1.20.2010

Apples, Oranges, and Live Birds

Do we think apples (unified whole) or oranges (dissected parts)?

Do we dissect the bird to understand it? Or seek to discover it in its natural environment?

How do we approach the Scriptures? God Himself?

1.14.2010

A Seed...

Something is growing...

I don't know what it is, perhaps only the hope of something.

...but there is a new thing growing inside of me.

1.11.2010

NT Wright meets Dallas Willard

Paul

"Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor..."

From his letter to the Church of Rome

1.08.2010

Spiritual Bundle Packs

Time Warner is the local cable service provider in our area.

They offer bundle packages for hi-speed internet, cable tv, and voip phone service; you can pay one bill that includes all of those services. The problem is, you can't have just internet and phone, you have to have the cable service as well to get the discounted rates.

Unfortunately, we have no desire for the television service, and so we can't get the deal on the bundle package.

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Unfortunately the same thing is true of our faith:

I want to follow Jesus, but unfortunately there are other things 'bundled' to following Jesus that I am not interested in 'subscribing' to. But just like people think I am weird for not watching cable, Christians will think you are weird if you don't sign up for the bundle package deal they are attempting to sell.

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Political affiliation, specific stances on social issues, affirming or denying specific activities, these and many others are often bundled together with confidence in Jesus. At some points in recent Church history it was quite common for Christians to think of card-playing as a sin. At other points in Church history it would have been unthinkable to hold a Christian worldview without also perceiving of the universe in the geo-centric astronomical model. This would be humorous if there weren't contemporary equivalents...

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So the real question is, what are the things that I 'bundle' with my faith? Where are the places that I add my own opinions onto those of Jesus? What do I consider essential that Jesus would think peripheral; or that I think peripheral, but Jesus would claim to be central? What do I call good, that my Master would call evil; or those things that I call evil, that my Master would call good?

1.07.2010

Communication

Why is it so hard to understand each other?

Seems like most of the disagreements I have with people aren't actually places where we fail to agree with each other, but rather places where we fail to understand each other.

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Two professors, in a public debate, after spending a good length of time going back and forth, interrupted the evening to address the crowd.

"You have no idea how rare this is," they stated, "the two of us have actually agreed upon our disagreement." They went on, "it is very difficult for two people to ever come to an agreement about the exact point at which they fail to agree, but we have come to that place, and now real debate can actually begin!"

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Too often we are like athletes on a field of contest, I am convinced that you have broken the rules of the game of volleyball, while you are convinced that you are winning the game of soccer. Very rarely do we realize that we are both playing different sports, and reading different rule books...

1.03.2010

A Supernatural Question...

Can I pray for you right now?

A PostModern Manifesto

My right to say what I want
And think the way I wanna think
My right
I wanna speak my mind
My right to yell my right to scream
My right
No one's ever gonna
Tell me what I have to do

I'll live my life the way I want
I don't care about your little world
And I can't believe you're telling me
What's good for me how do you know what's good?
And I can't believe you're telling me
What to believe, get away from me - my right

No matter what I do
To you, its one big mistake
Well I'm sick of you I know I'm right
You sleazy money grubbing fake
My right, my life, my soul, my mind
My body, my existence means
That I don't have to listen to you
It's my right cause I'm a human being