the merge

Another Advent Reflection

2008-12-03T08:00:00.001-05:00

Psalm 40 is a great Psalm for Advent...it echoes the cry of longing and waiting.

How long, oh Lord? How Long?

Preaching at the Dayton Campus

2008-12-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

This past Sunday I got to preach at the Vineyard's Dayton Campus. If you are interested...here is my message.

I had a great time. The people were responsive...I felt comfortable and prepared (it has been awhile since I preached)...and I enjoyed being with them. I think I was most nervous giving the announcements. It was also nice to have so many family and friends supporting me.

I think it might have been recorded. If it is I will post that here too.

Thanks to Barb for the picture.

Welcome to Advent

2008-12-01T19:21:00.005-05:00

For those of you who grew up in a Protestant denomination (or have bad memories of a liturgical one) Advent may not be something you would like to practice...but I think we should. Participating in the events of the Christian calendar enables me to center not only my life but also my time around Jesus. It helps me refocus the meaning back onto Jesus' coming and not the marketing hype that dominates our culture.

Advent is the beginning of the Christian calendar. Dennis Bratcher has a lot more information for those of you interested in doing a little more study...nothing too hard though. He also gives a list of readings you can follow during this time of preparation. He also has a great article on Hearing the Old Testament Advent texts.

Advent is a time of expectancy and preparation for the coming of Christ. It represents the waiting and expectation of His birth in the celebration of Christmas and the waiting and expectation of His return.

As with all of the "preparation" periods of the Christian calendar, there is also a sense of repentance. Preparing for the coming of Christ means that we prepare our hearts by repenting of sinfulness and recognizing our sinfulness. This doesn't mean being depressed and sulky or wallowing in our "horrible state of sinfulness." It should be a time of joy...we are freed from our sins whenever we turn them over to God in repentance.

Advent covers the four weeks prior to Christmas, and is usually celebrated by focused Scripture readings and lighting one candle each Sunday on an Advent wreath.

Isaiah 64:1-9a

1 Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down,
that the mountains would tremble before you!

2 As when fire sets twigs ablaze
and causes water to boil,
come down to make your name known to your enemies
and cause the nations to quake before you!

3 For when you did awesome things that we did not expect,
you came down, and the mountains trembled before you.

4 Since ancient times no one has heard,
no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,
who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.

5 You come to the help of those who gladly do right,
who remember your ways.
But when we continued to sin against them,
you were angry.
How then can we be saved?

6 All of us have become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf,
and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

7 No one calls on your name
or strives to lay hold of you;
for you have hidden your face from us
and made us waste away because of our sins.

8 Yet, O LORD, you are our Father.
We are the clay, you are the potter;
we are all the work of your hand.

9 Do not be angry beyond measure, O LORD;
do not remember our sins forever.
Oh, look upon us, we pray,
for we are all your people.

Just as in the times this passage was written...we, too, need the Lord to come!

The Vineyard Dayton Campus

2008-11-23T21:43:00.005-05:00

Today I went to the Vineyard's Dayton Campus...what an experience. It is located on Main Street near downtown Dayton. It was formerly Memorial Baptist Church.

I don't think you will find a more broad mix of people anywhere. The worship was exciting, and there was a sense of expectancy as the people gathered to worship. They really got into the worship. I also think the smaller, intimate space and great acoustics helped make the singing fuller. You could hear the people around you singing.

During the message there was a lot of call and response...people shouted amen and responded to the message verbally.

They have a great group of people down there who are excited about what God is doing in their community. I can't wait to speak down there!

Older Churches Trying to Stay Culturally Hip!

2008-11-19T08:00:00.001-05:00

Very funny!

Everything's Amazing, But Nobody's Happy

2008-11-18T18:00:00.000-05:00

I found the quote (used as the title) to be so revealing. For everything we have gain in technology...we have lost something too. On the blog where I found this video clip they made reference to churches that are amazing and people are happy...but that connection misses the point of this video and what is being said.

While I don't want to ride around on donkeys and do away with cell phones...there is a need to recognize the amazingness of the world we live in and how all the things we take for granted really are luxuries. On the Dayton Daily News site there was a comment on one of the articles about the wind storm we had in Dayton. The commenter said, "Doesn't DP&L realize that electricity is a necessity in this day and age and not a luxury!"

The video explains this much better:

I found this link via Monday Morning Insights.

Obamagelicals...Really?

2008-11-14T07:48:00.003-05:00

The point of this post is not political, and no the picture at the side is not a reference to the people who would be classified as "Obamagelicals." In fact, they probably don't want to be labeled by that term in the first place. If you would like to see survey results about the evangelicals who voted for Obama you can go here (there is some interesting stuff on there).

No, the point of this post is to ask "Why do we need to keep making up stupid words?" The picture may be more reflective of the people who decide that we need some new and snappy word that will fit on the bottom of of the news screen.

I don't know how long they have been using this word (probably only since the election), but please stop.

Alright...here's an idea...in the comment section create your own "Obama__________" word. It has to be an original (No Obamanation, Obamagelical, etc.) Let's see how many of these we can create!

Turning a Century

2008-11-09T19:56:00.003-05:00

I am not turning 100 years old, but I did reach the 100 mile mark for backpacking this year (actually 110). James and I have hiked the Laurel Highlands Trail, the Twin Valley Trail in Germantown, and the Caesar's Creek Trail. It felt good to reach this milestone...and I am planning to reach 150 next year.

This is actually one of those New Year's Resolutions that can be checked off. Who said those things never get accomplished. Now for that loose weight thing...okay, so not every resolution will be met.

The picture shows what it looks like to reach 100 miles!

A Meme

2008-11-07T06:37:00.004-05:00

Shawna "tagged" me with a meme. So here goes...

Meme Terms and Conditions
1. Link to the person who tagged you. (check)
2. Mention the rules on your blog. (check)
3. List six unspectacular things about you. (coming) (check)
4. Tag six other bloggers by linking to them. (coming) (check)

Six unspectacular things about me:
1. I love theology and biblical studies. Like I read this stuff because I want to not because I have to.
2. I like reality TV...Not all of it...mostly Survivor.
3. I also like to read history and biography.
4. I go backpacking as often as possible.
5. I have now been blogging for 4 years.
6. I finally entered the iPod herd.
7. I like lists.

Tag six bloggers:
Linda at Crone and Bear It.
Steve at Eyes Outward.
Andy at The Ordinary Saint.
Scott Sliver
Ryan at Beautiful and Grotesque.
Bob Hyatt at Bob.Blog (This is my long shot. I read him regularly, and don't really know know him, but would like to. I think, if nothing else, this will be an opportunity for you to visit his blog.)

A New Era

2008-11-06T17:33:00.003-05:00

I have taken a few days to consider what I should write in regards to this past Tuesday's election of Barack Obama as the new President of the United States.

Political views tend to divide rather than unite people. Each person is passionate about their political stance, and believes they have good reasons for the stance they take. This election was no different. It was a hard fought political season, and, to be honest, I am glad it is over. Writing about political stuff is like running through a lion cage with ground beef stuffed in your hip pockets. In the words of the great philosopher Norm Peterson from Cheers, "It's a dog eat dog world, and I'm wearing Milk Bones underwear!"

I have political views and positions, but I keep them to myself. I just don't get that worked up over them. I voted and did so based on my convictions. At the end of all elections, however, no matter who wins we must put aside our animosity and move forward as a nation. Wherever we are politically, I think John McCain's concession speech reminds us of our responsibility to support our President and move forward as a nation and try to fix the wrongs.

If we put individual political views aside, we have to admit we have just seen one of the most significant moments in history...the election of the first African-American President.

I don't know what kind of President he will be. He made some promises that I hope he keeps, and he made some that I hope he does not. I do know that the media and comedians will eventually turn on him like they do every other President. I also don't believe he will "fix" everything...no government on earth can do that.

But this is the moment that millions of people have fought long and hard to see...even died to accomplish. I am not naive enough to believe this represents the end of racism, it may create more, but I am glad that I have lived to see this moment.

I am also glad my daughter gets a chance to see this moment early in her life. She gets to see a person weighed by their character and positions rather than their race. She gets to see an example that anyone can break the barriers and become what no one else before them has been able to accomplish. This might just inspire her to do something that no one before her has ever accomplished.

I pray that for her. I want her to know that anything is possible...even the impossible.

Check out these great posts: Scott Sliver and Bob Hyatt.

Verses that Are Speaking

2008-11-05T16:28:00.003-05:00

Over the last week, these verses have been coming up over and over in various places in my life...

1 Samuel 15:22, "Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord?To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams."

2 Sam 24:18-25, "That day Gad came to David and said to him, 'Go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.'So David went up to do what the Lord had commanded him. When Araunah saw the king and his men coming toward him, he came and bowed before the king with his face to the ground. 'Why have you come, my lord the king?' Araunah asked. David replied, 'I have come to buy your threshing floor and to build an altar to the Lord there, so that he will stop the plague.' 'Take it, my lord the king, and use it as you wish,' Araunah said to David. 'Here are oxen for the burnt offering, and you can use the threshing boards and ox yokes for wood to build a fire on the altar. I will give it all to you, Your Majesty, and may the Lord your God accept your sacrifice.'But the king replied to Araunah, 'No, I insist on buying it, for I will not present burnt offerings to the Lord my God that have cost me nothing.' So David paid him fifty pieces of silver for the threshing floor and the oxen.David built an altar there to the Lord and sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings. And the Lord answered his prayer for the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped."

Micah 6:6-8, "With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

So are there any verses that God is using to speak to you?

Amazon Store

2008-10-27T20:53:00.003-04:00

I love Amazon...I'm addicted to books really, and Amazon is my dealer.

Anyway, check out my new Amazon Store.

The Homeless Don't Want Your Leisure Suit!

2008-10-24T15:00:00.000-04:00

I was a youth pastor in Kansas City for about 4 years. Each Christmas season we had a clothing drive for a homeless shelter in our area. They needed coats, sock, and clothing. Whenever you ask for clothing from someone's closet you get some of the worst stuff imaginable.

After several years of this sort of thing our pastor had had enough. One Sunday he said, "As you sort through the stuff in your closet you need to bring your very best. The homeless people don't want your leisure suit any more than you do!"

2 Samuel 24:18-25 offers some insight into this...David, seeking to make an offering to the Lord, asked Araunah for some land and materials to build an altar. Araunah told David, "O King, take whatever you want." But David wouldn't just take it. David responded, "No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing."

Later, Jesus watched the people placing their offering into the Temple collection. As He watched, a little old lady came up and put in a couple of small coins. Jesus called His disciples around and said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on."

God doesn't just want something...He wants our very best. It isn't that we have to give an expensive gift, but we are expected to give the very best we possibly can.

This means giving food we would actually eat (not the canned spinach from the back of our pantry or the outdated cans)...it means giving clothes that we would actually wear (If you are thinking, "I would wear a leisure suit!" you have other issues to work through). This might mean that rather than clean out our closet we go to the grocery store or department store and pick out new stuff for our donation. Maybe not, but it is a thought.

I once read about a Butterball Turkey customer service worker who received a phone call from a lady asking if the 20 year old turkey in her deep freezer was edible. He reassured her that the turkey, as long as it had remained frozen the entire time, was edible, but would not taste very good. She responded, "That's what I thought. I will go ahead and give this to my church for the poor."

Political Joking

2008-10-19T12:00:00.000-04:00

I love it when politicians can poke fun at themselves. I saw McCain's part of the roast, but laughed more often with Obama's. You can find McCain's on youtube...here is Obama's

Write In My Journal

2008-10-17T20:32:00.002-04:00

What would you do if someone approached you on the sidewalk, at Starbucks, or on the bus and asked you to write something in their journal? Would you?

Write In My Journal is an interesting blog that gives you an insight into the people who answer "Yes" to that question. The blog owner says, "I simply ask people to write in my journal. What they write is up to them."

Check it out...it is really interesting.

Equal Partners But Not Equal

2008-10-08T18:00:00.001-04:00

My wife and I met when I was 16 and she was 15. It was love at first spike so to speak. I was wearing a spiked haircut that rose about 2" off my head with a set of bangs that went below my eyes...she had this 80's mall hair that went about 4" straight up. It was a match not even Paul Mitchell could have dreamed up! Luckily our compatibility went further than hair products...we actually liked each other and fell in love (or at least she tolerates me).

We were young when we got married (18 and 20), but we understood the meaning of a lifelong commitment. There was something different about our relationship. In areas where she was strong I was weak. In areas where I was strong she was weak. We both understood that I was in charge as long as she wasn't awake. We complemented each other.

When God created man He took the initiative to find him a partner, a helper, because it wasn't good for man to be alone. The term "helper" has often been used to demean the role of women. They see being a helper as a subordinate role. The problem with this understanding is that the same word is used repeatedly of God in relationship to Israel; God is Israel's helper. With God as the primary example of a helper, the word "helper" certainly doesn't indicate a subordinate role. The woman was to be seen as a partner.

The original Hebrew does something else to indicate the non-subordinate nature of the woman. Not only is this a helper, but, in the English, this helper will be "suitable for him." The original Hebrew can be translated as "one like unto him." This helper will stand "face-to-face" and be able to go "toe-to-toe," to borrow a few idioms. They will be co-rulers and partners in their commission to care for and rule over the world.

It would be wrong, however, to call them equals in ability and responsibility. They had different responsibilities and gifts, but they were called to rule over the earth together. Neither one was given authority over the other. Their relationship was one of mutual love, respect, and submission to fulfill the purpose God had given them. This very literally was a match made in heaven.

Sin's entrance into the world, however, changed everything!

The next post will discuss how things changed in the relationship once sin entered the world. To read the previous posts in this series go here.

Moleskine

2008-10-04T10:19:00.002-04:00

As though it doesn't make me pretentious enough to carry around a Moleskine notebook...not I have discovered that I am not saying with enough snootiness in my voice!

It is not pronounce Mole-skin...it is pronounced Mole-skee-na.

Now, go forth and be even more pretentious and annoying!

hattip: Later On

In the Hands of the Potter

2008-09-30T17:59:00.002-04:00

In Genesis 1-2:3, the writer describes God's creation of the world as a verbal activity. God creates by speaking things into being. God said, "Let there be light," and there was light! His word is a creative force that brings something into existence from nothing. (Ex nihilo is the Latin phrase used in theological circles to indicate creation "from nothing.")

Genesis 2, however, changes things a little. In Genesis 1 God is the transcendent (completely other, beyond us) Creator bringing things into existence by His Word. In Genesis 2 God is the imminent (close, among us), loving Creator who gets His hands dirty in the process of creating. God is planting a garden. God is forming a man. God is building a woman (anyone remember Weird Science?). God is actively and personally involved in His creation.

The Hebraic words for God also change to reflect this difference. Genesis 1 uses "Elohim" as the word for God. Elohim is the general word for God; by using it to reference God the writer is referring to the general concept of God. He is starting with the general, philosophical understanding of God. In Genesis 2, however, the words referencing God shifts to Yahweh Elohim. Yahweh is the personal name of God revealed to Moses at the burning bush. Combining Yahweh with Elohim makes a bold statement that the transcendent God of Creation in Genesis 1 is the imminent God of Creation in Genesis 2 and, ultimately, the God of Israel!

God's creation of the human being in Genesis 2 is the primary example of this difference. It is an intimate moment. The God of the Universe kneels down in the dirt, scoops the dust together, forms it into the shape of a human being, and leans close to breathe life into him. God is getting his hands dirty, and investing himself personally into this new creature. God is now in a personal relationship with His most treasured creation.

Scientific discoveries over the past few hundred years have illuminated our knowledge of the universe. At one point humans believed that earth was the center of the universe and everything rotated around it...now we know better. Astronomy reveals that our universe is large and becoming larger every moment.

These discoveries can make humans feel smaller and smaller, but they shouldn't.

Genesis affirms the unique place of human beings in God's created order. No matter how vast the universe, we are the pinnacle of God's creation, and He has invested himself in us. Unlike any other creature in all of creation, we were created to live in a personal relationship with God, and His desire is for a personal relationship with each one of us.

In Jeremiah 1:5 God says to Jeremiah, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; appointed you as a prophet to the nations." As God knows Jeremiah so God knows us. His loving care for us is not an arbitrary, utilitarian thing...He formed us and loves us as a father loves his children. We are not disposable...we are not unimportant or worthless...we are valued and loved by the Creator God, and that should change how we view ourselves and how we allow others to view us.

If you would like to read some of the previous entries on Genesis go here, here, and here.

In the Image of God

2008-09-29T17:57:00.002-04:00

Biologically speaking humans and animals are not all that different. Humans have a large degree of similarity of DNA structures with chimpanzees. We are not that different biologically or anatomically. Evolutionary scientists see this as a “blow” against creationism, demonstrating the reality of our evolutionary connection to a simian ancestor. With this much similarity, they reason, we must have a common ancestor.

Genesis, however, does not attach our difference from the animal kingdom to our genetic structuring. In fact, Genesis 2:7 uses the same word (living being) to describe humans as it used to describe the animals. So our difference, our uniqueness in God’s eyes, must be based on something else.

Genesis 1:26-27 provides the answer…we are unique amid the animal kingdom because we alone have been created in the image and likeness of God!

To be made in the image and likeness of God means several things. First, we are created with a similarity or likeness to God. Genesis is very careful not to give a bodily form or description to God, but seems to indicate that humans are similar. Second, we share certain mental and spiritual characteristics with our creator. We are capable of thought, choice, a spiritual connection, personality, and intelligence. Spiritually we are capable of communicating and having a relationship with God. Third, we are given responsibility and rule over the earth. Just as God rules over the entire universe, we are to rule over the earth. This rule, unlike God’s, brings responsibility. We are answerable to God for our actions. Fourth, we are God’s representative on earth. Kings and conquerors often left statues of themselves (like the one of Lenin) and a royal ruler over a conquered area. We are God’s representative to the earth He created.

Based on the arrangement of the biblical text man and woman are put forward as the pinnacle of God’s creation. They are unique because they are created in the image of God. They are given intelligence, responsibility, and a personal connection with God.

Adam and Eve’s sin damaged this image. It severed the relationship between God and mankind, and corrupted the very nature that God had created “good.” While damaged by sin the image of God remains on each and every human being. The book of James reminds us that we are not to speak evil about our fellow human beings because each of us is made in the image of God.

In The Brothers Karamazov, Father Paisii tells Alexei Karamazov,

“Secular science, which has grown into a great force, has investigated, particularly during the past century, everything that has been handed down to us in the sacred books. That is something you must always remember, young man. After their thorough, merciless analysis, there was nothing sacred left in the hands of those secular scholars. That was because they analyzed only the parts and failed to study the whole, showing thereby a truly astonishing blindness. And the whole still stands today, firm and unassailable before their eyes, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Hasn’t it survived nineteen centuries and isn’t its existence apparent today in the spiritual emotions experienced equally by individual men and by masses of people? And in the hearts of the very atheists who are trying to destroy everything, that spiritual emotions lives on to this day. This is so because even those who renounce Christianity, even those who rebel against it—even they, in their essence, were created in the image of Christ and have remained in His image.”

No matter how sinful or far away from God we are or try to be…we have His image stamped upon our lives.

St. Augustine referred to a “God-shaped hole” inside of each man and woman that could only be filled by God. As long as we are separated from God we remain unfulfilled and incomplete; only God can fill that hole through the work of Jesus Christ. You might say that salvation and the Holy Spirit’s work of leading us deeper is a recapturing of those aspects of the image which have been lost. As you and I grow in grace the fullness of that image is restored in our lives. Our spiritual growth is a restoration process…God is restoring us to the fullness of His image.

To see the other posts in this series on Genesis go here and here.

The Breath of God

2008-09-28T15:42:00.002-04:00

Genesis 1:2 describes a world in chaos, disorder, and utter despair and blackness. It is a wasteland much like the desert where men would get lost, wander, and die. It is a hopeless place until God gets begins His work.

The process of change begins with God's ruach hovering over the surface of the deep. Ruach is the transliteration of the Hebrew word for wind/spirit/breath. Many scholars have discussed the ins and outs of which word would be the appropriate word for the translation...most come down on the side of spirit. I also tend to like the word breath...the breath of God hovering over the surface of the deep...it seems to also tie this in with the creation of the human being later when God blows the breath of life into him. Either way, God's breath or spirit is about to change the very nature of this place.

In theological terms this description of a dark and chaotic world is the exact opposite of God's nature. In fact, Genesis 1 shows God's first act of creation as bringing light into the dark place and then bringing order to the chaos. Where once chaos and darkness ruled, now, through God's creative act and the presence of His spirit, everything is changed.

When I planted the church in the Missouri we had the opportunity to rent a storefront facility. My wife and I went with a couple of people to look it over and see if it would fit our needs. By the end of our visit we were divided into two groups: those who thought it was a great space with wonderful opportunities and those who felt like it would be a big mistake. The difference between the two opinions was the difference in being able to see the future possibilities over and against what the place looked like in actuality.

If we were able to look at the world pre-creation (without the knowledge of what God was about to do) we would have thought that nothing good could ever come from that dark, chaotic place. In our estimation it would be hopeless.

There are many people whom we would consider hopeless, living desolate lives. They have destroyed their lives with the sinful choices they have made, and many are may seem beyond the possibility of change.At times is seems that nothing will ever reach them.

It is amazing, though, how things change when God begins to breath into a situation, when His Spirit begins to move in the human situation. Usually we can't even see what he is doing, but the wind begins to move and God's spirit transforms the heart. He reaches down into that dark, desolate life and breaths new life into it.

I have seen the power of God to transform a life through the work of His Holy Spirit. They really do become a new creation. No one is beyond the reach of God's powerful, life-giving Spirit.

Getting Creative

2008-09-24T18:00:00.000-04:00

Visit any creative worship arts or communications conference and pretty soon the concept of God's creativity surfaces. Everyone wants to encourage churches to be more creative and to try new things. Inevitably you will hear someone say, "God is creative. Therefore, we must be creative. Just look at Genesis 1!"

While I agree with the need for churches to be more creative in their presentations, their programs, and in their worship services...it is not possible to get that from this verse. They have to twist Scripture and the theological intent of that passage to get that meaning. We are meant to be creative...we just can pull it from this particular passage without twisting Scripture.

Why?

Because we are simply reading a translated Hebrew word, and we miss what is behind it. We have place our own meaning on the word "create" and failed to see the underlying Hebrew word and its intent.

Genesis 1 says, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." The word we translate as create is ברא; pronounced bara. To bara is to do something new...to create from nothing (ex nihilo).

Here is the interesting thing...in the Old Testament, God is the only subject to bara. Humans never bara! Humans are never the subject of this form of the verb that we translate as "create." They are not capable of creating in the sense the author of Genesis is using it in this text.

There is another word pronounced aseh which means to make or form...this verb both God and humanity does. It carries with it the imagery of a potter or artisan forming or making something with some raw materials. Genesis 2 shows God forming man from the dust of the earth much like a potter would mold clay. In this sense, we can be like God in the creative (using our modern understanding of the word) process.

Only God bara's...God and Man can both aseh. It is amazing how consistent the Old Testament is theologically. God is capable of creating in a way that we could never dream of doing. Human beings are able to take something and form it, but only God creates from nothing; with no raw materials.

The same word used of God's creative work at the beginning of the world is the same word used to describe the work that God wants to do inside each one of us.

Isaiah's promise of a Messiah and the work he would do indicates that God will make the dessert wasteland into a land flowing with streams and lushness. God is going to bara a new thing! This is a grand promise to those who live in a dessert region and know the scarcity of rain.

But this bara of a something new is also what happens in our lives. God takes the wasteland and sinfulness of our lives and puts in its place a lush land with flowing streams. In the words of Paul, we become a new creation!

If you are like me, you know the power of God's bara in your life. You can look back and see where you came from, and how far God has brought you. God has recreated you, and you are a new creation...as dramatically a new creation as moving from no earth to a fully inhabited earth! With that in mind, I realize that I cannot create. I can only form and shape, and I am content to have that in common with God.

Blogging Enthusiasm

2008-09-23T10:13:00.003-04:00

Lately I have been in a writing slump. I don’t know if you are supposed to admit that on a blog that you want people to visit and read, but there it is. I have fought it off for awhile, but over the past few weeks it has become quite obvious as can be seen in the posting frequency. It is very strange to have absolutely no desire to do something that at one time provided you such enjoyment. Blogging and writing were a passion for me, and I couldn’t wait to sit down and write. I still enjoy writing and blogging, but I just seem to go blank and lack the energy to go through with the posts when I get started.

Over the past month, I have been teaching a class on the Pentateuch. It has been exciting, challenging, and refreshing all at the same time. I took classes on the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament) for my master’s degree, but find that I am learning (re-learning?) a lot of stuff I either didn’t notice or didn’t catch the first time through.

So I thought maybe my blogging and my class could come together. I could use the passion from one to reignite the passion in the other. So I am going to share some stuff that I am learning as I prepare for the class, write the sessions, study God’s Word, and reflect on what God is teaching me as I teach the class.

I Can Finally Watch Cycling Again!

2008-09-11T07:26:00.002-04:00

Lance Armstrong, seven time winner of the grueling Tour De France, has announced his return to cycling after a three year absence.

I couldn't be happier. I consider Lance Armstrong an inspiration and one of my heroes. It will be nice to watch a Tour De France again with a champion that knows how to win. And, whether or not he does win, he will certainly make the race more exciting.

Almost a Month Since My Last Post So Let's Get Political!

2008-09-04T19:45:00.002-04:00

Funny! VERY funny!

Crazy Sprinkler Conspiracy

2008-08-15T15:00:00.001-04:00

I don't know about you, but this video convinces me that there DEFINITELY is a conspiracy...ok, maybe not. But it definitely proves that not everyone who has a thought should express it.

This video also lays a good foundation for promoting basic science competency in our skools!