Ramblings from one following Jesus on the back roads of life
My daughter Jennie is going to be on TV! She has been working as an extra on the show, “Privileged”. This Tuesday night at 9:00 PM will be the first of many episodes in which she appears. She’s mostly in the background in this one, wearing a blue green/turquoise/purple dress.
The show is on the CW Network. I have no idea if it’s any good, but hey. Jennie’s on TV.
Today, I reach a milestone. So, in honor of my 100th post I give you the links of the week:
And to think I wasted five years of my life. (HT: Bob Hyatt)
Scot McKnight nails it.
Kingdom Grace reviews Coffee House Theology.
Brant Hansen knows how to redeem a violent video game.
Jeff McQ has a good series on re-thinking worship. Part 1 is here.
This is long, but very good.
Brother Maynard has a good post on the “demise” of emerging, emergent, etc.
This is cool. (HT: Brother Maynard)
Alan Hirsch wonders about fundamentalism.
Tim Hill has a four part series on spiritual formation. Part 1.
Tomorrow we celebrate my wife’s birthday. Hope you have a good weekend.
Yesterday, I saw a sign in front of a church that read, “Smile, you’re on God’s camera”. I wondered what was meant by that. Growing up, I always was given the impression that God was up in heaven watching what we were doing and grading us on our actions. This would determine whether God was pleased with us or not. I was always told that I couldn’t hide anything from God in an attempt to keep me doing things I shouldn’t. This worked, some of the time. Most of the time I didn’t even stop to think that God was watching, so my “little hands” weren’t careful what they did; my “little eyes” weren’t careful what they saw; and my “little feet” certainly weren’t careful where they went.
I don’t believe that’s what the Psalmist intended when he wrote, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?” It is true that there is nowhere we can go that takes us out of God’s presence. It is true that God knows our every thought and deed. But I believe that David wrote these words in Psalm 139 as praise to the God who was always with him and would always take care of him, not as a complaint that God was always watching so David couldn’t get away with anything. I am not saying that God is not watching or that we can get away with anything, I just don’t believe that’s the thrust of this Psalm.
God is not sitting “up” in heaven taking a picture of us so he can hold it against us – “Look what you did”. Jesus redeemed us, every bit of us, including the times we screw up. Anyway, does anyone really doubt that God already knows when we sin? Does he need to “watch”?
Now if the message on the sign meant that God was taking my picture just as any proud father enjoys taking pictures of his children, because he loves and enjoys them; well, I can live with that.
It’s been two years since my mom and dad left this world and stepped into the presence of their Lord. Mom passed on August 27, and Dad joined her thirty three days later, on September 30.
After two years, the pain and sorrow is not as fresh or strong as it was. I am continuing to heal, although there are still times when I find myself with a catch in my throat and a tear in my eye. When a holiday comes, especially Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, I stop and think about how much I miss them. Whenever I read or hear something about the loss of a family member, I feel my own loss. When I read about being reunited with loved ones in God’s presence, I long for that day.
When Josh, along with a little bit of help from me, laid a new kitchen floor, I thought of how my dad was probably watching while we were working; wishing we could hear his words of advice. I think he is pleased.
Losing the ones who brought you into this world, who began the process of teaching you to make your way, and who were a major influence on your journey of faith is hard. It does leave a hole that is not filled. Maybe that is so we don’t get too attached to life in the here and now, but look for the time when the King will make all things right.
The other day there was a street preacher out on the corner of a busy intersection here in town. He had positioned himself in front of a gas station across from the university here. Because it was a sunny Saturday, there were people driving by, folks getting their cars washed, and college students walking by. I guess you could say he had a “captive” audience.
The problem with the audience is that it was mostly made up of people going to or from someplace. With the exception of the students who were standing around laughing and taking pictures with their cell phones, or the people waiting for their cars to be washed, his “audience” was on the move. He kept on preaching into a microphone that was connected to a large speaker on the back of a truck. Because we were going into the drug store to get a birthday card, I couldn’t make out much of what the preacher was saying, although I could make out “sin”, “hell”, “God”, and “Savior”.
On Sunday the street preacher probably told his congregation that he spent a good part of the day “proclaiming the Gospel”. I wondered what his definition of the Gospel is. Having grown up in churches where this type of thing would not be that uncommon, I think his definition would probably end in “go to heaven when you die”, or something similar.
This is probably a simple exercise for most of you out there, but I am wondering: How would you define “the Gospel”? Is it simply believe in Jesus and go to heaven when you die? Or is there more?
Your thoughts?
Meltdown on Wall Street. Mortgage foreclosures. Gas shortages. Political polarization. And, you know what? God is still in control.
Enjoy these links:
Want to be in a parade? Go here.
Check this out. It’s hilarious. (HT: Bob Hyatt)
Good thoughts from Josh.
imonk writes about the Christian counter-culture, and the current economic crisis.
Brant Hansen knows how to neutralize Al-Qaeda.
Jared Wilson reinterprets “The Little Red Hen”
The good thing about the gas shortage in the Southeast is that it gives me a chance to say, “I remember when…” (referring to the problems in the 70s).
Enjoy your weekend.
It’s almost officially fall here in the sunny South. The weather has been fall like, with highs in the 70s, and lows in the 50s.
There’s some good thoughts floating around in cyberspace. Here’s a sampling:
When celebrities get involved in politics.
imonk reveals the “real” prosperity gospel.
I may use this when I travel next month. (HT: Scot McKnight)
John Armstrong talks politics.
Brant Hansen has good posts here and here.
Jeff McQ reflects on the journey.
Brother Maynard wonders who Jesus would torture.
The most awesomest muppets. (HT: Brother Maynard)
I’ll have to give in and mow the yard tomorrow. At least the gas prices are about 40 cents cheaper than they were last weekend. Have a good one.
I read and hear a lot from people who “love Jesus”. I wonder about this, because then I read and hear things that don’t match up with loving Jesus. Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commands.” Some of the things I see from those who claim to love Jesus are, to be quite frank, violations of His commands.
I’m not just talking about those whose life seems to be characterized by drunkenness, immorality, profanity, and a general who gives a f*** attitude. I see it in those who are judgemental, who are self righteous, who are racist, who ignore the poor and oppressed, who think that just because they go to the right church, use the right version of the Bible, and know all the right words, have it made.
Jesus called us to follow Him, to be His disciples. A disciple is one who will do anything to be like his master. The ancient Jews had a saying, “Follow a rabbi, drink in his words, and be covered with the dust of his feet.” That meant to follow him so closely that the dust he kicked up would cover them. That’s what it means to follow Jesus. To be so close that we are covered with his dust. The early believers were first called “Christians” as a derogatory term because the culture was calling them “little Christs”.
Maybe the reason the culture rejects “Christianity” is because they look at the “little Christs” and think, “If these people are really like Jesus, I don’t want anything to do with them or him.” Can we blame them?
It is past time for those who claim to love and follow Jesus to be serious about what that means. It means that we are willing to do whatever it takes to be like Him. It means reading the account of His life and teachings in the Gospels and the teaching about how to flesh this life out in the rest of the New Testament. It means being willing to give up my dreams and passions in return for God’s dreams and passions for me. When Jesus walked on water, Peter was willing to get out of the boat and risk drowning to be like his Rabbi. How willing are we?
There is a revolution growing in the body of Christ. A new Reformation. God is doing some great things. Join us.
A little bit ago, Rachel posted a picture of Piper Palin spitting on her palm so she could wet down the cow-lick in her brother’s hair. It’s a cute picture and has even made it onto late night TV.
What struck me about that picture was how, in the midst of all the hoopla of a political convention, real life happens. Sometimes we get so wrapped in the things we are doing that we forget that life is going on all around us. We tend to get tunnel vision and think that the “big thing” that we are doing is the most important thing on earth. This is true whether we are involved in politics, making money, or even doing “church” work.
It has been said that at the end of our lives, no one will say, “I wish I’d spent more time at the office.” I think that is so true. Most of us will look back over our lives and wish we’d developed relationships with those around us, even with those in our own families.
I wonder if we will stand before Jesus and hope he will be impressed with the churches we have built, the doctrinal debates we have won, the systematic theologies we have constructed; only to hear him say, “Yes, but how many of your neighbors did you really get to know? How many times did you give to me by relating to and serving one of the least of these? Did you help your family grow in their faith? You missed a lot of the abundant life that I came to give you because you were consumed with all the “great” things you thought you were doing for me.”
Let us never forget to live.
Does it seem like the presidential campaign has been going on forever? Now all the state office candidates are running their mud-slinging ads on TV. I’ll be so glad when November 5 comes and the ads, blogs, e-mails, etc., will be gone.
Here‘s a great story.
Tim Hill has an interesting take on the election.
Alan Hirsch answers an important question.
Brother Maynard takes on the church leadership culture.
Len at NextReformation talks about “church”.
This has good potential. (HT: Jonathan Brink)
This is amazing!
Michael Spencer is a reductionist?
This just isn’t right. (HT: Scot McKnight)
Internetmonk does an interview with Julie Neidlinger about leaving church.
Good post on textual criticism. (HT: Conservative Reformed Mafia)
Paglia on Palin. (HT: Bob Hyatt)
Camille Lewis takes a look back.
It looks like God is going to be making some changes around these parts. We’ll see what happens.
Have a great weekend!