conquer death and Very man that He might die for us’ (Belgic Confession 1562). ‘He continueth to be God and man, in two distinct nature and one person forever’ (Westminster Shorter Catechism, 1647). To deny either the undiminished deity or the perfect humanity of Christ is to put oneself outside the pale of orthodoxy . . . The Hypostatic union is the theological description of this a refers to the two hypostases, or natures, forming the one person in Christ.”( Evangelical Theology: A Survey and Review, Robert P. Lightner, 80)

The Dictionary defines paradox as “A seemingly contradictory statement that may nonetheless be true.” The Bible is filled with them. To be first we must be last, to live we must die, those who serve will be exalted. Perhaps, though, none are quite as complex as the statement that Jesus is one man, fully human, yet fully divine, taking part in the triune God.

However, we must also realize that we are dealing with an ultimate mystery, which can be considered but never truly grasped, which can be contemplated, but never adequately explained. As much as we would like to try, we have to recognize that our words and minds are not sufficient to completely fulfill the task that has been set before us. However, this cannot stop us in trying to clarify what we mean when we describe Jesus as having a “God-manhood.”

To say it is easy to explain one side or the other of Jesus is an overstatement. Yet, as most heresies will show us, our rational will point us towards one or the other.

“Whenever the attempt is made to bring Christology to a logical conclusion, and formulate it, the difficulty of avoiding Ebionism or Docetism, Nestorianism or Monophysitism, which stand on either side . . . will present itself.”(Christian Theology, H. Orton Wiley, page 171)

We cannot completely comprehend how a man can be fully God and fully man. Yet, that is the paradox that the Bible points us to, and that the tradition of the church has affirmed. Nevertheless, it is easy to power out of one ditch only to stumble blindly into another. Specifically, in the current evangelical church, we have over emphasized the deity of Christ and we have regulated his humanity to the sidelines. However, if that is the case within conservative denominations, the majority of the mainline ones have made his divinity look like an underachieving bench warmer.

“ . . . The most fundamental issue, the most basic problem is the distinction that is made between the Father and the Son. All Trinitarian theology ultimately hinges on this distinction, and this distinction, as we are all well aware, has been variously interpreted in the history of Christian thought . . . Why should we posit two terms, Father and Son, in the Godhead? How could the Father and the Son be God and yet be One God? In what way do they differ?”( Aspects of the Theology of Karl Barth, William P. Anderson, page 33)

Where Barth struggles with this distinction between the Father and the Son, I pose the same to be discussed between the divinity and humanity of Christ, is most difficult in Trinitarian theology. I would speculate that these very same questions affect one’s Christology. How can Jesus be fully man and fully God? Why do we posit two terms, humanity and divinity? How can the humanity and divinity be Christ and yet Christ be one person? In what ways do these differ?

This part came quicker than the next few will I think. But it gives a start to what questions I want to answer and a peek into why I think it's more difficult than some of us make it out to be

Theandric Union

2006-02-02T19:29:00.000-08:00

As J. Kenneth Grider would state oh so eloquently,

“Off with our shoes, please, for (this) is holy ground. Away with finely figured syllogism and ordinary arithmetic: here, logic and mathematics do not suffice. The need is rather for a listening ear, an obedient heart, rapt adoration, a careful engagement with the Holy Scriptures.”(Basic Christian Doctrines, Carl F. H. Henry, “The Holy Trinity,” J. Kenneth Grider, page 35)

Although Grider was speaking specifically about the trinity, I feel as if it resonates with any discussion of the absurd and divine. It is here that we lay our religion and even our salvation. For if Christ was not God then there is neither absolvent of sin nor victory over death. Yet, if Christ was not human, there is no victory over sin and no true revelation of what humanity is supposed to look like.

The very foundation of our faith lies in the person of Jesus Christ. How one views Christ and his attributes will determine where the rest of one’s theology flows.

“Christianity is Christ! He is the center and circumference of the historic Christian faith. . . Jesus Christ and his work on the cross are absolutely central and essential to Christianity.” (Evangelical Theology: A Survey and Review, Robert P. Lightner, Page 65)

It may sound a bit cliché but one’s view of Christ is the neck that turns the head of one’s theology, Christ is the lighthouse to which our theological ship must be reconciled with.

That is the start of this new series I'm going to try. The theandric Union of Christ. I'm going to divide this into a few sections.
I) The Mystery
II) The Heresies
III) Orthodoxy (three views)
IV) The Creeds
V) Conclusions

Any thoughts you may have are appreciated

2006-01-16T21:35:00.000-08:00

What is it about the view of atonement in the Chronicles of Narnia that I love so much? Well I’m glad you asked because that is the very thought that I was having. I’d like to lay out my thoughts on that very subject.

I) It was done for others.

I’m not sure that I dislike any theology more than one that says that Christ died solely for his own glory and for the glory of the father. Yes God was glorified through the resurrection, but man give me a break. “For God so loved the world …” and other various proof-texting verses can be spewed forth here, but instead I’m only going to say God died for me. And you, and everything other sinner a.k.a. human who needed to be redeemed from sin. If he wanted only to show his glory I’m sure he could have come up with something better.

II) It was fully redeeming

Edmond didn’t go “Oh thanks, but I’d really like to dabble in the White Witches stuff for a little longer.” No way man. He was redeemed, and because of that he was going to live as a king of Narnia, because that’s what he was. How exciting is that?? Man’s sin is not more powerful than the cross. The choices of man in The Garden of Eden could be undone by the decisions made in The Garden of Gethsemane. We don’t have to wallow around in the winter any longer (enter joke about cold weather being evil and Dante being correct that Hell is ice not fire) cause When Aslan comes upon the scene CHANGE IS MADE!!

III) It was out of love!!

There was no wrath of a higher power that needed to be satisfied, it was only the law of the deep magic. Aslan willingly gave his life because the deep magic said a traitor would be paid for with blood (one of my favorite lines in the movie and second only to “He’s not tame but he’s good” is “Don’t quote the deep magic to me, I was there when it was written”). The Wrath of God really starts showing up in Anselm’s writing, the early church had this great view of Jesus dying because Satan owned the rights to us, but in the end Satan was tricked. Jesus was the bait on the hook and Satan took it and lost. FANTASTIC. Is it an incomplete view … yeah a little … however it’s more orthodox than “God was ticked off at the world, and Jesus said ‘Father I’ll take your wrath for them.’” Saying that pits one person of the trinity against the other. I prefer the conversation to go something like this.

“Son, Our children down there are lost, and you and I both know the only way to save them is for US to become like them and to die.”

“Yeah Dad, I know, and I’m willing to make that sacrifice”

“It’s going to be hard Son … you will be separated from us to an extent you haven’t experienced before and you will have to empty yourself and assume all that they are, for that which is not assumed is not redeemed.”

“Yeah I know Dad … But I think it’s worth it, and with your help, and the Spirits help, I know we will turn this world around.”

That may have some flaws with it, and I’m sure you guys will point them out … but for the moment … it excites me.

Thanks be to God for pursuing me with love.

transition

2005-12-19T10:17:00.000-08:00

I have a few blog ideas stored up. I am sorry that I haven't been more committed, and I promise to do better getting all of these ideas out on paper ... or on computer ... or whatever. One of which is going to be about the view of the atonement that I love in "The Chronicles of Narnia", however those will have to wait a bit, because for now, all I can really think about are transitions.

You know I have never particularly cared for the transitional stages of life. Being at a threshold has never really appealed to me. A month ago Friday I took my last undergrad class, and scanned out of my last chapel at IWU. Honestly, it has not completely set in yet. Apparently, according the article I was reading, “Those who cope well with transitions have a more positive perception and meaning of transitions and an overall sense that life makes sense.” Not only that, but if you let it stress you out you can actually get more sick. Something about heightened adrenal glands and lowered immune system stuff. Anyway point is, we all have these particular transitions and many of us react poorly to them.

So all of that to say I am in a new stage in my life. Starting January I am officially on staff at my church. No more of the full-time volunteer stuff, no more “oh he’s young we’ll let it go,” I am a pastor now. And, to be honest, as excited as I am it freaks me out a little bit. As my dad has said before “I have never really questioned my call, but I have questioned my ability to respond to the call properly.” What do I, a 23-year-old fresh out of college, really have to bring to the table? Make that a 23-year-old single pastor … anyone going into ministry understands what that means. Less job offers.

However, this one has been a little different because honestly I am happier than I have ever been in my life. Odd huh? But I really am. I know I am exactly where I’m supposed to be, and although I don’t know all the how’s and why’s of where I’m going, this moment is one I have been waiting for, for … well for at least the last 7 years.

It got me thinking, although our God’s will may not be the safest place … it’s the best. I’m scared, I’m nervous, but I’m confident this is my calling. I don’t know that I’ll always know how to fulfill it, but I know this is where I’m supposed to be. This was a transition that was years in the making … and I am loving every minute of it.

break in the clouds

2005-11-19T00:56:00.000-08:00

My sister came to visit me this past weekend. As most of you who have read this know it has been a rough few weeks for my family, for me, and for my sister. I have found myself broken watching her hurt, and watching her do things that she has never done before. Many of the things she does not even want to do, but cannot stop herself yet. Friday night at seven, I gave her the medicine and for the first time in two weeks prayed for her.

Now before you freak out I want to explain that I have not lost my faith or my desire to love and trust Jesus or anything of that effect. I have on the other hand felt as if God wasn’t particularly interested listening to my prayers … no that is wrong … he was listening he just was not answering in the direction that I wanted, therefore I didn’t particularly want to talk to him. However that is not the point of this blog please read on I think you will like it.

Heather and I went to a movie (Chicken Little if you want to know … and it wasn’t too bad if I do say so myself) and it was a pleasure just being with her. I had the opportunity to watch her smile, laugh, almost cry (there was this touching bit with the daddy chicken) and I loved every minute of it.

There were times when I was frustrated when she didn’t listen to me, and I was floored when she told my suite she wanted to read them a scripture and do a sermon. I laughed a bit when she started singing hymns to the girls that came to visit, and I cringed when she went back into her head on the way out of the theatre. Nevertheless, through all of those I realized that I had an unshakable love for her. My heart swelled, my eyes filled up with tears and I treasured every moment.

I realized that even in her broken state, I loved her more than I can type, say, or share. Because I knew her heart. I knew that she wanted to do what I wanted, and I knew that she was loving me and communicating with me as best as she could.

On the way back from the movie it got worse, the more I looked at her the more I was just consumed with the love that I felt. Then it just clicked. In my fallen, broken state, God is looking at me the same way. I wonder how broken he finds himself watching me hurt, and watching me do things that I have never done before. Many of the things I did not even want to do, but cannot stop myself … yet. I am sure that I have never before felt as loved nor given out as much love as I did in that moment.

Not everything is fixed … but … for a moment there was a break in the clouds.

perspective

2005-11-06T22:30:00.000-08:00

There are times when I get caught up in stupid things. Time when I make arguments that aren't going to matter. Then there are times that put everything else into perspective.

As many of you know my little sister has Down's syndrome. However, through everything that has happened to her she kept a great spirit and a great relationship with God. I have always said that she is a better Christian than me. Recently though, she has been a bit more reserved and eventually stopped wanting to be with people. Her joyous disposition had been replaced with fear and an intense urge to be alone. God has become an afterthought as opposed to the passion it once held.

This past week, Heather was diagnosed with schizophrenia. I don't really know what all this consists of completely and I'm still a little numb to be honest. My sister has been my world for a long time. She is the true love of my life, and when I watch her hurt it tears me apart.

Today orthodoxy and worship styles don't seem very important. Today all of my logical answers to the problem of pain are useless. Today grades and graduation could not matter less. Today I hurt.

response to an article in the school paper

2005-10-21T12:07:00.000-07:00

I"m thinking about sending this in to the sojourn, any thoughts you have would be nice ...

I like America. I like the Church. I like the American Church. There, I’ve said it. I am stepping out of the closet and saying that I appreciate Christianity in its current form in America. I realize this is not the chic position to take, and I realize this makes me less “post-modern” and therefore less “relevant” to society, but I am “emerging” with my point nonetheless.

I have become tired hearing how horrid the church in America is. I have become weary of everyone feeling as if they are the next prophet, spewing woes to the American church. “Woe to you American church,” they say, “You have money and are lazy. You cannot preach a Gospel of Joy or one of blessings from God. God wants us to be persecuted and miserable.”

Joel Osteen has become the most recent target. Your Best Life Now has sold a ridiculous amount of books on the concept that God wants you to be joyful and happy right now. And Christians go bezerk? Never mind the Wesleyan position has traditionally been that God does want you to have his best for you now. Never mind that Jesus wanted to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to Earth. “Nah,” would be the response “not like it is here in Babylon a.k.a. America.”

Don’t get me wrong; I realize the church has flaws. It is made of people, and people are fallen. However, whether we want to admit it or not, the church is the body of Christ. America church included. Unless, (in the words of the illustrious Dr. Keith Drury) we want a beheaded Jesus, we need to work within that church.

We have romanticized this concept of persecution here in America. We talk as if that is the only way to form “true Christians.” We hold up signs saying, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” This may or may not be true; either way we must fertilized the ground live bodies spreading The Gospel. Without a “state church” we would not have the bible in the form we have it. Whether we want to admit it or not, history is written by the winners, and if a successful church was never in place, I am not sure we would have Christianity at all. (I know God would have found a way, but to play the God card here means you have to say he can do it however he wants, and who are we to say it has to use persecution and not success.)

I do not have all the answers, I am aware of that. In addition, you may feel that I, as a person going into ministry here in America, am much like a turkey voting against thanksgiving. You are probably correct. Nevertheless, I am sick of watching Christians shoot at other Christian’s who are doing their best to bring as many to Jesus as possible. We are all fighting the same battle; let’s focus on the enemy and not on each other.

Praise God

2005-10-17T13:41:00.000-07:00

I have found that my writing here has moments of. . negativity. . please hold the laughs. Consequently, I felt as if I should write something that is a bit more uplifting.

Dr. Kline is the associate pastor at my church. He has been my mentor for the past 6 or 7 years, and was actually the pastor who dedicated me as a baby. Other than my father, he is the man I want to be most like when I “grow up” and I am looking forward to working on staff with him at some point. If I were starting a church, he would be my first choice for a pastor of evangelism and Christian Ed.

However, he is not the only person involved in this story. His daughter (who has been sick for some time now) went into a coma and with the levels in her body, and no one was expecting her to wake-up. Sunday morning while I was in Indonesia, the church had a special prayer for her around the alter, and after service Dr. Kline made his way to Columbus to say what he thought would be his final goodbye. On his way, Dr. Kline received a phone call. His daughter had woken up, and not only that but all of the levels that had previously been out of whack, no longer were.

Four of the six doctors immediately said this was “intervention.” One of them was a strong Christian and had no problem pointing to God for the answer to “how could this happen.” Two of the doctors are still trying to figure out what happened.

PRAISE GOD!

Throughout my life, I have been hesitant to use the word “miracle.” It’s not that I haven’t seen some (I have), nor is it that I haven’t experienced any (again I have, however I don’t want to feel as if everything that happens is some unexplainable, unrepeatable feat of the supernatural. I have always been a bit afraid of having an experiential faith, which was good with the good, and low with the bad.

However, when I look at moments like these I realize that God is there, and although he does not always dip his hand in to fix things … there are moments like these that he does. To remind me how great and awesome he truly is.

State church or Persucuted church?

2005-10-01T16:31:00.000-07:00

I have read a lot about the church and state stuff, so I thought I'd post the paper that I wrote. I don't completely agree with this, but we had to fall off the log. . . .responses are welcome.

If the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church, then the state church is the fertilizer, which allows it to grow. Cheesy? Yes, but I think this statement is still lined with truth. It is easy to say that the persecution of the church has allowed the church to grow, but I do not believe that we would be able to say that if it weren’t for the times Christianity was in control. History is taught and written by the winners, and the history of Christianity is no different. If the state church had never been established then we would not be where we are today.
I will agree that when the church is under persecution it is at its “strongest” spiritually. It is during this persecution that the proverbial “diamonds in the rough” are created through pressure and outside forces. In these times, common men can become spiritual giants by withstanding pain, and not denying Christ. Although The Gospel is not spread as much, therefore not as many are converted, those that stay fast become much stronger and deeper Christians. Nonetheless, it is not our job to judge the sincerity of a conversion, but to continue to spread the word of God to all.

In addition, it can be pointed out that a state religion leads to shallow and complacent Christians, who are more concerned with “conversion rates” than with the authenticity of the conversions themselves. When the state controls the religion, it becomes just that: a religion. Christianity prides itself in being not a religion but a relationship, and one will be hard-pressed to find said relationship with the bounds of a state controlled “faith”.

Nevertheless, I would have to say that while a persecuted Church sets up a very strong foundation for us to build from it cannot hold up the structure itself for it has no power to do so. We talk about being “World Changers” and trying to transform our community, still it is difficult at best to change a world that is constantly trying to kill you.

Persecution has been somewhat romanticized in the American church because we have not felt it, and therefore do not understand it. We have become complacent within our own structure; and seemingly long for something to stir up within us a passion. Many say that true fervency and passion cannot be upheld within the confines of a state ordained religion. One look at Muslim countries would quickly squelch this argument however. Muslims seem to be more radical and sold out than most Christians that I know, and most are practicing within a state ordained religion.

If we look back throughout history, I think we will see that the church had its largest growth following times when Christianity was the religion of the state. Without the state, the scriptures would have been more destroyed and quite possibly we would not have preserved the ones we have. The Gospel would not have spread as far as it has today if the church would have constantly been under persecution.The seeds may have been laid, but they would not have grown in that rocky soil, nor on the open road where birds would eat them up. It is only on ground that has been cultivated and set apart for the purpose of growing that the grain will produce true harvest.

thoughts on a birthday

2005-09-29T11:30:00.001-07:00

So it's my birthday . . . I celebrated by getting up and going to tennis, and then played a rousing game of NCAA Football 2006. (Which I won 52-21 GO V-tech) I then ate some breakfast and as a treat, decided to skip a class so I can finish a paper that is due today.

I promptly checked my facebook every few hours to see if anyone had dropped me a “happy birthday.” Got one from an ex, two from friends back home I never talk to anymore, and one from the cute girl that serves me coffee. I thought that was a nice gesture on all accounts.

You might ask,” So why are you putting this up Aaron?” You would state, “You promised you wouldn’t just update us on your life. You said that you would only do stuff on here that you really thought mattered ... Well I am getting to that.

I have found that birthdays just don’t seem as important as I get older. The fun stuff and parties as a kid have passed and I don’t get a new bike every year, nor do I get a new video game. The best I can hope for is a good time with the boys out at B-dubs or Steak n’ Shake. Don’t get me wrong, I love both of those, I am just saying stuff changes.

Now I look at my Christian walk, and I wonder if I have done the same thing. Sunday Service has become a time for me to “learn about how to do ministry,” rather than worship God. Instead of celebrating the fact that I go to a Christian school and have the opportunity to worship God with my classmates, I complain about how boring chapel was and why don’t they tone down the music a bit and stop bringing in speakers that are not “theologically sound”.

I feel like the “newness” of Christianity has worn off. I find myself trudging along not really as in love with Jesus as I may have once been. I find myself cleaning dishes while others sit at his feet. I find myself celebrating another “birthday” without the party and bike.

Now, I suppose that the parties and bikes have to go for all of us, and I realize that “mature faith” needs to grow up as well. However, my prayer is I can get back to the faith of an 8-year-old kid waiting for his birthday party to begin.
I want to party.

Lyrics that have made me think even more deeply about this. Jars of Clay "Like a child"

Dear God
Surround me as I speak
The bridges that I walk across are weak
And the frustrations fill the void that
I can't solely bear

Dear God
Don't let me fall apart
You've held me close to You
But I have turned away
And searched for answers
I can't understand

They say that I can move the mountains
And send them falling to the sea
They say that I can walk on water
If I would follow and believe
With Faith Like a Child

Sometimes
When I feel miles away
And my eyes can't see Your face
Well I wonder if I've grown to lose
The recklessness I walked in light of You

They say that I can move the mountains
And send them crashing to the sea
They say that I can walk on water
If I would follow and believe
With faith Like a Child

They say that I can move the mountains
And send them crashing to the sea
They say that I can walk on water
If I would follow and believe
They say that love can heal the broken
They say that hope can make you see
They say that faith can find a Savior
If you would follow and believe
With faith Like a Child

Summit

2005-09-12T21:55:00.000-07:00

The dictionary describes summit as this.

1) The highest point or part; the top.
2) The highest level or degree that can be attained.

So is this week the highest stage of my spiritual walk? I'll be honest I have a tough time swallowing that. I've always been a bit. . . dare I say skeptical of it, because I hope that I have closer and more intimate moments with God.

Don't get me wrong I love the rock out worship (sometimes), and I thought this speaker did a nice job, but I feel a bit odd saying that's my summit. Are we setting ourselves up for a big let down later on. I've been thinking about Keith Drury's discussion on "faith meltdowns" and how we start to realize that our "spiritual high" was just the bass drum rippling through us. And our "religous" encounters were heavily based on the emotional side of our brains (not that there's anything wrong witht emotions, I'm an emotional being we all are, and I don't trust my rational much more than I trust my emotions).

James said that Pure and undefiled religion before God is doing this, Feeding the widdows and orphans and keeping oneself unspotted by the world.

The word for religion there is more of a worship or a literagy. So is it saying our real summit should be when we are "out there" someplace bringing the Gospel to others? I really lean that way.

Am I being too cynical? Or maybe this week of services is the best we get? Help me out please.

2005-09-01T22:37:00.000-07:00

So I went and visited a good friend in the hospital yesteraday. Kimmy Hawk. Kimmy is somewhere in her 40's. . . which is pretty good for a person with Down's syndrom. Kimmy was one of the most positive people that I have ever met. Even in the hospital if asked how she was doing, she would always respond with "terrific" or "great".

However Kimmy isn't doing great right now. Down's hearts aren't as stron as ours and they can only take so much pressure. She's had a few strokes and some surgeries and it's taking it's toll now.

I know it's probably time, they've let her go home so she can watch her birds and listen to southern Gospel music. Yet, that doesn't make it any easier. I'm not sure that I'll ever really get used to this death thing.

I think it is these moments that I understand God the least. I've heard all of the arguments, and ready a large amount of them so please don't give me God is good and loves us all and works all things for his good, because I know. And I don't want to hear that Sin started all pain, nor do I want to hear that I can't see what good is coming out of it, cause I've heard all that too. Tel that to Kim and her parents who are watching their little girl die, without really living in some senses.

Which brings me to this weird why do you do this God deal. Just last month the daughter of my mentor was in a hospital dying. Her levels of something or another was higher than allowed life. She was in a coma and was not going to wake up. Then something happened and she did wake up. 5 of the 7 doctors have called it intervention, and I truly believe it was, because I know God is capable of that and he's done it in my life. So why those prayers answered and not the one's for Kim? I don't know, and I'm starting to think this is where the faith thing comes in. I don't know that we will ever have an answer for why there is pain. I don't think we'll ever logically explain it, and I"m not sure we'll even get the answers in heaven. . . .

Or maybe I'm jsut sad tonight.

2005-08-10T15:27:00.000-07:00

So I love U2 and I love Bono and I had always hoped he was a Christian, but I'll be honest I was one of those who was like "I don't know, he seems shady sometimes." Here's to Bono making an amazing statement for Christ.

And Here's the Link if you want to read it on it's actual site.

Is Bono, the lead singer and songwriter for the rock group U2, a Christian? He says he is and writes about Christianity in his lyrics. Yet many people question whether Bono is "really" a Christian, due to his notoriously bad language, liberal politics, and rock star antics (though he has been faithfully married for 23 years). But in a new book of interviews, Bono in Conversation by Michka Assayas, Bono, though using some salty language, makes an explicit confession of faith.
The interviewer, Mr. Assayas, begins by asking Bono, Doesn't he think "appalling things" happen when people become religious? Bono counters, "It's a mind-blowing concept that the God who created the Universe might be looking for company, a real relationship with people, but the thing that keeps me on my knees is the difference between Grace and Karma."
The interviewer asks, What's that? "At the center of all religions is the idea of Karma. You know, what you put out comes back to you: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, or in physics—in physical laws—every action is met by an equal or an opposite one," explains Bono. "And yet, along comes this idea called Grace to upend all that. . . . Love interrupts, if you like, the consequences of your actions, which in my case is very good news indeed, because I've done a lot of stupid stuff."
The interviewer asks, Like what? "That's between me and God. But I'd be in big trouble if Karma was going to finally be my judge," says Bono. "It doesn't excuse my mistakes, but I'm holding out for Grace. I'm holding out that Jesus took my sins onto the Cross, because I know who I am, and I hope I don't have to depend on my own religiosity."
Then the interviewer marvels, "The Son of God who takes away the sins of the world. I wish I could believe in that."
"The point of the death of Christ is that Christ took on the sins of the world, so that what we put out did not come back to us, and that our sinful nature does not reap the obvious death," replies Bono. "It's not our own good works that get us through the gates of Heaven."
The interviewer marvels some more: "That's a great idea, no denying it. Such great hope is wonderful, even though it's close to lunacy, in my view. Christ has His rank among the world's great thinkers. But Son of God, isn't that farfetched?"
Bono comes back, "Look, the secular response to the Christ story always goes like this: He was a great prophet, obviously a very interesting guy, had a lot to say along the lines of other great prophets, be they Elijah, Muhammad, Buddha, or Confucius. But actually Christ doesn't allow you that. He doesn't let you off that hook. Christ says, No. I'm not saying I'm a teacher, don't call me teacher. I'm not saying I'm a prophet. I'm saying: 'I'm the Messiah.' I'm saying: 'I am God incarnate.' . . . So what you're left with is either Christ was who He said He was—the Messiah—or a complete nutcase. . . . The idea that the entire course of civilization for over half of the globe could have its fate changed and turned upside-down by a nutcase, for me that's farfetched."
What is most interesting in this exchange is the reaction of the interviewer, to whom Bono is, in effect, witnessing. This hip rock journalist starts by scorning what he thinks is Christianity. But it is as if he had never heard of grace, the atonement, the deity of Christ, the gospel. And he probably hadn't. But when he hears what Christianity is actually all about, he is amazed.
•
Copyright © 2005 WORLD MagazineAugust 6, 2005, Vol. 20, No. 30

hm

2005-08-05T22:33:00.000-07:00

The last post was causing problems to my format and that made me unhappy so I took it out. Sorry and I'll post something good soon I promise. . . I don't promist it'll be good I promise I'll post.

2005-07-28T10:45:00.000-07:00

I'm back! First let me say that Indonesia was amazing and I am seriously considering going back. I won't bore you with all the details right now but I will give a few things and then expound on them later.

First. Indonesian children are beautiful and I want one. I considered stealing a few but I wasn't sure how costums would deal with that so I left it alone for now.

Second. Indonesian women are also very beautiful. LOL

Third. Many Muslims in indonesia are not as closed off as I had anticipated and I think that the English language is a great tool in opening up opprotunites for the Gospel.

Fourth. The church there is really, or at least in the area that I was it is, and it seems fairly strong and deep.

And Finally. I want to go back very very much.

Anyway it's good to be back and I will explain all of the above, or at least some of it later.

Am I realy a pacifist?

2005-07-07T12:19:00.000-07:00

So when in classroom discussion, it is very easy for me to say that I would not fight. I am the chic pacifist who believes war is wrong and killing must be subject to love. I mean that’s the right thing to say . . right? I’d never kill someone I need to love. Do I really take stands or do I just take the stands that seem the easiest at the moment? Or the one which is chic.

Anyway all that aside I really started to think this morning when I woke up to news that London was bombed. I loved London. I stayed there 3 weeks one summer and had a blast. Anyway I’ll be honest I was pretty honked off this morning. And visions of bombs and planes dropping them went through my head.
So with my convictions being shaken I start to ask my self, can I love a group of people I seem so angry with. With that thought in mind, I head to Indonesia to minister to and love that very group. God will give me strength and I’m pretty sure I’ll come away believing the same I did. Justice isn’t for me to dole out. I’ll let someone much wiser take control of that.

2005-06-24T22:01:00.000-07:00

So I just finished my second week of church camps and I feel 100% better. Everything seemed to fall into place and the kids and staff seemed to respond much beter. I don't know what happened last week, but whatever it was, God worked trhough it this time, and for that I give him the glory and praise. If I proved anything last week it was that I can't do it on my own. Tomorrow I'm off to my 3rd camp in as many weeks, and then a week off before I travel to indonesia. You're prayers are much appreciated.

one shot

2005-06-14T19:20:00.000-07:00

So tonight was my first church camp speaking deal of the year. . . .and I blew it. I'll be honest I felt off, I sounded off, I'm sure I looked off. All in all it just didn't go well. I don't know maybe it was the cute blonde in the 2nd row who came to visit her sister, maybe it was just the fact that I wasn't feeling it tonight, either way I sucked.

Which brings me to my thought. I had one chance with these kids. Each person does a different night, and tonight was my night. So what do with my one chance of the year? I stumble over my words, I lose my text I do all kinds of other crap that just doesn't seem like what I normally do. I guess more than anything I feel bad cause I don't want to disapoint the kids.

Maybe God's teaching me humility or whatever, but wow, it was a tough pill to swallow. Hopefully the rest of the camps go better. . . I can't imagine them going any worse.

Stuff

2005-06-08T08:45:00.000-07:00

I realize that it's been a really long time since I've posted, and in honesty I'm not sure I have a lot to post about. I guess eventually I just ran out of things to rant about. So I guess I'll do what i htought I never would and I'll give you a bit of an update on me.

I'm getting ready to start church camps so please pray for me and the kids. I am always a little leary of these church camp conversions and this camp we are really trying to make the kids think about and actually make a real choice.

I have three camps I'm speaking once next week 9 times the week after that and 3 or 4 times the week after that as well as being a councilor and various other random positions. If you could give a shout out to God for me that'd be great.

Also speaking of shoutouts to God I have had surgery on both of my toes. For those of you who know I have had pretty bad ingrown toenails, and my mom surprised me with a doctors trip and cutting of them. I'm still in some pain.

Finally, I am also going to indonesia which is the largest Muslim country in the world. The are we are going to is about 96% Muslim and Jakarta, the capital, has been threatened for hotel bombings. 21 people just died there recently and westerners are not looked well upon. The US embassy actually closed for 2 days at one point. However we are going to teach english in the more rural areas I think so hopefully we will be out of harms way. If you could pray for my family (Aunt Connie, Uncle Jim, Heather, Dad (Joe), Mom (Peggy), and for the rest of the team that is going.

Well folks the business of my summer is just starting. Hope stuff going well I'm still seeking God and trusting him to lead me.

An "innocent" mistake?

2005-05-16T01:06:00.000-07:00

Because of faulty reporting in the Newsweek, 13 people have been killed and
more than 100 have been injured. And do they appologize. . . well sort of.

"We regret that we got any part of our story wrong, and extend our sympathies to
victims of the violence and to the U.S. soldiers caught in its midst," Whitaker
wrote in the magazine's latest issue, due to appear on U.S. newsstands on
Monday."

However,

"Newsweek, which said opponents of the Afghan government including remnants of
the Taliban had used its report to fan unrest in the country, said it was not
contemplating disciplinary action against staff."

and,

"This was reported very carefully, with great sensitivity and concern, and
we'll continue to report on it," said Newsweek Managing Editor Jon Meacham. "We
have tried to be transparent about exactly what happened, and we leave it to the
readers to judge us."

Apparenlty not carefully enough for it to be correct? And they are going to continue to report? Aren't innocent lives a bit more important than selling your magazine? Is it possible that you should clam up on this one a bit until some of this stuff blows over? I mean seriously you don't just report and then let the chips fall where the may. You've got to know whatthe reactions to your actions are going to be. Maybe it's just late, and I'm ticked. . I don't know . . . am I over reacting?

Why we choose to do what we do. . .

2005-04-20T20:14:00.000-07:00

So while surfing different web sites I found a fairly cool quiz. It shows what particular philosophical framework you use to decide your ethics. I'm not sure it's scientific at all, but it's a lot of fun. Also I'm not sure that I'm totally utilitarian, but that's a subject for another day. Let me know how you scored. . .

Click here for quiz

You scored as Utilitarianism

Your life is guided by the principles of Utilitarianism: You seek the greatest good for the greatest number.

“The said truth is that it is the greatest happiness of the greatest number that is the measure of right and wrong.” --Jeremy Bentham

“Whenever the general disposition of the people is such, that each individual regards those only of his interests which are selfish, and does not dwell on, or concern himself for, his share of the general interest, in such a state of things, good government is impossible.” --John Stuart Mill

Utilitarianism
70%
Divine Command
65%
Hedonism
55%
Existentialism
55%
Justice (Fairness)
40%
Kantianism
35%
Strong Egoism
10%
Nihilism
5%
Apathy
0%

Why one and not the other

2005-04-12T00:43:00.000-07:00

I found it interesting how many critics talked about how much they did not like "The Passion of the Christ" because of how violent it was, but then liked other movies that had as much if not more violent. Perspective is an interesting thing. I compiled a few critics and their thoughts on both movies. Am I being a bit paranoid or is there at least a little bit of bias here?

Passion: "A very dour, pedestrian picture.” “One that catalogs his physical suffering in a businesslike visual database of flayed flesh and spurting blood”

Sin City: “It's a hard, viciously funny little movie, one with all the subtlety of a billy club. But there's artistry here, too."
-Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com

Passion: “"Mel Gibson shows once again that he's skilled at depicting violence. But you'd be hard pressed to find evidence of 'tolerance, love and forgiveness' that the producer-director-co-writer insists he's trying to communicate."

Sin City: “"Sometimes it all seems as schematic as a theme park attraction. Mostly, though, the movie comes across like the fever dream of a smart, put-upon adolescent who'd been up all night watching every black-and-white crime movie made since the sound era."
-Gene Seymour, Newsday

Passion: "Gibson has made a movie for nobody, really, but Gibson.” ''The Passion of the Christ'' all but proclaims in his gaudily tormented, pornographically blood-drenched, anything but literal interpretation of the last 12 hours of Jesus' life.”

Kill Bill 2: “With the second installment, Tarantino -- famous as an inspired manipulator of genre, less proven as a filmmaker of soul -- shows his shy but ardent, cinephiliac understanding of American sentiment and yearning."
-Lisa Schwarzbaum, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

Passion: "What graphic sex is to the use of the body in hardcore porno, graphic violence is to destruction of the body of Christ in this Passion."

Kill Bill 1: “Not only is this the work of a major and vital talent in full bloom, it's the most thrillingly entertaining American movie so far this year."
-Geoff Pevere, TORONTO STAR

Passion: “"The extreme violence does not teach a lesson; it's an end in itself, more suited to the S&M crowd than to anyone seeking an uplifting sermon on everlasting redemption."

Kill Bill 1: "This is Tarantino the ultimate movie geek, channeling all the best tee-hee-GROSS! moments from Hong Kong and Japanese splatter movies."
- Glenn Lovell, SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS

Christian Scholar?!?

2005-04-11T19:34:00.000-07:00

At a conference on Theodicy and Religion in relation to the Problem of Pain, I encountered some of the very things about which you are. In the back row, there was a man who seemed to be . . . against God at best. Whenever someone who was a Christian or even a Theist would bring up a question, he would snicker and shake his head. I could almost hear him saying, "Stupid Christians, never think anything through." Now I realize that I was at a conference where most people HAD thought things through and many might have been absolute geniuses. But this guy was really starting to rub me the wrong way. Was he smarter than me? Probably. . .then again that is not all that hard. He probably had more degrees . . . maybe he was a grad student or something, but the whole time I thinking, this guy isn’t even giving them a chance. . . acting all haughty.

Then on the stage, I saw three much respected scholars in the philosophical domain (William Rowe, and Paul Draper namely). Both Draper and Rowe made statements I will never forget.

Draper said "I'll never say that Christianity or any Theistic position is that way because they are too weak or too stupid, it is only because I think God is just literally too good to be true."

Rowe made a more powerful statement. "I was in seminary when I lost my faith . . .and I will say that I lost it quite reluctantly. I was grasping for something and even tried (other versions of Theism) but I finally found them, in my mind, lacking. But as a friendly Atheist I don't find the Theist position that which is intellectually irreconcilable, just more difficult that Atheism."

I was looking around wondering if my buddy in the back row had heard that. On the other hand, did it even matter? I guess my point is, I too hate it when some try to make it as if Christians cannot be scholars or have great minds, because no great mind could be a Christian if they really thought it through . . . there’s circular reasoning for ya.

Then after this initial upsetness, my thoughts went back to Rowe. And, as has happened so many times this semester, my heart broke. I saw a man who seemed to miss Christianity, or if I can take some liberties, at very least Jesus. I thought of Charles Templeton a man who toured with Billy Graham as an evangelist. I think of the rock that formed in the pit of my stomach as I read his words in Lee Strobel’s “Case for Faith.” “I miss Jesus,” he said frankly in the interview. As I wallow in my own doubt, sometimes I get scared. I am occasionally terrified that one day I will wake up and just not be able to believe any longer. I know that is not really, how it happens . . . or at least I do not think it is, but through all these studies, I view constant reminders that we are fragile.

Templeton did not say there was not a God, just that he could not believe in a personal, loving, all-powerful God who allowed the world to be filled with so much pain. Rowe said the same thing, as did many of the presenters at the colloquium. I do not know how to fix that. I am not sure that intellectually we ever really will. When it comes to questions like that, I find that most groups find the answers they are looking for.
Tonight I pray for the Templetons and Rowes in the world. God help them in their faith; give them grace as they seek. God, let them see you, as you really are, a God of love and a God of mercy. One who died for me, and for them, when neither of us earned or deserved it. God give me strength and discernment . . . and God, give me faith.

Church

2005-04-04T21:28:00.000-07:00

So here's my thought. There are absolutely millions of people mourning the popes death. Millions are making a pilgrimage there to pay their last respects. At the Catholic church back home the one church in town was packed out. . . for the first time to my knowledge ever. Which is what kind of bothers me. The same people who will go to church the Sunday after the pope dies in rememberance of the pope, wouldn't go to church the Sunday before in rememberance of Jesus Christ dying and resurecting. Does that seem odd at all? I don't want to sound cynical because I do like the pope, and I do respect him, and you can read my reponses to other people to see my support, but it does bother me a little bit that the church is going to ride this for all it's worth. Once again a man died and people are going to exploit it for all they are worth. To all who care I give my prayers and condolances. . . and hope that this new wave of love for the Catholic chruch stays around.

A more tender moment

2005-03-31T10:25:00.000-08:00

My heart broke as I read the headline Terri Schiavo Dies After Bitter Legal Battle. Do I have a stance on this issue. . .probably but that's not really my point right now. So many of us I think have taken sides and whether they be political or moral or whatever I think some of us missed the fact that there were at least 4 or 5 people who's lives have been drastically changed in the past few months. As much as I would love to pretend that I'm an "intellectual-non-emotional-rationalist" I'm not. And when I saw the pictures this morning I cried a bit. I cry for Terri, who may or may not be awake for it all, but fact is she starved to death. I cry for her parents who had to watch their daughter go through all of this and literally watch her die. I cry for her husband who seems to be so removed from true love and reality. And I cry for humanity who I'm not sure has acted much like the "humanity" that I have idealized should. So. . . I end with. . . .I don't know. I hurt. . .I hurt a lot.

I'm a Commie

2005-03-23T16:15:00.000-08:00

Ok I so I’ve been told that I’m not being practical enough in my blog. That it’s too heady and I’m not going to make any change by talking about stuff like that. So I’m going to move to another issue.

In class the other day we were discussing Marxism and how Marx got to his systems, things of that nature. It was brought up that Wal-Mart throws away a ton of food that spoils a day (can I use the actual name of a store?), and no one gets to eat it, while there are starving people in Marion. Then a student had the gall to say “Well they should have bought less then, because if you give it away people will never pay for it” and then others chimed in with witty metaphors like giving men fish instead of teaching them, and how bears won’t hunt if they are fed by people, and other such rubbish.

I finally snapped (and for that I’d like to apologize I did lose my cool a bit) and here is my response
“I don’t care what political or economic system you are wedded to, or whether you hate capitalism or communism, free market or socialism, the fact is people are dying all over the world. Maybe the church should buy the oranges and give them away, maybe something else, I don’t know how exactly it needs to be fixed, but we can’t sit around and say ‘well they are lazy so they don’t get food’ or whatever. That’s crap. If we have come to the point in the church that we let ourselves get caught up in politics so much that we can’t help people, we’re sad. Marx needed to slap us in the face and say, there are people who are sick and dying and are that way because of rich, fat, and happy Christians. Christ didn’t tell us to rehab people, or to train them, or to help them hunt.” (side note, I do think as a whole we should help change people and not just give them food, yet that’s not the point) “If you can show me Biblically or from the early church that we should do something like that then fine, but they didn’t have a system set up. I don’t completely know how to fix it, all that I know is Christ told me to feed them and clothe them and to the best of my ability I’m going to do it.”

Does this mean I’m voting Democrat next election? No! Does it mean I’m a communist? No. (Although I do think in a Christian society where all people are Christians a form of this would work best) All I’m saying is we are commanded by Christ to do something, and I’m not sure the Greed of Capitalism is helping us do that. There I’ve said it. Capitalism is based on others and my own greed. And I’ve fallen in the trap as much as other people.
One pastor once told his congregation that if all of them were on welfare (this was a fairly well to do church) and they each tithed their 10% then the church would be able to do all of their ministries (including food pantries and clothing centers) better and with more money. Meaning no one was sharing with the others. We’re greedy person, that’s really what it comes down to.

God in the box 2

2005-03-17T10:45:00.002-08:00

Ok so the topic today is a bit of a recount of the last one. In Christology we are dealing with the theandric union of Christ. How the Human nature and Divine nature are combined as one person. Eventually it got to the point that we said “it’s a mystery” and we retreat into the cave of faith.

My modern mind and postmodern leanings are in total conflict on this. I’ve found it difficult to be a child of the end of modernity, which has been flung into the mess of postmodernism, and as I come out of the cave my eyes hurt (Plato’s cave not the before mentioned cave of faith). I realize that the fall of how much of this systematic theology is purely putting God in my box, and how much of it is trying to love and worship God by learning as much about him as I can. If modernity has placed rational and knowledge on a pedestal then has postmodernity shot it down completely?

Why can I not try to understand God? Did he create my reason? Or did that come after the fall? Does God work with us, through councils and creeds, or are these perversions that should be looked at with caution, distrust, and maybe even disdain?
My love of tradition cannot let me throw out these, and perhaps Postmodernity is not really asking me to, but rather to examine the very muddy, dirty, dare I say . . . (no I won’t say it) water and look for the baby who has been laying somewhere in there. We cannot throw out the baby (whatever this metaphorical baby ends up containing is yet to be completely determined), along with the water, or we have abandoned that which much of our foundation has been set upon.

God in the box

2005-03-04T15:00:00.000-08:00

During our senior capstone philosophy class (for some reason labeled the philosophy of being a world changer. . . so we now just call it senior capstone class) we started discussing what propositional truths we would keep in the church. As Post-modernity starts to knock down one after the other. One person said that God is at the top holding onto the church and as we knock down these truths from the bottom (Jenga style if you will) then God still holds it.

Although I agree to an extent, God is obviously holding the church from the top and we don’t have to have everything put together down here, I still think that there is at least one truth we have to hold to, and I’d like to grab a few on the way.

Do we really think that if we deny the resurrection of Christ as a truth that has to be held to keep the church going that we could still just plug away. No I don’t think we have to understand the trinity or really comprehend Christ’s complete duality, but if there is no duality if we just make Christ some “mystery which we don’t understand” I truly believe this undermines Biblical Christianity.

We love new fads and anything that makes us look new and smart, and I’m afraid that we have already started to cling to this new “post-modern” thing. We chastise others for being so wedded to modernity and turn around and do the same thing. The Church obviously needs to change and flow to stay relevant to its culture, but how far are we willing to do this? And at what cost? What are we willing to sacrifice to post modernity, to make us relevant, and why can’t we learn from the mistakes of the past?

Conforming

2005-03-03T14:21:00.000-08:00

So here I am. Blogging. I guess I'm conforming. Dr. Drury says I should do this to improve my writing. Kevin says it makes you more socially conscience or something like that, Mike says it will be therapeutic for me. I don't know if any of these are correct, but I'm willing to take a stab at it. All in all I can't imagine it doing much harm (as I say that I am thinking of future e-mails from ticked off people). So we'll see how it works out. Give me some time and sooner or later I may get this thing down.