Things You Already Know.

Things You Should Know.

2011-05-03T17:40:00.000-07:00

What you do matters !!!

Your job is important, your life's undertakings are improtant and when you spend time with people that is important !!!
People on church staffs do not tell the people of the church this enough.
The paid staff all to often, wether implicitly or explicitly, tell the congregation that only "ministry" is important. By ministry they mean things done in the institution of the church or with the institutional church. Serving, missions, whatever is the latest need or program that is what makes you important and valuable in Gods kingdom.... This is not true, you are more important than the church could ever make you feel.

We are called to live a life with God and when we remember that we find that God uses us and makes even the seemingly un wholly and mundane realities of life wholly.

Is evangelism just something we do ?

2011-04-09T22:24:00.000-07:00

Do you have the right to speak?

This may seem like an odd question to ask, some would say that the mere fact that I know somthing to be true means that I have the right to share that information regardless. With evangelism Christians often apply this attitude to those that we know to be not followers of Jesus, mostly other people from other religions or obvious sinners. I do not think that just because you know something to be true does not me nessicarly that you should feel obligated to share always all the time. My wife can tell me that I I smell she feels no hesitation to relay that truth to me at any moment that it becomes evedent. She can do this because I kow that it comes out of a place of love. She has yearned the right to tell me things of this nature, sometimes I think as Christians we need to care enough to yearn the right to speak. I do think we should do so with some urgency as well.

What do you think ?

Saying No.

2011-01-20T16:00:00.001-08:00

I am currently enjoying some skittles. I do not usually eat candy like this, mostly cause it has so much bad processed whatever in it, but I do enjoy candy. I have found that the other reason I need to not have this candy even though I enjoy it is because I largely eat candy out of impulsiveness, and when I say yes to my a impulse like candy even when I know it is bad for me and I may feel less than awesome after, I am even more likely to act on other unhealthy impulses in my life and even temptations. so while candy is not the most evil of all evils I find that I need to say no. (well maybe next time anyway : )

Wanting More

2010-12-16T10:23:00.001-08:00

It is frustrating to live in a world that needs you to want more. I feel like I have been so trained to want more that even when I find myself in a place of contentment I have to create a reason to have a need for more; I seek out a new hobby or a new vision for my life that would necessitate some more things. It is most entertaining and sad to me when i realize that my new vision is that of "trying to lead a more simple life" but in order to get there i have to get some things to facilitate that, I would get rid of some things of coarse but the new stuff is more characteristic of the new simple me...
It is frustrating and it seems unescapable. This is one of those areas that the realization of my need for Jesus is most clear. A transformation that goes against everything else being communicated to me surly cannot be done without Gods restoring work. I guess we can just be grateful that God cares enough to enter our world and begin the work in our lives.

Seasons

2010-12-08T11:03:00.001-08:00

This is a time of year when change is felt. The seasonal change is matched by the change of music and decorations leading into the holidays. People have to plan, prepare and get ready for the holidays; change is in the air...

Living in California we do not experience much change as far as the weather goes, most of the year you could wear shorts if you wanted, as well you could wear jeans all year if you so desired, you may want a jacket on some nights in the winter but mostly it is preference. Living in a moderate climate as I do the weather is rarely if ever a sole determinate in how I spend my time; I may opt to let the weather inform my decisions but it is more often related to a feeling than of actual confrontation with the elements.

Change is a natural part life; however most people seem to resist change. I think this is especially true for people that live in mild climates, and even more so for people that live in wealthy areas with mild climates such as Orange County. With a mild climate and money one can pretty well insulate themselves from change and create an illusion of control over the change that is experienced.

It saddens me when I see Christians being the people that are most resistant to change. As a group of people who knows the creator of the world we should know that change is natural; And even more we should be a people that long for change because we see a world that we know is as it should not be. Christians should move towards the change that God is doing in all placeless; We are a people that are defined by what God has done, is doing and are the constant anticipation of the change that Christ is going to bring. In a way to resist change is to deny Gods work, even when change is confusing Christians should have a great peace because of their knowledge of and relationship with the one that created it all.

"To know God is to change

letting go of stuff

2010-11-23T11:11:00.001-08:00

Stuff is dangerous.
Here is a question, is it wrong to want stuff? Jesus us promises the desires
of our hearts, Jesus wants to bless his children, I have excepted Jesus and
therefore am a child of God, God must want to bless me and give me stuff...
Right? Here is the thing the stuff I want is most often filling a space, whether it
is a type of success at my job or a stand up paddle board, the reality is,
whether I admit it or not,
I am trying to fill a void

I am seeking definition I am seeking a remedy for a longing or I am trying
to prove worth and achieve status.

These things become solutions and answers, they become Gods...
God does not want us to replace him. God wants us to be be made whole. God
wants us to be set free, and holding on to position and stuff only enslave
us to other Gods that are not good or loving. That sounds dramatic I know
but I think this is a question that matters to my heart and soul.

a particular kind of community

2010-11-12T10:00:00.001-08:00

As I was preparing to enter into discussion with a group of leaders about energy and excitement for our regular gathering, I found myself needing to talk about more than just specifics and best practices, probably for my own soul more than anything, I wanted need to create a discussion that would remind us about what we are about. A large value for us is community; this is expressed in our program and budget as we seek to create a space for people to spend time around food and fun to connect. This value is true for most organizations that are geared around college students, so what is the difference between them and us? Does their need to be a difference? Clearly I think that there should be a difference but it is more than that we don't drink or swear, it has to be... we are a community that is being transformed by the creator of all things we are a community that believes this and seeks to celebrate it every week. Yet it has to be more than that as well, we cannot just gather and talk about how God is changing us or wants to change us, we have to be changed. This means that our community is one that has been transformed and is being transformed a community that has engaged something larger than themselves and is apart of a work in the world around them that is to big to go it alone. Because what God is up to is more than I or you can handle we go as a community, a particular kind of community that has encountered something more and engages the rest of the world in new ways as a result.

Religion

2010-09-21T11:14:00.001-07:00

Here is my reflection based out of our new series "why Jesus hates religion"

It is easier for me to do the right thing then to be the Right person, easier to define the boundaries of morality and goodness the to let God tell me what is required of me?
What requires more from me? A set of rules (ie. traffic laws, which i encounter every day) Or a relationship, that of a friend or wife.
God has free us from rules and has called us beyond them, he loves me to much. Rules would be easy and safe, a real encounter with the creator God is scary and wonderful!

Happy?

2010-09-07T14:48:00.001-07:00

"what makes you happy or unhappy is not the world and the people around you, but the thinking in your head."

Not my surroundings not the things that I have, but the beliefs that I hold. Here Anthony gives a great peace of advice, to look at all my wants an one by one say to them deep down that if I have you you will not make me happy.

Love less

2010-09-04T11:47:00.001-07:00

I recently posted this quote on facebook from Alan and Debra Hirsch book untamed in which they are quoting C.S. Lewis "we must actively train ourselves to love God more than the people and things in our world" after posting I realized that it would be easy to read this quote and decide to start working on loving the people in things input world less. This would however miss the point, God is pretty clear that we should love people and the gifts and things of this world that God has given and created for us. The problem is not loving them it's loving them more than God. We are people who should be actively working on increasing our love. An even more so increasing our love of God and his kingdom.

who do you learn from?

2010-06-29T09:56:00.000-07:00

I have just finished my masters degree from fuller theological seminary. i have spent the last three years taking classes and reading books written by those who very well may be the smartest people on the given subjects, and i am grateful for that opportunity. however i can not help but be struck by the reality that sometimes, all of the most brilliant discussions and thoughts about a theological or ministry topic often falls short to an individual that has decided to follow jesus in faith and has a simple understanding of the way that jesus is at work in their life. A room full of theologians and pastors can learn a lot from being in a group of christians that has learned to care for and love one another, even and especially those that take more time to let be apart of their community. Sometimes its the ones that we have to wait for that can teach us the most.

Back from camp

2010-06-28T10:42:00.000-07:00

returned from our weekend camp yesterday and i am tiered. the camp was great, i really felt like God spoke, i know that God began speaking to me about some things. watching God work in others has away of breaking my own heart anew and in such away that God seems to be able to speak more clearly to me. i am Glad to be back with my family but it was good to see God work and i am looking forward to see how God continues what was started at camp.

Almost finished

2010-06-10T10:58:00.000-07:00

i am one paper away from completing my MA in theology from fuller theological seminary. it has been a great process, i have learned and grown a lot in past couple years. however i am very much looking forward to finishing, it seems so close and so far, it is hard to see past this last paper.

2009-10-19T10:15:00.000-07:00

i phone photo of the "Ladera Ranch Valley" taken on my run the other day.

Time

2009-10-14T15:03:00.001-07:00

it is more often then not the the time in-between that is hard,
it is the time not quiet here or there that is difficult.
when we are there, we tell ourselves, it will be easy
when we are there, we tell ourselves, i will know what to do.
but it is not easier
the answers are not there and the time has passed.
if we never lean into the time between we will never know what to do when we arrive.

every man is a dragon slayer inside his own mind, but if he does not practice, if he does not live outside his head, there will be no dragon, no battle, just more of the same and a loss of time.

Brilliant !

2009-10-13T10:47:00.000-07:00

currently listening to David Wilcox streaming from his website in the "musical medicine" section. i think he is brilliant! i encourage all to check out his website, also brilliant. http://www.davidwilcox.com/index.php?page=cds&category=01--MUSICAL_MEDICINE

finished

2009-09-28T14:50:00.000-07:00

just finished book resident aliens, i am now studying the Hebrew alphabet, i slipped out of the sunday night service for a bit last night to catch some of Donald Millers talk, purchased his book on CD and began listening to it last night. as well i have began reading a Great book on preaching by thomas long and now all thoughts are mixing together and my head is spinning with all sorts of good ideas that i can not seem to place together into a coherent thought, But if i Could i am sure that it would be REally Very Great thought indeed.

???

2009-09-15T14:55:00.000-07:00

i wonder if i will ever be able to figure this out?

Sh!@#$!

2009-07-10T10:36:00.000-07:00

as a parent you deal with a lot of crap, literal and figurative.
today i am dealing with the literal, loads of it.

Heschel

2009-07-10T08:57:00.000-07:00

i started reading the first chapter of abraham joshua Heschel's book God in search of man today and found this quote "When religion speaks only in the name of authority rather than with the voice of compassion its message becomes meaningless." Heschel blames not secular science for religion loosing its voice but rather blames religion itself.

What is incarnational

2009-06-26T09:56:00.000-07:00

What is incarnational ministry? There are probably a lot of ways to answer this question. There are also probably many subtleties to the full implications of what it might mean to be incarnational in any number of different contexts. Lately I have heard it discussed as the pastors role. Eugine Peterson in his book the contemplative pastor shares something of this idea with his commitment to not pastor a church larger than he can learn all the names. I have also heard of pastors criticizing video venues because there is not a live teacher pastor present. These two opinions of the way church should be or not be certainly have merit and should be considered for different reasons, but is that what it means to be incarnation? I think these ideas make one main mistake Which is underestimating the role of the entirety of the church. If we limit the continual in-fleshing of Christ to the world to the job of pastors than the world is not only going to get a very incomplete picture of Christ's love, we are also going to need way more pastors. It makes more sense that it is the priesthood of all believers living among all the world that will be the way in which the world might meet a picture of Christs love in fleshy for.

The end of the debate

2009-04-29T12:17:00.000-07:00

the newly formed and long debated choice between being a missional or attractional church is dead. chances are that you are both, and that is good. further more the discussion has and is shifting, and it is landing on the realization that we are to be more incarnational in our understanding and praxis of church. the church is to be the person of the Church where they are and in so doing being Christ, or part of the body of Christ, or a representative of Christ,... to the people that exist within that persons influence. that does not meant he church should stop doing what it is doing but only continue to look forward with this understanding.

maybe?

new life !

2009-04-14T08:05:00.000-07:00

Seems like the celebration of Easter is to short. It should continue on for more than just a weekend, I mean we did spend forty days getting ourselfs ready dident we? Bedsides celebrating new life should be the type of event that marks us in some way. Even new years seems to leave a more lasting effect on us when really make decisions to live differently should happen on Easter. Not just giving up somthing, that's lent, but maybe adding some good stuff as well.
any way somthing to think about.

shhh!

2009-04-04T19:08:00.000-07:00

How is this for a Quote?
"The purpose of a fish trap is to catch fish and when the fish are caught, the trap is forgotten. the purpose of a rabbit snare is to catch rabbits when the rabbits are caught, the snare is forgotten. the purpose of the word is to convey ideas. when the ideas are grasped, the words are forgotten. where can i find a man who has forgotten words? he is the one i would like to talk to."

Nar·cis·sism

2009-04-02T13:53:00.000-07:00

1.excessive self-admiration and self-centeredness
2.in psychiatry, a personality disorder characterized by the patient’s overestimation of his or her own appearance and abilities and an excessive need for admiration.

In Greek mythology Narcissus was a youth who was punished for repulsing Echo’s love by being made to fall in love with his own reflection in a pool

Twitter/FaceBook:
social networking services that allows its users to post pictures, updates and thoughts about themselves for the world to see.

Trying Twitter

2009-03-31T11:21:00.000-07:00

so i am trying twitter and apparently twitter can sink with blogger...? so... i am going to give blogging another shot as well. supposedly there is community and conversation to be found online and i am curious to see what it is all about.

What the artist gets.

2008-10-14T10:33:00.000-07:00

After a night observing art that was of a more abstract nature, I reflected on what I saw and experienced and decided that one of the most interesting aspects of the night was listening to the conversations taking place. You have probably seen the paintings similar to the ones I was viewing and heard someone remark with a statement similar to "I think I could do that, it looks like splatter painting..." which I did hear, but I also heard other, more interesting conversations. Some of the people were walking around telling each other what they saw, others were describing an emotion, others were talking about how much they were worth or which one they would like in their home. Still some just sat and let the paintings sink in. some people knew the history of the artist and what made him important while others had never heard of him. All were there experiencing the art for different reasons and from different starting points.
Art is a funny thing it seems to me that it is often misunderstood and sometimes overly valued to a point of worship. But some where in the middle we see that artist gets things that we need to understand. C.S. Lewis when talking about his journey toward finding and understanding God uses the word Joy as describing a longing or a wonderment that draws us to something more, he describes the first time that he experienced this joy when looking at something his older brother had created. This longing or “Joy” is often captured by artists in different ways, using paint and canvas an artist has the ability to make observations of the world and push the viewer to rethink, to dream, or just to enjoy in a new way. The artist gets in some way what Lewis described as Joy.

Half Full ?

2008-09-16T09:24:00.000-07:00

My day started well, though I did leave the house without eating anything. I know for some that this is a normal event, but I'm of the type that has to has to eat breakfast. so on my way out I am debating on whether or not to stop at McDonnell's or the bagel shop, or to risk it, and see if I can find anything at work. I decide to go for it, hoping to find a bagel and cream cheese or something. so as I am half regretting half at peace with my decision I hit awesome traffic leaving my community. sweet! good enough excuse to swing in and get something delicious from the bagel shop. I get my delicious western breakfast bagel sandwich and return to the slow going road, but much content with a good cup of coffee and great breakfast. I arrive at work parking a little bit of a drag no worries I have a new sweet bag. I get to my desk set up my laptop... sit down to start in grab a sip of my coffee, but it was cold.? then I realize that it was last weeks half full cup of coffee on my desk, in my mouth.. spit and return to my hot coffee to wash out my mouth. I still quiver thinking about it, yuck!

Kings

2008-08-27T11:00:00.000-07:00

It is harder to let God be lord of my life than it would seem.

I think that it is easier to obey a king of a country or a "worldly king" (to use christian speak) than it is to make God king of my life. A worldly king only has say over the temporal and shallow realities of our lives where a king that is also God and creator wants to be king over more than that. God is king over the internal and deep parts of my life,, and that is scary! Scary because it is much harder to trust a king with these areas then it is with the rest. Most people it seems only half trust politicians and leaders anyway, and we are only trusting these "kings" with things that matter only so much and history has taught us how to over-through them if it gets too bad anyway. God on the other hand is much more powerful so if I give God a little control over some things that might be OK because then I still have not lost all, but if I give total control that is it, there is no overthrowing and what if God cannot be trusted, instead I will give control of my life to lesser kings and gods that I can through away or get rid of if they fail me. And I remain "in control."

(partial reflection on psalm 98)

Making Friends

2008-08-07T10:56:00.000-07:00

Everyone on some level understands the feeling associated with the experience of the first day at a new school, you probably did not know anyone, and you wondered what people would think. then after the initial day you realized you have to begin to make new friends, which is not easy.

perhaps some of us are better at this then others, for me making friends has not been a supper natural ability, which may be due in part to my lack of moving around, I have pretty much resided in one area my whole life and even when I did move to a new school I had someone I knew there that knew everyone, and I am typically Ok with not having a ton of friends as long as I have a few close ones. I also am not an extrovert or a naturally outgoing type of person.

That aside we still all go through different periods of our lives that we have to make new Friends whether it be because we switch schools or moved into a new stage in our life or maybe it is something more dramatic like you moved to a new state or country

So after pondering my lack of ability to make new friends and how hard relationships can be to start and maintain I checked my facebook page and realized I am not so bad at making friends after all. According to my profile I have doubled the amount of friend I had in one months time. (yea!) So with out doing much I have made like fifty brand new friends in 30 days. Turns out i'm grate at making new Friends. If only they had facebook when I was younger.

The other.

2008-07-30T11:28:00.000-07:00

{This is an old post that I had saved as a 'draft', I did not know that was
possible, any way here it is.}

Communication theory has said that we develop a concept of our self by engaging with other people. We express ideas through symbols (words, body language) these symbols are interpreted by another person then returned to us, we interpret and then re-express... Though this is a overly simple and dumbed down explanation, the idea is that we develop our sense of self through interaction with the other. If this is true we need other people in order be ourselves.

The loss of words

2008-07-15T16:00:00.000-07:00

Have you ever noticed how sometimes our language just does not cut it. That there are things that words cannot express. Take art, somtimes It seems that art has the abilty to speak louder and with more clarity to the truth of somethings, and most often without words.

The same is often true when answering the question " how do we know we are loved?" We can be told that we are loved, but it is always more powerful when we see or experience being loved. In those moments it is as if the language goes past words and speaks directly to the inside in some way that I don't get and sounds cheesy, but you know what I am talking about if you have paid any attention to art. That leads to this question.

Have you ever seen God speak to someone?

I think I have.

It is pretty cool to watch the story be told. The story often is of some trivial event in a persons life, take a some what random phone call, but to the person it seems to have carried a disproportional amount of weight. The phone call comes as an answer or an encouragement. See for that person the trivial phone call has come in the midst of an on going inner dialogue of sorts with God, and until then God has seemed some what absent or quiet as the person talked. but then when we have stopped talking, God speaks not through the phone, but to the inside. God says all the things that we have heard God say in the past through the word, but this time it is deeper and louder. "I love you, I'm with you, I will complete what I have started..." and that person has heard God speak.

Who Knew ?

2008-07-08T14:19:00.000-07:00

I recently learned that Psalm 95 has been traditionally read by the church at the out set of the day, so I spent so time reading it. As I was read the psalm I noticed that it seems to tells a story, and as that story is told I could not but help to see it as a call to worship. The psalmist calls the people to worship God, to recognize the worthiness of God, and to do it through song. As the psalmist continues, the story tells what happens when Israel, or when we, neglect to worship. Israel's hearts were hardened and they turned away from God, and God left them there, away from the presence of God, left them to their own destruction.

Who knew that Singing could save my life.

The Narrative (section 2)

2008-07-01T15:42:00.001-07:00

In the movie, The Return of the King, from The Lord of the Rings trilogy, there is a scene in which Frodo and his companion, Sam, are being lead into the heart of Mordor, which is the land of the enemy, in order to destroy the ring. It is evident that carrying the ring has began to take its’ toll on Frodo. This is when Frodo begins to see this journey is, perhaps, his last. However, as they begin to set out one morning, Sam takes account of their food stock and states that there should be enough. When questioned by Froto as to what he means by enough, Sam replies with “enough for the return trip home.” Sam was operating by a different narrative than Frodo; Sam's narrative brought hope while Frodo’s was one of defeat. When Sam's narrative that ends with them returning home was shared with Frodo, it brings hope and light into Frodo’s story. They both were on the same quest in the same land, but somehow Sam operated by a different narrative, and his narrative brought life.

In The End

2008-06-27T17:10:00.001-07:00

I heard a discussion on the best way to die the other day. I know a little "morbid ?" if that is the right word. One of the individuals was talking about how we have come to the place were we as a society generally view deaths like going in your sleep or without pain as the best way to go. he contrasted that with the view that was widely held in medieval times that people hoped to be saved from a sudden death and wished for a long death, because it was not death they feared so much but God. That is if they had a long death, they had time to make right with God and their enemies or family. We have come to a place today where perhaps the scariest part of death is the knowledge of death, knowing that we are going to die is the scary part. We then do are best ignore or to mask the reality of death, we hide from it. "death then is what happens when the doctor can do nothing else."

It was a striking conversation to me (especially the fearing God part) and got me thinking so I thought I would share, sorry for the downer of a thought

but I have not posted in a while so...

Im thinking of killing this blog...

I am more popular than I was

2008-06-09T11:11:00.000-07:00

I have a face book account, (is that what it is called, account? or page, maybe??) and it turns out that I have more friends than I thought I did, it's great! If i had known earlier that it was this easy to make friends I would have signed up for face book a long time ago. "Good by loneliness hello friend list," the list of friends that never seems to stop growing, i am up to 58, i think. Its a good thing i don't have to spend any time with most of them, cause that would suck.

The Narrative

2008-05-01T16:36:00.000-07:00

Have you ever found yourself telling a story, and about half way through it just is not going anywhere, So you deicide to spice it up and you add some outrageous ending that is not true. Like; "... then i pulled out my 357 which happened to be in my bag at the time and..." Ok maybe not. But we tell stories to each other, good or bad, and in the process we define the world around us. In our stories we express who we are and what we believe to be true about the world, about ourselves and about others. The hearers of our stories learn from and interact with our created realities and tell their own stories in response, and in addition to.

we need to tell good stories, stories that expose the truth about the world in which we live, or else we are doomed to live a lie.

maybe a little dramatic ?

or more of a half thought?

The Other.

2008-04-30T10:36:00.000-07:00

{This is an old post that I had saved as a 'draft', I did not know that was

possible, any way here it is.}

Communication theory has said that we develop a concept of our self by engaging with other people. We express ideas through symbols (words, body language) these symbols are interpreted by another person then returned to us, we interpret and then re-express... Though this is a overly simple and dumbed down explanation, the idea is that we develop our sense of self through interaction with the other. If this is true we need other people in order be ourselves.

New Goal

2008-04-17T13:00:00.000-07:00

I have gone surfing twice in the last seven days and it turns out that I am not as talented as I would have liked to think. Both days I was accompanied by guys that were much more talented, as a result I found that I picked up 3 or 4 things that I could be doing differently each time, either by observing, messing up or the loving taunt of my fiend. the learning curve is steep and I am grateful for the practice in humility.

It is now a new goal of mine that I should always be involved in something that I am not very good at, so that I never forget to be a learner. Of course this is very easy for me at my present stage in life, but I like to think that one day I will be at least a partial expert in something. Even when that happens I will continue to find things to do wich I am not even equal to those around me, so that I remain in a position of humility and learning.

Free will

2008-04-15T09:34:00.000-07:00

in answer to the question, how does the story of God hardening pharos heart effect our view of free will?

have heard it said that Pharo already chose to be against God, so the act of God harding his heart was not changing is will but letting him continue to act against God as previously chosen.

that being one answer

i think to more properly answer the question one would have to engage in the question of what are we actually talking about when we say, free will. in no way will i ever try to tackle that question, but it seems to be that there may be something to saying that God violated pharos "free Will" and made it impossible to choose anything but to be against God and the Israelites because his heart was hardened. with that in consideration,

The Bible does not tell us of another time that God has intervened in this way, or that it is something God does. But if God did what would it change for us ? I don't think it should change anything, except maybe increase our realization that God is God and we are not.

i don't blog enough

2008-04-09T13:37:00.000-07:00

i am now in two new classes this quarter, and they should be very stimulating.

that or they will kill my spirit and crush my ego because they will cause me to discover that a really am not the brilliant intellectual i imagine my self to be.

I have two nagging thoughts chewing on my brain cells at the moment.

one is having to do with understanding the bible through a narrative approach.

and two is the Question. What is politics?

oddly enough the two classes that i am currently taking are titled, narrative approach to theology and political theology

so i will now force my self to stop for the sake of lengthiness. but i hope to post more on these soon.

For Your Consideration.

2008-02-29T14:44:00.000-08:00

Here are two stories that lead to Questions for consideration

1. i actually watched the Oscar's the other night, not sure why, but i did. So, as i was watching a bunch of movies that i had never heard of get awards, it became apparent to me that the academy seems to have an agenda that becomes very obvious with each academy award show. coarse its no secret that Hollywood is considered liberal, but it also seems that they have a different criteria that they work with each year. any way it lead me to this Question. is it possible that a movie written by a stripper about a teen pregnancy could have more impact on reducing abortions in this country then all the political lobbying combined? if it is true that abortion is about the debate between pro choice and pro life then is it possible that a movie that highlights the beauty of protecting and valuing life, even if it requires personal sacrifice, or especially as it requires personal sacrifice, could do more to shape the way a culture views and therefore reacts to abortion?

probably not, nor is Juno this Film. but i think it is worth considering.

2. i was having a discussion with a couple of theology students the other day and one of them had just discovered somethings about some people that she really looked up to that caused her tremendous pain and confusion. this combined with a few other things led her to the place where her response to God and most things was that "there are no answers." after a short time in discussion and acknowledging that there is suffering in the world and how God might be working... she stated again that she is all about preaching that "there are no answers." this time i questioned her. "is that really what you believe?" She paused, then replied... any way here is my question, as she stated that "there are no answers" it stuck me as not a statement of despair but of a strange sort of hope and peace, mixed with much pain.

so what about the idea of there being no answers is comforting?

is it a generational/cultural thing?

is it a hope/despair thing?

or is she on to something?

Worth considering? maybe...

am i loved?

2008-02-22T22:33:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it is hard to be generous with love when we are not loved.

Walter Brueggemann describes the conflict between what he calls the powerful pull of scarcity against the good news of Gods abundance. beginning with Genesis one Brueggemann shows that the God of the Bible is the the God of abundance, he tracks through the creation story sighting the plenty of creation in which God observes "it is good" there are trees and plants and fruit... and "it is good" there are birds in the sky and fish in the sea and animals of all kinds... and "it is very good" then there is man and woman and they are told to be fruitful and multiply... And God is the God of abundance. yet somewhere in the story the belief in scarcity emerges. pharaoh to in Egypt looks around and sees that there might not be enough "good stuff" to go around in need to get Control of all i can, - scarcity, so much so that he enslaves the people and gains control of all the lad he can. the Israelites then find themselves being led into the desert, the desert which is the picture of scarcity, yet they find Gods abundance. every morning they wake up and they find all the need, yet they cant control nor predict, yet those that needed much had all they needed and those that needed little had plenty. here we find the Sabbath as a picture and recognition that God has provided all we need, we need not gather every day. working every day is living in scarcity cause i need to get all i can cause there may not be enough good stuff. the Israelites as Brueggemann points out are in constant conflict between the myth of scarcity and the reality of Gods abundance, they hoard the manna, because they do not know if there will be enough tomorrow, there is plenty every day yet they cant Control it so the do what they can to control it and forget about Gods abundance and revert to scarcity. Pharaoh controlled one of the most prosperous and fertile areas in the world yet...

it is never really about the reality of the material/economy at hand, as much as it is about ones belief about it.

what was i talking about again...

Jesus something something something i know for the something something me so...

Any way Walter Brueggemann is super smart dude and you should read some of his other stuff as well

Why you know?

2008-02-20T18:13:00.000-08:00

So I am under the impression that the first Blog post that one is supposed to accomplish is the explanation of the Title of his or her Blog.

So if i had an explanation it would either Be having to do with Ecclesiastes, "there is nothing new under the sun" Or it could come from the understanding that people really are aware of much of what there is to know, sometimes it is more a Question of articulation or completion of information and concepts. But your guess is a as good as mine.