When the World Runs Out of Answers Will You Even Know?

Three days and 9 miles

2011-07-05T22:58:00.003-05:00

My brother and I spent three days backpacking through Dolly Sods this weekend. Since I don't feel like using proper grammar or paragraph structure I will use my ol' friends the bullet points.

We left Friday morning, returned Sunday evening and hiked roughly over 9 miles.
In the same day we hiked in an open field, marshy bog, shallow river, a dried up river bed of huge rocks, over multiple hills, sparsely wooded areas, and brush so thick that we had to climb on it.
We spent the last half mile of our hike climbing through and on top of mountain laurel.
Saturday night we camped in an AMAZING spot that I hope to return.

We stopped about every half hour to pick blueberries.
I saw 2 deer, a snake, and caught & boiled 11 crayfish.
We set multiple small game snares but caught nothing.
Walking sticks are great tools. They help with stability and determining water and sod depth.
My best hiking friends
- Sleeping bag - $50
- Knife - $25
- Water filter - $75
- Framed backpack - $50
- Waterproof hiking boots - $125
- Wool hiking socks - $15
- Quick drying underwear - $25
Yep, nothing like spending over $350 so one can “rough it” in the wilderness.
Camelbaks are ridiculously convenient.
We built lean-tos and I used sod as my roof.
Tents are for females.
Since it has a tundra climate it is great to hike in 70 degree whether in July.
My brother lost 9 lbs and I went down to 140.
It feels good to do something unnecessarily manly every now and then.

Ultimately it was a relaxing weekend of enjoying God's creation and brother bonding. I am an incredibly blessed guy.

Corinthians 7, part 2

2010-11-12T00:18:00.006-05:00

In 1 Corinthians 7 verses 2 and 9 Paul states, “ But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. … But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.” If we do not take into account the context of the passage, Paul's other letters, or the whole of scripture, then we can easily come up with a plethora of contradicting interpretations. Since I've already dealt with the more popular misinterpretations, I now hope to provide a more consistent and accurate interpretation. I recommend reading 1 Corinthians 7 in its entirety before hand and following along as you read this.

We love to make things neat and tidy, so we look for clear-cut directions. However, God's sovereignty does not always need to be reduced to specific, clear-cut instructions (also known as legalism). Ultimately, all God asks of us is to love and serve Him completely and He will take care of the rest. (Hebrews 13:21) In 1Cor 7, Paul was not giving Christians a command about which lifestyle God wants them to pursue. Instead he is assuring them that since God has it all under control they have the freedom to serve Him regardless of their present situation. He repeats this idea three times in chapter 7 (verses 17, 20, 24)

1 Corinthians 7 is far more simple than most people make it out to be. Paul does not say that everyone should get married, nor does he say that everyone should be single. Instead, he celebrates both life situations by addressing their advantages and disadvantages. The main point of chapter 7 is that Christians are to serve God in whatever life situation they are in, whether they be married, single, engaged, in slavery, or married to a non-christian. Slaves may gain their freedom or they may not (21-23). A spouse may become a Christian or they may leave (10-16). A person may get married or not(2-9 & 25-40). The purpose of the text is not to say that one lifestyle is good and the other is bad. The point is that God is big enough to use us no matter what our situation is. Our main priority in life should not be to change our situation. Instead we should focus on how we are to glorify God in our current situation even if we are also seeking to change it.

Paul starts off the chapter by addressing a legalistic view that was influencing the church. Apparently, some of the Corinthians were teaching that ALL sex should be avoided. So Paul responds by clarifying that married couples should have sex and that if the single people want to have sex then they should get married too. He further dismantles their legalistic mindset by refusing to condemn or require any specific life situation.

When the sanctity of sex is attacked, Paul responds by clarifying that sex is not inherently bad. In fact, having sex is a good part of a proper marriage. Therefore, if you want to have sex, then get married. If not, that's great too. You can be content with your situation and still work to change it. So if you want to have sex, honor God with your singleness and then pursue marriage rather than focusing on your lust. Pastor Mark Driscol expressed this sentiment to a male in today's culture when he said, “You need to stop watching porno … A naked lady is good to look at, so get a job, get a wife, ask her to get naked, and look at her instead.”

Some are offended that sex is condoned as a proper reason for marriage. This is probably because they assume it is the sole reason rather than merely a reason. Since the topic was sex, Paul mentioned sex as a motivation for marriage. Sex was never condoned as a sole reason for marriage, it was merely the topic at hand. Scripture is filled with other reasons for marriage that are far more important than sex. (Eph 5: 22-33) So, sex is A reason for marriage, but it certainly is not THE reason. Now, just so we are clear.

Should marriage help us avoid sexual immorality by providing a God ordained outlet for our natural desires? - YES!

Should marriage be expected to fix and fulfill all of our sexual and emotional issues? - NO!

We need to avoid our tendency to go from one extreme to another. Marriage is not the fix-all of sexual temptation. But it should help. Only God can make us holy and no person should ever be expected to fufill God's role in our life. They will fail every time. No guy should expect that his issues with porn will just go away once he is married. No girl should expect that her issues of self worth and insecurity will be solved by her husband. Instead, they need to look to God as their savior and each other as their helpers in pursuing holiness. That is the way God designed it.

Corinthians 7, part 1

2010-09-22T01:45:00.004-05:00

(1Co 7:1) Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: "It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman."

(1Co 7:2) But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.

(1Co 7:3) The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband.

(1Co 7:4) For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.

(1Co 7:5) Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

(1Co 7:6) Now as a concession, not a command, I say this.

(1Co 7:7) I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another.

My interpretation of this passage has changed multiple times over the past few years. I grew up in a conservative bible believing Southern Baptist church and was quite influenced by the wider Christian culture. One of these aspects of popular Christan culture is its emphasis of marriage and family. Sadly, many Christian teachers venerate marriage and family to such an extent that they either misinterpret or completely ignore the biblical teachings of singleness. Naturally, as I grew to better understand God's word and how to implement it in my life, I realized that much of what I had been taught about singleness did not line up with the whole of scripture. However, like the brilliant, prideful, rebel that I am, in my zeal to correct this overemphasis on marriage, I overemphasized singleness.

(It is a classic mistake that every young generation makes in some way or another. Some of the more popular issues recently would be alcohol, cussing, music, smoking, preaching, media, and church structure to name a few. Gone unnoticed, this over-correction causes many people to associate thoughts and words with either their own extreme view or the extreme view they oppose. Then, of course, people end up arguing against this perceived extreme rather than the literal thoughts and words that are expressed. Once this occurs, communication breaks down and all hope of objective reasoning and civil discussion is lost.)

When I first read 1Corinthians 7 I thought and was taught that, “Paul says Christians should get married unless their blessed with the gift of singleness. Since I very badly want to have sex then I must not have this supernatural gift of singleness. Therefore God has someone picked out for me to marry and its only a matter of waiting on God's timing until I get married.” I am confident that the majority of american Christians hold to this interpretation either explicitly or implicitly. That means, some people have this view because they have studied the scripture and reached this conclusion, but many have just accepted this as truth without realizing that other views exist. It wasn't until after high school that I realized how unbiblical my view was.

Then I discovered the joy and contentment of singleness. I learned that nowhere in Scripture are all Christians commanded or promised to marry. In fact, Paul uses a later part of 1Corinthians 7 to extoll the virtue and benefits of singleness.

(1Co 7:32) I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord.

(1Co 7:33) But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife,

(1Co 7:34) and his interests are divided. And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband.

(1Co 7:35) I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord.

Match that with Paul saying in verse 7, “I wish that all were as I myself am.” and it seems like Paul is saying that singleness is better than marriage. If that is the case then what is he saying in verse 2? If singleness is superior to marriage then Paul is encouraging Christians to pursue their own fleshly desires (sex) over what is best (singleness). It is as though he is giving a concession for sin. But since Christians have the Holy Spirit living inside of them they have no excuse for pursuing anything other than holiness. Pursuing anything less than God's perfect glory is sin. Therefore, verse 2 simply cannot be a concession for sin. Rather than verse 2 being a positive affirmation of marrying for the purpose of sex, it must have been intended to reveal their sinful motivations and bring them to shame. An example of this teaching method can be found in how Jesus addresses divorce in Matthew 19:8. Jesus was not condoning divorce, but rather he was condeming those who wanted to divorce by telling them that their hearts were wicked. In the same manner Paul was not condoning marriage for the purpose of sex. Instead, he was revealing their shame in that they lacked sexual control so much that they saw marriage as the only alternative.

There are a few problems with his interpretation. First off, Paul never says that singleness is entirely better than marriage. He is simply stating in Chapter 7 that there are some advantages to singleness over marriage. The thrust of that whole chapter is that God can and will use you in whatever life situation you are in. Marriage is a gift just as singleness is a gift. Maybe God will see fit to change one's life situation or maybe He won't. That is not where our focus should be. Rather, we should focus on Him rather than focusing on changing our situation.

After the premise of singleness' superiority is removed, the rest of the logic crumbles with it. Since marriage is not inferior to singleness then Paul is not necessarily condoning sin by encouraging people to get married and have sex. In Matthew 19, Jesus was talking about an act that was always sinful (divorce) whereas Paul was talking about an act that is generally condoned (a married couple having sex). Jesus referenced an ACT that was sinful, but in Paul's reference only the MOTIVATION could be interpreted as sinful. It is still possible that Paul could be using the same teaching method as Jesus, but it is becoming less likely. After all, I am less interested in how it “could” be interpreted than how it “should” be interpreted.

Though I am willing to see certain passages of scripture as sarcastic or hyperbole, I am very hesitant to do so unless it is incredibly obvious within the context of the passage or if a very literal interpretation would contradict the rest of scripture. Otherwise it would become very easy to just write off tough passages of scripture as sarcasm rather than digging deep into the Word and determining what it actually says. The same danger applies with claiming that certain passages were only meant for certain cultures or contexts. Since God designed all of scripture with the purpose of spreading the Gospel to all of the world and all cultures He would not have included solely cultural specific instructions. It would be counterproductive and so I reject that premise outright. With that said, I don't think Paul was being sarcastic and I don't think he was talking only to the Corinthian culture. Instead, I think a very literal interpretation of 1 Corinthians 7, tempered with a proper understanding of temptation, marriage, and holiness, produces a far more glorious insight into the grace of God and his awesome design.

And i've written two pages and have yet to actually get to the actual interpretation of the text. Hopefully after clarifying what it does not say, I can more easily explain what it does say... in my next post.

Quote the Driscoll? Nevermore!

2010-09-03T18:22:00.004-05:00

"You need to stop watching porno and crying like a baby afterward and grow up... A naked lady is good to look at, so get a job, get a wife, ask her to get naked, and look at her instead. Alright?" - Encouraging words from Mark Driscoll

I posted this on facebook a few days ago because I thought it was a cute quot
e. Click here to see the link and comments
I was not anticipating the backlash that ensued. This is a danger that comes with posting any quote on facebook since it is very easy to derive many meanings from one single quote. That doesn't mean that it HAS many meanings, only that it is vague enough to allow for many different interpretations. Because of the ease of misunderstanding this quote, I probably should not have posted it. Nonetheless, the deed has been done and now I must explain my interpretation of the quote so that people don't assume I support the objectifaction of women, downplaying holiness, or prooftexting.
To properly understand any text you need to take into account the context. This is a quote from Mark Driscoll's book “Confessions of a Reformission Rev” in a section focusing on his evolving role as a pastor. A college student called him up at 3 am to ask him to pray for him because he just watched a porno. The middle sentence that I ommitted was, “I don't have time to be your accountability partner, so you need to be a man and nut up and take care of this yourself.” Mark was not using this as an example of a complete and gracious counseling session. These were harsh words spoken guy to guy to a member of Mars Hill who had heard Driscoll speak on this topic more in depth.
The sin had already been committed and there was no real urgency or need for him to call his pastor at 3 am. I am a firm believer that true repentance is not made evident in the midst of sin nor immediately after. Its the decisions we make when we are not emotionally driven by our circumstances that reveal the true desire of our heart. This guy was not emotionally stable at this point.
Since there was no real urgency, it was very inconsiderate to call his pastor at 3 am
Though he was repentant, his actions were still selfish. As someone who has had their own fair share of porn struggles and has been a part of quite a few accountability groups, I can testify that a Christian will almost always feel remorse, heart broken, and guilty after doing the deed. I can also testify that those feelings rarely effect actual change. Mark was not going to be able to say some magical prayer or give some life changing advice that would solve this guy's porn problem at 3am. So, Driscoll just told him to grow up, stop being emotional, and deal with the problem. Then he gave the guy something positive and biblical to pursue instead of just focussing on what he should not do.
“A naked lady is good to look at, so get a job, get a wife, ask her to get naked, and look at her instead.” Scripture celebrates sexual desire and nudity within the context of marriage and condemns it any other way. (Since the word “lust” can refer to either of these contexts i'll instead use the umistakeably generic term “sexual desires.”)
Sexual desire and nudity are not inherently sinful, rather they were designed by God for His glory. Sexual desire becomes a sin only when gratification is sought outside of God's plan of marriage. Matthew 5:27 Jesus tells us what God's standard is when it comes to purity and he takes it pretty seriously. In Genesis 2:24-25 Adam and Eve are unashamedly having sex and being naked before the fall
. I am fairly confident they enjoyed themselves because I just can't rationalize sexual enjoyment and the consequent desire being a result of sin rather than a gift from a good God. The problem is that we have taken a good thing, and turned it into a god thing
. Put simply, looking at a naked lady is good; looking at a naked lady that isn't your wife is bad. Idolatry is what occurs when we pervert God's good creation and make it bad. That means I am not a disgusting pervert because I like breasts. It means I am a disgusting pervert because I like the breasts of women that aren't my wife.
We live in a culture that worships sex and romance. Therefore, it is quite easy and probably fairly common for us to trade one sin for another. I really liked what Joey said when he wrote, “We take every thought captive, not because a naked woman is wrong, but because we are idol makers and our focus becomes torn from God.”
Sadly many in our society make marriage their idol, but Christians can pursue marriage without making it an idol. There are many benefits and purposes that God has given us through his plan of marriage. Scripture tells us that one of those benefits and purposes is sex.
We do not need to pretend that the only benefits to marriage are the really spiritual ones. Though they are certainly the most important ones.
God created sex. God created marriage. God created mankind and encouraged them to get married and have sex. That is encouraging! That means God has provided a way in which I may one day enjoy this part of His creation fully and unashamedly. It does not mean that marriage or women are only for sex. In fact, sex is only a small part of God's purpose for marriage (Ephesians 5:22-33), and God has WAY bigger plans for women than just their ability to gratify men. But ignoring the smaller pleasures of something in order to emphasize the bigger purpose is just silly. Please allow me this illustration.
While shopping for a new car I was pretty excited about having air conditioning for the first time in my life. Ultimately, though, AC ranked pretty low on my list of reasons and priorities for getting a new car. Still, I didn't need to stop anticipating air conditioning so I could focus on a low price, good gas mileage, and dependability. Thankfully, Chevy designed a car that could give me all these at the same time! Likewise, God, being a wise and good God, designed marriage with many purposes and sex is just one of them.
Since I would one day like to have sex, then pursuing a righteous and responsible lifestyle would be conducive to God blessing me with a wife. Being mature does not guarantee that God will bless me with a wife, but being immature, jobless, and homeless will seriously hinder those possibilities as well as my relationship with God. In pursuing holiness and righteousness, I will not only grow closer to and better glorify God, but i will also be better suited and more likely to be blessed with a wife. God, in His infinite goodness, has designed it so that i may glorify Him AND potentially have sex.
How cool is that?!
I can get a dependable car with great gas mileage at a reasonable price and STILL GET AIR CONDITIONING.
Seeing as how I have written way more than I wanted and took way more time than I intended this will have to be a two parter. I must address 1Cor 7, and i'm kinda glad that it will get its own post. Cause its worth it.

Reformation or Revolution?

2010-07-05T02:07:00.000-05:00

I look at the American church and I see a system that is neither biblically consistent nor culturally relevant. The more ministry experience and education I receive, the more the chasm between how things should be and how they are seems to widen. The chasm appears so wide that I wonder whether most churches are beyond help. Can they be reformed into effective great commission churches or are they so fundamentally flawed that a restart is the best solution?

The best analogy that comes to mind is political. If a country's government is not serving its people then the people should seek to reform it within the system. Sometimes though, the government is so far from what it should be that a revolution must occur in which the whole system is scrapped in favor of a new one. Trying to get a church to actually carry out the “great commission” effectively can feel like trying to get a communist nation to become a democracy. Small changes within the system are only going to provide temporary or negative results because the problem lies in the structure itself. Reformation will not suffice; a revolution must occur.

Here is one example of a fundamental church issue that would be tough to change. For the past 50 years many churches have offerred different programs to meet the needs of the congregation and those in the culture. The mindset has been developed that if someone wanted to do something differently then they just started another program. But what does one do if they feel that the programs are the problem? That change would require a complete restructure or the whole church and would probably cause a lot of strife. Therefore, is it better to seek to make that change from within or to peacefully start another church with a “no programs” mentality? (The question of whether or not programs are good is just an example and is in no way fully argued in this post as that is NOT the topic at hand.)

Here is the question. Should one try to start a reformation within a church or should they try to start a revolution outside of that church? I think that is one of the reasons many young adults are attracted to starting new churches. They feel that most churches need such a drastic fundamental change that it is easier to start fresh than try to “fix” an already established church. I only recently realized that this was part of my motivation for wanting to help with a new church. I do not want to give up on traditional churches that are filled with amazing, godly people. Nor do I want to be a part of a church whose very structure does not allow for the change that I feel is necessary to effectively fulfill the Great Commission . I am certain that a blanket statement of “do” or “don't” cannot be found in the Bible. Every scenario is different so personal examples and hypotheticals are only going to cause rabbit trails. I am more interested in hearing what others think of the general pros and cons of reforming an established church from within versus just starting fresh. This issue is very disheartening for me since I love the church and only desire to see it grow and glorify God in it's intended manner and I am unsure of my own personal role. Martin Luther described wonderfully the tension that of one's feelings of love and dissapointment with the church when he said, “The church is a whore. And she is my mother.”

Flirting and Modesty part 0

2010-05-21T02:34:00.006-05:00

The most common ways we flirt:
(in no particular order)

1.hanging out more often,
2.greater focus on the individual while in group settings
3.attending their activities (sports, music, etc..),
4.physical signs: touching, eye contact, smiling, & closer body positioning
5.having one-on-one conversations
6.complimenting
7.asking questions
8.doing special things for them
9.taking an interest in their interests (music, activities, etc..)
10.joking/teasing
11. dressing up

What are some things that you perceive as flirting? What are some things you intentionally do when flirting?

Flirting and modesty part 2

2010-05-12T15:41:00.001-05:00

There are two reasons Christian girls dress inappropriately: ignorance & selfishness. Many girls just do not realize that the outfits they wear can cause their male friends to have inappropriate thoughts. As fashion becomes more revealing, many girls just follow the trends without considering the consequences. Well, if you are reading this then you can no longer claim ignorance. I don't want to make a list of what not to wear because I suspect that someone will then accuse me of legalism. Nonetheless, I think some practical examples could be helpful those who are truly ignorant and desiring advice. Here are just some examples of what guys have expressed frustration over.

- Extremely tight clothing.
- Low cut tops. Consider the angles at which guys may be looking at you. A top may seem relatively harmless from straight on, but may also provide quite a show from above.
- Visible underwear.
- Short skirts, shorts, dresses.

This list is not exhaustive by any means, nor is it a strict list of which to adhere. These are just some ideas for those who wish to put their brother's purity above their own desires.

Flirting and modesty

2010-04-12T15:11:00.002-05:00

These two issues can only be dealt with if we have a proper theology of our freedom in Christ. Both flirting and flaunting can be justified by a good legalist. People justify themselves by saying things like, “I'm not committing any sin and we're just having a good time” as well as “Well they shouldn't be looking anyway.” The problem with this reasoning is that it is ultimately selfish.

Dressing modestly. First, lets clarify some things. We are all personally responsible for our own sins. If I lust for a girl after seeing her cleavage, I am fully responsible. I cannot blame her nor justify my sin by revealing another's sin. That logic did not work when Adam blamed Eve for making him eat the fruit, and it has not worked since. (Genesis 3:12. "The man said, The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.") Likewise, my pension for lusting, does not justify someone else's disregard for my purity.
In 1 Corinthians 8, Paul addresses one way in which we should view our freedom in Christ. “Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.” He is talking specifically about eating meat but the principle applies to every aspect of our lives. The spiritual well being of others should always trump our own desires even if those desires are not inherently sinful.

(in the interest of sparing you one huge chapter, i will be splitting this topic into many posts.) to be continued...

The real meaning of peace

2010-04-05T15:27:00.001-05:00

Saturday night I visited a church in Hillsboro. My friend lives out that way, but works on Sunday mornings, so we've been looking for a church that she can go to. It was a pretty big church and their website had pretty legit doctrine, so I was optimistic. Everything was great about the church expect for the sermon. It wasn't heretical, it was just fluff.

My problem with his sermon was not with what he said, it is with what he did not say. He spent a lot of time talking about the peace that Christ provides. Stories were shared of people receiving peace when their houses sold right after being put on the market, and other similar ways God can provide emotional and financial peace. That was the only application of peace that he gave. He never mentioned sin, or the fact that prior to Christs atonement we were at enmity with God. Because of the cross I am no longer an enemy of God, but rather i am His child. That is the peace Christ provides. That is what Jesus died for. He didn't suffer on a cross and die just to help sell a house. He suffered God's wrath and penalty for my sins so that i didn't have to. That is the source of my peace.

I certainly believe that God can and does provide peace through monetary things, but those things pale in comparison to the spiritual peace he provides. To take something as awesome and life changing as peace with God and reduce it to merely an emotional or financial peace is a travesty!

He invited people to believe in Jesus and follow him, but he never mentioned anything close to repentance or sin. When you remove these factors from the explanation of how to follow Jesus then you are giving misleading directions. It saddens me that a church with such a large audience has such little to say.

Bowling for Columbine

2010-03-16T15:37:00.004-05:00

I just finished watching Michael Moore's "Bowling for Columbine" on Hulu. It was a well made documentary that was missing a few vital things, namely a point. After watching it i'm left with little clue what i should do next. He pretty much just said that America sucks, and the only advice for change he gave was Kmart should stop selling ammo and we should have more positive media coverage.

Here are just a few of the random things i jotted down while watching the second half.

-There is a 13% non-white population in Canada. "That makes them just like us." We have a 25% non-white population. That's not even close to us.

-In Canada I could buy all the live ammunition i wanted. (This totally negates his push for Kmart to stop selling ammo) Besides a Chris rock clip, he never actually made an argument against selling ammo vs guns anyway.

-Moore finds it strange that people have their doors unlocked in the middle of the day while they're home? Where does he live? We don't lock our doors while we're home in the middle of the day in Portland, Or.

His two biggest highlights were completely unrelated to the Columbine shootings. (and he failed to show a relation between them and gun violence.)

-Healthcare & Welfare

-Racism & the media

I get the feeling that Moore assumed that if you talk about three separate issues in the same documentary then THAT is enough evidence to show that they are related.

"This is the bus that she was forced to ride every day." She was FORCED!? Did the police or state force her to be a part of this program? Yet another exaggeration that makes Mr Moore less credible.

And now the Columbine shootings are the fault of George W. Bush!? The shooting occurred during the Clinton administration.

That cartoon is absurd beyond belief. It is pure propaganda, as is the whole

movie.

In the end i'm glad i watched it. I know better than to waste any more of my life or thought on Moore's immature rants. Maybe someone else will make a fact based documentary that will challenge my views, but i doubt it will ever be Michael Moore.

Casper the friendly BCM

2010-03-13T05:36:00.003-05:00

My past week was spent serving, directing, and chauffeuring a BCM group from Casper, Wyoming. It was crazy busy and loads of fun. As i built these short term relationships, i was reminded at how much i desire to invest in a long term ministry. My dis-contentedness with short term relationships has been growing ever since i first attended Southeastern College.

Since it was primarily a seminary, most of the chapel sermons were directed at pastors and missionaries. Many of these messages emphasized long term commitments to ministry and celebrated the humble pastors who stayed in one church their entire lives. It was not until then that i saw long suffering as a goal in which one should seek to attain.

As a fairly confident and outgoing guy, i make friends quickly wherever i go. This, has enabled me to make it a low priority to invest in others long term. Much to my chagrin, teaching and experience has taught me that my attitude was selfish, lazy, and just not practical. Genuine community is possible short-term, but it is perfected long-term. All the things that characterize community work so much better when there is a long term investment; things such as accountability, forgiveness, reconciliation, rebuke, teaching, comforting, and the list goes on. That is why making short term friends is so bittersweet.

Even when i have a great week with someone, i cannot help but wonder how much better our relationship could be if we could invest more in each other long-term. Intimate week long friendships are kinda like one-night-stands. It is fun and exciting in the moment, but its only temporary. There is instant gratification with no long term commitment. Neither side gets an accurate view of who the person really is. There is lots of intimacy but very little commitment.

Working at a church camp for two summers also caused me to question the benefits of the "wham bam thank you ma'am" approach to spiritual growth. By getting students to trust me and open up to me in just one week, i am encouraging them to pursue intimacy without commitment. I do not think that is a behavior Christians should be encouraging. That is neither healthy nor necessarily biblical. I confess, i do not have a verse where it is specifically condemned. Rather, i believe we downplay committed community because we overlook the importance of the local church in favor of the universal church. Some may cite James 5:16 as a reason to "confess your sins to each other and pray for each other." This passage is directed to members of a local church, not the universal church. These confessions were to occur with believers that shared community with each other. Nowhere in scripture is intimacy without commitment condoned.

Christians place much emphasis on proper physical intimacy, (aka no sex till marriage) yet spiritual and emotional intimacy are basically ignored. Maybe many of the sexual issues that singles face are emotional intimacy issues rather than just lustful desires. Maybe we are just seeing the results of the emotional habits that we helped create.

And that was a bit of a rant.

All that to say, i had a great time with the Casper group. It was nice to hang out with passionate college students who love Jesus. Its also nice to find someone to trade Barenaked Ladies lyrics, Daniel Tosh quotes, and who knew who of Brave Saint Saturn. Nonetheless, every time i make a new friend in a temporary setting it makes me yearn even more for permanency. I hope that after my year in Portland is through, God will send me to a ministry and area where i can live for a long, long time. I anxiously yearn for a time when my friendships won't have deadlines.

Jaded

2010-02-18T01:55:00.003-05:00

I watched a video for "Invisible Children" and it had the same effect as most foreign social justice issues. My heart breaks for those less fortunate, but i worry that most "relief" does more harm than good in the long run. Maybe i look too much to the future, but i think most people only look at the moment. I certainly don't have all the answers, but my knowledge of foreign history and politics has left me quite jaded. Corrupt governments continue to be corrupt no matter how much aid we provide. At the same time, i don't think our government should take out their government. Part of the video highlighted some of the kids lobbying the U.S. to send millions to aid Africa (which congress did). I am completely opposed to that. There are so many more appropriate uses for that money and ultimately it will just help sustain the corrupt government.
It breaks my heart that there are so many people dying and living in fear, and i feel so helpless. Food and education will provide immediate help, but without a heart change of the whole culture, the problem will only worsen. One corrupt leader will replace another and the people will become even more dependent on foreign aid. And i continue to feel helpless.
I guess i'll just focus on the local issues that i can influence.

just an update on my life

2010-02-06T16:58:00.002-05:00

Hokay so, here's the update on what i'm doing out here. 2010 has brought Kelly back to be more involved with NCM and we also have a new Semester missionary to work with, Miranda. This allows us to split up so each of us focus' on a certain campus. I am at Rock Creek. It is a cool campus with a sweet student center and a well organized club set-up. It isn't the biggest campus, but it is my favorite. I like this set-up because it allows each of us to be responsible for our own campus'. If something needs done, then i need to do it. I can't rely on someone else, nor do i (usually) need to wait on someone else to get something done.
I've also started working with Life Connections Church. They are a church plant closer Rock Creek than First Baptist Beaverton. I'm excited about getting to work with a new church and they are pretty cool. Last Sunday we went bowling instead of our typical sunday service and today we played flag football. I haven't played football in over a year and i miss it. I'm pretty out of shape, but i still have a few moves left. The main difference is that after running back an interception, instead of celebrating i need a few minutes to recover.
Speaking of football, i've joined the futbol club and now play soccer twice a week. I hadn't played soccer since i was 12. I did not suck as bad as i had feared, but i'm pretty sure i'm kicking the ball wrong since my knee is hurting greatly. It is the international sport, and therefore the most practical sport to learn. It is a great way to connect with people.
I finally got a new phone. I had to order it from England. The american models have certain features like Wi-fi locked and it was the cheapest deal. So, yay! i now have my friends' numbers.

political thoughts on measures 66 & 67

2010-01-20T20:06:00.002-05:00

Political consistency is a pain in the butt.

In Portland there are two bills that we are supposed to vote for "yay" or "nay". They are both propose tax increases in order to fund social programs. The increases are very reasonable; they only apply to individuals making over 125k and they raise the corporate tax minimum from $10 to $150. (The 1st increase of this tax in over 50 years.) Aside from my typical libertarian view that ANY income tax increase is self-defeating, i have a more pressing concern.

Fiscal responsibility.

On a flyer that i recieved at school it stated that a "NO" vote would result in a combined $727 mil. "of funds budgeted for education, health care, public safety, and more." Lets focus on, "of funds budgeted." That means the government has already planned on using the money from taxes that the public has yet to approve. That is downright absurd! That shows a complete disregard to the public and their right to vote.

I'm well aware that many governments operate in the same manner. That doesn't make it any less disrespectful and irresponsible. Whether i agreed with the bill or not, i'd be tempted to vote against it in hopes that they would learn some respect for the voting process. I know they won't, but one can dream.

Donation Recommendation

2010-01-15T05:44:00.002-05:00

http://www.imb.org/main/news/details.asp?StoryID=8286&LanguageID=1709

"Initial funding for the relief effort is coming from the IMB’s disaster relief fund. New contributions toward the relief effort can be made at BGR’s Web site. Money donated to the relief effort will be used 100 percent for ministry, Brown said."

Southern Baptist Churches already pay all of the overhead and provide for the disaster relief fund. This allows all of your money to go to Haitian relief. Heck, even if your not a christian, it is a good way to guarantee that your money goes to Haiti rather than a bureaucrat.

Hatian relief

2010-01-15T05:28:00.003-05:00

I beg you, know exactly where your money is going to go before you donate it to disaster relief in Haiti!
This should be a common thing for all donations, but i am stressing this particular event for two reasons.
1) Haiti is really good at using foreign aid for private interests rather than community aid.
2)Whenever a huge event like this occurs it is very easy for funds to "slip through the cracks" and get missused or wasted.

I saw many examples of "donations" that were sold to private enterprises rather than assissting the poor Haitians.
Know the overhead costs of the organizations you give to. Organizations like the Red Cross and United Way end up eating much of what is donated just in paying their staff.
When donating for big events, either extreme can be bad.
Some organizations that are too large waste your donation on overhead.
Some organizations that are too small have no clue how to handle such a large influx of cash. How do you think a business would react if one week they made 100 times more than they had ever made before?

This is just a friendly reminder to be wise with your money and to not let your emotions cloud your judgement.

My recomendation:
http://www.imb.org/main/news/details.asp?StoryID=8286&LanguageID=1709

Christmas came and went

2009-12-29T10:50:00.003-05:00

This was the first Christmas where i have not had to worry about how i'm going to pay for tuition. My purchasing practices didn't really change though. I guess thats because i'm a pretty big fan of spending money based on whether i SHOULD rather than whether i CAN. I am in the very fortunate situation where i am not expected to buy any big presents, nor am i expected to buy anything for my extended family. I share the same sentiments toward my other family members as well and hope to maintain such low expectations. Unexpected gifts are the most genuine. I really hate the thought of receiving a gift just because i gave them a gift. And vise-versa. It cheapens the gift and makes it into a messed up form of bartering.
So, this year i went with quantity over quality. Everybody got something. Even if it only cost 1 or 2 dollars. If it truly is "the thought that counts" then i think dollar store gifts count for a lot. It is not easy to find one or two acceptable gifts for someone around a dollar. It takes quite some time and thought to find a gift that is either useful or humorous in a personal way.
I love my family and the time i get to spend with them.

I Celerate the Day

2009-12-25T02:27:00.002-05:00

And with this Christmas wish is missed
The point I could convey
If only I could find the words to say to let You know how much You've touched my life
Because here is where You're finding me, in the exact same place as New Year's eve
And from a lack of my persistency
We're less than half as close as I want to be

And the first time
That You opened Your eyes did You realize that You would be my Savior
And the first breath that left Your lips
Did You know that it would change this world forever

And so this Christmas I'll compare the things I felt in prior years
To what this midnight made so clear
That You have come to meet me here

To look back and think that
This baby would one day save me
And the hope that
That You give
That you were born so I might really live
To look back and think that
This baby would one day save me

And I, I celebrate the day
That You were born to die
So I could one day pray for You to save my life

-Relient K

We love the picture of the cute baby Jesus, yet we tend to overlook the actual purpose of His birth. His death. That is what i shall call the "irony" of Christmas.

God descended into human form so that He could be killed on a cross and take the punishment for the things i've done wrong. The eternal punishment that i rightly deserve. (Then, proving He was God, He came back to life 3 days later and talked to over 500 people.)

Therefore, He will save the "eternal" life of anyone who asks because He has already paid the price for their penalty.

If that didn't really happen then i would have no reason to celebrate today. Why would i celebrate the birth of some psycho who claimed to be God just because his mom was a lying slut and His father couldn't provide any better than to have his son born in a disease infested barn?

That's not a holiday. That's an episode of Jerry Springer.

"God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son so that whoever believes in Him will not die, but have eternal life." -John 3:16

A different week

2009-12-12T20:47:00.002-05:00

Since Monday First Baptist Beaverton has opened up its doors at night for people who sleep so they won't freeze to death. I have been working the exciting 11pm-5:30am shift. I am also in the church play that is being performed this weekend. Therefore, i am at the church from 6pm-6-am on the weekdays and then i try to sleep during the day. We have a skylight so the sun pours right onto my face. I had to buy one of those masks to cover my eyes while i slept because it is so bright in the living room. Thankfully, my roomates are very considerate and i'm a pretty heavy sleeper. Most nights, Ryan has gone to work or school by the time i get to bed, so one time i got to sleep in his bed.
This weekend is a little different. Because we have 2 shows today i decided to just sleep at the church from 6:30am-noon. I've decided to do the same thing tomorrow. That means i will have spent three days at the church before going home. And i only brought one set of clothes. We have a huge amount of donated clothes for the warming shelter, so maybe i'll scavenge some stuff from there. haha I WILL NOT BE A SLAVE TO HYGIENE!!!

And in other news...

I tried out for a play at PCC and was pretty bummed that i didn't get a part. This bummed me out for 2 reasons.
1) I have always gotten a part for every play that i have tried out for. So this is what rejection feels like huh? I don't like. I don't like it one bit.
2) I thought i did really good; especially in comparison to the other guys.
3) I was hoping to build some relationships with the theater people at PCC.
It upset me more than i'm proud of. A lot of questions ran through my head.
-Was i just a big fish in a small pond?
-Do i think i'm a good actor, but i'm actually not? Am i "THAT" guy?
-Am i the William Hung of acting? (please click the link and watch. Its amazing)
But, those fears were laid to rest once i recieved an e-mail from one of the other directors asking me to be the lead in his one act. It turns out that the director of the main play gave all the male roles to actors from the Tuesday audition. Apparently he doesn't usually know what he is looking for until after the first auditions. After going over scheduling issues, my director decided that it would just be too difficult for me to be the lead and be gone for two weeks during rehearsal. Therefore, i am now a much smaller role in the play, but i still have a part. This works out great for me. I have FAR fewer lines to memorize, i still get to be a part of the play, i don't have to make-out with some random girl, and i still get to rest in the knowledge that i don't suck . . . at acting.

AND

I'll be arriving in West Virginia on Monday morning December 21. I will spend nearly 2 weeks there. Then i'll drive down to NC with Candice Saturday night Jan 2nd and go to Faith Baptist church Sunday morning and see some friends before flying out of Raleigh on Monday Evening. So, who in Wake Forest wants to let me crash at their place Sunday night?

Goodbye Fall; Hello Winter

2009-12-09T18:16:00.002-05:00

Our painting project at Portland Rescue mission was a huge success. Its not all about numbers, but they sure make updates more simple.
-14 volunteers
-about 2.5 hours
-2 Rooms painted; one with two coats
-12 handmade bows & other handmade decorations
We also got to meet some of the residents of the Next Step Program and learn how it works. Its pretty cool. We intend to work with them more next term. .

The Essentials Pantry drive from last week went really well too. People donated over 4 shopping carts of supplies. Becky even brought her flute and played Christmas music for everyone entering the store.
It is always interesting to see how people react to these sort of things. I had one guy shrug me off when he entered the store only to return about 5 minutes later and ask for a list because he had changed his mind. He later returned with a whole grocery bag of supplies. How cool is that!? Since a large part of asking for donations involves rejection, it is comforting to remind myself that God is in control. Though i may not see it, there is no limit to how God can use my simple act of obedience to work on someone’s heart.

I’m now updating this while working at the Warming Shelter that First Baptist Beaverton provides for the needy. Their doors are open to anyone from 6pm-9am when the temperature drops below freezing. (which is going to be at least for the rest of the week.) Let anyone in the Beaverton area know that they have a warm place to sleep in case they can’t heat their homes or they don’t have a home to heat.

Our on campus activities at PCC will resume when school starts back in January.

Why my Philosophy of Religion class annoys me

2009-11-25T17:37:00.002-05:00

I just spent four years at a Private, Conservative Southern Baptist school. They were far more open to philosophical discussion and objectivity than the teacher at this liberal Community College. For our reading we have read books by Joseph Campbell, Huston Smith, and Marcus Borg. THEY ALL SAY THE SAME THING! There is no counterpoint, no alternate views, and no room for dissension. Our assignments ask for regurgitated responses to leading and assumptive questions. They all have the same presuppositions, the same faulty logic and avoid the same tough questions. This is the most one-sided class i have ever taken. The issue is not merely that i disagree with the authors. The issue is that their view is being touted as the only one. There are thousands of respected scientist, scholars, and academics that disagree with their views as well as millions of other people. Yet, all dissenting views are ignored. Not even refuted, just ignored! If i was taking this class solely to gain a balanced view of the philosophy of world religions, then i would have stopped going long ago. I'm just thankful that i had the History of Ideas program and World Cultures and Religions to give me some level of balanced philisophical education.

Hello Pacific

2009-11-24T20:57:00.008-05:00

Last weekend i saw the Pacific Ocean for the first time. I must say that it kicks the Atlantic's butt. It was also where the first and last scenes of Goonies were filmed. We went to Cannon Beach for a new directors retreat. It was pretty fun. One of the guys did a lesson on doing 1on1 meetings and what a disciplemaker looks like. It was good. It clarified some things that have been perplexing me for the past few years. Theses pix were taken by my friends because i no longer have a camera.

I still haven't been back to the gym since the theft. Every time i think about going to workout i just get ticked off. I know its stupid, but i'll get over it eventually. Richard got a new phone and gave me his. Hooray! That also means i need you to give me your number if you want me to call you. Or you can text or call me.

Last night we had a pot-luck Thanksgiving dinner with our college group. It went great.

off-shore drilling loan

2009-11-24T18:12:00.004-05:00

This is pretty old news, but i just found out. Probably because nobody talks about it.

This was NOT reported on any of the mainstream news outlets such as ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN or MSNBC. However, it was reported as follows:

On 20 August 2009, on a segment of the "Glen Beck Show" on FCN (Fox Cable News) ... the following statement was read:

"Today even though President Obama is against offshore drilling for oil for this country. He signed an executive order to loan 2 Billion or more of our taxpayers dollars to a Brazilian Oil Exploration Company (Petrobras - which is the 8th largest company in the entire world) to drill for oil off the coast of Brazil. The oil that comes from this operation is for the sole purpose and use of China and not the USA . The Chinese government is under contract to purchase all the oil that this oil field will produce, which is hundreds of millions of barrels of oil".

We (the American People) have absolutely no gain from this transaction whatsoever.

Wait, it gets more interesting: Guess who is the largest individual stockholder of this Brazilian Oil Company, and who would benefit most from this ---??? It is American Billionaire, George Soros, the Liberal businessman who is a radical left wing supporter, finances "MoveOn.org" as well as other liberal programs, and was President Obama's largest and most generous supporter during his campaign.

If you are able to connect the dots and follow the money, you are probably as upset as I am.

Not a word of this transaction was on any of the other news networks.

Does anyone think this was the type of change Obama meant ---??? Or, maybe it was.

Let all of your Government representatives know how you feel about this. You can only wonder WHAT President Obama is getting out of this ---???

Kindly NOTE:
On 18 August 2009 - "The Wall Street Journal"
published the same news.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203863204574346610120524166.html

2009-11-20T02:49:00.002-05:00

Last night i watched the Portland Trailblazers play the Detroit Pistons. I had never been to a pro basketball game before and it was a good experience. My friend gave me her ticket when she heard about my stuff being stolen. So, here are my observations.
-What is the point of Cheerleaders and dancers for pro sports anymore? Do we need scantily clan girls doing innane movements to keep the fans excited. We now have jumbo-trons and music and lights. Of course, i've always found those things to be wastes. Also, is that a full time job? i hope not.The male cheerleaders seem especially talentless. All they do is throw and catch.
-Basketball has become a wussy sport. The whole game revolved around fouls. Fouling, being fouled, avoiding fouls. The skills of shooting and ball handling seem secondary to the art of body placement and theatrics.

Now for more random bullet points of my life:
-I am using my roommates old phone for the time being.
-I'm currently watching "Scent of a Woman." Al Pacino is such a great actor.
-This past week we worked with International Justice Mission to get signatures to send to Washington.
-Tomorrow i'm heading to the coast for a retreat. I just realized that will be the first time i see the pacific. cool.
-Tonight i led a discussion on "Nature and the Bible." It was a good discussion.
-My philosophy class is becoming more and more frustrating. I was hoping to be challenged philosophically. Instead, we've read three different authors that all say the same thing. None of them believe in absolute truth, nor do they present logical arguments or facts to support their claims. They merely state things as truth then move on. My beliefs are not being challenged. They're being ignored.

The loss of my posessions

2009-11-11T16:43:00.002-05:00

Last night while working out in an empty weight room in my apartment complex my wallet and cellphone was stolen. This is pretty devistating for me since my wallet has all the things you would expect; id's, credit cards, pictures and probably over $100 in cash. I knew carrying that much cash was stupid, but i didn't really have a better place to put it. I have a small closet and a box to put my stuff in.
The phone is the real kicker. It is probably the most expensive thing i own. It is also my only digital camera as well as Mp3 player. And since i didn't bring any cd's i have lost access to my whole music collection. Even bigger, its my only phone. So, don't expect a call from me anytime soon.
I know that its not the end of the world, but it still has me pretty bummed. In the end i'm gonna be out anywhere from $200-$300 and lose some things that can never be replaced. Such as my Southeastern ID and the pics that i had not uploaded onto my comp; oh yeah, and it was my grandfather's wallet.
It happened right under my nose, while i was on a stationary bike. I heard someone enter and leave, but i did not think anything of it. Then when i put my coat on i noticed that i was missing something. I hate being so helpless. Having something stolen from me makes me feel kinda violated. I don't like it. Anyway, i just wanted to whine and have my own pity party. Now its time to go replace all of my crap. Whoo-hoo.
God is good, and i'm extremely blessed. I just need to focus on that rather than what i have lost.

Philosphy of religion question #10

2009-11-09T05:12:00.003-05:00

For my philosophy of religion class i was asked to "identify a metaphorical narrative from the Old Testament or any other non-Christian myth which speaks directly to some aspect of your life." btw Though Marcus Borg calls the global flood a metaphorical narrative, i certainly don't.

10. The Genesis account of the global flood would be considered a metaphorical narrative by Borg. This story speaks directly to me in more ways than I can fit in this paper, but I’ll just give the highlights.
God saw that the “wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually”(Gen 6:5) Though their wickedness “grieved Him to His heart” He still showed favor to one man, Noah. This is an awesome example of God’s justice, grace, faithfulness, and patience. God had every right and reason to destroy the humanity which rejected Him and became wicked. That shows His justice. Yet He chose to save humanity through an old farmer with a drinking problem. One of the first notable things Noah does after getting out of the ark is get drunk and pass out naked. God chooses to use people that are imperfect and flawed. That shows His grace. In fact, He was obligated by His word to maintain the lineage of Adam and Eve in order to fulfill His promise to them of a savior through their offspring. (Gen 3:15) That shows His faithfulness. God gave the other inhabitants of earth over 100 years to repent and change their ways. That shows God’s patience. Still, not a single person listened to Noah’s warnings. That shows how depraved human nature is. God is the hero of the story, not Noah, not man.
This speaks directly to every aspect of my life. If God was not just, gracious, faithful, and patient then I would not be up at 1:00am writing a mid-term for a class of which I’ve paid $400 for and am not receiving any credit. If God was not Just then I would see no reason to care about anyone else but myself. If God was not Gracious then I would live in fear of His justice. I would constantly be trying to work my way to heaven and either feel dejected by my failures or self-righteous by my perceived successes. My only comfort comes through the grace that God has shown me through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. It was then that Jesus paid the penalty that I justly deserved. If God was not Faithful then I would have no confidence that He has actually forgiven me like He said. In fact, if I believed in a dishonest or “trickster” God then I would not even waste my time caring about philosophy or any type of logical thought. Finally, if God was not Patient, He would have given up on me either when I was chasing girls and so prideful that I cared little about the feelings of others or God, or even daily as I can so easily praise Him and do good things in His name as well as have hateful thoughts and say hurtful things. If I were God, I would have given up on Scot Randolph long ago.
As the story of the global flood shows, God is just, gracious, faithful, and patient. Because of that, and only because of that I do what I do. Therefore, I will joyfully move across the country to make $300 a month and sleep on a futon, so that I may share the literal truth of God’s grace to a culture that does not even care about literal truth. That is how the global flood story speaks directly to my life.

Food drive, TNT, and guitarness

2009-11-03T17:11:00.002-05:00

Last week a group of us went trick-or-treating for cans. We collected 130 from just our section of our apartment complex. The people were really cool and receptive. We may have collected more cans than any other group; we'll see.
I am going to be leading the study during TNT. First i'm gonna cover Acts 17:22-34. That is when Paul reasoned with the Athenians at Mars Hill. I want to stress our need for addressing people where they are philosophically, emotionally, etc... His message was the same as always. (Jesus was God, he died for the forgiveness of sins, then he rose from the dead, therefore you should believe in Him and repent.) He just changed up the delivery. He quoted their own philosophers and referenced their own gods in order to show them their need for Jesus.
In the following sessions i'm going to address specific issues that have been misrepresented on campus. Obviously, i don't expect community college students to have extensive philosophical knowledge. Thats okay. What we should at least know is what the Bible says about issues that matter to people, such as: the environment, gender roles, sexuality, and caring for the poor. This study should be fun.

In other news, i've been playing my guitar a lot. I've imposed a midnight illuminated screen curfew. This, along with the fact that i have cut back x-box time to social events, means i get more time to read and play guitar. I also have led the worship music part of TNT a few times. That is just the motivation i need. I'm also trying to have a "set" of songs that i can play for special occasions. I've started writing too. I haven't even attempted to write a song in over 4 years. (and my previous attempts sucked) I have managed to write on song that is acceptable, for a nube. Anyway, it's fun and i'm glad that Lynn told me that leaving my guitar in WV would be a "huge mistake." He was right. I'm so glad that i have people with greater wisdom than myself in my life to help prevent me from making stupid decisions.

Hymns and other old songs

2009-10-20T11:53:00.003-05:00

Last night i went to the associational meeting for the Portland area. I think the associational meetings are the same anywhere you go in the country. Its a bunch of old people wearing the same clothes, singing out-dated songs, and talking about money and missions. So, when a couple got up to sing the 1876 & 1981 southern gospel smash-hit "Sweet Beulah Land" i began to check out mentally. I have a hard time connecting with lyrics that are based off of a single verse in the King James Version and a concept from "Pilgrims Progress." It is a language that is foreign and largely an idea that is foreign. So, when i am unable to praise God with the lyrics of a song i look elsewhere. Usually to my left or right.

Due to the diner style set-up of the meeting i was able to see most of the people in the room. Most of the faces were blank and appeared to be disengaged from song as well. I think most Baptists have gotten quite accustomed to politely staring at a singer or speaker as their mind is engaged elsewhere (or maybe i'm projecting, i dunno). However, amidst the disengaged were also two people with indescribable joy on their face. One lady who had to at least be in her 80's and another older man who was mouthing along with the words. I then praised God that he touches each one of us individually. My musical and language preferences are not superior to that of the old lady's; just different. I doubt that i will ever really enjoy "Beulah Land" for its content, but i can praise God and enjoy it knowing that it holds profound meaning and significance to another generation.
As i seek to engage my culture and become more sensitive to how our churches alienate outsiders i find myself becoming increasingly more critical of styles, traditions, and anything else that is neither biblical or culturally relevant. (like organs) Though i think these observations are good and warrant contemplation for how i should conduct things in the future, i mustn't become pretentious or arrogant. It is a battle that i'm sure i will fight for the rest of my life. Pride is such an easy hole to fall into that sometimes we stop trying to climbing out and instead justify our sin. I don't want to do that.

On a different note, the message was really great, and i'm excited about the way the convention is heading. Also, like the 12 year old ADD kid that i am, i was playing with coffee creamers the hole night. Inevitably, if one plays with those little tubs long enough, one of them will explode. This happened in the middle of the sermon and sent creamer all over our table and onto my pastor and his planner. Yep. That's what happened. He just smiled and wiped off his planner. Afterwards he told me that the best part of the night was watching Kelly get honored for 20 years of service, the 2nd best part was the sermon, and the 3rd best part was seeing creamer explode everywhere in the middle of a sermon. I love Norm. He is an awesome guy.

A Night on the Town

2009-10-17T12:15:00.002-05:00

I spent my Friday night walking through downtown Portland and praying. I can't think of a better way to spend a Friday night.
Every Friday night a church gives away food, clothes, haircuts and washes people's feet. I went with my roomate’s church group. Since there is a limited number of things to do, a group of us took a prayer walking guide and just walked and prayed for a few hours. The prayer guide had specific suggestions based on specific areas of the city. It was nice.

The homeless population in Portland is ridiculous. They are everywhere at night. Portland has one of the highest homeless populations in the U.S. They also give away free needles and have a bunch of groups giving away free food. Hey, if I was homeless I would hang out in Portland too. I know that just giving away things just treats the symptoms rather than the disease. However, until I’m able to get involved with a group that is actually treating the disease I’ll gladly treat the symptoms so that Christ may be glorified.

I hope that by this time next year I will be able to move downtown and do ministry with an inner city church. For now I am comfortably serving in the suburbs and leading a parachurch college ministry. Though this was not my original desire, God has made it clear that he has me here for a purpose. I’m confident that God is completing His will in me and I could not be more thankful. I just give Him the reins and enjoy the ride.

Emotional Pornography (part of "The Pursuit" series)

2009-10-13T02:52:00.002-05:00

I have listened to the radio more in my past four weeks in Portland that in my past four years in North Carolina. See, in my old car I was able to plug my mp3 player into the stereo and enjoy only the music that I wanted to hear. However, the car I drive now does not provide that option, so I am stuck listening to the radio until I break down and buy an fm transmitter. This has caused me to realize and ponder on a few observations about our culture. Only one of which will I get into at the moment.

As I listened to lyrics like, “Your sex is on fire” and “You belong with me” I realized that romantic love songs were pretty rare for my chosen playlists. I also realized that some of the love songs on the radio were made quite well and caused me to desire to share in their experience. I too yearned for that emotional connection that was glorified with such wonderful songs of praise. Then I laughed, and reminded myself that God has a plan for me that involves being single for the time being. Then I changed the station. When I think about how much people listen to the radio and their infatuation with love songs, I wonder if there is a connection between our music and our ability to be content in our singleness. In the area of singleness, maybe my ability to be more content than others has less to do with my spiritual maturity and biblical understanding and more to do with the fact that Five Iron Frenzy just writes crappy love songs.

So, here is the point I am trying to make. I fear that such emotionally charged music serves as a form of emotional pornography. Just as visual pornography causes one to desire and fantasize about sexual intimacy before its time, emotional pornography causes one to desire and fantasize after emotional intimacy before its proper time. 1Corinthians chapter 7 says that singleness is a gift from God that allows us to serve Him in a capacity that married people cannot. Scripture also says that we are to find our satisfaction and contentment in Christ regardless of our situation. I am not making any legalistic claim that rock music is the devil or any such nonsense. I am merely suggesting that if you find it difficult to be content with Christ and celebrate your singleness as the Apostle Paul did, then maybe you should consider changing some of your listening habits. I figure it’s worth a try.

First two weeks at PCC

2009-10-02T01:09:00.003-05:00

-I'm taking a Philosophy of Religion class at PCC (Portland Community College). It is your typical " 'Your okay, I'm okay' hippie lovefest" as Dr Finn likes to say (a professor as Southeastern). The Bible is treated as a nice myth like the stories of Buddha and Greek mythology. There are so many flaws in that line of thinking that i don't even wanna get into it on here. Nonetheless, for our second class assignment we made timelines of our life and i got to tell everyone about Jesus and why i love Him.
Please pray for me that God will give me wisdom, love, gentleness, and sensitivity in how i conduct myself in class. My "History of Ideas" education has prepared me well with what to say, my main concern is how i say it.

-I finally finished working on the logo and flyer for NCM. Since i have no previous experience with graphic design and i don't have any "real" editing software, i consider it quite an accomplishment. I hope it doesn't suck.

-The other day i spent 3 hours shopping and all i bought was a roll of dental floss. I hate shopping, especially for myself. I miss the good ole' days of just being content with what i got because it was free or given to me. If i spend my money on something, however, i want it to be perfect. and i'm cheap. I finally gave in and bought a new backpack and shoes online. That took about 20 minutes. Now all i want is a good waterproof winter coat. I want a coat that is somewhat form fitting. That is, i don't want big poofy arms. Only NorthFace seems to have what i want but i can't find anything less than triple digits. Did i mention that i hate shopping.

-The club fares are next week. Since we are a club its kind of a big deal.

-We are getting more involved with community service stuff.
We've started helping out a food pantry every other week, Sunshine Food Pantry.
There is a big dental and health clinic on Sat. the 10th. It should be huge. Around 15 churches are working together to put it on. I pray that it goes well.
Last Monday we did a bunch of yardwork for a lady at our church, and then we had our weekly meeting at her place. It was fun.
We intend to help the Portland rescue mission.
We also plan to raise money to build a well in South America.

-i'm sure there is other stuff, but i'm not gonna recount my whole life.

Stuff

2009-09-16T21:11:00.002-05:00

-I finally got my Oregon driver's license.

- I opened up a new bank account and i'm getting a free GPS. How sweet is that.

- I got a new laptop. The sticker price was $730 but i talked them down to $650 because it was a floor model. Its pretty much exactly what i wanted and for the exact price too.
Microprocessor -2.10 GHz Intel Core2 Duo Processor T6500
Microprocessor Cache- 2MB L2 Cache
RAM Memory- 4GB
Memory Max- 8192MB
Video Graphics- Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD
Hard Drive- 500GB (5400RPM)
Multimedia Drive- LightScribe SuperMulti 8X DVD±R/RW with Double Layer Support
Display- 13.3” Diagonal High-Definition HP LED BrightView Widescreen Display
Battery Life- 7 hours

-Richard and i got business cards for NCM. Business cards seem like a bit much, but they actually come in handy. Besides they were free, so why not?

-School starts next week. We've been planning and buying stuff for the welcome weeks.
This should be fun.

Response to "Taste my Jesus" a story that someone e-mailed me.

2009-09-14T17:44:00.002-05:00

TASTE MY JESUS

At the University of Chicago Divinity School each year they have what is called 'Baptist Day.' On this day each one is to bring a lunch to be eaten outdoors in a grassy picnic area. Every 'Baptist Day' the school would invite one of the greatest minds to lecture in the theological education center.

One year they invited Dr. Paul Tillich. Dr.Tillich spoke for two and one-half hours proving the resurrection of Jesus was false. He quoted scholar after scholar and book after book. He concluded since there was no such thing as the historical resurrection the religious tradition of the church was groundless, emotional mumbo-jumbo, because it was based on a relationship with a risen Jesus, who, in fact never rose from the dead in any literal sense. He then asked if there were any questions.

After about 30 seconds, an old, dark skinned preacher with a head of short-cropped, woolly white hair stood up in the back of the auditorium. 'Docta Tillich, I got one question,' he said as all eyes turned toward him.

He reached into his sack lunch and pulled out an apple and began eating it. 'Docta Tillich... CRUNCH, MUNCH 'My question is a simple question... CRUNCH, MUNCH... 'Now, I ain't never read them books you read... CRUNCH, MUNCH...' and I can't recite the Scriptures in the original Greek... CRUNCH, MUNCH...' I don't know nothin' about Niebuhr and Heidegger... CRUNCH, MUNCH...

He finished the apple. 'All I wanna know is: This apple I just ate. . . Was it sour or sweet?

Dr. Tillich paused for a moment and answered in exemplary scholarly fashion: 'I cannot possibly answer that question, for I haven't tasted your apple.'

The old white-haired preacher dropped the core of his apple into his crumpled paper bag, looked up at Dr. Tillich and said calmly,

'Neither have you tasted my Jesus'

The 1,000 plus in attendance could not contain themselves. The auditorium erupted with applause and cheers.

Dr. Tillich thanked his audience and promptly left the platform.

At the risk of sounding like a jerk, i feel i should comment.
This story sounds cute and certainly has some truth to it. However, answers like these only encourage the stereotype that Christians are stupid. The Dr brought a very important issue to the crowd (whether there is historical evidence for the resurrection) and the preacher responded with a purely experience based reply. I don't blame the doctor for walking away. He was discussing facts and the Preacher was discussing emotions. Would we cheer if the roles were reversed?
If someone gave historical proof of the ressurection (which can be done) and someone else responded "Neither have you tasted my Buddha/Aetheism/Nihlism/Hinduism/etc..." would you see that as a fair response?

Just think about it

Responsibility, what's that?

2009-09-08T03:16:00.002-05:00

My supervisor, Kelly, has stepped down as the college ministry leader in order to do more community ministry. That leaves Richard and myself to lead the campus ministries at PSU and two campuses of PCC. Because of the changes we will have far more responsibility and a smaller budget... just the way i like it. If ministry is easy for you then your probably doing something wrong.

The semi-pro soccer game was loads of fun. I think i'd rather watch soccer over football or baseball. They were on a 24 game winning streak until that night. Its always interesting to see people get so passionate about something as meaningless as a game. Then, to hate a person so deeply of which they have never even spoken to or have any knowledge of their character and know only that they play for the opposing team. Its funny, ridiculous, and sad all at once. Everyone worships something. Some people love Jesus, some worship relationships, and others worship the Portland Timbers.

Portland seems like a nice place to live.

2009-08-29T19:43:00.003-05:00

I just got back from OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry). We took a group of kids that the college students were working with over the summer. It's a pretty cool place, and i look forward to going some time when i can actually do the activities and see the stuff that i want. The kids were fun too; aka they kept themselves entertained, they stayed out of trouble, and there wasn't any crying.
School doesn't start for a few more weeks so we are spending a lot of time planning for the first weeks. Those first weeks are crucial for college student involvement. Myself, Kelly, and Richard are in charge of two Colleges on four campuses. It is certainly not the typical college ministry. Then again, God tends to place me in less than typical ministries.
That is about all of the important stuff. Now for the unimportant things.
- I've started working out again for the first time in about three months. Since the apartment complex that i'm staying at has a pool, i'm able to incorporate swimming into my workout. i love it. Swimming is the best full body and cardio workout that i know of. And its easy on my knees. Exercise makes me happy; sore, but happy.
-I'm driving a small 86 Toyota. It has no power but it works so i am happy. The headlight knob is so sensitive that i tend to turn the lights on and off when i use my turn signal. Therefore, i unknowingly left my lights on yesterday and my car battery died. This was a double whammy for me since i can only charge my phone in a car.
- My address for the time being is
14045 SW Teal Blvd
Apt. 41-F
Beaverton, Oregon 97008

lots and lots of traveling

2009-08-24T21:30:00.003-05:00

-Sunday, August 9th i drove 6.75 hours from Wake Forest, North Carolina to Clarksburg, West Virginia.
-Wednesday, August 19, i flew out of Bridgeport, West Virginia at 9:55 (eastern time) and landed in Portland, Oregon at 4:45 pm (Pacific time). With lay-overs in DC & Denver.
-The next day, Thursday August 20th, i drove 6.5 hours to Pullman, Washington (WSU) & Moscow, Idaho (IofU).
-Sunday, August 23, I made the 6.5 hour trip back to Portland.

the end... i hope.

Things i learned in North Carolina- 2005

2009-08-13T09:56:00.003-05:00

In chronological order (more or less)

2005
-Ultimate Frisbee is a great way to meet people.
-Some people do not pursue Christian fellowship
-Southeastern required more reading and writing in the first two months than Fairmont State required in the first two years.
- If you don't have friends, then you have a lot more free time.
- Living in a house with 13 other guys will hinder your ability to invite people over.
- Mission Trips are a great way to meet people and use skills that you may not get to otherwise.
- Being honest about one's feelings (or lack thereof) is not always favored in the South.
- The South is very different from where i grew up.
- Not all Christians my age are familiar with Alternative/punk/ska Christian bands like Five Iron Frenzy, Bleach, Switchfoot, the O.C. Supertones, and RelientK.
- The teachers at Southeastern are really smart.
- The money that i have is not mine, but God's. 100% not 10%
- Tithing 10% is based primarily on part of a Levitical tax system. The new testament does not endorse a 10% tithe.
- When moving to a new area, it is wise to visit a different church every week for 1 semester. After that time, join one and get involved.
-I can live quite happily off of peanut butter, jelly, lunch meat, bread, lettuce, tomato, milk, & granola.
- Granola is an easy to make & healthy breakfast and snack food.

Good-bye Carolina

2009-08-10T14:20:00.002-05:00

I intended to leave Wake Forest, NC around 9:30 on Saturday night. I ended up leaving at 12:18 am Monday morning. Packing my stuff into my car took about as much time as i expected. But, i didn't plan for making three other trips to friends' houses, a dumpster, and the Sharing Shop. But alas, thanks to the help of my friend Candice, i got everything taken care of. I consider it a miracle of God that all of my stuff fit in my car. I did, however, leave two of my most valuable possessions with Candice: Hernando (my leopard Gecko) and my record player and vinyls. Seriously, as we piled everything outside my car i looked at the huge pile and said, "God, i'm gonna need you to pull a miracle for me on this one. Cause that ain't going in my car naturally." He delivered. Thankfully, He has provided me with the most amazing car ever. I know my 1987 Pontiac 6000 doesn't look very impressive, but it is the best all-round vehicle there is. (Car rant begins) Since it sits a little high off the ground it can handle far rougher terrain than most cars. Gas mileage is still better than an SUV or truck. It's six cylinders allow it to haul a stuffed car through the hills of West Virginia with ease. The bench seats make me feel like i'm traveling on a couch (comfy). Long trips are not a problem. And it transport six people in seat belts. Trunk space is huge. It is designed so simply that even i can handle most of the repairs and maintenance. And, it only cost $600 nearly seven years ago.(car rant ends)
I arrived in my hometown of Clarksburg, WV at 6:45 am. The drive was uneventful, but my cooler did fall on me multiple times. I spent nearly the whole trip talking to my two ex-girlfriends from Wake Forest. The first half, i talked to Katie, and the second half i talked to Candice. Both were really great conversations, and i can't think of a better way to end my time in North Carolina.

It was a great four years of learning, laughter, friendship, and growth. I'm curious to see if i will cross paths with any of my Wake Forest friends in the future. I hope so.

The only thing that stays the same is that

2009-08-03T13:26:00.003-05:00

Everything Changes.

Instead of being in Portland by September, i now need to be there by August 19th. That means i'll have to leave Wake Forest a week earlier than anticipated and leave West Virginia early as well. Thankfully, God has allowed all my friends, family, and co-workers to adjust accordingly. I really think God has designed me for these kind of curveballs in life. I am always ready for my plans to change. (Or just fail outright.) Life is tentative.

I still haven't heard back from NAMB. I'm not too worried about it, but i feel bad for Kelly in Portland who is trying to organize things. But alas, there is nothing i can do other than pray . . . and fill up the guy's voicemail inbox until he calls me. (I called while writing this. Still no answer.)

It is still weird to be packing up to leave one's home with the intent of never returning. Emotional issues aside, i'm a pretty forgetful guy. If i leave something, there is no return trip. That worries me. I'm gonna get to Winston Salem and realize, "Crap, i forgot my guitar (or some other valuable/important possession)." I actually like getting rid of all this stuff so i can pack all of my belongings into my Pontiac 6000. Aside from shirts i'm quite the minimalist. I am, however, a sucker for free stuff. I have already filled two garbage bags with shirts that i'm donating to the "Sharing Shop." It is so easy to have an insane amount of shirts when you get them for free.

Life is good; God is greater

3 weeks until departure

2009-07-29T13:22:00.002-05:00

Its still kinda hard to believe that i'm only going to be living in Wake Forest for less than 3 weeks. My two remaining weekends are so full that i don't know when if i'll be able to have a going away party. Im kind of afraid that i wont get to say good-bye to everyone.
I talked to a guy with the NAMB over a week ago and he was supposed to call me back last thursday. I stil haven't heard from him. I called him again on Monday and left a message on the machine.
I started training my replacement at work yesterday. That was fun. Next week i train my friend Joey for the other part of my job. I'm just a crazy training fool.
Last weekend i visited Lawndale Baptist church in Greensboro. I have done a few events with them in the past and have developed some cool relationships, so i wanted to see them one last time. It was a great weekend. I'm always encouraged by their youth, and Hanging out with Adam & Ashlie from camp was pretty cool too.

Thats about it. Life is good and God is awesome.

Why I am glad that Obama beat McCain

2009-06-30T16:55:00.001-05:00

Lets face it, the economy stopped being a bipartisan issue since the 2000 election. Every presidential candidate since has espoused a big government/ high spending economic strategy. Social issues are what we really voted for and the economy continued to slide further “left.” Therefore, we elected a socially conservative and economically liberal president for two terms. This has allowed for a very peculiar political climate. The democrats were able to blame the conservatives for the economic situation that had arisen from their own liberal policies that conservatives supported. The Democrats really couldn’t ask for a more perfect set-up.
But really, How much differently do you think McCain would be handling the economic situation we’re facing? Not much. A little, but not much. McCain, like Bush, is socially conservative and economically liberal/middle. This is why I’m glad Obama is in charge. At least this time, as this country spirals further and further into socialism, the liberals won’t be able to blame conservatives. They’ll try, I’m sure. But, in four years when the idiot masses are screaming for “Change” once again, maybe this time they’ll seek to actually change what’s wrong rather than everything. I know that is too much to ask. So really, I’m just relieved that conservativism may actually get the same blind acceptance that Obama’s socialism received last election. Maybe this time the Republicans will run an actual conservative. We’ll see.

Rhode Island changing its name?

2009-06-26T17:06:00.002-05:00

Rhode Island is looking to change its official name because of the names association with slavery. Its official name is “State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.” Obviously, they are seeking to eliminate “Providence Plantations.” I really don’t care if a state wants to change its name to what it is actually known as, there is logic and some merit to that. This reason, however, is asinine. To take the word “plantation” and impose on it a flawed definition is just absurd. Like one guy said, "There are different meanings for this word," Lemons said. "To try to impose their experience on everyone else wipes out Roger Williams."
So, why do I care about this? Because words matter! Definitions matter! By changing their name for that reason, they are MAKING the word “plantation” a racist term. They are acquiescing to ignorance and political correctness. By allowing such things to redefine words, then we lose the very meaning of words themselves. It is relativism. And relativism leads to absurdity.

oh, and the point of the previous post was to say that i'm not sure what the situation is looking like with Portland. I only know that i am going in September. Everything else is subject to change.

Debt free and a new journey

2009-06-24T16:47:00.003-05:00

I have finally dug my way out of debt. I've been surviving off of my $1000 credit card for the past 2 years, and last week i paid it off. Praise God, seriously. This marks the end of my financial faith journey that God has lead me on for the past 4 years. I came to Southeastern not knowing how i was going to pay for the necessary rent, car insurance, gas, phone, food and part of my tuition. But God provided. As i have done on other occasions, i just said, "If this is what God wants me to do, then He will provide the money. If it isn't what He wants me to do then i pray that i fail miserably so that i will change my course." (arguments aside over whether one can truly act apart from His will) God used my family, scholarships, my church family, friends, and employers to accomplish His will. It didn't fall out of the sky, but one doesn't have to be a mathematician to see that i never earned enough money in any single month to cover all of my expenses. Yet here i am, with my degree and no student loans, no car payment, nothing. That is a miracle, just one that God chose to accomplish more subtly. God is good.

Now i embark on my next Journey. Portland. I spoke with the lady in charge of that area and she said that the NAMB is only going to pay for 5 semester missionaries to the whole Northwest. (at least i think thats what she said) So, with that in mind we discussed a few other options such as getting a part time job with benefits. Apparently Starbucks does that. So, basically i'm definetly going, its just a matter of how much financial assisstance i will be recieving through the NAMB.

I am confident that if this is where God wants me to go, then He will provide. I look forward to seeing how He does it this time.

I managed to cram a 4 year degree into only 6 years.

2009-06-02T15:30:00.001-05:00

I have finally graduated college… officially. Most of my immediate family came down and I had a great weekend. My brother had to back out at the last minute because of car trouble. That bummed me out quite a bit because I was really looking forward to playing ultimate frisbee with him and his wife. But hey, the unexpected happens and life goes on. I got to sit between my friends Ben and Kimmie. We had quite a bit of fun just goofing off during the ceremony. My graduating class consisted of 23 students, so they combined the college and seminary ceremonies. Though it would have been cool to have a whole ceremony for 23 people, I think it was a good decision to combine them. My family fed me very well. I ate out more in three days than I had in the past three months. I love my family. They are fun. I also appreciate how well my mom, stepdad and dad get along. They’re certainly not best friends but they got along very well. Each one of them asked me if I wanted more time with the other instead of a group setting. *(or maybe they were just trying to get away form me.haha)

My roommate Chris is getting married this Saturday, and my other roommate, Scott, just went back to Georgia for the summer. For the first time in my life I have a house to myself. That is being remedied by John crashing there during the weekdays because of classes and I will certainly have friends over. But it is cool nonetheless.

Now that school is done, I’m working about 40 hours a week between my two jobs. (The law firm and the Slammer.) Assuming nothing drastic changes I will be completely out of debt when I get my next paycheck. How cool is that?!! No student loans, car payments, etc… God blessed me so much in the past four years financially. I have a charmed life.
On that note. My car hasn’t died yet!! My prayer now is that it lasts me until I head to Portland in September.

The North American Mission Board is still processing my application so please pray that they deem me worthy of their assistance. I’m pretty sold on going, so I will probably just find another way to go if they reject me. We’ll see.

God’s awesome and I’m grateful.

Portland, Ribbon dancing, and breaking up

2009-04-18T14:41:00.001-05:00

Many things have occurred since my last post.

- I have decide to go to Portland, Oregon.
- I had the privilege of being a ribbon dancer on Easter Sunday
- Candice and i have broken up

Now i shall explain.
Barring application rejection, I will be doing college ministry in Portland from Sept - June. It is a sweet set-up through the North American Mission Board. It is more than i could have hoped for. I can't even come close to describing how excited i am about this. I'm giddy. And i think i've told most people more than once just because i'm so excited about it.

That's right, ribbon dancing. First, i was asked to be a regular dancer because they wanted more than just girls on stage. Then during our second rehearsal they say, "and this is where you'll grab your ribbon, run down the aisle and perform the other half of the piece." At first i was like, "oh crap, what have i got myself into." Then someone made a joking, offhand remark like, "I bet when you said you'd do anything for God you weren't thinking of ribbon dancing." He was right. That made me realise that the only reason i didn't want to do it was because of my pride. How often do we (myself included) refuse to do something just because we are holding on to our dignity. Jesus said to have a child like faith, and i think a lack of indignation is a huge part of that. I trust the leaders at my church. So, if they think that my ribbon dancing will help communicate the gospel, then i will rejoice and be thankful for the opportunity.

Candice is an awesome girl, and i couldn't have asked for a better girlfriend. Yet, for some reason unbeknownst to me, i did not desire her in a romantic way. I really enjoyed spending time with her, talking with her, and getting to know her. I consider her one of my best friends. Though i consider that to be one of the most important aspects of a dating relationship, i don't think it is the only aspect. I was confident when i started dating her that those emotions would develop. Though my respect for her grew, my romantic feelings did not follow suit. After more than seven months of dating, i decided that i should not keep allowing her feelings for me to grow while mine did not. I hate making decisions based on emotions, but it would be unwise to ignore them. This was truly one of the most difficult decisions i have ever had to make.
Though i think that we should have stayed "just friends" until romantic feelings developed, i am still thankful for our relationship. God used my "less than ideal" choice to grow us, teach us, and use us in ministry. God is awesome, and when two people are pursuing Him above all else, God will use even their mistakes to bring Himself glory.

earth chattering

2009-03-21T10:29:00.002-05:00

typos can be funny.

updating my blog daily is probably never gonna happen, but i'm still gonna make the attempt.

friday i learned that it is really cool to pray for people. I already knew this, but it was shown to me better on fri. My boss for the Slammer paper route was having a very stressful day, and of course there was nothing i could do to help. So, i waited till he had a free minute and prayed with him. It reminded me that (because of prayer) i am NEVER helpless, regardless of how i feel. No matter how far removed from a situation i may be, i can still bring it to the God of the universe. How cool is that!?! So i guess what i really learned on friday was.

Because of prayer a Christian is never helpless.

Learn something new every day

2009-03-10T19:28:00.002-05:00

In my "ethics of poverty and wealth" class my professor made an interesting observation and challenge. Learn something new every day. It doesn't have to be earth chattering, just something that you didn't know or realize yesterday. So thats what i'm gonna do; and try to list what i learn on this blog.
Today i learned:

-it is a good exercise to learn something new every day.

and

-there is a NAPA store in downtown Raleigh

and

-that we have a nozzle for our yard hose

I hit a guy on a bicycle

2009-02-16T21:36:00.002-05:00

i hit a guy on a bicycle last week. Well, actually he hit me. i think he might have been intoxicated. He tried to cross the street on his bike as i was driving down that same road. i swerved to miss him but he still ran into the back side of my car. His hand was quite broken, but he was conscious. The cop said it was his fault, so thankfully i won't get sued. Thankfully, as far as i could tell he was not mortally wounded.

Back to plan B

2009-01-06T22:04:00.002-05:00

I have decided not to get my masters degree at Southeastern Seminary.
-a degree in "Christian" Ethics is basically worthless outside of Christian academia
-i would still have to take many of the same classes that i took in college: New Testament, Theology, etc... (the only advantage i would have would be; $150 saved and the class would be offered as an intensive) For me that is still too much time and money for a class that i've already taken
-as i think about it more, i'm really glad i don't have to take Greek anymore
-The Seminary is tailored to preachers. I don't care to be a preacher. Last night i read a whole book about the statistics of growing churches and their use of new members classes. The bible was barely even referenced. I want to learn theology, not church.

With all that said, i am returning to my previous plan of only taking this next semester at the Seminary. I intend to stay here over the summer, but then i am going to look for opportunities to make my way out west. Well, northwest. When i get there i would like to get heavily involved in a church, but not supported by it. While i do this, i would like to slowly make my way through a history masters in order to be involved on a college campus.
The only thing stopping me from leaving next week is my sunday school group. We've just started growing, and building community takes time. Candice and my relationship is not much of an issue because she was prepared for this before we started dating. If God wants us to work out, then we will. Besides, neither of us would want the other to be somewhere they didn't want to be just because of our relationship. (i know thats a weird sentence but it makes sense if you read it slowly)
And thats my plan for this week. Join me again next month, when i decide to pursue a career in hamster juggling.

"I Celebrate the Day" by Relient k

2008-12-24T17:24:00.002-05:00

My thoughts on "Life Together" by Dietrich Binhoeffer

2008-12-03T01:22:00.002-05:00

17-29 Entry One
“The believer feels no shame, as though he were still living too much in the flesh, when he yearns for the physical presence of other Christians. (19) God created us to live in community with other believers. One benefit is the ability of God to speak to us through His people. “The Christ in his own heart is weaker than the Christ in the word of his brother; his own heart is uncertain, his brother’s is sure. (23) ”they meet one another as bringers of the message of salvation.” (23) Of course, this can only come through the love of Christ. That is our connection. Without Christ as our center than community would unravel. So many people have these delusions of grandeur when it comes to Christian community. Bonhoeffer eplains that their “wish dreams” do not honor God. Rather, I see that community is difficult, slow, and messy. It encourages me in growing the college ministry that I am involved in. My church tried a weekly, large scale, college age event. It sprung up quickly and had a lot of momentum for about 8 months. We had many ideals about community and intimacy, but none ever came about. I think, in the end, most just wanted to get their shot of community on Sunday nights and then not work at it any other day of the week. And quite frankly, how could I fight that? They had their own church’s and small groups. How could they be expected to invest in multiple communities. And that is why I am not a big fan of para-church ministries.

31-40 Entry Two
We must pursue spiritual love over human love. Spiritual love comes from Christ and is focused on serving rather than being served. Where human love chases desires, spiritual love is disciplined. This applies greatly to romantic relationships. My commitment to guard my girlfriend’s heart and purity must not stem from selfish reasoning; otherwise it will fall short. Rather, when my mind entertains thoughts that could be unhealthy I am reminded of how my actions would effect my small group community, the work we’re doing, and the example we set. My own purity often seems less important than the fact that one single unwise action could have detrimental effects on the community that God has just started to grow within our small group.

40-57 Entry Three
Morning prayer and worship. That’s not easy for me. I’m certainly not a morning person and have failed miserably every time I tried to develop a morning quiet time routine. I have been content to hold to my regular evening quiet time, but Bonhoeffer has shaken my contentedness. I’m certain I should develop this discipline, but I honestly doubt I will without the intervention of another brother or sister in Christ. To do this on a family scale would certainly require a restructuring of how most people view mornings. I’m not saying it is impossible, just difficult. Perhaps even more difficult than in D.B.’s day. Maybe not, I just don’t know. I also agree with praying the suffering psalms. Lamentations makes for a great reflective reading.

57-76 Entry Four
D.B. has a detailed analysis for everything. His insight on corporate singing is great. “There is no place in the service of worship where vanity and bad taste can so intrude as in the singing” (60) I’ve never before thought of the community aspect of singing together. It really is a great opportunity for us to all be individuals, yet in unison, and in like mind. Communal prayer is a great thing that I find to be misrepresented in only one aspect. I have read multiple views that claim that a dating couple should not pray together. I find this to be absurd and unbiblical. The person one is dating is either a brother or sister in Christ, first off, and a potential marriage partner second. By discouraging something within a dating relationship that was originally encouraged outside of it, you are implying that the romantic relationship trumps the spiritual one. I have a problem with that.

76-82 Entry Five
My life has reflected different levels of silence and community over the last few years. When I first moved to NC I had a lot of time for aloneness and silence. By the next year I had become very active in my new church and lived in a constantly active house. I had very little silence or aloneness in this time period, and true to D.B.’s claim community suffered. I harbored resentment for my roommates lack of concern for times of quietness and I found myself spread out among many different groups and activities. The following year, I moved out of that house and went perhaps a bit to the other extreme. I hung out with fewer people and not as often. I quit teaching children’s Sunday school and I took over and ended a somewhat large college ministry in order to better invest in my Small group. Now I have more solid relationships and nearly all of them are through the community of my local church. I’m still seeking to find that balance of community and silence.

82-90 Entry Six
Alone time is the time of testing. That is scary for both the disciple and teacher. As I sought to teach a new convert in the way they should live I was less worried about how they answered my questions or the solutions the claimed, than I was worried about how they would actually behave when they did not have me to account to later on. I wish I better understood that balance of discipleship. How much guidance is appropriate? When does advise become legalism? When does freedom become the neglect of teaching? When does patience become fear of confrontation? I will inevitably screw it up somehow. It just makes me all the more thankful that it is God who guides the heart and not me.

90-100 Entry Seven
“The elimination of the weak is the death of fellowship”(94) How often do we find ourselves wishing for more charismatic and attractive converts at the unintentional neglect of the meek? I love the fact that my Small group consists of a bunch of weirdos. (Well at least the guys) My goal within our group is to find something that every person can be involved in, in order to assert their importance in fellowship. Diverse ministry opportunities may be just as important to reaching others as it is at keeping those who are already there.

100-109 Entry Eight
“The basis upon which Christians can speak to one another is that each one knows the other as a sinner, who, with all his human dignity, is lonely and lost if he is not given help.” There is no room for pride or fear, yet we let both rule us. I fear that this is the most important thing lost in our churches today. We are either too prideful to accept instruction, or too fearful to give it lest we get accused of pride ourselves. Also, our own sin may be revealed through confrontation and we usually don’t want to deal with that. We have become very adept in our culture at avoiding issues by shifting the focus. Oh how I wish we could all just humble ourselves and put away our righteous indignation long enough to see that we are all equally scum, that God has cleansed and given us each other to help.

110-111 Entry Nine
Confession. Ha, that answers my plea from last weak. Confession is the only way we can truly have fellowship. It is pride that keeps us from it. A good example is how the church has failed to properly address the issue of homosexuality. The issue is so taboo in our culture that I honestly believe Christians have neglected to be honest about their thought life. Our culture is inundated with homosexual images and discussions so much that it would be nearly impossible to avoid having some form of homosexual thought or question. This, of course, is not a sin. It is only the natural response when faced with an issue. However, our culture has been so quick to label and ostracize others as “gay” over such things as fashion and physical characteristics, that instead of honestly addressing the issue, we have accepted false truths (being genetically pre-determined) and perpetuated the lie by refusing to be candid about our own thoughts, lest we be judged.

111-122 Entry Ten
“Sin demands to have a man by himself.” I must confess that I found my mind dwelling on the thought of how easy it would be to move away and live a purely hedonistic life for a short time, then to move to another location and resume the “Christian” lifestyle. I know the spiritual and emotional implications aren’t that easily avoided, but I found myself realizing how thankful I am for Christian fellowship. I thank God for my accountability partners and how enormously helpful they have been to my Christian walk. Finally, I would say that if a person is neglecting Christian fellowship, there is more than just a theology or time issue. There is a sin issue.

homework assignment

2008-12-02T15:10:00.000-05:00

For if He causes grief,
Then He will have compassion
According to His abundant lovingkindness
Lamentations 3:30

I’m currently reading a book which addresses the issue of God’s judgment through events today. Jeremiah has taught me much on this subject, as well as made me more confident and provided better reasoning for my views. This verse reminds me that God is just and compassionate. In fact, He is compassionate through His justice, not in spite of it. The grief that God had allowed Israel to go through was not for vindictive reasons, but to bring them back to Him. The text does not say that He causes ALL grief, only that IF He causes it, then He will use it to show His compassion. Nor does it say that there are griefs caused apart from God’s causing. I’m sure this is where concepts of God’s sovereignty battle out the difference between “allowing” and “causing.” I believe there is a difference. God allows hurtful things to occur as a consequence of our sinful world (such as tsunamis), but He causes some hurtful things to occur for the good of those who love Him and to bring Himself glory (such as the Babylonian captivity). This is not to imply that God can not, or does not, use the “allowed” events to bring Himself glory. We just can not claim for a fact that God “caused” something to happen unless He has personally claimed causation (through scripture). Otherwise we may misrepresent God or claim that He causes evil, and neither one of those paths are safe.

“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“Therefore I have hope in him.”
Lamentations 3:24

How wonderful it is to be able to say in the midst of pain and affliction that God is “my portion.” He is all that we need; no more, no less; just exactly right. I wonder how many people can honestly say that daily.

Christmas list

2008-11-28T10:43:00.002-05:00

its that time of the year again. When we shamelessly tell our loved ones what we want to get for Christmas. I had considered foregoing this practice on my blog, but alas i am reminded of the main purpose of this thing. It is for me to communicate with my family back home. thats priority number one.

Things for my phone: Sony Ericsson W580i
-extra battery
-stereo bluetooth headset that can be used with both, one or two ears
-rubberized fitted case

ESV (English Standard Version) study bible
Holman CSB reference or study bible
(yes, i've had both of these translations in the past, but i gave one away and lost the other one)

A pillow (i havent had a new pillow since grade school)
brown winter socks
long sleeve, black UnderArmour (or its generic equivalent)
a gift certificate to Texas Steakhouse (NOT Roadhouse) (i would like to see some of my old co-workers, but i cant afford to eat there).

and now for the pipe dreams
- a laptop
- a car with better gas milage that isnt falling apart
- a free semester of school

on the election

2008-11-07T14:08:00.003-05:00

-First off, i must admit that i am pretty excited about having a black president...even if he is a socialist. The fact that we have elected, to the most powerful office in our country, a black man with a muslim background pretty much guarantees that our country can no longer be called racist as a whole. Again, i would have much preferred that the first black president be elected for more than empty rhetoric, but it's still pretty exciting.

-Presidential campaigns will be changed forever. In the past election, both presidents have agreed to accept gov funding and therefore a limit on how much $ they could spend on a campaign. Obama was the first president ever to reject this. He spent over $300 mil, as opposed to the Federally allotted $85 mil. That means no Pres candidate will ever accept the spending restrictions. So, i hope you like campaign adds, cause they will be everywhere in 4 years.

The other, more worrisome change, is the obvious trump card of Charisma and empty rhetoric. I still believe that the majority of americans do not agree with Obama's political views. However, he was a very inspirational speaker. I fear that honesty, consistency, and experience has no taken a back seat to Charisma. We'll see.

-Finally, I'm a little disapointed in the doom and gloom reaction of conservative Christians. I stated in an earlier post that my hope rests in Christ, not some politician. That applies across the board. God is in control, and i'm following Him. Therefore, i have absolutely nothing to worry about. This country could turn into a socialist dictatorship and i will still praise God's and thank Him for His sovereign plan.

And if your not a Christian. Well, maybe you should panic. Or better yet, use this as an opportunity realize that everyone and everything in this world will fail you, except God. So, maybe you should think of placing your hope, faith, and dedication into the one person that will never leave you, nor forsake you.

Only God will take you as you are, and never leave you the same again.

The Shifting Focus of Discipleship Within Church History

2008-11-05T15:00:00.000-05:00

The Shifting Focus of Discipleship Within Church History

“A fundamental scriptural image for Christian spirituality is discipleship. Indeed, during the later history of Christian spirituality across two millennia, the concept of “discipleship” became virtually interchangeable with leading a Christian life.”[1] The call to discipleship has had many different meanings and applications in the Christian Church throughout the centuries. Jesus focused on twelve men, the early church focused on Bishops, the medieval church focused on tradition, the Reformers focused on Scripture, the Great Awakening focused on conversion, the 20^th century church focused on programs, and today’s church is refocusing. This paper will track the Christian church’s shifting focus of discipleship throughout history. Then it will examine some of the ideas and practices of discipleship that are in use today.

Jesus spoke to groups of thousands, but he shared his life and greater intimacy with just twelve men. Today, many refer to these men simply as the Disciples. Their very identity defined by their relationship to Christ. “They accompanied Christ on his journeys, saw his wonderful works, heard his discourses and addresses to the people, and made inquiries of him on religious matters.”[2] He specifically called these twelve[3] men and even turned away some who sought to join him. “And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him. However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you."[4] Jesus had special plans for these men and being one of his twelve was an exclusive privilege.

Jesus was not content to leave these men as purely spectators or followers. Therefore, he gave them the title of “Apostle,”[5] and sent them out two by two, commanding them to preach, heal, and cast out demons.[6] Even after this assignment, he continued to invest much of his time and energy into these twelve men. Christ shows the intimacy he shared with them and the importance of their role in his ministry, in how he chose to spend his last moments on earth, both before and after his death. He chose to spend the last night before his crucifixion dining with and instructing his chosen twelve. Then, after his resurrection, Jesus continued to instruct them until he ascended into heaven; telling them to, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."[7]

After Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension, the Apostles used personal discipleship and large group preaching to form the early church.” The early church served under the Apostles and looked to them for teaching, leadership, and provision. These men were no longer just the disciples; they had become the teachers and leaders. Through their writing and preaching, they were able to record the words and actions of Jesus’ earthly ministry and teach large amounts of people, (much like Christ taught the multitudes). To continue the more intimate form of discipleship that Christ had established, some of these leaders personally, taught, trained, and appointed other leaders, teachers, and helpers. In this same manner, these new disciples were encouraged to raise up other believers to continue the pattern of discipleship.

The Apostles followed Jesus’ system of discipleship, which consisted of; investing and empowering a few[8]; ministering in groups of two; (Peter and John, Paul and Silas, etc…) and teaching to the multitudes. Since Christianity remained a relatively obscure sect to the rest of the world, the smaller churches and communities that formed within the church allowed this type of personal discipleship and large group instruction to thrive in the midst of persecution.

After the deaths of the Apostles, some of the discipleship needs were met through Christian thinkers such as Augustine, Eusebius, Jerome, and Ambrose, as well as creeds such as the Nicene and Athanasian creeds. However, pagan and political influences began to shape the structure of the church.

During the period between 100 and 313, the church was forced to give consideration to how it could best meet the external persecution from the Roman state and the internal problem of heretical teaching and consequent schism. It sought to close ranks by the development of the canon of the New Testament, which gave it an authoritative Book for faith and practice; by the creation of a creed, which gave it an authoritative statement belief; and by obedience to the monarchical bishops.[9]

This eventually formed a type of hierarchy in which the church substituted personal discipleship for devotion to a specific leader. At first, these “bishops” were disciples of the Apostles and served as overseers of a group of churches in a city or territory.[10] “Emphasis on the monarchical bishop who, it was believed, derived his authority by apostolic succession, led many to think of him as a center of unity, the depository of truth, and the dispenser of the means of grace of God through the sacraments… it enhanced the superior sanctity of the bishop as compared with the rank and file of the ordinary church members.”[11] Rather than pursuing personal discipleship through investing in each other, the early church grew more devoted to their bishop.

With Constantine’s conversion, church leadership became more established. In 313, he granted freedom of worship by the edict of Milan, by 381 Christianity was the exclusive religion of the state, and by 476, the bishop of Rome had attained a great deal of political and spiritual power.[12] High wages and nobility created a chasm between church leadership and the laity. Discipleship was relegated to the priest’s teaching at mass and confession. Eventually, lay people were not even allowed to have a copy of the scriptures in their own language.

“Pure religious enthusiasm began to wane, old; ideals received a new form, and the self-reliance and responsibility of individuals grew weaker. The ' priests and kings of God 'began to clamor for priests, and to come to terms with the kings of the earth. Those who once had prided themselves on being filled with the Spirit, no longer traced that Spirit so actively in themselves, and sought to recognize it in symbols of faith, in holy books, in mysteries, and in forms of Church order.”[13]

There were pockets of Christians who rejected the medieval form of discipleship in favor of monasticism. Though it is “characterized by withdrawal from the world, meditation, self-abnegation, and some degree of asceticism,”[14] monasticism has “always developed into ordered communities governed by an established rule of life,”[15] and communal living. Christian monasticism originated in the fourth century and re-emerged in the tenth century, the thirteenth century, and finally as part of the Counter-Reformation in the sixteenth century.[16] Eventually, monasteries became education and training centers for clergy. Therefore, the only people who would receive any type of discipleship outside of mass were those studying to be priests. Monasticism would usually influence local and temporary reforms, but it was not until the 1500’s that it would influence any major change. In fact, Martin Luther was an Augustinian monk.

During the Reformation, God awakened the gospel of pure, costly grace through God’s servant Martin Luther by leading him through the monastery…God showed him through scripture that discipleship is not the meritorious achievement of individuals, but a divine commandment to all Christians.[17]

Martin Luther ushered in the Protestant Reformation in 1517[18] and changed the way people viewed church and discipleship. Luther made use of the printing press, a vernacular bible translation, music, and catechisms as discipleship tools. Catechisms are instructions on religion and statements of faith, “usually written in the form of questions and answers… they were used especially for the instruction of converts and children. Catechisms were popular in the later Middle Ages and assumed even greater significance in the Reformation through Martin Luther's emphasis on the religious education of children.”[19] The emphasis on the priesthood of the believer and scriptural sufficiency encouraged Christians to grow in their faith and knowledge of Christ and the scriptures. Discipleship made its way beyond the monastery walls and into the hearts of the laity. Individual leaders were again raising up other leaders, and other religious groups formed independently of the medieval church.

“The Anglicans and Lutherans completely disavowed the hierarchical sacramental system of the church,”[20] yet they maintained most of the same practices of the medieval church. “The Reformed and Presbyterian churches…disavowed all practices that could not be proved to be in accordance with the New Testament.”[21] Most reformers believed in state run churches. Therefore, discipleship came through both the government and church. In 1541, John Calvin had the Ecclesiastical Ordinances enacted in Geneva. It provided for pastors to preach and discipline, teachers to teach doctrine, deacons to administer charity work, and a consistory to “supervise the theology and morals of the community and to punish when necessary the wayward members of the church.”[22] Discipleship was accomplished through laws, teaching, and preaching within the community.

“The Anabaptists made the most radical break of all the reformation groups and sought to create a free believers’ church patterned after the New Testament churches.”[23]Anabaptists, Lutherans, and Mennonites “considered the Lord’s Prayer, the Apostles Creed, and the ten commandments to express and represent the essence of the Christian faith.”[24] Anabaptists, even “used them as a prerequisite and a preparation for baptism.”[25] “Discipleship is integral to the Annabaptist-Mennonite understanding of faith, as exemplified in a quote from the Anabaptist Hans Denck (1526): “The medium is Christ whom no one can truly know unless he follows him in his life, and no one may follow him unless he has first known him.” Mennonite historians and theologians have identified discipleship as on of the most important legacies of the Anabaptist movement.”[26] Though the different denominations were appearing, they still shared many of the same discipleship techniques.

In the 1720’s, 30’s, and40’s a series of revivals swept through the American colonies led by Theodore Frelinghuysen, Jonathan Edwards, and George Whitefield. This “Great Awakening” gained mixed support from the colonial churches. Lack of discipleship was certainly, an issue as thousands of people became Christians, but there was not a great effort to disciple them. “When Whitefield saw hundreds or thousands at a time melted by his eloquence, he called it a “gracious melting,” thanked God for the display of his power, hoped they would prove true converts, and hurried away to preach the gospel to another thousand.”[27] More revivals would occur in America from 1776-through the 1960’s. However, due to the country’s current state, one could reasonably surmise either that there was a false reaction to these revivals, or that churches have failed to properly disciple their converts.

What we have come to know as Sunday school was originally started in England in 1780, and then in 1786, Francis Asbury started a Sunday school based on Robert Raikes’ model, in Hanover co., Va. There is evidence that instruction in the Scriptures was given to children on Sundays at Plymouth in 1669 and at Roxbury, Mass., in 1674. It was primarily to teach children how to read and spell so that they could read the Bible. In 1817, the American Sunday School Union was formed in order to “establish Sunday schools as rapidly as possible in the pioneer communities of the Mississippi valley.”[28] Discipleship became even scarcer on the frontier. Since people were very spread out, Asbury developed a system of Methodist circuit riders who led services for settlers. Nonetheless, there was a good deal of church growth on the frontier.

American churches today practice many different methods of Discipleship. Very few city or towns are based around a certain church, communal living is not typical of most Christian churches, and they do not face criminal charges for having unpopular religious views. Nonetheless, there is a completely new set of discipleship issues the church must address today.

Many Protestant churches in the 1900’s started operating under a Sunday school based discipleship program. They have Sunday school bible study in the morning, followed by congregational singing and preaching. Then, they have either a prayer meeting, discipleship class, or another sermon on Sunday and Wednesday nights. This method is still the most popular, but it alone does not seem to be producing consistent spiritual growth.

Many twentysomethings are reversing course after having been active church attenders during their teenage years. As teenagers, more than half attended church each week and more than 4 out of 5 (81%) had ever gone to a Christian church. That means that from high school graduation to age 25 there is a 42% drop in weekly church attendance and a 58% decline from age 18 to age 29. That represents about 8,000,000 twentysomethings alive today who were active church-goers as teenagers but who will no longer be active in a church by their 30th birthday.[29]

A popular discipleship model for churches today is that of Rick Warren’s, Saddleback Church. When someone joins Saddleback, they must take a new member’s class and sign a membership covenant. In the covenant, they agree to, protect the unity of the church, share the responsibility of the church, serve the ministry of the church, and support the testimony of the church. They seek to meet their member’s discipleship needs by “growing larger and smaller at the same time.”[30] As the overall size of the church grows, so does the need for small groups where people can share prayer requests, study the scripture, and develop healthy relationships.

Another trend in recent years is the growth of house churches; also known as “simple church.” House churches adopt the small group model, but leave out the large congressional body of believers. George Barna named simple church “as one of several "mini-movements" vacuuming up millions of believers (who) have stopped going to (standard) church. In two decades, he wrote, "only about one-third of the population" will rely on conventional congregations.”[31] The house members, “and seven other twenty- and thirtysomethings mix a fairly formal weekly communion with a laid-back laying on of hands, semiconfessional "sharing" and a guitar sing-along.”[32] This certainly promotes intimacy within discipleship, but it does not guarantee accuracy within its teachings. “That is why training is so important, because training involves the formation of the self through submission to authority that will provide people with the virtues necessary to make reasoned judgment.”[33] A church without a qualified overseer is dangerous and unbiblical.

Another popular discipleship method is also very evangelistic in nature. The Disciplemaking process claims that if every new believer converts and disciples three people a year, then there would be over one million converts in 10 years.[34] This plan encourages Christians to accept more knowledge, responsibility, and commitment by participating in the discipleship process. However, it fails to mention that if one truly does this, then they will have twelve disciples within four years. This would certainly lead to neglectful discipleship. However, O.J. Bryson’s “Team 7” strategy avoids this pitfall by simply placing a limit of seven people for each person to disciple.[35]

Two practices of discipleship gaining popularity these days are regenerate church membership and church discipline.[36] These practices were neglected in the twentieth century, but many churches are rediscovering the positive role that they can play in the discipleship process.[37] Regardless of which discipleship strategy gains dominance, Christians are called to "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."[38]

Works Cited

The Barna Group, Ltd., 1957 Eastman Ave. Ste B, Ventura, California 93003 http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=BarnaUpdate&BarnaUpdateID=149

Bonhoeffer, Dietrich, Geffrey B. Kelly, and John D. Godsey. Discipleship. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2001. , 47

Bryson, O. J. Networking the Kingdom: A Practical Strategy for Maximum Church Growth. Dallas: Word Pub, 1990.

Cairns, Earle Edwin. Christianity Through the Centuries: A History of the Christian Church. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Pub. House, 1981. , 112

Coleman, Robert Emerson. The Master Plan of Evangelism. Westwood, N.J.: F.H. Revell Co, 1964.

Collins, Steven. Christian Discipleship ; Foundations for Maximum Spiritual Growth. Tulsa, OK: Virgil W. Hensley, Inc, 1989. , 215

Columbia University, and Bartleby.com, Inc. Columbia Encyclopedia. New York: Columbia University Press, 2004.

Dever, Mark. Nine Marks of a Healthy Church. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Books, 2004

González, Justo L. The Story of Christianity. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1984

Gros, Jeffrey, Thomas F. Best, and Lorelei F. Fuchs. Growth in Agreement III: International Dialogue Texts and Agreed Statements, 1998-2005. Faith and order paper, no. 204. Geneva, Switzerland: WCC Publications, 2007. , 224

Harnack, Adolf von, E. E. Kellett, and F. H. Marseille. Monasticism: Its Ideals and History, and The Confessions of St. Augustine: Two Lectures. Crown Theological Library. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1901. , 25

Harris, Joshua. Stop Dating the Church! Sisters, Or: Multnomah Publishers, 2004.

[1] Hauerwas, Stanley. "Discipleship As a Craft, Church As a Disciplined Community. Learning What Is True and Good Is Like Learning a Craft, According to Stanley Hauerwas, Which Means We Need Teachers and Communities That Are Skilled in Moral Disciplines." The Christian Century. 108.27 (1991): 881

Olson, Roger E. The Story of Christian Theology: Twenty Centuries of Tradition & Reform. Downers Grove, Ill: InterVarsity Press, 1999. , 27

Rainer, Thom S. Breakout Churches: Discover How to Make the Leap. Grand Rapids, Mich: Zondervan, 2005.

Reese, William L. Dictionary of Philosophy and Religion: Eastern and Western Thought. Atlantic Highlands, N.J.: Humanities Press, 1980. , 365

Sheldrake, Philip. A Brief History of Spirituality. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub, 2007. , 14

Smith, William, F. N. Peloubet, and M. A. T. Peloubet. Bible Dictionary. Nelson's Quick reference. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1993

The Holy Bible, In Four Translations: King James Version, New American Standard Bible, the New English Bible, the Jerusalem Bible. New York: World-Wide Publications, 1972.

Tracy, Joseph. The Great Awakening. New York: Arno Press, 1969. , 389

Van Beima, David. "There's No Pulpit Like Home." Time. 167.10 (March 6 2006): 46-8

Warren, Richard. The Purpose Driven Church: Growth Without Compromising Your Message & Mission. Grand Rapids, Mich: Zondervan Pub, 1995 , 326

The shifting focus of discipileship within church history

A Term Paper

Presented to

Assoc. Professor Pete Schemm

in partial fulfillment of the requirements for

THE3130A Christian Theology III

Scott Randolph

The College at Southeastern

11-05-08

[1] Sheldrake, Philip. A Brief History of Spirituality. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub, 2007. , 14

[2] Smith, William, F. N. Peloubet, and M. A. T. Peloubet. Bible Dictionary. Nelson's Quick reference. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1993

[3] Mark 1:16-20

[4] he Holy Bible, In Four Translations: King James Version, New American Standard Bible, the New English Bible, the Jerusalem Bible. New York: World-Wide Publications, 1972. , Mark 5:18 NKJV

[5] Ibid. , Luke 6:13-16

[6] Ibid. , Matt 10:1-23

[7] Ibid. , Matthew 28:19-20 NKJV

[8] Ibid. , Acts 6:1-7

[9] Cairns, Earle Edwin. Christianity Through the Centuries: A History of the Christian Church. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Pub. House, 1981. , 112

[10] Olson, Roger E. The Story of Christian Theology: Twenty Centuries of Tradition & Reform. Downers Grove, Ill: InterVarsity Press, 1999. , 27

[11] Cairns, Earle Edwin. Christianity Through the Centuries: A History of the Christian Church. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Pub. House, 1981. , 115

[12] Ibid. , 120

[13] Harnack, Adolf von, E. E. Kellett, and F. H. Marseille. Monasticism: Its Ideals and History, and The Confessions of St. Augustine: Two Lectures. Crown Theological Library. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1901. , 25

[14] Reese, William L. Dictionary of Philosophy and Religion: Eastern and Western Thought. Atlantic Highlands, N.J.: Humanities Press, 1980. , 365

[15] Ibid. , 365

[16] Cairns, Earle Edwin. Christianity Through the Centuries: A History of the Christian Church. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Pub. House, 1981. , 144

[17] Bonhoeffer, Dietrich, Geffrey B. Kelly, and John D. Godsey. Discipleship. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2001. , 47

[18] Reese, William L. Dictionary of Philosophy and Religion: Eastern and Western Thought. Atlantic Highlands, N.J.: Humanities Press, 1980. , 320

[19] Columbia University, and Bartleby.com, Inc. Columbia Encyclopedia. New York: Columbia University Press, 2004.

[20] Cairns, Earle Edwin. Christianity Through the Centuries: A History of the Christian Church. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Pub. House, 1981. , 277

[21] Ibid. , 277

[22] Cairns, Earle Edwin. Christianity Through the Centuries: A History of the Christian Church. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Pub. House, 1981. , 304

[23] Ibid. , 277

[24] Gros, Jeffrey, Thomas F. Best, and Lorelei F. Fuchs. Growth in Agreement III: International Dialogue Texts and Agreed Statements, 1998-2005. Faith and order paper, no. 204. Geneva, Switzerland: WCC Publications, 2007. , 224

[25] Ibid. , 224

[26] Ibid. , 230

[27] Tracy, Joseph. The Great Awakening. New York: Arno Press, 1969. , 389

[28] Columbia University, and Bartleby.com, Inc. Columbia Encyclopedia. New York: Columbia University Press, 2004.

[29]The Barna Group, Ltd., 1957 Eastman Ave. Ste B, Ventura, California 93003 http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=BarnaUpdate&BarnaUpdateID=149

[30] Warren, Richard. The Purpose Driven Church: Growth Without Compromising Your Message & Mission. Grand Rapids, Mich: Zondervan Pub, 1995. , 326

[31] Van Beima, David. "There's No Pulpit Like Home." Time. 167.10 (March 6 2006): 46-8

[32] Ibid.

[33] Hauerwas, Stanley. "Discipleship As a Craft, Church As a Disciplined Community. Learning What Is True and Good Is Like Learning a Craft, According to Stanley Hauerwas, Which Means We Need Teachers and Communities That Are Skilled in Moral Disciplines." The Christian Century. 108.27 (1991). , 881.

[34] Collins, Steven. Christian Discipleship ; Foundations for Maximum Spiritual Growth. Tulsa, OK: Virgil W. Hensley, Inc, 1989. , 215

[35] Bryson, O. J. Networking the Kingdom: A Practical Strategy for Maximum Church Growth. Dallas: Word Pub, 1990.

[36] Harris, Joshua. Stop Dating the Church! Sisters, Or: Multnomah Publishers, 2004.

[37] Dever, Mark. Nine Marks of a Healthy Church. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Books, 2004.

[38] Matthew 28:19-20

You should Vote For Obama if...

2008-11-02T19:29:00.003-05:00

- You are a hard core liberal
- You support abortion and infanticide
- You want to see more Supreme Court Judges that legislate from the bench
- You believe it is the governments job to fix society's problems
- You think redistribution of wealth is a good idea
- You think universal healthcare is the answer
- Your willing to pay more taxes in order to accomplish the last three points

If you said yes to all of these points then i encourage you to Vote for Obama. Though, i may not share your views, i respect you for voting your conscience for the candidate that shares your views.

however,

If you said no to ANY of these points then i have absolutely no respect for your decision to vote for anyone other than McCain.
That's right, i don't even draw the line at voting for Obama or not. Though our two party system may not be ideal, the fact remains, if you do not vote for one candidate, then you are helping the other candidate win. I know McCain is not perfect, ideal, or maybe even good, but he certainly does not hold to ANY of the views above.

Of all of the things obama has done, quoted the Communist Manifesto in a stump speech, supported infanticide and abortion in the Senate, claiming that the issue of abortion was "above my paygrade," promising to accept federal funds (and the $85 mil campaign limit), then spending over $300 mil instead, etc..., the most offensive thing i heard him do was quote Scripture,

"At this moment, in this election, we must pledge once more to march into the future. Let us keep that promise - that American promise - and in the words of Scripture hold firmly, without wavering, to the hope that we confess" (acceptance speech at the Dem Nat Convention)

The HOPE that i CONFESS is in CHRIST and the assurance that he has taken my punishment for sin, so that i am no longer condemned, and therefore holy and pure in God's sight. That is awesome!!! (Hebrews 10:23)

My HOPE is not in America, or the government, or some politician. And for someone to prostitute that verse and say that we should hope in ANYTHING other than CHRIST is vial and HERETICAL!!!

Finally, i'll just come right out and say it. If you claim to be a Christian yet support Obama, then i have no respect for your ability to make decisions. If obama's words do not cause outrage in your soul, then that is serious cause for concern and i believe God will hold you accountable for the heresy and murder that you have condoned through supporting this false prophet.

Obama and Abortion

2008-10-22T10:25:00.002-05:00

Its long but i highlighted the key points.

“Why Faithful Evangelicals Cannot Vote for Barack Obama”

By: Daniel L. Akin

“It is incumbent upon every believer, when they are active in the American political process, to vote their conscience and to further let their conscience be guided by the Word of God. Nowhere is this more important than in the area of abortion, an issue on which God’s Word is abundantly clear. In light of recent secular media reports and pollster predictions that many evangelicals may be supporting Democratic nominee Barack Obama for president, I found the following article by Professor Robert P. George of Princeton University to be compelling. Please read it as you become more informed about the candidates and how you can vote on election day in such a way that glorifies Jesus.”

Obama’s Abortion Extremism

Robert P. George

Barack Obama is the most extreme pro-abortion candidate ever to seek the office of President of the United States. He is the most extreme pro-abortion member of the United States Senate. Indeed, he is the most extreme pro-abortion legislator ever to serve in either house of the United States Congress.

Yet there are Catholics and Evangelicals—even self-identified pro-life Catholics and Evangelicals—who aggressively promote Obama’s candidacy and even declare him the preferred candidate from the pro-life point of view.

What is going on here?

I have examined the arguments advanced by Obama’s self-identified pro-life supporters, and they are spectacularly weak. It is nearly unfathomable to me that those advancing them can honestly believe what they are saying. But before proving my claims about Obama’s abortion extremism, let me explain why I have described Obama as “pro-abortion” rather than “pro-choice.”

According to the standard argument for the distinction between these labels, nobody is pro-abortion. Everybody would prefer a world without abortions. After all, what woman would deliberately get pregnant just to have an abortion? But given the world as it is, sometimes women find themselves with unplanned pregnancies at times in their lives when having a baby would present significant problems for them. So even if abortion is not medically required, it should be permitted, made as widely available as possible and, when necessary, paid for with taxpayers’ money.

The defect in this argument can easily be brought into focus if we shift to the moral question that vexed an earlier generation of Americans: slavery. Many people at the time of the American founding would have preferred a world without slavery but nonetheless opposed abolition. Such people—Thomas Jefferson was one—reasoned that, given the world as it was, with slavery woven into the fabric of society just as it had often been throughout history, the economic consequences of abolition for society as a whole and for owners of plantations and other businesses that relied on slave labor would be dire. Many people who argued in this way were not monsters but honest and sincere, albeit profoundly mistaken. Some (though not Jefferson) showed their personal opposition to slavery by declining to own slaves themselves or freeing slaves whom they had purchased or inherited. They certainly didn’t think anyone should be forced to own slaves. Still, they maintained that slavery should remain a legally permitted option and be given constitutional protection.

Would we describe such people, not as pro-slavery, but as “pro-choice”? Of course we would not. It wouldn’t matter to us that they were “personally opposed” to slavery, or that they wished that slavery were “unnecessary,” or that they wouldn’t dream of forcing anyone to own slaves. We would hoot at the faux sophistication of a placard that said “Against slavery? Don’t own one.” We would observe that the fundamental divide is between people who believe that law and public power should permit slavery, and those who think that owning slaves is an unjust choice that should be prohibited.

Just for the sake of argument, though, let us assume that there could be a morally meaningful distinction between being “pro-abortion” and being “pro-choice.” Who would qualify for the latter description? Barack Obama certainly would not. For, unlike his running mate Joe Biden, Obama does not think that abortion is a purely private choice that public authority should refrain from getting involved in. Now, Senator Biden is hardly pro-life. He believes that the killing of the unborn should be legally permitted and relatively unencumbered. But unlike Obama, at least Biden would not use taxpayer dollars to fund abortion, thereby leaving Americans free to choose not to implicate themselves in it. If we stretch things to create a meaningful category called “pro-choice,” then Biden might be a plausible candidate for the label; at least he respects your choice or mine not to facilitate deliberate feticide.

The same cannot be said for Barack Obama. For starters, he has promised to seek repeal of the Hyde Amendment, which has for many years protected pro-life citizens from having to pay for abortions that are not necessary to save the life of the mother and are not the result of rape or incest. The abortion industry laments that this longstanding federal law, according to the pro-abortion group NARAL, “forces about half the women who would otherwise have abortions to carry unintended pregnancies to term and bear children against their wishes instead.” In other words, a whole lot of people who are alive today would have been exterminated in utero were it not for the Hyde Amendment. Obama has promised to reverse the situation so that abortions that the industry complains are not happening (because the federal government is not subsidizing them) would happen. That is why people who profit from abortion love Obama even more than they do his running mate.

But this barely scratches the surface of Obama’s extremism. He has promised that “the first thing I’d do as President is sign the Freedom of Choice Act” (known as FOCA). This proposed legislation would create a federally guaranteed “fundamental right” to abortion through all nine months of pregnancy, including, as Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia has noted in a statement condemning the proposed Act, “a right to abort a fully developed child in the final weeks for undefined ‘health’ reasons.” In essence, FOCA would abolish virtually every existing state and federal limitation on abortion, including parental consent and notification laws for minors and conscience protections for pro-life citizens working in the health-care industry—protections against being forced to participate in the practice of abortion or else lose their jobs. The pro-abortion National Organization for Women has proclaimed with approval that FOCA would “sweep away hundreds of anti-abortion laws [and] policies.”

It gets worse. Obama, unlike even many “pro-choice” legislators, opposed the ban on partial-birth abortions and condemned the Supreme Court decision that upheld legislation banning this heinous practice. He has referred to a baby conceived inadvertently by a young woman as a “punishment” that she should not endure. He has stated that women’s equality requires access to abortion on demand. Appallingly, he wishes to strip federal funding from pro-life crisis pregnancy centers that provide alternatives to abortion for pregnant women in need. There is certainly nothing “pro-choice” about that.

But it gets even worse. When pro-life members of Obama’s own party in Congress proposed the so-called “95-10” legislation to strengthen the social safety net for poor women and, they hoped, reduce the number of abortions by 95% in ten years, Obama refused to support it. This legislation would not have made a single abortion illegal. It simply sought to make it easier for pregnant women to make the choice not to abort their babies. Here was a concrete test of whether Obama was “pro-choice” rather than pro-abortion. He flunked. Then he flunked again by opposing the inclusion of unborn children in the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (S-Chip)—which would have helped to save unborn babies without making abortion illegal. Many implacably “pro-choice” members of Congress like Edward Kennedy supported it. But Barack Obama stood resolutely with the most stalwart abortion advocates in opposing it.

It gets worse yet. In an act of breathtaking injustice which the Obama campaign lied about until critics produced documentary proof of what he had done, as an Illinois state senator Obama opposed legislation to protect children who are born alive, either as a result of an abortionist’s unsuccessful effort to kill them in the womb, or by the deliberate delivery of the baby prior to viability. This legislation would not have banned any abortions. Indeed, it included a specific provision ensuring that it did not affect abortion laws. (This is what Obama and his campaign lied about until they were caught.) The federal version of the bill passed unanimously in the United States Senate, winning the support of such ardent advocates of legal abortion as John Kerry and Barbara Boxer. But Barack Obama opposed it and worked to defeat it. For him, a child marked for abortion gets no protection—even ordinary medical or comfort care—even if she is born alive and entirely separated from her mother. So Obama has favored protecting what is literally a form of infanticide.

You may be thinking, It can’t get worse than that. But it does.

For several years, Americans have been debating the use for biomedical research of embryos produced by in vitro fertilization (originally for reproductive purposes) but now left in a frozen condition in cryopreservation units. President Bush has restricted the use of federal funds for stem-cell research of the type that makes use of these embryos and destroys them in the process. I support the President’s restriction, but some legislators with excellent pro-life records, including John McCain, argue that the use of federal money should be permitted where the embryos are going to be discarded or die anyway as the result of the parents’ decision. Senator Obama, too, wants to lift the restriction.

But Obama would not stop there. He has co-sponsored a bill—strongly opposed by McCain—that would authorize the large-scale industrial production of human embryos for use in biomedical research in which they would be killed. In fact, the bill Obama co-sponsored would require the killing of human beings in the embryonic stage that were produced by cloning. It would make it a federal crime for a woman to save an embryo by agreeing to have the tiny developing human being implanted in her womb so that he or she could be brought to term. This “clone and kill” bill would, if enacted, bring something to America that has heretofore existed only in China—the equivalent of legally mandated abortion. In an audacious act of deceit, Obama and his co-sponsors misleadingly call this an anti-cloning bill. But it is nothing of the kind. What it bans is not cloning, but allowing the embryonic children produced by cloning to survive.

Can it get still worse? Yes.

Decent people of every persuasion hold out the increasingly realistic hope of resolving the moral issue surrounding embryonic stem-cell research by developing methods to produce the exact equivalent of embryonic stem cells without using (or producing) embryos. But when a bill was introduced in the United States Senate to put a modest amount of federal money into research to develop these methods, Barack Obama was one of the few senators who opposed it. From any rational vantage point, this is unconscionable. Why would someone not wish to find a method of producing the pluripotent cells scientists want that all Americans could enthusiastically endorse? Why create and kill human embryos when there are alternatives that do not require the taking of nascent human lives? It is as if Obama is opposed to stem-cell research unless it involves killing human embryos.

This ultimate manifestation of Obama’s extremism brings us back to the puzzle of his pro-life Catholic and Evangelical apologists.

They typically do not deny the facts I have reported. They could not; each one is a matter of public record. But despite Obama’s injustices against the most vulnerable human beings, and despite the extraordinary support he receives from the industry that profits from killing the unborn (which should be a good indicator of where he stands), some Obama supporters insist that he is the better candidate from the pro-life point of view.

They say that his economic and social policies would so diminish the demand for abortion that the overall number would actually go down—despite the federal subsidizing of abortion and the elimination of hundreds of pro-life laws. The way to save lots of unborn babies, they say, is to vote for the pro-abortion—oops! “pro-choice”—candidate. They tell us not to worry that Obama opposes the Hyde Amendment, the Mexico City Policy (against funding abortion abroad), parental consent and notification laws, conscience protections, and the funding of alternatives to embryo-destructive research. They ask us to look past his support for Roe v. Wade, the Freedom of Choice Act, partial-birth abortion, and human cloning and embryo-killing. An Obama presidency, they insist, means less killing of the unborn.

This is delusional.

We know that the federal and state pro-life laws and policies that Obama has promised to sweep away (and that John McCain would protect) save thousands of lives every year. The rigorous studies conducted by Professor Michael New and other social scientists have removed any doubt. In some cases, as we have seen, even the abortion lobby confirms the truth of what these scholars have determined. Nor can we ignore the effect of the message that Obama and his policies would send: that abortion is a legitimate solution to the problem of unwanted pregnancies (so clearly legitimate that taxpayers should be forced to pay for it).

But for a moment let’s suppose, against all the evidence, that Obama’s proposals would reduce the number of abortions, even while subsidizing the killing with taxpayer dollars. Even so, many more unborn human beings would likely be killed under Obama than under McCain. A Congress controlled by strong Democratic majorities under Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi would enact the bill authorizing the mass industrial production of human embryos by cloning for research in which they are killed. As president, Obama would sign it. The number of tiny humans created and killed under this legislation (assuming that an efficient human cloning technique is soon perfected) could dwarf the number of lives saved as a result of the reduced demand for abortion—even if we take a delusionally optimistic view of what that number would be.

Barack Obama and John McCain differ on many important issues about which reasonable people of goodwill, including pro-life Americans of every faith, disagree: how best to fight international terrorism, how to restore economic growth and prosperity, how to distribute the tax burden and reduce poverty, etc.

But on abortion and the industrial creation of embryos for destructive research, there is a profound difference of moral principle, not just prudence. These questions reveal the character and judgment of each man. Barack Obama is deeply committed to the belief that members of an entire class of human beings have no rights that others must respect. Across the spectrum of pro-life concerns for the unborn, he would deny these tiny members of the human family the basic protection of the laws. Over the next four to eight years, as many as three U.S. Supreme Court justices are likely to retire. Obama enthusiastically supports Roe v. Wade and would appoint judges who would protect that morally and constitutionally disastrous decision and even expand its scope. Indeed, in an interview in Glamourmagazine, he promised to apply a litmus test for Supreme Court nominations: jurists who do not support Roe will not be considered for appointment by Obama. John McCain, by contrast, opposes Roe and would appoint judges likely to overturn it. This would not make abortion illegal, but it would return the issue to the forums of democratic deliberation, where pro-life Americans could engage in a fair debate to persuade fellow citizens that killing the unborn is no way to address the problems of pregnant women in need.

What kind of America do we want our beloved nation to be? Barack Obama’s America is one in which being human just isn’t enough to warrant care and protection. It is an America where the unborn may legitimately be killed without legal restriction, even by the grisly practice of partial-birth abortion. It is an America where a baby who survives abortion is not even entitled to comfort care as she dies on a stainless steel table or in a soiled linen bin. It is a nation in which some members of the human family are regarded as inferior and others superior in fundamental dignity and rights. In Obama’s America, public policy would make a mockery of the great constitutional principle of the equal protection of the laws. In perhaps the most telling comment made by any candidate in either party in this election year, Senator Obama, when asked by Rick Warren when a baby gets human rights, replied: “that question is above my pay grade.” It was a profoundly disingenuous answer: For even at a state senator’s pay grade, Obama presumed to answer that question with blind certainty. His unspoken answer then, as now, is chilling: human beings have no rights until infancy—and if they are unwanted survivors of attempted abortions, not even then.

In the end, the efforts of Obama’s apologists to depict their man as the true pro-life candidate that Catholics and Evangelicals may and even should vote for, doesn’t even amount to a nice try. Voting for the most extreme pro-abortion political candidate in American history is not the way to save unborn babies.

weekend away

2008-10-09T21:28:00.003-05:00

I spent last weekend with Candice's grandparents in Washington, NC. It was fun. We got to watch one turtle slap another turtle around (literally). I had no idea they slapped each other. It is quite humorous to watch.

We all stayed up late Sat night talking. Well, i listened, the old folks talked. I miss that. I am surrounded by people my own age, so its nice to hear some ole' tymer stories sometimes. It makes me miss back home a little bit. There is certainly no shortage of old people in Clarksburg, WV.

It makes me think of the wednesday nights i'd spent after church listening to Arlie Hall. Its one thing to be old, but then to match that with West Virginia's cultural and technological lag behind other parts of the country, you get some very interesting stories.

"Reign over Me"- awesome i give it a 9 for Drama

"Meet the Robinsons"- it was okay. Frankly, anything involving time travel is going to annoy me a little bit just because it will inevitably become absurdly illogical. It is probalby my least favorite computer animated movie, well right after Fish Tale. i give it a 4.

random personal life stuff

2008-09-27T00:55:00.002-05:00

I saw "Fireproof" last night. It didn't stink. Well, the acting did, but everything else was pretty good. Good story, great action scenes, and Kirk Cameron did an excellent job ( i was genuinely impressed). But the acting (or lack there of) of the rest of the cast really annoyed the crap out of me. Was it a volunteer cast? Had anyone received any type of acting training? Or did they all receive training from someone who told them to read every line with the same inflection. Along with that, the cinematography just made the whole thing feel like a "Lifetime Original" movie. But the story was great, so i still recommend it. I loved how they addressed the issues of divorce, pornography, and what it means to "love" someone. The characters were all very real, in that none seemed too preachy, corny, or over the top. The most preachy one is the dad, and well, dads are preachy! On a scale of 1-10 i give it a 6.
Still, i'd recommend "Billy: The Early Years " the Billy Graham story. It was filmed much better.

My new job at Carolina Tumblers is going well. I've been promoted to "kiosk manager"! That's right, i am on the fast track to success. my dream has finally come true. But seriously, i'm thankful to have a job. There is A LOT of dead time so i've been listening to an insane amount of Mark Driscoll; he is awesome.

Candice and i are doing well. She is pretty much amazing and i get along really well with her family. I am constantly impressed with her patience and understanding with me and her desire to serve, grow and discuss tough issues.

I love my Sunday School class. Tomorrow we're having a cook out. God's doing cool things in our lives and we're growing in spiritually, numerically, and in community. I've been watching my sunday school teachers' 18 month old daughter on Tuesdays and that has been very rewarding.

Flag fotball is tomorrow, and i'm crazy excited.

If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice

2008-09-02T21:55:00.000-05:00

Every election we complain about not liking either Presidential candidate.

OF COURSE THAT’S GONNA HAPPEN!!! The only person any of us agree with completely is ourselves. Every person that is not “me” will fall short of my expectations for a presidential leader. That is part of life. That is part of every relationship and choice of servitude. There are problems I have with my Church, my roommates, any boss that I choose to work for, my pastor, etc… The thing is, however, we choose for a reason. Our choice is never between the perfect and imperfect. It’s between very imperfect people and institutions. Our responsibility is to decide which imperfections are least detrimental to our own personal views.

That is what annoys me about people who refuse to vote. If they don’t want to have to chose between the best of two evils how do they make any decision in life? We live in an imperfect world with imperfect people and we base our decisions on imperfect evidence and reasoning. That is a fact of life. We change what we can, and we deal with what we can’t. Avoiding an issue because you cannot find a perfect solution is arrogant and lazy.

My "Open Relationship"

2008-08-27T23:43:00.002-05:00

I've been spending quite a bit of time with a girl at my school. We made it clear to each other multiple times that we were not "dating" because we didn't know each other very well. Then i realized that dating was just that. We're just two people examining each others' character and how that applies to pursuing a romantic relationship. To many that is dating, to some its just being real and honest about their feelings and intentions. Its just not that serious. I could expound more on my views of what dating is or isn't and what it should or shouldn't be, but you'll have to wait for the book for that.

i got a new phone

2008-08-17T23:02:00.002-05:00

i got a sweet new phone and i was able to keep my same #. However, if anyone wishes to call me so that i will have their # in my contact list.

My class schedule is finally worked out. I will be a full time college student this semester and a full time Seminary student next semester. I do not intend to pursue a seminary degree, but may pursue a masters in History at a secular institution. I will walk in May.

I'm thrilled to be back spending time with my friends and church family. I have really come to love my church and friends here.

HAPPY DANCE TIME!!

2008-08-14T10:10:00.002-05:00

THEY FINALLY CAME THROUGH FOR ME!!
HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY
Praise God. I might actually graduate before i'm 30.
this is the response i got from the registrar.

Scot,
Thank you. You are good to go. All you have left to graduate (including the classes for which you are registered) is 2 hrs of TNB electives and a 3 hr history elective. Please let me know if you need anything else.

This means i can take my history class this semester and take a Theological Non-Biblical elective for a J-term.

And i'm headed home in about 2 hours. Happy day

one more day

2008-08-13T14:50:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow evening i shall return to the magical Forest of Wake. The following day i will then commence with my studies in American Government. Woo hoo

The deans office said that i could substitute any class for the one they aren't offering so i'm trying to squeeze a credit out of one of the English classes that didn't count towards my major. Please pray for that. I think it is an unlikely possibility, but it is a possibility nonetheless. If that goes through then i will only have 15 credits left to graduate. Which means i could graduate by Jan, which opens up a whole other list of possibilities. That'd be sweet. Please pray for that, it would save me over $600 and the time i'd spend in class.

okay, so heres the deal

2008-08-10T15:07:00.002-05:00

I'm not going to get a cell-phone until i get back to Wake Forest. I went into Manning and the sales person was not very polite and he wanted me to pay $140 for a camera i can get for $15 online. Customer service is a pretty big deal to me and the last time i was gonna switch plans one girl worked with me for over an hour setting everything up. Sprint ended up not letting switch like they said they would, so i ended up wasting an hour of her time. And she was gonna give me that same phone for free. So, i figure i'd rather wait a week and get a good phone for a good price. If i wanted to pay that much for a phone i could just get an i-phone for $200. I actually considered it, but they require a $70 a month monthly plan. Homey dont play that way. All i want is a phone that plays MP3's and takes 2megapixel pictures. We'll see. All that to say, i wont be calling anyone before the 15th.

5 more days until i get home! Woo-hoo!

Southeastern dropped one of my classes and I can't find any other available classes that i need to graduate. I love my school, but registration and class availability just stink.

no phone

2008-08-05T15:52:00.002-05:00

I'm not sure if i'll be getting a cell phone before i return home on the 16th. I'm going to check on it tomorrow, but i don't want a SC area code.
Welp back to work.

no more sprint

2008-08-04T09:49:00.003-05:00

my battle against Sprint has finally come to a close. They are letting me out of my contract without a termination fee. That means on Wed i intend to go in to town and get an AT&T phone that actually gets reception. Whoo-hoo

i am still alive

2008-08-04T09:28:00.002-05:00

My phone ha been disconnected, but it really doesn't matter at the moment since i dont get reception anyway. I'm not certain why it got disconnected but i have been trying to get out of my contract for some months now; so i'm hoping this could be a good thing. I have been paying my bills and i never recieved any e-mails or texts form them saying my payment was late. i'm currently seeking to contact them and i'll let you guys know wats up when i find out.

So, work went great. The swelling is gone but there is still a considerable amount of soreness and tightness in the muscles in my foot. Yesterday was fun, but i did get bit by a spider. Ironically it made me feel more sick than the snake. But i got a good nights rest and i'm doin well today. The last weeks of camp are very chill and relaxed. Its a nice why to cap off the summer.

4 days after the bite

2008-07-31T21:04:00.003-05:00

I'm going back to work tomorrow. All i'll basically be doing is showing kids how to shoot targets with paintballs. The swelling in my foot is starting to go down and i've been walking on it quite a bit today. Walking isn't as much an issue as just standing for any length of time. Since Saturday is clean-up day i'm certainly not gonna work then. And i dont think the next group shows up til monday so i just really want to get another day of work in while i'm here. I figure that even if the swelling doesn't get much better on Friday i'll have at least two more days to recoup.

Mom, i promise you that i'm not pushing myself too hard. If the swelling gets worse on Friday then i will sit out as long as necessary the rest of the week. I promise.

ps- If someone could thank Pam White for the e-card she sent me i'd appreciate it. (the e-card was directly from hallmark so i dont have a reply e-mail address.)

And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel

2008-07-30T20:29:00.002-05:00

If that copperhead would have just let me keep walking as i stepped on him then he would still be alive and my foot wouldn't be swelled up to the same size as my dad's. But alas, we live in a fallen world where snakes insist on injecting us with venom whenever they perceive us as a threat. So, here is the basic rundown of my experience.
-8:45pm - Bitten
-8:47- Drop a large rock on his head and identify it as a copperhead
-10:00ish- flown to Palmetto Health in Columbia SC
-12:00am - recieve antibiotics to combat infection (anti-venom is put on hold)
-1:45 - recieve pain killers so i can sleep
-1:47 - extreme nausea and lightheadedness from painkillers
-1:50 - recieve medicine to combat nausea
-5:30 - told to leave by 8:00
-6:00 - recieve more medication to combat nausea and told to move to lobby by 7:00
-7:00 - still nauseous and lightheaded
-8:00 - a new doctor allows me to stay until Jake arrives at 10:00
-10:00 - Jake arrives to drive me back to Camp.
-10:10 - vomit on the side of the road
-11:45 - arrive back at camp and sleep
-5:00pm - awake and work out worker's comp stuff
11:00am- follow up visit. extreme swelling, but everything else is good
10:20pm- update blog after watching "Hannibal Rising" and "Juno" with leg propped.

Anyway, I'm glad to hear that people care about me and were praying for me. Sometimes i forget that just because something isn't a big deal to me it might be to someone else.

The last QuestCamp EVER!!

2008-07-26T18:01:00.002-05:00

We just wrapped up the last QuestCamp ever and the next three weeks will be for kids with diabetes, muscular distrophy, and kids with parents in the military. Fun times.

Dark Knight was amazing! Words will only cheapen the full movie experience.

Why do we get offended?

2008-07-03T08:28:00.002-05:00

I sometimes feel like "Christian's" favorite thing to do is get offended. Which leads to the next feeling; indignation. Jesus got offended once, and he tore up a whole shopping area. They were, after all, making a mockery of God and His temple. But why do we get offended today? Is it for biblical or cultural reasons?
Lets take language for example. I'm not gonna get into the argument of whether we should or should not "cuss," but instead i want to focus on whether we should be offended by it. Do you think God is offended by cuss words? Why? Scripture says not to take God's name in vain, so its safe to say that God does not enjoy hearing his name thrown around without reverence. But what about the other words? There is no justification for being offended. It is purely a societal standard that Christians have adopted as their own. When Paul uses the word "rubbish" in Phillipians 3:8 that word was a vulgar cuss word in his culture. A more literal tanslation would have been "sh@#." But then again, the translators knew that they would be offending too many people if the put that in the Bible. Maybe someday i'll actually type out an exhaustive study on the whole "cussing" concept but for now i only have one point.

Don't let non-biblical standards rob you of your joy. I recently watched a movie that contained quite a bit of cussing. It had a decent message of redemption and forgiveness. And my personal favorite, the ultimate denial of self desires for the greater good. Thats a good message to a world that just "follows their heart." But, all i heard from those who i watched it with was how bad the language was. Thats it. They let one thing, that was not even biblically justified, ruin the whole movie. I'm not trying to condemn them. I'm only trying to point out the sad absurdity of what we as a Christian community have let control our lives. For our own good, we should stop letting non-biblical standards steal our joy. Again, this is not a condemnation, just a thought to think about.

back in black

2008-06-30T15:56:00.002-05:00

-i'm back in the hometown of Clarksburg West Virginia. I got in @ 4 a.m.

-Erika got baptised yesterday. That was exciting to see.

-She dyed my hair black with a small amount of red highlights the night before.

-now i'm hoping to go to the drive-in and see Wall-E and Get Smart.

QuestCamp week one

2008-06-12T20:46:00.003-05:00

This week was different for me than i had expected, but it was good; perhaps even better. I didn't have a small group to lead and that really bummed me out. I did however, get to lead a "track" time about dating. I pushed all last year for track times of substance and finally got some in this year. Though i didn't have huge numbers sign up, quite a few guys switched to it later on in the week. That was encouraging. Every group was different. The first group asked a lot of questions and we spent most of our time on the basic idea that Christians shouldn't date non-Christians: (2 Corinthians 6:14.) The other two didn't talk as much, but i think they listened quite well. I would ask questions, but i dont think they were well formed, so i got a lot of silence. Nonetheless, i got quite a few letters and others coming up to me and thanking me for what i shared. One pastor sat in on my 2nd session and asked me to share my views with his whole church group. That went very well; i sat down and planned out my "speech" to last about 5-10 minutes. I sped through the topics and hit all the scripture and points that i intended. good times.
also, Ben, Austin, and myself performed an interpretive dance to "My heart will go on" by celine dion. Everyone loved it. It was quite absurd.
Now i need sleep, but i will end on this final question, of which i would like everyone who can, to respond.

Does each person have a special someone that they are supposed to marry?

DSN is over!!!

2008-06-07T14:58:00.002-05:00

Since i had experience, they gave me the least functioning campers. One of my guys, Rob, snuck out during lunch and tried to go down the water slide. I rounded the corner to see him at the top of the slide. He had to climb over multiple ropes to get there, but i guess he was determined. He would have sunk like a rock. Thankfully i got there in time to stop him. He doesnt talk or listen so it was a very frustrating week.
I'm a bit stressed over the coming weeks of QuestCamp, but oh well.

We went kayaking this afternoon. That was nice.

That previous post was just a random thing that hit me during a time of prayer and worship through music last saturday night. It is in reference to the doctrine of Irresistible Grace. Over the years i have become more and more Reformed in my theology. (Also known as Calvinistic) It continually amazes me how a theology that is stereotyped as being cold and heartless awakens in me a joy and passion for God's awesomeness and love.

Irresistible Freewill

2008-06-01T12:50:00.000-05:00

God doesn’t interfere with our free will because He doesn’t have to. Only because of His Irresistible Grace can we have freewill. God delights in wooing us and knowing that if He reveals Himself to us then we won’t reject Him. That is the awesomeness of our power and freewill. At first we can (and do) reject Him fully, yet we are able to (and do) receive Him if He reveals Himself to us. If we did not have freewill, we could not choose to accept Him and He would not need to reveal Himself to us through creation, Scripture, or whatever.

This is how i justify not calling my loved ones

2008-05-30T17:03:00.002-05:00

cell phone reception is not happenin here so i will try to update this at least weekly, maybe twice on weekends.
Disabalities & Special Needs week 1 is over. 1 more to go!
Tim and Erin are her, and it is quite nice to have some Southeastern friends for once at camp. ITs really nice, and i love them both.
I caught a catfish yesterday. For some reason i've been dieing to go fishing since i got here. Its quite weird since i never fish back home

welp, i'm off to go eat with the others

7 days of training

2008-05-24T16:55:00.002-05:00

We just finished training for the 4H camp. It was long and stupid. but anyway. i'm hanging out at a friends house in summersville SC. I love our QuestCamp staff this year. They are some awesome people. Which is good because we have about half as many as last year. Welp thats about it. pray for me as the next two weeks are DSN weeks. (Disabilities & Special Needs)

2008-04-27T01:00:00.001-05:00

back to the grind

2008-04-25T23:59:00.002-05:00

I had a blast this past week. I got to see most of my family and i even got to eat with my mother this time. I loved getting to see my old high school friends that i hadn't seen in 4 years. Every visit was good, every friend and family member i spent time with was an individual treasure.
I watched the movie, "Forgetting Sarah Marshal" with my cousins while i was in. I would not have paid to see it otherwise, but i do have an "appreciation" for the creators. The storyline and message are better than most of the liberal propaganda out there masquerading as entertainment. It was also quite funny. Having said that, i can't recommend it to anyone. It is gratuitous and vulgar. Though basically the only nudity is that of the male type, it frequently cuts away to raunchy sex scenes.

Now, all that is over and i must write 4 reports. Urg

more of life

2008-04-15T00:04:00.002-05:00

- i finally got my 11 page book report done. 1 down 2 to go.

-I've had some good convos over the past few days
-Some of the guys i play D&D with got into the topic of creation and scriptural innerrancy and i was able to share some pretty good stuff.
-After closing the restaurant on Sunday night, my manager and i talked for 2.5 hours. He's been going to church with me, and its very cool to see God working on his heart. He shared some pretty deep stuff, and its nice to see the investment that i have been making in Texas Steakhouse pay off. God has been using me a lot, and its pretty sweet.

-I plan on getting to C-burg Sunday evening. I'm hoping to make it to Sunday night service.

-I'm still planning for camp this summer. lots to do.

-I'm kinda bummed that i'll be leaving my Sunday school group all summer. We're starting to get momentum and i think growing closer and being more active and it would be nice to use this summer to help facilitate that. We have been eating together at my place every other Sunday and that has been going well.

Bullet points of my life

2008-04-04T23:31:00.003-05:00

-I was blessed to be with my friend and co-worker when she committed her life to Jesus Christ. We had been talking for a while and she would always ask great spiritual questions. So, now i'm pretty much discipling her and being able to share the wisdom of the Bible with someone that doesn't already know it.

-Much homework is on the horizon. Stress.

-Work is...work

-I'm planning on visiting the homeland from April 20-23rd.

-My hair is now brown, blonde, black and red.

-I'm going to be the Recreation Leader for camp this summer.

-Brave Saint Saturn is finally releasing their third and final album. It is supposed to come out in June. Excitement

same ol' same ol'

2008-03-18T21:05:00.002-05:00

Things have been progressing nicely this semester.
Still planning Sunago.
Still recruiting for QuestCamp.
Our Easter production was amazing. Action painting can be quite cool. I cant really describe it, if i could it wold kind of defeat the purpose. I would go to the back for the last part of the show to run the slideshow, and the overall look was just awesome.
I was going to go snowboarding on monday but the weather was too warm. So, Brett and i played golf instead. I was pleased with my performance. I have an insane slice on my drive but mt iron shots have gotten fairly consistent.
Work is going great. Since i've worked the past few weekends i've actually made some money, and a friend from work has started coming to church with me, and

Thats about it. My ife has been pretty much the same all year.
Its good but... i'm restless.
I know i need to stay here and complete my education, but i can't wait unitl the summer. I can't wait to do something that isn't school.

random thought: oranges are amazing. It is an food and a drink in one.

my life a month later

2008-03-06T01:28:00.002-05:00

Its pretty much the same as it has been the past few months. Hence no updates.
Work is picking up, school is moving along, i'm recruiting counselors for QuestCamp and planning for the new coffee house ministry Sunago. The easter production this year is going to be truly unique. Passionate is based around artists "throwing" paint in relation to the different parts of the Christs death and resurrection.
My friend Simon has got his online comic up and running so here it is. Go to http://www.drunkduck.com/Far_Out_There to see the latest or if you wanna see it from the beginning click day 1.