I remember being a young high school student with an honest zeal for things spiritual. That time in my life was one filled with deep frustration and inability. Wanting to grow closer to God, but not being taught any really sustainable traits, I found what I consider easily measured spirituality. The depth of one's relationship to God was something concretely measurable, it was something seen in specific acts. As long as I claimed to believe the Bible, memorize it, pray, go to church, and evangelize I was on track spiritually. The weightier matters of the law, like love and compassion, were things not to be trifled with, after all they were not as easily measured and one might seem liberal doing them.
Part of the spiritual crucible that I associated with had a passion for evangelism. To tell the whole world has always seemed part of the Christian message in my mind. This meant concrete applications of spreading the good news. I was coming to the end of my high school years and I was certain about going to Bible college. For me then, it was completely natural to go and share the gospel with people. The methods that I was introduced to have lingered in my mouth like the taste of a bad beer. Most prominent among these methods is one of preaching the law before grace. Among Christians it is my understanding that there has been a centuries old debate about what to preach first; law or grace. Starting from the law seems only chronological, however, I believe it leads to failing theology.
The most prominent method I was taught and that I used is endorsed/founded by a man called Ray Comfort. "Hell's Best Kept Secret" is the name of the program. This is a method of bullying people into their guilt under the law. The major venue for this type of evangelism is on the streets with random people. Problems abound with this approach to evangelism. Starting with asking a random person on the street about whether or not she believes she is a good person. Naturally most people will respond by saying, "yes." Next as the evangelizer you should ask her if she has ever told a lie, ever stolen anything, ever looked at man with lust in her heart. To which naturally she will say yes. It is at this point that you lay it on, letting her know that according to the Bible she is a lying, thieving, adulterer. Then you ask if she thinks she will go to heaven. She will probably say yes. Then you ask her how God can let liars and thieves and adulterers into heaven. She will say she doesn't know, then you tell her about Jesus.
If I were to sum up most methods of evangelism I could do so in a way that parallels many products advertised on television. For example the ped egg (a scrapper for your nasty feet): "Tired of calloused feet tearing your pantyhose? Embarrassed how your feet look and feel? Introducing the ped egg! For just one easy payment of ... you can have the great looking feet you deserve" Now think of evangelism, "Tired of you life being terrible? Tired of being a lying thief? Introducing Jesus. For just coming to church and having a few awkward conversations with people telling them they are going to hell, your life can be completely better. You can have the life you deserve."
A few thoughts then come to my mind: when did Christianity become so corporate? Why is the gospel summed up into short quips that betray costly and compassionate grace? There are comical parallels between what is seen on Tv and the gospel, there are also many Christians (or at least people who wear Christian clothing) who come to the As seen on tv store I work at, coincidence I think not. I would love to write more about evangelism and the nature of the church, but I do not have the time.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Mundane Update
What do you do when you stop getting excited? Where do you find life, when there is no spice in it? What stories do you listen to, read, or join when they all sound bland? What happens when life seems only mundane? I find myself, yearning for something exciting, and groundbreaking to happen. Yet most events I encounter make me sad. Most of the information I receive hurts my heart, most of what I need to do is quite a lot less than fulfilling. This may just be my struggle for meaning or it may be something a little bit more. But maybe my desire to have full meaning and “destiny” has been warped. It might be that in the simple and mundane is where I am to find a consuming and present peace.
I find myself currently living a life, and I have to sometimes think that it is not mine. I go to a wonderful graduate school. I am working towards a master of arts in religion. The basic plan is that before I am 26 (or hopefully 25), I will have completed my degree. Then I will be an overeducated child, in the eyes of those who have experienced life. That seems to me myopic for their part, but understandable none the less. Sure I may not have encountered the same sensory events, I may not have participated in the same conversations and tossing abouts of ideas; but I have lived some, and unless all of life is the same mess my story matters to them, and of course, to me.
In my current state, I am working a part-time job in a field that might seem the opposite of my end goal. I work a retail job for a store that sells, stuff (junk more likely) to people who typically would live their lives happily without stopping by my place of work (elderly and impoverished). I must confess there are moments where I really wish that those who come in to my store would leave, so that I would not have to see their faces and expectations. However, in all fairness, most, if not all, of the stuff sold at my work actually functions properly, when used as directed. How does one find life in this situation? Where is the joy and hope?
Just the other day, a coworker of mine revealed to me all of their problems. These problems were most definitely severe and incredibly sad. Ironically, earlier in the week I had been confronted by the fact that I do not have a ‘ministry’ of sorts at the moment. I was even more disappointed when every serving opportunity scheduled at the church I attend takes place in hours I have to work. So I thought to myself that maybe this season in life was for receiving, how naive. It would appear as though God is showing me another area to serve, the mundane and ritual.
Finally, even though I absolutely love the church, I have found myself not desiring to go the past two Sundays. Part of it is that I am quite tired and attending church seems more of a chore than a refreshing experience (even though I am not actually “doing” ministry). But I continue to go and participate in the liturgies, to pray the prayers, hear the sermons, give my money. I continue to do so, because it is by participating in the mundane, the ritual that I will experience life; and maybe even find some life abundant.
I find myself currently living a life, and I have to sometimes think that it is not mine. I go to a wonderful graduate school. I am working towards a master of arts in religion. The basic plan is that before I am 26 (or hopefully 25), I will have completed my degree. Then I will be an overeducated child, in the eyes of those who have experienced life. That seems to me myopic for their part, but understandable none the less. Sure I may not have encountered the same sensory events, I may not have participated in the same conversations and tossing abouts of ideas; but I have lived some, and unless all of life is the same mess my story matters to them, and of course, to me.
In my current state, I am working a part-time job in a field that might seem the opposite of my end goal. I work a retail job for a store that sells, stuff (junk more likely) to people who typically would live their lives happily without stopping by my place of work (elderly and impoverished). I must confess there are moments where I really wish that those who come in to my store would leave, so that I would not have to see their faces and expectations. However, in all fairness, most, if not all, of the stuff sold at my work actually functions properly, when used as directed. How does one find life in this situation? Where is the joy and hope?
Just the other day, a coworker of mine revealed to me all of their problems. These problems were most definitely severe and incredibly sad. Ironically, earlier in the week I had been confronted by the fact that I do not have a ‘ministry’ of sorts at the moment. I was even more disappointed when every serving opportunity scheduled at the church I attend takes place in hours I have to work. So I thought to myself that maybe this season in life was for receiving, how naive. It would appear as though God is showing me another area to serve, the mundane and ritual.
Finally, even though I absolutely love the church, I have found myself not desiring to go the past two Sundays. Part of it is that I am quite tired and attending church seems more of a chore than a refreshing experience (even though I am not actually “doing” ministry). But I continue to go and participate in the liturgies, to pray the prayers, hear the sermons, give my money. I continue to do so, because it is by participating in the mundane, the ritual that I will experience life; and maybe even find some life abundant.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Love
“This is obvious; for the distinction of friend or enemy is a distinction in the object of love, but the object of love to your neighbor is always without distinction. Your neighbor is the absolutely unrecognizable distinction between one person and another; it is eternal equality before God – enemies, too, have this equality (100).”
“To love one’s neighbor, therefore, means essentially to will to exist equally for every human being without exception (100).”
Who is my neighbor? That seems like a good question. Jesus tells us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves(This is found in Leviticus as well). The golden rule plus the admonition to love is quite a profound idea. Extend love to your neighbor. I know of people who often complain about their neighbors. They are too loud, there are too many people there, they are reducing my house’s retail value. Any reason that we give about why we dislike our neighbors seems only to be the extension of what cannot be called and is not love. Love is demanding. Love is not flippant and love certainly is not cheap. Love will cost you your independence. Love will cost you your desires. Love will force you to care about other people more than yourself. Love is the transforming power of the gospel. Love is absolutely essential for those who follow the gospel.
Soren Kierkegaard will also tell us that the only action that is noticeably defined as love is love. That is a paradox, but insightful and true.
“True love is only recognizable by love (100).”
So I can I be a person filled with hate and rage and malice and bitterness towards people? Maybe, after all, love is complex. But if these feelings of rage and hate and malice and bitterness lack the grounding foundation of love what in the world does it matter to anyone. To love is the only practical part of Christianity.
Who is my neighbor? Everyone. All peoples, anyone who is alive. My neighbor is black, white, brown. My neighbor is short, tall, fat, skinny. My neighbor speaks Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, English, French, German, Swahili, Lingala, Kikongo, Kiluba… My neighbor is the world and my neighbor is clamoring for my love.
So I will love those who do not love me in return. I will love my enemy, because my enemy is my neighbor. I will love the my neighbor’s when they fight, and I will give myself to solve their conflicts. I will care about my neighbor’s life more than my own. I will be a person who loves. Love is the element of existence that transcends reality. When we love we are no longer fitting within the paradigms of this world. We no longer act as we should, we act better, smartter and in line with God’s kingdom.
If you follow Christ and you do not love are you really following him?
“To love one’s neighbor, therefore, means essentially to will to exist equally for every human being without exception (100).”
Who is my neighbor? That seems like a good question. Jesus tells us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves(This is found in Leviticus as well). The golden rule plus the admonition to love is quite a profound idea. Extend love to your neighbor. I know of people who often complain about their neighbors. They are too loud, there are too many people there, they are reducing my house’s retail value. Any reason that we give about why we dislike our neighbors seems only to be the extension of what cannot be called and is not love. Love is demanding. Love is not flippant and love certainly is not cheap. Love will cost you your independence. Love will cost you your desires. Love will force you to care about other people more than yourself. Love is the transforming power of the gospel. Love is absolutely essential for those who follow the gospel.
Soren Kierkegaard will also tell us that the only action that is noticeably defined as love is love. That is a paradox, but insightful and true.
“True love is only recognizable by love (100).”
So I can I be a person filled with hate and rage and malice and bitterness towards people? Maybe, after all, love is complex. But if these feelings of rage and hate and malice and bitterness lack the grounding foundation of love what in the world does it matter to anyone. To love is the only practical part of Christianity.
Who is my neighbor? Everyone. All peoples, anyone who is alive. My neighbor is black, white, brown. My neighbor is short, tall, fat, skinny. My neighbor speaks Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, English, French, German, Swahili, Lingala, Kikongo, Kiluba… My neighbor is the world and my neighbor is clamoring for my love.
So I will love those who do not love me in return. I will love my enemy, because my enemy is my neighbor. I will love the my neighbor’s when they fight, and I will give myself to solve their conflicts. I will care about my neighbor’s life more than my own. I will be a person who loves. Love is the element of existence that transcends reality. When we love we are no longer fitting within the paradigms of this world. We no longer act as we should, we act better, smartter and in line with God’s kingdom.
If you follow Christ and you do not love are you really following him?
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
On the Nature of Scripture
I read an article by Robert Hull Jr. on the nature of Scripture here are some of my observations.
The Bible is the product of human understanding of the divine's interaction with the world. For Scripture to be inspired does not necessitate that Scripture must come from God via plenary inspiration. God does not have to dictate the Scriptures to peoples. Because the Scriptures seem to be the recordings of God's interaction with humanity, these are bound to have a degree of fallibility. All of this is to say that the Bible is not void of tradition. God did not dictate that these 66 (or however many if your normal and not protestant) books should be in and the rest out. The formation of the cannon of Scripture is the product of fallible people forming a useful collection of works.
From the article it is mentioned that the three areas in which the council's found criteria for the NT cannon.
1.) Apostolicity--agreeing with the tradition of the apostles. The rule of faith and the rule of truth, ideas coming from Iraneaus and Tertullian.
2.) Orthodoxy--that the book/work conformed to the rule of faith (teachings of the apostles), I guess this would be more in the area agreements in principle. Maybe taking an idea of the apostles and expanding it in a different area than the apostles had intended.
3.) Antiquity--closer to the time of the 1st century the better.
That being said, what of the OT? It is asserted in this article that a form of the OT/Hebrew Bible cannon was already in existence. This is strengthened by Josephus in Against Apion 1:8, where Josephus speaks of the three way division of the Hebrew Scriptures.
So where does this leave the Bible? It would seem that Scripture is formed neither completely apart from nor controlled by tradition. Instead tradition is a form of glue that holds the Scriptures together. A balsa wood model is not the model until the wood is glued together. Similarly, Scripture is not Scripture unless glued together by the tradition of the church.
In addition to tradition and the text, we also will at some point need to discuss how a person's experience affects the text. So that will be that for now.
The Bible is the product of human understanding of the divine's interaction with the world. For Scripture to be inspired does not necessitate that Scripture must come from God via plenary inspiration. God does not have to dictate the Scriptures to peoples. Because the Scriptures seem to be the recordings of God's interaction with humanity, these are bound to have a degree of fallibility. All of this is to say that the Bible is not void of tradition. God did not dictate that these 66 (or however many if your normal and not protestant) books should be in and the rest out. The formation of the cannon of Scripture is the product of fallible people forming a useful collection of works.
From the article it is mentioned that the three areas in which the council's found criteria for the NT cannon.
1.) Apostolicity--agreeing with the tradition of the apostles. The rule of faith and the rule of truth, ideas coming from Iraneaus and Tertullian.
2.) Orthodoxy--that the book/work conformed to the rule of faith (teachings of the apostles), I guess this would be more in the area agreements in principle. Maybe taking an idea of the apostles and expanding it in a different area than the apostles had intended.
3.) Antiquity--closer to the time of the 1st century the better.
That being said, what of the OT? It is asserted in this article that a form of the OT/Hebrew Bible cannon was already in existence. This is strengthened by Josephus in Against Apion 1:8, where Josephus speaks of the three way division of the Hebrew Scriptures.
So where does this leave the Bible? It would seem that Scripture is formed neither completely apart from nor controlled by tradition. Instead tradition is a form of glue that holds the Scriptures together. A balsa wood model is not the model until the wood is glued together. Similarly, Scripture is not Scripture unless glued together by the tradition of the church.
In addition to tradition and the text, we also will at some point need to discuss how a person's experience affects the text. So that will be that for now.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
I'm just sitting here being...Provocative
“if I apprehend God objectively, I do not have faith; but because I cannot do this, I must have faith (70).”
If it is possible to come to know God in an objective world, then faith is not possible. There is no need for faith when there is all you need to know, in a form of truth ‘out there.’
"Objectivity and faith are at complete odds with each other. What does objective faith mean? Doesn’t it amount to nothing more than a sum of tenets? (72)”
When one can know God through objective truth, then she can ascend to the gospel. She can mentally ascend, by agreeing with key, “objective,” tenets of Christianity. She can tell me the facts of the old, old story and therefore, she has made it to understanding the gospel. But isn’t there something in the gospel about descent? Isn’t the beauty of the gospel about God’s descent into humanity? God’s descent into humanity is beyond our objective reason precisely because it doesn’t make any sense.
“For an existing individual, therefore, there is no objective truth “out there.” An objective knowledge about the truth or the truths of Christianity is precisely untruth. To know a creed by rote is, quite simply, paganism. This is because Christianity is inwardness. Christianity is paradox, and paradox requires but one thing: the passion of faith (73).”
Faith is most definitely inward. It would seem that our existence is where we might begin. Inside of us, there is a yearning for faith.
If it is possible to come to know God in an objective world, then faith is not possible. There is no need for faith when there is all you need to know, in a form of truth ‘out there.’
"Objectivity and faith are at complete odds with each other. What does objective faith mean? Doesn’t it amount to nothing more than a sum of tenets? (72)”
When one can know God through objective truth, then she can ascend to the gospel. She can mentally ascend, by agreeing with key, “objective,” tenets of Christianity. She can tell me the facts of the old, old story and therefore, she has made it to understanding the gospel. But isn’t there something in the gospel about descent? Isn’t the beauty of the gospel about God’s descent into humanity? God’s descent into humanity is beyond our objective reason precisely because it doesn’t make any sense.
“For an existing individual, therefore, there is no objective truth “out there.” An objective knowledge about the truth or the truths of Christianity is precisely untruth. To know a creed by rote is, quite simply, paganism. This is because Christianity is inwardness. Christianity is paradox, and paradox requires but one thing: the passion of faith (73).”
Faith is most definitely inward. It would seem that our existence is where we might begin. Inside of us, there is a yearning for faith.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
More from Soren...So Good!!!
Here are some more thoughts from Soren Kierkegaard, on the issue of truth and its being objective or subjective.
"When approached objectively, the question of truth is only about categories of thought. Approached subjectively, however, truth is about inwardness. At its maximum, the how of inwardness is the passion of the infinite, and the passion of the infinite is the essential truth. Decision exists only in subjectivity. Thus the passion of the infinite, not its content, is the deciding factor, for its content is precisely itself. In this way the subjective how and subjectivity, not the objective what and objectivity, are the truth" (Provocation 59-60).
"God is a subject to be related to, not an object to be studied or mediated on. He exists only for subjective inwardness. The person who chooses the subjective way immediately grasps the difficulty of trying to find God objectively. He understands that to know God means to resort to God, not by virtue of objective deliberation, but by virtue of the infinite passion of inwardness. Whereas objective knowledge goes along leisurely on the long road of deliberation, subjective knowledge considers every delay of decision a deadly peril. Knowing subjectively considers decision so important that it is immediately urgent, as if the delayed opportunity had already passed by unused (60)."
I do not think we humans can know objective truth. I am a dabbler in philosophy and what comes next are some of my thoughts about the nature of objectivity and subjectivity. Feel free to critique and show me my flaws, I need to hear other people's thoughts on this issue.
It is my understanding that a philosophical definition of 'objective truth' would go something along the lines of the following: a proposition that is true no matter what, whether or not a person acknowledges it. I am not sure I like this concept, if my understanding of objective truth is correct. My dilemma is this: the only way a person knows truth is through subjectivity. We can only understand truth through the lenses of our biases and experiences. We do not understand life in an objective manner. Also, to compound the issue, we have a relationship (very loose meaning to this word here) to every truth we know. So because we only understand truth through subjectivity it would seem that we can never know if there is objective truth.
I will try to demonstrate: suppose you see a person sitting in a chair facing a wall, behind that person is a large pink elephant. Now the person looking at the wall does not see (have a relationship) with the pink elephant, all that person sees is the wall. You tell this person that behind her is a pink elephant and she calls you crazy. Finally she turns around and sees the pink elephant. What she has done is create a relationship with the pink elephant. She did not know that there was a pink elephant behind her until she turned around, thus she CAN NOT possibly know if the elephant was there the whole time. She only knows the elephant in relation to her experience with it. Whether or not the elephant was there is impossible for her to know. In the same way, we cannot know if truth is objective. It is out of our realm of understanding.
"When approached objectively, the question of truth is only about categories of thought. Approached subjectively, however, truth is about inwardness. At its maximum, the how of inwardness is the passion of the infinite, and the passion of the infinite is the essential truth. Decision exists only in subjectivity. Thus the passion of the infinite, not its content, is the deciding factor, for its content is precisely itself. In this way the subjective how and subjectivity, not the objective what and objectivity, are the truth" (Provocation 59-60).
"God is a subject to be related to, not an object to be studied or mediated on. He exists only for subjective inwardness. The person who chooses the subjective way immediately grasps the difficulty of trying to find God objectively. He understands that to know God means to resort to God, not by virtue of objective deliberation, but by virtue of the infinite passion of inwardness. Whereas objective knowledge goes along leisurely on the long road of deliberation, subjective knowledge considers every delay of decision a deadly peril. Knowing subjectively considers decision so important that it is immediately urgent, as if the delayed opportunity had already passed by unused (60)."
I do not think we humans can know objective truth. I am a dabbler in philosophy and what comes next are some of my thoughts about the nature of objectivity and subjectivity. Feel free to critique and show me my flaws, I need to hear other people's thoughts on this issue.
It is my understanding that a philosophical definition of 'objective truth' would go something along the lines of the following: a proposition that is true no matter what, whether or not a person acknowledges it. I am not sure I like this concept, if my understanding of objective truth is correct. My dilemma is this: the only way a person knows truth is through subjectivity. We can only understand truth through the lenses of our biases and experiences. We do not understand life in an objective manner. Also, to compound the issue, we have a relationship (very loose meaning to this word here) to every truth we know. So because we only understand truth through subjectivity it would seem that we can never know if there is objective truth.
I will try to demonstrate: suppose you see a person sitting in a chair facing a wall, behind that person is a large pink elephant. Now the person looking at the wall does not see (have a relationship) with the pink elephant, all that person sees is the wall. You tell this person that behind her is a pink elephant and she calls you crazy. Finally she turns around and sees the pink elephant. What she has done is create a relationship with the pink elephant. She did not know that there was a pink elephant behind her until she turned around, thus she CAN NOT possibly know if the elephant was there the whole time. She only knows the elephant in relation to her experience with it. Whether or not the elephant was there is impossible for her to know. In the same way, we cannot know if truth is objective. It is out of our realm of understanding.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Some thoughts on Truth and Jesus
Here are some thoughts from Soren Kierkegaard's Provocations, enjoy:
"he whose life is expressly the truth and who at every moment demonstrates more powerfully by his life what truth is than all the most profound lectures of the cleverest thinkers" (pg. 51-52).
"Christ is the truth in the sense that to be the truth is the only true explanation of it; the only true way of acquiring it. Truth is not a sum of statements, not a definition, not a system of concepts, but a life. Truth is not a property of thought that guarantees validity to thinking. No, truth in its most essential character is the reduplication* of truth within yourself, within me, within him. Your life, my life, his life expresses the truth in the striving. Just as the truth was a life in Christ, so too, for us truth must be lived.
*Reduplication is Kierkegaard’s term meaning to exist in what one understands, to manifest the truth in one’s life. It means to live out in life the challenges of thought, to be what one says" (pg. 52).
Sunday, June 28, 2009
So Weddings Make Me Vomit
But not really.
This weekend I had the wonderful opportunity to be the best man in a good friends wedding. The wedding was not terrible. In fact as weddings go it was quite nice. There were no major failings of any person(s) that would make this wedding fall short. It was good.
Being the best man I had to give a speech. So I used a quote that I had heard in another speech to be the crux of the toast. From Eve's Diary by Mark Twain, Adam is looking over Eve's grave and says, "Wherever she was, there was Eden."
After saying my goodbyes to everyone at the reception, I sat down in the Aveo (the rental car) and I had a massive migraine. My head was in excruciating pain. Driving down the road Josh Smith and I realized that Chad had left his toiletry in my car. Chad was heading in the opposite direction. So I pulled off and left the toiletry at a gas station for Chad to pick up. Unable to drive anymore I had Josh take the wheel and after a little 1/2 hour break we started down the road. About 15 minutes later I had Josh pull the car over so that I could vomit, and vomit I did.
In the last 10 years I have vomited 2x both coming after a wedding.
Well, that is all I had to say.
This weekend I had the wonderful opportunity to be the best man in a good friends wedding. The wedding was not terrible. In fact as weddings go it was quite nice. There were no major failings of any person(s) that would make this wedding fall short. It was good.
Being the best man I had to give a speech. So I used a quote that I had heard in another speech to be the crux of the toast. From Eve's Diary by Mark Twain, Adam is looking over Eve's grave and says, "Wherever she was, there was Eden."
After saying my goodbyes to everyone at the reception, I sat down in the Aveo (the rental car) and I had a massive migraine. My head was in excruciating pain. Driving down the road Josh Smith and I realized that Chad had left his toiletry in my car. Chad was heading in the opposite direction. So I pulled off and left the toiletry at a gas station for Chad to pick up. Unable to drive anymore I had Josh take the wheel and after a little 1/2 hour break we started down the road. About 15 minutes later I had Josh pull the car over so that I could vomit, and vomit I did.
In the last 10 years I have vomited 2x both coming after a wedding.
Well, that is all I had to say.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
The Provocative Choice
The Elder of First John tells us, "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever."
In a similar manner, Soren expands on the privilege of choice. Humans are endowed with the privilege of choice. We all desire to make good choices, but these choices are predicated on the fact that we have the capacity of choice. The most fundamental choice available for humanity is whether or not to love God. This love manifests itself in obedience. There is an unalterable call to obey the one you love. For any act of disobedience is an act that is not of love for the other, but love for the self.
"If you are not obedient in everything unconditionally, without qualification, you don’t love him, and if you don’t love him – then you hate him. If you are not obedient in everything unconditionally, then you are not bound to him, and if you are not bound to him then you despise him" (pg. 11).
What leads to our choices of hatred? Soren would tell us it is ambiguity. Being in a state of the unknown makes it difficult to trust God. In moments of uncertainty Satan finds a way to lead us into temptation. Temptation arises out of a lack of trust in God's goodness. And it is this lack of trust that lets the temptation take us over.
"When unclarity resides, there is temptation, and there it proves only too easily the stronger. Wherever there is ambiguity, wherever there is wavering, there is disobedience down at the bottom" (12).
It is all too often easy to doubt God's goodness for us. We are too easily shifted off of the solid ground of trust. It may have something to do with our independant culture, it may just be within our nature. Nonetheless, there is something quite foolish about us. We leave the security of trust to find the insecurity of doubt and temptation. Part of this may too be a choice. We may be called to choose to trust. In trusting God, we can love him. In loving God, we obey him.
To not love is to hate. We are given the responsibility, the privilege of choice. We can choose daily whether or not we are going to love God. We are then given the choice, to love or to hate. Either we will love the one and despise the other, or be devoted to the one and hate the other.
In a similar manner, Soren expands on the privilege of choice. Humans are endowed with the privilege of choice. We all desire to make good choices, but these choices are predicated on the fact that we have the capacity of choice. The most fundamental choice available for humanity is whether or not to love God. This love manifests itself in obedience. There is an unalterable call to obey the one you love. For any act of disobedience is an act that is not of love for the other, but love for the self.
"If you are not obedient in everything unconditionally, without qualification, you don’t love him, and if you don’t love him – then you hate him. If you are not obedient in everything unconditionally, then you are not bound to him, and if you are not bound to him then you despise him" (pg. 11).
What leads to our choices of hatred? Soren would tell us it is ambiguity. Being in a state of the unknown makes it difficult to trust God. In moments of uncertainty Satan finds a way to lead us into temptation. Temptation arises out of a lack of trust in God's goodness. And it is this lack of trust that lets the temptation take us over.
"When unclarity resides, there is temptation, and there it proves only too easily the stronger. Wherever there is ambiguity, wherever there is wavering, there is disobedience down at the bottom" (12).
It is all too often easy to doubt God's goodness for us. We are too easily shifted off of the solid ground of trust. It may have something to do with our independant culture, it may just be within our nature. Nonetheless, there is something quite foolish about us. We leave the security of trust to find the insecurity of doubt and temptation. Part of this may too be a choice. We may be called to choose to trust. In trusting God, we can love him. In loving God, we obey him.
To not love is to hate. We are given the responsibility, the privilege of choice. We can choose daily whether or not we are going to love God. We are then given the choice, to love or to hate. Either we will love the one and despise the other, or be devoted to the one and hate the other.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Provocative
I have hopefully begun a new and good journey. I am reading a book called, Provocations. It is a reader of Soren Kierkegaard, the great Christian Danish philosopher. Periodically I hope to shed light on what I am thinking about this book, especially as I am reading this quite slowly.
We begin the book with a discussion about decision. In discussing the lack of decision making Soren says, "There is nothing more harmful for your soul than to hold back and not get moving "(4). What true words! I am reminded of the Proverb, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life" (13:12). Too often the pains of our lives can be solved by the making of a decision. The starting of a path can calm the oceans of unrest and anxiety. When we as people sit in a period of limbo and waiting our souls yearn for something more, something better. There is something existentially important about making decisions.
We find that the need for decision is the archenemy of decision, cowardice. We all seem to have bits of cowardice in us. Ironically, this cowardice is one of the most disdained attributes to be found in anyone. Yet what counteracts cowardice is decision, "The thing that cowardice fears most is decision; for decision always scatters the mists, at least for a moment (5)." Decision seems to clear away the mist. Decision makes unrest restful.
Finally we see that decision is our response to the wickedness inside of us all. Decision is a choice of obedience. Decision is submission. To decide to do right is to side with God. "For God loves obedience more than good intentions or second-best offerings, which are all too often made under the guise of weakness (7)."
Dare to decide to follow the paths of righteousness. Dare to obey.
We begin the book with a discussion about decision. In discussing the lack of decision making Soren says, "There is nothing more harmful for your soul than to hold back and not get moving "(4). What true words! I am reminded of the Proverb, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life" (13:12). Too often the pains of our lives can be solved by the making of a decision. The starting of a path can calm the oceans of unrest and anxiety. When we as people sit in a period of limbo and waiting our souls yearn for something more, something better. There is something existentially important about making decisions.
We find that the need for decision is the archenemy of decision, cowardice. We all seem to have bits of cowardice in us. Ironically, this cowardice is one of the most disdained attributes to be found in anyone. Yet what counteracts cowardice is decision, "The thing that cowardice fears most is decision; for decision always scatters the mists, at least for a moment (5)." Decision seems to clear away the mist. Decision makes unrest restful.
Finally we see that decision is our response to the wickedness inside of us all. Decision is a choice of obedience. Decision is submission. To decide to do right is to side with God. "For God loves obedience more than good intentions or second-best offerings, which are all too often made under the guise of weakness (7)."
Dare to decide to follow the paths of righteousness. Dare to obey.
Friday, May 1, 2009
April Showers, May Flowers drown
It is raining, a lot. I love the rain, I really do. I love it when it is cold outside and there is rain falling from the sky. I love the darkness that rain clouds bring. There is something very soothing about the rain. I wish it would rain more often.
It didn't rain a lot for Elijah. I have found recently that one of the greatest joys of the Christian experience is being a part of the story. I am a character in the grand narrative of God. I have a role to play, a part to perform, and this is excellent. I have purpose. But, I am expendable. God can use many other extras and understudies to fill my role. I matter, but I don't. In this line of thinking I am reminded of the prophet Elijah. Now there is someone who knew the Scriptures and the power of God. Elijah called fire from heaven down to consume a soaked and drenched sacrifice. Elijah predicted a famine of 3 years, and no rain. Elijah helped keep a widow alive on practically nothing. Elijah knew the power of God. Yet even the great and might Elijah had times of little purpose. I recall a time where Elijah was tired and weary and felt all alone. It was at this point that God tells Elijah, "get up and do your work! I have 7,000 prophets who have not bowed the knee to Baal." In essence, God is saying that Elijah matters, but he really doesn't. It is a privilege to serve God, not a right.
So much of our individualistic culture says that we are entitled to rights. I am not sure how Biblical that type of thinking is. How much am I entitled to in the Bible? God is the only entitled one. I am God's subject, sent to do his bidding. I am entitled to obey. There is not a lot of choice in obedience. I can either chose to obey or not to. Why is obedience so difficult? What makes following orders a task and not a joy? It may have something to do with the Fall of humanity. Because we are psuedo "like God knowing good from evil" we think our plan is better. Our plan makes me happy now, my plan helps me out, my plan is better. Obedience is important, no, essential. If we do not obey the master's call, we do not follow Christ.
Obedience does not ask my opinion. Obedience is not concerned about my feelings. Obedience does not ask for me to solve all problems. Obedience is not preoccupied with me. Obedience is about God.
Obedience is a choice.
So as rain falls on the just and unjust, as the sun shines on the wicked and the holy, I am called to obey. The funny thing about obeying is that when I obey, all of my opinions and feelings seem to get taken care of in an even better manner.
It didn't rain a lot for Elijah. I have found recently that one of the greatest joys of the Christian experience is being a part of the story. I am a character in the grand narrative of God. I have a role to play, a part to perform, and this is excellent. I have purpose. But, I am expendable. God can use many other extras and understudies to fill my role. I matter, but I don't. In this line of thinking I am reminded of the prophet Elijah. Now there is someone who knew the Scriptures and the power of God. Elijah called fire from heaven down to consume a soaked and drenched sacrifice. Elijah predicted a famine of 3 years, and no rain. Elijah helped keep a widow alive on practically nothing. Elijah knew the power of God. Yet even the great and might Elijah had times of little purpose. I recall a time where Elijah was tired and weary and felt all alone. It was at this point that God tells Elijah, "get up and do your work! I have 7,000 prophets who have not bowed the knee to Baal." In essence, God is saying that Elijah matters, but he really doesn't. It is a privilege to serve God, not a right.
So much of our individualistic culture says that we are entitled to rights. I am not sure how Biblical that type of thinking is. How much am I entitled to in the Bible? God is the only entitled one. I am God's subject, sent to do his bidding. I am entitled to obey. There is not a lot of choice in obedience. I can either chose to obey or not to. Why is obedience so difficult? What makes following orders a task and not a joy? It may have something to do with the Fall of humanity. Because we are psuedo "like God knowing good from evil" we think our plan is better. Our plan makes me happy now, my plan helps me out, my plan is better. Obedience is important, no, essential. If we do not obey the master's call, we do not follow Christ.
Obedience does not ask my opinion. Obedience is not concerned about my feelings. Obedience does not ask for me to solve all problems. Obedience is not preoccupied with me. Obedience is about God.
Obedience is a choice.
So as rain falls on the just and unjust, as the sun shines on the wicked and the holy, I am called to obey. The funny thing about obeying is that when I obey, all of my opinions and feelings seem to get taken care of in an even better manner.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Waiting
I am coming to the close of my tenure in undergraduate bible college. It has been a long time coming, at least for me. For five years I have lived in the same dorm, on the same floor, and for three of those years in the same room. Now life rears its ugly head around the corner, calling me to something new and different. As I look back on my five years at OCC I am glad to have made the choice I made to study here. Graduation day will be a day of sweet good-byes. It has been at OCC that my thinking has matured, that my abilities to decipher God's word have been honed, and that I have developed many eternal relationships that I would trade nothing for. There has been a lot of good come to my life because of OCC.
But, I am also anxious, and yes it is probably sinful. I am anxious about going through another cycle of meeting new people. I am anxious about finding a 'job' and a place to live. I am anxious about leaving the security of familiarity for the frontier of the unknown. I am anxious thinking that I have to face this journey alone. No doubt God is with me, but that is just it, it is me and God. Certainly enough, but still there is a longing for something, more.
The anxiety I feel over making these 'life decisions' is coupled with an anxiety toward what I leave behind. I worry that the investments that I have made in people in the last five years will vanish. I fear that the fragile balance that I leave certain issues like dorm life and the state of Christ's Church of Perseverance will enevitably crumble. I fear this, not because I doubt the fortitude and wisdom of those I leave behind, but because of the poor state I leave things. I fear that my legacy (if one can use such a word) will be that he left things in a bind. Then I ponder and think that this might be how I leave everything, in a state of chaos. What if everything I touch turns to rubble? What if I have the opposite of the midas touch?
These fears and anxieties flow in like the gentle waves of the ocean's tide. Slowly the creep up on me, gently they move in, until I am finally soaked to the bone in worry and despair. In times like this I hear the words of Paul, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which transcends understanding shall keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." But sometimes I don't believe those words. Sometimes the worry and despair flow over the confidence of believe and trust. Where does one turn when worry outweighs trust? How does one find confidence in the midst of anxiety?
Isaiah's call, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee; because he trusteth in thee" rings but my heart and soul don't feel it. I know cognitavely that everythign will be okay, but my soul cries different. The consoloation of those who have their plans already made mean little, to those who wait in pain.
So I guess I pray. I guess I focus on God. I guess I try to trust. It is hard. It is not fun. I guess I serve. I guess I talk, even though the answers seemingly never come. I listen. Knowing that the prophet's call is true. Knowing that Paul's challege will bring joy. I wait. I wait. I wait.
But, I am also anxious, and yes it is probably sinful. I am anxious about going through another cycle of meeting new people. I am anxious about finding a 'job' and a place to live. I am anxious about leaving the security of familiarity for the frontier of the unknown. I am anxious thinking that I have to face this journey alone. No doubt God is with me, but that is just it, it is me and God. Certainly enough, but still there is a longing for something, more.
The anxiety I feel over making these 'life decisions' is coupled with an anxiety toward what I leave behind. I worry that the investments that I have made in people in the last five years will vanish. I fear that the fragile balance that I leave certain issues like dorm life and the state of Christ's Church of Perseverance will enevitably crumble. I fear this, not because I doubt the fortitude and wisdom of those I leave behind, but because of the poor state I leave things. I fear that my legacy (if one can use such a word) will be that he left things in a bind. Then I ponder and think that this might be how I leave everything, in a state of chaos. What if everything I touch turns to rubble? What if I have the opposite of the midas touch?
These fears and anxieties flow in like the gentle waves of the ocean's tide. Slowly the creep up on me, gently they move in, until I am finally soaked to the bone in worry and despair. In times like this I hear the words of Paul, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which transcends understanding shall keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." But sometimes I don't believe those words. Sometimes the worry and despair flow over the confidence of believe and trust. Where does one turn when worry outweighs trust? How does one find confidence in the midst of anxiety?
Isaiah's call, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee; because he trusteth in thee" rings but my heart and soul don't feel it. I know cognitavely that everythign will be okay, but my soul cries different. The consoloation of those who have their plans already made mean little, to those who wait in pain.
So I guess I pray. I guess I focus on God. I guess I try to trust. It is hard. It is not fun. I guess I serve. I guess I talk, even though the answers seemingly never come. I listen. Knowing that the prophet's call is true. Knowing that Paul's challege will bring joy. I wait. I wait. I wait.
Monday, April 13, 2009
40 days without facebook
So I just finished forty days without facebook. It was not really that difficult. I survived. I guess you could say that I did a little more than survive, I made it just fine. Life was good without facebook. Then I went back to facebook, and was amazed how much it changed. I felt like a stranger in a strange land when I returned to facebook. I am lost and confused, but life is still good. That is all I really wanted to say.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Here is nothing...
So I haven't posted in a little while, but I have come to some conclusions about life. People are messed up. People are so messed up that we ignore the solutions to conflicts. I hate conflicts, recently, I have been exposed to what would seem to be conflicts of race. I have come to conclude that ignorance breeds racism. When a person is ignorant of another is the precise time that this same ignorant person can dehumanize someone who is ostensibly different. Education fights ignorance. Education fights against racism. Education fights against poverty. Education fights and generally wins. I have not enough thoughts on this issue to relate it well to the church, but I would say that the church right now has tended to forget education in areas other than the Bible. We teach the Bible, and that is about it. It would seem that we Westerners have created a dichotomy between the Physical and the Spiritual. This dichotomy neglects the interconnected relationship that both the physical and the Spiritual share. So teach people how to read, teach them about Jesus, teach them how to live healthy, teach them about the Spirit, teach them the Gospel. Give people the good news that is for the whole person, not just his spirit. Jesus came bringing life to the full, is that what his church is giving?
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Why I Struggle With Being American...
So I will be honest and admit it, I struggle being an American. I have not read many seminal books that discuss issues of global poverty and oppression. I have not really done a whole lot of thinking on the issues. But I have studied the Bible a little bit and have found that many American Christians ignore some of the basic teachings of the gospel in order to satisfy the American dream inside of them.
This past Tuesday in chapel at OCC we had a good message. However, there was one part of the message that made me incredibly angry. If this part were at the end of the message I would have been more angry leaving, instead it was at the beginning and ended up making me stop listening well. The statement was something that I hear a lot from Christians in America. Here it is: "God cares more about a person's soul than anything else. Therefore our primary mission as the church is evangelism and not social justice." This is not an exact quote.
Sounds good right? Well not to me. The Greek word for soul psuke is often translated "life" in the New Testament. This is not saying that the person's life is their soul, rather that a person's whole being is included in the soul. In this sense God does care about the soul more than anything else, because the soul encompasses the whole person. What I am really ticked off about is this subordinating of taking care of the poor and disenfranchised that I see in many white, middle-class, conservative, American Christians. When all of my physical needs are taken care of, then I do not have to worry about anything except my "soul." Keep in mind when most American's think of a soul they are not thinking of the entire life, but some ethereal entity of humanity. I would have to say that the majority of these sayings from us rich American's come out of ignorance, not because we do not know, but because we choose to not know. We choose to think that all God cares about is whether or not someone is going to heaven, and we forget that we are to pray for God's heaven to come to earth. "Our Father in heaven hallowed by your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven..." Ironically, the offering appeal that was taken up after the sermon was for people who are going to Haiti to help out at a Christian school. In the offering appeal it was mentioned that children in Haiti are so poor and malnourished that they eat goat poop. But God cares more about their soul? Please.
Later Tuesday night I dinner at a friend's house and there were some people there with whom I am not as close. Somehow our conversation got awkward. My friend whose house I was at has a friend who is a woman considering plastic surgery, for no other reason than that she thinks she would look better. We were discussing whether this is wrong or not. I began to explain a simple fact that if for one year the people of the US did not buy make up or clothing that the amount of money saved could provide food, water, clothing, education, and medical help for everyone in the world. In the middle of my explanation a person there said, "Don't give me the Bible college guilt trip..." Kids are eating goat crap, and an affluent Christian American woman wants a boob job to look better. What is wrong with us? A Christian woman thinks she needs bigger breasts because our society has told her so. Our society built off of pornography and lust has told her that she needs to conform to a certain man-made image that is not imago dei. We have told a good person that she is not pretty enough and she needs to spend money and becoming more and more pretty so that she can be loved and fulfilled. Children are eating clay because there is not enough food.
The Christian's goal is to bring total and complete humanity back to people. In a critique of an article I wrote for one of my classes I said that the church should hail the cause of social justice. My professor's response was only a question, "Do you really believe this? Shouldn't the church worry about evangelism?" How mad this makes me I cannot describe in kind language. There are over 2,000 verses in the Bible that speak about taking care of the poor. 2,000!!! Yes I believe that the church should preach social justice. Why wouldn't I? I wouldn't if it were to cost me my comfort and my stability. I would if it were to make me seem more "liberal" than what is socially acceptable. Jesus was homeless! Now that my rant is kind of over, I will explain what I think needs to happen.
In creation we were created in the image of God (imago dei) according to Genesis 1:27. We were made like God. The only image of God we have thus far in Genesis is creator/organizer. We were created with a desire to create and to organize. This has been tainted by sin. We have lost our original image and have taken on another. But thanks be to Christ who has made us truly human again. Now that we are truly human, we can create. We can imagine and invent and organize and sort and all sorts of wonderful things. But our task is to help other people get to the point where they can do just that create. Children cannot be children when they have to eat goat crap. What the hell has infiltrated the church to make people think that God doesn't care as much about children eating fecal matter as he does about whether or not they are going to heaven? Our task as Christians is to restore people to God (2 Corinthians 5). Being restored to God is something that encompasses all of existence. It is not just your non-tangible soul, but all of who you are and are meant to be. Yes the church should speak out against human trafficking, yes the church should speak out against poverty (especially here in America where we do not struggle with anything but over eating), yes we should give people a cup of cold water in Jesus' name. Why do have to get defensive when we are confronted with the problems of poverty? Could it be because we have too much and give far too little?
This past Tuesday in chapel at OCC we had a good message. However, there was one part of the message that made me incredibly angry. If this part were at the end of the message I would have been more angry leaving, instead it was at the beginning and ended up making me stop listening well. The statement was something that I hear a lot from Christians in America. Here it is: "God cares more about a person's soul than anything else. Therefore our primary mission as the church is evangelism and not social justice." This is not an exact quote.
Sounds good right? Well not to me. The Greek word for soul psuke is often translated "life" in the New Testament. This is not saying that the person's life is their soul, rather that a person's whole being is included in the soul. In this sense God does care about the soul more than anything else, because the soul encompasses the whole person. What I am really ticked off about is this subordinating of taking care of the poor and disenfranchised that I see in many white, middle-class, conservative, American Christians. When all of my physical needs are taken care of, then I do not have to worry about anything except my "soul." Keep in mind when most American's think of a soul they are not thinking of the entire life, but some ethereal entity of humanity. I would have to say that the majority of these sayings from us rich American's come out of ignorance, not because we do not know, but because we choose to not know. We choose to think that all God cares about is whether or not someone is going to heaven, and we forget that we are to pray for God's heaven to come to earth. "Our Father in heaven hallowed by your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven..." Ironically, the offering appeal that was taken up after the sermon was for people who are going to Haiti to help out at a Christian school. In the offering appeal it was mentioned that children in Haiti are so poor and malnourished that they eat goat poop. But God cares more about their soul? Please.
Later Tuesday night I dinner at a friend's house and there were some people there with whom I am not as close. Somehow our conversation got awkward. My friend whose house I was at has a friend who is a woman considering plastic surgery, for no other reason than that she thinks she would look better. We were discussing whether this is wrong or not. I began to explain a simple fact that if for one year the people of the US did not buy make up or clothing that the amount of money saved could provide food, water, clothing, education, and medical help for everyone in the world. In the middle of my explanation a person there said, "Don't give me the Bible college guilt trip..." Kids are eating goat crap, and an affluent Christian American woman wants a boob job to look better. What is wrong with us? A Christian woman thinks she needs bigger breasts because our society has told her so. Our society built off of pornography and lust has told her that she needs to conform to a certain man-made image that is not imago dei. We have told a good person that she is not pretty enough and she needs to spend money and becoming more and more pretty so that she can be loved and fulfilled. Children are eating clay because there is not enough food.
The Christian's goal is to bring total and complete humanity back to people. In a critique of an article I wrote for one of my classes I said that the church should hail the cause of social justice. My professor's response was only a question, "Do you really believe this? Shouldn't the church worry about evangelism?" How mad this makes me I cannot describe in kind language. There are over 2,000 verses in the Bible that speak about taking care of the poor. 2,000!!! Yes I believe that the church should preach social justice. Why wouldn't I? I wouldn't if it were to cost me my comfort and my stability. I would if it were to make me seem more "liberal" than what is socially acceptable. Jesus was homeless! Now that my rant is kind of over, I will explain what I think needs to happen.
In creation we were created in the image of God (imago dei) according to Genesis 1:27. We were made like God. The only image of God we have thus far in Genesis is creator/organizer. We were created with a desire to create and to organize. This has been tainted by sin. We have lost our original image and have taken on another. But thanks be to Christ who has made us truly human again. Now that we are truly human, we can create. We can imagine and invent and organize and sort and all sorts of wonderful things. But our task is to help other people get to the point where they can do just that create. Children cannot be children when they have to eat goat crap. What the hell has infiltrated the church to make people think that God doesn't care as much about children eating fecal matter as he does about whether or not they are going to heaven? Our task as Christians is to restore people to God (2 Corinthians 5). Being restored to God is something that encompasses all of existence. It is not just your non-tangible soul, but all of who you are and are meant to be. Yes the church should speak out against human trafficking, yes the church should speak out against poverty (especially here in America where we do not struggle with anything but over eating), yes we should give people a cup of cold water in Jesus' name. Why do have to get defensive when we are confronted with the problems of poverty? Could it be because we have too much and give far too little?
Thursday, February 5, 2009
A New Name in Glory
Every so often there are events that remind us of our human frailty. These events can either inspire us to live life in a way in which we experience all of the beauty and majesty that is life, or they can darken our days and cause deep inner turmoil.
I have experienced two of these events this past week and am probably failing to live life to its fullest.
Aaron Calderon was one of my coaches. Throughout high school I had quite a few coaches, due largely to the fact that I played three sports. Each coach was a treasure and a joy to have. Someone older (sometimes a lot older) who would invest their time and energy into teaching me and my teammates the joys of working hard and together toward a common goal. Aaron was one of these men. Coach Calderon, as I called him, loved all sports. His heart was intense for competition. Yet his devotions lied in his family and in his faith. What will always stick out to me about Coach Calderon is a conversation I had with him on a trip up to play either North County Christian School, or the school in Cambria we used to play. We were in the blue van that the school used and we were talking about things spiritual. I was sitting, not up front, but in the first row of the back seats. He was seated up in the passenger seat. It was then that he turned around and asked me a question, "When does eternal life start?" I answered quickly and without much thought, "I suppose once we die." He looked at me with a smirk and said, "No, actually eternal life starts the day you become a Christian." The truth of his statement was undeniable and this truth has already had a lasting impact on my ministry. Just this past Tuesday I received news that Coach Calderon had died. He wasn't old at all, his children are all younger than I am. My heart breaks for the family. I look at his life and I see a man who worked hard so that his family could have a better life. He would work a night job and another job, just to support his family. On top of providing for his family, he would spend time coaching and mentoring. I now trust that his life has continued into glory, that he has passed through this life and found Jesus waiting for him. I can imagine him hearing the words from our Father, 'Well done, my faithful servant.' And I can see him saying, "I knew my life was just beginning."
Thursday of this week I had the joy to bless residents at a nursing home. Older people generally don't scare me much anymore. I have preached at a church for nearly 3 years whose congregation is quite a bit older than what I am used to. While at this nursing home I saw people who were succumb to the tortures of loneliness and feelings of uselessness. I saw people whose lives had been full of children, ministry, travel, and hard work brought down to states just a little better than being vegitated. This nursing home is a 'Christian' one and has many saints who have walked the path before me. Many of these people have had influence at OCC and have paved the way for generations to come. Yet I saw what scares us younger people in the eyes of these older ones. We are weak. We spend our lives trying to deny that fact. We grow up and support ourselves to show that we are not weak, but it is a farce. We pretend to be strong in work and in play, but we are just covering up the weaknesses below. All the while in the back of our minds we know that our pseudo-strength is only temporary, we know that we will fall into the hands of time and old age. We know that we can never escape the end that hunts us. We eat healthy to avoid it. We excercise to build up our strength to fight against it. We even have surgeries to hide it when it gets too close for comfort. But it is there, our weakness staring us in the face. When we are confronted with the pains and struggles of old age, our hearts quiver in fear. We cower and flea, hopeing that old age didn't see us, knowing that it did. We are afraid that in our old age we will again be weak. Not just physically, but emotionally. We are afraid that we will lose our importance to the world, our significance to the people we are closest to. So we shy away and hide. We avoid conversations with those who are older to again cover up the fact that we are weak.
But there is beauty to life (especially eternal life). There is vibrancy in color, there is wonder in creation, there is elegence in language, there is joy in people, there is hope. The blood that flowed from Calvary has not left us unchanged, it has not left us only to suffer at the hands of our enemy. We are empowered to live, create, and just be. We can smell the breeze, taste the sunlight, embrace the moonlight, and intake all of the wonderful matchless beauties that are on this earth. We can life like there is no tomorrow, because life is only today. Life is what we are doing at the time. Building a future, reconstructing the past, being in the present life is a gift and a gift that is meant to be used well. May I be inspired to live, may I be challenged to breath in the breath of fresh air and experience life abundant.
I have experienced two of these events this past week and am probably failing to live life to its fullest.
Aaron Calderon was one of my coaches. Throughout high school I had quite a few coaches, due largely to the fact that I played three sports. Each coach was a treasure and a joy to have. Someone older (sometimes a lot older) who would invest their time and energy into teaching me and my teammates the joys of working hard and together toward a common goal. Aaron was one of these men. Coach Calderon, as I called him, loved all sports. His heart was intense for competition. Yet his devotions lied in his family and in his faith. What will always stick out to me about Coach Calderon is a conversation I had with him on a trip up to play either North County Christian School, or the school in Cambria we used to play. We were in the blue van that the school used and we were talking about things spiritual. I was sitting, not up front, but in the first row of the back seats. He was seated up in the passenger seat. It was then that he turned around and asked me a question, "When does eternal life start?" I answered quickly and without much thought, "I suppose once we die." He looked at me with a smirk and said, "No, actually eternal life starts the day you become a Christian." The truth of his statement was undeniable and this truth has already had a lasting impact on my ministry. Just this past Tuesday I received news that Coach Calderon had died. He wasn't old at all, his children are all younger than I am. My heart breaks for the family. I look at his life and I see a man who worked hard so that his family could have a better life. He would work a night job and another job, just to support his family. On top of providing for his family, he would spend time coaching and mentoring. I now trust that his life has continued into glory, that he has passed through this life and found Jesus waiting for him. I can imagine him hearing the words from our Father, 'Well done, my faithful servant.' And I can see him saying, "I knew my life was just beginning."
Thursday of this week I had the joy to bless residents at a nursing home. Older people generally don't scare me much anymore. I have preached at a church for nearly 3 years whose congregation is quite a bit older than what I am used to. While at this nursing home I saw people who were succumb to the tortures of loneliness and feelings of uselessness. I saw people whose lives had been full of children, ministry, travel, and hard work brought down to states just a little better than being vegitated. This nursing home is a 'Christian' one and has many saints who have walked the path before me. Many of these people have had influence at OCC and have paved the way for generations to come. Yet I saw what scares us younger people in the eyes of these older ones. We are weak. We spend our lives trying to deny that fact. We grow up and support ourselves to show that we are not weak, but it is a farce. We pretend to be strong in work and in play, but we are just covering up the weaknesses below. All the while in the back of our minds we know that our pseudo-strength is only temporary, we know that we will fall into the hands of time and old age. We know that we can never escape the end that hunts us. We eat healthy to avoid it. We excercise to build up our strength to fight against it. We even have surgeries to hide it when it gets too close for comfort. But it is there, our weakness staring us in the face. When we are confronted with the pains and struggles of old age, our hearts quiver in fear. We cower and flea, hopeing that old age didn't see us, knowing that it did. We are afraid that in our old age we will again be weak. Not just physically, but emotionally. We are afraid that we will lose our importance to the world, our significance to the people we are closest to. So we shy away and hide. We avoid conversations with those who are older to again cover up the fact that we are weak.
But there is beauty to life (especially eternal life). There is vibrancy in color, there is wonder in creation, there is elegence in language, there is joy in people, there is hope. The blood that flowed from Calvary has not left us unchanged, it has not left us only to suffer at the hands of our enemy. We are empowered to live, create, and just be. We can smell the breeze, taste the sunlight, embrace the moonlight, and intake all of the wonderful matchless beauties that are on this earth. We can life like there is no tomorrow, because life is only today. Life is what we are doing at the time. Building a future, reconstructing the past, being in the present life is a gift and a gift that is meant to be used well. May I be inspired to live, may I be challenged to breath in the breath of fresh air and experience life abundant.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Simpson Orthodoxy
In case you haven't noticed, I won't be updating my reading of the Jesus Way. It is a good book and you should read it. Really you should.
Yesterday, Sunday February 1st of 2009, I had the beautiful privilege of attending a Greek Orthodox (although they would probably just prefer Orthodox) service. The smell of incense was both powerful and a little overwhelming. The music was ancient, not flashy, but beautiful. The homily was, well, a homily not superb and not horrible, it was actually decent, but not spectacular. The melodic chants of the priest were intoxicating. The prayers of the Saints, like John Crysostom (sp?), were far reaching. Yet I left the service, uncomfortable. My thoughts about the liturgy were mixed with praise and sadness. There was still a tribalistic mentality in the liturgical prayers. Prayers for the army of the US, but not for the enemies of Uncle Sam, seemed a little out of place, especially coming from an Orthodox (Eastern European) tradition. I guess the tribalism found in the Orthodox church is not all that surprising, considering the many different tribes of Orthodoxy (Romanian, Russian, Greek, etc.). I wish churches would strive for unity.
What would happen if churches became ecumenical? What if our standard for fellowship was defined by how we view the resurrection of Jesus? So what if someone teaches a false doctrine? Yes I believe that false doctrine is bad, but I believe that Christians should be willing to listen and even agree to disagree with each other, even on some traditionally BIG issues. I believe that if the church were more focused on loving each other, then doctrinal disagreements will not be the only focus. It is as if we have not yet been filled with enough love to care more about other people's hearts than their convictions.
On an awesome sidenote, the priest mentioned something called "triodian (sp?)." This word finally made sense of the Simpson television show character Reverend Lovejoy. In my viewings of the Simpson's I have heard Reverend Lovejoy spout off funny Christian words similar to that of "triodian." Reverend Lovejoy is then the combination of all Christian ministers made into an ecumenical concauction. I truly found this amazing and cool. Not only does Reverend Lovejoy represent baptists and christian churchians, he also represents the Orthodox church and Catholics and others. I am able to look more fondly at the Simpson's because of this event.
Yesterday, Sunday February 1st of 2009, I had the beautiful privilege of attending a Greek Orthodox (although they would probably just prefer Orthodox) service. The smell of incense was both powerful and a little overwhelming. The music was ancient, not flashy, but beautiful. The homily was, well, a homily not superb and not horrible, it was actually decent, but not spectacular. The melodic chants of the priest were intoxicating. The prayers of the Saints, like John Crysostom (sp?), were far reaching. Yet I left the service, uncomfortable. My thoughts about the liturgy were mixed with praise and sadness. There was still a tribalistic mentality in the liturgical prayers. Prayers for the army of the US, but not for the enemies of Uncle Sam, seemed a little out of place, especially coming from an Orthodox (Eastern European) tradition. I guess the tribalism found in the Orthodox church is not all that surprising, considering the many different tribes of Orthodoxy (Romanian, Russian, Greek, etc.). I wish churches would strive for unity.
What would happen if churches became ecumenical? What if our standard for fellowship was defined by how we view the resurrection of Jesus? So what if someone teaches a false doctrine? Yes I believe that false doctrine is bad, but I believe that Christians should be willing to listen and even agree to disagree with each other, even on some traditionally BIG issues. I believe that if the church were more focused on loving each other, then doctrinal disagreements will not be the only focus. It is as if we have not yet been filled with enough love to care more about other people's hearts than their convictions.
On an awesome sidenote, the priest mentioned something called "triodian (sp?)." This word finally made sense of the Simpson television show character Reverend Lovejoy. In my viewings of the Simpson's I have heard Reverend Lovejoy spout off funny Christian words similar to that of "triodian." Reverend Lovejoy is then the combination of all Christian ministers made into an ecumenical concauction. I truly found this amazing and cool. Not only does Reverend Lovejoy represent baptists and christian churchians, he also represents the Orthodox church and Catholics and others. I am able to look more fondly at the Simpson's because of this event.
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