Pendleton's End

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T20:45:00.000-05:00

Psssst!
Merry Christmas!

In celebration of a year without a new post

2009-05-21T15:53:00.001-04:00

I thought I'd throw one out there and see if anyone responds.

Prayer Request

2008-05-12T13:39:00.002-04:00

As a general rule, I am not prone to making prayer for complete strangers and drastic world events a high priority. As the number of natural disasters and weather related fatalities has piled up over the past few months, I have been more convicted by that failing. As Christians, I believe we are called to have compassion for all people, and getting desensitized by modern media does not excuse us from this. If you have a minute (and you clearly do, or you wouldn't be browsing the blog) bow your head and pray for the families suffering in the aftermath of the Myanmar cyclone, the earthquake in South China, and closer to home, the victims of the recent storms and tornadoes in our own backyard. God does not need to hear our prayer to care for those who are suffering, but perhaps we need to do the praying in order to do the same.

Philippians 1:1-11

2008-05-06T13:34:00.006-04:00

Here are a few first thoughts about Philippians 1 before we talk about it tonight. If you read this before we meet, hopefully you can begin to raise your own questions and discover your own insights into Paul's letter that you can then share with us.

First off, a link to the text.

Philippians begins, as do most of Paul's letters, with his offering "grace and peace...from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" to his intended readers. Let's remember that Paul was in prison as he wrote this, yet he offers grace and peace from God. Paul is not the giver of grace and peace, but rather a fellow recipient, and that impresses me. When my outward circumstances are less than favorable I am not filled with "grace and peace", but Paul is even while in prison. Is peace really on offer to us full time, no matter what is going on in our lives?

Paul goes on to express his love and care for the Philippians and to pray for them, that their "love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that [they] may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God."
What a wonderful idea--that love may abound in knowledge and depth of insight. Wendy and I have been watching a lot of House lately. House is a wonderful show, but one of its primary tenants is that people lie pretty much all the time for their own self-serving ends. House is profoundly aware of this, much moreso than anyone else on the hospital's staff, and as a result, it seems, he is miserable and drives anyone who would seek to care for him away.
Cameron, on the other hand, tends to believe the best of people, and time and time again she is disappointed and House proved correct in his fundamental assumptions about human nature. Cameron is likable, but naive, while House is wise but tortured. Furthermore, this concept is borne out by Solomon in Ecclesiastes 1:18: "For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief."
Paul's take, however, runs contrary to this. He asserts that love may abound in knowledge and depth of insight. Who's wrong?
I'm going to start from them premise that ~~House can't possibly be wrong~~ if something is in the Bible then it's true, and that if two Biblical statements seem contradictory, they only appear so, and both, in reality, express the truth. In the beginning of Ecclesiastes, the author writes, "I devoted myself to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven." I think the key is in this phrase: "under heaven". As long as Solomon studies man and man's behavior, the more he learns, the more he suffers. House is the great student of man. Of course, saying that, another fictional student of man comes to mind--Sherlock Holmes. Holmes, though, was addicted to opium, whereas House is addicted to Vicodin, which is a derivative of opium. Hmmm. Could it be that studying man will drive one to despair?

It doesn't seem that Paul, then, is encouraging the Philippians to study or grow wise in the ways of man, but rather to study and grow wise in the ways of God. What does that kind of wisdom offer? The ability "to discern what is best and...be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ." That's pretty huge, eh? I wonder if my life would be any better if I had the ability to consistently discern what was best? (Yeah, that's rhetorical.) How about the fruit of righteousness? I suspect that's something that would be good to have in my life as well. But if it would be good for me, think how it would be for you, for my coworkers and students, for my wife! If my life was filled with the fruit of righteousness, would that not do more to bring glory and praise to God and draw others to him than anything else I could possibly do? Can my cleverest argument compete with fruit of righteousness and abounding love? I don't think so.

May our prayer for ourselves and one another be the same as Paul's for the Philippians.

Self Serving Tribble

2008-05-05T17:48:00.002-04:00

Star Trek themed eighties band?

Anyhoo, I have begun occasionally posting vaguely bible-centered blog posts from time to time. Rather than force anyone who is not interested to read the post, I'll just throw a link up here.

Oh, and I vote for Ephesians for this week if no one has any preference, and if our fearless leader hasn't already prepped another book.

Genesis 50

2008-04-30T13:23:00.003-04:00

I figured since I'd already typed them up, I might as well post my notes on Genesis 50. I tried to clean up any typos, but if any are left, please be merciful.

The first fourteen verses of Genesis 50 don't strike me much. Israel dies, Joseph has him embalmed and takes him back to the cave near Mamre in Canaan where Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, and Leah are buried. The embalming seems out of keeping with Judiasm, but given the length of the trip, it's probably the only plausible way to do it with a corpse.

Things get more interesting around verse 15, where we see that Joseph's brothers are nervous that maybe now that Dad's gone Joseph is finally going to exact his revenge. So they send him a message that is purportedly from their father that he should forgive them. There's no indication that this is true, but neither that it's a lie. What we're told is that when Joseph gets it, he weeps. His brothers come and prostrate themselves before him; "We are your slaves," they say to him. His response is lovely:

Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.

Before I get to that response, though, it's worth asking why Joseph weeps. I suppose it's because he realizes that, after all the kindness he's shown his brothers, after all the ways he has disclosed his character to them, they still know him no better than to expect retribution from him. This is a sad fact about sin--it breaks relationships. Even though Joseph has forgiven his brothers, their guilty consciences still prevent them from being fully reconciled to the brother they wronged so terribly.

To get back to it, though, Joseph has the attitude that I don't even know I'm good enough to wish I possessed. First off, he recognizes that God alone meets out justice, and it isn't Joseph's place to go seeking it. Furthermore, nothing in what he either says or does indicates that he desires revenge upon his brothers. Rather, he goes beyond mercy to absolute generosity toward the men who sold him into slavery. There is, of course, also the point that Joseph, in this case, is able to see a larger picture of God's plan than many of us are fortunate to glimpse. He sees how his own suffering brought about the salvation of many (gee, foreshadowing much?) and he sees that this plan was good. I pray that I can cling to that wisdom--the wisdom that God's plan is ultimately very, very good--when I'm in the midst of my own struggles.

When Joseph was getting ready to die, he was sure that God would take his brothers to the land He promised to Abraham, and he insisted that when they went, they take his bones with them. So he died, was embalmed, and placed in a coffin in Egypt.

Let's note that he was "placed in a coffin" and not "placed in a tomb. His body wasn't interred, it was...well, stuck in a box, and judging by his station, I'd wager a pretty ostentatious box. One commentator points out here that Joesph's coffin must have stood as a monument--a reminder--to God's promise to give the land of Canaan to His people. In fact, we learn in Exodus 13:19 that when the Israelites left Egypt they took Joseph's bones with them. Additionally, in Joshua 24:32 we read: "And Joseph's bones, which the Israelites had brought up from Egypt, were buried at Shechem in the tract of land that Jacob bought for a hundred pieces of silver from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem. This became the inheritance of Joseph's descendants."

It's worth noting that when the Godly man Joseph comes and Egypt submits to him, the entire nation is saved from the famine. But when another Godly man comes--Moses--and God's words are rejected, the entire nation is nearly destroyed.

Wendy and I will be talking about what to read next in the coming days. I'll be sure to send out an email when we've made a decision. Ashely has suggested a non-gospel New Testament book. I'm open to that--most especially the New Testament part. Feel free to post any other suggestions in the comments.

Online package tracking

2008-04-28T00:18:00.001-04:00

Bible reading for next week

2008-01-15T22:26:00.000-05:00

For next week, January 22nd, take a look at Genesis 28:10-22. Then go back and reread the Tower of Babel narrative found in Genesis 11:1-9.

Also, if you look to the right at the top of the 'links' section, you'll see a link to subscribe to this blog. Feel free to do so.

Dinosaurs/Homelessness

2007-11-13T12:36:00.001-05:00

Haven't we had this conversation before?

so, who reads this anyway...

2007-11-08T22:15:00.001-05:00

yeah yeah yeah.

anyway, i found this by Josephus and thought that it might add a little insight from this past week.

if it doesn't, oh well.

Now, about this time the Sodomites, overwhelmingly proud of their numbers and the extent of their wealth, showed themselves insolent to men and impious to the divinity, insomuch that they no more remembered the benefits that they had received from him, hated foreigners and avoided any contact with others. Indignant at this conduct, God accordingly resolved to chastise them for their arrogance, and not only to uproot their city, but to blast their land so completely that it should yield neither plant nor fruit whatsoever from that time forward.

—Jewish Antiquities 1:194-195

And the angels came to the city of the Sodomites...when the Sodomites beheld the young men, who were outstanding in beauty of appearance and who had been received into Lots’s house, they set about to do violence and outrage to their youthful beauty....Therefore, God, indignant at their bold acts, struck them with blindness, so that they were unable to find the entrance into the house, and condemned the Sodomites to destruction of the whole population.

—Jewish Antiquities 1:199-202

Productivity blogs

2007-08-13T12:52:00.000-04:00

Ever since I more or less gave up instant messaging, my biggest waste of online time has been productivity software and productivity blogs. Yesterday I pointed you to some good software, and today I have some blogs for you. Hopefully, the benefit you get from them will outweigh the time you spend reading them. Be sure to check out the last link to "The Top 50 Productivity Blogs".

Zen Habits- Though it has "Zen" in the title, this blog should not interfere with your Christian faith at all. It should help you get more done, stay organized, and maybe even drop a few pounds. I like it.

Unclutterer- "Unclutterer is the blog about getting and staying organized. A place for everything, and everything in its place is our gospel." This quote comes from Unclutterer.com. Personally, I think our gospel is superior, what with the eternal life and stuff...

Life Hacker- "Tips and downloads for getting things done."

These are three of my favorites, but to find your own, I suggest you visit Zen Habits' "The Top 50 Productivity Blogs".

Online tools for getting things done

2007-08-13T12:38:00.000-04:00

D*I*Y Planner- Printable templates for planning. Includes useful things like blank calendars, project planning forms and to-do lists.

Airset- A disgustingly customizable online calendar. The absolute best tool I've found for the ability to look at my life in different contexts such as school, church, and Lunch Money. It also manages contacts, to-do lists and other facets of organization, but the calendar is what really shines. That said, if you'd like something something a little simpler, you can't go wrong with Google Calendar.

Backpackit- Coolest online note and to-do list manager I've found. Super intuitive. For projects where you need to collaborate Basecamp, which is produced by the same company, is incredibly useful.

Jott- So dang cool. You call Jott's number, tell it who to message (frequently yourself) and Jott transcribes your message and sends an email containing the text of your message to the recipient along with a link to an mp3 of the message. How amazing is that? Great for leaving yourself notes while you're in the car.

Just remember, all these tools do not substitute for actual work. Believe me, I know.
Tomorrow: productivity blogs that I enjoy.

Water

2007-08-07T22:49:00.000-04:00

[from http://ririanproject.com. I posted this on my blog, but after tonight's discussion, thought it might be appropriate here as a quick reference as well.]

I know you’ve heard this many times - “Drink more water!”. Yet, 99% of the people don’t heed this advice. Maybe if water was more expensive, people would pay more attention to consume enough of it on a daily basis. We are living in a dehydrated world of carbonated beverages, caffeine and alcohol.

I bet you don’t know how important is water for your health, figure and well-being. But drinking water is not just a trend, it’s essential! Everything your body does it does better with a healthy supply of water, every system in your body depends on water.

So here are 10 reasons why drinking water is good for you and why you should make drinking water part of your daily routine:

1. Get Healthy Skin

Nothing will improve the appearance of your skin better than consuming enough water. It’s a pity women spend so much money on skin products, while neglecting the cheapest and most effective one - water. Water is the single most important element for cellular integrity. Drinking water moisturizes your skin from the inside out. Water is also essential to maintaining elasticity and suppleness and helps prevent dryness. The real fountain of youth can be found in a glass of water.

2. Flush Toxins

Water helps remove toxins from the body, in particular from the digestive tract. Our kidney system is unique in its filtering capabilities and totally dependent upon water in order for it to work. Daily fluid intake is essential to its efficient operation, particularly because there is some decrease in function with age. Water helps get rid of excess nitrogen, urea, and ketones, so it is particularly important when following a high protein diet. You need even more water to help your kidneys do their work if you’re eating big to gain weight.

3. Reduce Your Risk Of Heart Attack

Researchers at Loma Linda University in California studied more than 20,000 healthy men and women and found that people who drink more than five glasses of water a day were less likely to die from a heart attack or heart disease than those who drank fewer than two glasses a day.

4. Cushion And Lube Your Joints And Muscles

Water makes up a large part of the fluid that lubricates and cushions your joints and muscles. And although not the only element associated with muscle cramps, athletes have long recognized that even mild dehydration can produce cramps. So drinking water before, during and after exercise can also help reduce muscle cramping and premature fatigue.

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, adequate fluid replacement helps to maintain hydration therefore optimizing and enhancing performance of those participating in regular exercise. They suggest flavored waters to promote hydration and to increase palatability. Products such as Gatorade’s Propel Fitness Water are, therefore, terrific substitutes for plain water to increase fluid intake and meet the optimum consumption of water per day, thus enhancing performance and lessening the possibility of dehydration.

5. Get Energized And Be Alert

On average, most adults lose about 10 cups of fluid a day through sweating, exhaling, urinating, and bowel movements. Even minor dehydration can cause impaired concentration, headaches, irritability and fatigue.

Water is also essential for proper circulation in the body. The levels of oxygen in the bloodstream are greater when the body is well hydrated. The more oxygen the body has readily available the more fat it will burn for energy without the presence of oxygen the body cannot utilize stored fat for energy efficiently. Not only will the body burn more fat when well hydrated but because there are increased oxygen levels you will also have more energy.

Drinking more water everyday will help your think more clearly. Research has repeatedly shown that staying hydrated is necessary for the human brain, which is 85 percent water, to function at optimal levels. That is why many school systems throughout the country now encourage students to keep a bottle of water at their desks and to drink it throughout the day.

6. Stay Regular

Water helps prevent constipation by adding fluid to the colon and bulk to stools. Something as simple as fluid plays a major role in preventing constipation. Not only does the liquid encourage bowel movement, but it also softens the stools.

Water is essential for proper digestion, nutrient absorption and chemical reactions. The carbohydrates and proteins that our bodies use as food are metabolized and transported by water in the bloodstream. But no less important is the ability of water to transport waste material out of our bodies.

7. Reduce Your Risk Of Disease And Infection

Consistent failure to drink enough water can lead to Chronic Cellular Dehydration. This condition where the body’s cell are never quite hydrated enough leave them in a weakened state, vulnerable to attack from disease. It weakens the body’s overall immune system and leads to chemical, nutritional and pH imbalances that can cause a host of diseases.

When you don’t have enough water in your body, your cells start to draw water from the bloodstream. Your heart has to work harder because your blood gets sludgy, and your body starts to redirect blood away from less vital areas. Dehydration can set in even before you start to feel thirsty. This is a great strain on the body because it impairs the kidneys in their vital function of purifying the blood and helping the body get rid of toxins.

Also Michaud and coworkers found that the incidence of cancer in the urinary bladder was reduced significantly by a high fluid intake in a ten-year study involving nearly 48,000 men. The top 20% of subjects who participated in the study drank 2500 ml per day or more, while the bottom 20% drank 1200 ml or less. The authors concluded that within this range, the risk of bladder cancer decreased by 7% for every 240 ml of fluid added.

8. Regulate Your Body Temperature

Water regulates the body’s cooling system. Sports drinks are useful when consumed after or during vigorous and prolonged exercise in high heat. But most experts agree that water works better than carbohydrates or sugared beverages for moderate exercise. For instance, if you drink 12 ounces of plain water, your body will absorb 8 ounces of it within 15 minutes. If you drink 12 ounces of a 10% sugar solution, less than 1 ounce will be absorbed in the same period. The typical soft drink is a 10 to 12% sugar solution.

Water is the nutrient your body needs the most. Between 55 and 75 percent of adult body weight is water, and it is critical in regulating all body organs and temperature.

9. Burn More Fat And Build More Muscle

It has been shown that dehydration decreases protein synthesis. Protein synthesis is what builds muscle. It is an energy costly process. When you suppress protein synthesis, fewer calories end up building proteins and more calories end up in your fat stores. It’s elementary: calories have two possible fates - they either get burned, or they get stored. When more of the calories you eat get burned, less will get stored.

Increased water consumption can help you control weight by preventing you from confusing hunger with thirst. Water will also keep your body systems, including metabolism and digestion, working properly and give you the energy (and hydration) necessary for exercise.

10. Get Well

The traditional prescription to ‛drink plenty of fluids‛ when you’re sick still holds strong. Water can help control a fever, replace lost fluids, and thin out mucus. Water plays a vital role in nearly every bodily function. Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.

Water is the substance of life. Life can not exist without water. We must constantly be adding fresh water to our body in order to keep it properly hydrated. Water can be a miracle cure for many common ailments such as headaches, fatigue, joint pain, and much more.

Be sure to drink even more fluid whenever you increase your physical activity, when eating a high fiber diet, during hot weather, at high altitudes, in low humidity locations, and when you’re sick, especially if you have a fever, vomiting, or diarrhea. The best way to figure out if you’re drinking enough water is to look at your urine. It should be a very light shade of yellow. Drink up if it’s darker. Let your thirst guide you, also. You might not need eight glasses to feel hydrated on a mild day. You could crave nine or 10 if it’s hot or you’re exercising. Bottom line? Your body is 70 percent water and needs it for digestion, healthy skin, blood circulation, temperature control and lots of other reasons.

Getting Things Done: Week 2 Redux

2007-08-01T01:14:00.000-04:00

Getting Things Done: Week 2- Purpose and overview of the system of Getting Things Done

Purpose: Life, one may imagine, used to be simpler. In the past, one's activities were dictated to a large degree by time and location. If you had work to do, it was probably on the farm or in the factory and it had to be done either during daylight or else during your shift. Very few of us now, however, have jobs that fit so neatly into a 9 to 5 model where we can leave our labor behind at the end of the day. Rather, we have projects and obligations which could absorb our attention indefinitely without ever coming to a state of perfection. One thing this means is that we have a lot on our minds. Not just work, mind you, but all our obligations. In GTD, David Allen describes work as "anything that you want or need to be different than it currently is." This is a useful definition, in that it reminds us that if we're hungry, we're going to have to do work to change that. If we're not as close as we'd like to be with our friends or family, we're going to have to do work. Anything we want to change is going to require some degree of work. But as our lives become more complicated, with more and more demands being placed upon us, how do we keep up?
Getting Things Done is based on two objectives:

Capture everything that you need to get done in a “trusted system” outside of your head.
Create “next actions” for every single input in your life.

The reason we must capture everything in a "trusted system" is in order to keep us from having to think about it. Allen uses the metaphor of RAM in a computer. The more programs you have running, the more RAM is used up in order to keep everything functioning. We all also know the other thing that happens when you have too many programs running--the computer begins to function very slowly and things may ultimately start to crash. In the same way, if we allow our minds to become filled with ideas and obligations, our minds will cease to function as quickly and efficiently as we'd like them to. If you're busy remembering the four errands you have to run today, your attention cannot truly be focused on the task at hand or the person sitting right in front of you.
The "trusted system" described by Allen in GTD allows you to accept input (whether that's phone calls, emails, conversations, grocery lists, or whatever) without wasting brain power on those things. They go into the system where you know they're safely recorded and so you can forget about them and be fully present in whatever you're doing.

The reason for creating "next actions" is, quite simply" to make sure that if we're going to do something we actually know what it is that we have to do. It's amazing how much easier it is to complete a task when you know what it is. You might consider the example of planning a friend's surprise party. "Plan surprise party" is not an action, it's a project, or series of interrelated actions. Where on earth would you begin? Well, for this example, writing down a list of people to invite might be the "next action" for the party, or contacting your friend to find out what nights he or she is free. It's worth noting that next actions are always physical actions. Simply thinking about something is not a next action, but writing down a list of ideas is.

Overview: The system outlined in Getting Things Done will teach us how to get the many things cluttering our minds out of our heads and into a system where we can feel confident that the most important things all get done. This will leave us free to devote our full attention and effort to the things in our lives that really matter.

I'm going to put the homework and a few notes on tonight's discussion in the comments section to keep everything nice and orderly, so be sure to check them out.

Getting Things Done: Week 1 homework

2007-07-18T19:41:00.000-04:00

Download and print a copy of the seven aspects of life along with the visual representation of how balanced your life is. (Download Word Doc | Adobe PDF)
Follow the instructions on the sheets.
Choose the area or areas that most need improvement and write down two to four actions you can take to improve that area of your life.
Come to house church and revel in the accountability.

Getting Things Done: Week 1 redux

2007-07-18T18:05:00.000-04:00

Introduction

After about two years of uninterrupted Bible study, Pendleton’s End is embarking on an exploration of a book about time management and personal organization—Getting Things Done by David Allen. When the idea of studying a time management book in house church first occurred to me, I was almost giddy with excitement. Every week, it seems, we ask one another to pray that we will accomplish the many tasks we have to do, all the while lamenting that our prayer and devotional lives are pitifully weak. A study, a course with accountability, that would lead us to better manage our lives seemed a way to (somewhat ironically) give us the opportunity to turn our focus from ourselves to God and to doing His work in the world. As the time to begin the study drew nearer, however, I began to be apprehensive about it. I feared that by seeking to improve our lives by reference to a text other than the Bible (especially one whose author is frequently referred to as a ‘guru’) we risked idolatry or, at the least, that we were pursuing a worldly goal rather than a Godly one.

As I discussed all this with Wendy, she guided me back to the Word to seek instruction. What I found was that living as a Christian in the world requires balance between what I will call ‘worldliness’ and ‘flakiness’.

Worldliness needs little explanation. I’ll define it simply as putting one’s own fleshly desires above one’s devotion to God. It is a sin of which all Christians are guilty to a greater or lesser degree, but should not be confused, I think, with affection for or enjoyment of things in the world, so long as those affections stand in the right relationship to one’s love of and devotion to God.

Flakiness is less common and far less often discussed, but it’s a character flaw with which I think most of us are familiar. I think we all know someone who’s done something incredibly stupid because they felt (or said they felt) God leading them to do it. Now, it is certainly possible for God to lead someone to do something that appears foolish or even evil in the sight of men (see Noah and Abraham) but too often the actions the flaky person takes are prima facie not God’s will because they violate His commands. More often, however, the flake will, in following what they believe to be God’s will, harm others through neglect of responsibilities, duties or friendships. They believe they are behaving nobly by ignoring the world in pursuit of the spirit.

As Christians, we are called to be in the world, though not of it (John 17:14-15). It would be foolish to deny the physical reality of the creation, but more foolish still to worship it. As we are creations in tension between the spirit and the body, the infinite and the finite, we must find a balance—sustaining our physical selves and doing God’s work in this world while looking forward to the next. Our first week’s lesson concerns finding just that balance.

The seven aspects of life

These seven aspects of life are borrowed from Zig Ziglar. They are, as any such division of a subject as complex as human life is bound to be, both incomplete and overlapping. They provide, however, a starting point from which to assess myself and the way I’m living my life.

Mental
Physical
Spiritual
Financial
Personal
Career
Family

The first question I asked myself with relation to these aspects of my life is whether or not each one was worthy of pursuit and, if so, how diligent a pursuit? Consider the following passages from scripture:

Mental

"Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold." (Proverbs 3:13)
"Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding." (Proverbs 4:6-7)
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2)
"…the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength." (Corinthians 1:25)

Physical

But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. (Romans 8:10-11)
Or don`t you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. (3 John 2)

Personal

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. (Proverbs 17:17)
A righteous man is cautious in friendship, but the way of the wicked leads them astray. (Proverbs 12:26)
As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. (John 15:13-14)

Career

Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth. He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son. (Proverbs 10:4-5)
Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during the plowing season and harvest you must rest. (Exodus 34:21)

Family

"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;” (Matthew10:37)
Another thing you do: You flood the LORD's altar with tears. You weep and wail because he no longer pays attention to your offerings or accepts them with pleasure from your hands. You ask, "Why?" It is because the LORD is acting as the witness between you and the wife of your youth, because you have broken faith with her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant. (Malachi 2:13-14)
Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. (Exodus 20:12)

Financial

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? (Matthew 6:25-26)
In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has. (Proverbs 21:20)
The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender. (Proverbs 22:7)
If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. (1 Timothy 5:8)

Spiritual

"Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace;" (Romans 8:5-6)
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." (Galatians 5:22-23)
If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. (James 2:16-17)

I believe these selections from scripture illustrate that God desires for us to pursue excellence in each of these areas of our lives while, and this is important, submitting them all to Him. It is in that spirit, then, of pursuing a life that glorifies God by its excellence that I look forward to studying together.

Some summer thoughts

2007-05-25T10:56:00.000-04:00

I'm trying to get some things straight before leaving to join Wendy in France. In that vein, here are a few ideas we're considering for next semester:

1) Do a series based around the book Getting Things Done by David Allen.
This is for a few reasons:
a) Several of our members are starting new jobs that will likely require them to manage their time well.
b) We seem to pray for time management every week.
c) By managing our time, we will make time for God and, let's face it, that's what we really need.

As Wendy has pointed out, most of us, if not all of us, know things to do to manage our time well. This series, though, would offer us accountability--a chance to check in with others going through the same thing. I'm hoping that Alison, Art and Michele will also be able to benefit from this and interact with us through the blog or email. Lastly, and most importantly, this is a spiritual exercise. Paul writes to Timothy that, "...God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." Note that these three qualities are spoken of in one breath as being opposed to timidity. If we are not masters of our own lives, how can we work boldly for God's kingdom? We know that self-discipline is a fruit of the Spirit and as such comes from God. I hope we can work together to encourage one another to be good stewards of the time God has granted to each of us.

2. Start earlier.
From now on, I won't be the only one who has to get up to go to work in the morning. To that end, I think it's a good time to start meeting earlier. It would be great if you'd post comments regarding your preferred meeting-time. (Remember, it's not a bad idea to leave time to get some dinner.)

Actually, despite the fact that we are a Shack ministry, those are the only two new things we're currently considering. Let us know what you think!

God at His computer

2007-04-24T23:39:00.001-04:00

Blog problems

2007-02-26T20:37:00.000-05:00

Hey guys,

The switch over from Old Blogger to New (Craptacular) Blogger has wreaked havoc with our little forum. I'm sorry if you're not able to post or comment. Actually, I'm not able to comment either, and I'm completely unable to moderate the blog, so basically, things are bad on the blog front. Maybe we'll find ourselves a new blog, a happier blog, a blogtastic blog. In the meantime, hope all's well.

Dispelling any Myths (per Last Night)

2007-01-17T16:34:00.000-05:00

Jesus Is God
Don't Eat the Pooh
Sex Is Good
The Earth Is Round
Climate Change Is Real (created by Al Gore?)

Christmas Gift Idea

2006-12-15T15:02:00.000-05:00

Romans 13 (the starting portion)

2006-11-29T01:34:00.000-05:00

From our discussion tonight, I feel that it could continue here.

Question from earlier:

What is Paul talking about here? What government should we be subservient to? Examples include Moses, Gideon, Daivd, Daniel and Assoc., Jesus, and Paul.
What is a "good" government? What is a "bad" government? Is it possible for a totalitarian government, or some other form of "bad" government, to be considered "good"?
When is government, who is supposed to look out for your well-being, not doing its job?

Discuss.

A Third View of the Will

2006-11-21T16:25:00.000-05:00

Okay, Free Will- It cannot exist, It must exist. Both camps are right, both are wrong. To have an absolute view of it is to miss the concept entirely in my mind. I am not so sure that we can grasp it, and the debate over free will (or lack thereof) is all framed in human conceptions of reality. The problem is, our conception of reality is not the actual determinative factor of reality. You know, Jesus said “I am the way, the truth and the life.” What is reality but the truth? Paul talks in Colossians about reality being found in Christ. I think the debate is outside of our comprehension. I think it is all tied up in His glory, which we cannot yet fully see or comprehend.
This debate radiates all over the place. Predestination is a free will debate, but it is from God’s end, not ours. Nature verses Nurture is a free will debate in the context of science. Whether there is a gay gene or if it is locked up in psychological issues; is a free will debate. And the question of legalism (even though most advocates never realize this is what they are advocating) is the result of free will in relation to church. Of course, this is why the debate is so important, it shapes the way we govern ourselves in the church and in community. The liberal position is “no free will” which we see in liberal churches (Episcopal split/ Methodist) and politics (rehabilitative justice). Then we have the conservative position with conservative churches (God hates fags movement) and politics (retributive justice).
In many ways the history of religion has been shaped by all of this as well. The Pharisees were the religious conservatives of the day. They butted heads with Jesus all the time as did the Sadducees who were the liberals of the day. I’m not saying there is some moderate view that will solve the puzzle either. That would simply represent some other human interpretation. Basically, I think with all the time we have had on this planet to figure out the question of the will, with all of our philosophers, and with all our experience and debates on the matter: we are still where we begun on the subject advanced as far as basically two polarized and entrenched camps.
So, I propose, what J.P. tells me has been proposed before (of course – “nothing new under the sun”) there must exist a third view of the will, one we cannot understand. This view is a fully realized, cohesive and indestructible theory of the will, which is Jesus ("the truth") which we cannot fully comprehend: “[s]uch knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.” David wrote this in Psalm 139, and he was talking about his own nature (and God’s ultimate understanding of it), and I have to agree, no one is ever going to fully understand human nature.
I think the best thing to do is simply to believe that we must struggle against sin fully and completely accepting our guilt and wretched nature (siding with the conservative view) while fully and completely counting on the Lord to carry us through as someone totally incapable of doing so (siding with the liberal view as well).

Theology of Sleep (click to see the original post)

2006-11-15T00:13:00.000-05:00

As you can tell by the date/time stamp, I didn't read that article very well.

worship

2006-09-27T00:52:00.000-04:00

Ok, so it's not exactlly Romans, but tonight's talk on worship did prod my thinking a little.

What is worship? Can we define it to one particular thing action, thought process, etc? I know I hear people always say, "Let's invite the Spirit of God to come into this place." Huh? If you've got at least two people who believe in Christ in a group, the Spirit's already there (Matthew 18:20). So what exactly are we doing? Like Art pointed out tonight, there's nothing we can say nor do nor give to change God, influence him, or make him feel better about us. He's got everything already (the cattle on a thousand hills, right?). So my big question is what are we doing during "worship"? And if it's not singing 'Delirious?' songs, what is worship?

Semantically, worship is defined as reverant love (mostly for a deity) and daily devotion. So, is worship just my feelings toward God? And reading my Bible and praying?

Statistically, the word 'worship' is mentioned 108 times in the King James Version in 102 separate verses. Analyzing them, I referenced the verses to see exactly what 'worship' really is and what characters in the Bible (both human and non-human) do when they worship. Unfortunately, the Bible doesn't give clear-cut and precise definition of what worship involves.

However, in many verses, the word 'serve' (or one of it's variants) appears in the same verse as the word 'worship'. Several verses (Deuteronomy 4:19, 1 Kings 9:6) mention Israel sinning by bowing down to and serving other gods beside JEHOVAH and worshiping these other [pagan] gods with service. Matthew 4:10 ("Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.") makes mention of the same idea. An idea of worshiping God (or anything else) is conveyed through service for Him (or that other thing).

Practical example: we love our parents, and we want them to know it. We do little things for them (taking out the trash, washing dishes, vacuuming), not because we have to, but because we want to show our devotion to them. Ok, maybe it wasn't the greatest example, but it conveys the idea. We worship God through our actions. (James 2:17-20 "Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?")

Probably one of the most challenging quotes for me is this: "Preach the Gospel at all times, and, when necessary, use words." [St. Francis of Assisi]. I screw this up everyday. On the ride to school, in class, waiting in line for lunch, etc. There's such a better job I could do being a "little Christ."

So from all this, my observation is that worship is so much more than just three or four songs we sing on Sundays. Worship is a lifestyle. A dedication to something that we believe is worth dedicating our lives to. It's more than just singing a song to God telling Him how great He is. It's dedication to His calling for us, and devotion to Him that's more than just fifteen to twenty minutes one night a week.

Two verses: 1 Corinthians 6:20 "For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." and 1 Corinthians 10:31 "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." This is about the best that I can do to wrap my mind around worship. It's loving God, it's devoting our time and actions to God. It's being Jesus to the world, so they see our lights, and want it.

Maybe I'm way off on what worship really is, but this is what God's showing to me.

Comparison of the dangers of doctors to firearms

2006-09-18T23:56:00.000-04:00

Since we have a group of lawyers in our midst, I thought this was appropriate:

FACTS TO PONDER:
(A) The number of physicians in the U.S. is 700,000.
(B) Accidental deaths caused by Physicians per year are 120,000.
(C) Accidental deaths per physician is 0.171.

(Statistics courtesy of U.S. Dept of Health & Human Services)

Now think about this:
Guns:
(A) The number of gun owners in the U.S. is 80,000,000.
(B) The number of accidental gun deaths per year, all age groups, is 1,500.
(C) The number of accidental deaths per gun owner is 0.00188.

(Statistics courtesy of FBI)

So, statistically, doctors are approximately 9,000 times more
dangerous than guns.

Remember, "Guns don't kill people, doctors do."

Fact: Not everyone has a gun, but almost everyone has at least one doctor.

Please alert your friends to this alarming threat. We must ban doctors
before this gets completely out of hand!

Romans 2- Things to Think About

2006-09-06T13:46:00.000-04:00

It was great to see those of you who were at house church last night. Here's a quick summary of the take-home points that we extracted from Romans 2.

1) Don't be a hypocrite. (vs. 1-4) (See also Matt 7:1-4, and Matt 18:23-35)

2) Live in such a way that God's name will be honored and not dishonored. (vs 17-24)

3) Contemplate God's law, and examine yourself in light of it. Let the recognition that you cannot measure up to that fill you with gratitude for the kindness God has shown in forgiving you. Let that kindness lead you to repentance (vs 5).

4) Seek glory, honor and immortality by persisting in doing good (vs 7).

Have a great week, and feel free to post your thoughts and experiences below.

Thursday night

2006-08-22T22:49:00.000-04:00

I don't know about anyone else, but would anyone else beside Michele and I be interested in having house church on Thursday night since we kinda skipped it tonight? This would only be for this week and we can resume our normal scedule again on next Tuesday. How's it sound to anyone who reads the blog?

Driving to Wal-Mart

2006-08-21T11:51:00.000-04:00

Since currently the Shack doesn't have all the drivers it needs for its Wal-Mart expedition Tuesday night, we're going to be cancelling or postponing Pendleton's End this week so that people can help out by driving. Wendy, Danny and I are already committed. If you are willing to drive, please contact Lou. All you need to do is clean out your car (trunk, too) so that people can fit into it with their purchases.

This is an excellent opportunity to welcome new people to the ministry and possibly to our house church. It's a good chance to be Christ-like, too, being kind to helpless little freshmen. Okay, enough guilt, if you can help out, please do.

And now for a breather...

2006-08-03T00:08:00.000-04:00

or was that breeder?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c33KI9P0Ro8&search=babies%20laughing

Pendleton's End

2006-07-26T09:43:00.000-04:00

mark

there is stark difference between reckoning
and acting.

do you not feel the difference.

for all the thoughts that you can have, the thoughts- their quantity, clarity, or relevance- do not motivate.

acting can be deceptive because of its freedom from thoughts.

but because it is free it must be intituted just as much as reckoning is intituted.

our thoughts are incomplete without action, we have questions but they will be answered in action.

yes, the scriptures startle you because they describe you.

Pendleton's End

2006-07-19T21:49:00.000-04:00

mark.

i went to the St. Arbucks for a coffee.
then went to the fountain.
"God tell me what you want me to write."
i wrote, "prayer(not meaning all prayerfull expressions) should be calling God to do what he already wants to do or is bringing to pass."
i went to a bible study.
while the teaching was on 1 Samuel 21, i studied 2 Samuel 7.
In this chapter God declares to david what will be done for david.
Then david repeats back to God what God declared but from a position of humility and then calls on God to fullfill his promise.

Pendleton's End

2006-07-17T12:11:00.000-04:00

http://www.praguefellowship.cz/pages/Default.aspx?tabid=188

here is a link

Pendleton's End

2006-07-05T13:32:00.000-04:00

Here is an illustration:

A person of life long paralysis.
His feet start to burn. What seems like torture is actually nerve endings comming alive.
Then his feet can learn to move around.
Then the task before him is to learn to walk.

How different are these:
Paralysis, rejuvination of nerves, movement, walking.

How parallel are these to being called by yhwh, saved by yhwh, transformed by yhwh, worshiping yhwh in functional(utilitarian) church(body of christ) form

mark

No House Church Tuesday, July 4th

2006-07-02T22:10:00.000-04:00

Since:
1) It's July 4th
2) Wendy will be celebrating her father's birthday with him in Summerville
3) I'm working on my thesis
Pendleton's End won't be meeting this Tuesday, July 4th. Please use this time to celebrate American independence from Britain by spelling color with no 'U' and referring to sweaters as sweaters rather than as 'jumpers'.

Prayer- Part 2

2006-06-25T14:53:00.000-04:00

Prayer:
Request for mercies, but also
address of creature on earth to god in heaven concerning all things that
concern God, his neighbor or himself, on earth or in heaven.

The Nature of Prayer.
1. Invocation
1. mention of one or more of the names or titles of God
2. declaration of our desire and design to worship him
3. desire of his assistance and acceptance under a sense
of our own insufficiency and unworthiness
2. Adoration
1. A mention of his nature as God, with the highest admiration and reverence
2. The mention of his many attributes with due expressions of praise
and with the exercise of suitable grace and affeciton,
as his power, his justice, his wisdom,
his xovereignty, his holiness, his goodness and mercy.
3. mention of his may works, of creation , of providence and of grace, with
proper praises
4. mention of his relation to us as a creator, as a father, as a redeemer
as a king, as an almighty friend and oru everlastin portion.
3. Confession
1. humble confession fo the lowliness of our original nature; oru
distance from God, as we are creatures; our subjeciton to him; and
our constant dependence on him.
2. confession of our sins: original of our nature and actual of our actions
3. confession that we deserve punishment and are unworthy of mercy
4. confession of humbel representation of our wants and sorrow of
every kind
4. Petition
1. deprication - deliverance from evil.
2. comprication - delivery of good things upon us.
5. Pleading
1.we may plead with God from the greatness of our wants,
our dangers or our sorrows, whether they relate to the sould or the body,
to
2. arguments for pleading:
a. the perfect attributes of God
b. relations of God with man
c. various and particular promises of covenant of grace
d. name and honor of God in the world
e. former experiences of our selves and others
f. name and mediation of our Lord Jesus Christ
6. Profession
1. of our relationship to God
2. of our former transactions with God
3. a present surrender of ourselves to God and a profession of the
present exercise of our affections and graces towards him
4. of our humble and holy resolutions to be the Lord's forever
5. of renunciation of all things contrary to being the Lord's
7. Thanksgiving
1. Those benefits which God has bestowed on us without asking
are proper to be mentioned first place, for they are the effects
of his rich and preventing mercy.
2. we must give thanks for the benefits we have received as an
answere to prayer
8. Blessing
1.mentioning the many attributes and glories of God with inward joy,
satisfaction and pleasure
2. wishing thglories of God may foreer continue, and rjoicing at
the assurance of it
9. Amen
1. A belief of all that we ahve said concerning God and ourselves,
2. A wishing ad desiring to obrtain all that we ahve prayed for,
longing after it and looking for it.
3. A confirmation of all our professions, promises and engagements to God.
4. The hope and sure expectiaon of the acceptance or our persona, and
audience of our prayers.

Prayer- Part 1

2006-06-25T13:48:00.000-04:00

Here is the beginning of a summary of a book that I have been needing for about 14 years.
We study grammar for the purpose of adding structure to our thoughts.

Have we been instructed how to pray, orderly?
our god is a god of order not disorder.

How much effort do we spend on developing order in our proffesional/accademic lives but with respect to Spirit-ual living,
become too relaxed?
We come before God casually because our material circumstance allows us avoidance of panic/fear to drived us thoroughly and completely before the throne of Christ.

This post is concerning our lack of daily reverance that bears consequence of informality in our prayer life.
Informality::= not less than not knowing what we should be praying for such that the majority words that come to mind do not involve us in worship of God as much as involving Him in dealing with our material circumstance favorably to us so that we can continue living our comortable lives uniterupted by the selfcontrol and discipline that is required to follow him.

The Nature of Prayer.
1. Invocation
2. Adoration
3. Congession
4. Petition
5. Pleading
6. Profession
7. Thanksgiving
8. Blessing
9. Amen

The Gift of Prayer
1. What the gift of prayer is
2. Forms of prayer, free prayer, praying extempore
3. Content of prayer
4. method of prayer
5. expression in prayer
6. voice in prayer
7. gesture in prayer
8. general directions on the gift of prayer

The Grace of Prayer
1. The grace of prayer, how it differs from the gift
2. general graces of prayer
3. graces that belong to particular parts of prayer
4. directions ot attain the grace of prayer

The Spirit of prayer
1. proofs of the assistance of the spirit of god in prayer
2. how the spirit assistas us in prayer
3. cautions about the influences of the spirit
4. directions to obtain and keep th spirit of prayer

Persuasive Arguments to Learn to Pray

The Up-Date

2006-06-21T00:52:00.000-04:00

Hey Everyone,

I am in DC this summer working for the Environmental Protection Agency. My environmental focus is shifting to the issue of global warming, and I would invite everyone to check out the movie “An Inconvenient Truth”, which I am sure you have heard of at this point. I am checking out churches, and itching to go to NYC at all moments. DC is great, full of amazing culture, I am having a blast here, and my job is exciting. The Lord is working in amazing ways in my life right now behind the scenes, always on my side. I hope everyone is doing well!

Peace,

Art

in the light...

2006-06-20T23:44:00.000-04:00

"The disease of self runs through my blood,
It's a cancer fatal to my soul..."

Simple song lyrics, but everyday I realize how true they are.

John Camp

2006-05-24T13:10:00.000-04:00

John Camp: A great blog you should check out. The reason it is called "John Camp" is because hanging out with my buddy John is like going to camp, for example lets look at John Camp in NYC:

John: "Tonight is going to be great!"

Art (speaking for himself and 5 other people): "Really? What are we doing?"

John: "Well, there's this great Norwegian restraunt in China Town where we will all try fried Whale blubber with a raw egg on top, Simeon's friend recomended it. Then we are off to the best rice pudding place in the City. After that we are going to the basement of a hooka bar where I think we will probably get into some beat boxing and free style rap while waiting in line to see this band. The band is a family group, they find old slide show reels from estate sales, the father plays piano and the 8 yr old daughter plays drums while the mother plays the slide show in the back ground. All the songs are based on the slides. Then, after that we'll go to Ed Carson's for late night tea. Doesn't that sound amazing? By the way, we are getting up at 5:30 am to go to a prayer service with a former roadie for the Grateful Dead. You're going to love it!"

John Camp has moved from NYC to cyberspace. Check it out at:

http://johncampoxford.blogspot.com/

and then a squirrell ran through my brain

2006-05-23T18:16:00.000-04:00

Picture pages!

2006-05-19T14:45:00.000-04:00

Since we're already having a post-heavy week, why not add one more. Here's a pic from when we all got dressed up to visit Christ Church with Mark and Rosie.

Interests

2006-05-18T22:57:00.000-04:00

so i made a finalized list of interests in my life.

journaling was one. journaling would be broken down into 5 categories approx. 3 sentences each. 3 categories were determined. 1 of them is for documenting providence that is a manifestation of HS to both encourage and transform me.

and then a squirrell ran through my brain.

What is living contrary to the natural laws?
What would living contrary to the natural laws allow me to do?
be more giving?
It is only by uncertainty of certain doom that I am not more
generous with the resource that ""I"" think might allow me
to escape the DOOM.

Jesus walked on water, cast out demons that required prayer and fasting.
Jesus was a temple that was in order, in submission, in obedience, in spirit, and in truth.
Do we still live an independant Christianity or are we looking at each other as co-disciples saying to oneanother, "Help me grow."

Do we want prophecy? Then fast(deny self) one's living(food, clothing, shelter, weather, entertainment, comforts, liesure, work, thoughts, conversations, etc) by devotion of living to God... I am not even speaking of moral living yet, but just what we do, do zealously to give to god. Deny self by doing yet not partaking. Do for others, Do for God, not Do for ourself.

We need to be clean, empty, and balanced. A house in order so that we would be at peace and not pushed and pulled by the engineered concerns of this world to distort direct communication from God.

What is your treasure?

2006-05-18T12:10:00.000-04:00

what is the appearance of a person who is fully devoted to learning/discovering/overcomming an issue/solution/situation?

is it not obvious that their words(form their heart) with which they clothe their communication with the world are tailored from the cloth that they treasure?

what is your treasure?
the world will comfort you into holding onto even semi-concrete objects of this world that you can barely control and fear for loosing.
the world will lull you into viewing expression of the holy spirit as wierd, that healing or prophecy are just objects like in this world and that you should spend more time being responsible for things that are commonsense, apply biblical principles to what is already here the world says.

was jesus already here, or the Comforter before they were here?

whatever "it" is, is for us to give to him in worship.
do not be discouraged in "radical"(what should be normal) pursuit of holiness, worship in spirit and truth.

thoughts typed by mark at lunsh

How full of rest are we?

2006-05-17T12:31:00.000-04:00

How full of rest are we?
How full of rest are we when we know/are confident of the outcome?

We have been called to trust in THE unseen god, one of many gods, but the only GOD that is named after the conjugation of the verb "to be" - I AM. He is present tense.

It is that trust more than any specific implementation that will yield rest and transformation.

His burden is truly light. Our lives are full of situations that are
oportunities to rest on his sovereinty- "I give well being, and I cause calamity" Isa 45. Can we content our selves with poverty of the world so that we may be un tethered and undistracted, seeing with clarity true living within any amount of riches.

House church Tuesday, May 16.

2006-05-15T22:20:00.000-04:00

Just a quick note to let everyone know that we'll be meeting as usual tomorrow night and, to the best of my knowledge, all summer. Since last week we went all spooky, we'll look at Matthew 16 tomorrow (scroll down a bit for that post). Also, I'll warn you now, though we're going back to the book of Matthew, I do have a little spookiness to share with you, so prepare yourselves.
Additionally, Mike is now in Greenville, Danny is back in Myrtle Beach, Michele is in Charleston, and Art is, I think, also in Charleston. That means we need you to come and fellowship with us. Also, we have to pray for these guys--who knows what kind of backsliding they're doing without us? ;-)
So show up, bring your Bibles and maybe a friend, and we'll feast on the Word and assorted snack foods.

Added May 16- I've added some (rather lengthy) thoughts on tonight's scripture to last week's post. Click here to read them.

Mountain of Worship

2006-05-14T16:14:00.000-04:00

so rosie and i go to "The Mountain of Worship" with Jeremy McCleary.
we try to dress, look, and act normal so as to not attract attention.
again we are targeted and get prophesied over.
rosie's dead-on specific verification to pursue the path she's on concerning teaching.
me- ? i was told to keep pressing on.? about as ambiguous as my own thoughts. however, i am on no specific path. so maybe God has nothing more specific to say because ambiguous prohecy mathces an ambiguous living.

Thoughts on persevering

2006-05-13T16:32:00.000-04:00

Thoughts on persevering, and ambitiously exhausting all permutations of situations to weed out the failures and retain the knowlege of the successes that would yield a reservoir of character of obedience to united with manifestation of HS.

The success of swimming depends much on trusting the water.
We will float regardless- even when drowned, however knowing the water by experience and trust allows us to know the water's qualities.

I remember watching Olympic swimming. There was a swimmer who, after diving in the water, would/could swim
like a seal to the far end of the pool where other could only
go half way. This could not be achieved except by training.

If we only persevere with positive reinforcement of our strengths we will never mature. We must assault our spiritual absences with doing failing and learning, it is research in the spiritual realm but practical and intuitive. Living with endurance on the narrow path will yield character and hope.
Learning to write is no easy endeavor, but there is someone who holds us to a standard, someone that we obey and are
exhorted, comforted and encouraged by. Eventually we forget(sometimes transparently) that writing is difficult and we then have writning as a tool with which we continue to apply according to the notion of usefulness of a greater communication.

Eat the fish and leave the bones.

Principle of discerning the finer points to leave behind when testing what someone shares about something that they see due to illumination of their mind by HS

Mark

Tuesday's scripture- Matthew 16

2006-05-07T21:42:00.000-04:00

Just in case you want to get a jump on this Tuesday, the scripture is Matthew 16.

In this passage we'll see the Pharisees and Sadducees demanding a sign, the disciples being stupid, and other recurring themes of the gospels. Also, Peter will confess that Jesus is the Christ, Jesus will pronounce him keeper of the "keys of the kingdom", and will then rebuke him shortly thereafter saying, "Get behind me, Satan!" Finally, Jesus will predict His own death and tell his disciples that anyone who would come after Him must deny themselves and take up their cross. Answering, perhaps, the unspoken objection that Jesus' plan doesn't sound like much fun, He asks the pointed question, "What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?"

I'm hoping to add some thoughts on this in the next couple of days. If you have any insights you'd like to add, just post them as comments. See you Tuesday!

A message from Rosie

2006-05-07T21:35:00.000-04:00

Hey house churchers,

I feel like Mark and I just can't stop talking about the church we attend, which is probably a good sign for us, but requires much endurance for y'all.

Below are some things that happen weekly at Christ Church, now located at the corner of Richland and Barnwell Streets.

If you would like to join Mark and I at any of these times and places, please do!
You can call me to ask for more info, a ride, or to stop talking about Christ Church.
Or you can just arrive on scene. You are most welcome!

[Rosie put her phone number here, but I thought that wasn't such a great thing to have on a public blog, so email J.P. or Wendy if you'd like Rosie's number]

1. Ladies Bible study on the Parables of Christ
2. Crave: Wednesday evening youth fellowship
3. Visitors interactive Sunday School with Pastor Bowers
4. Sunday Vespers and dinner with other Christ Church college/young professionals at our place

1. This Bible study just for the ladies begins Wednesday June 14th and continues throughout the summer months. It is held Wednesdays from 6:00-7:00pm at Christ Church. Women of all ages are welcomed (and sure to be present). There may be a fee of $5.00 to purchase a study guide. I attended the last Bible study on the Promises of God, and it is truly a study. That said, many women were only able to attend periodically, or unable to always complete their study guide. The purpose is to grow in our relationship with Christ, and to grow in our understanding of God's word. If you want to register let me know, otherwise you can just arrive/visit without registering.

2. Crave is also on Wednesdays from 7:00-8:30pm at Christ Church. This is a young adult fellowship with worship songs and great teaching from our youth pastor Rod Arters. Mark and I have met many awesome Christian folk through Crave, and continue to be blessed by the no nonsense teaching : )

3. With the move from Irmo to downtown, Christ Church initiated a new Sunday school class with Pastor Bowers, specifically for visitors. Apparently he outlines the ethos of the Church and then responds to questions from the visitors. We are not allowed to attend this class unless we bring a visitor... so when 9:15am Sunday morning rolls around please help Mark and I sneak into the visitors class. Of course, following Sunday school is the Sunday worship service at 10:30am... until it is finished.

4.Lord's Day evening is a Vespers service from 6:oo-7:15pm, generally continuing the teaching from the morning, although many who are members at other churches attend just this evening service. Following the service, Mark and I (or another young couple) host our generation for dinner. Another good time to meet good Christians. You are also welcome to join us for dinner at 7:30pm even without attending any of the above!! Athough it is written we don't live by bread alone...

In Love,
Rosie

What Would Fill-in-the-Blank Do?

2006-05-06T21:53:00.000-04:00

If contemporary Americans got together to create their own religion, what would they create? This American Life answers the question.

Click here for the mp3. ~5 megs

Birthdays and beheadings

2006-04-26T13:51:00.000-04:00

So last night we talked about Matthew 14. Since I never did get around to posting the scripture to the blog, and since none of our lawyers were able to make it, I thought I'd give a brief summary of some of the topics we discussed.

Verses 1-12:
Herod has sinned by seducing and marrying his brother's wife. Besides making things awkward at family reunions, it causes John the Baptist to condemn Herod, and since nobody likes a complainer, Herod eventually has John beheaded at the behest of his step-daughter. Now, when Herod hears about Jesus, his first thought is "It's John the Baptist come back to life!" It's funny how rarely my first thought in any given situation is that someone has come back from the dead, but that's right where Herod goes. We discussed how this is evidence of his paranoia--a common response to knowing you've done something wrong and haven't paid for it. Also, note how Herod's first sin (seducing his brother's wife) leads to his next sin (imprisoning John) and his lust (I'm assuming his step-daughter was a naughty dancer) and his pride lead to his killing John. Sin snowballs.

13-21:
We spent most of our time discussing this section of the text. Note how the disciples barely have enough bread to feed themselves, five loaves and two fish. As such, they want to send the people away to fend for themselves. Jesus, however, takes from the disciples what little they have, gives thanks for it, then gives it back to the disciples who give it to the people. Note that when they're done, there are twelve basketfuls left--a basket for each disciple (thanks, Danny). The Disciples start out with less than enough for themselves, but because they're willing to offer the little they have to Jesus, and then offer it to the people, they're left over with an abundance for themselves.
In the same way, I often feel like I barely have enough life in me to get by, let alone to give to other people, but when I give the little I have to Christ, and let Him direct me to give it away, I wind up with more than enough. Mark illustrated how giving his work to God, especially those tasks he finds tedious, makes it fulfilling rather than draining. Though he's given away, he ends up with more than he began with because he gave what he had to God.

22-36:
Since Peter walking on the water is one of the most common Sunday School lesson themes, we didn't spend a whole lot of time on this. We did note however, that Peter began to sink "when he saw the wind." Not the waves, mind you; the wind. In other words, he looked at nothing; with Jesus there before him, Peter focused his eyes on the air, and so he sank. Wendy pointed out how we've noted in the past that Satan is "the prince of the air," which brought up again the image from The Great Divorce of Heaven as a profoundly substantial place, while Hell is ghostly, immaterial. Just as, while Jesus wore it, even the edge of his cloak could heal the sick, so, in this case, while Jesus touched it, the water was substantial enough to hold him up.

We ended the night with prayer for exams, for the willingness to submit everything to God, and for an awareness of how fleeting life is, and how pressing the kingdom of God is. After that, we ate cake to celebrate the birthdays of Michael F. and Wendy. A joyous time was had by all.

Parables

2006-04-18T11:16:00.000-04:00

Tonight we'll be looking at Matthew 13. In this passage, Jesus tells several parables about the kingdom of heaven and discusses why He teaches in parables.
As you read this chapter, I hope you'll consider the nature of the blindness and deafness that affects those who do not understand the parables. We'll discuss that tonight. I look forward to seeing you there!

Redeemer Winston-Salem

2006-04-11T23:10:00.000-04:00

I don't know if you guys remember when I asked if we could jump out of Matthew for a week and instead look at John 15:1-11, but the sermon that inspired that, and a lot of thought from me, is finally online. You can link to it here. This sermon provoked me in a very good way and continues to guide my thinking about what it means to be a child of God. I hope you'll make time to listen to it.
The sermon is about 8.3 megs and is 47 minutes long. If you have any traveling to do, that's a great time to listen to it. If anybody needs a copy on CD, I'm more than happy to make one for you. Just let me know.
Finally, click here for the scripture.

House church was small tonight, but we still had a good time of discussion and prayer. Congratulations to Rosie on her resident alien status; In the midst of all the protests, she's one foreigner we're all glad to have around. Law students, you're in our prayers.

Next week: Matthew 13.

I never...

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

I know I put this in my blog, but I thought that it also belonged in our house church blog.

I don't know if anyone else noticed, but we played The Killers' "Mr. Brightside" after a message about Israel's adulterous relationship with God. Kinda ironic, eh?

Memory problems

2006-03-26T23:38:00.000-05:00

I know I mentioned this to Wendy, JP, and Michele tonight, but for anyone else who reads this, then I had one thought tonight during Reunion.

The Israelites had to celebrate Passover once a year, right? Which itself was a celebration of The LORD's delivering them from the Egyptians. And, throughout the wilderness, they could not stop complaining. Even after celebrating the Passover, they would go right back to complaining. ("God is terrible. God is terrible. God is terrible. God is good. YAY! God is terrible. God is terrible. God is terrible.")

This leads me to think about the ramification of my thoughts and actions. Even if I worship God with my actions, this story alone shows me the even the actions won't change my heart's true condition or state.

I agree with you, JP. Reading about the Israelites and the disciples makes me really understand (or maybe "visualize" is a better word) how God loves us through times when our faith is really grinding gears.

Scripture for Tuesday, March 27th

2006-03-25T18:49:00.000-05:00

This coming Tuesday, we'll be discussing Matthew 11. In it, we see John the Baptist (who recognized Jesus as the coming messiah, it seems, while both were still in-utero) seemingly doubting Jesus. I love that Jesus, rather than chastising John through his disciples, merely tells them to tell John what He's doing--that should be answer enough. Then Jesus goes on to say, "Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist..." It encourages me greatly to know that we serve a God who loves us even when we doubt.

Jesus goes on to criticize his generation and then to attack specific cities that He and his disciples have visited. It seems strange to me that he goes after entire cities when we, in all our modern individualism, tend to think only of individuals who may respond to God, or not, as they choose. Jesus here presents an idea that, while salvation is always an individual matter, one's community also plays a major role. This works at least two ways, as far as I can tell:
1) It's incredibly hard to be godly or raise a godly family in a corrupt community.
2) God's people should influence their communities in such a way that the whole community should be blessed, and more virtuous as a result.

For me, though, the real kicker comes at the end when Jesus offers rest for the weary. Allow me to pause and say that when I think of rest, I think of sitting by a pool or a fire, sipping a drink and maybe half-heartedly reading something of no consequence. Jesus' prescription for rest, however, is to "Take [His] yoke upon you and learn from [Him]." There seems to be a contradiction here. If I invited you for a weekend of rest, and then asked you to do my laundry and clean out my basement I think you'd be rightly vexed. The idea that it is restful to labor under Jesus, however, is an interesting one, and on that I'll be thinking more about in the coming days. Please share your thoughts on this--I'm looking forward to discussing it with you all on Tuesday.

Matt 10

2006-03-21T11:44:00.000-05:00

I hope you all had a festive weekend and managed to finish out St. Patties’ Day unpinched. Even my little blue car was decked out for the occasion with a lovely new coat of pollen. Yes, it’s that time of year…

So, we’re moving on to Matthew 10 this week. Really, there’s a ton here we could talk about. Jesus calls his disciples together and gives them a special authority. They are told to go to the “lost sheep of Israel,” to perform miracles among these people, and to spread the word that “the kingdom of heaven is near.” Jesus goes from giving them instructions, to warning them of the perils that lay ahead, to talking about his power, what he came to do and which men will and will not be rewarded.

A couple of things really stand out to me about this chapter. First, clearly this journey wasn’t just for the lost sheep of Israel, but it was for the edification of the disciples. Look at what he tells them to bring with them – nothing. What a way to make them face the state of their faith.

The second point that caught my attention was this: Matthew 10 suggests we should have enemies. But who are these enemies? They’re fathers, mothers, in-laws, people we love. How can these people be suddenly made into enemies? I think the point here is that Christ’s dividing sword puts people who are for him and people who are against him against each other by the very nature of where they place their faith. It doesn’t matter if you love someone, they can be an enemy.

Now for me, this is sort of a flip-flop way of thinking about enemies. Normally I think of those people who are really hard to love as it is as being my enemies. I see them as enemies, and I know I have to seek God’s strength in order to be able to love them. Some are even Christians. What can we take from knowing there are people we love who are not for our God and are therefore our enemies?

That’s just some food for thought. By the way, it was really refreshing to come back and get to see you guys right after a trip that seemed like an eternity. I look forward to seeing those of you who weren’t able to make it last Tuesday.

And also – Happy Birthday, Michele!

-Wendy

Prayer tonight

2006-03-16T10:54:00.000-05:00

We're meeting at Wendy's tonight at 7:30 to go somewhere and pray somehow. If that's too much uncertainty for you, focus on the fact that we are definitely praying that the Holy Spirit will lead us to remain in Christ and that, through His work, we will bear abundant fruit.

I also think it might be beneficial if everyone posted some reflection on the time after we've done it. Like our discussions, I know these posts will be honest and not a bunch of empty feel-good crap. Of course, I also hope they are uplifting, and reflect God's work in our hearts.

Scripture for Tuesday

2006-03-12T20:43:00.000-05:00

I trust everyone enjoyed their Spring Break massively. Now, as you look back on that time, it's my prayer that you'll bring that sense of fun and relaxation back with you and let it diffuse throughout everything in your life. If that's asking too much, then I'll make due with you all smiling widely on Tuesday.

Now, for a little change of pace, I hope you guys don't mind me switching this up, but I heard an amazing sermon this morning on John 15:1-11, so I'd like to discuss that on Tuesday rather than the next chapter of Matthew. I'll just go on and paste the text here for you.

John 15
I Am the True Vine
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch of mine that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

This passage combined with the message really got me thinking. I guess we'll find out what it does for you on Tuesday.

Spring Break house church

2006-03-07T08:33:00.000-05:00

Hey all, just wanted to let you know that, despite Spring Break, we'll still be meeting--same bat-time, same bat-channel. The scripture for tonight will be Matthew 9 . I look forward to seeing you all.

I'll try to be clever later.

Fat Tuesday

2006-02-27T20:49:00.000-05:00

It occurs to me, since tomorrow is Fat Tuesday and since Wendy is busy preparing to take folks to France, it would be cool if you'd like to bring some foodstuffs to feast upon. Mark said there was a possibility of hummus, but no pressure. We'll still have chips, salsa and coffee, and if you're broke or don't have time, or just don't want to, no problem. However, if you feel inclined to bring some food to house church, I'll help you eat it and praise God for it.

Lent

2006-02-26T19:18:00.000-05:00

Most Christian denominations pass over Lent rather casually, and mostly relegate it to one of those weird Catholic notions that no one else bothers to observe. Truth be told, I myself don't know the origins of the Lent tradition (though I'm certain some pastor, at some point, tried his best to teach me). That hasn't stopped me from observing it (sometimes) in the past.

I like the idea of Lent - it is a specified period in which you are given an opportunity to give something up for God. I've recently been confronted with a lot of "what do you love more than God" type questions, and so I've had to ask myself whether I wanted to observe Lent this year.

There are a lot of things it would be hard for me to give up, but not because I love them more than God (I think). Electricity - that was Wes's thought on Lent. Give up the lightbulb. Except how can you, and still live your life? Then there are others that I wonder - why can't I give these up? Even for a little while?

I think it's worth asking the question once in awhile - is there something I could not give up for God? If there is something, something you can see right now, then Wednesday is a great opportunity. House Church this week falls on Fat Tuesday, the paga- err, French/Cajun traditional day of binging before the purge of Lent, starting with Ash Wednesday. If there's something you want to give up, bring it to House Church and share it.

Scripture for Tuesday

2006-02-20T13:12:00.000-05:00

Wendy, Danny, Michelle and I visited Christ Church with Mark and Rosie on Sunday, where the pastor's sermon focused on having a heart for God's house, for God's word--essentially, for God. He suggested that members find out what scripture the pastor would be preaching on the following Sunday so that they could prepare their hearts and minds to feast on God's word on Sunday. In keeping with that idea, here's this week's scripture along with some questions to get you thinking before you arrive.

Scripture: Matthew 7

Questions:
(verses 1-2)
1) Paul writes in Romans 14:10 "...why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat." Does all judging imply a looking down? What is the difference between 'judging' and correcting our brothers?
2) Just from personal experience, how are people who are judgmental received in society?
(verses 3-5)
3) If we are to pluck from our own eye the plank before helping our brother with his speck of dust, just how sanctified do we need to be before correcting or seeking to lead our brother?
(verse 6)
4) I've always taken this verse pretty literally, and never really considered its context. Looking at it now, is it possible that Jesus is being a little ironic? Is it possible that our 'pearls' are our corrections and sniping criticisms? If so, it certainly makes sense that they would be received with violence.
(verses 13-29)
5) The rest of the passage seems centered around receiving the kingdom of Heaven. What theme is central to achieving that?

Now, don't feel the need to answer all of these just because I put a tremendous amount of work into them and formatted the post ever-so-thoughtfully. Seriously, I do suggest at least a quick look at the scripture before we meet up tomorrow because, hey, God's word is good.

combo post

2006-02-17T18:16:00.000-05:00

on wendy's post

945 would is good.
the aim is to have some seleciton of seating...
i prefer front and centerish but we have only been there once so early.
20min drive time gives us 10min window for stragglers.

Everyone is welcome . We All have been invited to lunch at Lawton and Emily's.
You have not met them, but they are nice. We like them. We think you will too.
And they will like you. They do not bite, either.

art are you comming?
-
on art's post

-we are saved what now?-

metaphore: a stove is loaded with wet wood and by shear command, "Catch fire", it ignites.

note:
1. this is not spontaneous ignition, presence of command.
2. wet wood does not burn well without intense heat, or much nurturing of the flame

if i am wet wood, and i can see my mediacrity- perhaps i should pray fervently(and if i don't feel so force myself to feel so- according to Lamentations) that God would lead me out of temptation- including the temptation to believe my thoughts/conclusions on what i think i see.

perhaps by being drawn away from my own thoughts, drawing near to god in thought-silence, dwelling in trust before him long enough i will become "transformed b;y the renewing of my mind

is the fruit of the spirit bearing from me. lovejoypeacepatiencekindnessgoodnesfaithfullnessgentlenessselfcontrol.

Church Hoppin'

2006-02-17T13:08:00.000-05:00

Just a reminder to you guys that Sunday, Feb 19, we'll be visiting Christ Church. If I'd written this down, I'd know for sure, but I believe we'll be meeting at my (Wendy's) apartment at either 9:30 or 9:45. Mark or Rosie, could one of you confirm which one it is? Whichever it is, punctuality is the rule because they start the service right on time. Also, Mark and Rosie have been so generous as to open their home to us for lunch right afterwards, and they're cooking! This will be a great opportunity to check out another church family in Columbia and talk about it as a house church afterward.

-Wendy

Love thoughts

2006-02-15T13:32:00.000-05:00

I had some thoughts to share on love and Valentine's day last night, but things just didn't really go in that direction, so I thought I'd post them here.
I think the core idea of Valentine's Day is a good one--show by your actions and words how much the ones you love mean to you. Of course, Valentine's Day restricts this almost entirely to romantic love, about which the Bible has surprisingly little to say. Valentine's Day, while technically a Christian holiday, appears far more worldly than spiritual. Of course, of course, there's the blatant, crass materialism, but to focus on that is to ignore the more fundamental flaw in our celebration of this holiday. Our celebrations of Valentine's Day center around the people to whom we feel strong affection: husbands and wives, boyfriends and girlfriends, parents and children. Yet this holiday of love bears almost no relation to God's commands concerning love, specifically Matthew 5:46-47: "If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?"
The love we celebrate on Valentine's day is the love with which the world is totally familiar--eros, desire--not necessarily lust, but the desire to be around people whose company we enjoy, who make us feel good, people who build us up and care for us. We all like that. Heck, who minds buying a card for someone who makes us feel good? But the love to which Jesus calls us asks more than that--to love our enemies.
To get another great kick in the teeth, flip on over to 1 John 4:10- "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." To drive the point home, you can turn to Romans 5:8- " But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
When I think on these things, my love seems so paltry. As I've said many times, it's easy to love Wendy, and most of you guys for that matter, but would I die for your sins? Well, that's okay, I'm not asked to do that, but I am asked to love my enemies... That's really, really hard. Getting to Art's post, I'm not sure how to even begin to get to that point. I clearly can't do it on my own, but can I blame God for not getting me there sooner? That seems unlikely. For now, I'm going to suggest one more bit of scripture and leave you all to have a lovely day.

ps-Sorry if this post is a bit disjointed; I'm due for a nap.

Tonight (Valentine's Day)

2006-02-14T14:20:00.000-05:00

Hey all, just a little reminder about tonight's activities. We'll be meeting, as usual, at Wendy's apartment at 7:30 and departing for Fuddruckers shortly thereafter. If you can't make it to the apartment by 7:45, feel free to head on over to Fuddruckers. We're going to set aside Matthew for this week to talk about pretty much any love-related theme, which actually includes much of Matthew, so that's ok, too.

What Now?

2006-02-11T15:14:00.000-05:00

I saw a quote once that claimed "If you educate a bastard, all you get is an educated bastard." That rang true for me. Self awareness does not change our situation outside of bringing us to repentance. When I gained self knowledge I found out I really need Jesus, my moment of “self awareness” clarity was a picture of me trying to nail myself to the cross. The fruitless venture brought me to the one true realization that has had any real lasting profound effect in my life, the gospel is not about what we do, but it is about what the Lord has done and what he is doing. The law gives us a certain amount of self realization however, that we are sinful, and that we are incapable of achieving the standard of absolute perfection that only the Lord has done. So, if there was any room for self knowledge, self knowledge only serves us as far as "I can not do it, I need Jesus". The law serves this purpose coupled with our own experience. The law sets the mark, and our experience will show us, when we are honest, that we miss the mark again and again. However, I want to look a little further into our situation (if there is any further to look). If we agree that we are flawed and helpless within our own means, what does it look like to fully walk in the spirit and not in the flesh? Must we wait until the resurrection? What is going on here? Why is it, in my completely saved position, that “what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do?”

I do not believe that salvation can be lost. I think that to loose it would imply control over the situation, and that control would negate any need for the cross in the first place. In fact, I don’t know about coming to the Lord, I think He comes to us. Basically, I don’t see our part in anything. However, Paul seemingly speaks to our part directly in the Epistles. My view of no control can leave me a little confused at times, where we are asked to exercise self control and yet we hold a position as “slaves to sin”. Paul says: “Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness.” I do not base my salvation on my actions, but I do wonder why Paul describes this position of slavery to righteousness. I believe we are spiritually what we are not physically and things are not as they appear. We are spiritually full in Christ and therefore fully perfect in him, yet we are physically in the world. So, while I accept that the Lord has taken care of all for all time (“It is finished”- from the cross), I still see the force of sin working in my life. Paul says “thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted.” (Rom). I see the form of teaching as this: “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.” (Eph).

Someone once told me that "Because of Jesus, the requirement is not a perfect life, which, for all intensive purposes, would look like walking in the spirit fully and completely.” I agree with this. I also believe the Lord does it all and any morally right actions are a result of the works of the Lord through us. But, what about when Paul says things like: “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the [people committing a list of sins] will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were.”(Cor). Does this not apply to believers? Does this mean that once we were these things (sinful) but now in Christ we no longer are, even if the behavior is still exhibited? Is it that something more fundamental has changed, but if it has why do we not see it coming out from the core of our being and flowing into our behavior? I know we are covered by the blood, but shouldn’t the power of the Holy Spirit be enough to work this sin out of our lives in the here and now? To me the big question of Christianity is: "We are saved- what now?"

2006-02-09T16:30:00.000-05:00

Scripture tends to be imperative with many commands front to back.

Americans do not like being commanded to do something.
Problem with authority has been suggested for this.

However, we most often say- "Have a nice day!"- as a part of good customer service.

2006-02-06T14:24:00.000-05:00

Here's a brief selection from an email I sent to Wendy today. The context is my own thoughts about being health-conscious.

That's cool and all, but I was struck by a frustrating irony. I read the Abs Diet book for about an hour last night, taking notes and designing my workout. That's good, right? Well, yeah, except that I'd just finished delivering a sermon about human excellence and PRIORITIES. I actually woke up this morning thinking about the Abs Diet--not about how I could love God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. Still, through some combination of factors, I am in a really good mood, and that has led to my being fairly loving toward my students, so that's a plus.

This was Wendy's wise reply:

About priorities, I'll reiterate something we've said before, and that is that feeling tension between your fleshly self and your spiritual self is a good thing. Yay that it even occurred to you that something might be in danger of becoming too much of a priority.

That said, it doesn't seem to me that it _has_ become too much of a priority. As long as your health prospects (and any other prospects you have) can contribute to your ultimate goal of living for God, then do your best at those prospects. Maybe a way to make sure they're not getting in the way is to pray earnestly that they will somehow bring glory to God. It may seem like a trite sort of prayer because you're asking for something so seemingly unspecific, but on the contrary, I think it's an important one and one that is unspecific because we really can't know how God would be willing to answer it. All of this is to say that we can trust God to help us make good out of our earthly decisions. Does that make any sense?

Do you guys have any thoughts about earthly priorities and where they fit into a Christian's life? To address Michael's post--if one is a lawyer, how much effort/energy should one devote to being a lawyer? Is it even right to care about one's weight, re: Matt 6:25? It may be that this is a discussion that has come up before, perhaps even often before, but it's one that continues to confuse me. Please feel free to comment, or bring your thoughts to house church tomorrow night--Blur has promised to be especially loud.

Odd...

2006-01-31T14:36:00.000-05:00

That I should find the time to post to the House Church blog and not to my own.

Oh well. Today we had CLS at the Law school - most of you have at one time or another heard me lamenting my responsibilities and duties thereof, but today we had a very dynamic speaker. I can't do him justice, but the message was basically "It's impossible to be a Christian Lawyer." No shock, most of you have thought that for years, but the crux is this:

To be a Christian Lawyer imlies that you are doing two things equally: Being a Christian and being a Lawyer. We cannot serve two masters, whether that second master is money, power, professional responsibility, whatever. So I can either be a Christian practicing law or a Lawyer practicing Christianity.

Does God really care what we do with our lives? Certainly he cares about our choices in all things moral and spiritual, but what about our professional aspirations? Does he care if I go into law, or art, or writing, or become a Carnie, so long as I am first and foremost a Christian? I'm not convinced that he does, at least in as far as there are right or wrong answers to how we use our lives. But that is the key - following Christ first. If there is anything you would not be willing to lay down, anything you could not walk away from to follow God, then maybe you are trying to serve two masters.

That was a challenge to me. I don't view myself as a materialist, but I am - I think about the house I want to live in one day, and the creature comforts I would like to have if I can afford them. I'd hate to accumulate all that and then give them up. But that's what Jesus told the rich young ruler to do.

It's not a question of fitting God into our profession or our life. To be a follower we must fit our lives into GOD. Whether that's a challenge or a pointless ramble I'll leave to you all.

Megan's b-day tonight, so I won't be in house church. Pour out some liquour for me. I mean, coffee.

Cheers.

Gaelic Storm update

2006-01-28T21:38:00.000-05:00

If you still wanted to go to the Gaelic Storm show, but didn't want to drive to Charlotte, or you didn't want to pay $12 for a ticket, you're in luck. They're playing this Wednesday (01 Feb 06) at Headliners. Doors at 7, and it's only $10!

My Grandmother

2006-01-27T13:45:00.000-05:00

My grandmother passed away last night. She was over 80, and was living with advanced Alzheimer's in a nursing home. Still, her death came rather suddenly, and none of us really got the chance to say a proper goodbye. It's really fallen at an awkward time--my mother closed on her house last night and has spent the past two nights trying to get everything out of the house and ready for the new owners. She hasn't slept either of the past nights. All she's done is packed and cleaned. Now she's preparing to drive to North Carolina. Please pray for my mom. Her name is Jewel, as was her mother's. Please also include my grandfather, Ishmael.
Because of all this, Wendy and I won't be able to make the Gaelic Storm show on Saturday, but I hope the rest of you will still attend. I'd like to think that my friends, at least, will be celebrating even as my family mourns.
I'm not concerned about my grandmother, she loved Jesus like few other people I've known. She's doing very, very well right now.

Gaelic Storm

2006-01-24T22:40:00.000-05:00

There were only two good parts in the movie "Titanic"--one was Leonardo DiCaprio's icy corpse sinking into the fathomless deep and the other was the awesome Celtic band playing below the ship for all the drunken Irishmen. That band was Gaelic Storm, and they're playing this Saturday in Charlotte at the Neighborhood Theatre. Wendy and I will be there and we'd love to have you join us. The show starts at 9:00 so we'll be leaving around 7:00. There are directions to the theatre on the website, as well ticketing information. Tickets are $12, by the way. Contact Wendy or I for more information.

Valentine's Day

2006-01-21T14:31:00.000-05:00

According to whoever is in charge of calendars and thst sort of thing, Valentine's Day falls on February 14th this year. Additionally, February the 14th falls on a Tuesday, which, as you know, is when the good people of Pendleton's End meet. In order to honor this holiday o' love, we'd like to invite you to the

Screw My Figure, it's Valentine's Day at Fuddruckers dinner.

We'll be meeting at our normal time (7:30) and from there heading over to Fuddruckers for large slabs of meat slathered with condiments. If you can think of a better way to celebrate this holiday, you're invited to offer it, but let me say that Michael, Wendy and I all thought of Waffle House first, but we didn't think we'd all fit--certainly not at one table.

See you there!

Matthew 4- The Temptation of Jesus

2006-01-17T16:24:00.000-05:00

Tonight at house church we'll be discussing Matthew 4, which includes the temptation of Jesus in the desert and the beginning of Jesus' public ministry, including the calling of the first disciples. It would probably greatly benefit me as well as the group if I actually owned a Bible commentary, but I don't, so here are some thoughts that I had on this passage.

To begin, the devil comes after Jesus when he's profoundly physically weakened. The devil is evil, but he's also clever. Human beings do tend to be weak spiritually when we're physically weakened. This idea relates back to the last post about sleep; it is harder to obey God (particularly those pesky commands about love) when we're sleep-deprived. The devil knows it and is prepared to exploit that fact. It's also worth noting that the devil begins by offering to fulfill what must be, by this point, one of Jesus' most profound desires--the desire for food. This is only one aspect of the first temptation, but I don't think it's insignificant.

The second thing that occurs to be is the structure of the devil's temptation.

He begins by tempting Jesus to test his own identity, "If you are the Son of God..."
He next tempts Jesus to test God's identity. Specifically, this temptation asks Jesus to both test his identity as God's Son, and also God's faithfulness to do what he has said.
Finally, he tempts Jesus to weigh both his identity and God's identity against Satan's identity. Satan promises that which is not his to give (all the kingdoms of the world), in exchange for that (misplaced worship) which would cost Jesus the very world that he is to inherit. I think it's exactly that sort of twisted boldness that makes Satan so interesting to writers.

The twisted rhetoric of the devil's temptation then contrasts starkly with Christ's replies to him. Scripture--that's it. Jesus does not reason with the devil, he just quotes his Father.

The conclusion to this passage is angels coming to minister to Jesus. When I think of this scene, I tend to think of Frodo waking up in Rivendale after being stabbed by the ringwraith. It's terribly geeky, but I think Tolkien brings home the sense of indescribable comfort, care and warmth that we will only know in the world to come beautifully. Attended by angels--compare that with what the devil was offering--formerly-rock-bread.

That's all I have time for right now, so if you want to comment on this, or on the following verses, please feel free.

A beginning and some sleep

2006-01-13T14:10:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the Pendleton's End house church blog. Ideally, this should be a place where the members of our house church can share thoughts, ideas, and prayer requests without barraging one another with email via listserv. If you would like to share something with the group mid-week, this is one excellent way to do it.

I'd like to start by offering this interesting article from Books and Culture Magazine. "Sleep Therapy", by Lauren F. Winner.

When folks from my local church gather for an evening meal or adult education class, we usually close with Compline, the nighttime service from the Book of Common Prayer. This service--in which we pray for a peaceful night and a perfect end, repeating the nunc dimittis (originally uttered by Simeon in a somewhat different context, asking God to let his servant depart in peace)--is helping me to understand sleep as part of faithfulness. For it is sheer hypocrisy to pray with my community for a peaceful night and a perfect end if I know I am going home to put in three or four more hours answering email.
...
It's not just that a countercultural embrace of sleep bears witness to values higher than "the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desire for other things." A night of good sleep--a week, or month, or year of good sleep--also testifies to the basic Christian story of Creation. We are creatures, with bodies that are finite and contingent. For much of Western history, the poets celebrated sleep as a welcome memento mori, a reminder that one day we will die: hence Keats's ode to the "sweet embalmer" sleep, and Donne's observation, "Natural men have conceived a twofold use of sleep; that it is a refreshing of the body in this life; that it is a preparing of the soul for the next." Is it any surprise that in a society where we try to deny our mortality in countless ways, we also deny our need to sleep?

[Edited 2006.11.15 to repair the dead link to article]