THE ELITE: YOU & ME

I don't tend to think of myself as elitist. I am a college student who works a part time job for little money. I dine "out" only a couple times a month. I don't have a BMW. I don't have a big TV or house.

It's hard to write this list, because I am rich. It hard to list what I don't have, when I have so much. I have clothes. I put on clean clothes in the morning. I have a shower. I have a comfortable house, air conditioning, and carpet. When I am hungry, I eat. I spend my days in a nice office reading books all day - a "student." I own a computer - an expensive laptop. I have three guitars. I have to run on a special machine (treadmill) to keep me from getting fat. I am rich.

Whether I like it or not, I am in the top percentage of people in the world. I am one of the elite, and if you are reading this, so are you. You are sitting somewhere nice indoors with air condition; if you are outdoors, it is by choice. You are using a computer to spend some FREE time perusing the blogs.

You are the elite. I am writing this.... so am I.

But how can we call ourselves Christians, who love our neighbors who are starving, if we are living like this? It's not like we're divorced from a situation a world away. We directly contribute to the problem by buying stuff. Let me explain...

Look right now to see where your shoes are made? your shirt? your cell phone? your computer? Go ahead. Right now. Look.

I would be surprised to find that - at the most - only 1 of those was made in the United States. Most of the stuff we buy is made in other countries. Companies outsource the "labor costs" to other countries because it is better for their bottom line. Not only do these companies not have to pay workers much, they don't have to pay taxes in many cases either. Environmental laws in the US don't apply overseas either. From the company's point of view, outsourcing is a good idea, NAFTA is a good idea.

But with this line of thinking, people are no longer people, instead they are a resource, just like raw materials. The people working in factories are not more important than the machines they operate. But these people go home everyday to cardboard boxes, starving babies, and dying loved ones... because they do not have enough money to survive. Not because they don't work, but because their work does not pay enough. Without taxes, there are not roads, no education, no healthcare of any kind. Companies don't pay these taxes in other countries, and there are none of these things. Couple that with the fact that the workers are overworked and underpaid, and the poverty problem is no mystery.

CLICK HERE FOR POVERTY STATISTICS.

But we shop at big stores. We buy outsourced goods. You are wearing some now. I promise. You are wearing underwear! Yes, underwear, which are only a convenience, probably made by a starving women in China. And we stand and call ourselves Christians. See, we contribute to the problem. It is not just the companies. It's is us as well.

So, as Christians what do we do with that? Is is possible to stop shopping at the chain stores?... stop buying outsourced goods? What do we do? How can we call ourselves Christians, and claim to show and share the LOVE of Christ, if we are helping to harm our neighbors in one of the worst ways possible? We are contributing to their starvation!

There is a story about Marie Antoinette during the French Revolution. Her subjects were starving, and when she was told what was happening, she responded, "If they don't have any bread, then let them eat cake." While this story is probably not historically accurate, it is reflective of Antoinette's disregard and brush-off of the plight of the poor. And while it may appall us, this same situation is occurring today. And every time we buy stuff, we are essentially telling the starving people to, "eat cake."

I own three guitars - the total value of which can pay the RENT for a FAMILY for MORE THAT 6 MONTHS! I use these guitars to LEAD WORSHIP!!!! WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE???!!!!

I don't really have any answers to these questions I've raised... I really don't know what to make of any of this. What are the ethical guidelines for us Christians to follow? Do we live in our world or become sectarian and live without electricity, cars, etc.? I don't know. Do I sell the guitars and lead worship with different, less expensive guitars... made by different starving people in a different country? What do we do?

I'll have think about it more... while I'm on vacation. I leave tomorrow.

Ironic, isn't it?...

ALTERNATIVE SERVICES

I'm writing alternative worship services for the next three weeks.

Here's the Plan:

Week 1: As the Lord Commanded: Lessons from the Book of Numbers

Week 2: Golden Calves & Golden Crosses: The Dangers of Misplacing Our Worship

Week 3: "Let them eat cake": The Responsibility of the Rich for the Poor; we are also watching Maquilapolis


These are from sermons/articles/postings I've written. I am editing them into a form that can be used corporately for the next three Sunday nights.

WHY I LOVE TO TRAVEL

The things you'll see...

DAY AT THE OFFICE

Well, today's my first day in 'the office.' It's good to be back doing ministry as my 'main job' instead of school work and junk.

Anyways, we're making our summer youth calendar; 'twil be much fun.

I'M FINALLY DONE

Finished the semester. Finally.

I think I'll nap now.

I can finally get back to regular blogging.

JUST A QUESTION...

I'M ACCEPTED TO TRUETT SEMINARY!!

MY CLOUD OF WITNESSES (HEB. 12:1)

I'm going to use my blog to brag. I can do that. It's my blog.

I want to brag on three people - my closest friends. These guys are all incredible; they give me endless support and love.

Here they are in alphabetical order:
Allen is an astute philosopher and rubix-cube solver extrordinaire. For two guys, we can talk for hours, giving any pair of junior high girls a run for their money. Quite possibly one of the most amazing guys in the world. It's been so great getting to really know you so well this past year, Allen. I love you.


Marc is quite possibly one of the goofiest people I know. Marc & I have known each other for four years now. We work together and discuss our frustrations with the fundamentalist movement in Baptistdom, and our liberal theological persuasions. Marc is always there for me. I love you, bro.

Tony! This the guy that always comments randomly on this blog. We met a few years back when I worked with him at First Baptist Church, Waco. And 'your mom' jokes have never been the same since! Two summers of screaming children at day camp and now I'm a groom's man in your wedding. I love you, bud.

Just some shout-outs to the most amazing guys in the world - from my perspective anyways. Y'all are an amazing group of ministers, who are not afraid to just be honest and curse every once in a while. I absolutely love you guys.

I am truly blessed to be doing life with you.

LEARNING TO TRUST... AGAIN

I like plans. They easily fit into my idea of the future - mainly because I can control them. But what happens when God calls us to something else?

See, I firmly believe that God has a plan for each of our lives (Jer. 29.11). I believe God plan is best. But we have to be willing to surrender to his plan for our lives. This is not easy. It involves risk - great risk. It's dangerous, from our perspective anyways.

Point is... God's plan doesn't change; but God can change our plans. This is where faith begins to become uncomfortable. We have to rely on God, completely, wholly, and with reckless abandon.

This is scary.

I had a great talk with a friend tonight. She told me a story in a way I'd never heard before from 2 Kings 6:4-7.

4 And [Elisha] went with [his servants].
They went to the Jordan and began to cut down trees. 5 As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axhead fell into the water. "Oh, my lord," he cried out, "it was borrowed!"

6 The man of God asked, "Where did it fall?" When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it there, and made the iron float. 7 "Lift it out," he said. Then the man reached out his hand and took it.

In this story, God provides the power to Elisha to miraculously make an iron axhead float on the surface of the water. God made iron float on water! This iron axhead was only an iron axhead; God's actions here did not have global ramifications - it was just borrowed and they wanted it back. And because of this, God caused iron to float on water. My friend reminded me tonight that when God is in control, all bets are off. And God can do miracles. Salvation is not the only miracles he works; he also works many we consider insignificant - like making a borrowed iron axhead float on the surface of the water.

I trusted God when I came to Baylor four years ago. I had no idea how I could afford the tuition or anything. But God provided; I still can't tell you how - only that he did. Four years later, he is reminding me to trust him all over again.

And honestly, it's scary.

OUR GOD IS MIGHTY TO SAVE

When are hearts are broken, and we are beaten and battered... it helps just to worship God. It is refreshing to remember why we are here in this world. We love God and we love people. It's that simple. Nothing else matters. Really.

This song is particularly inspiring today.

PLEASE pray for the ministers and the people at Western Heights Baptist Church in Waco.

VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED

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" PULITZER PRIZE " winning photo taken in 1994 during the Sudan famine.The picture depicts a famine stricken child crawling towards an United Nations food camp, located a kilometer away.The vulture is waiting for the child to die so that it can eat it. This picture shocked the whole world. No one knows what happened to the child, including the photographer Kevin Carter who left the place as soon as the photograph was taken.Three months later he committed suicide due to depression.

SO FUNNY

A CHURCH OF OPEN DOORS?

Christian's claim to be open to everyone coming into a church. But how far are churches willing to take this idea? There's a great, productive discussion going on over at Dr. Witherington's blog HERE.

DAY O' HOMEWORK

So much homework to do. I've still got to learn the Spanish language.

DID YOU FALL FOR IT?

VERY BUSY DAY

I've got to learn the entire spanish language by tomorrow to pass a test.

Goo.

I'VE GOT THE PLAGUE

I'm sick with the plague or something close to it. Goo.

FLEA MARKET MONTGOMERY

I've seen this a few times, but after Shaun's post, I found myself singing this in the shower today.

Enjoy.

CANNIBALISM & THE LAST SUPPER

The Last Supper is one of the most scared stories in Christianity. It is imitated in the Eucharist (Baptists = The Lord's Supper, Other Protestants = Holy Communion).

This tradition is often seen by Christians as an integral part of the faith, a sacrament, or even an obligation. But what exactly are we doing when we take part in this ancient tradition?

This Easter, most Christians had the opportunity to participate in the Eucharist. It occurred to me how odd this really is. There are three traditions regarding the Eucharist within Christianity. Transubstantiation is the idea that at the time of consecration of the elements, they literally become the body and blood of Christ. This doctrine is widely associated with the Roman Catholic Church. Another view of the Eucharist is called consubstantiation; this says that the elements are 'with' the essence of the body and blood of Christ. This perspective is most widely associated with Martin Luther. A third view is symbolism; the elements are simply symbols of the body and blood of Christ. Most Baptists claim this view.

For us to understand the nature of the Eucharist, let us begin by putting ourselves in the mindset of Jesus' disciples. Unlike the now-famous picture of the Last Supper, the historical events of this famous meal were quite routine, for the most part. The Feast of Unleavened Bread immediately followed Passover, but was celebrated at the same time as one event during the years of Jesus' life. It was celebrated only in the most intimate of one's circles. This would have been one's family. Jesus and his closest disciples make up a family. Their relationship is intimate.

They are in the Upper-Room of a two-story house. The house would have been located in the Upper City area of Jerusalem, where the wealthy families lived. (As opposed to the Lower City, downwind of the town's sewage, where the poor families lived in single story abodes). It's April in Jerusalem, and sundown is about 6pm. This is when the meal began.

The head of the family (in this case Jesus) would take the bread and say a blessing over it. In the Jewish tradition, he would say, "This is the bread of affliction we ate when we came out of Egypt." The bread would be broken, not cut, and passed around - remembering the history of Israel and the descendants participation in that history. Then the wine would be passed.

The wine served as a reminder of the blood sacrifice of the Covenant. A covenant was an agreement that went beyond any of today's contractual agreements. It was absolutely obligatory to one who chose to enter into such an arrangement. The Sinai Covenant reflected in the Bible, and what became the most important in the Hebrew tradition, is known as a Suzerainty Covenant, that is an arrangement between a Suzerain (= King) and his vassals. A covenant consisted of five parts: 1) a statement reminding a king's vassals that he has done something extraordinarily gracious for them, 2) a statement of what he expects from them ; stipulations of how they are to relate to him and each other, 3) a list of witnesses, blessings and curses surrounding the covenant, 4) the ratification ceremony, including a sign or symbol consummating the covenant, and 5) formal procedures for violation of the covenant. This pattern is followed in the Sinai Covenant in Exodus.

For a covenant to be consummated, the ratification ceremony (Part 4 listed above) must be performed. This consisted of two parts 1) a verbal agreement to the covenant, and 2) the act of blood being shed; this took the form of animal sacrifice in the Sinai Covenant (Exod 24:5-8). This is the reason for the sign of circumcision in the Covenant of Abraham, and many other blood sacrifices in the ancient world. Since the Feast of Unleavened Bread remembers the Sinai Covenant, we shall keep out focus there. The wine at the meal Jesus celebrated with his closest friends was an allusion to the covenant between Israel and God after he delivered them out of Egypt, the land of slavery and bondage. The elements of the Passover meal (bread and wine) serve as a reminder of Sinai and the history of the Jewish people.

It is important to note that Passover tradition did not understand the cup of wine to be blood, but a reminder of the Covenant, as Jewish law and custom forbid any drinking of blood, especially human blood. In fact, the idea of consuming blood is repugnant and revolting in the Jewish mind. This will play a major part in understanding what Jesus does at the Last Supper.

Jesus takes the bread and blesses it, only he says that the bread is his body. He changes the meaning of the bread, from what the Israelites ate coming out of Egypt to his body. Besides this making little sense to Jesus' disciples, it would also be seen as completely repulsive. In fact, when (and if) they finally understood this as a reinterpretation of an ancient tradition and an entirely new covenant (Jesus was the new covenant), any such revelation or understanding would still have been greatly overshadowed by the revolting idea of Jesus saying to eat his body.

Then Jesus takes the cup, calls it his blood, and tells them to drink it!! In retrospect, the Christian tradition has understood Jesus was prophetically announcing what must take place, however this would not have been Jesus' disciples reaction. It was weird, awkward, and gross.

Church traditions aside, the Eucharist is not a pretty picture. Jesus is not saying that his is literally his blood. The greek word written in Mark can also mean, "represent." And literally drinking blood and eating human flesh would defile anyone. Any pious Jew would have never considered it; also social customs would have made the idea inconceivable. But this is why Jesus statements are so appalling. The idea of consuming flesh and drinking blood is so revolting and unthinkable, even a 'symbolic' meaning would still have been taboo. While Jesus is still not telling them to literally do this, even his metaphor is shocking and unorthodox.

Why would one drink and eat human flesh? Cannibalism is taboo in the modern civilized world. It is only practiced among the most uncivilized and inhuman of people. But Christians, within all traditions, still practice the Eucharist without understanding the implications of Jesus words. The Catholic tradition holds them to be literal. As a Jew, this is not what Jesus meant by his words at the Last Supper. A symbolic interpretation would seem to be the most historically accurate understanding of Jesus' meaning here.

But even within the context of symbolism, such a statement is still odd at best. A metaphor only makes sense if we have a literal, physical aspect from which to relate it. In other words, the metaphor makes no sense without the cannibalistic overtones it contains, and our preconceptions of such overtones. So, while Jesus did not mean for us to understand his words literally, he definitely intended for such images to be conjured up. Therefore, the disciples rightly were repulsed by Jesus' words.

This shock value would seem to fit Jesus' attitude at the meal. He is trying to get the point across that he will die and that it is necessary. His death is a new covenant. He is reinterpreting an old tradition in a new way. Jesus' blood provides the ratification ceremony. It is now his blood and body that must be remembered and honored, not the Sinai covenant. These are some reason why he uses such metaphors at the dinner. He doesn't say what he says in spite of it's shock value, but because of it. He is changing the nature of the tradition.

The images of cannibalism are clearly there. The idea of ingesting anything means that it becomes a part of the person eating. The New Covenant, Jesus, is now to be a part of us, and we are to be reminded of the New Covenant constantly. These repulsive cannibalistic overtones are to be understood and not ignored. They mean we are to make the sacrifice of Jesus' part of us - while still keeping in the back of our minds, how really odd this whole thing is. By participating the Eucharist (eat my body, drink my blood), we are participating in the New Covenant.

It's just so ironic that Christian's recite, "This is my body..." without any idea of what Jesus words actually meant to those who heard them.

Next time you partake of the Eucharist, put yourself in the mind of Jesus' disciples and image how you would have reacted. And then bring that mindset to your prayers and consecration of the elements... and discover what Jesus actually meant at the Last Supper.

TRUE LOVE

Love is complicated. I'm working through some stuff to prep for a book on the idea of Christian Love with a buddy of mine.

But love is no easy concept to grasp. If the love Christians have for one another is supposed to be reflective of the love God has for us, then, my friends, we are doing a very poor job.

We have acted with our society's understanding of love. Love is simply an emotion; and love - through often referred to as unconditional - is fleeting.

But God's love is different. True love is different. It is about sacrifice. It is about the beloved, not the lover.

If you want to see a movie about love, don't watch The Notebook, watch the Passion of the Christ.

The idea of the suffering servant is prominent in Hebrew Prophetic literature. But few saw the Messiah of God as the prophet who suffers as well. The Messiah was supposed to be a kingly figure who would overthrow the oppressors of the Israelites and set up a kingdom on this earth that will be in complete accordance with the will of YHWH.

But this was not to be so. Instead the Messiah preached a different kingdom - one that required love. And since love is sacrifice, it meant pain on his part - because love is not about the lover but the beloved.

A hot afternoon in the Near East was a day that would change the course of humanity forever. So many went about their daily business without the slightest inclination of the significance the day would hold. Because the Messiah understood true love, and acted on it. The Messiah embraced his call.

Should we not do the same?

CONFERENCE

I'm at a Baptist Conference this weekend. It was last minute... but still much fun. I'm staying in a cheap (really cheap) hotel. It's quite gross, actually.

The hotel has no internet whatsoever. Sad day. I've finally found some WiFi at a Fudrucker's. Yay for burgers and laptops!

I was asked to lead the sermon/talk things for a church from Ft. Worth, I don't know how exactly that happened, but it did. So, I'm talking on discipleship. We talked about the role of the rabbi last night, tonight I'll talk on the character of discipleship!

I've met many interesting people, and discussed theology with some great folks.

And I've garnered some new blog readers... so thanks folks.

More to come... my food is here...

TEMPUS FUGIT

Time flies. And it has already been weeks since spring break. It is Easter break now. And I'm off of class. I'll post some theological ramblings soon. But again I know that the break shall pass all too quickly.

Oh, well.

FOR YOUR VIEWING PLEASURE

SORRY PEOPLE

I haven't had internet access at home for a while. Now, it's back on. So, I'll be back to blogging.

ONE WEEK AGO: PART I

I was on the floor weeping like a child, the taste of garlic haunting my mouth.

That was one week ago today.

Since then, God led to through a time of prayer and searching - shaping my heart into something I could never be.

One week ago today, I came home after a haphazard day. I stumbled from class to class as if the world and everything in it was a dream. The dream was one of those that held the sense of nightmare, only for no definable reason. My stomach was churning in knots, this gut-wrenching pit settled in my abdomen.

I had not eaten all day, and really had to desire to, but I ate some garlic -seasoned fish anyways hoping I'd feel better. It didn't work. I became sick. The world continued to turn in surreal way, the dream more real than ever. My heart was pounding. It had been pounding all day; I could feel it literally vibrating my entire body.

I did not understand why the world seemed so different, and why I felt so detached yet disturbed by everything. The garlic taste would not leave my mouth; its bitter, potent taste because representative of the feeling I could not shake. I was hurting deeply and I didn't know why.

So, I began praying as I sat, sick on the bathroom floor. I turned to God and left the question completely open-ended for Him to answer - something I've now learned I rarely do. I hit a low point, and I cried to God.

I believe God was getting my attention. I called out to God and He answered. What he told me led me down a path over the next week that changed many beliefs that I once held closely.

to be continued...

THE DARK SIDE OF HUMANITY

Tonight I saw Zodiac. I had first heard of the Zodiac Killer a few years back when I saw a special on the History channel. Frankly, it captured my attention did then as much as it did again tonight.

The Zodiac, as he called himself, was a serial killer in the 1970s. He was never caught.

The prime suspect died of a heart attack before any charges could be brought against him, and only after being first cleared due to fingerprint and DNA evidence.

The movie was surprisingly accurate, historically. And some parts were honestly creepy - and with good reason.

This sort of thing is unnatural to us, as humans. Without getting into Aquinas' Natural Law axiom and all, I do believe that we humans are innately created with a sense of an ethic. Now this varies, of course, from person to person. But unjustifiable homicide is wrong in the views of most societies. In fact, this so well accepted as a norm that we consider actions to the contrary anti-social. And we jail people for anti-social behavior.

But, I"ll be honest: serial killers interest me, like any other mental disorder. Psychopathology has always fascinated me. The brain is such a complicated device, if it can be called that. And we only notice anything about it when something goes wrong. The brain is so complex that much of what we know about it comes from when it fails to operate as it should. I've taken classes on abnormal psychology in college just for fun. And it is interesting.

Serial killers can obviously classified as exhibiting signs of mental illness. They are cold yet calculating. There are some very unusual characteristics and similarities among serial killers. My question is why?... Is there something genetic? Is it simply the way a person is raised? I don't think the answer is clearly black and white. There's lots of gray.

But no matter the cause, we must all contend with the idea that there is innately a dark side to humanity. It is exhibited in the ability of one person to disregard the value of the life of another. Among the population on this planet, while most of us agree that murder is wrong, there are those who are not only indifferent to that ideal, but desire the opposite.

And that is a reason for chills to crawl up your spine.

DEAR MR. DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME,

CURSES UPON YOU!!!!

BEASTLY QUOTE

"Here are forty thousand men gathered together on this plain. What are they going to do? See, there are thirty or forty thousand more at a little distance. And these are going to shoot them through the head or body, to stab them, or split their skulls, and send most of their souls into everlasting fire, as fast as they possibly can. Why so? What harm have they done to them? O none at all! They do not so much as know them. But at man, who is King of France, has a quarrel with another man, who is King of England. So these Frenchmen are to kill as many of these Englishmen as they can, to prove the King of France is in the right. Now, what an argument is this! What a method of proof! What an amazing way of deciding controversies!"

-John Wesley

PLATO AND CHRISTIANITY

One of my closest friends is into philosophy in all kinds of ways. And he's started getting me into the discipline.

I'm preparing a study looking at the history of the idea of Christian love. It's quite interesting. I don't believe there is such a subject in theology that has been as neglected as love. It is rarely studied - only assumed to be understood.

So, I'm starting with Plato, who lived over 400 years before the development of Christianity. His view dominated the Hellenistic world in which the New Testament comes out.

It's amazing how philosophy so greatly influences religion. I'm starting to read more and Plato and looking at Platonic views in Christianity - they're there and are very obvious when you look for them.

I used to think "why does Plato matter? he has nothing to do with the Bible!" I was completely wrong. Platonic philosophy dominated the Hellenistic world and it is important to understand its thinking if we are to fully grasp what the NT writers were talking about with respect to love, for example.

LEARNING TO QUESTION

I have become seriously interested in Biblical scholarship since my sophomore year of college. I've had the amazing blessing of studying under one of the top New Testament scholars in the country. But what's so great about Biblical scholarship is the inclination to question the scriptures, while still holding them to be authoritative.

Many people are scare of questions - many are scared of the potential answers. I used to be scared of these answers myself, until I was forced to answer the questions, and then I found my faith had changed and had grown - not diminished. A different faith is not a worse faith.

I have a different faith from when I began dipping into the historical-critical research of the Bible. And this is not a bad thing; I believe my faith is strong because of my Biblical research and studies. Still, some writing of historical-critical questions as "liberal."

If understanding the Bible the way its writers intended means that I'm 'liberal,' so be it.

So, I've been researching the concept of "Son of God" in the NT. "Son of God" usually means king. This is no doubt how it is meant in the Gospel of Matthew. Jesus is seen as the Messiah (the one who is sent my God to inaugurate his plan on the earth), and the ideal King (son of David = Son of God).

In Matthew's Gospel, Son of God means a king. Kings were thought to have a special channel to God - it's the whole rule by divine right thing. Kings were God's representatives on the earth. This is how Jesus is seen - as Son of God.

Of course this leads to the question of whether or not Jesus, then, was the physical Son of God, as most Christians would contend. This is not a dangerous question; but a serious one. Christians have struggled with this since the dawn of Christianity. Mainstream Christianity has settled on a Trinitarian doctrine that includes an understanding of Jesus as the physical Son of God. But this isn't the meaning of the title Son of God in Matthew.

So, are we taking our understanding of Jesus from scripture? Or are we just believing what we've been told?

Let's look at John's gospel for a further answer. John clearly understands Jesus to be God incarnate. He understands Jesus to be literally God in the flesh. Mainstream Christian understanding of Jesus in the Trinity is consistent with John's view of Jesus.

So, do these two view contradict each other? Not exactly; here's why... Matthew, the "Jewish" gospel, cannot have an understanding of God as procreative because of its blasphemous nature. Blasphemy, after all, was the crime that Jesus was brought to trail on. Matthew, very delicately, handles Jesus' relationship to God as Father. But YHWH incarnate? Matthew doesn't go as far as John because of the potential blasphemous nature of such claims. I believe this is done out of respect for YHWH, not fear of prosecution, however.

The two do not contradict each other; they just have a different understanding of Jesus. Matthew sees Jesus in terms of the ideal King (Son of God). John sees Jesus in terms of God incarnate. Neither is wrong; both are right.

There is a Biblical basis for the traditional Christian belief of Jesus as God incarnate.

But we have also learned that we cannot use "Son of God" in Matthew to defend a belief that Jesus was the literal, physical son of God. To do so would miss the mark of the writer's point.

Learning to question is not a bad thing; it furthers our understanding of scripture and we pick up on what the writers of the Bible originally meant.

THE WORLD HASN'T ENDED - YET!

I saw a program my TiVo recorded yesterday about the end of the world. The History Channel showed this episode about many different fortune-tellers and 'prohesyers' throughout history who claim that the world will end on December 21 (Winter Solstice) 2012.

Among those are the Mayans who constructed one of the most elaborate calendars in ancient history. The show was very sensational; it wanted to scare its audience. And I must admit I was getting a bit spooked, until they brought in the Bible - and the book of Revelation.

Now, I won't get into the details and my whole beef with their fallacious interpretation of the last book in the Bible, but I will say that all credibility for the show was lost in a moment.

So, this got me thinking... why are we so fascinated with the future?... when, I believe, that we don't want to know it anyway? I've learned some pretty tough lessons the past month or so - about life, love and purpose. And I believe that when we seek to know the future, we confuse the purpose of our life with the actions and events in our lives.

I believe that I live to bring glory to God - through my love for people and my life for Him. This is all the 'future' that I need to know and be aware of - that no matter what happens the purpose of my life does not change.

Because I know the purpose of my life, there is no need to seek out future events. If I did want to know future events in my life, it would be because I am awaiting them - to then my life could have purpose and meaning. But since I have found that purpose - events do not matter.

Death is only another event in my life - it does not give me purpose, except that, I pray, in some way it will bring glory to God. Therefore, I have no desire to know the time of my death or even the End of Days. They are only events, and should not serve to provide us with a purpose for life.

I CAN BREATHE

I can finally breathe - without the aid of sinus medication.

Therefore, I am now back to blogging.

IS THIS WHAT POLITICS HAVE BECOME?

ON BEING SAM WALTON

I was Sam Walton today. We had a round on debates in by debate class in which we had to be a person in history. I was Sam Walton - the founder of Wal*Mart.

Now, I figured that I could offer a fairly descent defense of Mr. Walton, being as I'm not a fan of Wal*Mart in the first place and I could anticipate many objections and allegations against my alter ego.

But alas, I come to find out from my debate audience that many people don't like Wal*Mart. In fact many in the university see Mr. Walton as the beginning of the oppression of corporate America. I just find it ironic that everyone still shops there. Now I don't like Wal*Mart either, but not necessarily for these reasons. But I also rarely shop there. Target is much closer to my house, the people are much nicer there, and the store smells better.

But if you have 'moral' objections to Wal*Mart, then you really shouldn't be doing business with them - at least that's how I see it. Just a rant on a Tuesday evening.

BUT SERIOUSLY FOLKS...

Associated Press
JERUSALEM — Filmmakers and researchers on Monday unveiled two ancient stone boxes they said may have once contained the remains of Jesus and Mary Magdalene, but several scholars derided the claims made in a new documentary as unfounded and contradictory to basic Christian beliefs.

"The Lost Tomb of Jesus," produced by Oscar-winning director James Cameron and scheduled to air March 4 on the Discovery Channel, argues that 10 small caskets discovered in 1980 in a Jerusalem suburb may have held the bones of Jesus and his family.

One of the caskets even bears the title, "Judah, son of Jesus," hinting that Jesus may have had a son, according to the film.

"There's a definite sense that you have to pinch yourself," Cameron said Monday at a news conference. In an earlier television interview, he said that statisticians found "in the range of a couple of million to one" in favor of the documentary's conclusions about the caskets, or ossuaries.

Simcha Jacobovici, the Toronto filmmaker who directed the film, said that a name on one of the ossuaries — "Mariamene" — offers evidence that the tomb is that of Jesus and his family. In early Christian texts, "Mariamene" is the name of Mary Magdalene, he said.

The very fact that Jesus had an ossuary would contradict the Christian belief that he was resurrected and ascended to heaven.

Most Christians believe Jesus' body spent three days at the site of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem's Old City. The burial site identified in Cameron's documentary is in a southern Jerusalem neighborhood nowhere near the church.

In 1996, when the British Broadcasting Corp. aired a short documentary on the same subject, archaeologists challenged the claims. Amos Kloner, the first archaeologist to examine the site, said the idea fails to hold up by archaeological standards but makes for profitable television.

"They just want to get money for it," Kloner said.

Shimon Gibson, one of three archaeologists who first discovered the tomb in 1980, said Monday of the film's claims: "I'm skeptical, but that's the way I am. I'm willing to accept the possibility."

The film's claims, however, have raised the ire of Christian leaders in the Holy Land.

Stephen Pfann, a biblical scholar at the University of the Holy Land in Jerusalem who was interviewed in the documentary, said the film's hypothesis holds little weight.

"I don't think that Christians are going to buy into this," Pfann said. "But skeptics, in general, would like to see something that pokes holes into the story that so many people hold dear."

"How possible is it?" Pfann said. "On a scale of one through 10 — 10 being completely possible — it's probably a one, maybe a one and a half."

Pfann is even unsure that the name "Jesus" on the caskets was read correctly. He thinks it's more likely the name "Hanun." Ancient Semitic script is notoriously difficult to decipher.

Kloner also said the filmmakers' assertions are false. "The names on the caskets are the most common names found among Jews at the time," he said.

William Dever, an expert on near eastern archaeology and anthropology, who has worked with Israeli archeologists for five decades, said specialists have known about the ossuaries for years.

"The fact that it's been ignored tells you something," said Dever, professor emeritus at the University of Arizona. "It would be amusing if it didn't mislead so many people."

Osnat Goaz, a spokeswoman for the Israeli government agency responsible for archaeology, said the Antiquities Authority agreed to send two ossuaries to New York, but they did not contain human remains. "We agreed to send the ossuaries, but it doesn't mean that we agree with" the filmmakers, she said.

MUCH NEEDED REST

I finished the presentation and paper this morning at about 4am.

Went to class and did all that jazz.

Now, I'm resting this weekend. Going to Dallas with Allen tomorrow - gonna raid the Half-Price Bookstores in an effort to expand our respective libraries. It'll be great to get away from papers and projects.

Sweet.

STILL MORE WORK

I've got to read a book, write a paper on said book, and prepare a presentation before tomorrow.

Blog something significant later.

THE STUDENT'S PRAYER

"Lord, please help me to remember what I do not know."

Many tests, projects, and papers this week. Sorry for the slow blogging.

-JC

THE THEOLOGY OF MUSIC

I don't like Christian radio much. Yes, I write and sing "Christian" music and yes, I do get airplay on the radio. And at the risk of sounding like I'm biting the hand that feeds me, I feel this needs to be said. Besides, my music does not pander to radio playlists and therefore, I won't censor my words.

I feel that the theology of much of the music on "Christian" radio has deep problems. (Now I used the term "Christian" radio with its common usage, although I've got issues with the label "Christian" as an adjective). As I drove to the gym tonight, a song came on a popular radio station about Hell. The song was happy and joyful, and a playful reminder of the conditions of Hell. The implied message, from what I understand, is to get people to become Christians by joking about Hell.

Now, I don't believe that Hell is the central message of the gospel, discipleship is. And discipleship is chosen as a vocation, not forced upon anyone through fear or other means. But that isn't really my problem here, that's a debate for another post. My issue is the joking about it, the playful nature of the issue of salvation. The song was a popular one, by a very popular band who've done world tours many times over.

My question is: Why? Why is this the message that Christians are broadcasting over their airwaves. I try to be honest in my music, and I appreciate honesty in the music and artists that I listen to. And I believe it is honesty that the larger world needs and desires, not happy music about serious issues and doctrines.

Maybe I'm just griping. Maybe I'm just complaining. But since I'm not on the sidelines, but instead in the game, playing, I feel that my concerns are valid. The theology and approach behind the music played on Christian radio is not always beneficial to the Kingdom and I think that we should be more aware about what message we are putting out there, and more imporantly why we are putting that message out there.

BATTLE OF THE SEXES: AGE 8

"Isn't that right, Jonathan?" he asked me.

"Is what right?" I inquired.

"That girls to go Jupiter to get more stupider!" he began to chant.

"Girls aren't stupid." I said. "I know plenty of girls who are a whole lot smarter than me."

"Really?!! Who?!!! Name one!!!!" he demanded.

I proceeded to explain about the many women I love and care for, who are all in fact smarter than me. If men are actually supposed to be smarter than women, as many boys are conditioned to think, then why haven't us guys been able to figure yall ladies out. All those times we're in trouble and don't know why.... exactly: men are not smarter than women.

I also explained that, "more stupider," is not grammatically correct, and if one wishes to label someone else as being, "more stupid," then he should at least show intelligence in doing so.

Tonight was Kids Night Out again. And yes, ladies, I stood up for you.

THE SILVER FOX

NEW CAR

I've finally got a new-to-me car. It's a dodge neon, quite a bit more "conservative" than the Jeep, but I like it! Filled up on $17 too! Woot! Woot!

HAPPY SINGLES AWARENESS DAY!

I'm not pouting - really I'm not. Really. I'm not. Seriously.

DOES GOD TAKE SIDES?

Does God pick a side and back it when humans are in conflict with one another? Some say yes. Some say it's hard to answer no. Take World War II for example. Many people believe that God was on the side of the Allies. Many believe that the Allied defeat of Adolf Hitler and the Axis powers were at least influenced by God ensuring good in the world. Many would also say that further evidence of God's hand in the Allied victory in World War II was shown when the end result was the creation of a nation-state of Israel.

Convincing arguments, perhaps, of God intervening in a conflict, picking one side over the other, and influencing the outcome. But then there's the other side - people who question the level of providence with which God acts. There are two sides to every conflict - each believing that the other is wrong and they are right - believing this so passionately that there would be no conflict otherwise. I can make a moral judgment based on my cultural values or religious values, but those are my judgments to which one can negate my his or her respective values.

So, back to the question: Does God take sides? In the case of World War II, it's easy to say yes because we (the United States) won. And we believe freedom is a good thing. But as with the case of Islamic fundamentalism, everyone believes God is on their side. So, does the side supported by God win? Is that how we know?

Or does God simply look at us, and be with us, and be saddened by the fact that people wage war on one another? Or does what he can to minimize the damage?

Does he adamantly intervene for a cause that he supports? Or does God just shake his head and keep asking himself why can't we just get along?

FUNNIEST POSTS: PART 2

Originally Published on May 12, 2006. Like the last post, another great find while blog surfing.

Funny Part III: Add a Caption

Add a caption to this photo under comments.

Read responses HERE.

FUNNIEST POSTS: PART 1

This was one of the funniest posts of the Cruz-Control over the past year, in my opinion. It was published 285 days ago on April 28, 2006. It actually isn't a post per se, but a link. Anyways I still think its hilarious! Enjoy!!

WOW!

That's all I can say. Or I can say that SOMETIMES CHRISTIANS JUST SCARE ME!

This is an absolute hoot! This is an actual voicemail to a pastor from a man who visited a church. To listen CLICK HERE. Enjoy!

P.S. My Bible doesn't have a 1st Acts - I must have a defective Bible!

RANDOM FACT OF THE WEEK

So I'm researching the history and origins of baptism. It was done long before John baptizing Jesus in the Jordan. So my question is what did baptism mean, and how frequent was it in Jesus' Jewish context. I'll let you known what I find.

But I came across this interesting fact in my research. In the New Testament Early Church baptism was done naked. New converts to Christianity disrobed themselves for baptism. Getting naked was symbolic of getting rid of the old life completely.

This practice of naked baptisms has been dropped since NT times. And Baptists usually insist on being as close and real to the NT baptism as possible; this is why Baptists practice immersion. Think they'll bring this one back??

THE SMOKING GUN

I may have gotten a little further along in the car search - pray for that, it's really stressing me.

So, I went to get some of the best Bar-B-Q in Waco at Michna's. They have this bar-b-q pit (pictured here) that is shaped like a gun. When they cater, they will hall this over to your party or whatever and cook inside of it. The smoke comes out of the front of the gun. Cool, huh?

And the Bar-B-Q is excellent. They're on Franklin Ave. here in Waco, stop by and grab some great Bar-B-Q. They're cheap too.

CLASSES AGAIN

I'm finally back into the full swing of things with classes and all. I've been off and on with school over the past week and a half, but now everything's back to normal. It's funny because tests are going on, etc. So, I'm rescheduling many of them for later so that I can caught up on lecture material and stuff.

Still looking for a car. I test drove a Dodge Neon last night. It was kept pretty clean and stuff, but when I turned it on it started rumbling and groaning. I thought the engine would shake itself out from under the hood. I asked the dealer what was up with it. He said he didn't know.

So, I guess I'll keep looking.

LET'S MAKE A DEAL

Used Car Salesmen are the bane of my existence.... OK wait a minute, I'm getting ahead of myself.

So, I'm trying to find another car. I miss my 2001 Jeep Cherokee Sport terribly, but we must bury the past in the past and move on, right?

So, I'm looking for a car.

And it's the same story with every car dealer I've visited.

"Hello!!! Are we looking for a car today?!!!" Mr. Salesperson asks.

No, we aren't looking for anything. I am looking for an new auto. I say to myself.

"Well, today's your lucky day."

No, it really isn't. I was my lucky day at the last three car dealers I visited. And so, it's not my lucky day here because, well, I just never get that lucky.

"We're running a special today on that very car you've been looking at."

No, you're not.

"I'll make you a really good deal on the price!!!"

No, you won't. You need to make a buck, and I need a new car, so lets just cut the mustard and get down to business. You won't make me a deal on anything. So, just quit trying to sucker me and let's talk hard numbers.

But see, that's the problem, very few car dealers want to talk about a definite asking price upfront. Most want me to test drive, and fall in love with a car and go to the wedding before even finding out the last name, metaphorically speaking of course.

They want me to get all happy about the car and then "go inside to do the paperwork" and everything before I even get a definite price on what I'd be paying. Seriously. I'm not stupid. I'm not going to buy a car without knowing how much it costs beforehand.

But this is the story I get at dealer after dealer.

I've got a headache.

I'm test driving at least two cars tomorrow; I did three today.

Maybe I should just buy a bright red sportcoat and go up to the salesmen and freak them out. It'd be like the time I went through a haunted house and ran up to and yelled at the goblins before they could come up and scare me. I freaked them out pretty bad. I thought it was funny.


NOTE: If you are a used car salesmen, Jonathan does not mean to defame you, your name, or your business. Unless you were among those who were trying to sucker him into paying a highly inflated price for a car that will break in a week, in which case Jonathan meant every word. Otherwise, give Jonathan a call... 'cause he still needs a car. Jonathan also reserves the right to speak in the third person.

I WILL LIFT MY EYES

This weekend, we had our Disciple Now, a weekend of worship and community for our youth. I'm just soooo tired...

After my accident last Saturday, I've begun to rethink many things in my life. First is love. Love is powerful. Love is rare, true love. Love is such an amazing thing. I do not believe that love is an emotion, although it is partly that. Instead, love is something we do, and something that happens. "There's never a rational explanation for falling in love." was the sentence that was just said on the TV as I'm typing this (strange, huh??).

I have begun to see relationships in my life that are bound solidly by love. And I have begun to acknowledge and voice my love for others. I verbally express my love for friends and family while I'm alive and have the chance.

The Sunday after the accident, I walked into church with my guitar to lead worship. I had to; I had no choice but to worship. I plugged in my guitar and we sang. I don't worship like I did a week and a half ago. I have so much more respect, reverence, and fear. We sang, "I Will Lift My Eyes."

God, my God, I cry out
Your beloved needs you now
God be near, calm my fear
Your kindness is what pulls me up
Your love is all that draws me in

I will lift my eyes
to the maker of the mountains I can't climb
I will lift my eyes
to the calmer of the oceans raging wild
I will lift my eyes
to the healer of the hurt I hold inside
I will lift my eyes, lift my eyes
To you

I had planned to go this song for worship the past several weeks, but for one reason or another, we never did (one week we had to cancel services because of the weather). So, the day after my accident, I found myself singing a song that meant more to me than it had ever meant before.

The first time we sang this song in worship was beautiful. It has come to mean more to me since then...

See, I have a problem with pride; I'm seeing that more everyday. I have a hard time accepting service from others. But I'm a sinner, and I'm not perfect. I have issues. While, I've never believed that I had it all panned out, I have begun to see that crying out for help to others and to God is the picture of humility. I'm so used to serving and offering counsel, I find myself struggling to cry out for help.

But now I cry to God. I will lift my eyes to the hills, where my help comes from. God has always rescued. He always saves - even, and maybe especially, a sinner like me.

I find myself struggling with reconciling the emotions I feel about someone leaving me for dead on a roadway with the love of enemies and the pacifism I preach and espouse so passionately on this blog, and what I believe is the New Testament's picture of witness and forgiveness.

I struggle. I sin. I'm trying to just figure this Christianity thing out.

But I am not there yet. So, I lift my eyes to the hills, where God will come, providing me with all the grace and mercy I need, and then some.

God runs to his children. It's like the story of the Prodigal Son, or more accurately, the Willing -to-be-humiliated-by-running Father. God, the all-powerful creator of the universe, is willing to run to me, to pick me up and hold my in his arms. To love me, even with all my issues.

I have nothing to fear, my running to God. I have nothing to fear, by crying to him and crawling in his arms. He will not reject or turn me away. Instead he will cherish it. Because, though I am a sinner, I want to me with and near him.

But my help is coming. And he is love, grace, and mercy.

Amen and amen.

JESUS IS 90 YEARS OLD

Jesus has grandchildren and greatgrandchildren. Jesus' son died when he was 19.

Jesus lives in each of us. And this was made obvious and apparent to me tonight.

I saw Jesus tonight in the love, prayers, and gifts of my church family. I got so many wonderful hugs and kisses from so many great people. And I cherish every one of them.

This love is who Jesus is and was. And when the body of Christ loves like Jesus; we become a picture of Jesus on earth - a clear, real picture that others see.

I did not have insurance on my car (only liability as required by Texas law), which means that because the other guy was not caught, I am not reimbursed the value of my car. So, I'm pretty much without any wheels.

My church family, or better simply: my family, has found this out and several people tonight graciously and lovingly slipped me some checks. Several people in the Church have taken it onto themselves to help me financially in getting another car.

I can't even begin to express my gratitude. I was told tonight by a man I greatly respect to accept any and all help I was offered and that otherwise I'd be robbing others of a blessing. I realized the truth he had spoken. Pride can get in the way of receiving a blessing just as much as it can get in the way of giving one. So, I've swallowed my pride, and I've been so incredibly thankful to have so many people love and care for me.

I saw Jesus tonight in the love, prayers, and gifts of people in the Church. And it was beautiful and amazing.

God is good... all the time. Amen and amen.

ANGER & FORGIVENESS

I've gone through several stages, emotionally, in my recovery from this weekend's accident. One of the issues I've had to deal with is anger.

The accident was a hit-and-run. The person who sent my SUV rolling on a bridge, and presumably left me for dead was never found. He or she didn't stop.

Ironically, I don't think I'd be as calm about this if I knew who it was. If I knew who it was, I'd be very angry, as opposed to just angry. Because then I could point a finger (I won't say which one) at the face of someone who didn't care if I lived or died. I could understand exactly what inebriated the driver of the other vehicle and I could ask why was the other driver so wreckless against me. And why they didn't stop???!!!

I've struggled with the idea that someone would see my car roll several times, and leave me for dead, as there was no way of anticipating my survival from such an accident.

But I can deal more easily with this amorphous figure of 'somone' as opposed to someone specific. And I'm still angry.

But we bless those who hurt us and love those who curse us. We don't respond in violence or even anger, but in submission and humility. We forgive. I'm not quite there yet; but I'm desperately working on it.

And honestly, I'm so thankful to be alive, it really has overshadowed what negative feelings I'm experiencing about the accident.

But that's just a part of being human - and alive, I suppose.

AND I'M ALIVE

DEAR READERS,

Last night I was involved in a major car accident, a hit-and-run by what seems to be a drunk driver. I was traveling west on highway 6 going outside of Waco; I was on a the westbound bridge over Lake Waco. My SUV rolled over three times. But it stayed on the bridge and didn't go over.

My car landed right-side up. My door was jammed, so I crawled out of what used to be the passenger's side window. I was the only thing not ejected from the vehicle. I wore my seatbelt. My car's battery was ejected from its place from underneath the hood.

As soon as I got out of my Jeep, the first car to pass on the bridge was a sheriff's deputy. He backed up and ran lights to stop traffic. The ambulance came and took me to the hospital.

I saw my SUV last night before I left in the ambulance. It was unbelievably jacked up. The roof was caved in and most of the windows were gone. I talked to the wrecker service today. The guy said that He could not believe that I was not seriously injured, much less able to walk away unharmed. He said it was one of the worse wrecks he's seen.

Aside from some glass still inside of me and some cuts and bruises, I am fine.

You see, there is no such thing as luck in Christianity, only miracles. God took care of me in the most unexplainable of ways. I prayed with all my soul; and I immediately knew that it wasn't my time to be with Jesus. But the miracle was not just life, but the fact that I literally walked away from my now-totaled SUV.

But it still scared the crap out of me.

Life is a gift we take for granted; but the truth is, life is fragile and fleeting. It is precious. And so is love. Don't hesitate to tell the people you care for how much you love them. We take love way too lightly, including our love for God.

This love should spill out of our worship.

Because, we worship not only because of who He is... but because of who we're not.

Because the fact of it all is, He alone is the reason II am able to write his post today.

WORSHIP

Worship is really a curious thing. We worship for many reasons. But God doesn't need our worship.

In Psalms, God says "even if I were hungry, I would not tell you."

God is so much bigger than we are.

We worship because of who He is, and because of who we're not.

THE INTERPRETATION OF SCRIPTURE II

Who gets to interpret scripture? Is it the individual or the corporate body. Are interpretations to be guided by clergy?

This discussion is currently heating up in the ranks of Baptistdom in America. Baptist have always been big on the Priesthood of the Believer. Part of this doctrine is that every person, individually, has the Holy Spirit given power to understand and interpret scripture.

But is this the best way to for ministers to pastor congregations? It seems to me that education is extremely important in the understanding of scripture. We need some other source many times if we are to get the full message of a particular Biblical passage.

A point in case would be Women in Ministry. Without a historical and literary background, it would seem that Paul believes that women should not be ministers in a church. However, when the background of this passage (in 1 Timothy) is revealed, it becomes apparent that Paul's teachings are not against women as ministers, but rather against heretical teachings.

I'm not saying that education is absolutely necessary to understand scripture; only that we are tremendously hindered without it. Therefore, I feel that it is the duty of the pastors (including all ministers) to be as educated as they can possibly be, and to impart their knowledge on others.

But then, of course this takes away from the individualist approach to the traditional Priesthood of the Believer that Baptists are so fond of. But is this such a bad thing?

Stanley Hauerwas has a book called Unleashing the Scripture: Freeing the Bible from Captivity to America that I've been reading through. In it, Hauerwas argues that we interpret scripture based on our own American individualistic presuppositions. And in doing so, we degrade the role of Community in understanding the scriptures.

So, the debate wages on... where do we draw the line? I don't believe it's either one of the other - individualism or communism - that should determine the interpretation of scripture. Rather it should be a balance.

'HALF-ANIMAL' WOMAN IS DISCOVERED

Thursday , January 18, 2007

Associated Press

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — A woman who disappeared in the jungles of northeastern Cambodia as a child has apparently been found after living in the wild for 19 years, police said Thursday.

The woman — believed to be Rochom P'ngieng, now 27 years old — cannot speak any intelligible language, so details of her saga have been difficult to confirm.

"She is like half-human and half-animal," said Mao San, police chief of Oyadao district in Rattanakiri province. "She's weird. She sleeps during the day and stays up at night."

The father of Rochom P'ngieng, a member of the Pnong ethnic minority, said he recognized his daughter by a scar on her back and her facial features, according to Mao San. The father is a village policeman named Sal Lou.

Rochom P'ngieng, then 8 years old, disappeared one day in 1988 when she was herding buffalo in a remote northeastern jungle area, said Chea Bunthoeun, a deputy provincial police chief.

She was discovered this month after a villager noticed that food disappeared from a lunch box he left at a site near his farm.

"He decided to stake out the area and then spotted a naked human being, who looked like a jungle person, sneaking in to steal his rice," said Chea Bunthoeun.

The villager gathered some friends and the group managed to catch the woman on Jan. 13.

"Her parents had already lost hope of finding her since she went missing for so many years. The father cried and hugged her when he met his daughter," Chea Bunthoeun said.

Since being found, the woman has had difficulty adjusting to normal life, apparently because of her long stay in the wild, said Mao San.

Authorities want medical experts to take DNA samples from the parents and the woman to see if they match. The woman's parents have given verbal consent for such a test, he said.

QUIZZES: PART II

SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU TAKE TOO MANY QUIZZES!!!!

I didn't think this description sounded like me, so I took a different quiz; these are the results:

The MetroSexual Quiz
Congratulations, You are 87% MetroSexual

"Congratulations, you are a metrosexual. Your the trendy guy in the nightclub that all the women will flock to. Most of them will think you are gay however but you can use that to your advantage:)"

So, I'm apparently a Metrosexual. According to ABCNEWS.com this means:

If you're a man who enjoys shoe shopping, pedicures and perfecting your recipe for crème brûlèe, you may be a metrosexual kind of guy.

Metrosexual is sort of a catch-all phrase for straight, urban men who like embracing activities usually associated with women — like shopping, pedicures and buying shoes — lots of shoes.

I don't know what to make of this.... I've never had a pedicure.

But now that I think about it, I do have a ton of shoes.

And I like Broadway.

OH, Crap!

WILL YOU JUST SHUT UP??!!

Today in class we had an interesting discussion on the nature of happiness. What does it take to be happy?, etc. Aristotle write in The Rhetoric that possessions are necessary for one to be happy.

Lively debate ensured as to whether one is happier or not if he or she has more stuff... until I interjected that happiness is not something that is quantifiable and to assume someone with less stuff than you is any less happier is arrogant and obtuse - not to mention self-absorbed.

But then this girl who was sitting next to me began to go off on who people on welfare, although they don't have stuff, because they are given everything and then they don't have to work for it... instead they can just 'get drunk.'

I typed what she said in class:

How about people on welfare? They don’t want to be self-sufficient. They just want to you to feed and clothe them, and then they can just get drunk. If they didn’t have to work, they’re happy. If they could make money by sleeping, yes they’d be happier.

This really disturbed me. Unfortunately this is a mindset that is very popular in expensive upper-middle class universities. The idea that people on welfare are lazy and don't want to work, is an indoctrination from wealthy homes.

I am not from a wealthy home, but I did have this same mindset when I first came to Baylor. But that changed.

I think that this idea about people on welfare comes from people who genuinely believe that the world is a fair place. Because of circumstances, monetary or otherwise, they have never had the chance to experience first-hand an unfair world. I did. And it changed by view of life.

I stayed in a homeless shelter for a week my sophomore year of college. I fixed meals with the residents, I helped them paint the roof. I played the piano for their worship services. I stayed at the shelter and stayed up late at night playing darts with a guy's whose are was in a cast (and I still lost!). These people were not lazy; they were needy. And in them, I saw how rich and poor I was.

I am not advocating the US government to take on the full responsibility for our society's downtrodden; I am advocating the Church do so.

This world is not fair; and there's nothing we can do about it - except help those who have fallen. Give willingly and openly. The biggest question I get on this, when I'm talking about it is: But what about those who take advantage of us. My answer: so be it. The numbers of those taking advantage of such situations are far less than those who honestly need such services, so if we get burned by a few helping the many - SO BE IT!!!

It scares me to think that I am just a few paychecks away from those conditions myself - and so are you. It by faith we live - faith in a God who gives and takes away.

So we are called to help others; not kick them when they're down. We must remember that we are Christians (literally, Little Christs). And when money gets in the way of Kingdom Work, we have forfeited our honor of the title People of God.

QUIZZES: PART I

*******POLITICAL QUIZ********
ACCORDING TO YOUR ANSWERS,
The political description that
fits you best is...
LIBERTARIAN

LIBERTARIANS support maximum liberty in both personal and
economic matters. They advocate a much smaller government; one
that is limited to protecting individuals from coercion and violence.
Libertarians tend to embrace individual responsibility, oppose
government bureaucracy and taxes, promote private charity, tolerate
diverse lifestyles, support the free market, and defend civil liberties.

The RED DOT on the Chart shows where you fit on the political map.

*******OPERATING SYSTEM QUIZ********

Which OS are you?



*******NERD QUIZ********

You are most like:

Normal



We're going to pretend your 'normal' this time around. You have a brain and use it but nerd things just don't interest you...or you can't be bothered to try and understand.

Take this quiz: How Nerdy Are You?

I THOUGHT I LIVED IN TEXAS

BEASTLY BLOG

Check out Wade Burleson's blog HERE.

He got into some 'hot water' last year for being honest on his blog about the SBC. Good stuff. We need more Christians who will call each other out, when we've stopped being biblical and start being baptists.

"I have consistently maintained that a growing problem within our convention is the removal from leadership and service those who do not conform to specific interpretations of the Bible. We Southern Baptists have already fought the battle for the Bible, but I sense that the new battle that must be waged is for the freedom of Baptists to disagree on interpretations of difficult texts in the Bible, and to always remain in fellowship and cooperation with each other in our mission."

CHURCH CANCELED TONIGHT

Church has been canceled tonight due to the ice storm sweeping across Texas and much of the mid-part of the nation.

I want to stay inside, but I might just have to go do some shopping; I need new clothes; mine don't fit anymore (too big).

Also, after a year, I'm cutting my hair. Don't freak out. It's not going to be that short. I'm not buzzing it or anything; just trimming.

Just some random ramblings from my laptop on the couch on a Sunday afternoon.

THE INTERPRETATION OF SCRIPTURE

Do people have the ability to interpret scripture on their own, without any outside help? Or is this is role of clergy?

MEET DR. HAUERWAS

"I say I'm a pacifist because I'm a voilent [SOB]. I'm a Texan. I can feel it in every bone I've got. And I hate the language of pacifism because it's too passive."

Stanley Hauerwas has been the most influencial theologian in my life, so far. I picked up Resident Aliens my sophomore year in college after Shaun recommened it to me late one night in the bellows of UBC here in Waco.

He told me just to read it. I did. It changed the way I think about God, Christianity, and society.

The theologain Hauerwas outlines in Resident Aliens is unashamed and uncensored. Hauerwas believes whole-heartly what he preaches. He doesn't care how it's received; he care only about truth.

Funny thing too: Hauerwas curses like a sailor. Every other word. He's also been known to drop the F-Bomb several times in his lectures. He's been asked several times to tame his vernacular, but to no avail.

"If Stanley is not offending someone, or if half the room is not walking out in anger after his lecture, then [he] thinks he has said something unfaithful. Stanley is embarrassed that so many people read [Resident Aliens] and agreed with it," says William Willimon, colleague and co-author of Resident Aliens with Hauerwas.

Hauerwas' stir began in the area of biblical academics and was dragged out onto the stage of lay Christianity in 1989 with the help of Dr. Willimon. Mainstream Christianity got a view of Christian Ethics that most had t even stopped to ponder.

I became a pacifist after reading Hauerwas. Over the past few years I read different works by Dr. Hauerwas and I have to say I'm still challenged by a view of Christianity that puts Christ first, above all else.

9 MINUTES 16 SECONDS

I ran 'the mile' for my physical fitness class. The thing is, they're using the results to break the class up into smaller groups. So, they're like putting all the people who ran the mile in under 10 minutes, then those between 10-15 minutes, etc. Which means I'd be like in the athletic/physically fit group.

The sucky thing about that is... I'm not athletic!! I'm clumsy!!! I have no athletic talent or skill whatsoever. I've just got myself into a somewhat decent physical condition.

Oh, well. But I have to say I'm proud of that 9'16" mile. Being healthy is fun!!!

You feel good about yourself.

Funny thing about talking about physical health, etc... I'm sitting right now at the pizza hut waiting on dinner... it was free - what can I say.

P.S. If you run the mile in say 7 minutes or so, just don't talk to me!

BACK TO NORMAL

Well, I've just finished my first batch of homework. School is back in and everything's getting back to normal.

Funny thing about college, every semester you have two (2) first day's of school every semester.

But the good thing is that the profs usually don't keep you long. Today, I was in class for a total of 25 minutes. Yay me!

My first days where pretty much the norm. I listened to the 'easy' professors try to make their classes sound hard, and I heard the 'hard' professors try to make their classes sound easier than they'll actually be. This used to frighten me. But after the seasoning of four years, I think I've got the profs' games figured out.

Now, I go into the classes, knowing whether it'll be easy or hard, despite what impression the instructor may seek to portray on the first day.

One funny thing did happen, though. I went into my lab-science class and listened to the professor explain how he grades, etc. Then he asked, "How many of you are freshman?" Almost everyone in the class raised their hands. Hmm. So, I asked the girl next to me what class was this, as the professor had never actually made that clear.

"This is Intro to Psychology." she replied.

"Oh, crap!" was my response. I [in]discreetly slipped out... and I was 25 minutes late to my GEOLOGY class because I was in the wrong room!

Sad thing, though.... the girl sitting next to me in 'psychology' was kinda cute.

GOD IS GOD

And I am not.

It's funny how we like to play God. We like to pretend like we are in charge of this world and of our lives; we like to pretend that we are the only thing that matters in this world. There's no God; there are no other people. We are the center of our universe.

Or so we think.

But we cannot even control if we live or when we die. We are impotent. We are feeble. We are weak. And we fool ourselves into thinking we are powerful.

We are taught by our society that we are powerful. What we think matters. 'Have it your way!' is a popular fast-food slogan. We like to feel important; but not just important as people, rather we like to feel the people-should-pay-attention-to-me important.

But this is not the picture that Jesus had in mind for the Kingdom of God. In Matthew's gospel, Jesus compares his followers to children. The Kingdom of Heaven is composed of those who are humble. Humility can be hard to us to grasp. Jesus' Beatitude for 'humility' is, "Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth." Meek means recognizing our position in relation to God. It is recognizing His sovereignty and submitting ourselves to His will.

Humility is also recognizing our position in relation to others. We are to be servants thinking about others instead of ourselves.

God is God; we are not. Simple.

If we are to be a part of the Kingdom of Heaven, both present and future, we are to be humble, meek. We put God in His place, and we stay in our own.

ACTION JESUS

Everyone has a different take on Jesus. Muslims and Jews saw him as a prophet; Buddhists say he was enlightened; Hindus consider him an avatar (the incarnation of a deity in human form) while Christians hail him as the Son of God. But, wherever your theological compass points, you will agree that this is the coolest action figure since G.I. Joe. Each hard plastic Jesus Action Figure stands 5" tall with poseable arms to reach toward the heavens and wheels in his base for smooth gliding action. Comes in our illustrated package with biblical quotes on the back.

GET YOUR JESUS ACTION FIGURE HERE TODAY! (I'm getting the bobblehead for my desk in the office.)

HMMM...

HowManyOfMe.com

There are: 352 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

SCHOOL STARTING SOON

School is starting on Monday. I still have the "I don't wanna go...." that plagued my grade school years.

On the other hand, I'm super-duperly anxious and excited to begin as it is my final full semester in college. I"m ready to get that diploma! I've just recently come to the realization that I'm getting a college degree in 6 months. Woot! Woot!

So, I'm ready; more so now than when I began writing this post.

MY FIRST RANT OF 2007

This is a cardboard standup of President George W. Bush. This is located in our local "Christian" bookstore (notice the Bible covers behind this likeness of our 43rd President). I say "Christian" because it sells things Christians might like to buy, not because the corporate institution is 'saved' or anything.

But this is what is portrays itself to be: a 'Christian' corporate institution. So, how then can it be a political one?

Christian have often blurred the line between politics and religion. A common notion is that America is a Christian nation; it was founded on Christian principles and is under the rule and authority of the Bible. Many of these Christians believe that the Bible should serve as a moral compass for the United States. While historically this has some backing, this does not mean that is was a good idea in the first place and should not be changed now. The Puritans saw the United States as being under Christian control and ran their society accordingly. This does not make it right or a good idea.

Constantinian Christianity is still a popular system among those who believe the nation should be governed based on Christian principles. And in doing so, it is not only acceptable but necessary for Christians to be involved in politics. And many Christians have run and have been elected on this platform.

But it is becoming more popular for people to run on such platforms and compromise their Christian integrity, continuing to get support from Christians in America all the while. Many are pro-life, but pro-war at the same time. Many believe that government aid programs should be eliminated. Many believe that the accumulation of wealth is the greatest possible dream for humanity.

Stanley Hauerwas said, I'm fine with having Christians in politics as long as they remain Christians. Christians who are politicians often compromise their faith for a political statement or creed. Christianity does not have a right to rule a nation; it was not God's intention for his people to rule an earthly kingdom. But if Christians are to involve themselves in politics, they have an obligation to remain Christian.

And when Christians involve themselves in politics, their backing by other Christians should not be based on their 'personal faith' but their continued commitment to Christianity and its teachings. It is simply a matter of Christians living as Christians no matter what our jobs are.

Now, back to the cardboard standup of GW in our bookstore. This was a promotion for the 'faith' of President Bush, thereby ingraciating himself to the Christian vote. But such displays or support should not be handed out based on one's declared faith. When this happens, Christians have forfeited our witness in favor of political gain for ourselves. And we've knocked God out of our desires in exchange for power.

BACK HOME

After a weekend in my hometown of Palacios, TX with family bringing in the New Year, friends visited and funerals attended, I'm back home in Waco.

I like it here.

Sorry for the sporadic blogging... I've spent the past weekending gathering thoughts.

I'll post more later.

Thanks for all yalls prayers.