i am off for a week to refurbish some home in new orleans for a week. i will see you all then. updates to come
please for the team. there are 17 going in all.
nathan
Saturday, April 22, 2006
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
confronting (the cover up)
with each sin there is an effect. someone or something is affected because of what happened earlier. because of achan his whole family was stoned to death. because of the act that david took with bathsheba, their baby had to die. it is amazing to me to realize how far someone has to take their sin in order to deal with it.
achan buried his silver and the coat. he had to have this stuff, that he disobeyed God, in order that he could bury it underneath the tent. someone would have realized that he had taken it. so because of this he hid his plunder. he obviously knew it was wrong since he buried it. but when it was found his whole family was affected.
david's cover up was pretty harsh as well. he tried bringing uriah home from the war, but he wouldnt sleep with bathsheba. so then david sent him back to the front lines and had him killed. it continued to escalade until the baby that he had with bathsheba died. luckily for david he had a friend named nathan. nathan came to tell him about his sin with a story about a farmer stealing the lone sheep of this poor guy.
wake up calls are awesome and very prompt. i like them better then alarm clocks. every time i go to a hotel i love calling the front desk for a wake up call. nathan was david's wake up call. i always wonder how far david's sin would have gone if it wasnt for nathan. nathan was a true friend to call him on his sin.
today however we do not have many people like this. today if i approached someone about a sin in their life, they would reply "you cant judge me, you dont know the situation." and they are right, i do not. i do not know how many times they were tempted before they fell. or "i am no able to change who i am." and they are right a lot of people have storied past and have grown up in some horrible situations. or "i do not believe in mistake, i only believe in learning from my experiences." now this part i have to differ with them because if we minimize our sins to a learning experience then it is not good enough. granted i think when we do fall we have to learn from them and take with us to make us become who God wants us to be.
but when we minimize the sin to just a learning experience is there a sign of repentance? and as i have learned many times, with out my repentance there can be no forgiveness. and i think without the forgiveness there can be no idea of change and moving on from the situation.
with david and achan, someone approached and confronted them with their sin. i wonder how long they would have held onto their sin if they hadnt been confronted. i think we as Christians need to learn how to confront people with their sin, not as an act of judgment, but as an act to get things right between them and God.
so how do we do this? how do we set this example?
achan buried his silver and the coat. he had to have this stuff, that he disobeyed God, in order that he could bury it underneath the tent. someone would have realized that he had taken it. so because of this he hid his plunder. he obviously knew it was wrong since he buried it. but when it was found his whole family was affected.
david's cover up was pretty harsh as well. he tried bringing uriah home from the war, but he wouldnt sleep with bathsheba. so then david sent him back to the front lines and had him killed. it continued to escalade until the baby that he had with bathsheba died. luckily for david he had a friend named nathan. nathan came to tell him about his sin with a story about a farmer stealing the lone sheep of this poor guy.
wake up calls are awesome and very prompt. i like them better then alarm clocks. every time i go to a hotel i love calling the front desk for a wake up call. nathan was david's wake up call. i always wonder how far david's sin would have gone if it wasnt for nathan. nathan was a true friend to call him on his sin.
today however we do not have many people like this. today if i approached someone about a sin in their life, they would reply "you cant judge me, you dont know the situation." and they are right, i do not. i do not know how many times they were tempted before they fell. or "i am no able to change who i am." and they are right a lot of people have storied past and have grown up in some horrible situations. or "i do not believe in mistake, i only believe in learning from my experiences." now this part i have to differ with them because if we minimize our sins to a learning experience then it is not good enough. granted i think when we do fall we have to learn from them and take with us to make us become who God wants us to be.
but when we minimize the sin to just a learning experience is there a sign of repentance? and as i have learned many times, with out my repentance there can be no forgiveness. and i think without the forgiveness there can be no idea of change and moving on from the situation.
with david and achan, someone approached and confronted them with their sin. i wonder how long they would have held onto their sin if they hadnt been confronted. i think we as Christians need to learn how to confront people with their sin, not as an act of judgment, but as an act to get things right between them and God.
so how do we do this? how do we set this example?
Saturday, April 08, 2006
judas: now a book
it is still early into the investigation if you ask me. but all the buzz lately is about the discovery of the book of judas. they say judas was asked by Christ to turn him in. as i watched the news, i sat there as reporters asked questions such as "will this change what they teach in sunday school this week?" i wondered to myself the same thing. would it change? we have grown up thinking of it as a betrayal. then they talked to another "scholar" who said that the word betrayal in greek means to hand over. which i checked. it does.
it all goes back to did Jesus really tell Judas to turn him in. the answer, maybe. Jesus did tell judas that he would be the one to betray him. however Jesus told him this after judas had already went to the chief priests and agreed to turn Christ in for 30 silver coins. this would be comparable to 4 months of work.
the whole controversy with this book is that if Jesus really told judas to betray him then it would not have really been a betrayal in the first place. it would have been judas following orders.
aside from the book of judas, i wonder what he was really like. how deceptive a man was he. we have heard that he kept the money for the disciples and possibly could have stolen from that. but i wonder what was going through his mind when he turned jesus in? did he really do it for the money? was the greed in his life so big that he turned in a friend of three years? did he turn him in so he could see the prophecy fulfilled? did satan really take over his body so the judas that all the other disciples knew was totally different? these are the questions that go on in my head every so often. specifically during this time of year.
i realize this was a bad thing for judas. Jesus said "it would be better for him if he had not been born." but in the long run someone had to do it. someone had to turn the Christ in so he could be arrested and give His life for us on the cross. i am personally very thankful for the man they called a traitor. it had to happen somehow.
it all goes back to did Jesus really tell Judas to turn him in. the answer, maybe. Jesus did tell judas that he would be the one to betray him. however Jesus told him this after judas had already went to the chief priests and agreed to turn Christ in for 30 silver coins. this would be comparable to 4 months of work.
the whole controversy with this book is that if Jesus really told judas to betray him then it would not have really been a betrayal in the first place. it would have been judas following orders.
aside from the book of judas, i wonder what he was really like. how deceptive a man was he. we have heard that he kept the money for the disciples and possibly could have stolen from that. but i wonder what was going through his mind when he turned jesus in? did he really do it for the money? was the greed in his life so big that he turned in a friend of three years? did he turn him in so he could see the prophecy fulfilled? did satan really take over his body so the judas that all the other disciples knew was totally different? these are the questions that go on in my head every so often. specifically during this time of year.
i realize this was a bad thing for judas. Jesus said "it would be better for him if he had not been born." but in the long run someone had to do it. someone had to turn the Christ in so he could be arrested and give His life for us on the cross. i am personally very thankful for the man they called a traitor. it had to happen somehow.
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
working hard to sin
i have grown up hearing the statement that "it is easier to sin then it is to follow God." or something to that extent. i have heard this based on the reason that it is too hard to do right and to follow God. you are never going to please Him anyway, so why even try? it always made sense to me, because while it takes an effort to follow God, you can sit in your lounge chair watching a basketball game and sin. (not that watching a basketball game is, but it could be glutony or sloth, maybe it is your thought life or you had a few to many beers.
but i want to take a look at what sin is. it can be defined as missing the mark. well if you have a target and miss the target you must hit something else other then a target, maybe it is the grass or the tree behind the target. so each time you sin you must affect something or someone else around you. this could be directly or indirectly affecting them in to how they view you.
now when you miss the mark, it can be unintentional, meaning that it was an accident or something that you did not quie realize it was a sin in the first place. this in a way is more acceptable because how can it be your fault when you were ignorant. every now and then someone will slip but it is easier to stand back up when it is unintentional because you are first of all trying to follow God in the beginning. but when you do realize that it was a sin it is still importan to confess this sin.
the send part of sin is where it starts to become hard work. intentional sin is an outright, blatant mentality that you are going to do whatever you want when ever you want to do it. this sin can be hidden or exposed. when you have an exposed sin and you do not care what others think, well that is easy. but trying to keep an intentional sin hidden can prove to be difficult.
most people i think who try to hide their sin know the difference between right and wrong. they are for the majority are the ones who attend church or have at least attended church in the past. these are the people sitting next to you in the pew and singing the same song and listening to the same message. but becuase they are trying to hide this sin from you and everyone else, they look, talk and act like you. trying to cover up something and keeping a lifestyle to match can be hard work, always hiding and pretending that you are someone you arent.
these are the people that are on your worship team having sex with there girlfriend. these are the ones who are gossipping but trying hard to not let everyone find out. this is the guy having an affair with his secretary. or driving dangerously fast on the interstate because you are in a hurry. this is the teenage guy who goes to bed a little later then his parents so he can download some porn from the internet or the recovering alcoholic taking a swig thinking that no one will ever find out. these are the teens at camp that sneak off to study anatomy. these are the ones that know the rules but blatany break them.
unfortunately they are sugar coating everything they are doing because they do not think it will affect anyone outside of them. no one willl ever find out. so what do we do when we are in this situation? or know someone else? what is it that you would do?
but i want to take a look at what sin is. it can be defined as missing the mark. well if you have a target and miss the target you must hit something else other then a target, maybe it is the grass or the tree behind the target. so each time you sin you must affect something or someone else around you. this could be directly or indirectly affecting them in to how they view you.
now when you miss the mark, it can be unintentional, meaning that it was an accident or something that you did not quie realize it was a sin in the first place. this in a way is more acceptable because how can it be your fault when you were ignorant. every now and then someone will slip but it is easier to stand back up when it is unintentional because you are first of all trying to follow God in the beginning. but when you do realize that it was a sin it is still importan to confess this sin.
the send part of sin is where it starts to become hard work. intentional sin is an outright, blatant mentality that you are going to do whatever you want when ever you want to do it. this sin can be hidden or exposed. when you have an exposed sin and you do not care what others think, well that is easy. but trying to keep an intentional sin hidden can prove to be difficult.
most people i think who try to hide their sin know the difference between right and wrong. they are for the majority are the ones who attend church or have at least attended church in the past. these are the people sitting next to you in the pew and singing the same song and listening to the same message. but becuase they are trying to hide this sin from you and everyone else, they look, talk and act like you. trying to cover up something and keeping a lifestyle to match can be hard work, always hiding and pretending that you are someone you arent.
these are the people that are on your worship team having sex with there girlfriend. these are the ones who are gossipping but trying hard to not let everyone find out. this is the guy having an affair with his secretary. or driving dangerously fast on the interstate because you are in a hurry. this is the teenage guy who goes to bed a little later then his parents so he can download some porn from the internet or the recovering alcoholic taking a swig thinking that no one will ever find out. these are the teens at camp that sneak off to study anatomy. these are the ones that know the rules but blatany break them.
unfortunately they are sugar coating everything they are doing because they do not think it will affect anyone outside of them. no one willl ever find out. so what do we do when we are in this situation? or know someone else? what is it that you would do?
Thursday, March 16, 2006
women in ministry
check out the stats that the wesleyan church just released on women in ministry.
http://www.wesleyan.org/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp?sid=E7B47906A5AD4EC3AE3D3ED6DA544B63&type=gen&mod=Core%20Pages&gid=6AC0E9B553C547D58F66A17866567D65&AudID=299A16BD5B604108B06C70F8A8FDACA5
in this article released it addresses the numbers of women in ministry. the question i have are these statistics good, or at least show progress within the wesleyan church? my first guess is they are not. the other day i received in the mail "the wesleyan church directory" which has addresses for every pastor within the united states. now one can estimate that there are 35 names on each sheet with 125 pages. which we can estimate about 4400 pastors in the u.s.
400 of these are women whether they are ordained, licensed or still studying for the ministry. check out the stats and let me know what you think?
http://www.wesleyan.org/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp?sid=E7B47906A5AD4EC3AE3D3ED6DA544B63&type=gen&mod=Core%20Pages&gid=6AC0E9B553C547D58F66A17866567D65&AudID=299A16BD5B604108B06C70F8A8FDACA5
in this article released it addresses the numbers of women in ministry. the question i have are these statistics good, or at least show progress within the wesleyan church? my first guess is they are not. the other day i received in the mail "the wesleyan church directory" which has addresses for every pastor within the united states. now one can estimate that there are 35 names on each sheet with 125 pages. which we can estimate about 4400 pastors in the u.s.
400 of these are women whether they are ordained, licensed or still studying for the ministry. check out the stats and let me know what you think?
Monday, March 06, 2006
my questions and biblical answers
i grew up with the mentality of "if you have a question you will be able to find the answer in the Bible."
well as i became older it was finally time to look all these answers up in scripture. and for the majority of my questions i did find answers. but there were still other questions that i had that the answers were not scripted out in front of us. or the answers became really vague.
we have the answers of "love the Lord with all your heart and to love your neigbor as yourself." this helps us put things in perspective of who or what is the most important. i also have the answer that "God created the heavens and the earth." but i dont have the answer of exactly how or when that came about. we have the answers of "do not murder," but we do not necessarily have the context of what this means pertaining to capital punishment, suicide, abortion or euthanasia.
we have come to the assumption that if we just follow scripture then we are doing God's will. but how can i follow scripture if there is not necessarily something written on certain idea's? how can i know the best case scenario? in college they told us there are 4 things that we can figure these questions out. the first being scripture. well we know that scripture is and should be the first thing we go to. but after this we can go to what does the tradition of the church say?
the more and more i look at something from the perspective of the body of Christ i see that not all churches agree with all the answers to the questions. (now i want to assure all of you that are reading that what i am discussing right now are the minor's of the church so i do not want to get to bent up on them because they are not essentials for salvation. but rather i am just trying to figure out God's heart on these issues.) or the fact that some churches do not actually have a statment pertaining to some of my questions. so i go on the quest of talking to people asking them what they think is black and white. and then trying to decipher if i am just going to have to live with the idea of there being the chance that there is a lot more gray areas then i desire.
i am one that likes being told how it is and how things should be done. it is a lot easier to figure out an assignment if there are instructions and it is a lot easier to drive the quickest route from point a to point b when you have directions.
unfortuantely life is not all cookie cutters and mapquests. but rather sometimes to get the answer we have to work out the problem on paper. we can try and figure it out but sometimes we have to settle for the unknown.
the bible is still the first place i look for answers and will always be direction i head first but i am realizing more and more the third and fourth places to look for answers are a vital part because we might not be able to find them in scripture or tradition of the church. but rather we must look in reason and experience. experience takes our lives on a journey to show us the answers. reason can take all that we gather over those experiences and shows us how we can learn from them and try to decipher what exactly God's heart is on these issues.
well as i became older it was finally time to look all these answers up in scripture. and for the majority of my questions i did find answers. but there were still other questions that i had that the answers were not scripted out in front of us. or the answers became really vague.
we have the answers of "love the Lord with all your heart and to love your neigbor as yourself." this helps us put things in perspective of who or what is the most important. i also have the answer that "God created the heavens and the earth." but i dont have the answer of exactly how or when that came about. we have the answers of "do not murder," but we do not necessarily have the context of what this means pertaining to capital punishment, suicide, abortion or euthanasia.
we have come to the assumption that if we just follow scripture then we are doing God's will. but how can i follow scripture if there is not necessarily something written on certain idea's? how can i know the best case scenario? in college they told us there are 4 things that we can figure these questions out. the first being scripture. well we know that scripture is and should be the first thing we go to. but after this we can go to what does the tradition of the church say?
the more and more i look at something from the perspective of the body of Christ i see that not all churches agree with all the answers to the questions. (now i want to assure all of you that are reading that what i am discussing right now are the minor's of the church so i do not want to get to bent up on them because they are not essentials for salvation. but rather i am just trying to figure out God's heart on these issues.) or the fact that some churches do not actually have a statment pertaining to some of my questions. so i go on the quest of talking to people asking them what they think is black and white. and then trying to decipher if i am just going to have to live with the idea of there being the chance that there is a lot more gray areas then i desire.
i am one that likes being told how it is and how things should be done. it is a lot easier to figure out an assignment if there are instructions and it is a lot easier to drive the quickest route from point a to point b when you have directions.
unfortuantely life is not all cookie cutters and mapquests. but rather sometimes to get the answer we have to work out the problem on paper. we can try and figure it out but sometimes we have to settle for the unknown.
the bible is still the first place i look for answers and will always be direction i head first but i am realizing more and more the third and fourth places to look for answers are a vital part because we might not be able to find them in scripture or tradition of the church. but rather we must look in reason and experience. experience takes our lives on a journey to show us the answers. reason can take all that we gather over those experiences and shows us how we can learn from them and try to decipher what exactly God's heart is on these issues.
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
euthanasia and living wills
received some great conversation on capital punishment. now i would like to ask everyones view on euthanasia and living wills. what do you think?
Monday, February 27, 2006
public profession
in the town of pulaski, ny there is a theatre. i have to drive by it everyday as i head to and from work. it is an old duplex that is not used anymore. the sign however is now used for public announcments and advertisments. this morning jenny told me that when she was driving by it last night she saw a "public profession." sure enough when i drove by it this moring it read, "kathy, i am so sorry. please forgive me. john w." i am pretty sure i do not know either of these people and even more positive that i do not know what john did. but this i do know
it is hard to apologize to someone you hurt. hard, but essential. if there is no sorrow and no apology then there can be no forgiveness. with no forgiveness there can be no reconciliation. no to make an apology puplic that takes real guts. and it shows how sorry one can be to go through the length that he did to make it knowledge to everyone in town that he was in the wrong. i am positive somebody in town knows the situation and possibly more people then kathy were hurt during this event.
this might be a cheesy transition but forgiveness is out there for us all. all we need to do is apologize for our wrongs (sin) to the one (Christ) who has the ability to forgive. we are wanting that connection and reconciliation with a savior but without the repentance it is impossible.
every one of us knows when we are doing wrong. we have a thing called a conscience and with this guilt can creep up inside of us. hopefully this guilt turns us repentance rather then running away from what we know is right and can save us. this guilt can turn us into someone who believes that no one would ever save him, because he is so awful. the awesome thing is this guilt can be outweighed by grace. grace is always there for us. we have to reach out and grab it.
it is hard to apologize to someone you hurt. hard, but essential. if there is no sorrow and no apology then there can be no forgiveness. with no forgiveness there can be no reconciliation. no to make an apology puplic that takes real guts. and it shows how sorry one can be to go through the length that he did to make it knowledge to everyone in town that he was in the wrong. i am positive somebody in town knows the situation and possibly more people then kathy were hurt during this event.
this might be a cheesy transition but forgiveness is out there for us all. all we need to do is apologize for our wrongs (sin) to the one (Christ) who has the ability to forgive. we are wanting that connection and reconciliation with a savior but without the repentance it is impossible.
every one of us knows when we are doing wrong. we have a thing called a conscience and with this guilt can creep up inside of us. hopefully this guilt turns us repentance rather then running away from what we know is right and can save us. this guilt can turn us into someone who believes that no one would ever save him, because he is so awful. the awesome thing is this guilt can be outweighed by grace. grace is always there for us. we have to reach out and grab it.
Monday, February 20, 2006
toys r us kid
it seems to me lately that i have responsibility. i get up every morning at the sound of an alarm clock, making me realize that i have somewhere i need to be. other wise i wouldn't use an alarm clock. i wake up in order to go to my job, a job that i love, but yet still a responsibility. i go to this job (youth pastor at pulaski wesleyan church) for more than a paycheck. although the paycheck is necessary. i need it to pay the bills. another responsibility. this past december i took 22 teens to boston and i was responsible for there welfare and to bring them back alive. i am married and need to be there to take care or annd respect my wife and love her as Christ loved the church. a responsibility that is hardest for me not because i do not love my wife but because Christ had a perfect love.
im starting to realize i am not a toys r us kid anymore. even though i still like some of the toys. i am realizing my parents are not going to be the ones to purchase the toy for me anymore. i am not sure why i am realizing this now, because for the most part i have been on my own the last 6 1/2 years. what i am realizing though as much as i have grown and changed i am still a kid.
think about it though. i think adults are just kids in a bigger harrier body. we still enjoy games. in fact it seems that i play more games now then i ever did when i was a kid. we still love to be the center of attention. admit it, deep down inside you really want to be noticed and appreciated. we still get jealous and complain about another indivual if they are the ones receiving notice. we still jump to conclusions before we know all the facts. we become emotional when things are not going our way. we are selfish, greedy and prideful. we cannot control our desires even though we know it is possible.
now along with the bad side of a kid there are some good things that i hold onto about being a child. i like being carefree, not always being weighed down by a watch. remember when you were a kid and the day just passed so quickly and before you knew it you were late for dinner. now i am never late for dinner. kids also dont mind asking questions. they dont care if it will sound dumb or that they didnt know the answer. it is just common place for them not to know the answer. they admit when sorry and are very forthcoming about what they think.
all these can be good and bad. but i wonder what actually seperates us from being a child. is it the idea of responsibility or is it more the idea of age. is there any limit to when we have to stop being children. or is it just when you have become old enough that you have a hard time pretending anymore. it was so easy pretending to be in the nba or fighting a war. but things change and the pretending has become more of a reality for us. we realize that we have bills to pay and children to feed (well you have children to feed.)
we talk about having a child like faith and making belief so easy. but now as adults we have gotten into theology and apologetics to prove to us God is in a fact real. faith is not what it used to be, but it hasnt changed, we have. faith has now become more about perserverance rather then hope. sure we still hope but now it is more along the line that we have enough faith at times that we know it will happen and yet at others we hold onto just enough of the basics where we become a child again and just believe
im starting to realize i am not a toys r us kid anymore. even though i still like some of the toys. i am realizing my parents are not going to be the ones to purchase the toy for me anymore. i am not sure why i am realizing this now, because for the most part i have been on my own the last 6 1/2 years. what i am realizing though as much as i have grown and changed i am still a kid.
think about it though. i think adults are just kids in a bigger harrier body. we still enjoy games. in fact it seems that i play more games now then i ever did when i was a kid. we still love to be the center of attention. admit it, deep down inside you really want to be noticed and appreciated. we still get jealous and complain about another indivual if they are the ones receiving notice. we still jump to conclusions before we know all the facts. we become emotional when things are not going our way. we are selfish, greedy and prideful. we cannot control our desires even though we know it is possible.
now along with the bad side of a kid there are some good things that i hold onto about being a child. i like being carefree, not always being weighed down by a watch. remember when you were a kid and the day just passed so quickly and before you knew it you were late for dinner. now i am never late for dinner. kids also dont mind asking questions. they dont care if it will sound dumb or that they didnt know the answer. it is just common place for them not to know the answer. they admit when sorry and are very forthcoming about what they think.
all these can be good and bad. but i wonder what actually seperates us from being a child. is it the idea of responsibility or is it more the idea of age. is there any limit to when we have to stop being children. or is it just when you have become old enough that you have a hard time pretending anymore. it was so easy pretending to be in the nba or fighting a war. but things change and the pretending has become more of a reality for us. we realize that we have bills to pay and children to feed (well you have children to feed.)
we talk about having a child like faith and making belief so easy. but now as adults we have gotten into theology and apologetics to prove to us God is in a fact real. faith is not what it used to be, but it hasnt changed, we have. faith has now become more about perserverance rather then hope. sure we still hope but now it is more along the line that we have enough faith at times that we know it will happen and yet at others we hold onto just enough of the basics where we become a child again and just believe
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
capital punishment
i am sorting out my views on capital punishment. please let me know what your views are?
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
knowing what we belive:homosexuality
The Wesleyans stance is this on homosexuality.
Human Sexuality. The Wesleyan Church abhors the trend to
ignore God’s laws of chastity and purity, and vigorously opposes public
acceptance of sexual promiscuity and all factors and practices which promote
it. The Wesleyan Church maintains a biblical view of human sexuality which
makes the sexual experience, within the framework of marriage, a gift of God
to be enjoyed as communion of a man and woman, as well as for the purpose
of procreation. Sexual relationships outside of marriage and sexual
relationships between persons of the same sex are immoral and sinful. The
depth of the sinfulness of homosexual practice is recognized, and yet we
believe the grace of God sufficient to overcome both the practice of such
activity and the perversion leading to its practice.
I am sure everyone at least knows one, or is affected by it somehow. We see it on the news almost daily. We discuss it with our friends and we try to “love the sinner.” Somehow “this sin” is ugly and disgusting. Somehow we label this one of the most detestable sins. I wonder with this stigma of homosexuality if we really love the sinner.
If we (Christians) talk about it like this we are probably turning away the individuals who are living this lifestyle. I wonder why we have chosen to chastise the homosexual, and instead of loving the sinner why we just cannot love the individual.
We know scripture. We know that Leviticus 18:22 says it is a detestable sin. But I wonder how many sins are not detestable in God’s eyes. Is there any sin that God says, “that is okay. I do not care if you disobey me and my authority.” In 1 Cor. 6:9-10 it says, “Don't you know that those who do wrong will have no share in the Kingdom of God? Don't fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, who are idol worshipers, adulterers, male prostitutes, homosexuals, thieves, greedy people, drunkards, abusers, and swindlers--none of these will have a share in the Kingdom of God.” In the same line with homosexuals there are thieves and greedy people, drunkard and abusers; which none of these will share in the Kingdom of God. It is not separated but yet they sit beside each other in the same phrase condemning both. Not one is right; in fact they are all sin and tear us away from a true relationship with our Father.
I am not trying to advocate homosexuality; the word says it is wrong. But the word also says that greed is immoral. Do we point someone out as being greedy and going to hell? Well some of you might, but I do not see it happen near as much as I would hear a homosexual condemned.
So how do we as Christians accept the individual without condoning what they do? How do we not just accept but how do we love the one we know who is in the wrong. Personally I am a sinner. I know I am in the wrong and mess up a lot. I know people have accepted and love me as I have wronged God. Everyone wants grace but not the first to give it.
Human Sexuality. The Wesleyan Church abhors the trend to
ignore God’s laws of chastity and purity, and vigorously opposes public
acceptance of sexual promiscuity and all factors and practices which promote
it. The Wesleyan Church maintains a biblical view of human sexuality which
makes the sexual experience, within the framework of marriage, a gift of God
to be enjoyed as communion of a man and woman, as well as for the purpose
of procreation. Sexual relationships outside of marriage and sexual
relationships between persons of the same sex are immoral and sinful. The
depth of the sinfulness of homosexual practice is recognized, and yet we
believe the grace of God sufficient to overcome both the practice of such
activity and the perversion leading to its practice.
I am sure everyone at least knows one, or is affected by it somehow. We see it on the news almost daily. We discuss it with our friends and we try to “love the sinner.” Somehow “this sin” is ugly and disgusting. Somehow we label this one of the most detestable sins. I wonder with this stigma of homosexuality if we really love the sinner.
If we (Christians) talk about it like this we are probably turning away the individuals who are living this lifestyle. I wonder why we have chosen to chastise the homosexual, and instead of loving the sinner why we just cannot love the individual.
We know scripture. We know that Leviticus 18:22 says it is a detestable sin. But I wonder how many sins are not detestable in God’s eyes. Is there any sin that God says, “that is okay. I do not care if you disobey me and my authority.” In 1 Cor. 6:9-10 it says, “Don't you know that those who do wrong will have no share in the Kingdom of God? Don't fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, who are idol worshipers, adulterers, male prostitutes, homosexuals, thieves, greedy people, drunkards, abusers, and swindlers--none of these will have a share in the Kingdom of God.” In the same line with homosexuals there are thieves and greedy people, drunkard and abusers; which none of these will share in the Kingdom of God. It is not separated but yet they sit beside each other in the same phrase condemning both. Not one is right; in fact they are all sin and tear us away from a true relationship with our Father.
I am not trying to advocate homosexuality; the word says it is wrong. But the word also says that greed is immoral. Do we point someone out as being greedy and going to hell? Well some of you might, but I do not see it happen near as much as I would hear a homosexual condemned.
So how do we as Christians accept the individual without condoning what they do? How do we not just accept but how do we love the one we know who is in the wrong. Personally I am a sinner. I know I am in the wrong and mess up a lot. I know people have accepted and love me as I have wronged God. Everyone wants grace but not the first to give it.
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
knowing what we believe: military service
in high school i considered military service for a lot of reasons. i even met with representatives from the army and navy but for some reason i opted not to join the armed forces and went to college instead. at iwu i met many people who served in the national guard. when i graduated i went to what is the "real world" and it seemed the majority of people i came into contact with was or had served in one of the military branches.
while i was in my junior year of college 9/11 happened i felt a longing to serve my country as som many had before. for some reason i didnt. while i saw a few friends go over to iraq and afghanistan, i longed to be apart of something bigger then myself. i wanted to help. but didnt know how i could.
a good friend of mine is now back from iraq after serving a year there as a captain in the army. he was awarded several medals showing his bravery and leadership during the war. i sit and think about the brave men and women over there serving and wonder what if that were me. i couldnt join because i have a condition called scoliosis. i have a crooked back.
i love my country and would join in a minute if i could but i also know on top of my back God had some control in me not going over there. he knew that he needed me here serving as a youth pastor and that was more important (for myself) in being a part of His kingdom serving being in something bigger then myself.
the wesleyan church takes a a stand on peace and military service and i just wanted to bring it to your attention what they do believe.
(2) Peace. The Wesleyan Church, knowing that war results in great
suffering for the bodies, minds and souls of men and women, staggering
economic loss with its legacy of debt for future generations, and the
unleashing of the baser passions of life, urges that persons and nations seek by
every legitimate means to avoid armed conflict among the peoples and nations
of the world. The Wesleyan Church also urges that holy people everywhere
pray earnestly for those in authority, so that peace may prevail (1 Tim. 2:2),
and for the quick return of the Prince of Peace.
(3) Military Service. The Wesleyan Church teaches respect for
properly constituted civil authority and the proper loyalty to one’s country. It
recognizes the responsibility of the individual to answer the call of government
and to enter into military service. However, there are those within the
fellowship of The Wesleyan Church who believe that military service is
contrary to the teaching of the New Testament and that their consciences are
violated by being compelled to take part in such. The Wesleyan Church will
therefore lend moral support to any member who asks and claims exemption
by legal processes from military service as a sincere conscientious objector and
who asks to serve one’s country as a noncombatant.
just to analyze it real quickly twc believes
1. "urges that persons and nations seek byevery legitimate means to avoid armed conflict among the peoples and nations of the world."--peace is obviously the best answer. no one wants to go to war. it should be avoided.
2. "urges that holy people everywherepray earnestly for those in authority, so that peace may prevail" we can never do this too much. we need to pray for everyone involved that peace may prevail.
3. " teaches respect for properly constituted civil authority and the proper loyalty to one’s country." i think this is one of the hardest for us. we have trouble respecting others in the idea that we are always second guessing their authority. so many people are attacking bush as if he is doing a horrible job. but i wonder what would of happened if someone else were president. we would just be complaining about him. one reason this country is not headed in a good direction is because we are not united and until then we will never go forward. and then there are others who have more loyalty to the country then they do Christ. just ask yourself where you might be.
4. "However, there are those within the fellowship of The Wesleyan Church who believe that military service is contrary to the teaching of the New Testament and that their consciences areviolated by being compelled to take part in such. " conscientious objector will always lean toward peace. and personally as much as i want to serve my country i think i would rather do it in a peaceful setting. these guys take a stand in their faith and show what they believe.
i wonder everyday if i had not had scoliosis what my life would have ended up like. but i do know i am where i am supposed to be. today if you got anything from, get this, pray for our leader, pray for our military. they need to know we are supporting them in what they are doing.
while i was in my junior year of college 9/11 happened i felt a longing to serve my country as som many had before. for some reason i didnt. while i saw a few friends go over to iraq and afghanistan, i longed to be apart of something bigger then myself. i wanted to help. but didnt know how i could.
a good friend of mine is now back from iraq after serving a year there as a captain in the army. he was awarded several medals showing his bravery and leadership during the war. i sit and think about the brave men and women over there serving and wonder what if that were me. i couldnt join because i have a condition called scoliosis. i have a crooked back.
i love my country and would join in a minute if i could but i also know on top of my back God had some control in me not going over there. he knew that he needed me here serving as a youth pastor and that was more important (for myself) in being a part of His kingdom serving being in something bigger then myself.
the wesleyan church takes a a stand on peace and military service and i just wanted to bring it to your attention what they do believe.
(2) Peace. The Wesleyan Church, knowing that war results in great
suffering for the bodies, minds and souls of men and women, staggering
economic loss with its legacy of debt for future generations, and the
unleashing of the baser passions of life, urges that persons and nations seek by
every legitimate means to avoid armed conflict among the peoples and nations
of the world. The Wesleyan Church also urges that holy people everywhere
pray earnestly for those in authority, so that peace may prevail (1 Tim. 2:2),
and for the quick return of the Prince of Peace.
(3) Military Service. The Wesleyan Church teaches respect for
properly constituted civil authority and the proper loyalty to one’s country. It
recognizes the responsibility of the individual to answer the call of government
and to enter into military service. However, there are those within the
fellowship of The Wesleyan Church who believe that military service is
contrary to the teaching of the New Testament and that their consciences are
violated by being compelled to take part in such. The Wesleyan Church will
therefore lend moral support to any member who asks and claims exemption
by legal processes from military service as a sincere conscientious objector and
who asks to serve one’s country as a noncombatant.
just to analyze it real quickly twc believes
1. "urges that persons and nations seek byevery legitimate means to avoid armed conflict among the peoples and nations of the world."--peace is obviously the best answer. no one wants to go to war. it should be avoided.
2. "urges that holy people everywherepray earnestly for those in authority, so that peace may prevail" we can never do this too much. we need to pray for everyone involved that peace may prevail.
3. " teaches respect for properly constituted civil authority and the proper loyalty to one’s country." i think this is one of the hardest for us. we have trouble respecting others in the idea that we are always second guessing their authority. so many people are attacking bush as if he is doing a horrible job. but i wonder what would of happened if someone else were president. we would just be complaining about him. one reason this country is not headed in a good direction is because we are not united and until then we will never go forward. and then there are others who have more loyalty to the country then they do Christ. just ask yourself where you might be.
4. "However, there are those within the fellowship of The Wesleyan Church who believe that military service is contrary to the teaching of the New Testament and that their consciences areviolated by being compelled to take part in such. " conscientious objector will always lean toward peace. and personally as much as i want to serve my country i think i would rather do it in a peaceful setting. these guys take a stand in their faith and show what they believe.
i wonder everyday if i had not had scoliosis what my life would have ended up like. but i do know i am where i am supposed to be. today if you got anything from, get this, pray for our leader, pray for our military. they need to know we are supporting them in what they are doing.
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
knowing what we believe: abortion
a few weeks ago i starting teaching a lifestudies (cool term for sunday school) on current events and what the bible has to say about them. since the whole alito confirmation thing is going on and 75% of the question asked of him by the senate had something to do with abortion and sunday was the 33rd anniversary of roe vs. wade i thought it would be a great time discuss the idea of abortion.
well we all know jeremiah 1:5 "before I you were born i set you apart and appointed you as my spokesman to the world." scripture talks about how God cherishes us in the womb and had a plan for us. so easily we can assume the importance of life and to keep this sacred.
along with scripture i wanted to see what the wesleyan church had to say about abortion. this is a direct quote from the 04' discipline:
The Wesleyan Church— seeks to recognize and preserve the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death and, thus, is opposed to the use of induced abortion. However, it recognizes that there may be rare pregnancies where there are grave medical conditions threatening the life of the mother, which could raise a serious question about taking the life of the unborn child. In such a case, a decision should be made only after very prayerful consideration following medical and spiritual counseling. TWC encourages its members to become informed about the abortion issue and to become actively involved locally and nationally in the preparation and passage of appropriate legislation guaranteeing protection of life under law to unborn children.
now to break it down.
1. "seeks to recognize and preserve the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death"--this i believe we can all agree with.
2. "however"--whenever however is added after a statement you know it is going to go in a different direction.
3. "it recognizes that there may be rare pregnancies where there are grave medical conditions threatening the life of the mother, which could raise a serious question about taking the life of the unborn child."--the church taking a stance like this makes believe that they are pro choice. which is kind of interesting because a lot of people in my denomination voted for bush on the sole reason of him being pro life. i wonder how critical the situation with the mother does have to be. many people i have talked to says they know someone who was told by a doctor that it would cause complications and might even hinder the life the of the mother. but these mothers carried the baby full term and there was not one complications. but by the wesleyan standard it would be seen as okay if they had chose to end the life. by trying to appease everybody the wesleyan church has made few happy by this comment.
4. "In such a case, a decision should be made only after very prayerful consideration following medical and spiritual counseling."--at least they do add the idea of prayer and counseling.
5. "TWC encourages its members to become informed about the abortion issue and to become actively involved locally and nationally in the preparation and passage of appropriate legislation guaranteeing protection of life under law to unborn children."--the church then adds this comment to show that they want to protect the life of the human child.
please do not read me wrong i like the wesleyan church and have decided to stay within the denomination to pastor but i am wondering how many wesleyans actually know this is the stand that their church takes on abortion. i wonder if parishioners would be happy about this. i wonder if this should be discussed at the next general conference.
i was wondering how many of you knew what the jewish faith says about abortion. i came across this statement the other day that the "jewish law not only permits abortion but requires it if the mothers life might be in jeopardy." they view the child as a "potential human life until the mojority of the body has emerged from the mother.
what does your denomination say? what is your view?
well we all know jeremiah 1:5 "before I you were born i set you apart and appointed you as my spokesman to the world." scripture talks about how God cherishes us in the womb and had a plan for us. so easily we can assume the importance of life and to keep this sacred.
along with scripture i wanted to see what the wesleyan church had to say about abortion. this is a direct quote from the 04' discipline:
The Wesleyan Church— seeks to recognize and preserve the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death and, thus, is opposed to the use of induced abortion. However, it recognizes that there may be rare pregnancies where there are grave medical conditions threatening the life of the mother, which could raise a serious question about taking the life of the unborn child. In such a case, a decision should be made only after very prayerful consideration following medical and spiritual counseling. TWC encourages its members to become informed about the abortion issue and to become actively involved locally and nationally in the preparation and passage of appropriate legislation guaranteeing protection of life under law to unborn children.
now to break it down.
1. "seeks to recognize and preserve the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death"--this i believe we can all agree with.
2. "however"--whenever however is added after a statement you know it is going to go in a different direction.
3. "it recognizes that there may be rare pregnancies where there are grave medical conditions threatening the life of the mother, which could raise a serious question about taking the life of the unborn child."--the church taking a stance like this makes believe that they are pro choice. which is kind of interesting because a lot of people in my denomination voted for bush on the sole reason of him being pro life. i wonder how critical the situation with the mother does have to be. many people i have talked to says they know someone who was told by a doctor that it would cause complications and might even hinder the life the of the mother. but these mothers carried the baby full term and there was not one complications. but by the wesleyan standard it would be seen as okay if they had chose to end the life. by trying to appease everybody the wesleyan church has made few happy by this comment.
4. "In such a case, a decision should be made only after very prayerful consideration following medical and spiritual counseling."--at least they do add the idea of prayer and counseling.
5. "TWC encourages its members to become informed about the abortion issue and to become actively involved locally and nationally in the preparation and passage of appropriate legislation guaranteeing protection of life under law to unborn children."--the church then adds this comment to show that they want to protect the life of the human child.
please do not read me wrong i like the wesleyan church and have decided to stay within the denomination to pastor but i am wondering how many wesleyans actually know this is the stand that their church takes on abortion. i wonder if parishioners would be happy about this. i wonder if this should be discussed at the next general conference.
i was wondering how many of you knew what the jewish faith says about abortion. i came across this statement the other day that the "jewish law not only permits abortion but requires it if the mothers life might be in jeopardy." they view the child as a "potential human life until the mojority of the body has emerged from the mother.
what does your denomination say? what is your view?
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
the goldent globes and my ignorance
the big winner is brokeback mountain. i am not sure how many times i heard this movie announced as a winner for different awards on monday night but it was definately an interesting night in my eyes as a movie pushing the gay agenda won multiple trophies.
now maybe i am ignorant, because i havent watched the movie and i really do not know any homosexuals. maybe it was a beautifully written script and had great acting. i have tried many times mot to write a blog on this movie because i hadnt seen it but after monday i feel that i have to voice my concern. for a very small percentage of the u.s. population to be able to get this much air time in the news is disturbing.
the other big winner of the night was transamerica. a movie about someone going through the sex change process. and i wonder how this is affecting the culture. many times before i have mentioned tolerance has changed who we as christians have been observed. but i wonder where tolerance will take us in the future. for something like this to be accepted is absolutely crazy, not just for the moral implications but because of the physical and emotional health. (yeah i know these same things are issues also in hederosexual relationships as well.) so this article is really not just singling out homosexaulity as wrong but the pushing of
relativism in our society.
who are you to tell me i am wrong? it might be okay for you but for me its not right. who is to say there is only one way to the Father? this is the idea that i get from our society and even friends of mine saying we need to be more tolerant and allowing of people to live their own lives.
i guess it is not for me to push my views on someone else. because most do not want to hear it. or do they really want to hear about the truth? what is absolute in our world. what is right for me as well as you to believe?
who knows? maybe it is just my ignorance?
now maybe i am ignorant, because i havent watched the movie and i really do not know any homosexuals. maybe it was a beautifully written script and had great acting. i have tried many times mot to write a blog on this movie because i hadnt seen it but after monday i feel that i have to voice my concern. for a very small percentage of the u.s. population to be able to get this much air time in the news is disturbing.
the other big winner of the night was transamerica. a movie about someone going through the sex change process. and i wonder how this is affecting the culture. many times before i have mentioned tolerance has changed who we as christians have been observed. but i wonder where tolerance will take us in the future. for something like this to be accepted is absolutely crazy, not just for the moral implications but because of the physical and emotional health. (yeah i know these same things are issues also in hederosexual relationships as well.) so this article is really not just singling out homosexaulity as wrong but the pushing of
relativism in our society.
who are you to tell me i am wrong? it might be okay for you but for me its not right. who is to say there is only one way to the Father? this is the idea that i get from our society and even friends of mine saying we need to be more tolerant and allowing of people to live their own lives.
i guess it is not for me to push my views on someone else. because most do not want to hear it. or do they really want to hear about the truth? what is absolute in our world. what is right for me as well as you to believe?
who knows? maybe it is just my ignorance?
Thursday, January 12, 2006
why
many times i look at things and wonder how they were made and how they work. i wonder how a small microchip can hold so much information. i wonder how an ipod works and how such a small device can hold so many songs.
i also sit back and look at creation and wonder how, how did God create us? did he create the world literally in a week and rest on the seventh day or did he take six different days as periods of time and create us in human terms thousands or even million year apart?i wonder how scientists know the world is millions of years old and can date back a bone that far? i wonder how conservatives can prove that the world is only 6-8000 years old?
i wonder how God thinks of time. we know the bible says a thousand years are like a day and a day like a thousand years. so then i wonder how much asking of how is even relevant?i believe in intelligent design as a fact. for me this is an absolute because the word says "in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." for me this is a simple belief. if the word says it then it must be truth.
for me the question the past few days has turned from how to why. for me the how is not important because it does not really matter to me how. sure God could have used science to create but i do not know how exactly he did. i believe that he did create and that is enough for me. the question is now why?
why did God create the heavens and the earth? why was it so important that he created us?
worship?
love?
obedience?
serve?
relationship?
what is it that you believe?
i also sit back and look at creation and wonder how, how did God create us? did he create the world literally in a week and rest on the seventh day or did he take six different days as periods of time and create us in human terms thousands or even million year apart?i wonder how scientists know the world is millions of years old and can date back a bone that far? i wonder how conservatives can prove that the world is only 6-8000 years old?
i wonder how God thinks of time. we know the bible says a thousand years are like a day and a day like a thousand years. so then i wonder how much asking of how is even relevant?i believe in intelligent design as a fact. for me this is an absolute because the word says "in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." for me this is a simple belief. if the word says it then it must be truth.
for me the question the past few days has turned from how to why. for me the how is not important because it does not really matter to me how. sure God could have used science to create but i do not know how exactly he did. i believe that he did create and that is enough for me. the question is now why?
why did God create the heavens and the earth? why was it so important that he created us?
worship?
love?
obedience?
serve?
relationship?
what is it that you believe?
Monday, January 09, 2006
home from vacation
in a trip where we thought jenny was going to be able to visit home on vacation, i think we realized the all to familiar phrase "we cannot go home again," what it actually meant. it is not that you cannot go and visit, but in reality it is not your home anymore. we have settled here in pulaski. with as much fun as we had, i have seen how much our lives have really changed in the 1 1/2 we have been married. things have changed. we have changed. we have grown together in to who we are and where we now call home. indiana is now a place where she grew up, a place where we met in college and the place where we came together as one. but it is no longer our home.we were able to have a great time in indiana and today was my first day back to the church for office hrs in which at least seemed like forever. but really it has been two weeks. after logos, jenny and i made the trek out to indiana to visit friends and family members. it was a fun time as we were able to see titus, steve and michelle mowat's six month old, for the first time. we were able to see all the changes on the iwu campus. (it really seems very big now.) we visited with college friends mike and manda light.we were able to visit with family and really for the first time in 6 months, relaxed, watched a lot of football. but when it came right down to it. i missed being in pulaski. i wanted to be able to go back and share life with the teens. i wanted to be there for youth group. i wanted to watch the patriots game with some one else who cared.i very much enjoyed the vacation. it was much needed time away and time together with family. but what i am trying to say, is that is nice to have a new home. a place to experience life. a great place to be involved in a growing ministry. i love this area despite the 24 inches of snow a day and the distance from our immediate family.God really has brought us to this place, that already holds a special place in our hearts. i am only looking forward to seeing what will happen in the future. but i really am home now from vacation.
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
logos5:the good and the band
like a lot of youth ministries throughout the wesleyan church. it was time for logos5. it was an amazing time of growth for the group of 22 that went. 2 teens of which that made first time commitments to follow Christ. we bonded more then the previous 5 months that i had been there. i saw people stretching themselves because they knew that is where they needed to go rather than the emotion pushing them to where they were not quite yet ready.
the speakers could not have been better. maybe someone reading this went to grand rapids or orlando and you tend to disagree with me but i feel strongly that they wasnt more appropriate speakers to speak. at least to my group. efrem smith brought the word by talking about the word, hence the idea of logos in the first place. dwayne hotten talked about relativism which every person needs to hear these days. anthony graham brought truth like he always does in a gentle but in your face manner. tim elmore brought images into illustrations of our life.
the concert that was put on at logos was another story. the opening band was the worst band that i have ever heard in my life. out of the six songs they did 3 of them were covers. (the blur song "woohoo" and does anyone remember "shout, let it all out" and of course they also covered a song by the band they were opening for, pillar. this from a band who is not yet signed. when grand rapids gets three quality bands.
during some free time we hopped on the t to check out cambridge, harvard square and of all places a thrift store. (the teens found it on line and unanimously voted to go there, so we did.) we also took in a tour of the fenway park. i say the because it is unique. there is nothing quite like it. the smallest and oldest park in the major leagues. i remember growing up and going there every summer. this time however it looked even smaller then it had each previous time i was there.
it really was a good time. overall it took about $5700 plus food to go. it sounds like a lot of money which was one of the things that worried me about taking this trip in the first place. but after all is said and done sometimes it takes sacrifice to see change within the lives of the teens that you spend your life pouring into. pray with me as these teens take these commitments into the new year.
the speakers could not have been better. maybe someone reading this went to grand rapids or orlando and you tend to disagree with me but i feel strongly that they wasnt more appropriate speakers to speak. at least to my group. efrem smith brought the word by talking about the word, hence the idea of logos in the first place. dwayne hotten talked about relativism which every person needs to hear these days. anthony graham brought truth like he always does in a gentle but in your face manner. tim elmore brought images into illustrations of our life.
the concert that was put on at logos was another story. the opening band was the worst band that i have ever heard in my life. out of the six songs they did 3 of them were covers. (the blur song "woohoo" and does anyone remember "shout, let it all out" and of course they also covered a song by the band they were opening for, pillar. this from a band who is not yet signed. when grand rapids gets three quality bands.
during some free time we hopped on the t to check out cambridge, harvard square and of all places a thrift store. (the teens found it on line and unanimously voted to go there, so we did.) we also took in a tour of the fenway park. i say the because it is unique. there is nothing quite like it. the smallest and oldest park in the major leagues. i remember growing up and going there every summer. this time however it looked even smaller then it had each previous time i was there.
it really was a good time. overall it took about $5700 plus food to go. it sounds like a lot of money which was one of the things that worried me about taking this trip in the first place. but after all is said and done sometimes it takes sacrifice to see change within the lives of the teens that you spend your life pouring into. pray with me as these teens take these commitments into the new year.
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
christmas past
december 25th has come and gone. it seems for the past month that i was looking forward for christmas to arrive but yet i was not prepared for it when it came. this year it just did not seem like christmas. with all the anticipation and excitement that one can build, there seemed to be something missing.
everyone around me it seemed were enjoying the holiday season as they talked about shopping and putting up decorations but i guess somehow i missed christmas. i blinked and it was gone.
as much as i could listen to christmas tunes and see the christmas pageant there seemed to be something missing. the harder i tried to make it feel like christmas the less it actually did. even with the world around me covered with snow, i just felt like "it was always winter, but never christmas."
i think i talked and wrote about churches canceling services and others saying happy holidays that i myself misdirected the anticipation of what christmas was all about to turn it into an even that needs to be celebrated the same way by every christian.
each year christmas becomes more commercialized and i complain a little bit more. while i do this i take my focus of the Christ born of a virgin and placed in a manger. so even though christmas has past i think today of the humility of Christ placing himself in the hands of a couple. even though he was God he cried and placed his every need in hands of someone else to provide the food and care that he needed.
one allowing himself to do this is obviously more humble then i. it was never about himself. he cared more for others then he did of himself. i pray even if i "missed christmas" that the incarnation will affect my life this year and hopefully the idea that God came to this earth to die will affect all that i come into contact with.
everyone around me it seemed were enjoying the holiday season as they talked about shopping and putting up decorations but i guess somehow i missed christmas. i blinked and it was gone.
as much as i could listen to christmas tunes and see the christmas pageant there seemed to be something missing. the harder i tried to make it feel like christmas the less it actually did. even with the world around me covered with snow, i just felt like "it was always winter, but never christmas."
i think i talked and wrote about churches canceling services and others saying happy holidays that i myself misdirected the anticipation of what christmas was all about to turn it into an even that needs to be celebrated the same way by every christian.
each year christmas becomes more commercialized and i complain a little bit more. while i do this i take my focus of the Christ born of a virgin and placed in a manger. so even though christmas has past i think today of the humility of Christ placing himself in the hands of a couple. even though he was God he cried and placed his every need in hands of someone else to provide the food and care that he needed.
one allowing himself to do this is obviously more humble then i. it was never about himself. he cared more for others then he did of himself. i pray even if i "missed christmas" that the incarnation will affect my life this year and hopefully the idea that God came to this earth to die will affect all that i come into contact with.
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
just a quick thought
i heard it mentioned last week that the vote in iraq was titled the "national unity vote"
why can't the u.s.a. have a vote like that?
why can't the u.s.a. have a vote like that?
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
a new low
this year we have experienced as a country some change due to the christmas season or should i say holiday season. i am not so sure. somehow the christmas tree has become the holiday tree and we are not eating christmas cookies. somehow the tolerance we had for other religions is starting to change how we celebrate one of our holiday's.
it is bad enough that in the past few years we have seen christmas become x-mas. which i read a few weeks ago an article in relevant magazine on "debunking christmas" and how it is okay to use x in the place of Christ. their reasoning for this is that the first letter im the greek word for Christ is chi. in the roman alphabet x is the symbol of chai. because of this they say x-mas is justifiable.
so let me get this correct x and Christ is the same understanding, oh wait, backing up to what they said is that it is the first letter of Christ. so in reality it should be merry c-mas. but even if x stood for Christ, most people in the christian world would not know that so how does the rest of the world see it. it is all about tolerance. letting people of the world control how we as christians celebrate our holiday.
and now of course we have this whole thing with churches canceling services on christmas sunday. so we can take time and be self absorbed underneath the christmas tree opening up our christmas presents with our christmas sweaters and sipping eggnog in front of the fire place. i do not mind the idea of spending christmas with your family but what is so wrong about making Christ the center of what christmas is about. it is named after him.
but today in the world christmas is all about presents, pleasure and pride. yesterday while driving in to work i heard this on the radio. this is the new low. it was an advertisement for "adult world-- where we put the x in x-mas."
this is where our tolerance has placed us. where we have no say is our own religious holiday.
it is bad enough that in the past few years we have seen christmas become x-mas. which i read a few weeks ago an article in relevant magazine on "debunking christmas" and how it is okay to use x in the place of Christ. their reasoning for this is that the first letter im the greek word for Christ is chi. in the roman alphabet x is the symbol of chai. because of this they say x-mas is justifiable.
so let me get this correct x and Christ is the same understanding, oh wait, backing up to what they said is that it is the first letter of Christ. so in reality it should be merry c-mas. but even if x stood for Christ, most people in the christian world would not know that so how does the rest of the world see it. it is all about tolerance. letting people of the world control how we as christians celebrate our holiday.
and now of course we have this whole thing with churches canceling services on christmas sunday. so we can take time and be self absorbed underneath the christmas tree opening up our christmas presents with our christmas sweaters and sipping eggnog in front of the fire place. i do not mind the idea of spending christmas with your family but what is so wrong about making Christ the center of what christmas is about. it is named after him.
but today in the world christmas is all about presents, pleasure and pride. yesterday while driving in to work i heard this on the radio. this is the new low. it was an advertisement for "adult world-- where we put the x in x-mas."
this is where our tolerance has placed us. where we have no say is our own religious holiday.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)