Deep Thoughts for the Day

This is from Donald Miller's "Searching for God Knows What" which I read this morning:

(pg. 160-161) "Because we have approached faith through the lens of science, the rich legacy of art that once flowed out of the Christian community has dried up. The poetry of Scripture, especially in the case of Moses, began to be interpreted literally and mathematically, and whole books such as the Song of Songs were completely and totally ignored. They weren't scientific. You couldn't break them down into bullet points. Morality became a code, rather than a manifestation of a love for Christ, the way a woman is faithful to her husband, the way a man is faithful to his wife. These relational ideas were replaced with wrong and right, good and bad, with only hinted suggestions as to where wrong and right and good and bad actually came from. Old Testament stories became formulas for personal growth rather than stories to help us understand the character and nature of the God with whom we interact.

In a culture that worships science, relational propositions will always be left out of arguments attempting to surface truth. We believe quite simply, that unless we can chart something, it doesn't exist. And you can't chart relationships."

Sorry that was a little lengthy. This is a great book, and part of the reason I think it's great is because I've had some of the same thoughts! I remember sitting in Psychology classes in college going round and round with the professor about why the DSM sucked so much. For those of you who aren't impressed with my inclusion of academic tidbits, which I guess is pretty much everyone who will read this, the DSM is a manual used by psychologists to diagnose mental disease. Now, i'm not saying it's all bad or that psychology doesn't help people. But you'll notice if you click on the link that it's the 4th edition. The DSM changes. Hey, thats cool, lots of things in the medical and even religious community change. It's cool until you were diagnosed under the first edition, and were recieving electro-shock treatment.

My problem with psychology is that people aren't just a collection of chemicals to be balanced for "normal bahavior". What Miller is articulating is that the bible isn't a collection of self-help bullet points so we can improve our lives. People's problem with religion, say Christianity, is that it's a list of things you can't do: Can't cuss. Can't watch R-movies. Can't drink any alcohol. Can't have sex until you're married. Can't think girls are pretty. Can't laugh at farts. Can't sleep in on Sunday. Can't be friends with people who do any of the things you can't do.

It's a lot messier to struggle with things and decide if they are right or wrong, and to wrestle with why we think this way. But also, as opposed to a list of things Christians can't do or formulas to get your relationship with God where it should be, what about focusing on the good we should do as opposed to the bad we should avoid at all costs? More on this soon, I gots to go eat with my intern buddies. Peace.

Springfield, NCAA Football 07, and the Church

Sorry I haven't updated in a while, I went on another workcamp; this time to Springfield with our Middle School. Man, it was great. It was so cool to see these guys who hadn't really done anything like a conference workcamp. There were about 190 (14 from our church) of us there, and our church was assigned a ramp to build. Luckily, the adults I brought were: A teacher, an engineer, and a chemist. All more educated and able to adapt to situations than me. So the picture you see is us with Michelle, who's father has suffered numberous recent injuries as a result of muscle and bone deficiencies. He's wheelchair bound and can now live with his daugher, son-in-law, and grandkids.

On an unrelated side-note, the new college football game from EA just came out. It's sweet. So far i'm 0-1 to Jeremy, on account of a last play of the game touchdown. Great. I'm going to the Cards game tonight too, with my pastor. Which I guess means the cursing with have to be toned down, a little. Clearly i'm not working TOO hard.

Back to a related topic now...I think a lot of times the church gets a bad name, and righfully so. Let's go back all the way to the Crusades, stuff like the Spanish Inquisition, feudalistic brutality, Indulgences, Anti-semitism...Then all the way up to the 20th century we had segregation, condemnation, (sorry, no more cajun man) cases of child abuse, sexual misconduct, being complacent in our communities, all sorts of things. If your casual person on the street has a less-than-positive image of "the church", frankly, they have several good reasons to. It's led by broken people.

People who are anti-establishment or anti-institution can have lots of reasons why the church is bad. Who hasn't sat in Annual Conference (sorry, Methodist talk) and wondered if all of this is just a stupid waste of time?

But to see what God does through his people really is refreshing, and makes all the crap we humans throw into the equation bearable. With one phone call we can have a place to stay in Jackson Mississippi on our way home. Paperwork and "red tape" really can be effective in Kenner Louisianna as needs are matched with willing and able hearts. 190 kids from all around Missouri can make a difference to dozens of families in Springfield. So as easy as it is to criticize church, it's not all bad either: the Methodist church can be a stagnent, outdated, tumultuous, fickle, complacent body. Sit in on a meeting to change the carpet color or design a t-shirt sometime. Or more seriously, sit in on a General Conference session. But the Methodist Church (and plenty of other churches too, i'm just speaking from experience here) can also AND MORE IMPORTANTLY be an avenue where the mission of Jesus Christ is carried out in real, tangible, meaningful ways. Not a slogan or a bumper sticker type way, but I changing lives sort of way.

Thats something I can sign up for.

Something About It.

The thing that God accomplished through us was giving hope to his people. FEMA has screwed these folks, insurance companies have screwed these folks, the media has forgotten these folks; they have been tossed to the curb just like the inards of their homes. We provided free labor and warm hearts to these people, and we were in turn blessed by blessing them.

The man in the middle of the picture is Joe. I don't think he would mind if I told his story. Joe has a beautiful wife and daughter. A young, fun family. They bought their home in January of 2005 before the hurricane came in August. Friday night August 27th they were celebrating his wife's birthday....the storm came Sunday the 29th. It was their first home together, everything in it was brand new: appliances, furniature, everything. They left for Lake Charles and then later Houston, TX. They were later evacuated from Houston because of Hurricane Rita. They now are back renting an apartment in New Orleans, where Joe was born and has lived all his life.

Joe and his family visited us on the worksite, which if I recall correctly was only his third visit to the house since Katrina. It was very hard on him and his family, especially his wife. They weren't sure how their little girl would react, but he told me they wanted her to meet all of us. Joe and his wife wanted their little girl to see people doing some good in the world. So we met, and hugged, and cried, and joked a little bit to ease the awkwardness- remember, we were cleaning out these people's lives and piling them on the front lawn to be hauled away.

The next day Joe came back- with the sign you see him holding and Po'Boy Sandwiches for all of us. What a tear jerker. Here this dude had lost everything and he was worried about what he could do for us. So we captured the photo-op, and ate a great lunch. I will never forget sitting there with a full belly and a full heart (sorry it's so cheesy, but true!). In this picture you see Joe, and youth from St. Joseph MO, Kansas City MO, St. Louis MO, and Panama City FL. In this picture you see what God can do with his people.

James 2: 15&16...
Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?

I would add "Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food or their home was destroyed by a hurricane."

We did something about it. Praise God.

Post-Workcamp

We're back. The workcamp was a great week. You go through stages, and after being back 5 days now i'm still kind of shaken up. Initially it was the shock (see picture). It looks like a 3rd world country in some parts down there, I couldn't believe this was America, that all our wealth and power is inadequate in getting thousands of people's lives back to some level of normalacy (sp? is that a word?). Then somehow amid the gutting of houses and the showering with 64 other people you get accustomed to the devastation. You get descensatized to just how awful everything is because you're living in it, well, visiting. Then you meet the homeowners that have lost everything and it's worse than shock. Its beyond empathizing with them. What can you possibly say to these people? Isn't it almost insulting that all these kids with great houses back home put on a sad face while they clean out whats left of an entire lifetime of memories? A strong sense of guilt comes over you when you delight in using a sledgehammer to break down water-closets or tile. Then you realize that thoughts like that are selfish, that you are here to give hope to these people and that's what happened. More, real soon!

Workcamp

This week i'm in Louisiana for Katrina relief. We have a really great group out of EUMC and the most exciting thing is partnering with Brad, Adam, and Dustin's churches. All in all about 65 people headed down to help with the Hurricane Katrina recovery effort. I'll try to post some pictures, maybe have some attendees put a note up on here, but the internet availability is questionable. We'll be working at Kenner UMC in Kenner. Which is convieniently located on the map for your viewing pleasure. Pray for the good work we'll be doing, safe travel, and for the people of the gulf coast, still.

All I have needed, thy hand hath provided. Great is thy faithfulness.

Nokia 8801, You've Got to Be Kidding Me

"It's a reflection of you...what you think...what you feel...who you are."
"Your mobil connection to the world."
"Do you hold it, or does it hold you?"

All quotes from a CELL PHONE COMMERCIAL. Click to watch.

Is anyone else disgusted by this? Do people really fall for this shallow, material crap? Am I blowing things out of perportion? Did I spell proportion right?

This my friends, is the Nokia 8801 cell phone, which you can buy from nokia.com...at $800 they're practically giving them away!

Now, I will admit the phone does look cool. But I have lost sleep over the fact that a company would spend lots of money riding on the fact that people will buy the idea that their phone defines them. I'm reminded of the Parable of the Rich fool here. I think that Nokia's question is a very appropriate one:

Do we own our stuff, or does our stuff own us?

Long Time No See!

Hello all my blog people. I just got back from my first Choir Tour with our high school group, Great Awakening. Here are some highlights:

-Rode coasters at Kings Island, OH
-Spent tons of time with the kiddos
-Toured the White House, Senate building
-Saw Trent Lott, met Senator Jim Talent and U.S. Attorney General Roberto Gonzalez
-Stayed in a camper in the woods of West Virginia
-Danced like a goofball to keep the choir "smiling" but really laughing at me
-Holocaust Museam and Arlington National Cemetary, very moving and said, but great to experience.

So it's been quite a month for me, both coasts baby! More soon. Peace.

Tension

Hello all my blog people. Thanks for several who have commented on Harley's passing, its still sad but we're all doing real well. Miss ya Harley, miss ya everyday.

In high school I had this teacher, Mr. Springer. One of the things I remember him saying to us is: "People who read are smarter than those who don't." This stuck with me. I'm trying to turn myself into a reader. I recently finished Velvet Elvis. My sister had read it about a year and a half ago, and said it was really good. I'm not trying to brag or showboat that i'm actually reading, which isn't really something to brag about anyway, it's just that my thoughts have been centering around this book the last two days.

The author Rob Bell makes some great observations about the Christian faith, and about the way he envisions it. One of the things I really liked was his assertion that as Christian leaders we MUST be "smoking what we're selling".

Bell's message focuses (sp?) on following Christ in continually evolving ways, which most often are rediscoveries/reclaiming of practices that have long been in existance. It was really good. I almost cried like, twice just because his words were so neat, just really good.

Now, to the point of my blog. With Christianity often comes controversy as imperfect, broken people do their best to carry out Jesus commandments of loving God and neighbor. We could make a long list, but Christians "fight" with non-Christians about all sorts of stuff: prayer in school, abortion, homosexuality, to dip the communion bread, baptism, rock music, ecological issues, all sorts of things.

But even more brutal is the fight between Christians and Christians about all sorts of things. I've been to General Conference. I was in the room when it happened. I've been to Annual Conference, I was in the room when it happened there too. I've heard people in my congregation talk about churches down the street, I talk about churches down the street. The Unity of the church is in pretty bad shape. There is a tension.

I'm not saying i've figured things out, but it seems to me that much of the tension can be roped into a dispute between what is ideal, and what is real. The idealists are too mushy for the realists, and the realists are too legalistic for the idealists.

Example: Jesus commanded us to love one another.

Ok, so what the heck does that REALLY mean!!!! Once we get our minds wrapped around that the best we can, how do we do it?

The idealist could site Jesus ministry to the oppressed and marginalized. So are we to sell everything, literally? Should I not be typing on a computer because I could sell this hunk of metal and donate my money to Kingdom House downtown? But the realist doesn't want some comfy saying like: it's all about love. They want concrete actions and criteria to demonstrate love.

Because what about when Jesus praised the woman who poured her perfume all over his feet, when the disciples scolded her because she could have sold it? Maybe we're not supposed to sell everything. Maybe we should love those as Jesus loved, whom he would say: "leave your life of sin". So clearly some things are right and some things are wrong! How do we love those who are wrong, but don't think they're wrong? What if i'm wrong?

Christianity exists in this tension. As I get older I feel it more, but am becoming less bewildered and more in awe I guess. The idealist can call the realist legalistic with their literal interpretations and emperical evidence and reliance on tradition. The realist can call the idealist a flacid dreamer, with no method of actualizing their ministry other than cushy phrases and individual experiences.

Maybe we ARE unified in trying to carry out Christs mission, just in different ways? But we're ALL unified in the tension.

Harley L. Mustoe, 1995-2006

Within the last week or so my dog Harley had gotten sick, and today we had him put to sleep. Harley was a very healthy, happy dog; 50lb black lab-chow mix. One day about a week and a half ago he was pretty lethargic, and the vet found cancer on his splein and blood collecting in a bag around his heart. He was not in pain, but they didn't give him long to live. So there's all the sad details, now on to better stuff, a small obituary if you will.

We got Harley from the Humaine Society in mid-1995 when he was six months old. This was on a Saturday, and on Sunday we discovered he was actually pretty sick and needed a couple operations right away. So this $60 mut turned out to be quite an expensive one; my Dad still claims he saved his life and was thus, the favorite.

Harley's favorite activities included playing with "the rope", which he could go find when commanded, barking at various animals outside, doing this wierd nibbling thing to the sheets when he'd be on the bed, and of course licking himself at the most innappropriate times. Harley would always pick up his food from his bowl and carry it a couple feet before he ate it. He knew how to sit and shake, which he would try to do in exchange for food from the dinner table. Harley had various lengths of hair, he shed even more than me. He looked ridiculous after we'd get him back from the groomers, but he didn't care. Early on in his life he was really good at running out the front door if you even left it cracked for just a second. One time like, 9 years ago he got out and ran all the way to downtown with me chasing after him, crying, with leash in hand. Once he finally stopped, just short of a main road in Cape Girardeau he was so pooped I had to carry him home. At the time I was pissed/relieved he didn't get hit by a car, but now it's a pretty fond memory.

Another one of my favorite Harley stories is when he caught and killed a possum, or so I thought until I tried to get rid of the thing while he was still going nuts in the backyard. There was this one time where Harley was sleeping at the foot of my bed....I adjusted my leg and then felt Harley on top of it....once I realized what was happening I promptly punched him and kicked him out of bed. Other than that, Harley was the best dog you could ask for. Towards the end of his 11 years he wasn't the most obiedient, but it didn't matter because he never really mis-behaved. Harley will always be the dog that all other dogs I come across are compared too.

It's funny how much we love our pets. My whole family loved Harley, and i'm pretty sure he loved us too, he wasn't just in it for the doggy treats. He even had a stocking hung next to all of ours. Even though he was "just a dog" I still am shocked by mortality. I'm very sad, but also very happy to have had such a great dog for 11 years, half of my life. I'm very blessed to have my beloved dog die be pretty high up on my list of "worst things to ever have happened to me". So good bye Harley.

We'll miss ya buddy.

Cali Pics

Here's a link to check out the pictures from the road trip:

http://cmc.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2001545&l=a4d66&id=141500180

In the process of moving things into the new apartment, it's nice. I've run into this problem a lot though:

Someone else: "Hey, where's your trash can?"
Me: "Uhh......"

Da Vinci Update

My congregation is joining the fray in Da Vinci Code education, offering classes on Wednesdays in June. Exciting!

Leonardo the Ninja Turtle, or Da Vinci?

Greetings all.

I am currently at my church office right now, it feels good. Like I said, more on my recent travels w/ pics soon. I have to upload them all which will be kind of a pain.

I found this article on Yahoo today (which I check compulsively). It talks about Evangelical Christianity's response to the upcoming movie The Da Vinci Code. My friend Steve and I were talking about this last night as well. (That conversation took place as we were enterting the theatre to see Mission Impossible III, which was freaking awesome by the way. Ridiculous, but that was to be expected)

Personally, I have not read the book. I need to, if nothing else just to remain "in touch". However as my other friend BB has pointed out, it's not very encouraging to young men to read books if we can just see a movie instead! That being said, I feel like this whole movie debate thing brings up some good points. I have similar feelings about this movie as I did "The Passion of the Christ": no matter how you feel about the movie, it's great to generate conversation.

So THAT being said, i'm a little ticked off. Here's my start of the conversation.

1. Dan Brown is an author who writes books TO MAKE MONEY. So all this stuff about how his book is not factual should be inherent in the fact that it's ENTERTAINMENT. The Catholic Church calling for a boycott because it's blasphemy....to borrow a phrase from my youth....NO DUH!!!! We read books or see movies that distort history all the time, pretty much any Mel Gibson historical epic you've seen. Now, it's a bigger deal because the non-truths or distortions contained in the Da Vinci Code deal with Christ, but folks need to realize this is entertainment.

2. Folks need to not be like mindless slaves to whatever information they're presented with. For all the skeptics (sp?) of Christianity looking for an excuse to rip us some more, this movie could provide some great material. But, go back and read number one. People, especially Americans, LOVE CONSPIRACIES. How many movies have some type of cover up by the government or a double cross at the heart of the plot? This is no different. Roswell New Mexico's entire local economy is built on the idea that Aliens may or may not have landed there. People devote their entire lives to Jimmy Hoffa's dissapearance, or JFK's assasination. We love the suspicion of getting to the bottom of what we've been duped about all our lives. If you're looking for a reason to be down on Christianity, it might be easy to see the movie and think that the whole church is a big conspiracy, and that Christ was not really who we've claimed all these years. Dan Brown picked a sensative and deep reaching topic to use as a means to prey on our love of conspiring. Shrewd. Even the previews attract us with the line: "...The biggest cover up in human history." But if people just go see this movie, and take it as fact, that's lame. I don't have much sympathy for a person who would see a movie or read ONE book and take it as a faith shattering or non-faith confirming experience. The same reason I doubted the Passion as a "conversion tool" is the same reason I doubt this movie will be the naysayers paradise. IT IS A MOVIE. A MOVIE. I will go watch it definately, but it's A MOVIE.

3. I hope this pop-culture and Christian culture intersection can lead to some good conversation. Maybe people will be intruiged by the historical person of Jesus, and discover the living Christ today. Maybe kids will show up at youth group with a thirt for knowledge, cause they don't want to have Hollywood tell them what is true any more. I dunno. I liked the article in Yahoo, and we'll see how it goes. I like the fact that church's are giving seminars and encountering this opportunity with education, instead of blind opposition and boycotting. Maybe we are learning something!

....I'll let ya know what I think of the movie!

Peace.

Quick Update

Hello everyone. Right now it's 2am. I'm in Chicago. Yesterday I was in Arizona, the day before that, Cali. Well, snap lemme just lay it out real quick.

Saturday 5-6: Graduate CMU.
Sunday 5-7: Leave Fayette.
Monday 5-8: Las Vegas, Los Angeles
Tuesday 5-9: Taping of Price is Right, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica
Wednesday 5-10: Grand Canyon, AZ
Thursday 5-11: Worlds Biggest McDonalds, Back in Fayette
Friday 5-12: Chicago, Girlfriends Sister's Graduation from Lake Forest College.
Saturday 5-13: Chicago, Back to St. Louis
Sunday 5-14: Start new life.

So, that's about 4,500 miles in the past week. Lot's of great material for blogging. Things are really great. I didn't get on the Price Is Right, but my friend Abby did! She won $6,000 and a very nice desk. I'll try and post some of the cool pics I got too. Adulthood, here I come baby.

The Little Things.

I'm going post crazy today, two in one day! I actually had planned to blog on this, but then I struck and killed a turtle...

Anyways, I'm going to list stuff that I think is awesome. Go ahead and leave a comment and add one if you'd like. This is a "easy fun silly" blog, check out http://www.entertherainbow.blogspot.com to see some discussion about Homosexuality and the Methoidist Church, or the church in general...i've yet to contribute but it's very thought provoking, no matter where you stand on the issue.

Ok, on to the list:

1. The concept of using meat to garnish other meat. Wow, this is a big one for me. What a great idea! The best example is, the chili dog (which some would not consider meat, but I do). You've got your hot dog containing various beef/pork products AND THEN you top it with beef chili, MORE MEAT! Chicken 'Cord-on-Blue' is another great example. Please pardon my redneck spelling, just trying true to the roots and too lazy to look it up.

2. Paying with exact change. I love being at a register and having EXACTLY $9.64. Then the whole getting change step is gone, and you're on your way. A close second is when you have just the change, and not the bills, that way you get a clean two dollars back if you give them 10.32 and it's only 8. I somehow feel like i'm saving money in this process.

3. Getting the last of something. You're at the store, shopping for whatever, shirt or beverage, I dunno, and you get the last one! Not that I like other people being denied their product, but I like that I almost was, but was not. This could also count in cases of last piece of pizza, last soda in the fridge pack, last cheese stick, etc.

4. Gift Cards + Sales= Bliss! Several generious and gracious people gave me gift cards for my birthday/graduation. I got one to Chesterfield Mall and got TWO really nice shirts and 3 plain white undershirts for $40!!!! It was great!

5. Free refils.

6. Good parking places.

7. Snow days, sadly I haven't had one in years. But those were like the pinnacle of my existence.

8. Turning to exactly the right page the first time.

9. Automatic ice thingies built into your fridge door. We didn't have these growing up, but some of my friends did. I was always jealous. Such cool, refreshing ice and water, right there any time you want.

10. Cruise control.

R.I.P. Little Guy

I dunno what the deal is but the turtles were out in full force today. On the way home from Columbia this afternoon, I saw THREE turtles. Not one, or two, which would already be many more than i've seen in two years, but THREE. Unfortunately only two of them survived...

Driving along 240 I spotted something small and brown in the road, I figured it was a cup or something, no big deal. (round these parts trash or roadkill is far from uncommon) But as I approached the object in question, I saw that it was in fact a turtle, this really was evident as his neck protruded, trying to avoid the bu (my car).

I felt horrible, still do. I love turtes, I had one when I was young. I have lots of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle memorabilia (sp?). I've never had turtle soup, nor do I advocate eating any turtle products or any process in which a turtle suffers.

Based on my observation, I'm pretty sure it was a standard Box turtle, common in Missouri, as shown above.

So, now i've got to figure out some way to honor the turles memory. I was pretty disturbed: hearing the sound of the little guy being crushed by my tire, and the horror of seeing a little fist sized animal thrown up in the air and splatter onto the highway, as a result of my actions. By the time I saw him, I tried to move but it was too late.

Sorry little buddy.

Price Is Right

So, I graduate soon. Then it's off to LA for the Price Is Right before I fully enter adulthood.

Check out the t-shirt design, yea baby!

Test

Why is the entry so far from the top, arrgggg!!!!

I'm a bit gassy

First of all, I have no idea why my last entry is so far down there, sorry.

On to the subject at hand. I don't understand why gas prices keep on rising. Last summer it was because supply was damaged by hurricane katrina (please don't assume that i'm being insenseitive *sp?* to that horrible event, there's far worse than gas prices as a result of the hurricane, i'm just sayin...) Then the "summer driving season" always drives up prices because more people are using a finite supply of gas, ok ok ok. Economics was never my thing.

Some research on the internet yields the answer that gas prices are climbing as gas stations are switching to the "summer blend" which kind of sounds like a beer to me, but anyways apparently the demand for ethanol is high so the prices are remaining high. Wait, I thought ethanol was going to make gas cheaper? They add ethanol to the gas in order to dilute some of the gas with a cleaner and renewable resource, and it's driving the price up. What?

I don't really understand supply and demand. I don't understand webpages explaining how oil is refined into gas and there's a whole chain of events from research to extration to production, blah blah. These things are beyond me, i've tried. Maybe i'll try some more.

But it seems to me that the reason gas prices are so high is that we'll obviously pay them. I drive more than anyone else I know, except for maybe my Dad when he was a DS (Methodist jargon, don't worry about it for all you non-Methodists out there). I buy lots of gas. I hate it. Last summer the prices rose, we paid. So why not test the waters a little more if you're an oil/gas company? Why not make more money if you can?

What I HAVE gathered from my limited economical education is that in our capitolist system, competition encourages lower prices, as two+ companies will vie (vye?) for your money and in the process a better and less expensive product results. But these oil conglomerates are sort of in a different boat than lots of other companies. Gasoline literally drives most of our economy, trucks bring all the goods to where they can reach the market, we transport ourselves all over the place, as our cities are not set up for pedestrian travel, or public transport. The oil/gas companies can do whatever they want as long as we're willing to stick with the status quo-- continue to bow to whatever they want to charge and refuse to stand up for emerging renewable energy resources. I realize that this is an oversimplification, but think about it: Do you know why gas prices rise? Do you wonder how long this will last? Exxon made more money than most countries last year....even though gas prices were rising and supply was in jeapardy...hhhmmm.....

Part of me feels horrible complaining about gas prices while war is going on, while people I met in Mexico have almost nothing, name any other awful thing there.

But it's even more horrible that middle aged and old men in suits are profiting off of all of this.

I hate being a slave to my car, but I am. What can I do? I walk to class every once in a while, ok. Big deal. I guess i'm hoping that hybrid cars continue to prosper, maybe I can get one of those in the distant future. I guess i'm hoping that the US can break free of all the politics of oil, our dependance on oil which 'fuels' (haha) our involvement in the middle east. I don't think it's too much to expect some ethics from companies regarding responsibility to the consumer.

I don't think much will come of this.

Next time my entry won't be so money focused.

Immigration

I read this article today. All of this turmoil over immigration is real tough. Lot's of issues, but this is mostly about money. It's a congressional election year, there's voting blocs to be appeased, there's the percieved "threat" to American culture, the language thing, all sorts of stuff.

I've recently been to Mexico. We're not only talking about Mexican immigrants of course, but i'd say that's the biggest group. Go down to Juarez, where you can literally see the El Paso city lights and people have migrated to Northern Mexico to work at the American factories. Not for the good pay, but for the meals the factories provide along with meager health care. It gets worse the further south you get. Go down there and think about who wouldn't want to get out?

Also, let's think about how we all got here. European immigration, with the subsequent destruction of one people and the enslavement and importation of another. A bit of a philosophical point really, but all the people who criticize the immigrants should trace their family history.

But this is all motivated by cash. "The illegal immigrants don't pay taxes and suck up public education, health care, and social services. They are taking American jobs." Please. What about American companies who outsource to India or Mexico, they're being pretty up front with moving jobs elsewhere because they don't have to pay foriegn workforces nearly as much. As for "American jobs" what Americans are competing for the tomato harvesting jobs? But we certainly love our cheap tomatos at Wal-Mart. I'd be interested to see the cost of public services vs. the money saved on sub-par labor compensation.

I don't know the solution to the immigration issue, but I do know that it's not as simple as people want to make it out to be. The article reflects the public opinion's split, or at least one poll's portrayal of that split. You can't just say "get out of our country".

Long Time Comin.

Hello everyone. It's been over a month. Bad form. A lot has happened to me.

1. Spring break in St. Louis working at church. Everytime i'm there i'm amazed at how being connected to a community of people is so refreshing. When I see those folks it's usually been a couple weeks so there's the feeling of "Hey! How are you!" which is really authenticly joyful. I think one of the goals of people in church is to preserve that feeling, and honestly mean it, not losing the importance of each other in the mundane week to week routines of our lives.

2. Mission trip to Mexico. We took over 30 youth and adults to Juarez, Mexico through Proyecto Abrigo (Project Shelter). It's really changed a lot for me. I've learned that I really don't have any problems. Any. At all. None. I have it so sweet and I haden't been appreciating it. I also got some sweet belt buckles at the market.

3. SICK AS A DOG. On the way home from El Paso (A 22 hour bus ride) at approximately 1am I woke up, felt a little sick, then suddenly puked. On the bus, waking up dozens of sleeping youth and sufficiently grossing out several adults. Pretty much one of the worst things I could imagine, kind of. From 1am-8am I proceeded to vomit over 20 times, and also multiple #2 sessions. Was it from getting water in my mouth during the shower? I think not, as many of the group also became ill. Montezuma, screw you! I don't want to get too graphic here....but let me say two things: I've never had to take a trash can into the bathroom with me, and i'll never eat beef jerkey again. I am still recovering from being sick a little bit, and also recovering from the wrath of my schoolwork.

(Be warned, next part is going to get lengthy)

4. It's my birthday tommarow. So, I turn 22 tommarow. Let's recap the last 22 birthdays shall we? Ages 1-5, brain still developing happy to get cake and gifts (although I guess that never really changes).

6-12 the "and a half years" where when people ask you how old you are you feel it neccesary to give them your current age as well as how close you are to the next one.

13-15, you're excited you've made it to "teen" on the end of your age as well as the anticpation of driving. Everyone from 13-15 is usually a jerk sometimes for no real discernable reason, at least I was.

16, sweet sweet drivers license. I'm old school, no "intermediate license" or any of that bunk. I was so excited to be able to drive my parents were able to manipulate me into begging them to run their errands for them.

17, you can finally see R movies! Not that I haden't before, but now there was no doubt of admission to the theatre. I remember arguing with my Mom about whether I could see them, and I envoked my legal right, which ultimately is endorsed by the President of the United States himself. My Dad took me to see Judge Dredd in the 5th grade, so he was cool with it.

18, you finally have to register for the draft! That was creepy. Also, you can buy smokes and naughty magazines, rights I did not envoke like R movies. You're a legal "adult", you can vote. 18 is perhaps the most liberating birthday.

19 & 20, not as exciting as 16-18, but another decade of life is pretty cool. 20 also sounds a lot older than 19. So, 19 & 20, eh, whatever.

21, if you watch enough MTV 21 could be the pinnacle of your life, which is stupid. Obviously, the big deal is you can drink, and even if you choose not to booze, you have the legal capacity. 21 is cool because the "under 21 until..." on your license no longer applies. 21 is cool because your insurance drops (mine did a little). When you turn 18 you're a legal adult, but it's pretty much a countdown until full blown adulthood at 21.

22, ugh, 22? The first of my "just another year" birthdays. It's horrible. I know a lot of you out there are older than me, many of the staff members at church revel in the fact that they could be my parent (a fact that can also be wielded against them). So you could be thinking '22, he's still young'. Well, whatever, the double deuce here I come.

Noah's Ark?

It's no secret I get most of my headlines from relevantmagazine.com, which is linked to the left. This picture was on there concerning the "Arrorat Anomoly". Too bad the jerks in Turkey won't grant any expeditions, haha turkey jerkey. Anyways, this isn't ALL that new. I saw an episode of unsolved mysteries in like, 1995 all about the possible uncovering of the ark. I also hope that ark is spelled with a "k" and not a "c".

If this IS Noah's Ark, what would that mean? I wonder if we would all turn into literalists.

Christian Music

So this article was on relevantmagazine.com today.

Mute Math, a band which I thouroughly (sp?) enjoy and have seen live twice is filing suit with Warner Bros. over which label they've been placed on. Paul Meaney, MuteMath's founder/keyboardist/writer/vocalist asserts that the "Word" label is "overtly Christian". I don't know a whole lot about the music biz, but i'm assuming what label you're on affects your distribution and definately marketing strategy.

I do know a little about Christianity and a little about music. I know that Mute Math writes and performs some of the most innovative music i've ever heard, some of the best music i've ever heard. I also know that this debate will piss off everyone: Christians who only listen to Christian music and um, non-Christians who automatically can't stand any "christian" music.

Thing is, most "christian" music is for Christians. I think Mute Math is saying their music is for both Christian and non-Christian audiences. I think they don't want to be pidgeon-holed by being placed on the same label as worship bands. Go to http://www.wordrecords.com
Mute Math doesn't want to be on the same label as Amy Grant. Can you blame em?

I love David Crowder. But his music is for Christians. Shoot, now that I think about it Mute Math opened for Crowder, and that's how I found out about them...ironic. Anways, I shudder to think what some Christians will say about Mute Math "defecting" from faithful Christian record buyers, even if that who comprises their biggest fan-base right now.

Join the Club!

I have made a very tangible step towards full blown adulthood and all the mundane responsibilities that come with it. I have looked, selected, applied, and been accepted to an apartment complex in St. Louis. Myself and two buddies are newly approved residents in "Pine Tree Club Apartments". Thus, i'm in the club! Just a quick update on life.

Sometimes I wonder if i'm too laid back about things, or if it's lazyness. Went to apartments.com, did some emailing, went and looked at about 4 places and picked one. *List of things to do* Find place to live....check.

Also, I should add a caviot to my cingular entry as I recieved a very luxurious phone in an extremely timely manor. Well done!

The $5.50 bin continues to amaze me....empire records!

Not much theology going on the blog, but plenty in my head.

Oscars were last night, I need to see Crash. I did however see Memoirs of a Geisha, which won multiple cinematography and costume design awards, so there.

Curling

Ok I admit it, curling is kind of a trendy thing to care about right now. Approximately every four years i'll get into it for about 20 minutes a week. Right now the gold medal match is on and I find myself rooting for the poor Fins just to salvage some pride.

This will keep you entertained until the 2010 Olympics

http://www.mousebreaker.com/games/virtualcurling/play.php

Cingular

So, for the past couple weeks i've been in perpetual cell phone struggle. My old phone, purchased last summer was not functioning. The ear piece went out. So for about 2 weeks I was "speakerphone guy". It was awful. So finally I call Cingular and they send me a new phone. Thing is, THAT phone was busted too. So currently the count stands at TWO piece of trash phones. These jokers send you a "new" phone, only the "new" phone is actually a "refurbished certified" phone. In other words, someone else's former piece of trash phone that they've dressed up enough to send back to you.

This was simply unacceptable. I hate cell phone companies. I really do. I think Satan is incarnated as the president of Cingular. They lock you in for 2 years, and if you're unsatisfied with the service, too bad because you signed the contract. But then they treat you however they want because hey, you're gonna have to pay either way.

So I called customer service for the second week in a row. The ironic part is with the replacement phone, there was a slip of paper that said: "if you experience problems with your replacement phone call this number...." They actually anticipate you having problems with your "new" phone. Ugh.

I was nice the first time I called. Ya know, all I want is a phone that works. So once the phone to replace the piece of trash was infact an additional piece of trash that was it. I was gonna let somebody know my dis-satisfaction. I was going to be angry. I was going to fight back at the giant corporate dragon. Until the person I started talking to was actually a nice human being. Dangit.

So I explained my dilemma and made my plea simply for a phone that worked. I wanted to yell and cuss but that would have been innappropriate, kind of. The girl said that she would send me a third phone, and I explained how I didn't want a third piece of junk phone. It's not my fault these things are malfunctioning. Well, policy is that they won't give you a different make and model until the THIRD malfunctioning phone. THREE!!!! So that sent me off into a tangent of how our system of capitolism can be oppresive to consumers like me in the current situation I find myself.

Upon concluding my congenial conversation with this person on the other line, I explained how I had intended to "make somebody cry" and that I wanted to now yell at her boss, not her. After being on hold for a couple of minutes she comes back on and says her supervisor didn't want to talk to an angry customer and offered me an upgraded phone. Sweet!

So through sheer intimidation and perseverence (sp?) I got one for the good guys, the common man, the frustrated and overlooked cell phone customer.

Suddenly stiff corporate policy was maleable once I didn't let them walk all over me. Ugh. Well, i'll have a new phone soon. Call me!

$5.50 Bin Pt. 6

Ok, here's the last of it. I got so excited I finished it today. Call me a dork if you want, but i'm actually getting college credit for this...

Having seen the superhuman consequences the $5.50 bin can evoke, it is appropriate to discuss proper $5.50 etiquette and some precautions one should be made aware of. When there are several shoppers simultaneously plowing through the $5.50 bin it should be duly noted the rule of “You grab it, you gettin’ it”. . Due to the wild even arbitrary nature of the $5.50 bin there could only be one copy in the entire kingdom. In the chaos of DVD hunting occasionally (and unfortunately) two shoppers may grab for the same prey, in which case whoever can snatch up the desired movie first claims the initial buying rights. Thus, “You grab it, you gettin’ it.”

While perusing the $5.50 bin it is important to keep others in mind. Suppose you see a movie that you yourself don’t particularly care for, but a friend/roommate/sibling of yours is quite outspoken of their desire for this certain movie. What could be worse than next time you see them explaining how you held their beloved film in your hands, and yet having $5.50 in your possession still let it go?

If while thumbing through the masses of DVD’s you discover a sequel to a movie already in your possession, it is your duty to purchase the movie even if you don’t have an exceeding desire to view it at that particular time. You owe it to $5.50 shoppers everywhere to proudly display your new complete set in your DVD library to help spread the good news of the $5.50 bin to the naysayers and movie-snobs.

Perhaps the most important $5.50 rule is the respect of fellow $5.50 shoppers. Be mindful of where you discard unwanted DVD’s in the bin. A method of stacking is preferable and tossing them carelessly into the path of another $5.50 shopper is abominable. Committing this heinous act could prove costly if one happens to impose upon the aforementioned determined/fanatical shopper.

While etiquette is highly appreciated one must also be on guard to the pitfalls of the $5.50 bin, both economic and social. As it is with drinking, gambling, CSI marathons, and all you can eat-buffets; one needs to be aware of one’s limits. Be cognizant of ‘impulse buys’ for these cheapen the true joy of a $5.50 purchase. Don’t simply amass a giant DVD collection to puff up your pride for that is a gross perversion of a rare gift in retail. If while shopping at the $5.50 bin you are teetering on a purchase simply place the DVD in question at the bottom of the bin, or hide it behind a row of more expensive (but not very popular) DVD’s where it can be safely purchased upon a later and better informed decision. In fighting off the temptation of unwarranted $5.50 purchases you are preserving the spirit of the $5.50 bin so that others may partake in the $5.50 bin experience.

The $5.50 bin is one of America’s best kept secrets. You could argue a case for ebay or garage sales as the DVD’s true land of opportunity, but both of those venues lack the intricacies of the $5.50 bin. Everyone loves movies and everyone loves saving money. The true $5.50 master is like an old prospector panning for gold. The $5.50 bin is so much more than just a cage full of discs full of images, it’s full of the human spirit. Amen.

$5.50 Bin Pt. 5

Now that we’re aware of the $5.50 bins most crucial components, let us move on to the gleaners, those that take from the $5.50 bin as a farmer carefully picks grapes from a vine. Basically there are three kinds of $5.50 shoppers, to be laid out a la Youngian archetypes:

Casual/Cynical: Most everyone goes to Wal-Mart and likes movies. However everyone likes a good bargain. So the $5.50 bin lends itself to all of humanity in at least one small way. So the casual/cynical shopper will at least pause and notice the $5.50 bin. However, they will turn up their nose based on the low price, unfairly assuming that since the movies are cheap than they must be of poor quality or low esteem. This is simply a misconception, nay, a biggotous stereotype that is the result of ignorance and lack of culturing. The casual/cynical shopper will rarely give much more consideration to the $5.50 bin than a simple glance at whichever movies happen to be on top.

Energetic/Optimistic: This $5.50 shopper may have started out as a casual/cynical shopper, but has seen the light through simple chance or through the encouragement of friends. Perhaps one evening while at an acquaintance’s house the former casual/cynical notices a DVD on the shelf that he/she is fond of and asks the owner naively—“Hey, where’d you get this?” Upon hearing the answer the now energetic/optimistic shopper is made aware to the potential joy of the $5.50 bin. The energetic/optimistic $5.50 shopper will dig deep into the bin, content just to be in the hunt. The energetic/optimistic shopper recognizes the potential of the $5.50 bin but is also conscious of the rarity of a true gem. He/she will always be hopeful that they will find “a diamond in the rough” to add to their collection, and not really be disappointed if they do not walk away with a purchase.

Determined/Fanatical: Upon months, even years of energetic/optimistic $5.50 shopping this person has became obsessed even possessed with the acquisition of high quality-low cost DVD’s. The determined/fanatical shopper can be identified upon their entrance into Wal-Mart as they walk with distinction towards the $5.50 bin choosing the most efficient path with a complete disregard for any other items they came to buy. Their heart rate may quicken, breathing patterns heighten, and in extreme cases the pupils may even become dilated. They may abandon the company of friends they came to Wal-Mart with, and in the saddest cases will even $5.50 shop alone. The determined/fanatical $5.50 shopper will not be denied a purchase and will go to extreme lengths to satiate their desire. This beastly perversion of a shopper will even go to multiple Wal-Marts in the same evening in order to taste the fruit of the $5.50 bin. Their DVD libraries are immense, filled with complete sets and obscure selections. The determined/fanatical shopper has been to the top of the $5.50 mountain, has seen the glory that lies therein, and will do whatever it takes to get to the top again.

$5.50 Bin Pt. 4

The $5.50 bin is a place of value. Your average new-release DVD is going to cost you about twenty bucks. After a couple of months it may drop down to a little under $15 dollars. This can be quite a conundrum especially for emerging adults (18-25) who are not exactly affluent when you consider the same age bracket craves entertainment perhaps more than any other generation. Enter the $5.50 bin. Let’s say one goes into Wal-Mart with a designated $17 for new DVD purchases. Why get one DVD for approximately 2 hours of entertainment when you can get three (!) for approximately six hours of entertainment? Clearly this could be a point of divergence for some, as this is a pro-quantity as opposed to quality argument; much like an all you can eat-pizza buffet offers perhaps a less quality product verses your more upscale pizza establishment, if there is such a thing. Nonetheless if you disagree go back and review the element of nostalgia in the $5.50 bin.

$5.50 Bin Pt. 3

The $5.50 bin is a place of discovery. The same innate desire Columbus possessed that led him to the new world is of the same essence as a $5.50 shopper. What’s inside the bin changes regularly (which goes back to the aforementioned mystery) and there could be a movie you’ve been weighing the prospects of for years tucked away amongst the B-list foreign films or 1950s cartoon anthologies. A $5.50 shopper is akin to the hunter making an excursion to South Africa to hunt the wild game. The thrill of the pursuit is one that sustains the $5.50 shopper even on an unsuccessful venture. The satisfaction of finding the dark 1999 comedy Mystery Men could conceivably be a trophy for an entire year.

The $5.50 bin is a place of nostalgia. In each generation there are those movies that define, classics like Citizen Kane, The Godfather, Saturday Night Fever. For my generation that movie is Twins. A touching story of two brothers reunited enriched my spirit as a child. That spirit was rediscovered thanks to the $5.50 bin. Consider other such films which hark back to better, simpler times: Beverly Hills Cop I & II, Short Circuit, Crocodile Dundee I & II, The Never Ending Story, Batman: The Movie (starring Adam West . . . Wham! Etc . . .) and of course Major League II. These movies should have their proper place in the pantheon of film, yet they have been forsaken and damned to the $5.50 bin next to 88cent gobstoppers. The $5.50 shopper realizes this travesty, and rescues these timeless films from the bowels of garage sales and pawn shops; forever preserving their memory and contributions to the collectors life by enshrining them in their own personal DVD library.

$5.50 Bin Pt. 2

In order to clarify the terms and vernacular of the $5.50 bin, a couple basics need to be established. First of all, location: The $5.50 bin can be found near the electronics section at virtually every Wal-Mart in the country. Sometimes it’s near the DVD’s but often you’re almost in house-ware territory when you see the black fence-like encasement. Then there’s pronunciation: To truly communicate the unique aspects of the $5.50 bin it’s pronounced “fiveiftyben”. You can use this almost like a codeword to figure out if someone has experienced the magic or not. If they have to ask what you’re talking about, then you might as well just skip the whole thing. Before we continue it must be noted that some $5.50 bins are under the sign “2 for $11”. With some simple mathematic calculations it’s clear that you have indeed encountered a $5.50 bin. The whole “2 for 11” thing is just a ploy to entice you to spend more money. Rest assured, you may still proceed as to a more accurately labeled $5.50 bin. Now that we’ve established some basics, let us move forward.

The $5.50 bin is a place of mystery. Where did these DVD’s come from? Are they the ones that didn’t sell well and they’ve been demoted? Which “higher ups” (corporate positions) dictate which DVD’s will populate the $5.50 bin? What sorts of people actually buy some of these movies? Is there a truck that ships these DVD’s specifically to fill the $5.50 bin? Are they one’s that people have returned and subsequently deemed un-sellable at normal retail value? Did these DVD’s ever cost more than $5.50? Where do they go if they don’t sell in the $5.50 bin? Do the workers that stock the $5.50 bin get “first crack” at its contents? What if the workers are snatching up all the Chuck Norris movies? These are questions that are simply beyond the grasp of the $5.50 shopper. The true $5.50 master is not concerned with these questions, it does not matter from whence the DVD’s came, it only matters what is inside that bin, which might as well be made of gold.

$5.50 Bin Pt. 1

I'm in an expository writing class here at Central Methodist University. Our latest paper assignment is over "Writing about places." We are to write an approximately 4-5 page paper describing a place. So, this is part of my rough draft. I thought you guys might enjoy it. Some of this is tounge in cheek, but i'm pretty much serious. So, here it is, my ode' to the $5.50 bin....

Humans are simple creatures. At our core there are sentiments that we as a species crave, among them: adventure, passion, the thrill of the hunt, and a good bargain. There is a place where one can find what we as people have been seeking since the beginning of history, a place where you can forge your own destiny, a place where legends are made, an escape from the ramped inflation of modern society, a place where nostalgia and value collide, an oasis to the likes of Van Damme and Seagall, a place called the $5.50 bin at Wal-Mart.
Imagine if you will your last trip to the worldwide mega-monstrosity, most people dread going. It’s as if Wal-Mart is a Mecca for the socially challenged. On a Saturday the parking lot is gridlock, there’s thirty check-out lines however only a third of those are in use, and there’s nothing more ironic than seeing the back of a blue “Hi! How Can I Help you!?” vest speeding away from you as you blurt out your question concerning the location of dish detergent trying in vain to overcome the deafening crashing carts and blaring babies. If there’s a full moon outside you better bring a camera. But amidst the disorganized aisles and dysfunctional clientele lies paradise. The $5.50 bin is not just a place, it’s an experience.

The $5.50 bin is serves as a clearinghouse of sorts for DVD’s of highly varying quality. At first glance one might see merely a black cage housing an orgy of DVD’s with no real discernable method of organization. It’s a free for all in there. The encasement comes up to about waist height: tall enough to prevent small children or animals by being swallowed up by the bin, but also restrive enough to prevent full grown adults from being able to easily reach to the bottom. Due to crafty corporate marketing and strategic placement the $5.50 bin is usually accompanied by a clearance candy bin. Don’t be deceived, the candy is 88cents not the DVD’s. Once you have identified the proper position and purpose of the $5.50 bin, you are ready to delve into all that is the $5.50 bin and start reaping the benefits for yourself and those around you.

It's Science Baby!

So, the whole creationism/intelligent design debate continues to evolve. (giggle)

This article talks about the Ohio school board voting to "eliminate a passage in the state's science standards that critics said opened the door to the teaching of intelligent design."

The article continues on to say "The Ohio Board of Education decided 11-4 to delete material encouraging students to seek evidence for and against evolution. The 2002 science standards say students should be able to "describe how scientists continue to investigate and critically analyze aspects of evolutionary theory." The standards include a disclaimer that they do not require the teaching of intelligent design.

To me there's lots of problems here. First of all, I believe in the "seperation of church and state". I like what the ACLU represents, dissent. I think a lot of those folks are nuts though. Anyways, I think that we're forgetting that PARENTS and CHURCH'S are also responsible for educating our children, not to mention the students themselves. By the time you get to high school Biology if you are just being spoonfed everything then you have a whole different set of problems.

Second problem: the politization (sp?) of this whole debate. It has come to represent essentially secular enlightenment thought vs. christian theological thought. The crazy lefty humanists are fighting back against the zealous right Christian biggots. Let's think about whats going on here: the folks in Ohio by my estimation are trying to get a back door into intelligent design, which i've read described as "creationism in a tuxedo". Kinda funny. But let's look at what the Ohio state board voted down one more time:

Curriculum in which students specifically are able to...describe how scientists continue to investigate and critically analyze aspects of evolutionary theory.

Isn't this statement AT THE HEART OF SCIENCE!?!?!??! Whats wrong with questioning a THEORY, not FACT or our concept of fact, a THEORY. What is wrong with critical analysis of evolutionary theory?

To me thats just as horrible as creationists dressing up theology in the classroom. So what the ACLU and other scientists are doing to me completely undermines the scientific principals that they feel are threatened by people who know don't know very much about science but can quote Genesis chapters 1-3.

To me, the whole thing is very simple. Evolutionary theory still can't answer why or how things got here. I believe in natural selection, in adaption, 'survival of the fittest'. Shoot, if I was an animal i'd be a gonner because I couldn't see anything.

But the Christian community cannot ignore science or treat it like an enemy. I think Christians have the ability to throw their hands up in the air and say they don't know all of the answers, but more importantly we don't need to.

The method of creation matters not, only the origin of the creator. (sounds like a quote, but I thought of it!!!)

I don't care how God created us. Doesn't matter to me, cause i'm sitting here typing either way. So I hope that people can realize that neither strict creationism or secular evolution can give us all the answers, nothing ever can no matter how many school boards approve this that or the other.

Peace.

The Wrap Up

So, basically I think that the passage from the book is very indicitive of the Christian spiritual journey. You can't just profess Christ as Lord and then do whatever you want because you know you're going to heaven. When we discussed this question in my small group we framed the problem as: "If i'm going to heaven when I die, why the hell should I care about what I do when i'm alive?"

Apologies if anyone is offended, but its true! I admire the Jewish tradition of mitzvot, and feel like Christians are far behind in the whole "actions speak louder than words" thing.

Faith vs. (and) Deed pt. 3

Due to some well deserved prodding, i'll try to "wrap up" this lil' thought process, as i'm sure many of you have wittled (sp?) your nails down in anticipation.

Adam Caldwell and I had a conversation in which he suggested I would frame the discussion in a Faith AND Deed way as opposed to Faith VERSES Deed way. Good call.

So none of what i've said, and really not much of anything I ever say is really ground breaking or hard to comprimise. I feel like the Jewish faith places to much emphasis on works or deeds alone while the Christian faith SHOULD emphasize deeds in connection with faith, but many times the stuff you do after you have the faith is irrelevant, or must be by how much attention deeds get.

To Illustrate this, I will post a portion of the book Adventures in Missing the Point, from a chapter called Salvation:

The Parable of the Race:

Once upon a time, in a land of boredom and drudgery, exciting news spread: “There is going to be a race! And all who run this race will grow strong and they’ll never be bored again!” Exciting news like this had not been heard in many a year, for people experienced little adventure in this ho-hum land, beyond attending committee meetings, waiting in lines, sorting socks, and watching sitcom reruns.

Excitement grew as the day of the race drew near. Thousands gathered in the appointed town, at the appointed place. Most came to observe, skeptical about the news. “It’s too good to be true,” they said. “It’s just a silly rumor started by some teenaged troublemakers. But let’s stick around and see what happens anyway.”

Others could not resist the invitation, arriving in their running shorts and shoes. As they waited for the appointed time, they stretched and jogged in place and chattered among themselves with nervous excitement. At the appointed time they gathered at the starting line, heard the gun go off, and knew that it was time to run.

Then something very curious happened. The runners took a step or two or three across the starting line, and then abruptly stopped. One man fel to his knees crying, “I have crossed the starting line! This is the happiest day of my life!” He repeated this again and again, and even began singing a song about how happy this day was for him.

Another woman started jumping for joy. “Yes!” she shouted, raising her fist in the air. “I am a race-runner! I am finally a race-runner!” She ran around jumping and dancing, getting and giving high fives to others who shared her joy at being in the race.

Several people formed a circle and prayed, quietly thanking God for the privilege of crossing the starting line, and thanking God that they were not like the skeptics who didn’t come dressed for the race.

An hour passed, and two. Spectators began muttering; some laughed. “So what do they think this race is?” they said. “Two or three strides, then a celebration? And why do they feel superior to us? They’re treating the starting line as if it were a finish line. They’ve completely missed the point.”

A few more minutes of this silliness passed. “You know,” a spectator said to the person next to her, “if they’re not going to run the race, maybe we should.”

“Why not? It’s getting boring watching them hang around just beyond the starting line. I’ve had enough boredom for one life.”

Others heard them, and soon many were kicking off their dress shoes, slipping out of their jackets, throwing all this unneeded clothing on the grass. And they ran- past the praying huddles and past the crying individuals and past the jumping high-fivers. And they found hope and joy in every step, and they grew stronger with every mile and hill. To their surprise, the path never ended- because in this race, there was no finish line. So they were never bored again.
Is salvation for you a one-time experience? Or is it a lifelong journey? Is it about rescue from your uncomfortable circumstances, or rescue from this world after death- or is it about being rescued from a life that is disconnected God and God’s adventure, both in this life and the next? Is salvation about stepping across a line- or is it about crossing a starting line to begin an un-ending adventure in this life and beyond?

Um, the computer i'm using can no longer be in use, more soon....seriously.

I Normally Don't Do This...

I've been "tagged". This means i'll post the same information that the person who tagged me posted. Call me a tool. This is the first time i've responded to anything like this, except for that chain letter in the 3rd grade...speaking of I still haven't gotten my three wishes.

Anyways, here it is:

Four jobs I've had in my life:
Mercanary-style babysitter/lawn mower.
Cape Girardeau Recreation Dept. Pool Concessions Stand
Youth Intern at various church's
Director of Youth Ministries, Ellisville UMC

Four Movies I could watch repeatedly (and have):
Mystery Men
Batman Begins
Lord of the Rings
Karate Kid II: The Story Continues

Four Places I have lived:
I'm going to list them all actually...
Memphis, MO. Centralia, MO. St. Peters, MO. Cape Girardeau, MO. Fayette, MO. Greenwood, MO. Jefferson City, MO. Houston, TX. Ellisville, MO. Lot's of time spent in Sedalia, MO and O'Fallon, IL as well, but technically did not live there. So now you know why my car is always so nasty.

Four TV shows I love to watch:
Pardon the Interuption
Sportscenter
King of Queens
Arrested Development/Seinfeld on DVD

Four Places I have been on Vacation:
Brason, MO.
Gulf Shores, AL.
Panama City, FL.
Los Angeles, CA (coming in May)

Four Websites I visit daily:
www.Yahoo.com (Sarah makes fun of me because I compulsively check the news part...its true)
www.gmail.com
www.relevantmagazine.com
www.crashoften.com

Four Favorite Restaurant Foods:
Chipotle Burritos
Flat Branch Buffalo Wings
Taco Bell Frito Burrito
Jack in the Box Tacos

Four Places I'd Rather Be Right Now:
Sitting on my couch at home in KC consuming the beverages and food that my family has bought in preparation for my arrival
Panama City Beach
At a concert with Sarah
Working at Ellisville UMC, instead of being at school

(i'm adding one) Four Things that Make Me Mad:
People who smack their food
When my dog doesn't listen to me
People who are awkward to talk to on the phone
Not seeing the purpose in things i'm forced to do

People I'm Tagging:
Sarah Hoormann
Kelly Mustoe
Andy Bryan
Brad Bryan
(the Bryan's are tagged by me and Adam Caldwell now, so maybe they'll feel the pressure)

Faith Vs. Deed pt. 2

I feel like a lot of Church's are only concerned with getting people "saved". Once you confess Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior then you're good to go. But really, this is only the beginning. If we're so concerned with getting people saved (not that we shouldn't be) we should also be concerned with helping them in their walk with Christ now that we've helped introduce the two. The question remains: Now that i'm a Christian, what do I do now?

Thus, the dilemma. You already believe so what are you going to do?

According to Rabbi Feintuch, this is not the case in Judaism. But in Christianity if the chief concern is salvation and you've got that on lockdown, what's left?

You then read on past the Gospels and Paul begins to shape the church's foundations like the holy spirit, grace, and free will. Paul many many many times discusses that "the law" leads only to sin and death.

More soon....to see what my buddy Adam Caldwell has said on this subject check here

Deed vs. Faith, pt. 1

Greetings.

I've made several posts about recent discussions taking place in my class "Religious Roots of the Holocaust". Our instructor wisely asked a Rabbi to come in and speak with our class three seperate times about Judaism so we would have some idea about the historical and theological backgrounds of Judaism.

Those three class periods were probably some of the best time i've ever spent in college.

It's prompted me to really think about the differences about Judaism and Christianity. Now, there's all sorts of things to discuss, admitedly. One of which i've already touched on (see The Messiah). But one of the distinctions between Judaism from Christianity is the way one's faith and one's actions are connected.

Rabbi Feintuch explained to us that in Judaism when you follow the Torah (the law, THE most important thing in Judaism) you have the obligation of Mitzvot. Mitzvot means duty. It's what you do. There are two kinds: Ethical Mitzvot and Ritual Mitzvot.

Ethical Mitzvot deals with your relationships with people. This would be things like not stealing, not slandering, not coveting, etc.

Ritual Mitzvot revolvs around your relationship with God. Dietary restrictions, Observation of the Sabbath and other holy days would be just a few examples.

There are 613 laws which comprise the Mitzvot of the Jews. How strong you adhere to them is usually an indicator of "what sort" of Jew you are: Orthodox, Conservative, or Reform.

So the focus of Judaism is how you observe Mitzvot. God has given his people these commands, this code, this ethic to follow. Thats it. When the Rabbi was asked "Why follow Mitzvot?" He simply replied: "Because God said so."

I like that phrase, "Because God said so".

You then become concerned not really with 'what you believe' but rather 'what you observe'. The question is not 'what is your opinion on evolution' but rather 'do you rest on the sabbath'?

What you believe is not nearly as important as what you do. Whereas in Christianity, especially the more 'evangelical' type first and foremost is what you believe and often times I feel like one is left to fend for themselves.

More soon.....

Fusion

There's a new razor coming out. This might not be big news to most, but I keep an ear to the men's facial hair industry, having a vested interest myself. We've been through the Sensor, Sensor Excel, The Mach 3, the Mach 3 Power, and now....Fusion. (I'm not counting all the razors that were pretty much the same only a different color, ex: The Mach 3 Turbo which is silver)

We've also seen the Schick Quatro. If you're in Spanish class like me you could probably guess from the context clues that this razor has 4 blades, to one-up the Gillette Mach 3. This prompted a SNL parody-commercial with a razor with 16 blades, pretty hilarious. Unless i'm mistaken sure it's on the Best of Will Ferril vol. 1 DVD.

Anyways, I saw the commercials for the Gillette Fusion. I'll admit, I was intruiged. So I went to the website and checked it out. FIVE BLADES. FOR THE LOVE OF BLOOD CLOTTING FIVE BLADES!

Folks, it's simply gotten out of hand. According to many federal regulations, this new razor could be considered a weapon. The way I see it, it's just two more blades to pierce my sensative skin.

So Gillette, I applaud your innovative spirit but it's getting ridiculous.

I know there's at least 3 other dudes who will probably read this that have maintain facial hair. Your thoughts?

Here's the site if you'd like to peep out the fusion for yourself.

Chipotle

I've been investing my arteries in Chipotle for years, should've invested my money too!

Chipotle. Best restaurant ever. Period. No debate.

The Messiah

Alrighty folks, here's the deal: Today was Rabbi Feintuch's last lecture until the end of the semester. It was great! After each class period we have this online forum thingy where the teacher posts a question and then we all have to respond for a grade, here is the question and my post from the day. Thought you might like to read it, and perhaps it will spur some thought for you as it did me. I realize since you weren't in the class that it won't be quite as meaningful, or make as much sense maybe.

(Now that i've had the opportunity to listen to an expert and faithful follower in Judaism i'll begin to share my experience on this here blog, probably late this week.)

The Question:
Rabbi Feintuch discussed Jewish expectations of a messiah. How has his remarks influenced your own thinking of the concept of a messiah and why the vast majority of Jews rejected Jesus as fulfilling their expectation of a messiah?

My Response:
The Rabbi pointed out several very important aspects of the Jews expectations of the Messiah, both historical (someone to lead them out of Roman captivity) and theological (a man, not an incarnation of God since God is indivisible).

From what I’ve understood from the Rabbi Judaism is very literal in its interpretation of the Torah. I mean, you're talking about a Religion where one could debate the tearing of toilet paper and keeping the Sabbath. A Christian view of scripture can be much more open when it comes to how scripture is read. This is one reason Christianity gets into so much trouble.

Did his views alter my ideas about what a Messiah is? In a word, no. I don't want to be disrespectful or dismissive. I have made it a point to LISTEN to the Rabbi and not always be quick to weigh in with my beliefs immediately. But, since this question prompted it, here we go:

Earlier last week the Rabbi spoke of Jacob wrestling the angel. He said there was room for interpretation regarding what actually transpired on the riverside that night. Was Jacob wrestling an actual angel? Did this represent some inner struggle? Maybe it was just a robber and represented Jacob proving himself as a worthy leader? There are a VARIETY of angles.

To me the same is true with the Messiah. The bible speaks of many prophecies about the Messiah, I think to REALLY develop an answer one needs to be familiar with some of them, not just listen to 20 minutes of lecture, from an expert no less, but there is more to the story:

Genesis 49: 10, the Messiah would descend from Judah, Luke 3: 33.

Psalm 22, read it. The author describes many aspects of crucifixion which Jesus invoked in Mathew 27: 46

Isaiah 7: 14, The Messiah would have a miraculous birth and be called Immanuel: see Matthew 1: 18-25

Isaiah 11: 10 says that the Gentiles will also seek the Messiah, "from the root of Jesse". Jesse=David's father, Jesus=Descended from David

Read Luke 1: 67-80 that speaks of Jesus fulfilling the role of the Messiah.

Daniel 9:25-26:
25 "Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree [a] to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, [b] the ruler, comes, there will be seven 'sevens,' and sixty-two 'sevens.' It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. 26 After the sixty-two 'sevens,' the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. [c] The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed.

So, the anointed one will be cut-off and then the city and the sanctuary will be destroyed. Sounds like the crucifixion of Christ and the subsequent destruction of the temple to me.

Zachariah 9: 9- Jesus fulfilled this by entering Jerusalem on a donkey, hardly the image of a mighty conqueror.

Malachi 3: 1, 4: 5- Jesus was indeed preceded by John the Baptist.

Ok, I am finished with the various copying and pasting of passages, there's many more and lots of people that explain them way better than me.

Do I aim to impress anyone who reads this with my vast biblical knowledge, absolutely not, I don't claim to be the master or Bible Trivia Champion. All I am trying to show is that depending on how you view the Torah could alter your views of a Messiah.

I believe Jesus himself was not speaking in strict literal terms, for example:

"All right," Jesus replied. "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." John 2: 19....sorry, maybe I wasn't done posting scripture...

Was Jesus going to get out there with his hammer and bust out the ol' carpentry skills? No, he was talking about himself being crucified and rising again.

So I believe that Jesus was the Messiah because he said he was, and that all of human history is dependant and defined by his resurrection.

If this isn't true, than everything I believe is crap. Crap crap crap. But you can't just say Jesus was a nice guy who prophesied about God, a good observant Jew who was a little to zealous or misunderstood. No. As Josh McDowell says, he was either Lord, Liar, or Lunatic. Meaning, he was lying about his status as the son of man, he was crazy and didn't know the difference anyways, or he really was who he said he was. But Christ's message is inseparable just as the Jews believe God is inseparable. You cannot divorce some of Christ's teachings from the others.

Plus, let's get into the problem of a Messiah for Jews NOW. If they're all scattered throughout the world, what are they to be liberated from? Being servants of the West? I feel like the strict literal interpretations lose their teeth because now the historical context is gone.

Others have said that we would be skeptical of a man who might appear and prophecy a 3rd coming. First of all, the second coming was not an invention of the early church, they were Christ's words. If we want to get into the authenticity of scripture then we'll be here the rest of our lives. So it's not just out of sheer convenience that Christ would predict his own return, it's out of truth and the fulfillment of God's plan that was started with the Patriarch's and the house of Israel. One of the strengths of Christ's teachings are that they are radical, as are his claims about himself.

I do not want to be a ranting Christian who is a bigot. I respect The Rabbi deeply. But I also will proclaim what I believe as he proclaims what he believes. The good news is that I am not reliant on his approval or anyone's approval who will read this. The Rabbi and I are both seeking the same thing: Closeness in our walk with the Lord. I believe that this is fully realized in Christ the Messiah.

Update

Um, the Rabbi couldn't make it to class Tuesday....So we're having our conclusion (sp?) of his presentation tommarow. I'll keep everyone posted.

On a side note, i'm in two, count em' TWO P.E. classes this semester. One of those is weight training. If anyone wants a good laugh come to Clingenpiel about 9a.m. on Tuesday or Thursday. I'm gonna stick it out though. I AM A STRONG MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!

Quote

There is one thing I wanted to put up real quick, sorry my posts have been somewhat erratic.

I stayed after briefly to express my thanks and interest to the Rabbi, and I asked him about Reform Judaism, of which he and his congregation are a part. But, being a good protestant boy I used the word: Reform-ed; reformed.... I used the past tense.

He pointed out to me, graciously, that it was Reform Judaism. As in, not completed. He said "Once you start to think you have it all right, that's when you are wrong." That quote is not verbatim, but you get the idea.

WOW! Instead of putting the verb in the past tense, which indicates a finite completeness, they use the verb in the present tense to communicate an ongoing process. Very cool.

Shalom.

School pt. II

So, today was our second class period of Rabbi Feintuch's presentation. His first day he outlined his three main areas of exploration of Jewish thought for us: God, Torah, Isreal. So the first day he talked about God and started getting into the Torah. Today, he focused mostly on the Torah and started getting into Isreal, so Monday will finish the trifecta.

I've been thinking a lot. A lot. I decided today to make a especially concious effort to simply LISTEN to the Rabbi. Not to immediately compare everything to my religion, my faith. It is tempting to start formulating defenses or developing arguments for the contradictions I was instinctively hunting for. This was not the time to form comparisons, it was a time for absorbing. You can't really engage in dialogue if you're not willing to listen.

I really am proud to have been in that classroom today. The Rabbi's sharing with us has meant a great deal, not only to me one of "the church boys" on campus, but to pretty much everyone in that room.

I took four pages of notes, which if you know me IS A RARITY. So i'm really looking forward to having some good stuff for ya'll real soon! I promise!

Spongebob Gets Sued

Litigation in this country is so ridiculous. If you care to see what inspired this rant, check out the article here.

A woman is sueing Kellog Food and Nickelodians parent company Viacom because they advertise junk food. She claims that both Kellog and Nickelodian influence her children to make unhealthy lifestyle choices, like eating fruit snacks. FIVE YEAR OLDS LOVE FRUIT SNACKS. I love the spokesmans comment:

A food industry-backed group defended the companies, saying the lawsuit assumes that parents can't turn off televisions, have no control over the food they buy and can't make their kids go outside to play. "Going out on a limb here, perhaps her (Carlson's) kids want these foods not because of ads, but because they're children," said Dan Mindus, spokesman for the Center for Consumer Freedom.

Exactly. Why can't parents accept responsibility of what goes into their children's minds and bodies? This lawsuit is so representative of a culture that passes the blame and looks to capitolize with a courtroom settlement.

I'm gonna go eat some corn pops and drink some grape soda now.

School

I ACTUALLY LEARNED SOMETHING AT SCHOOL TODAY. I'm in a Religious class called: Religious Roots of the Holocaust. It promises to be an intriguing and at times controversial course. We've just started so i'm sure they'll be more posts to come concerning this.

However today we had a Jewish Rabbi come in and talk to us about Judaism. It was great. I was exposed to ideas I had read about, but never really heard from someone who believed them.

Today I engaged in dialouge with a Jewish Rabbi. If it were not for school and this course, this might have took a lot more time to happen, if at all. So college is not all completely in vain.

Yossi (that's the Rabbi's name) with be making two more presentations this Friday and next Monday. In all fairness, i'm going to post SEVERAL things about what he's said to us, but I want to 1. hear him out and 2. ask his permission.

Here's the website of the only Synagogue in Columbia, Congregation Beth Shalom.

Brushing In the Shower

Has anyone else ever tried brushing their teeth in the shower? It's changed my life. As someone who was plagued with toothpaste stains for years, the shower is a worry free environment! Just remember to watch where you set it, as a dropping of the toothbrush could be devastating. I'd probably still use it but most humans would not.

Tights, Marlon Brando, and Jesus Christ.

Recently I recieved a Bust Buy gift card and naturally, I didn't want to wait to use it until I needed something. I had my eye on the Superman DVD box set for some time, so I got it. I have had the Superman theme stuck in my head ever since. I remember watching the movies with my Dad when I was quite young. If anyone has seen Superman II then you can appreciate my early memories of trying to crush the hand of my Dad when he would lower his voice and say "Kneel before Zod!" For some reason, having loved the movies as a child allows me to look past the many flaws and overall cheesy factor as an adult.

Superman: The Movie features the origin of the man of steel. When Jor-el's planet is in danger of being destroyed he sends his only son to Earth, saying: "They can be a great people, Kal-El — they wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way." (By the way, Marlon Brando played Superman's father, and was paid a record 3.7 million dollars for two weeks of work....I even watched the special features, I digress.)

But wow, what a great quote! Immediately my mind started piecing the metaphore together between Superman and the story of Christ. The whole giving your only son for the sake of humans thing, the fact that Superman is later alienated because he is different, Superman coming to the rescue of a people he cares for, etc. I realized I was getting carried away and it might be a little silly to try and fish for metaphores in movies. I don't really like those books like: "Walking with Frodo: A Devotional Guide through the Lord of the Rings."

But then on the special features section it showed some interviews of the writers and one of them mentioned the many parellels of Superman to the story of Jesus Christ. Suddenly I didn't feel I was superimposing the story of our savior upon things I saw in a silly movie.

But the more I thought about it, I don't think it's a bad idea at all to use film to help illustrate the story of Christ. After all, Jesus talked in parables that were demonstrative of a principal he was trying to make clear. He was relating aspects of people or objects in his parables to the relationship between God and his people.

So is there anything wrong with relating stories that we are surrounded by to a faith we are trying to follow? Nope. If people want to read "Walking with Frodo" and if it helps point them to God then I should not be so critical.

So I will leave you once again with a quote that helped reveal a bit of truth to me, a truth I found while watching a 29 year old movie:

"They can be a great people — they wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way."

Well, we have the light and must now go out and be the light.

*Que Superman theme song*

Fearing God pt. 4, The Exciting but Anti-Climactic Conclusion

Fear of God is not about following a requisite list of rules so that you pass the test to get into heaven. Faith in Christ is about bringing God's kingdom NOW in preperation for AFTER-NOW (?) and striving to live more like him, which is done through thought and deed, but not acruing a list of "spiritual chores" to avoid the punishment.

I believe hell is a real place, I believe that people go there. I don't like it, it's not my job to decide who does/does not, and we're cheapening our faith if we believe otherwise. Salvation is real and hopefully we can show that the path to that is filled with love and obedience, not fear and intimidation.

Hopefully i've given you somethin to chew on. Gimme feedback.

Peace.

Fearing God pt. 3: The problem with my taking out the trash

See, the problem is that the fear of God should not neccessarily be equivalent to the fear of eternal damnation. I might be repeating myself from part 1 here but to do something because you're afraid is a lot different than doing something because I believe it's the right thing to do.

In other words, I should have done the trash not because I didn't want to be punished but because my Dad asked me to do it. It's tempting to apologize for the lame comparison, but I think it works.

I think if you get caught up in a task oriented life in accordance with a code to escape hell or whatever punishment you're in for a miserable experience. Thats what got the Hebrews and Pharisees in trouble, they became focused on the acts themselves instead of who the acts were for.

I think fear can be a great initial motivator but at some point we have to move past it. Who out there hasn't wondered about their salvation? It's scary sometimes! But with faithfullness comes comfort (not to be confused with a guaranteed bliss or certain propserity).

I think that many times we use fear to "scare people to Christ". Has anyone ever been to one of those judgement houses? Where the church puts on a production as an "alternative to a haunted house" and there's some high school basketball team plane crash or a youth group car accident and we find out who gets in and who doesn't.

Personally, I find these manipulative. I'd rather show someone the blessings of following Christ and being a servant, not scare the hell out of them and the Jesus back into them.

When fear is used like this, in a more traditonal sense, I think we're missing the point.

Fearing God pt. 2

First of all, yesterday I typed a massive continuation of my last post. It was filled with witty yet pertinent observations but when I tried to post it.....DELETED! So i'll try to not be bitter the second time around but this won't be as good.

So, when thinking about fearing God a couple weeks ago I came up with an analogy, then later I decided that analogy wasn't the best way to think about things. So what i'm going to do is provide my initial analogy then explain why it is garbage. Here we go....

Fearing God to me was a lot like when my Father would ask me to empty the trash throughout the house the night before it was collected. "Adam, empty all the trash and take it out to the curb before I get back from (instert errand/task/meeting here)." Chances are I was probably lying around watching something stupid on MTV and i'd mutter "ok".

Time elapsed and Dad arrived back home with the trash not done. He would be rightly aggitated about me not doing the trash, however I think somewhere deep down he admired my consistancy in NOT doing what he asked in a timely manner.

After a couple cycles of this Dad decided to up the ante a little bit. Suddenly the conversation looked more like this: "Adam, empty all the trash and take it out to the curb by the time I get back or (insert punishment here)." Suddenly, I was much more zealous in my removal of the trash from their various receptacles throughout the house!

To me, doing the trash in a timely fashion was better than the consequences that would follow if I did not. 5 minutes of chores right now is better than having to come home on Friday at 6 or some other inventive inscentive from my Pops. (inventive inscentive could be a really indie band name eh?)

You see my Dad recognized that I was shallow enough to need a punishment to do my cleaning duty. It wasn't enough to do the trash just because he asked, I needed a reason. Because without that fear of punishment I knew I would suffer no consequences and thus really didn't care when the trash got done.

This is how I viewed fearing God. Not exactly deep stuff here eh? But I thought the threat of Hell was enough to get us humans motivated to live right because we did not want to suffer for eternity. Even if it's inconvienient sometimes the Fear of God will propell us to do good things.
Emptying the trash when my Dad asked me=Following God and Punishment for not doing so=Going to hell.

Fearing God pt. 1 or more accuarately titled For the Love of God, or perhaps less accurately titled we have nothing to fear but God himself.

My good friend Adam Caldwell once made a remark concerning my lack of blog entries, saying: "I know you got some deep stuff in there" or something to that effect. Here now, is my effect to spill out one of the things that sometimes consume my thoughts. In an effort to maintain a coherent thought process, i'm going to try and break this up into a couple entries.

When you think of the Old Testament, which some more accurately call the Hebrew Bible, and which the youth at church and others more pop-culture savvy call Episode I, one word that might come up many times is fear: A division is drawn between those who feared The Lord and those who did not. Abraham feared God, even to the point of sacrificing his son, or coming real close. Pharoah did not fear God, and his kingdom was ruined. You could pretty much throw a dart at Leviticus and hit the phrase "fear your God".

When one think of the New Testament, which I don't have any cute nicknames for, one word that many would suggest would be Love. Jesus was all about love. Love love love. But what about this:

Luke 12: 4-6
4"I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. 5But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. 6Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies[a]? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.

Ah, but later on we read this:

1 John 4: 17-19
17In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. 18There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
19We love because he first loved us.

I've been thinking a lot about this relationship between the Fear of God and the Love of God. I think if we definae "fear" then everything becomes much clearer. When most, like myself, first read the Old Testament passages using the word Fear it has a very negative connotation. I fear being hit by a car. I fear failure. I fear screwing up something when I sing, and so forth. Is God something to be feared?

Yes.

Consider this definition of "Fear of the Lord" from Easton's 1897 dictionary:

Fear of the Lord: is in the Old Testament used as a designation of true piety (Prov. 1:7; Job 28:28; Ps. 19:9). It is a fear conjoined with love and hope, and is therefore not a slavish dread, but rather filial reverence. (Comp. Deut. 32:6; Hos. 11:1; Isa. 1:2; 63:16; 64:8.) God is called "the Fear of Isaac" (Gen. 31:42, 53), i.e., the God whom Isaac feared.
A holy fear is enjoined also in the New Testament as a preventive of carelessness in religion, and as an incentive to penitence (Matt. 10:28; 2 Cor. 5:11; 7:1; Phil. 2:12; Eph. 5:21; Heb. 12:28, 29).

When we think of Fear like this, a reverence of God which does not feed our apathy and comfort but rather calls us to action then reading those passages makes a lot more sense.