Dee Doo

Saving the Planet One Meal at a Time (or why/how I'm a vegan)

2011-07-11T14:08:00.009-04:00

Recently the gentlemen of ESM had a special Food & Fellowship (the themed fortnightly gathering) dedicated to Creation Care (what happens when the Gospel overtakes a hippie). I feel that one of the clearest calls we have from God throughout the Bible is to be stewards of that with which He has blessed us, and this includes caring for His creation rather than living as functional hedonistic parasites that slowly erode the resources with which we have been blessed and must rely for survival, and as such I have made various life choices to reflect that conviction of the Holy Spirit.

One of the fastest, most effective, and easiest ways to curtail our negative impact on the planet (as well as the "least of these" for whom Christ calls us to care!) is by adjusting our diet.

I began my vegan journey early in 2009 when I was challenged by some statistics regarding the consumption of meat and the impact that eating it has on the environment and the poorest nations and people groups. Around the same time my conscience was being pricked about this area of selfishness in my life, I received an email from Meat Free Monday which encourages people to voluntarily give up meat one day a week. This can have a huge impact on CO2 and methane emissions, as well as a myriad of other benefits to the planet and its peoples!

After a little while I realized that meat free Mondays were turning into meat free Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, and... well, you get the idea. This eventually turned into a meat free lifestyle.

After about three years as a ovo-lacto vegetarian (one who does not eat meat but will eat eggs and dairy products; the most common type of vegetarian) I was challenged yet again, this time by the practices of the dairy industry. I had originally dismissed veganism (and for a while vegetarianism) because of the unfortunate pagan connotations of earth worship and a misunderstood anthropology (the nature/purpose of humanity) where the argument is "animals are people too", something clearly contrary to the special place in creation to which humanity has been assigned. We are the only creature to bear God's image (the Imago Dei) and have clearly been given dominion over plants and animals (Genesis 1:26). That does not, however, mean that we are to abuse that power by taking advantage of God's creation. You have dominion over your children as a parent, but this is not a license for abuse, rather a call to serve and sacrifice and focus outside of your own interests.

One of the hardest parts about going vegetarian or vegan is the learning curve requisite to overcome a lifetime of meat and dairy eating. Most of our meals center around some meat dish and there is a lot of learning that has to be done to figure out a new way to cook. The good news is that, once you get going, you realize that you actually will have MORE options and dishes from which to choose. I have expanded my horizons and discovered all sorts of foods that I now count among my favorites that I would not have even tried were I not a vegetarian/vegan!

As such, since I have climbed this learning curve, I want to share my experiences and knowledge that I have learned so that it might be easier for you to explore this option and maybe try giving up meat for at least one day a week!

As far as recipes go, I use online resources to find them and never underestimate the power and importance of experimentation!

If you have an iOS device (iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad) then there are some GREAT apps that can help out. My favorite one is the Wholefoods app that has tons of recipes and the option to search based on the ingredients you have on hand. It also will keep your shopping list for you when you find a recipe you like (it will add the ingredients to your list for you so you don't forget it!).

Eating out is going to be tough. Italian is not your friend; almost all of it has egg (pasta), butter (pasta, bread, even sauce), cheese, meat, etc. Mediterranean, Indian, and "hold-the-sour-cream-and-cheese" Mexican are good options to consider. I also enjoy Thai and other Asian foods that use tofu for stir-fry options.

One of the most helpful books for me when I started was (I'm almost too chagrined to admit it!) The Kind Life by Alicia Silverstone. It has great recipes, easy to follow logic for why to go/stay vegan, and it really helped me get up and running.

Here is a list of resources I find helpful for vegan living. Keep in mind that not all of them are espousing the lifestyle for the same reasons I do, but I try to chew the meat and spit out the bone (if you'll pardon the ironic idiom). I love PETA for their recipes, but not their "animals are people too" stance. There are some good films out there as well that can be very helpful, as well as articles from various non-profits and news organizations.

http://www.thekindlife.com/

http://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/2009/09/for-vegetarians-and-vegans-who-love-to-dine-out-opposing-views-has-launched-an-interactive-restaurant-databasethe-database.html

http://www.peta.org/living/vegetarian-living/two-week-vegetarian-menu.aspx

http://www.peta.org/living/vegetarian-living/recipes/default.aspx

http://www.peta.org/living/vegetarian-living/making-the-transition-vegetarian.aspx

http://www.vegetariantimes.com

http://karmachow.com/

http://creationcare.org/

http://www.creationcareforpastors.com/

http://www.veganoutreach.org/whyvegan/environment.html

http://www.fao.org/docrep/010/a0701e/a0701e00.htm

http://www.all-creatures.org/articles/env-sobering.html

http://www.enviroveggie.com/

http://www.vegansa.com/veganism-and-the-environment.php

http://www.foodincmovie.com/about-the-issues.php

http://www.beautiful-vegan.com/2010/04/documentaries-and-videos_9347.html

http://www.trianglevegsociety.org/resources/index.html

http://vegraleigh.blogspot.com/

http://www.happycow.net/north_america/usa/north_carolina/raleigh/

http://www.meetup.com/Triangle-Christian-Vegetarian-Supper-Club/profile/

If you have questions, comments, or just want some more advice, please don't hesitate to contact me and I'll be more than happy to help you out in whatever way I am able!

Be blessed,

Daniel

No Longer Good News (or why I reject "anonymous Christians")

2011-04-02T12:21:00.006-04:00

Many people, when confronted with the doctrine of exclusivity (that is, that Christ is the only way to God and there is no salvation apart from His name alone), rightly wrestle with “the fate of those who never hear the Gospel.”

Recently Rob Bell released a rather controversial book entitled “Love Wins” in which he challenges the traditional orthodox understanding of Heaven and Hell and salvation. Despite the current hullabaloo surrounding his borderline (if not outright) heretical statements, this is nothing new. Over the years this argument has come up over and over. Rob Bell is not the first person who’s conscience was burdened over the prospect of people going to Hell “unjustly” who then decided to abandon Scripture and tradition After all, how could God damn to Hell a person who never heard the Gospel or had an opportunity to respond? What if this is a good person who worships god as they know it and lives a moral life within the confines of their given worldview (Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, etc.); wouldn’t God recognize their effort and redeem them apart from Christ? They make the argument that God’s love is bigger than His own name.

I have heard this referred to as “anonymous Christians” because they are saved by Christ, they just don’t know it yet.

This sounds really good, right? People try hard and God rewards them for it. But this isn’t how Scripture defines the Gospel, humanity, or grace.

While the doctrine of exclusivity is exceedingly difficult (I resonate with the Psalmist of Psalm 131!), it is necessary to maintain a consistent character of God that balances His love/mercy/grace with His justice/holiness/righteousness. I might do a series defending the doctrine over upcoming weeks, but for this post I just wanted to touch on a comment I Tweeted that seemed to cause some confusion.

The word “gospel” literally means “good news.” This is what Christ called it, what Paul called it, what the early church called it, so it seems they understood the life and message of Christ as something positive and freeing. Christ commanded us to share this message with all peoples in all places.

Let’s reason this through.

if the Gospel = good news;
And
not hearing the Gospel but living morally or worship your understanding of God = salvation;
But
introducing the Gospel to an unreached people group now means they can go to Hell;
therefore
the Gospel = bad news

I would rather live in ignorance leading to salvation than knowledge leading to damnation. If this is the case, wouldn’t that make Christ a jerk for telling us to go and spread condemnation to the ends of the earth? Can you imagine a physician so concerned about the plight of AIDS that he finds a cure and wants to make sure everyone has access to it so he goes to places where AIDS is not present and starts injection the “cure” into people, thereby introducing AIDS to a previously uninfected area. Not only that, but not everyone will take advantage of the cure! Unfortunately, all will be touched by the disease. There is no good news in a cure that only heals you after infecting you in the first place. I’d rather just stay disease-free to begin with, thank you very much.

That is what I meant by my tweet. Sending missionaries to unreached people groups is not good news for those people if the missionaries’ presence only breeds responsibility before God leading to damnation apart from Christ where there previously was “anonymous” grace. This seems patently antithetical to God’s character and thus I must reject such a theory.

Like I said, I will try to write more soon about other reasons I hold to a doctrine of exclusivity, but for now, maybe this will help to show my concern with undermining evangelism and missions by deluding ourselves into thinking people are not currently dying and going straight to Hell all over this world because we are more focused on our next car than with sacrificing of ourselves to be Christ’s love to someone helpless and in need of rescue. This is insidious, evil, and unproductive. Which is more useful, denying the thief outside the door or calling the police to arrest him?

All You Need is Love (or the best reason to love)

2010-08-11T12:31:00.004-04:00

Sometimes I find it hard to love my brothers, much less my enemies. Yet, 1 John tells us that God is love and we ought to therefore love one another because love is from God.

4:7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

I put this song together as a reminder that I am called to love, not because of anything in me that can do so, but because God in me allows me to love. I am unlovable, a child of wrath who deserves nothing but punishment. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved me, even when I was dead in my trespasses, made me alive together with Christ! It is not that I loved God, but that He loved me; how can I not, therefore, love my brothers, love my enemies, love those whom I have never met? God loved me when I was at enmity with Him. I therefore will love. After all, it is the new command that Jesus gave us, is it not?

I hope this encourages you to love.

I love you.

...or download it here.

Paul was Anti-Patriotism (or why I stopped saying the "Pledge of Allegiance")

2010-07-12T15:25:00.010-04:00

I recently tweeted a comment that, given the fact that he could not possibly know my thought process leading up to it, offended someone.

Let me elaborate. I had been watching the film Brothers, a story about two brothers whose lives have taken seemingly different paths in response to an alcoholic, abusive, "former" military father; one has joined the Marines, like his father before him, while the other responded to their father's abuse differently, taking to an unsuccessful life of petty crime.

At a family dinner that takes place in the brief window between when the Marine deploys (again) and when the ne'er-do-well is released from prison, the father expresses his displeasure with the son heretofore incarcerated by the state by comparing him to his brother who suffers under a different, more voluntary form of imprisonment by the United States armed forces.

The father makes the statement that the Marine is a "hero" by sheer virtue of "fighting for his country" as though there is an inherent value in murdering someone who was born outside of whatever imaginary lines inside of which you were born as long as you wear a uniform.

As if for the first time I was struck by the absurdity of our society's willingness to automatically make military personnel heros if for no other reason than that they sign away their lives to possibly kill or die for the stars and stripes.

My tweet was this:

I really feel like by now humanity should have evolved past nationalism/patriotism as being seen as something noble rather than provincial.

The retort from the offended party accused me of being anti-patriotic as part of a fad. Being "hip" is not why I am anti-patriotic. I don't know that I would even consider myself "anti-patriotic" at all. Maybe "post-patriotic."

My concern, as a Christian, is the same as that of the Apostle Paul to the church in Galatia. Why are we so caught up in trivial and temporal conditions like whether or not we are Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female, American or Iraqi?

I am glad to be an American, don't misunderstand me. There are a lot of great things about this country and I am afforded a lot of privileges having been born and raised here. I know it's easy for me as a white middle class male to wax philosophical from the comfort of my iMac. However, that being said, this is not a perfect country and I am not willing to delude myself into some sort of nationalistic trance that translates into anybody who does anything in the name of "America" as therefore being intrinsically heroic or laudable.

I want to break down invisible "us" vs. "them" lines drawn on maps by people long dead in favor of bringing the Gospel to all nations and all peoples by sheer virtue of their imago dei, not the color of their passport. I think we should stop worrying about green cards and focus more on red hearts. Christ has called me out of a country and into a Kingdom.

Here is my latest offering of Scripture that makes you want to dance. I hope you enjoy God's words through Paul and allow them to challenge how you think about nationality and allegiance.

And here is the higher quality version to download!

I Call it "Ambient Gospel" (...but you can call it a Moby rip-off)

2010-07-07T16:05:00.006-04:00

I've been really enjoying how much more I can do in GarageBand with my new iMac since I don't have to wait years for tracks and effects to process (thank you, Quad-Core i7 processor and 8 gigs of RAM!) so here is another installment of what I do late at night instead of sleeping...

Oh, and, once again, you can download the m4a from my iDisk!

For the record I think it sounds way better with headphones on...

Hope for Havana (...or how I spent my Saturday night)

2010-07-03T21:49:00.014-04:00

I have about a half dozen half written posts sitting waiting to be finished and published, but, alas, this is not one of them. I promise I'll get back to it soon. I feel like I missed out on the increased traffic my previous post got me, but last semester was crazy and I never had a chance to follow up.

I have been playing with GarageBand lately, though, and writing music instead of writing blog posts. I put this together tonight in honor of the Fourth of July. I know that might sound strange (once you listen to it), but I was thinking about what freedom means and those who not only don't have it, but risk their lives to obtain it by coming to this country to work in terrible conditions just to try to make life better for their families.

So, Arizona, put this in your iTunes and listen to it.

Wow, that didn't have nearly the impact I had hoped for. But, since smoking is forbidden at Southeastern and I'm already on thin ice, I figured I'd censor the saying.

I hope you enjoy!

Europe Saved My Life (...or why I have the best dad ever!)

2010-06-09T17:31:00.005-04:00

This is one of those posts that I started (back at the beginning of June right after returning from Europe) but never finished. So, here it is:

I'm sitting on my parent's three-season porch in Summit, New Jersey, listening to jovial rain drops serenade the trees with a chorus of early summer melody as my body struggles to know when and where it is. I have returned from a brief holiday to Europe with my father that was exactly what I needed after this hectic semester. For those of you who may not know, I have spent the last six months working upwards of 80 hours a week and taking a full time graduate course load, trying to juggle work, school, relationships, and sanity to varying degrees of success. I spent most nights napping for a couple hours here and there, tending to Lou's needs, never really sleeping for any extended period of time and subsequently paying the price for this lifestyle in the currency of physical, emotional, and spiritual dollars; I nearly bankrupt my soul.

I tell you this, not to solicit your pity or come across as some sort of Superman, a compliment some people have falsely ascribed to me, but rather to give a frame of reference for my state when departing on this trip. I guess you could argue it was having consistent sleep, eating fresh food, or just being with my dad taking in the sights, sounds, and smells of Europe, but I believe God showed up big for me to restore my soul. I felt like angels came and were ministering to me.

I know this might sound like a little thing, but we had perfect weather the entire time! We had sun in London, breezes in Bavaria, snow in Switzerland, and thin crisp air in the alps. The rain in Oberammagau, where the Passion Play took place (the climax of the trip), had been constant every day until the day we arrived (according to Gündi, our wonderful little old B&B host) and then was gorgeous while we were there.

Watching the Passion Play itself was restoring also. I've seen more Jesus films than I can count, but there is something deeply different about seeing a huge stage packed full of people waving palm branches at a German Jesus and calling desperately for peace to come.

I took a heap of video that I am working on putting together into a movie of the trip. In the meantime I have a few photos online.

The Drinks We Don’t Drink and the Lives We Take (or why the Church should apply the same logic to military as they do to alcohol)

2010-02-27T20:29:00.003-05:00

*ADENDUM* I would like to start this off with a preface that apologizes for the misunderstanding that occurred when I originally posted this essay and to make it unequivocally clear that I both love and respect Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary as an institution, Dr. Danny Akin, our faithful president, and the faculty and staff of my seminary who serve King Jesus tirelessly. I have been inspired, edified, and sanctified by the Holy Spirit through their faithful exposition of the Word and constant challenge to live a life that reflects the Great Commission and the gospel of Jesus Christ. The only reason I bother in writing these articles is because I care enough about SEBTS and the SBC to take the time and effort to challenge the things I see as out of line with Scripture rather than throwing my hands up and just walking away, as some are prone to do (as we have been made painfully aware recently here at SEBTS).

In part, it is because of this teaching and adamant adherence to Scripture that I have been convicted by the Holy Spirit to share my thoughts on the issue of a seminary that actively endorses military involvement for its students. I personally feel that they should seek to discourage their students from taking up arms against their enemies, but I am aware that such a tremendous step would take the miraculous intervention of the Lord, not a silly blog by an obscure and overworked student. At the very least, however, I feel that the seminary has an obligation to at least remain consistent on this “gray area” by not inviting men in pressed green uniforms to stand up in the pulpit of our chapel where the Word of God is preached and tell the future ministers of this world to grab a gun and fall in line.

Furthermore, my primary problem is with the fundamentally inconsistent logic the administration engages in when on one hand there is the prohibition of the biblically sanctioned moderate use of alcohol while simultaneously endorsing military allegiance from its students. How deluded are we as a body of believers when the consumption of a beer is elevated to a higher priority level than the taking a human life? We have lost sight of what matters more (to intentionally allude to Derek Webb's recent album controversy) when the beverages we sip become more important than the blood we spill.

And, to be clear, despite my disagreement, I have adhered to the alcohol ban the entire time I have been in seminary, even when acting as the best man at my best friend’s wedding at a vineyard in Virginia last summer when I easily could have had a glass of champagne to toast his union to his wife without getting “caught” because I want to respect the authority of the seminary over me and submit to the covenant into which I have entered. I will not, however, submit in silence, when there are bigger issues at stake!

The good news out of all this controversy is that I now have some more time to sleep and do school work. The bad news is, as much as it grieves my spirit, I am no longer under the employ of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (not by my decision). That being said, here is a slightly edited version of the now notorious essay:

I know that not everyone feels the same way I do about the military and it's role in the world or in the life of a disciple of Jesus Christ (although, I do stand in good company, with the likes of Charles Spurgeon in my corner, a favorite Baptist preacher). I have tried to be open and listen to those who are proponents of "Just War" theories (I even attended a breakout session at the most recent 20/20 Conference with Dr. Heimbach who helped craft the Just War policy for the first President Bush during the Persian Gulf War). I was challenged by some of the Scriptures he used and how he applied them to the notion of war and peace, but, to be honest, I was left wholly unconvinced. At best there is an argument from silence that Christians are not prohibited, per se, from joining the military. Proponents of this point of view use verses such as Matthew 10:34 and 24:6, Luke 3:1, 14:31, and 22:36, Acts 10, and Romans 13:4 to defend their position. I do not think that Jesus’ acknowledging that wars and rumors of wars would always be with us is the same as saying we, as Christians, should participate in them or endorse them as a body. Jesus’ claim that He did not come to bring peace is because He was dispelling the misconception of being a political messiah instead of a spiritual messiah. This is not the same as saying that He does not desire peace on earth or that we should not be actively working towards bringing God’s Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven (sound familiar?).

Also, the decision for someone already in the military to finish out his term of service after conversion cannot be twisted to say that people who are already Christians are allowed/encouraged/commanded to join the military. These are NOT the same! The early church clearly held that centurion converts ought to finish their military duties, but they did not want Christians to join the military (until Constantine).

Finally, about the passage in Romans, a favorite go-to proof-text for military involvement by Christians, I want to make two points. First of all, the passage is referring to civil and domestic power. You can use this to argue for the existence of police and the judicial system. Second of all, it tells us to submit to those authorities, not participate with them, especially when they engage in activities that could be contrary to God’s will, purpose, and demonstration of His love and mercy.

I cannot look at the life and teaching of Christ as a whole and walk away with the thought that He would desire us to voluntarily enlist in the armed forces. Over and over Jesus encouraged peace through love, not violence.

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God" (Matthew 5:9)

"But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also...Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you..." (Matthew 5:39 - not "blow them up or point machine guns at them until they stop upsetting or threatening you"!)

"Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword." (Matthew 26:52).

There are a myriad of such examples – including the oft overlooked counterpart to the aforementioned Romans passage that is the context (hermeneutics 101) for their proof-text: Romans 12:9-21- Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (emphasis added)

Beyond the explicit teachings of Christ we have the example of His life, which we are implored to emulate, which was one of radical non-violence. Jesus did not retaliate when struck. Jesus did not choose to accomplish His will through overpowering others with military might. Jesus did not create a community with high walls and locked gates to keep “them” away from “us”. To quote an old hymn “…but He never said a mumblin’ word. Not a word, not a word, not a word, not a word. They all cried, “Crucify Him”… but He never said a mumblin’ word…”

Getting away from the aspect of non-violence in the personal Christian life, which I find to be almost overwhelming, let us talk about idolatry. I can also speak from the personal experience of having multiple family members in the military, having dated a Navy nurse for two years, and having close friends, fraternity brothers, and many acquaintances who are either in or preparing to enter the military and the detrimental effect that being a soldier had on their psyche and the lives of their (and my own) families. When one becomes a soldier they are broken down and rebuilt to have an allegiance to their country above all else. All else. When Jesus is teaching on finances during the Sermon on the Mount He tells us that, "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money." (Matthew 6:24) While Jesus is obviously talking about money here, I think the principle of not having any masters above Him is throughout Scripture (cf. Luke 14:26 for another example of not holding anything or anyone in a place of more importance than Christ or the first of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:3). When someone becomes a soldier, they are forced to forsake their identity in order to adopt a new one that is one of submission to country and commanding officers above all else. There is a subculture that is incredibly strong that supersedes any sense of self; a Christian soldier is no longer an adopted child redeemed by the blood of the Lamb but an "Army of one." There is a former Marine I know who no longer says, "amen" or "Hallelujah" when he agrees with something said in the sermon but rather he exclaims, "Hoo-Rah!" like a dog dreaming he is catching the mailman. He is a Marine first and a Christian second. He has told me that when he dons his uniform he is first and foremost a soldier who must act in that capacity above all else. This is idolatry! “You cannot serve two masters...”

I say all this because I was struck by a thought recently when yet another military man made a plug for becoming a [Army, Navy, Marines, whatever] chaplain during our chapel service here at Southeastern. I was struck by the inconsistency in logic I find coming from an institution that forces its faculty, staff, and students to be teetotalers because of the potential for sin involved with the consumption of alcohol. When I first arrived at Southeastern Dr. Akin put out a series of articles regarding the "Gray Areas" of life and how to make wise decisions in those areas. His argument is that, despite the fact that Jesus' first miracle was turning water into wine (John 2:1-11), the fact that Jesus instituted the drinking of alcohol in remembrance of His voluntary salvific self-sacrifice and spilling of His blood for the remission of our sins (Matthew 26:27-29, Mark 14:23-25, Luke 22:17-18), that [in the Old Testament especially] the Jews viewed wine (but not drunkenness) as a sign of joy and God's blessing (Psalm 104:15; Proverbs 3:10), or that Paul tells Timothy to drink wine instead of water (1 Timothy 5:23), that, despite all these, it is most wise to abstain from all alcohol due to the potential for addiction or making a brother "stumble."

One of the arguments that Dr. Akin makes is that we ought to ask the question, "Will this action potentially enslave me?" I think this is a wise question when it comes to alcohol; alcoholism runs deep in my family and I have seen the slavery that it can bring. However, as I mentioned earlier, military allegiance also runs deep in my family tree, and I can tell you that, as far as enslaving decisions go, selling your soul to Uncle Sam by enlisting in the military is an equal commitment to being a slave for the rest of your life. Just like a recovering alcoholic still identifies themselves as an alcoholic, even if they have not had a drink in years, so a former soldier will carry the emotional scars and damage of that decision and will forever be a "soldier."

Other questions Dr. Akin encourages asking about alcohol I think ought to be equally applied to the military are:

Will this action encourage my brother or sister in Christ?

Will this help or hinder my gospel witness?

Is this action consistent with my life in Christ?

Will this action follow the pattern of the life of Jesus?

Will this action show love to others?

Will this action honor my body which belongs to God?
Will this action glorify God?

These are all great questions that we should ask about everything we do in our lives... including our allegiance to the military! Stop for one minute and try to think outside of the American Dream indoctrination with which you have likely been flooded. Think through these questions through the filter of the gospel, not the Constitution. Can we really answer any of these questions in the affirmative when it comes to joining the military? Does dedicating your life to death (even if you make it more palatable by labeling it "freedom" or "liberty" or "justice for all") really follow the pattern of the life of Jesus? Does learning how to disassemble and reassemble an automatic weapon to shoot brown or yellow people who disagree with you or threaten your way of life bring glory to God? Does dropping bombs on innocent men, women, and children in hopes of assassinating a few "bad guys" (who still bear the Imago Dei) show love to others? I cannot wrap my head around how that could be so.

In a perfect world there would be no war; there would be no Hitlers or Husseins or Stalins or Castros. But there are. I know that. This is a complicated issue that requires careful prayer and consideration. All I know is that I cannot justify committing my life and allegiance to Uncle Sam instead of Jesus. Nobody said the gospel would be easy. No one promised perfection to be an overnight acquisition. Loving our enemies isn’t easy or else everyone would do it. “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

What frustrates me in regards to Southeastern's policy is what I perceive to be inconsistent logic. Either let me enjoy a Guinness (which is more Christian than the Army by far!) with my supper because we are adult Christians who enjoy the freedom and liberty that Christ paid dearly to grant us or stop pushing the military on me because all gray areas that have the potential to enslave us or make others fall into sin ought to be prohibited by the administration. We need to commit to one or the other. (At the very least be balanced and invite a non-violence organization to come speak in chapel and talk about opportunities to serve the world for peace and justice in ways that don’t require the shedding of blood.)

I know this is controversial, and I'm ok with that. I would love to hear your thoughts and dialogue about this issue with you over coffee. I just ask that you really think/pray/meditate/challenge your preconceptions before doing so. I have taken time and sought God extensively before writing this. This is not an article I take lightly, but it is one that I feel I must share out of a conviction I believe to be from the Holy Spirit. At one time I actually planned on joining the military until the Lord convicted me about what truly being under the Lordship of Christ (not the Commander in Chief) meant.

Thank you for pushing yourself, even if you still disagree with me.

In love and seeking Truth,

Your brother.

Love & Respect (or how to make sense of the gender static)

2010-01-24T21:02:00.002-05:00

Love & Respect: The Love She Most Desires; The Respect He Desperately Needs by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs

Love & Respect is rooted in (However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.) to find why it is that men and women often have trouble communicating in relationships with one another. The premise is that women desire to be shown they are loved whereas men are more focused on feeling respected. This is not to say that men do not desire love nor that women have no need for respect, but rather, that each gender has a different emphasis and, thus, there can be something “lost in the translation” when going from male to female and vice versa.

While I am as of yet unmarried, I have had girlfriends with whom there have been times where, despite earnest efforts on both our parts, there was a fundamental communication breakdown that left us both feel, well, crazy. Dr. Eggerichs aptly refers to this as the “Crazy Cycle” (without love she reacts without respect; without respect he reacts without love; without love… well, you get the idea!). Reading this book gave me great insight into how better to communicate with not only my girlfriend, but also women in my life in general. I realized why I misunderstood what women have tried to communicate to me in the past and how I can better express myself so as to ensure that what I intend to say is received correctly (so that the words that come out of my blue megaphone can be understood through her pink hearing aid without getting drowned out by gender static).

Grounded in biblical truth and psychological research, Dr. Eggerichs successfully conveys his message in an easy to read format that is as entertaining as it is insightful. I would recommend this book to anyone who has ever been in a failed relationship and hopes to someday be in one that works!

Haiti (or evil can bring out the good in people)

2010-01-19T16:51:00.003-05:00

I would love to write more about the phenomena of evil bringing out the best parts of humanity as it drives people together for the greater good and to sacrifice of themselves for those who are suffering, but I am stretched absurdly thin with four jobs and a J-term class (Baptist History condensed into two weeks...) so it will have to take the back burner for now (but I'll do my best to come back to it!).

In the meantime, please check out this Paste site to donate to Haitian relief and then receive over 250 previously unreleased songs for free!

Artists include: Ludacris, Hanson, Switchfoot, Kevin Barnes (from Of Montreal), Andrew Bird, Marco Benevento, Sarah Borges, Bruce Cockburn, Jason Isbell, Bill Mallonee, Mugison, Sila and the Afrofunk Experience, Wovenhand, Xiu Xiu, Arrested Development, Ben Folds, Bob Mould, Cee Lo Green, Cowboy Junkies, Emmylou Harris, Indigo Girls, Josh Ritter, Marc Broussard, Mark Kozelek, The Greencards, Matthew Sweet, Of Montreal, Passion Pit, Patterson Hood, She & Him, The Avett Brothers, Dan Dyer, The Decemberists, The Jayhawks, The Minus 5, The Low Anthem, Wovenhand, Willard Grant Conspiracy, Jill Andrews and The String Cheese Incident. (Note: Some of these songs are from the “Save Paste” campaign.)

Paste says, "We don’t think people should donate to the relief efforts in Haiti just to get a reward. But this gives Paste and artists a way to help, using the thing we’re most passionate about—music. If you've already donated elsewhere, we hope you'll tell us and take advantage of the free songs. We want to make a strong statement of concern and show the generosity of our readers and the music community in general. We also hope you'll continue giving as you are able."

Please donate!

Sovereignty, Omniscience, and Prayer (or why prayer probably doesn't work that way you think it does)

2009-12-08T14:39:00.012-05:00

I recently wrote a research paper for my theology class examining the relationship and interaction between God's sovereignty, omniscience, and prayer, or, more simply put, answering the question, "Why do we pray?".

I was first acutely confronted with articulating my thoughts on this issue while in India this past summer when I engaged in a great discussion with my friend Ashley, one of the woman on our team, about the nature and purpose of prayer. She, like many Christians, had a very simple understanding of prayer. I don't mean this as condescending, just as an observation and way to establish the starting point from which our exploration began. I have discovered that many Christians will create or accept a simple theological understanding of a complex issue without following through its implications to their logical conclusion. I have come to view every idea as a domino that will inevitably come into contact with other dominoes of ideas; if these dominoes all collapse, where will they end up? If that destination does not match Scripture, I must reevaluate where I have placed my domino.

In this example, the starting point is that God must answer prayers. This is fair enough, and, I would say, not inherently false given a proper understanding of what "to answer" means. The trouble is that people get as far as, "I pray and then God does what I ask Him to do because I asked Him" without following that through to see how it affects the idea of God's omniscience (foreknowledge) and sovereignty (control over all things). The trouble with God doing something just because we prayed about it implicitly implies that God did not know prior to our prayer what action He was going to carry out and we have just inadvertently destroyed omniscience and shrunk God into something much smaller and more impotent than a Scriptural understanding of God. This is loosely known as open theism, a borderline (if not outright) heretical theology that forces God into the box of linear history and accuses Him of being unable to know events that have yet to transpire (for us). They believe that our prayers affect God as much if not more than His own will does. The hubris of such a statement is mind boggling to me! The fundamental presupposition of this type of claim is tantamount to accusing God of, in some scenario, being less [loving, wise, insightful, interactive, etc.] than His creation (humans). Follow that thought through: God intends to carry out plan "X", yet this does not please [person] who prays fervently and faithfully for God to ameliorate His decision and acquiesce to plan "Y", which [person] has conceived to be the better option. God, in His humility, realizes the error of His ways, kicks Himself (anthropomorphically, of course) for not having thought of this far superior plan on His own, and changes His plan to fall into our wise[r] advice. Is there anything more absurd than this anthropocentric view of our relationship with God? Meanwhile, Copernicus is calling to remind us that we're still not the center of the universe!

Now we're stuck with the question, "If God already knows everything and what He's going to do, why bother praying?" This is a fair question and the impetus of my paper. We must learn to live in the dynamic tension that Scripture presents; the Bible clearly repeatedly commands us to pray (the word "pray" appears over 2,500 times in the Bible!). Jesus not only Himself prayed (Mark 1:35; John 17 - each example from Scripture will be one of the many rather than an exhaustive list of the pertinent verses and will focus on the New Testament, though my paper examines examples from the Old Testament as well) but taught us how to pray (Matthew 6:5-15); Paul speaks of his own prayer life (Philippians 1:3-5) as well as commanding us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17); James tells us the prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working (James 5:16). So how do we understand these passages in relation to the teachings in Scripture that God foreordains events (Ephesians 1:3-6) while not falling into the trap of determinism that dismantles human free will and thus moral responsibility (Romans 1:28-32)?

I would agree with the wisdom of Bonhoeffer (among many other godly theologians who fall into the category known as classical theism) that prayer is designed to change us, not God. We pray because God has decided to gift us with the joy of taking part in His plan, His will, His presence... When we pray we enter into God's courts and slowly, through sanctification, become more like Him. As we become more like Him we pray within His established will (Matthew 26:39-42) as well as carry out His will on earth as it already is in heaven (Matthew 6:10).

The doctrine of prayer is an intensely complex issue that deserves the time and effort to wrestle with Scripture and come to a proper understanding of what the nature and purpose of prayer is. If you would like my thoughts on the issue, here is my paper, and I am always open to dialogue on my conclusions and I love to explore in community so feel free to contact me with questions/comments/etc.!

I pray that you are blessed by my offering and that God may use the time and effort I put into this work to bring you closer to Him for His glory alone.

Exodus 3:1-12 (or why "Who am I?" is the wrong question)

2009-11-13T15:49:00.005-05:00

Today was my third and final sermon for my preaching class. You may notice that my Mark sermon never got posted. Due to some technical difficulties it was not recorded properly and thus was not uploaded. I am working on getting a copy to post, but for now here is my sermon on Exodus.

It is bittersweet to be finished with this class; I am glad to not have the pressure of writing any more sermons and so freeing up time to focus on the rest of my classes as the semester's end looms heavy on the horizon, but I will miss preaching and how it forced me deep into the Word. I am hopeful I will have other opportunities to preach in the future to utilize all that I've learned!

Here is my sermon on Exodus 3:1-12. I decided to preach extemporaneously without my manuscript, so you may notice some stark contrasts between my manuscript and the sermon itself, but I am proud of both.

Here is my sermon manuscript if you want to compare ;^)
I also would love to hear whatever feedback you may have. It may be too late to apply to the class, but never too late to improve how I bring God's Word to His people!

[Disclaimer: this sermon was prepared for and preached to seminary men. As such there is a level of assumed knowledge and background that may not be universal to non-seminarians. If you have questions, please feel free to ask!]

I realize I have been derelict in putting up anything close to regular posts, but this semester has been kicking my butt. I will try to get back on track here pretty soon, so keep on checking back!

Ephesians 4:11-16 (or what the pastor's role is in ministry)

2009-09-11T18:10:00.004-04:00

This is the sermon I preached today on Ephesians 4:11-16 in Appleby Chapel at Southeastern Seminary for my sermon delivery class. It's nice and short (we were given only 15 minutes to preach!). The sound quality is a little low so that I could get the file size small enough to upload it, but in case you wanted to hear what I had to say to a room full of potential pastors, here you go!

I hope you enjoy it and if you have any questions for me please feel free to ask 'em.

Here is the manuscript if you want to read along!

I am still working on getting my 2 Timothy sermon online, but since it was 35 minutes long the only way to get the file size small enough is to make the audio almost painfully terrible. I'm working on some other options, so hopefully that can get posted sometime, too.

Thank you for your love.

Fearless (or Max Lucado's theology of sovereignty)

2009-09-08T01:12:00.004-04:00

I am now a book reviewer for Thomas Nelson book publishers. To be perfectly honest I only signed up so that I could get an early copy of Donald Miller's new book, but that didn't work out since there were only 250 and they were snatched up in under a half hour! Despite my disappointment, I am thankful to be have been able to read Max Lucado's new book, Fearless, an unexpected blessing!

Max Lucado’s newest non-fiction release, Fearless, is an easily accessible and enjoyable look at God’s sovereignty. The main premise is that if God is in control of everything, how can we be afraid of anything? Through 14 concise and engaging chapters, Lucado addresses various fears such as not mattering, disappointing God, protecting your family, and even our own date with death. Filled with biblical truth and a strong theology of God’s sovereignty, Fearless tackles the most fundamental problem, our fear itself.
While this book is not a true theological exposition on the topic, Lucado does a great job of handling the material in such a way that people at any stage of spiritual maturity and understanding stand to benefit from the insightful witticisms and true to life anecdotes that help illustrate the truth behind his bold assertion that we have no need to fear.

Each chapter is written in such a way as to shine light onto different aspects of the shadow that is fear while avoiding the redundancy associated with writing on such a nebulous topic. Encouraging without ignoring the passages of Scripture that are challenging to understand and call us to change, Fearless is a great reminder that God has both the ability and the desire to take care of His children!

For more information listen to the author explain the book:

I will be reviewing more in the future, though it may be a little while since I have so much assigned reading for seminary right about now... which reminds me, I should go finish that theology assignment.

Go, Send, or Disobey (or why "Am I called to go" is the wrong question)

2009-08-19T08:02:00.006-04:00

My pastor, J.D. Greer, posted a blog today featuring a video that moved me so much I wanted to make it available on my blog as well (see below). The video features the song "Tears of the Saints" by Leeland as well as some moving quotes by (one of my favorite preachers/teachers/authors) John Piper. The impetus of the video is to demonstrate why a commitment to world missions is crucial for Christians.

One of the challenges I have received while attending Southeastern is to re-evaluate the question that many Christians, myself included, are inclined to ask when faced with the Great Commission. That question is generally posed as "Am I called to be a missionary? Am I called to go?" The short answer to this is "Yes!" You are. If you are a follower of Jesus, you are called to be a missionary. Jesus is clear that this is His desire for each of His disciples (Matthew 24:14, 28:19; Mark 13:10, 16:15; Luke 24:47,48; Acts 13:47, just to name a few). The question, rather, ought to be posed "Am I called to stay? Is God asking me not to go?"

This is a hard question to ask, don't misunderstand me! I know that life as a full time missionary to an unreached people group is fraught with peril and many, if not most, of the comforts of a private American life are absent. But what more important calling could you receive? What a blessing it is to be allowed by God to take part in His plan of redemption for His creation who have rejected Him?

In Paul outlines our purpose and role:

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

So, therefore, we are to go, to send, or to live in disobedience to God's Word. Please do not get me wrong, God will save those whom He has predestined to save (; ; ; ; ; again, just to name a few). We cannot derail God's plan! We can neither save anyone nor hinder salvation from reaching anyone. We are not that powerful. God is the sole author and decider of salvation. But what we can do is miss out on the blessing that God is offering us by allowing us to take part in His gift of grace through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus the Christ, who allowed for the remission of sins through the spilling of His sinless blood. Missions is not an obligation, but a gift. May we obey God's call to fulfill the Great Commission!

Summer in South India Part 2 (or how to say "I do" in Malayalam)

2009-08-18T12:22:00.007-04:00

After we landed in Kochin we had a multi-hour drive to Ranni, our first destination. This was a long and perilous journey that only served as a type for the many like it, an ominous foreshadowing of Indian travel. One of the hardest things to get used to in India, for me, was the terrible infrastructure and lack of enforcement of motor vehicle laws. The roads in India, when paved at all, are full of potwholes (like potholes, only they swallow your car whole) and drivers pay no mind to the apparently optional lane lines painted on the road. Roads twist and turn with no reason and the width varies by kilometer. Rather than turn signals and patience, flashing high beams and honking horns alert other vehicles to your presence and/or desire to go around them. People drive in between lanes, straddling dotted lines, weaving in between three wheeled motorized rickshaws and helmet-less motorcycle drivers in a race to be the first to the scene of the imminent accident. India is not for you if you are at all prone to motion sickness. One of our team members, One Shoe Osborne, spent most of every vehicle ride trying to keep the curry down. Add to that the painful fact that the car we were using would play a version of "It's a Small World" that sounded like what would happen if the car had run over the CPU then tried to run a DOS game featuring the MIDI tune. On more than one occasion the tune got stuck and stayed on for the duration of our hours long journey. I was not thinking very missionary-ey thoughts by the end of those trips.

Upon arriving in Ranni we stopped off at a hotel. Now, when I say hotel, I mean restaurant. Why, then, do I say hotel? Great question; I'm glad you asked. I have no idea. For some reason (well, that may not fair. I assume there is a reason, but that can pose to be a dangerous assumption in India) restaurants, irregardless of whether or not there are rooms for rent on a nightly basis, are called hotels. So, we stopped at a "hotel" for dinner. One of my favorite things about India was the food. I love Indian food (to the point that Susan, Andy's wife, is convinced I need to marry an Indian woman so I can eat it all the time... surprisingly tempting). I love spicy food, so a country that puts hot peppers in everything (including their donuts!) is all right with me! And food is cheap! We could go out and get more food than any of us could eat for nominally $4 each (including drinks and dessert).

South India is beautiful. I mean, stunning! To be honest, I was not expecting that at all. My only frame of reference for India was watching Slumdog Millionaire and Outsourced both of which take place in North India (imagine if you thought all of America looked like Manhattan and then you fly into the Redwood Forest of Northern California). We arrived during monsoon season which meant the heat was not too bad, but the humidity is always just below breaking point, exceeding it every few hours for a brief and unannounced downpour. When the rain comes the power goes and it is anyone's guess as to how long it will stay off. Although disconcerting at first I no longer even noticed it after a week or so.

One of the first things we did in Ranni was to go shopping as we recovered from our jet lag so as to have appropriate attire for the wedding we were to attend. This is a picture from the after-party event where we all visit the groom's home and the wife is "given over" to the new family. I looked like Aladdin.

The ceremony, in its entirety was beautiful. The wedding itself was (again) not what I expected. We started the day with a huge photo shoot at the bride's home (while the same event occurred simultaneously for the groom and his family at his home). It was odd being in the pictures since I did not really know anyone and I can imagine years from now their wedding album full of random white people that were there for only a week or so. But, they insisted. After the glamour shots were taken we were chauffeured to the church in the rain where we hobnobbed some more (being white in South India is like being a rockstar in Kansas; everyone wants a piece of the action and a picture with you).

The ceremony took ages to start, but once it did there was not so much as a pause. There was no down time from beginning to end (just shy of an hour). The photographers / videographers were present and active the entire time. They paced the isles with cameras rolling. Rather than the sporadic imposition of flash bulbs, however, they used ultra bright spotlights mounted atop their equipment that blinded us every time they turned our direction. I'm talking about construction site strength blinding halogen beams of red-eye. It became a game to time it just right to duck as the cameras spun our way. I'm sure there will be a lot of pictures of the tops and backs of our heads. I still see spots.

One of the most interesting things about the wedding was that the entire ceremony was sung by three alternating pastors and every once in a while a small choir would chime in. It was like watching a Malayalam version of Handel's Messiah. Unlike an American wedding, where you sit for the ceremony but stand for the bride's entrance and exit, we stood for the entire ceremony except for the bride's arrival and departure. This proved to be exhausting in the heat.

After the wedding we were served an amazing Indian food feast (which, I suppose, when in India, is just called a meal) where the priests and newlyweds ate on a stage for the guests to watch.

~~

Once again, stay tuned for another post about our trips to the actual orphanages (do you like how I have written two posts and still not covered the aspect of the trip that was the driving force behind going to India?)

Summer in South India Part 1 (or the miracle of arrival)

2009-07-31T12:15:00.001-04:00

The flight to India is long and crowded, the recycled air wafting the faint odor of stale curry and impatience. Fifteen hours of sitting in one place is enough to drive anyone mad, though some seem to get there sooner than others. The family next to me is from India but live in the United States now. Their daughter is in the seat adjacent to mine. She is maybe five years old and she is about the most adorable little girl I've ever seen (aside from my little sister, of course!). She loved to pretend to call people from the phone/remote in the arm rest between us. We watched Disney shows and she examined my Bible and books with great consternation.

Landing in New Delhi was a wave of surreal relief. Maybe I should backtrack some. Less than a week before I was meant to fly out for my month long excursion to India I received an email from Andy, the team leader, asking if I had my visa for India. The short answer was no, I did not. There had been an apparent breakdown in communication and I was not told I needed to get my visa in advance. It had not occurred to me that I would need to apply in advance. Every other country I have visited granted visas at customs, so, insofar as I had not been informed otherwise, I made the unfortunate assumption India was the same. I was wrong. So there I was, days from departure with no visa and no idea what to do. I spent two days scrambling to get everything I needed shipped off to Washington D.C. (including my passport!) to apply to the consulate for permission to enter their country. After being notified by email that they had received my application I was called to be informed that there was no possible way that the application would be reviewed and approved in time, despite my payment to have it expedited.

Many hours of prayer and frantic phone calls later I resigned myself to the fact that I probably was not going to be able to go to India after all. I felt very hopeless, but decided to turn it over to the Lord with the trust that if He is powerful enough to move mountains He is powerful enough to cut red tape, so, if He wanted me to go, He'd have to make it happen. He did. They approved my 10 year visa and overnighted it to me on Saturday so that I would be ready to fly on Monday.

So, when I touched down in Delhi, it was a miracle in my mind. I had no idea what to expect. I have traveled the world and the seven seas (because sweet dreams are made of these? ...now that song is stuck in your head, isn't it?) but knew that India would be an experience unto itself. I made it through customs with ease and Andy was there to meet us. We took an adrenaline filled taxi ride to a hotel (an actual hotel, not a restaurant, but more on that later) where I met JP, Andy's Indian best friend and then I slept hard. In the morning we awoke to Susan, Andy's wife, arriving with V.S. Uncle and Jessie Auntie. In India the term "uncle" and "auntie" are attached as a dyslexic term of respect and endearment, so everyone, our team included, is called as such. Indians have a hard time with the difference between the "d" and "t" sounds, so Andy was usually called "Auntie Uncle". When the children forgot my name I became "Jesus Uncle" due to my big beard and long(ish) hair. V.S. Thomas works for Emmanuel Ministries running one of the orphanages and he is with whom we stayed while in Ranni (or Ranny, depending on the sign). He is an amazing man of God who has been imprisoned for his unwavering faith in Jesus Christ and his willingness and determination to minister to the abandoned children of India. I have the utmost respect for this affable man and hope to someday be a man of God as he is.

We left our hotel to return to the airport so that we could fly to Kochin in Kerala (or Kochi, Cochin, Cochi... I really do not understand why they do not decide on a single spelling for cities and standardize it). Every time the taxi stopped there were emaciated brown hands reaching upward to our windows begging for Rupees so as to buy food, perhaps for the first time in days. The gaunt faces of hungry passers-by would stare longingly at my pale-skinned smile hoping that I would dole out financial assistance. I would have fed every one of them, if I could have. I never got used to the hollow eyes of infants desperately clutching their mothers as they were held up as props of poverty to break the hearts of tourists. I hope I never will.

During the flight to Kochin I finished reading The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne. If you are a thinking Christian, and I pray that you are (after all, Jesus commanded it - c.f. Matthew 22:36,37), I could not recommend this book highly enough to you! It convicted my lifestyle and made my own "activism" seem like a farce, a child's sandcastle built on the beach of a moat guarding an ancient stone fortress. I desire to live with such abandon for Jesus. I want to sell all I have and give it to the poor. Yet I am afraid. I have little faith. The "real world" of student loans, car payments, and health insurance premiums beckon my already seemingly meager bank account balance. Despite this, although I am still drowsy from its grip, I have been shaken awake from the American Dream, forced to see it for what it is, or, more importantly, what it is not. I am no longer able to see how the American Dream is in any way reconcilable with the gospel. To me they appear as mutually exclusive forces, pulling in opposite directions and leaving me with a divided heart. I cannot serve two masters. I feel as though my limbs are being wretched from their sockets as my heart and soul are extricated from the grip of my wallet.

~~

Stay tuned for more posts about my month in India! Thank you for all your prayers and support. You all helped make my trip amazing! Blessings.

Time Lapse (or God in slow motion)

2009-06-16T15:01:00.005-04:00

This is an astounding video that Pilar showed me that a friend of her friend made by taking time lapse photos in Yosemite National Park. It is set to part of my favorite Sigur Rós song, Svefn-G-Englar. It displays the majesty of this creation that God has allowed us to enjoy.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. (For the HD version, go to the original Vimeo page!)

I am working on getting my sermon up here soon for any of you who are interested in hearing it!

Fresh Aesthetics (or making sure you don't forget me)

2009-06-02T11:17:00.002-04:00

I know it's been a little while since a "real" post and I promise I'm working on some, but for now I thought I'd just add this widget I found for the "I Heart Revolution" project Hillsong is working on.

The Story of Stuff (or economics 101)

2009-05-15T00:37:00.005-04:00

There is a great video circulating now called the Story of Stuff that outlines the production cycle. It explains the dangers of our consumerist mentality and how we can overcome it. I know you are busy, but take the 20 minutes to watch this video and then share it with someone that you know. As you have probably figured out, I'm very passionate about America overcoming our addiction to the functional savior "stuff." As Christians we are called to a higher standard than what the world accepts as the status quo (Romans 12:2). That means being educated and then acting on what you learn.

Educate yourself - Learn.

Educate your friends - Share.

Think before you act - Intention.

Love better, because that's what Jesus wants - Holistic.

Tattoo Day (or how loud actions can lead to soft words)

2009-05-10T14:05:00.001-04:00

Friday was tattoo day. I was a like a giddy child on Christmas morning. I've been wanting a new tattoo for ages now (and by ages I mean since my last one healed last September... but that's forever in tattoo years - similar to dog years only more painful) and my soon-to-leave brother in Christ Daryl decided he wanted to go with me to get his first tattoo, a momentous occasion in any young man's life. I woke up about a dozen times before my alarm went off with a surge of adrenaline and excitement, only to realize I had more sleepy time left and could roll over to venture back off into my crazy head full of dreams about the upcoming tattoo experience.

When it was finally time to get up I sprang out of bed like Tigger after a heaping bowl of Cocoa Puffs to get mentally and physically prepared for the blissful torture of getting inked. I decided to be proactive and shave the underside of my forearm, the future location of my newest permanent skin disfigurement. I showered, combed my hair, and even put on shoes (I told you, it's a big day!).

Anne Marie came over to ride with us and provide moral support and photographic skills for our outing. On the way to Raleigh I received a phone call from the studio that Steve, our artist, was running late and could we come in half an hour later. No problem, right? We just decided to stop off on the way and get some delicious cupcakes and flip through tattoo idea books while we waited for him to arrive. After about another 30 minutes or so of waiting (now an hour past appointment time...) the receptionist came over to us to explain that Steve's five year old daughter, Violet, was sick at school and they were unable to reach "his baby's momma." As such, Steve would be unable to come in and we would need to reschedule our appointment.

My heart sank.

I had been so excited and now I would have to wait... again! Also, and maybe even more so, I had already shaved my arm, so now I have a shaved arm and no healing tattoo to explain its presence. Daryl and I went over and rescheduled for two weeks later.

We totally understood that Steve needed to take care of his daughter and emphatically explained that we were not upset about the turn of events as the receptionist apologized profusely. We repeatedly assured them we were not angry. Lacie, one of the other artists, overhead the exchange and marveled as we were walking away how refreshing it was to have customers who were not total [jerks] (her expression was a little more colorful, but, seeing as this is a "Christian blog" I figured I would edit a little...). I was glad that she felt that way and prayed that maybe God could use this little act as another seed of the gospel.

I would be lying if I said I was not severely disappointed and a little confused as to why God would cancel our appointment. (Do you like how I tossed God in there? It's true, though. I believe strongly in the sovereignty of God and always assume that He has a reason for allowing and disallowing events to take place. Did God not want me to get tattooed? Was He displeased that I was dragging Daryl down with me? Do I just need to learn a little patience and the benefit of delayed gratification?) I had now wasted a morning and enough petrol to drive into Raleigh and back with nothing but a sad heart, naked forearm, and cupcake laden tummy to show for it.

Chris, a fellow Southeastern student, won a free luau party at Rum Runners and invited the three of us to attend and watch the dueling piano contest (they had a few rotating musicians, some more skilled than others. Daryl later stated, and I quote, "the really big pianist was my favorite." Maybe I'm just immature, but that's funny. I guess he just prefers a big pianist. Don't we all...) so we drove back out to Raleigh to eat some salt-lick ham slices, meatballs, and stale store-bought cookies while singing along to oldies butchered by drunk middle-aged patrons.

On the drive out to Raleigh the Holy Spirit laid on my heart that it might speak an extra loud word of grace if we stopped by a pharmacy and picked up a teddy bear and get well card for Steve's daughter and dropped it off for whenever he came in (the only reason I blame God is that I know I don't usually think of things like this, so it had to have been Him that created this desire in me; I am due no credit, but to God be the glory for His love!). That way, not only did we not throw a temper tantrum when our appointment got rescheduled last minute, but we came back to pour out extra love that surely did not come from us but would open the door for us to point back to God.

Phoenix Tattoo closes at 10 p.m. on Friday nights, so we decided to leave Rum Runners around nine to venture in search of a Kwik-e-Mart type shop. We followed Anne Marie's GPS on foot around a two block radius to no avail. It turns out that everything closes absurdly early, even on Fridays. We finally found one that was open, but five blocks away. To save us a futile trip, Anne Marie called ahead to see if they stocked any cards. "Cards... yes, we have cards," the man with a thick accent on the other end of the phone assured her. We decided to hike there through a "densly populated vastly rebuilding urban based affordable housing district" (or ghetto, for those of you not interested in being politically correct) where Daryl, Anne Marie, and I were now the minorties. After 15 minutes of assuring Anne Marie we were not going to die, we arrived at a glorified liquor store to discover the cards the man spoke of were phone cards, you know, for calling your parole officer from a pay phone.

Feeling defeated and pretty sure that I had lied to Anne Marie about not dying, we walked back towards my car parked in front of the bar. We found a Rite-Aid in the GPS that was a mile in the other direction and decided to just drive there, assuming it was a safer bet given that we now had only 30 minutes until closing time. We arrived and found the card isle. After reading a few lame ones we decided on a simple and understated card with a cartoon drawing and no overly cheesy poem hiding inside. Daryl found a stuffed frog with magnetic hands that held a card and we grabbed a smiley face sqeeze stress ball that looked cute and rang it up. We signed the card and drove over to Phoenix, praying they did not close early since it was now about 9:50.

We parked right in front and ran inside with our offering in hand. To our surprise Steve was sitting there with the receptionist that had been there that morning. He was in the middle of telling her how bad he felt for cancelling for us. When he saw what we had in our hands he almost teared up. He was truly moved that we thought of his daughter and came all the way back just to give him the card and stuffed animal. In an effort to reinforce God's grace, not ours, we just explained that we were praying for his daughter and wanted to hopefully cheer her up so she would feel better soon. We once again assured Steve that we were not upset and were just glad to hear his daughter was feeling better already.

As we were about to leave, Steve told us he was more than happy to stay late and do our tattoos right then, if we wanted! I could not see myself, but I was told that my excitment was palpable. After double checking to make sure he really didn't mind staying we gratefully accepted his offer and prepared for tattoo time.

Daryl went first and used every opportunity given to him to share why he was getting "Jesus is Lord" tattooed on him in Greek. He talked about moving to North Africa and how God had saved him from his sin. It was beautiful. When it was my turn Daryl continued to ask Steve spiritual questions and Steve was more than happy to respond. I mostly listened, adding little bits and pieces here and there, but mostly distracted by the needles invading my arm.

When I was done and Steve cleaned everything up Daryl asked if we could pray for him. After a moment of hesitation he agreed asking if we would be willing to also pray for his daughter. Daryl then led us in a very moving prayer for Steve and his daughter. It was very beautifully done, not too preachy, but still pointing to Jesus the Christ as Savior and Lord over all. Steve seemed deeply moved and, after the final amen, gave each of us a big bear hug and deep thanks.

I cannot help but believe that God orchestrate the change of appointment time. Steve even mentioned in passing that he was not sure why he was still there when we arrived but had, on a "whim," decided to just hang out after his last customer even though everyone else was leaving. I think God kept him there.

I do need to learn patience. But more than that, I think God wanted to give us the chance to show the love of Christ to a man that many Christians would probably write off or avoid out of misconception or even fear. We were able to be a blessing and preach the Word by our actions in a way that may have been less audible if we had just arrived and been tattooed as planned. I think our prayer for Steve penetrated his heart deeper than it otherwise may have.

Steve did not have a grand conversion experience then and there full of tears and pleas to God for forgivness, but I have not given up on him. I will be faithful to pray for him and even get a dozen more tattoos if that's what it takes for him to meet Jesus (I am full of humble sacrifice ;-) I am happy to be a gardener that plants the seeds and trust that the Son will shine down and make it grow.

So, soak it up. Look for God in everyday situations. Be willing to preach the Word, in season and out of season, even when it messes up your plans for the day; God isn't surprised when things "go wrong" and He isn't scrambling to figure out what to do about it. Just be open to His Spirit moving and go with God's flow.

Have you had any experiences of providential intervention that you clearly saw God move? I'd love to hear how God has used you in ways you did not expect!

In Defense of Music Snobbery (or why I judge you by your music)

2009-04-25T14:30:00.006-04:00

I submit that it is not actually shallow to ascertain a more complete picture of a person based on something seemingly superficial such as the music he or she listens to. Some will argue that you should not, speaking purely in hypotheticals, of course, break up with a girl over the fact that she listens to terrible music. I would disagree.

Musical taste is a fantastic glimpse at much deeper character indicators. I believe music is poetry that speaks to the soul in ways which we may not even be fully aware. The combination of verbal expression (lyrics) with the sonic ebb and flow (melody) creates a layered aural massage that can elicit emotional responses unique to that place and time, never to be repeated. If your soul is stirred by "Don't try to treat me like I ain't famous. My apologies, are you into astrology? Cause I'm, I'm tryin to make it to Uranus..." (Kanye West thinks he's the spokesperson of my generation... I pray to God he's wrong.) then I really don't want to have anything to do with you as a human being, much less move toward a lifelong commitment with a shared future. If what makes you happy is an overproduced recording of studio musicians fronted by a glorified prostitute, then, more power to you, but please step back so I don't accidentally catch any of your stupid.

Bad music is like gum you find under your seat at the cinema when you're looking for that Lemonhead you dropped and you pretend that you're just going to pick it up to be courteous to the custodian that has to come in and clean up after your hysterical but extremely crude movie finishes (the one you secretly love but will tell all your friends that it made you really uncomfortable so they don't judge you and put you on the "express train to Heck" list. That's right, my friends are so Holy they only darn me to heck so as not to risk being obscene.), but really you plan on blowing on it and subtly eating it when everyone has forgotten that you even dropped one because Paul Rudd and Jason Segal are serenading each other to Rush. You feel around for some lemony goodness but then get a fingerful of sticky-minty-germy goodness that, no matter how many times you lick your finger, will be too coated in old sugar to get anything out of your pocket without it looking like a lint version of Fun Dip. Bad music infects your auditory association cortex and then takes up residence there. Forever. It just keeps showing up, unannounced and uninvited, perhaps to play video games in your roommate's empty room instead of spending time with his wife and kids like a normal 30-odd year old man might... I mean, song... (lots of, uh, er, um, hypotheticals today...). You can try to replace it, but, to my knowledge they have not yet created a Handi Wipe for the brain.

There are some great resources for finding music that will not lower your IQ or decay your soul. I have been very pleased with a blog that Anne Marie showed me recently called The Blah Blah. It covers Christian music that maintains not only spiritual integrity but artistic integrity as well. Like many Jesus-loving audiophiles I am often dismayed by the rubbish I hear in the mainstream outlets. There is hope! I have recently been devouring Preson Phillips' album “The Observant and the Anawim”which you can download for free from his website (so there is nothing to lose in experimenting on some great worship tunes!). His record label, Come&Live is creating a fantastic model for disseminating music with purpose by creating

"a non-profit organization with the ambitious vision of challenging a generation to live simply so as to give more generously to the needs of others. We support, train, equip, and mentor artists with the goal of living as missionaries to a generation of desperate youth. Much was given to us, therefore much is required of us. The art we create and distribute is offered simply as a gift, with 100% of our profits being willingly and cheerfully given to the needs of others through-out the world. We are a ministry that preaches and teaches the Gospel of Jesus Christ as taught in the Holy Bible.The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Our very existence and every aspiration is to love the LORD our God with all our hearts, with all our souls, with all our minds, and with all our strength. This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘We shall love our neighbor as ourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these. (Mark 12: 29-31)"

Another great group is Willowfair (their record "The Lie Within" can also be downloaded for free or as pay what you want). They are both haunting and comforting at once like a lone candle in a drafty cottage. NoiseTrade (where I discovered these guys) is a great resource for experiencing great bands with no risk since it is pay what you want or tell five friends. Plus it was started by Derek Webb... 'nuff said.

Finally, I love Paste Magazine because they are honest and give as much (if not more) space to the little guys as they do the big ones. I have learned of some amazing artists from the Paste Sampler (a free CD that comes with every issue). Worth the subscription cost!

Where do you hear about music? What are some bands that you've been rockin' out to recently that you think deserve some respect as artists rather than just marketing machines? Who would you recommend for top billing on my next mix CD?

Addendum
I meant to add this in the original post, but I forgot, so here it is now!

Another great resource for music in general and cheap music in particular is Amazon MP3. It is way better than iTunes. It's no secret that I'm a huge proponent of Apple, but I kinda hate the iTunes store. Their free weekly downloads are usually pretty terrible and they make it truly difficult to change your music library over when you get a new computer (I know they are trying to hamper music piracy, but I get so frustrated having to "authorize" my new computer for every song I've ever purchased...). Amazon MP3 does not have any restrictions on their MP3s. Once you download and pay for them, they are yours! And, Amazon offers over 500 songs for free (including full albums) all the time as well as tons of albums for especially cheap to help you fill in the gaps in your music library. Also, because Apple has physical presence with brick and mortar stores, in most states they have to charge tax on your downloads. Thus your $0.99 download turns into $1.06. not a lot of money, but it adds up over time. Amazon is solely online and, as such, do not have to charge you tax. There is also a daily album on sale for $1.99 (and good albums, too. I bought U2's newest album, No Line on the Horizon from them on the one day sale) and every week there are five eclectic albums chosen to be on sale for $5 each. When you download from them it is automatically added to your iTunes library, so you do not have to worry about not finding the music you've purchased. I'm a huge fan! I hope this helps you to keep on rockin' in the free world...

Information Overload (or you just have to know where to look)

2009-04-15T14:23:00.000-04:00

The Ethisphere Institute just released it's 2009 list of the most ethical companies. Companies submit applications and are narrowed down based on seven criteria until the final list is published. I was very surprised by some who made the list (such as Nike) due to past ethical indiscretions. I point them out if for no other reason than to give hope to people that, even though it may feel overwhelming, we, as consumers, can effect change. We can vote with our dollars and companies will respond! So, let us be intentional; let us be willing to support the companies who support the earth and it's inhabitants, not just the bottom line and their own wallets. Let's let logic, reason, and conscience dictate our spending rather than being programed by advertisers or peer-driven trends. There is a war going on for our minds... let us fight!

Reflections on Good Friday (or this might sting a little)

2009-04-10T14:00:00.007-04:00

Today is Good Friday (a name that always baffled me since I can't imagine Jesus thinking of it as terribly "good." I can imagine Easter as holding the title "good," but the day of crucifixion seems pretty awful to me. I know, I know, without it we would never get Easter's resurrection, but still... I think I'm going to call it "I'm-a-Schmuck-But-Jesus-Somehow-Loves-Me-Anyway-And-Willingly-Endured-Hell-So-That-I-May-Taste-The-Goodness-of-Heaven Friday" instead. No, that's too much. Maybe I can shorten it to Taste-The-Goodness Friday. Eh, still too long. Maybe just Good Friday. Wait... Now I get it.) and I cannot even imagine what today must have been like for the disciples of Christ. I can sit in remembrance of the events that took place on this day with the foreknowledge that Sunday is around the corner and that my Savior will rise again. How would it have been to be there when they slaughtered the Son of Man without knowing that this was only act one? The curtain fell in the eyes of the disciples and took two days before being torn to reveal the empty tomb.

I have been confronted recently with the task of developing a personal theology of suffering. On this Good Friday I am forced to confront the fact that I do not suffer for my faith the way that the Apostles did at the hand of Nero or the 171,000 (on average) Christians worldwide who are martyred for their faith every year. I do not know suffering. I am not rejected and shunned by my family when I proclaim the name of Jesus. I am not ostracized by my community for professing faith or being baptized a Christian. I am not beaten or murdered. I know not what it means to carry my cross.

What sickens me the most is that, even though I have it easy, I still do not appreciate my salvation, my redemption, my regeneration. I do not fully grasp what took place on that cross. I take it for granted at best, and think it cosmic child abuse at worst. I wonder why God would choose to go through with creation knowing full well where it would lead, the culminating moment of Jesus hanging on the cross quoting Psalm 22, forsaken by His Abba Father.

My Missions professor, Dr. George Robinson, pointed out during class that in Genesis 3, the protoevangelium, we read of God cursing the Serpent, then the woman, and finally the man. What we do not read, but is implicit in the text, is that in that moment He also willingly cursed Himself. He looked into the eyes of His children who had betrayed Him, and with anthropomorphic tears covenanted to do whatever it took, including murder at the hands of the very creatures He desired union with, to maintain relationship. The thought that I can dare blame God for Jesus' death makes me ill. I want desperately to grasp the depth of God's choice to sacrifice Himself for my sake. I want to weep over Isaiah 61 the way my Old Testament professor, Dr. Heath Thomas, did when we studied it. I want to know how great is the Father's love for me through His Son.

It is also in the face of this drastic act of self-sacrifice that I am filled with righteous anger over idiots who spread a message they title "Gospel" that promotes nothing but self-centered desires; the "health, wealth, and prosperity" Gospel. I think Piper sums it up very well when he addresses it:

On this Good Friday I hope that you have a chance to reflect on the greatest sacrifice ever made. God looked down on His fallen creation and chose to leave His throne to gain my presence in His Kingdom forevermore. For that I am eternally grateful. And, for not showing that gratitude with every thought, action, and word, for joining with the mob to yell "Crucify!", for my selfishness and my intellectual hubris that deludes me to into believing my reason and cognitive capacities can understand God or find fault with His plan, for all these things I repent!

Though they slay my Savior, I rest easy tonight knowing my Savior lives!

Blue Like Jazz (or how Donald Miller changed my life)

2009-03-30T17:54:00.009-04:00

I'm a huge fan of both Donald Miller and his book Blue Like Jazz. This fantastic series of vignettes tie together profound theology and everyday life that many of us have experienced. I was blessed to see Donald Miller speak in Nashville a few years ago (you like how I said "blessed"? I'm totally in seminary. "Lucky"? I don't think so. "Blessed providence"? That's more like it.). During this talk he ended with Derek Webb's heart wrenching, painfully beautiful song Wedding Dress and I was forever changed. Ok, maybe that's melodramatic, but I love his music and it changed the way I write songs and view lyrics. It turns out you can love God and still rebuke the church out of love.

All that is to say that the aforementioned book will soon be made into a movie and I am super stoked to see it. Below is an interview between Don and Steve Taylor, the director of the film. I laughed out loud several times and I hope you will enjoy a small endorphin rush like I did. Some may say it's even better than wine...

More Knowledge (or counting the cost again)

2009-03-23T17:44:00.006-04:00

This is a video I found on the blog of a kindred spirit that shook me to the core and reiterates my last post (only in a really cool accent). It is the trailer for an upcoming feature-length documentary that me and about a dozen others will actually see. Take a few minutes to at least watch the trailer...

Knowledge Breeds Responsibility (or ignorance is still no excuse)

2009-03-18T12:11:00.007-04:00

I believe in a holistic Gospel, that is, a Gospel that affects every aspect of your life and the lives of those whom you encounter. A holistic Gospel is one that addresses the whole gospel for the whole person for the whole world. If the Gospel you preach is not manifest in your life, you are a liar. If the actions you perform are void of the love of Christ, you are a noisy gong or clanging symbol. The duality of Platonic existence (where the soul is set diametrically opposed to body) is one that is contrary to the Gospel and cannot be reconciled to the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words of the Gospel are inextricably wed to the actions of the Gospel. You cannot have one without the other! The Apostle James (who was the brother of Christ) spoke very plainly of this throughout his epistle, but especially in chapter 2 (summed up by James 2:18-20). When Jesus chose Isaiah 61 as His introductory mission statement that set up His entire ministry (as recorded in Luke 4:16-30), He was, of course, referring to freedom from the bondage of sin, but it is naïve to think that this is all He meant. The ESV study Bible notes that "Liberty for those who are oppressed included, in Jesus' ministry, healing the sick, casting out demons, forgiving sins, and ethical teachings that promote social justice" (italics added). It is a multifaceted message.

I need to be very clear that I am not advocating some sort of works based Gospel or “felt needs” only Gospel. It has come to my attention that there are some people that hear me rail against Wal-Mart or Christians who disregard minimal environmentally responsible living and they somehow misunderstand or misinterpret this as a liberal liberation-esque theology in which preaching the name of Christ is ancillary at best and non-existent at worst. This is not the case! I get frustrated when missions and evangelism are sacked by the misuse of the great quote by Saint Francis of Assisi where he commends us to "preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words." Saint Francis is not saying we are not to preach or evangelize. What he is saying is that our actions must also preach. We are to preach the Gospel in every thing we do, from where we shop, to what we eat, to how we drive, and which light bulbs we use; everything matters!

Living the Gospel is not easy. And it certainly does not come about haphazardly. To live like Jesus (and thus to live for Jesus) we must be intentional.

So what does this look like? It means taking the due diligence to find out where your clothes are made, by whom, and what the conditions are like. How can you thank Jesus for setting you free from hell while wearing jeans that are keeping someone else there right now? How can you preach against your co-worker who is [getting divorced, beating his wife, sleeping around, abusing substances... insert whatever sin] while your petrol bill is funding sex trafficking? Or, said another way, "be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves."

I don't feel like I can say it enough: I am not against evangelism or "saving souls." Jesus was very clear when He told His disciples to go and replicate by preaching, teaching, and baptizing. My predominant problem is that many Christians see evangelism and social justice as mutually exclusive options, or, at least, separate issues at all that need to be weighed and balanced.

To me having one without the other is like giving someone a pair of brand-new trainers but not giving them the shoelaces so they can use them. Or giving them just the laces with nothing to tie and run in. They are useless alone. They are designed to be together!

I know it feels overwhelming at first. "How can I ever buy anything ever again anywhere?!? What if it was made by slaves or led to deforestation?"

The key is to realize that every bit helps. Don't get overwhelmed by the problem and decide it's easier to be an ostrich and pretend that the problem does not exist. Mother Teresa once pointed out that "...we ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop." If I can better one life by purchasing fair trade, I am willing to do it. Remember, that person you will never meet is still a person who thinks and feels and loves and hurts. Someone wiser than me once said "To the world you might be one person, but to one person you might be the world." Take it one step at a time.

I am a realist. I know that it is more expensive to live out of love. I know it takes more time and effort when you go shopping. But Jesus never said it would be easy, despite what some heretics preach; rather, He told us in no unspecific words that it would be hard. He told us to count the cost, and it costs us everything. Part of what it means is coming to terms with not living at the same level as other people in your peer group or salary bracket. It might mean reevaluating what a want is versus a need.

One of the best ways to start this is by doing it in community. The Gospel is meant to be lived out together. Read Acts 2. Talk it out with your brothers and sisters in Christ and strive to help one another live authentic Gospel centered lives. Read a book about an issue that you care about. Make a covenant with God that you will make one positive change this week. Just start with one. Then see about another one next week. You can even have advice emailed to you every day so you can start to learn how to love God better by taking care of what He's created.

There are tons of resources available, all it takes is a Google search and a heart broken for the "least of these."

If you want advice, have questions, disagree, then, by all means, please, come now, let us reason together.

I am not perfect, as anyone who knows me can attest. And I live in a big ol' glass house, so I do not fancy starting a rock fight. There are times I take the easy way out and buy what is cheap or more readily available. But I know what Jesus said. For me, I cannot ignore what I know just because it's hard, so I will continue to vote with my dollar. I hope that you will at least pray through these issues with me and see if the Holy Spirit is convicting your heart.

Now to Him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.

Heresy is Funny (or don't take yourself so seriously)

2009-03-14T11:19:00.003-04:00

I love the Onion; it's about my only source of news these days that isn't filtered through the SBC...

If you find this offensive, please pray that God will bless you with the spiritual gift of humor.

Maybe I'll Be Ok After all (or online quizzes are totally scientific, right?)

2009-03-12T16:07:00.004-04:00

I am working on some new posts, but I took this quiz today and it says I'll be fine, so it must be true, which is good, because I've been really starting to wonder...

95%

Visit Going to Seminary for seminary tips and advice.

So, how did you do? Are you going to survive or should I save you a seat when I fail out of school and have to sit at home playing video games all day?

Just kidding, I don't play video games...

It Hurts So Good (or the slow process of sanctification)

2009-03-08T01:18:00.006-05:00

A quick note: As some of you may have noticed I like to put a lot of links in my blog, you know, just to spice things up. If you have not already, I recommend setting your browser preferences to open links in a new window or a new tab. If you do not, then press and hold the command key (or ctrl if you're on a bad computer) when you click. That way you won't have to hit the back button to finish the article you were on! It also works for the ads and new Google search feature on my page. Also, while I'm making announcements, I'd like to say that I do not get to choose the ads that appear on this site, so I apologize if there are any crazy ones or borderline (if not outright) heretical sites that appear. Feel free to ignore those. Or click them and laugh to yourself about their absurdity. Either way.
And now back to our regularly scheduled blogging. And by regularly scheduled I of course mean "sporadic and unpredictable."

I’m feeling like crap and that makes me feel good. I know this must sound tremendously weird, but hear me out. Or, I guess, if you want to get all technical you’ll have to read me out since this is a blog rather than a conversation. Unless you have one of the those sweet programs that reads the words on your page for you… If that’s the case, could you give me a really cool voice, like maybe Optimus Prime or HAL 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey?

Wow, already way off track.

So, I guess I should clarify my seemingly masochistic statement.

I have recently been doing an intentional study through the book of Ephesians (I’m memorizing it with my friend Daryl) and feeling very convicted about many aspects of my life. Chapter 5 has been really pummeling my conscience (well, it’s probably the Holy Spirit working through His Word doing the pummeling). Ephesians 5:4 has become a constant inner mantra that I have to remind myself of about every 6.3 seconds since my language and joking have slipped well passed the gray area of acceptable into the downright trashy. So, I have been feeling very frustrated and discouraged lately about how much work I have to do. But, ironically, I have taken great joy and comfort in this pain since it means that the Holy Spirit is doing work in my soul, repairing the cracks I’ve been forming. I guess the fact that I’m so bothered by my thought life is, in and of itself, an encouragement to press on.

I want a new heart, a new life, to live out of the Spirit, not the flesh. Jesus told the Pharisees that we will be known by our fruit (either good or bad) and that if the fruit is good, the tree is good, and, conversely, if the fruit is bad, the tree is bad. What has been slapping my mind every time I read it is the statement Jesus makes right after this: “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Matthew 12:33-37) Ouch. How can I speak half the things I do out of a heart that contains the Holy Spirit? It’s like I don’t even know that my body is not mine, but it was bought with a price… that it is a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). So, I will continue to be made new (2 Corinthians 5:17) while renewing my mind with the Word (Romans 12:2).

That’s where I’m at... I’m a put-together mess. I’m trying to become sanctified, and it’s hard and it hurts and I couldn’t do it without God’s grace, but here I am.

Two steps forward, one step back… rinse and repeat.

Baptize My Mind - Jon Foreman

Old School (or what I did on my year abroad...)

2009-02-23T22:55:00.006-05:00

I promise I'm working on something new to put up soon, but this week has been crazy! Next week is spring break (which won't be much of a break, so forgive the misnomer) but in the meantime I found my travel blog while going through some old links, so if you do get bored and want to catch a little insight into the time I spent while I was backpacking through New Zealand, then check out my travel blog here.

One of my favorite memories was a moment I had in Paihia (in the Bay of Islands) when God really struck me during a time of meditation overlooking the bay during sunset. I figured I'd put an excerpt from that post here, in case you don't feel like reading the rest of it. (The main point of that "blog" was to keep my friends and family updated on what I was doing, so it can read somewhat like a diary... maybe that appeals to you. I'm sure there are some nuggets buried in there between bungee jumps, skydives, and black water spalunking if you wade through them, you know, if you're bored at work...)

[...]And now a word from our sponsors:

I really believe God has sent me on this trip. The last few nights I have hiked up the side of this mountain to look out over the bay and watch the sun disappear into the deep blue waters, slowly fading out until all that is left is an eerie purple and pink glow that seeps up from the horizon, stretching out towards the heavens like there is a magnet for color that is coaxing it out from behind the end of the world. After the sun is gone the stars take their turn in dazzling the sky, breaking up the blanket of lack with powdered sugar stains, as if a baker had blown the excess sweetness off his hands and onto a smooth marble counter.

A couple of nights ago was a full moon, which hung peculiarly low in the evening sky, allowing its light to dance across the water, waves moving toward the shore straining to carry the moon's reflective beauty with them, but to no avail. As the nights have progressed I have been watching the change in the moon's appearance and noting how fast it seems to be going through the phases, like a costume change backstage between scenes, racing against the curtain.

Now some of you are wondering what the deal with my God comment was.
Well, he is my sponsor [to travel to NZ]
Here is the word.

I was struck by the changing of the moon in that as I look up at the sky, each subsequent night the moon appears different. Sometimes not substantially, but over a week it is very noticeable. I feel like my faith, my understanding of and relationship with God is much like the phases of the moon. During a full moon you can see the whole shape and surface of the moon. You can notice the face in the moon, the craters; light and dark areas that give the surface texture. In these times the light emanating from the moon is powerful and can light your way at night through a field. It guides you through the night time, a time of darkness, confusion, fear. If you've been alone at night in the wilderness you know how it feels. The moon is comfort; light is comfort. But, other times, part of the moon is blocked and you can see less of it. Yet the moon has not changed. Only our perception and relative position to the moon has changed. At those times, however, the dark still seems darker. There is less light and therefore less comfort. And, other times, far more rare, there is a total eclipse whereby the moon seems to disappear altogether. The moon, during an eclipse, is just as much there as it is during a full moon, but we just can't see it. There are shadows that get in the way, externalities that block our view. Pride, hate, money, sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll cast shadows in our lives that block the view of God. It would be absurd to assume that as the moon was going through its phases it was literally disappearing, chunks falling off and the moon disintegrating. It would also be absurd to assume that an eclipse means that there is no moon, the moon must not exist because we cannot see it, because it does not look the same as it did before. This trip has been a time of revolution for me, for my soul, for my life. And, as the earth revolves, the moon seems to change. As I revolve, God seems to change. But, like the moon, God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. It is only my perception that is never static.

Anyway, sorry for the sermonette, but I was thinking about that last night as I studied the sky and just wanted to share it. Don't lose faith in God because he doesn't look like you expect or because you feel like you can't see him. He's there, same as always, it's shadows that change the view.

You are all delightful and I love you through Christ. Blessings and honor on you and your home.

God Bless YouTube (or someday I'll marry a Calvinist, too)

2009-02-16T22:14:00.002-05:00

Thanks to Joey for showing me this amazing video...

Seminary humor is my favorite!

I'm writing an exegesis of Psalms 1 & 2 and needed a break. Maybe you did too. So, I hope you enjoyed it. If you did, you were predestined to. If you didn't enjoy it, you're probably not saved.

Treadmill Conversations (or how to spin your wheels in neutral)

2009-02-13T08:05:00.005-05:00

Lately I've been faced with a number of unclear choices. I hate those. I have a hard enough time making decisions that are obvious, much less ones where there is no clear wrong choice. When the choices are sin or not sin, that's obvious (not easy, mind you, but obvious). But how am I to discern between good choice A and good choice B?

I feel like I have these treadmill conversations with myself in my head; I do a lot of work, wear myself out, but never really get anywhere. I find myself listing every possible outcome of every possible scenario and then trying to balance that out with whatever opposite potential situation may arise, all inside my head and all in under a minute. It's exhausting.

I want to serve God. I really do. I don't feel worthy of His call, but, then again, I guess none of us truly are and that's why it's called grace (cf. Romans 3:9-20). I feel like I am willing to go anywhere and do anything. Recently, though, I've been faced with the question "what if 'anywhere' is here and 'anything' is this?" That's tough for me to accept.

I've been investigating the Journeyman program that is offered through the International Missions Board. My best friend here at seminary, Daryl, is going and there is a chance we could spend two years backpacking together sharing God's love with people that have never heard the name of Jesus before. That's awesome. No other word for it; just awesome.

I am trying to be honest and objective before God as to my motivations for going. I know that there is a part of me that truly and honestly just wants to serve God and liberate people from the shackles of sin in a way that only the blood of Christ can.

But I also know that I'm a runner. Real life is hard and scary and can be very overwhelming. So I run away. Finances are another area that I struggle in. Right now I'm feeling the pinch of being a graduate student and, while by the rest of the world's standards I am rich, I only see red when I look at my bank statement and that makes me feel panicky. The idea of getting paid to minister and then get scholarship to finish out school seems to address both of those issues.

I am constantly convinced of God's sovereignty and ability to take my bad ideas and misguided intentions and turn them to His glory. But I still want to act rightly and walk in His will.

I may be able to begin working at a ministry oriented position here in NC that would fit my passions and skill sets very well. So now I am faced with one of those decisions again where neither option is clearly and obviously superior.

I guess I write all this to let you know where I'm at and to be honest about why my brain is spinning out of control and why I may seem distracted. But mostly I write this to seek out your prayers. I know God is faithful and He listens to our prayers. James, the brother of Jesus, tells us that if we ask, God will give us wisdom (James 1:5ff). I am praying that God will be obvious enough that my obstinacy will not be able to shadow His desires.

Thank you for your love and prayers.

Your love is strong.

(You've probably figured it out, but I have a bit of a man-crush on Jon Foreman...)

Selling Out (or how I'll eat next month)

2009-02-11T13:01:00.009-05:00

You may be noticing that I now have Google Ads on my site.

Sorry about that.

If they bother you, please ignore them.

If you would like to help me eat next month, though, please glance at them and, in the case that something strikes you as interesting, pertinent, or intriguing, please click on them! When you do, I get a small commission and that will go towards me paying bills. Also, on the left side, is a button for subscribing to my blog. This would help me also (it increases how much "traffic" I get listed as and therefore increases my commission) so please subscribe and tell your friends to, too... ok, fine, you don't have to evangelize others to my blog, but if you could at least subscribe I would be much obliged...

Think of it as an act of love that only takes you a click. Think of it as funding my future mission trip. Think of it as a virtual "leave a penny" bin on the proverbial counter of my bloggostore that doesn't even cost you that penny. It's like a magic trick where you can leave pennies over and over and never lose any yourself.

I'll try to post something "real" soon when my head stops spinning and I'm able to put something on paper (so to speak... I guess that still sounds better than "put something into a word processor that I will then cut and paste onto the nebulous internet" though).

I love you all and would love any feedback you have regarding my blog and what you might like to see or hear in upcoming posts.

In the meantime, can I have some change?

Go Tell it on the Mountain (or How to Get Over Your "personal" relationship with Jesus)

2009-02-04T13:18:00.011-05:00

What does it mean to have a “personal relationship” with Jesus?

This idea gets thrown around a lot and I was wondering what that means to you? Do you have one? Do you think it’s possible? Do you think people should?

On the one hand, I do appreciate this sentiment in light of the fact that Jesus, unlike any other religion’s deity, is a personal God who wants to know you and love you one on one. Jesus came to die as a sacrifice with you specifically in mind. Now that’s cool.

This idea also addresses one of the driving impetuses of the reformation, that is, you do not need an intermediary to get to Jesus (Jesus is that intermediary, removing the need of an earthly human priest… Jesus is the High Priest, once and for all).

The primary problem that seems to have developed as the result of this “personal relationship” campaign is that we now view our relationship with Jesus as the wrong kind of personal. We tend to think of it as personal the way our bathroom habits are personal or the journal you might keep about your embarrassing dreams.

Christianity was never meant to be personal in that sense; it was never meant to be secret or hidden. Our faith is meant to be lived out corporately rather than individually. We see the early church engaging in self-contained voluntary socialism where not even the idea of personal property existed, much less a notion of “personal” (secret, individualistic, contained, unspoken) faith.

My school desires to be a “Great Commission School” that seeks after engaging the world with the freedom that comes from the love of Christ. I hear stories from people all over the world who are beaten, ostracized, and brutally murdered for claiming the name of Jesus. How can I, then, sit here in the face of my religious freedom and remain silent? How can I squander the inheritance of freedom our nation’s forefathers fought and died to create? I have a voice, I have a faith, and I refuse to waste my life!

If you know Jesus, then talk about Him.

If you don’t know Jesus, then talk to me about Him. I’m happy to answer questions, listen to concerns, and pray fervently that God will reveal Himself to you.

I know it can be scary, but I dare you to test God.

If you’ve never believed in Him, that’s fine. He believes in you.

What do you have to lose?

I dare you to ask God to speak to your soul. I dare you to find a friend and go to church one Sunday with an open mind and heart. I dare you to spend a little bit of time away from the television and read His story. I dare you to allow yourself to be loved.

I dare you to move.

Love vs. Sex (or how to kill your heart)

2009-01-23T10:14:00.008-05:00

I have a little bit of a guilty confession to make. I love the show How I Met Your Mother. I know it’s a great show, so it’s not the media snob in me saying it’s a guilty confession, rather the seminarian in me that understands that there is very little in the show that betters me as a man of God. Most episodes are based around something to do with drinking, sleeping around, or both.

What I was struck by recently as I watched an old episode of H.I.M.Y.M. (wow, that seems like overkill for an acronym, huh?) was how society, at large, has destroyed the intimacy of sex while maintaining this fairytale notion of love. In the pilot episode we see Ted go on his first date with Robin where he ends up allowing three dangerous words to slip out: “I love you.”

The rest of the episode (and even subsequent references to this episode later in the series) is spent relaying the incredulous reaction of his friends and, presumably, the audience.

To tell someone you love him or her on the first date is a huge gaffe. I can agree with this. Our society, with the help of Hollywood, has already bastardized the idea of love almost beyond recognition to what true love is (cf. John 15:3). We ought to be careful with our words (cf. James 3:1-12) and not take lightly love. However, what astounds me is that to sleep with someone one the first date (even when you may or may not remember their name, or face, the next day) is not only acceptable but lauded among many our culture (Friends, Sex in the City, Two and Half Men, any teen movie ever… the list is almost endless).

How have we come so far as to accept casual sex but are so stingy with our love? Are we not meant to love everyone; to be generous with the abundance of love poured out on us by overflowing to all we meet?

Sex is not love and love is certainly not bound up by sex. We are confused and masquerade one for the other only to murder love out of carelessness.

I guess this is the pot calling the kettle black since I do not, by any means, have a spotless record of guarding my heart or my body. I guess the makes me a hypocrite.

~~~~~><>~~~~~<><~~~~~><>~~~~~<><~~~~~><>~~~~~

The following is something I wrote in response to an IJM blogpost, but I thought it was relevant to the desacralization of sex by our media and I decided to re-post it here:

I am an adulterer. I say this because Jesus says this.

"...anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (cf. Matthew 5:27-30)

I hate that I am a product of sex marketing. I will say that again. I HATE that sex has become the most powerful and alluring commodity for sale in our modern market.

What breaks my heart the most is my unintentional desensitization to sex. There are images that I do not even think twice about when I see them in a magazine or on a billboard that are, in fact, pornography.

And yet it stokes the coals of my lustful heart and it calls to the forefront of my cognition the myriad of meat marketing graphics that make me want to gouge out my right eye and cut off my right hand because they cause me to stumble.

Or worse still, I don't even stumble because I have seen it all before and I will see if all again a mile up the road or a page turn away. Pop-up ads pollute my perspective.
And when the time comes for me to be wed to a woman she will be nothing like the false photos I have seen growing up; woman who don’t exist anywhere but in the fictitious files of Photoshop. There will be no wonder left for my wife. There will be no delight in discovery, unlike what I read in the Song of Solomon. Or at least this is what I fear.

Lord, save me from this sin. Save us from the mass production of careless carnality. Save me from the marketers, but Lord, save me from myself.

Be careful, little eyes, what you see…

Hypocrisy (or what it means to be a Christian)

2009-01-14T10:23:00.010-05:00

If you fancy yourself a Christian and you are not a hypocrite then something has gone terribly wrong.

Maybe I should clarify.

I do not mean by this that we should preach at people, judge them, and condemn them when they do not meet our standards while willy-nilly doing as we please without trying to grow and change ourselves. Rather, what I mean by this is that if you are satisfied with every aspect of your life (with your thoughts, actions, prayers, giving, time in the Word, etc.) then you probably need to reevaluate your standards, or, perhaps, better understand God’s standards. While it is crucial for us to be earnest and honest with where we are and how we are living, we should always be preaching and teaching a standard that we have not yet lived up to because we can never truly live up to the standard God has set (cf. Matthew 5:48... hence grace and mercy!). Even the apostle Paul, one of the pillars of the New Testament, wrote about his own struggles with behaving as Christ would desire (cf. Romans 7:14-20).

I try. And I fail. And then I try again. And I fail again. But, hopefully, I fail a little less. Or, more importantly, I learn to trust God a little more to pick me up when I fail.

I am a hypocrite because I do not do as I desire to do or as I preach is the correct way to live. I do not always live up to or follow the words I preach. I do not always live out the message I know to be Truth. Therefore I am a hypocrite.

I desire and seek and pray to become closer to the image of Christ every day. And I know that God will be faithful in this endeavor (cf. Philippians 1:6). In the meantime, I am content to be a hypocrite, because, despite my failings, I have been called to proclaim the Truth. I will not water down the Gospel of Christ Jesus so that I may better match it. I will not downplay the life change that is required to truly follow Him. I will not pretend that my shortcomings are acceptable in His sight. I refuse to allow His love to be diluted by an ad hominem. Instead I will live as a hypocrite who is trying to seek up. I have resigned myself to being a hypocrite who is covered in the blood of the Lamb.

Are you a hypocrite? Do you hold yourself to a standard that is higher than where you currently are? Let us let God refine us.

Oreos for dinner (or God knows better than me)

2009-01-12T00:54:00.003-05:00

If there is one thing that I am sure of, it is that God knows better than me. I’ve spent so much time in my life spinning my wheels in the sandpits of my own planning only to be towed by God’s sovereignty that I know now to trust that, even when I can’t see it, God’s doing something that is bigger and better than anything I can possibly wrap my head around. I often feel like a toddler obstinately demanding to eat a bag of Oreos right before suppertime and then assuming that my Daddy must not love me for refusing to allow it. I want to throw a temper tantrum.

“But, Daddy, I want them!!!”

I storm off and sulk in the corner. Daddy knows that eating a bag of Oreos will give me a tummy ache. He knows I’ll have no room for the steak and potatoes being prepared in the kitchen out of my sight. He knows that always eating the Oreos when I want them will cause me to develop bad eating habits that will plague me a lifetime and lead to obesity and diabetes.

But I’m a dumb kid. And I want my Oreos!

Right now I feel like my Oreos are being taken away and I’m upset about it. But I’m trying to be mature enough to trust that God is in the metaphorical kitchen about to serve up some extra spicy tacos (I know before I said steak and potatoes, but, to be honest, I don’t really care for steak, so, while it works well for the general example, I decided to switch to something that I’d much rather partake of: spicy tacos… and cold beer. Yeah, God would definitely serve cold beer with spicy tacos.).

When has God taken your Oreos to deliver something much sweeter in the end? What advice do you have for us who are longing for cookies and wondering why God is so daft as to not deliver them now when it is obviously best (please note the tongue deliberately buried deep into the proverbial cheek. It’s hard to see through the computer screen, but there nonetheless!)?

The Cupidity of Christmas (or Why I Feel Like a Hypocrite)

2008-12-10T00:27:00.000-05:00

I am constantly convicted about my American consumerist tendencies. Then Advent rolls around, the time of year when we remember the birth of our dear savior, Jesus the Christ, Liberating King; the God and creator of the universe taking human form to walk among us knowing that we would brutally murder Him, but stepping out of Heaven anyway to ransom us from the captivity of sin. Now here we sit, as though suffering from Stockholm Syndrome, running back into the arms of our captor and aligning ourselves with the Prince of Darkness, the antithesis of the coeternal Light Jesus.

Why is it that, instead of this being a time of pure celebration of love and giving and sacrifice, it is a mad rush to the blue light sales (blue light sales? Is K-Mart even still in business? Maybe I need a roll back prices joke…) and bargain bins? Don’t get me wrong, I am just as guilty as the next guy. This is not a “holier-than-thou-be-like-me-I-love-Jesus-more-than-you” post. I sit on Amazon.com making my “wish list” full of things that I don’t need. Rather than a guilt trip, let’s just open a dialogue. What can we do to change Christmas this year? Below is a video from the Advent Conspiracy that talks a little bit about a project that some churches have been getting involved in to make a difference. Tell your pastor. Tell your mother. Tell your friends. Tell anyone who has ever bought anything for Christmas.

Also, here is a list of some great alternative outlets for getting gifts that matter. Instead of another dvd or Playstation game, what about buying a week of after care for a freed sex slave? Instead of a Coach bag or blood diamond necklace, what if you bought paper bead necklaces that look cool and support orphans in Uganda? Instead of a heap of heartless boxes under the tree, what if there was one manger? What if, dream with me here, instead of spending hours online or vying for parking spaces at the mall to then wait in line for ages we spent some time with our families making gifts or singing songs or reading the Bible together. What if we spend that time praying for justice to come for Christmas for the millions of people who have never known what it means to be free, to be fed, to be loved?

All I ask is that you think before you spend.

Clothes that matter
Freedom and Justice
Paper-bead Necklaces
Fair Trade goodies
International wares
Buy music, support orphans
Clean water can save lives
You new shoes could save a life

What did I miss? What are other ways that you feel we can spread the love of Christ to the least of these? How can we be the church, not just go to church?

If Juno loved Jesus

2008-12-04T00:45:00.005-05:00

I am thoroughly devouring the Waterdeep album Heart Attack Time Machine.

My 8 hour drive home from Thanksgiving break took 14 hours due to holiday traffic and inclement weather. I had a couple new albums to listen to, though, so that helped pass the time and I got to absorb them a little deeper (Waterdeeper?) than I would have if I only had 8 quality hours, so that's nice. While they were all good, for different reasons, the one that really hooked me is the aforementioned. The Killer's new album (Day & Age) is good, and I'm very impressed by Jay Bennett's newest solo effort (Whatever Happened I Apologize), but my soul was stirred by Heart Attack Time Machine.

Don and Lori Chaffer layer simple instrumentation with insightful lyrics and stirring melodies to weave a sonic hammock in which you can nap or daydream while gently swaying in the breeze of the Holy Spirit. The album is engaging without becoming overwhelming or pretentious. It is the type of album that I flag almost every track with mental reminders to add to "so-and-so's" mix-cd I'm planning but will probably never get around to burning for them.

I know this might be strange, but it makes me really want a wife with whom I can write music like this. Not necessarily sounding just like this (although to that I would not object), but more so music that feels like it was birthed out of love and life together.

I know that God has a lot more to do in me before I am even close to ready for a wife, but I guess it's ok to pray that, when that time comes, maybe she has a sweet voice and acoustic knack. I guess there are worse things to pray for.

That said, go listen to the album and tell me what your favorite track is and what your favorite lyric is and if you know any indie rock girls that God might have for me...
Ok, just the the music ones...

We Were Meant To Live For So Much More...

2008-11-21T15:34:00.007-05:00

Worldviews are a funny thing insofar as most people do not acknowledge that they even have one. Religion, a term I try to avoid for the following reason, has become something that represents a culture or history or, as is most often the case, a moral framework that you try to live by to "be a better person." Most of you who know me probably think of me as a pretty easy going guy, which is generally true. But there are certain things that get me riled up and this is one of them. When people talk about their religion it is usually in the context of how they were raised or what their community finds most acceptable, rather than wrestle with the existential and metaphysical realities of our existence.

Now maybe I'm being a little unfair. I try to realize that not everyone is a philosopher and that this does not come naturally to most, but I think it is something that then ought to be taught or at least challenged. The culture of religion has destroyed the average person's quest for Truth and birthed the unfortunate, and, may I add, self-refuting atmosphere of relativism and political correctness. Now I want to be clear; I hold dearly to the first amendment of the United States' Constitution and firmly believe in the freedom of religion. What that does not mean, however, is that I need to somehow accept that all of these divergent viewpoints represent Truth. There is only one Truth, since mutually exclusive beliefs cannot, by definition, both be correct.

I was asked recently if I "accept other religious beliefs," a question I find difficult to answer. If by “accept other beliefs” you mean “do I love all people and acknowledge their prerogative to hold to whatever beliefs they choose” then yes, I do. But, once again, I want to make myself very clear here: my view of God, Jesus, the Bible, etc. is not one of a lifestyle choice or a moral framework or a tradition in which I was raised. It is not about religion. Religion is false, empty, and damaging. I truly believe in my heart of hearts (that is, the deepest part of my being) that Jesus is Truth. And I capitalize that on purpose. It is God’s Truth and deserves the respect. I am making a claim on the very nature of existence and the world in which we live! This is not something that I have come to by default or believe through a "leap of faith." Christianity is something I have weighed against competing belief systems using the laws of logic and reason, as well as the academic pursuits of history and science, and viewed through the filter of my life experience and first-hand understanding of human nature and the world around me to discern what is the most likely answer to life's biggest questions.

Do I believe that my God is a big God who can work through those other belief systems to reveal some aspects of His Truth? Yes. Are there things we can learn from other belief systems (for example the Buddhist denial of personal property and care for all living creatures)? YES! However, that being said, can I accept that other belief systems are viable and legitimate ways to access the one true God, maker of Heaven and earth? No. Do I feel a burden to share with them the Truth of the Gospel so that they may find freedom and true life? Yes. I also realize that the Holy Spirit is the only one who can change hearts, so I will not argue with you. I will be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks me for a reason for the hope that is in me (as per 1 Peter 3:15) and I would love to listen to your concerns and doubts and wrestle with them with you. Most of all I will pray for you.

Jesus is the Liberating King who came to set free the captives of sin, which are all of us. It is more than life after death (although, I do believe that is part of it). Jesus Himself said that He came “that [we] may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). There is a very real present salvation that takes place when we realize that we are powerless over sin and the very real evil (as I’m sure you are more than aware of!) that permeates our world today. Jesus never leaves us nor forsakes us so that in the darkest and most troublesome times we may have hope. That does not mean, by any stretch, that life is all of a sudden easy and happy and without burden; in fact Jesus is very clear that often times the opposite is true. In Jesus “…called the crowd to Him along with His disciples and said: ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me’.” The apostle Paul was also very clear that following Christ is not easy, that it is full of hardship, but the difference is in how we can face those times of trouble.

If the Bible is true (which seems to me to be the most rational and reasonable explanation given the historicity of the texts and the logical extensions of the behavior of members of the early church – cf. The Reason for God by Tim Keller or The Case For Christ by Lee Strobel among many wonderful books that examine the origins of Scripture and philosophical extrapolations of early Christian growth and development) then a belief in any other “religion” is by definition mutually exclusive to faith in Christ and therefore not sufficient for salvation.

This is a difficult subject, not in small part due to the terrible way that evangelism has often been done historically (and, to my dismay, presently as well). There is a feeling that “conversion” requires forsaking your culture, heritage, and family. People view it as voluntarily imprisoning yourself to rules and judgment and never measuring up, which, if you are trying to do “christianity” as religion, then you are! But what I want to make as clear as possible is that Jesus did not come to start a new religion. Jesus did not come to make rules and wag His finger. Jesus came to save us from ourselves through unmitigated grace and mercy and love. So much so that not only are we not expected to earn it, we are incapable of doing so even if we try!

God’s law is not arbitrary and capricious. God’s law is what it means to be human and live the life that we are most suited for. Let’s just take a look at the 10 Commandments, for instance. The first four deal with our interaction with God (no other gods, no idols, cursing God, and obeying Sabbath), but, let us be clear, they do so FOR OUR SAKE! God does not “need” our worship! God is not an egomaniacal divine diva sitting in Heaven waiting to be made complete by our adoration! Rather, we are most satisfied when we live as we are created to live which is in relationship to the God of love who created us to be in community with Him. That is why we are not to worship other gods, because other gods cannot meet our needs. Other gods cannot fulfill us. Other gods only make us spin our wheels in frustration until we die empty and apart from the one true God. These include all sorts of idols from Hindu gods to sex to money to power, even to seemingly “good” things like morality and honor. If we worship our own ability to follow the rules then we are not worshiping God. The next set of commandments define how we are to interact with other (don’t murder, if it’s not yours don’t take it – including other people’s spouses, and don’t get so focused on what others have that you lose sight of God). These are so basic they are the groundwork for arguably every developed nation’s legal parameters of human interaction! And all 10 were summed up by Jesus as “Love God. Love others.” Everything else is an outpouring of these two.

My desire to tell people about Jesus is not so that I can make them like me or spread my “religion” all over the world. It is because I love those people. And I love you. That is why I want to open this conversation. That is why I want you to think about your worldview, not just accept what feels good or what your parents do. So, let's talk...

By what shall we be defined?

2008-11-18T01:51:00.001-05:00

I just finished a 5 page single spaced paper, so you'll have to excuse me if I'm a little fried. I am proud of it, and may, after sleeping and proof-reading, post it here if I think there is anything worthwhile for the general masses. I wrote a critical review of the Francis Schaeffer conference that took place here at Southeastern earlier this month (November 7th and 8th). It was a very enjoyable conference and I would recommend listening to it (especially Dick Keyes) if you have any interest in apologetics or engaging the culture for Christ.

Since it is 2 a.m. and I'm knackered, I will once again post something I have already written. Some of you may recognize this from my Facebook profile from a little while ago, but I feel pretty strongly about it and was reminded of it during a wonderful conversation I had with my friend Daryl about what it means to be a Southern Baptist versus what it means to be a Christian. I'm go ahead and ruin the surprise ending and tell you that I'm vehemently opposed to getting wrapped up in denominational titles and petty arguments. That being said, I do have great respect for much about the SBC including its doctrinal orthodoxy, high view of Scripture, and general commitment to reaching the world with the Good News of our Liberating King, Jesus. And, while I am choosing not to change the wording that I had on Facebook, I would like to clarify that when I refer to Southern Baptists as 'little minded' I am referring to the inherent provincialism birthed out of a self-righteous dogmatic adherence to such a title. You could easily insert into that any of the other categories I mention (gender, nationality, race...) but due to the impetus of the article, I chose Southern Baptist.

I hope you enjoy and I'd love to hear your thoughts on the issue of denominational arrogance (in whatever form that takes or title you've seen associated with it.)

I go to a Southern Baptist school, but I pray to never be a Southern Baptist the way I pray never to be a white man or an American. Yes, I am these things, but when they become all that I am they preclude those who are not these things. Jesus did not call me to be a Southern Baptist. Jesus called me not to follow Paige Patterson or Danny Akin but to follow Him. I choose to strive to be a Christian, that is, little Christ, rather than a Baptist, that is, little minded. I choose to be a human, rather than a gender or skin color or nationality.

I heard a wonderful exposition of Titus 1:5-9 [in September] that addressed the very real concerns of what the speaker, Dr. David Dockery, called apetheisim (a lackadaisical view of God) and flexidoxy (a theological belief system bent to fit the culture that pervades it). It was well thought out, well laid out, and great care was taken in regard to the hermeneutical exegesis of the text. What made me angry and broke my heart all at once was the title of the message. He called it "A Profile of the Next Generation of Baptist Leaders." I can assure you that at no point did Paul consider the SBC when he was addressing Titus. Furthermore, if only the Baptist leaders, rather than all Christian leaders and Godly people, are called to live up to the outline of the Elder as laid out in , then the Church has a serious problem and problematic and unstable future.

Let us shed our denominational arrogance in favor of a universal Church that all seek after Jesus, rather than a statement of faith. Let us worship a Holy God rather than a man made doctrinal understanding of that God. Let us learn from His Word rather than worship the words assembled on paper that will eventually return to the earth from which it was harvested.

Everyone here calls me 'Toad'

2008-11-15T23:51:00.000-05:00

I’ve decided I really want to go to India.

Tonight we had an international banquet on campus and it was amazing. There were people from all sorts of countries and food that represented a myriad of cultures. It was truly a foretaste of glory divine. People dressed up and I got to wear traditional Indian garb that was amazing.

I want to go to India and be immersed. I don’t want a vacation, but a sabbatical. I want to go where they might kill me for loving Jesus. I want an adventure, even if it means being my last. I’m not too fussed, since I know that God is sovereign and will protect me unless it’s my time to go party with God’s people for eternity (Philippians 1:21).

I’m thinking and praying (please pray for me!) about going to India for the summer. When I say I’m thinking about it I mean that this thought popped into my noggin tonight and firmly rooted itself there. I think it may have been germinating for a little while, since I watched Outsourced (such a good movie... go rent it right now and then come with me India and we'll celebrate Holi!). I miss traveling and I want to go somewhere that I'm not so safe and comfortable. I love New Zealand, but, let's be honest, it's pretty cushy. I want to go where I don't speak the language (yet) and have to eat food that might make me sick for days.

India is huge and diverse and beautiful. I want to experience it. I want to take Jesus to a people who need hope. I want to learn from them. I want to teach them. I want to break free of my Western worldview.

Anyone up for an adventure?

My first post and already a retraction...

2008-11-15T10:57:00.000-05:00

Well, that didn't take long. I only had one post and already I'm recanting. Well, maybe not quite recanting, but at least editing. If you saw the post last night, I have taken out the original question out of respect to the person who sent it to me. I did not have permission to post it and feel bad that I did not respect the privacy of our conversation. I did not think that it was a secret opinion held by my friend, which is why I posted, but that is not excuse and I ought not have done so without prior permission. My sincerest apologies!

I left up my response (redacted to maintain innocence and anonymity to my friend) because I want to engage in this conversation and am not willing to stand by silently.

I'm hoping to post soon a piece I'm working on talking about the new Voice translation of the New Testament. I hope we can discuss!

Love.

Hey, it's great to be here, have a live grenade...

2008-11-15T01:39:00.003-05:00

I'm new to this. Or at least this generation of blog. I did the Xanga thing back in college, which I guess is a blog of sorts, albeit more of the forerunner to the social networking plague that has swept the nations, and I wrote a travel journal when I backpacked New Zealand, but that was also very much specific to that time of my life.

I'm not sure what sort of things I'll end up putting in here. Mostly I'm sure it will end up being theological ramblings about what God is doing in my life and the things I'm learning at seminary.

To begin with I'll simply post my response to a question I received over my willingness to join a group on Facebook entitled "I bet I can find 1,000,000 men against abortion". My friend is pro-choice and feels that being pro-life (at least legislatively, inherently detracts women's rights. I love this person very deeply, despite our differing worldviews, and I tried to answer the questions respectfully and honestly, but this is an emotional subject. My friend is very loving to people and works to help those that are beign neglected in the world.

(Nothing like beginning a blog with a hot-button issue... "hey, it's great to be here, have a live grenade...")

I also want to make two things clear off the bat. I am against abortion; I believe it is murder. That being said, I also think that we as evangelical Christians can hang our entire social/political agenda on this one lynch pin issue. It's important, but we also need to realize that our call to care for the sanctity of life does not end once a person is born. We cannot, in good conscience, fight for babies to be born and then abandon them into poverty, starvation, and neglect. It is a lifetime commitment, just ask Jesus.

All that said, here is the gist of how I responded. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the subject.

~~~~~~~~~~~

I will try to reply to this fairly and completely, though it was a long message and something that I feel would be much better suited to a face to face conversation, rather than Facebook message.

Although I do not personally like to employ such harsh and drastic language (abortion and Hitler references) I cannot say that I disagree with that analogy. I feel that genocide is no worse than infanticide, and, in fact, is in many ways more despicable. Therefore, by the parameters of mass murder and unequivocally stealing the lives of innocents, I would say that abortion is Hitler-esque (although you could insert Stalin, Kim Il Sung, or Bin Laden and still remain true to the correlation).

To address the second statement you made, I would disagree with the fundamental presupposition that somehow woman ought to have more of a say than men when it comes to terminating a pregnancy. I know that we live in a fallen world where people (often men) perpetrate terrible and evil crimes (such as rape, but we’ll try to deal with this issue later), however, at the end of the day, it takes two people, male and female, to create a life form (from our humanly perspective). Beyond that (and this is where I’ll try to tread carefully), God is the ultimate creator of life and He “knit me together in my mother's womb” (b). There is something that changes in our appreciation of human life and intrinsic value of every human being when we see them as an image bearer of God, instead of a genetic mistake that ‘just happened’. Philosophically speaking, you should appreciate this, give your obvious passion for people ([human rights charities are] either self-defeating in philosophy or inherently theistic in its foundations since, by the laws of logic, as a naturalist it is not only my prerogative to take advantage of other people, it is my duty to overpower and abuse anyone weaker/dumber/smaller than me. That’s how natural selection works. According to Darwin, I must weed out the weak, which is the antithesis of [their] mission!). All that is to say, I do not believe that woman should have more of a say than men.

Now, to be clear, I certainly do not believe they should have less of a say.

The irony is that the majority of supporters for abortion are men aged 18-30. Not women.

I am against murder and the unfair overpowering of those that are unable to defend themselves. That is why I pursue social justice. It is also why I choose life. ‘Pro-choice’ is a semantic cop-out; let’s just call it what it is: murder. It’s too easy to call it a choice, but it’s not a choice like “white bread or whole wheat?” or even “do you want fries with that?” This is a human life… an image bearer of the Holy Creator of Heaven and earth. How can you care so deeply (as I believe you do) for peoples being oppressed in the developing world, but not the developing womb?

There are, of course, extenuating circumstances that I would at least be open to other possibilities, although even typing that out makes me feel icky. Rape is evil, horrible, and inexcusable. However, I also serve a God who “works through all things for the good of those who love Him.” (). This means that, despite the circumstances being so overwhelmingly abhorrent, God is bigger than evil. I cannot always explain it, nor would I want to, but I know that God is love (b) and His love is far greater than anything we can comprehend and He is sovereign over all things. While my heart breaks for the woman who has been taken advantage of and brutalized I cannot allow that evil to somehow negate the slaying of a helpless baby. Two wrongs don’t make a right… neither does killing the byproduct of evil erase the evil from having taken place. And ultimately, the issue does not even come down to the woman’s life. Her life is not (generally) in danger. There are other alternatives to abortion that will still keep this woman from having to raise the reminder of her attacker.

As for Obama, I do not agree that he is the answer for America or the world. While I’m proud of my countrymen for taking a step toward true racial equality, I think Obama’s view of life is too low and his economic plan is woefully (even painfully) shortsighted and outright dangerous given the current global economic temperatures. I like his environmental policies (at least more so than Palin, who is a who other story…) and will support him now as my Commander in Chief, but I disagree with him and was not a part of his holding office. As for W, while there were mistakes made, I truly believe his good outweighed his mistakes and I think history will be far kinder to him than current liberal media. There was not a single allied country with trustworthy intelligence that did not believe Iraq had WMDs. If Bill Clinton had nipped Al Queda in the bud when the United States was attacked by terrorists the first half dozen times we would not even be in this position now. And, while I am not a supporter of the war in the Middle East, I am glad that Saddam Hussein is no longer in power and able to carry out mass executions in the form of genocide.

I would encourage you to establish what your worldview is (because, like it or not, you have one) and then see if everything you feel fits within that. If not, why? What do you need to change to live a more consistent life? There seems to be a cognitive dissonance in your vocalized beliefs versus your actions. I would encourage you to be open to other information sources that do not have such a blatant agenda (I love Greenpeace and OxFam, but it might be good to check in with the other side and have an open mind. Even if you disagree, at least then you know where they are coming from and why they believe what they believe. Instead of vilifying them, try listening.).

To help you get started, the five major elements of a worldview consist of what you believe about theology, metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and anthropology.

Theology goes to your belief about God (first of all if such a being exists) and the nature of that God. This is closely related to your metaphysical convictions insofar as God is a part of the metaphysical realm. Metaphysics, however, deals more with the nature of ultimate reality. Theology would crossover into this category when you contemplate issues such as how does God interact with the world. For example, a theist and deist hold some similar views theologically (that God exists, created world, etc.) but could disagree greatly metaphysically (for example a Christian theist would hold to a view of a personal God that therefore interacts with His creation, as opposed to a deist who would describe God as absent from our day to day activity, vastly different views of the interaction between God and the physical.). Metaphysics also addresses the question regarding whether the universe is a brute fact or was it created, and, if so, was it created ex nihilo or from an preexistent entity?
Epistemology goes after the theory of knowledge and noetic structure. What do we know and how do we know it? Can our senses be trusted? What is the nature of understanding? This will play a large role in our view of freedom and reason.
Ethics is the comparison of competing views of right and wrong. How do we define “good” and “evil”? Do universal standards for “right” and “wrong” exist or, as Ruth Benedict purported in her 1939 book The Defense of Moral Relativism, are there just competing socialized morals that are not true for all people in all places at all times? (I would like to point out that Benedict recanted her notion of moral relativism after the atrocities carried out by Nazi Germany during World War II. There is an important distinction to be made between morals and mores, the outward manifestation of the moral beliefs held by a people group.)
Finally we come to anthropology, which, despite its namesake, is not necessarily connected to the study of physical artifacts left over from past civilizations. When we speak of anthropology in the philosophical sphere we refer more to the nature of mankind. For example most theists would hold to a view of depravity of humanity that has fallen from God’s perfect will. Christians hold to a view of original sin that basically says that Adam’s transgression has had far reaching implications in causing all men to be born wicked (see the apostle Paul’s teachings throughout his epistle to the Romans).

If you have further questions about God or Jesus or any of the philosophical notions I mentioned, I’d love to try to answer them or find someone who could. I also have a ton of books and online resources that I could recommend to you if you so desire (especially if you have specific questions or qualms).

That was my response. I spent a lot of time and effort writing it out, rather than doing the papers I have due for class, so I thought I would share it.

Thank you for engaging these difficult issues with me and wresting through the tension of life.

I love you and so does God.