Travis' Blog

New Site

2005-05-18T21:25:00.000-05:00

My blog has moved. Come check me out at
travisstanley.net. All my old blog post have been transfered over there.

Blog Update: Coming Soon

2005-05-11T00:43:00.000-05:00

I'm in the process of changing my blog to a new site. I'll tell you all about it when it is finished. Until then, things might be a little dead around here. But once the new site is ready to go, I plan on picking up my blogging speed a bit and posting a bit more regularly and substantively.

Thanks for sticking around.

Tiger's Coming

2005-05-02T14:29:00.000-05:00

It's on the way. Now I can be cool too.

***Update*** It's here. Friggin' Sweet.

Simpsons celebrates 350th episode

2005-04-29T16:39:00.000-05:00

"Nothing lasts forever. But I do think this past year, in my view, is one of the best we've had in a long time."
--Al Jean, Simpsons' Executive Producer

Read the article: Simpsons celebrates 350th episode

Playing on my iTunes: Johnny Cash: Unearthed III: Redemption Songs

"A Mennonite Look at the Holy See"

2005-04-29T09:14:00.000-05:00

I found this article to be interesting. It is written by a Mennonite who respects his free-church, priesthood of all believers tradition, but also sees some value in the heirarchical, ritualized Catholic tradition. He finds what is praiseworthy in both traditions, while providing critique of both as well. I have the same sort of love/not love (hate is such a strong word) with the Catholic tradition. There are many things about Catholicism that I love and wish I could participate in more. And then there are some things that I'd rather have nothing to do with.

The Papacy of All Believers

Google Maps: Beta

2005-04-28T12:31:00.000-05:00

I just discovered the new Google Maps: Beta. It has a fun statelite picture feature. For those who want to know where I live, check this out:
Sherrod Apartments

Here's my parent's street in Niceville, FL:
Parent's street

Here's the home I grew up in:
Old Stanley Place

Here's my home church:
Pine Lake Church of Christ

Here's where me and my roommate lived our senior year at college:
Gazebo Apartments, Nashville, TN

This is fun. It's not completely accurate, but pretty darn close. I could do this all day.

Well-Rounded or Just Round?

2005-04-27T08:48:00.000-05:00

A friend told me I was "Well-Rounded" because I announced in one post that I am planning on getting a PhD, and the immediate next post is about favorite Simpson quotes. Just because I'm a theological nerd doesn't mean I don't have a life. I may have on my library shelves a Greek NT, a Hebrew OT, Reinhold Niebuhr's Moral Man and Immoral Society, and Paul Tillich's Systematic Theology: Vol 1. But I've also got an autographed copy of Nancy Cartwright's (voice of Bart Simpson) My Life as a Ten Year Old Boy, Mark Pinksey's The Gospel According to the Simpsons, all five season box sets of the Simpsons, and the Springfield Court House playset, the First Church of Springfield playset, the Simpson's Living Room playset, the Comic Book Guy's Shop playset, and the talking Simpson Family Car, along with several Simpson action figures. And just because I make my wife wear the Marge wig to bed...

Favorite Simpson Quotes

2005-04-22T21:49:00.000-05:00

Some of my favorite Simpsons quotes:

Homer: You tried and you failed. The lesson is, never try.

Ralph Wiggum: The doctor said I wouldn't have so many nose bleeds if I kept my finger outta there.

Homer: I, on the other hand, have been having a wonderful day, and I owe it all to skipping church!

Rev. Lovejoy: Oh, don't thank me, thank Marge Simpson. She taught me that there's more to being a minister than not caring about people.

Homer: Mmmm... Sacrelicious.

That's just a few of mine. What are some of yours?

Occupation: Student

2005-04-21T13:10:00.000-05:00

It seems the more I go to school the more I want to go to school. As my time in school nears the end, I get sad instead of excited. Yes, I know, I'm a dork, but that should come as no surprise to those who know me. I enjoy learning. Because of this joy, Marti and I have decided to forgo going into full-time ministry right now and stay in Abilene another year. This year will be spent making money, finishing my MA Thesis, and applying for PhD programs. I will graduate with my Masters of Divinity this May, and will, hopefully, graduate with my Masters of Arts in Theology next may. Then, in the fall of 2006, we hope to move from here to another university where I will begin my PhD. years.

This decision has been a hard one to make. I have always thought I was headed towards full-time ministry, but over the past years I've been fighting off the urge to teach on the college level. I love ministry, but I love teaching even more and believe God has gifted me in that regard. But I do not see this decision as a decision against ministry. It is merely a decision for a different kind of ministry. Professors are some of the best ministers I know. I would not be who I am today had it not been for my professors. Over the past seven, they have been the ones to council me, guide me, correct me, and love me. They have been my pastors. Just because they do not work in an actual congregation does not mean they are not ministers.

We would like your prayers in this regard. It's been a difficult decision, but we know it is what is best. I am already excited about the possibilities the next year will bring to us. I feel more energized now than I have for a long time, since getting a PhD was what I wanted to do but was never able to express it. I am thankful for my wife and my professors who noticed this in me before I noticed it and encouraged me to follow my heart.

I'll keep you posted as I have news to post. And, hopefully, once I finish up this semester in the next two weeks, I will become a much more frequent blogger.

Body Spirituality

2005-04-14T09:14:00.000-05:00

Two quotes I've been pondering from St. Maximus the Confessor:
"According to the text, 'But we have the intellect of Christ' (1 Cor. 2:16), the saints are said to receive Christ's intellect. But this does not come to us through the loss of our own intellectual power; nor does it come to us as a supplementary part added to our intellect; nor does it pass essentially and hypostatically into our intellect. Rather, it illumines the power of our intellect with its own quality and conforms the activity of our intellect to its own. In my opinion the person who has Christ's intellect is he [she] whose intellection accords with that of Christ and who apprehends Christ through all things."

And...

"According to the text, 'We are the body of Christ and each of us is one of its members' (cf. 1 Cor. 12:27), we are said to be the body of Christ. We do not become this body through the loss of our own bodies; nor again because Christ's body passes into us hypostatically or id divided into members; but rather because we conform to the likeness of the Lord's flesh by shaking off the corruption of sin. For just as Christ in His manhood was sinless by nature both in flesh and in soul, so we too who believe in Him, and have clothed ourselves in Him through the Spirit, can be without sin in Him if we so choose."

So why, then, is the Church so anti-intellectual and against the body?

Donate!

2005-04-11T17:07:00.000-05:00

Hey you! Yes, you with the wallet full of cash, just itching to be used for a great cause. Go on over to Greg's Blog, pull out that wad of cash, and send some Greg's way. Greg and Sara Kendall-Ball are good friends who are raising funds to take a survey trip to Rwanda. They deeply desire to do mission work in Rwanda. In order to do this, though, they need to go on a survey trip this summer. And, in order to do that, they need to have the funds to pay for the trip. That's where you, the wealthy and charitable reader comes in.

The Kendall-Balls come with the "Travis' Blog Stamp of Approval", the highest approval anyone in the world can get, rivaled only by the Congressional Medal of Honor. Go, contribute, and help send two great people to do a great mission of God.

Thanks for your time.

Theological Ambiguity

2005-04-06T14:27:00.000-05:00

I've wanted to say something about the passing of the Pope, but I haven't had the time to gather my words. I liked Pope John Paul II, respected him, learned from him, and believe his death should be honored as the passing of a great, Christian man. I pray the next Pope will be an African and will work towards greater ecumenical involvement in the Catholic Church. If you haven't read Greg K-B's Pope-post or Greg T.'s New Wineskins Pope-post, I suggest you check them out. They've said what I would like to say.

In other matters... One of the issues that was brought out in the discussion today in my oral exam (I've officially passed one exam. Only two left!) was the issue of theological ambiguity. I have been processing the divine speeches in Job 38-41 over the last few months, and have concluded that they leave the book of Job a bit open-ended. When God shows up and addresses Job, He does not provide a clear answer to Job's questions about his sufferings or his complaints about divine justice. Instead, God goes into a litany about creation, presenting a series of rhetorical questions that drive Job to his knees in worship.

Job desires a world that is neatly ordered--that makes sense. He needs an explanation for his suffering and for the chaos he's experienced. Yet the divine speeches offer Job no such thing. Instead, God marvels at His creation (of which Job is not the center--God is) and calls Job to learn to live in the ambiguity. The point, I believe, is that there are no easy answers when one is dealing with God.

Like Job, we are uncomfortable with ambiguity. We want everything figured out, receiving an answer for every question. We want to know which Christian group has the right opinion on providence, or the nature of humanity, or the purpose of baptism. We want to know who is right and who is wrong. Unfortunately, our thirst for answers is often left unquenched.

I've spent seven years in official theological education. I've studied a lot, read a lot, wrote a lot, and learned a lot, but I am emerging from this experience with more questions instead of answers. I thought I had things figured out; my studies have proven otherwise. I have been humbled by my lack of understanding when it comes to the things of God. If you want a quick "what do you believe on this subject" answer, I will struggle. It is not that I don't believe in anything, it is just that I realize the inadequacy of any speech about God. All our attempts to fully grasp God will end in failure. We must learn to live in the ambiguity.

Life is not about finding answers to every question posed. Christianity is not about figuring out the right solutions to theological problems. I dream of the day when our churches can become places of theological ambiguity, places where we can discuss various opinions and doctrines without labeling each other as "false teachers" and "heretics." I long for the day when we can develop opinions and beliefs, and hold on to them, but be willing to listen and learn from the other.

Though we may disagree with one another, we can still learn from one another. I may not be a Catholic, but I believe I have much to learn from them regarding the communion of saints, the importance of the Eucharist, and the place of contemplation in the daily routine of life. I may believe in freewill, but I have much to learn from the Calvinist about the sovereignty of God and the depravity of humanity. I may not be a Baptist, but they have much to teach me about the important role of faith in salvation.

May we give up our need to validate our beliefs by defacing other's beliefs. May we stop justifying ourselves as right by pointing out who is wrong. May we all learn to revel in the unknown, bask in the mystery, and be at home in the ambiguity. For salvation comes not when we've figured out all the right answers. Salvation comes when we realize we can't figure it all out...and that's okay.

Change-Agents for Christ

2005-03-31T17:38:00.000-06:00

For my comprehensive exams, I've been working through a case study about a minister who was hired by a church and immediately began implementing change. The church was in the midst of a changing community in a growing suburb. The minister had a heart for reaching new families, yet he did this to the neglect of the long-time members of the church. Worship was changed to appeal to the young and the new, without regard for the old. Changes were made because they seemed practical, not because they were grounded in theological reflection.

Does this situation sound familiar? This is a story played out in many Churches of Christ. A new minister shows up, full of ideas. The minister has dreams for this new ministry. He or she has seen effective ministries of other churches, learned an effective ministry technique in college or seminary, and wants to implement some of these practices in the life of church. The minister shows up at the church, the new kid filled with new ideas, bringing about change from day one. And he or she wonders why conflict occurs. The church splits; the minister is fired. The minister says that the church just wasn't spiritual enough. The church becomes resistant to anything new, no change whatsoever, fearful that they will repeat the tragedy of their new minister's change tactics.

Should the agenda of the minister be "change"? Perhaps "change agents" are something to fear after all, or at least be cautious around? To be sure, I am not against change. I believe the Gospel demands that change occur. The Incarnation of Christ exemplifies the extent God is willing to bring about change for the sake of salvation. God incarnated Himself in the flesh, uniting his divinity with our humanity. The Church must, in turn, incarnate ourselves in the various situations we find ourselves in. We should always look for new ways to put flesh on the message of Christ and this will inevitably cause change.

But this is not the change our minister friend discussed above sought to bring about. This minister wanted to change forms, songs, methods--but provided no theological basis for the change. Those of us in ministry must be careful to resist the desire to always change things, to always be new and relevant. Sometimes we need to practice the spiritual gift of resurrection, breathing life back into the old. Newer maybe, well, newer, but that does not always mean it is better. The "older" people in our congregations are saints of God who genuinely desire to live their lives for Christ. That may mean they prefer to sing Stamps-Baxter hymns rather than praise choruses. That may mean they are hesitant when the teens were earrings or sport tattoos or multi-colored hairdos. But they love Christ and if you love them, they will love you in return.

"Older" is not our enemy. If we want to fight anything in the church, let's fight the selfish desire to always have our own way. Whether we consider ourselves modern or postmodern, older or younger, traditional or liberal, sin lies not in our particular positions but in our unwillingness to be hospitable to the other position. For Christ did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking on the very nature of a servant, and became obedient to death--even death on a cross.

This is the path of ministry--the journey of the cross. If change must occur, it occurs by disciples of Christ emptying themselves of all selfish desire and seeking the needs of the other. Change occurs when we are willing to change in order to make the other comfortable. The change a minister should bring is not simply changes in forms of worship and ministry, though these may be good and necessary at times. The change that should be brought by the minister is a change of life--a change into the likeness of Christ. For if we do not look like Christ, what good does our post-modern, missional, emerging, progressive, liberal worship styles do us? If we don't act like Christ, what good are our innovative programs and ministry styles? To form people into the image of Christ--this should be the goal of all ministry.

He Has Risen Indeed!

2005-03-27T14:30:00.000-06:00

Today is the day the Church, not the world, celebrates Easter. Today the world celebrates bunnies that lay eggs, cadbury cream eggs, basketball, and sugary sweets. But not the Church. Today we, the resurrected people of God, celebrate an empty tomb--not just His empty tomb, but our empty tombs. Today we celebrate the mystery of our faith--Christ has died, Christ was risen, and Christ will come again. May your Easter be celebrated today with the Church, not the world.

Just stopping by for an official break in my lenten fast. I've missed you all, but it has been good for me to take a break from the blog for a while and get refocused. You may not see me much, though, since I am in the midst of my comprehensive exams. I have three Briefs due Tuesday by 5pm. That's why I've been in the library most of the last two weeks. It's been difficult spending so much time in my tiny study room, away from my wonderful wife, but it is all coming to a close. Until then, keep Marti and I in your prayers as I finish up my M.Div. (I will actually get to graduate in May!) and we look for ministry opportunities. We have applied at churches all over the country, looking for places we can serve. If you know of anything, let us know.

Blessings this Easter, and see you again...soon.

Blog Closed for Lent

2005-02-09T14:54:00.000-06:00

I have decided to take a break from blogging--a forty day break. This will be part of my Lenten fast. At first I would not even consider the idea, though I knew it was what I needed to do. My pride got in the way, trying to convince me that if I stopped blogging for forty days then the hits on my site would go away. I actually thought that I would let people down by not blogging, as if the whole world, or at least my little piece of the blog-world, depended on me. So instead of giving up blogging, I came up with the idea of blogging every day of Lent and use it as a sort of "blog promotion" time. I have given up on this idea and will close this blog down until Easter.

This time of blog-fast will be a time for me to get refocused. I am at a very busy, hectic, and critical time in my graduate work and I have let too many distractions get in the way of what needs to be done. It will also give me a time to refocus on why I am doing my blog. At the end of this time I will decide if I will continue to blog or if I will give it up. Looking back over the last year and a half or so that I've been blogging, I have made many mistakes. I have often hit "publish" when I should have hit "save as draft." I have responded poorly to people's comments. I have said things that I shouldn't have. I do apologize to anyone whom I might have offended on my blog.

So I bid you adieu for now. If you email me in the next forty days I will probably be very tardy in my response because I am limiting my internet time to the bare minimum. I will also not be reading anyone else's blog during this time.

Until Easter...

Recent News from gal328.org

2005-02-07T17:33:00.000-06:00

Here's the recent article from Gal 3:28 announcing the departure of Katie Hayes and her husband Lance Pape from the Gal 3:28 ministry and from Churches of Christ. Though I understand the change Lance and Katie are about to make, I do regret that Churches of Christ are loosing one of their only (if not THE only) women pulpit ministers. For those interested in gender justice in Churches of Christ, Lance's challenge in the article is a difficult one, but one that I believe we must take to heart.

Read the article and let me know what you think. Perhaps this will not turn into a debate over the role of women in Churches of Christ but a constructive discussion on where we go next. I guess you'll decide.
"Change is in the Air: A Few Words from the Editor"

And thanks TKP for letting me know about the article.

Transfiguration Sunday

2005-02-06T20:51:00.000-06:00

Raphael's Transfiguration
Today is the day Christians celebrate the Transfiguration of Jesus. Well, at least Christians who follow the Revised Common Lectionary. Catholics choose to celebrate the Transfiguration on the 2nd Sunday of Lent. Members of Churches of Christ choose to not celebrate it at all.

I preached this Transfiguration Sunday and decided to stick with the lectionary texts for the week, a discipline I have chosen for my preaching. I have been struggling with Matthew's account of the Transfiguration and what it means for us (Matthew 17:1-9). The Transfiguration of Jesus is not a text we discuss very much or preach on, but I believe it is a text of great hope. In the midst of Jesus' talk of his upcoming death and his call to his disciples to "take up their cross," God allows Peter, James, and John to see a preview of the coming resurrection. For a moment, they get to see Jesus glorified as he talks with Moses and Elijah. The more I thought about this text, the more hope I saw in the text. For Christians, the Transfiguration is a reminder that though we may suffer as we carry our cross, the road we are on leads to glorification.

If you would like, check out my sermon. Reading it is not the same as hearing it, but I offer it to you to do with as you will.

Transfiguration is the last Sunday of the season Epiphany in the Church calendar, which means that this Wednesday is Ash Wednesday which begins the 40 day season of Lent. Because of some encouragement from my good friend Jeremy, I have decided to blog my way through Lent. My goal is to produce some Lenten reflections on all 40 days of Lent. This is a lofty goal, I know, but I believe it will do you and me well as we reflect on this important time in the Christian calendar.

If you are like me and grew up in a Christian tradition that not only neglected the Christian calendar, but also had no idea that there even was a Christian calendar, perhaps now will be a great time to begin reflecting on the wonderful chance of spiritual formation that the Christian calendar offers us. For more on this topic, you can read my paper I wrote a couple of years ago on the Christian year. It's not the best paper I've written, but it gives a general overview to the purpose of the Christian Calendar.

See you on Ash Wednesday. Begin planning now for what you will fast from this Lent.

10,000 and Counting

2005-02-03T17:37:00.000-06:00

As I was away in Ft. Worth listening to the great Fred Craddock talk about preaching, one of you visited my blog and pushed my site meter over the 10,000 mark. I would just like to say thanks. Often I ponder why I even have people reading my blog, especially those of you who disagree with most of what I say. Yet for some reason you read, and I thank you.

I know I have many readers who are what has been affectionately called "lurkers"--those who read the blog often but do not comment. In honor of my 10,000 visit, I ask that some of you come out from hiding for a moment and say hey, tell me who you are giving as many or as few details as you desire. If you don't want to, that's okay. I would just like to know more of the names of the people who have honored me with your presence on this blog. For those who are frequent commenters I want to thank you. Though we at times agree, disagree, and agree to disagree, you always come back for more. I appreciate the discussion and look forward to future dialogues.

Enough sappiness for now before I get teary-eyed.

True Belief

2005-02-02T09:31:00.000-06:00

I've been thinking a lot about the way have disconnected our "talk" of Christianity from the "life" of Christianity. Often we equate Christianity to a set of beliefs and propositions to be adhered to. One can be a Christian by simply being baptized, or believing that Jesus is God's son. For some beliefs such as the inerrancy of scripture, providence, charismatic gifts, worship styles, or church polity are added to the "must-believe list". Yet what is strangely missing in all of this is an emphasis on the Christian life.

Jesus, Paul, and the early Church did not equate Christianity with a system to be believed in. Though being a Christian most assuredly entails belief, this is not the essence of Christianity. Being a Christian means...well...BEING a Christian. It's about becoming something, living in a certain way. A Christian is someone who is becoming more like Christ. A Christian is someone who loves, seeks the good of others, covers over a multitude of wrongs--all in the name of Christ. True belief always leads to a change of life.

Instead of looking at someone's doctrinal system or denominational label to discover what they believe, we should look at their life. Are they imitating Christ? Are they cultivating a life of virtue? Do they pursue the righteousness and justice of the Lord? Yes, in order to do this, one must truly believe in Christ, but this "belief" has much more to do with who you become than what you mentally assent to. One can believe that it is wrong to murder and still murder. A jury would not let you go away without punishment simply because you believed it was wrong, yet you did it anyway. If your belief does not correspond with your way of life, you do not truly believe.

It is because of this that I can fellowship with Christians in all denominations, whether they be Orthodox, Catholic, Episcopal, Lutheran, or Baptist. If their belief in Christ is causing a transformation in their life, they are sisters and brothers of mine. For salvation is not found in a set of beliefs to be adhered to; salvation is found in a life transformed into the image of Christ. Salvation, then, was not an event we experienced in the past on our "baptismal day" or something we will experience in the future on the "judgment day." Salvation happens NOW--yesterday, today, and tomorrow--as we become more and more like our savior Jesus.

The Liberation of Auschwitz

2005-01-27T16:18:00.000-06:00

Hungarian Jews on their way to the gas chambers.
Auschwitz-Birkenau, Poland, May 1944.
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Today is the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. Spend some time this evening reflecting on the 1.1 million lives lost at this Nazi death camp. But don't reflect simply on how horrible the Nazis were for doing this. Reflect on the depravity that we all, to some extent, share. This anniversary is a chance to remember the fallen and to rid ourselves of some of the same destructive tendencies that we share with the Nazis. Though we may never murder anyone, let alone murder someone because of their race or nationality, we may still harbor bigotry, hatred, pride, and violence in our own hearts. The memory of the Holocaust is a reminder to us all of how horrible humanity can become. May we always remember this dark time in the world, and strive to never allow such a thing to happen in our hearts and in this world again.

The US Holocaust Museum has a webpage about Auschwitz that I recommend you check out. Here's some text from the front page of that site:

Auschwitz was the largest camp established by the Germans. A complex of camps, Auschwitz included a concentration, extermination, and forced-labor camp. It was located 37 miles west of Krakow (Cracow), near the prewar German-Polish border.

In mid-January 1945, as Soviet forces approached the Auschwitz camp complex, the SS began evacuating Auschwitz and its satellite camps. Nearly 60,000 prisoners were forced to march west from the Auschwitz camp system. Thousands had been killed in the camps in the days before these death marches began. Tens of thousands of prisoners, mostly Jews, were forced to march to the city of Wodzislaw in the western part of Upper Silesia. SS guards shot anyone who fell behind or could not continue. Prisoners also suffered from the cold weather, starvation, and exposure on these marches. More than 15,000 died during the death marches from Auschwitz. On January 27, 1945, the Soviet army entered Auschwitz and liberated more than 7,000 remaining prisoners, who were mostly ill and dying. It is estimated that at minimum 1.3 million people were deported to Auschwitz between 1940 and 1945; of these, at least 1.1 million were murdered.

Jim Wallis and Jon Stewart

2005-01-26T15:29:00.000-06:00

If you haven't seen this, take a look. It's an interview with Jim Wallis and Jon Stewart on the Daily Show. I just ordered Jim Wallis' new book God's Politics:Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It a few days ago. Perhaps I'll find the time to read it.

Distractions

2005-01-24T17:16:00.000-06:00

A great quote from the Jan 25 issue of The Christian Century.

People often complain of "distractions" during prayer. Their mind goes wandering off on to other things. This is nearly always due to praying for something you do not really much want; you just think it would be proper and respectable and "religious" to want it. So you pray high-mindedly for big but distant things like peace in Northern Ireland or you pray that your aunt will get better from the flu--when in fact you do not much care about these things; perhaps you ought to, but you don't. And so your prayer is rapidly invaded by distractions arising from what you really do want--promotion at work, let us say. Distractions are nearly always your real wants breaking in on your prayer for edifying but bogus wants. If you are distracted, trace your distractions back to the real desires it comes from and pray about these. When you are praying for what you really want you will not be distracted. People on sinking ships do not complain of distractions during their prayer.

Herbert McCabe, God, Christ and Us

Thoughts about Thinking

2005-01-22T23:36:00.000-06:00

I'm in the process of rethinking this blog. Actually, to be more accurate and truthful, I'm in the process of thinking about rethinking this blog. I have begun to realize that the whole election business got me a bit derailed on the purpose of this blog. Then, as I continued to think about it, I realized I never really had a purpose for this blog to begin with. (Before any of you get too excited and think I will abandon my political beliefs and the articulation of them on said blog, don't throw a party just yet. That ain't what I'm talking about here.)

I feel like I should spend more time writing my posts, mulling over blog content for a couple of days so that I can produce only the best for my loyal readers. I want to produce quality. I am really enjoying writing, as unskilled and random as my writings may be, and feel I owe it to my 50 hits per day to produce something worthwhile. As I have said so much that it's starting to become cheesy and a tad bit annoying, I love discussing ideas and pursuing truth. I want to facilitate discussion, causing those who read my writings and myself to think a bit deeper about things they may have never thought about in the first place.

I have enjoyed the friendships that have developed through blogging and the discussions that have taken place. Thank you for sticking with me as I begin to rethink my contribution to the blogosphere.

Flight of the Navigator

2005-01-21T11:01:00.000-06:00

Not only did Marti and I have the joy of an unexpected, yet very welcome, visit from the Kendall-Balls yesterday (Wow Greg, you've gotten two mentions in a row), but we also had the chance to watch our recently puchased DVD copy of Flight of the Navigator. This movie was one of my favorites as a child. If my memory serves me correctly, I believe this movie along with E.T. were the first movies the Stanley family ever rented. The movie seemed much longer when I was a kid, but I was amazed at how good the special effects were for a 1986 movie. No, it was no digitally remastered Star Wars or The Matrix, but it was a good movie.

I don't know why I tell you all this...just thought you'd like to know.

Grief and Theodicy

2005-01-20T13:15:00.000-06:00

My good friend Greg, and soon to be fellow neighbor (again), has started a good discussion regarding the role of God in tragedy, or as it is termed in theological jargon, theodicy. In a time when many of us are struggling with grief as it relates to the Highland teens who were injured in Sunday's accident and the death of Brody, or as it relates to the horrible natural disasters that have recently occured around the world, Greg's question is one that we must all deal with. Often our churches don't allow for public space to discuss such issues of theodicy, but such discussions are necessary in order to maintain a healthy faith. Thanks Greg for starting the discussion.

Join in here: Some thoughts...

Behind the Blogger, Part 1

2005-01-17T15:38:00.000-06:00

Let me apologize upfront for the long post, and the other long post that is coming soon. There were some issues I felt I needed to address, so I have done so in this detailed post. I know some of you will skim it because it is so long or avoid it all together. I do ask, though, that those who have often disagreed with me or have wondered how I could believe and write the things I do, read this post. It is you whom I am addressing. My goal is not to convince you of my beliefs, but to convince you that I am still a good Christian and good person even though I hold these beliefs. You can disagree with me--I'm fine with that. It makes life interesting. But I do pray that the words I share below will help you better understand my heart and my convictions and will make you more at ease with the things I share. Thanks for reading.
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At times I get a bit feisty on here. I have things that I believe in and I am not afraid to let them be known. A while back I took a vow of authenticity and have tried to live up to that vow on this blog. What I truly feel and believe I share. The problem with the medium of blogging is you are at times misunderstood, misread, and taken out of context. For everything that I write there are many qualifiers, many things that go unsaid: past experiences and studies, personal convictions about religion and politics. I am currently in seminary, a time built for us to question our faith in order to develop a strong faith of our own. It is a time where we are free to explore ideas without fear of judgment, free to question "orthodox" beliefs and try to step into the shoes of people we disagree with. In a way it is a time of instability, a time for us to shaken up a bit so that we will emerge a healthier, more authentic minister for God.

Needless to say, I have been shaken. I have rethought a lot of my once held convictions. This was not simply something that I took up while in seminary. From the first day I set foot on a college campus my life began to change. For many who have known me all my life, but have been unable to share this journey with me, I at times confuse them, even worry or scare them. They wonder how I could have developed such beliefs and how I could write some of the things I say on this blog. I at times forget that others have not been on the journey I have been on.

Let me officially say, for the record, I have strong personal faith commitments. My theological and political beliefs flow from those commitments. I have not simply adopted what I hear on TV or read from books or have been taught by some professor. I have spent seven years struggling with ideas, reading and digesting various thoughts trying to figure out what I believe. It is not my wife, nor my friends, nor my mentors who have forced me into a certain way of thinking--I stand for what I stand for because of my sincere, life-long commitment to Jesus.

With that said, I feel I owe further explanation about why I hold certain beliefs. I know I have many friends and family who read this blog quietly, and have wondered if I have completely lost my mind. In light of that, let me address some key issues that might have caused some to question:

1) My feeling towards the United States and the military: I grew up in a military family. My dad is retired Air Force and still works for the military in a contract position. The military has been a blessing in my life. Through its excellent health care coverage, my life has been saved. Through my daddy's paychecks, I have lived, eaten, and gone to college. I have been blessed to have been born into the family I was born in.

But, for those who have read my blog long enough, you can tell that I do have some convictions against the military. These are based in my Christian commitments. I believe that Jesus taught Christians to love above all else. Jesus both taught and lived a live of nonviolence, refusing to retaliate when he was fought against. The earliest Christians modeled this non-violent commitment, taking a strict non-violent approach to government. It was scandalous in the early church for Christians to become apart of the military or the government. Part of this was because of the violence such institutions promoted. Another part of it was the allegiance those who served in the government or military had to give to the emperor. Caesar was god, they would say. To the Christian, this was idolatry.

When Constantine made Christianity a legal religion in the Roman Empire, things changed. Now Christians could practice their faith openly, and could not be forced to bow to the emperor. In light of this new situation, Christians began joining the ranks of the military and serving in governmental offices. One of the early bishops in the church, St. Augustine, grappled with this situation and developed for the Church what has been called "Just War Theory." Throughout the centuries of the church, variations have been made concerning "Just War Theory," but all in all they all share common characteristics. War is justifiable when it is done to promote the cause of love and justice. When nations use warfare to promote true justice, then their actions are not evil. (To those who know St. Augustine well, do know that I am not trying to offer a full-fledged presentation of his just war theory. I am merely describing just war theory as simply as I can.)

Not everyone in the Church held such Just War ideas. There remained in the Church a strong tendency towards pacifism that continued to pop up throughout history. Those in Churches of Christ are often surprised to know that prior to the Civil War we were, on the whole, a pacifistic church. Even until WW2, there was still a strong pacifistic stance in Churches of Christ. The reasoning many of these Restorationists gave for their counter-cultural beliefs was based in their reading of scripture: Jesus commands Christians to "turn the other cheek" and to "not resist an evil doer." Therefore, Christians should not engage in violence. David Lipscomb, mentored by the founder of the Gospel Advocate Tolbert Fanning, even objected to Christians voting or serving in any governmental office. Lipscomb believed that Christians were not at home in this world. The Church was to be a pilgrim church that lived out the counter-cultural life of Christ and modeled the beliefs and ideals of the New Testament church.

One other approach that I have not yet mentioned that the Church has taken towards government and military is what is often called the "crusade approach." There has been times in the history of the Church that Christians have completely went along with what the government promoted, without examining their beliefs in light of Christian teaching. Christians have gone to war believing that their wars were crusades for Christ. God was believed to be the leader of the army, directly sending the soldiers to "fight the infidels." Often Christians accuse Islam of such war-like tendencies, but this is an approach that is still alive in the church today.

When I criticize war, I criticize this "crusade approach." Personally, I still have strong pacifistic tendencies, believing that violence should be avoided, but also realize that this is unrealistic in the world. On a personal level I believe that Christians should turn the other cheek when they are assaulted. But when someone else is involved, I believe that the Christian principles of love and justice demand that we do something about the injustice. If a peaceable, nonviolent path can be taken, then it should be taken. But if war is necessary, so long as it is carried out justly and humanely, it is justifiable.

My criticism of the President and the current war in Iraq has stemmed from this belief. I do not believe that the war in Iraq was such a "just war." If you disagree, that is okay. I respect your disagreement, so long as you realize that my views come from my thought-out faith. I am also critical of the present administration because of the various reasons given for war. I have heard arguments given for war that center on weapons of mass destruction (which were apparently never there) and Sadaam's connection with the 9/11 attacks (which was apparently never there). These were the main reasons given for the U.S. entering this war. Since then, I have heard many people say that even if there were no weapons of mass destruction, Iraq is better off without Sadaam in power. This may be true, but such reasoning does not justify the war. I simply wish that the President would say that he was wrong and misinformed and apologize for giving false justification for war to the American public. Again, you may disagree with me, but do know that I do not simply HATE America or HATE the President. I disagree with things this nation has done based on my faith convictions.

There are many things about this nation I disagree with, disagreements that I would probably share with many nations of the world. I do, at times, believe that we are arrogant. We think that we have discovered the best way to live, without ever seriously considering other ways of life. I believe in many of the founding American principles such as freedom and equality. But every American ideal is not always the best ideal in the world. Every American principle does not completely agree with Christian principles. It is the calling of the Church to see these disagreements and offer a better way.

While I do understand the role that the military is to play in the world, and agree with this role so long as it is done justly, I do think that we as a nation spend too much money on our military. We have bought into the idea that violence is the best way to take care of problems. I believe that Jesus taught us another way. Yes, as I have said, violence might at times be necessary and this and every country should prepare for these times. But violence should only be used as a last resort. I believe that this country would make a greater difference in the world if we spent more money "waging peace." Instead of constantly building more and more weapons, I believe we should spend more money helping alleviate third-world disease; fight world hunger; improve our own health care and educational system; rebuild our inner cities that often promote violence and crime; and many other concerns of justice. I believe that these actions are not only godly actions to pursue, but they will, in turn, provide a better and safer world for us all. When violence is a last resort, we should use it, but only after we have led the way by loving our enemies and helping the "least of these."

And so, when you hear me voice concerns about the United States, I am voicing concerns over the parts of this country that do not align with the truths of the Gospel. When the United States is unjust, the church should say the U.S. is unjust and not ignore it. When the U.S. engages in unjustifiable wars, Christians should be allowed to protest against these wars and their views should be respected--if not because of the Gospel, then because of the American principle of freedom of speech.

In conclusion, I do not believe that the salvation of the world is in the hands of this country. I do not believe that the salvation of this country is in the hands of Christian politicians. I do not believe that the solution to our problems is to elect only Christians to governmental positions. No, I do not think that Christians in government is wrong. My own brother works for the Senate and I do not object to this. But I believe that Christians becoming in control of this nation will not solve our problems. History has taught us this. When Christians officially ruled a nation, the Church became corrupt. Because of this, the founding fathers and mothers of this nation set up a country that would not elevate one religion over another. This I believe in wholeheartedly. Because of this belief, I have gone against many Christian politicians in both political parties.

The hope to any countries problem lies, not in a government or elected official, nor in a public policy or a military. The hope lies in Christ and in the Church who is to live out the life of Christ in the world. This I firmly believe. Because I am a Christian, I do believe that the teaching of Jesus are not only good for the church, but good for all of humanity. I believe that the world would be better off if we loved our enemies and our neighbors. Because of this, the Church should lead in causes of justice. The Church should shine the love of God wherever they go. If this can be done by Christians serving in political office, great. If it can be done by Christians serving in the military, that is great. But whatever role the Christian is in, they must always judge that position against the teachings of Christ. They should always question accepted beliefs in order to discover if what they believe disagrees with the truth of the Gospel. For the Gospel is not simply a message that offers people the "steps to salvation." The Gospel is the good news of salvation. It is the way of life, modeled in the incarnation, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Christianity should affect everything we do, everything we believe. Every action of every Christian should be seasoned with the Gospel of Christ.

This is long enough for now. I will add another long post concerning my views on the Church and on Churches of Christ. This is another area that has caused some disagreement and questioning on the part of my readers. Maybe I can clear up the water a bit. Please, though, if you have any questions about what I say, if you need clarification, think you might have misunderstood me, or want to discuss the issues and challenge me, leave a comment below. If you'd rather discuss things privately, send me an email at tws02a@acu.edu. I appreciate your patience and love.

Grace and Peace.

Discipline

2005-01-15T21:31:00.000-06:00

I crave discipline. Sometimes I sit and think about all that could have been done. Books read. Thoughts placed in a journal. Prayers prayed. Ministry completed. Activities that would have been more enduring, and perhaps even more enjoyable, than watching re-runs on cable or rented DVDs. When the alarm clock goes off in the morning my first thought is, "How much longer can I sleep until I have to get up?" Mornings are rushed and wasted, spent only on bathing, dressing, and traveling to school. I could do a lot more if I woke up earlier. I could become a lot more if I woke up earlier. I could feel a lot more if I spent less time doing nothing. Sometimes I think I deserve my downtime, like I've worked so hard that I've earned this "do-nothing" time. I have the sneaking suspicion, however, that "do-nothing" time is more of a curse than a blessing.

I often dream of the disciplined person I could be. I imagine myself waking up early for reading, contemplation, and prayer. I picture myself stopping in the middle of the day for noon time prayers; picking up a book or going on a long walk with my wife in the afternoons, instead of watching TV; falling to sleep with the TV off at a decent hour, ready to wake up and begin another disciplined day.

I also dream of the semester when term papers are actually done over the course of the term; all readings are completed as assigned, with time to contemplate over the contents so that I can participate in class discussions; all assignments are turned in on time and done to the best of my ability. This is my last semester in graduate school; I guess I better do something now.

I often have dreams of living in a monastery. It is not the celibacy that attracts me (one could easily deduce that by reading a previous post--I dream of a monastery for couples). I am attracted to the discipline. Monks must be disciplined, or else they are no longer monks. They live in a community of fellow disciplined disciples who share the rhythms of life together. This is what I long for. But living in a monastery is too easy. One can be disciplined when it is absolutely required. The difficulty lies in being disciplined here, in Abilene, in school, in my marriage, in my free time, in my work, in my ministry. Being disciplined when no one is forcing me to: that is the challenge I face.

I share these thoughts tonight, not so much to encourage you as to encourage me. Perhaps by self-publishing these reflections for my readers to see I will be prodded to live out my disciplined dream. I'm not sure what a disciplined life will make of me, but it must be better than the haphazard, incidental life I am living now.

The Three Fundamental Questions

2005-01-14T15:31:00.001-06:00

The following is a passage I encountered in my class readings. It provides one of the best descriptions of spiritual formation I have read in a long time. It speaks to the heart of, what I believe, is one of the greatest problems in our churches today: the disconnect between religious discourse and our way of life.

To ask ourselves, in every situation in life, the three fundamental questions (What is my intention in this action? What are the limits set down by my morality? What will be the consequences of the action?) will inevitably change not only our way of being bout also our way of living. Our spirituality must be intelligent and question the ethical nature of all our activities, even those that appear to be the most natural and simple. This active, intelligent spirituality makes us attentive to the apparently "neutral" aspects of our life, which may sometimes have serious ethical consequence. It questions our approach to consumption: the source of the food, the way it was produced, the fairness of the commercial aspect, the way in which animals used for food are treated and killed, and the social and economic implications of our consumption. We need to be more and more, and more and more deeply, aware of all these questions: the way in which we answer them transforms spiritual energy, too often shut up in ritual and sometimes imprisoned by a practice that has become mechanical, into a radiant, responsible, active, and intelligent spirituality...

The same applies in the exercise of one's profession: to ask the same three questions means never to consider that any work is ethically "neutral," however scientific it may appear to be. To work for a multinational that plunders the planet, or in an armaments industry that produces death, or for banks that fuel a murderous economic order is not "to say nothing." And beyond these basic questions, the way in which one goes about one's work, and identifies with it and carries out one's responsibilities to perform the activity and to follow the rules in the best possible way, is an active and consequential spiritual undertaking with which everyone's conscience must engage. The same can be said of the way we spend our free time and enjoy ourselves. To retain one's humanity and dignity at times of rest is a sign of a lived and serious spirituality...the use we make of free time and entertainment is a spiritual exercise that helps keep us in harmony.

By the way, these thoughts come from a prominent Islamic scholar, Tariq Ramadan: Western Muslims and The Future of Islam.

The Blessing of Celibacy

2005-01-10T07:38:00.000-06:00

As a couple readers pointed out in the previous post, I was a bit exclusive in my discussion of sex. I made no mention of those who are single or who have chosen to be celibate. I have chosen to deal with this topic here.

The early church had a special place for those who were virgins. Virginity was considered a gift, not a curse as the church often views it today. In fact, the church had two special offices for those who were single: 1) Virgins--single women and men (and at times married women and men) who committed their life to the church, but continued to live in the "world"; 2) Ascetics--single women and men who took vows of chastity and poverty and lived in communities of like-minded people. Both groups were highly respected and honored in the church. The later group became very influential in the church, providing Christianity with some of its greatest theologians, bishops, priests, and ministers. Some of the greatest works of devotional literature and theology have come from the pen of single women and men.

Scripture, too, presents singleness in a blessed light. We cannot forget that Jesus himself lived a life of celibacy. It is this Christ-like example that the ascetics sought to imitate in their vows of celibacy. The apostle Paul was also single, claiming that, in his estimation, it was better to remain single than be married. John the Baptist--single. Many of the great prophets of Israel--single.

I believe we need to reestablish in the church a special calling for those who are single. Instead of constantly bombarding singles with blind dates and marriage proposals, the church should respect the commitments they have made and where they are in life. The church should encourage them to view their singleness, not as a burden, but as a blessing of service. Those who are single should be honored, not looked down upon. Churches should not dismiss a ministerial candidate simply because he or she is not married. Instead, singleness, as marriage, should be seen as a calling of God that the church confirms and blesses. Perhaps the church should even offer a special service of commitment for those who have chosen to be celibate for life or until marriage.

To all my single and celibate friends I say: I have been called to marriage, but that does not make me any more blessed than you are. Singleness is not only a gift of God; it is a Christ-like way of life. We have all been called to our unique positions in life. Let us together seek to model Christ in those positions, taking advantage of the gifts God has given us.

Sex, Sex, Sex

2005-01-06T17:37:00.000-06:00

I'm a married man and I like sex with my wife. Sex is fun; sex is enjoyable; sex is a blessing of God. So why can't we talk more about sex in church. We talk about what not to do, i.e. have sex before your married or with your same sex. But we don't talk about what to do.

Here's my theory on Christian sex education in no particular order.

1) Forget all the (or at least most of the) no-no's of sex and focus on the yes-yes's (do we catch the subtle pun?)
2) Educate Christians about healthy sexuality, not simply "Guys have a penis and girls have a vagina" (honestly, for those who know me personally, aren't you surprised that it has taken me this long to mention vaginas on my blog), but how sex in the marriage relationship works.
3) Teach that sex is not simply for procreation or to keep the male from cheating. Sex is for pleasure.
4) Don't put limits on sex in marriage. Let people do whatever they dream up. If it feels good and your lover agrees, have at it.
5) Spend time counseling pre-marrieds about sex. Don't simply do psychology tests on them, but prepare them for the bedroom as well. Make sure they know what a clitoris is and where it is. Make sure they have a place to ask questions so that their honeymoon is not as awkward as it could be.
6) Never present sex in a negative light. Yes, there are inappropriate ways of sex, such as premarital sex or rape, but these are not the focus. Instead, show the purity and godliness of sex.
7) Along the same lines as # 6, glorify healthy sexuality. Praise people who have healthy relationships instead of simply condemning those who have unhealthy relationships.
8) Allow older married couples to discuss with younger marrieds about the successes and failures in their sex lives.
9) Orgasms can be spiritual experiences.
10) Discuss sex theologically. Discuss the implications to sexuality of God's affirmation to creation, "It is good." What does the incarnation say about sexuality?

Those are just some random thoughts about sex. I figure at this point everyone's been offended on my blog, so why not talk about sex. And I thought sex would be a good release from our previous discussion (again, pun intended).

Land of the Penny Pinchers

2005-01-05T07:33:00.000-06:00

We're back. We had a good, long trip visiting family and friends. To those reading whom we were able to see, we enjoyed the visit and look forward to the day when we might live closer and visit more often.

I have been buged lately while watching coverage about the U.S. donating to help the tsunami victims by the statement government officials always have to give when announcing our donations: "This is evidence that American is the best, kindness, most generous, greatest, got-dern awesomest (pick your favorite adjective of praise) nation in the world." Why can't we just give money? Why do we have to say, "Look, we're giving money. Oh, and by the way, we're better than you." OOO, I know why. Let me answer..."BECAUSE WE ARE ARROGANT!"

In light of our arrogance, we need a little dose of honesty. Before we make our backs raw by patting them for the dollars we're sending overseas, listen to Nicholas Kristof. Yes, I know, he's one of them liberal media folks writting for that leftist propaganda NY Times. My suggestion: get over it and read the article. Enjoy. I'll be back later with something completely different.

Land of Penny Pinchers
By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF
(Published: January 5, 2005)

So is the U.S. "stingy" about helping poor countries?

That accusation by a U.N. official, in veiled form, provoked indignation here. After all, we're the most generous people on earth ... aren't we?

No, alas, we're not. And the tsunami illustrates the problem: When grieving victims intrude onto our TV screens, we dig into our pockets and provide the massive, heartwarming response that we're now displaying in Asia; the rest of the time, we're tightwads who turn away as people die in far greater numbers.

The 150,000 or so fatalities from the tsunami are well within the margin of error for estimates of the number of deaths every year from malaria. Probably two million people die annually of malaria, most of them children and most in Africa, or maybe it's three million - we don't even know.

But the bottom line is that this month and every month, more people will die of malaria (165,000 or more) and AIDS (240,000) than died in the tsunamis, and almost as many will die because of diarrhea ( 140,000).

And that's where we're stingy.

Americans give 15 cents per day per person in official development assistance to poor countries. The average American spends four times that on soft drinks daily.

In 2003, the latest year for which figures are available, we increased such assistance by one-fifth, for President Bush has actually been much better about helping poor countries than President Clinton was. But as a share of our economy, our contribution still left us ranked dead last among 22 top donor countries.

We gave 15 cents for every $100 of national income to poor countries. Denmark gave 84 cents, the Netherlands gave 80 cents, Belgium gave 60 cents, France gave 41 cents, and Greece gave 21 cents (that was the lowest share, beside our own).

It is sometimes said that Americans make up for low official aid with private charitable donations. Nope. By OECD calculations, private donations add 6 cents a day to the official U.S. figure - meaning that we still give only 21 cents a day per person.

One reason for American stinginess, I think, is a sense that foreign aid is money down a rathole. True, plenty has been wasted. But there's also growing evidence of what works and is cost-effective - such as health programs and girls' schooling.

One of the most unforgettable people I've met is Nhem Yen, a Cambodian grandmother whose daughter had just died of malaria, leaving two small children. So Nhem Yen was looking after her four children and two grandchildren, and she could afford only one mosquito net to protect them from malarial mosquitoes. Each night, she had to choose which of the six children would sleep under the net.

Do we really think that paying $5 for a mosquito net to keep Nhem Yen's children alive would be money down a rathole?

When I contracted the most lethal form of malaria, in Congo, I was easily cured because I could afford the best medicines. But to save money, African children are given medicines that cost only 5 cents a dose but aren't very effective; the medicine that would actually save their lives is unaffordable, at $1 a dose. Do we really think $1 a dose for medicine to save a child is money down a rathole?

Jeffrey Sachs, the Columbia University economist, estimates that spending $2 billion to $3 billion on malaria might save more than one million lives a year. "This is probably the best bargain on the planet," he said.

The outpouring of U.S. aid, private and public, for tsunami victims is wonderful. But, frankly, the affected nations will get all the money they can absorb for the moment, and Thailand, Indonesia and Sri Lanka are far from the worst off in the world.

"The really big money can be better and more usefully absorbed by developing good health and education programs in the poorest countries," noted Nancy Birdsall, president of the Center for Global Development. "But that's not as visible or heroic."

With America's image tarnished around the world, one of the most effective steps Mr. Bush could take to revive it would be to lead a global effort to confront an ongoing challenge like malaria. That would also give Mr. Bush more credibility by suggesting that the "culture of life" he talks about embraces not just fetuses, but also African children crying from hunger.

The best response to accusations of stinginess is not to be defensive, but to be generous. And the measure of generosity is not what you offer when the spotlight is upon you, but what you do when the spotlight moves on.

Out of Town

2004-12-17T19:59:00.000-06:00

Just stopping by to let my loyal readers know that I will be out of commission for a while. Marti and I have begun our Christmas tour, visiting our family. We will make it to Tuscaloosa, AL, Marti's home, tomorrow evening for a few days. Then off to my home, Niceville, FL for a week. Then to Marti's G'ma's in Union Springs, AL. We will probably make a stop in Montgomery, AL to see our good friends there. If you are one of those friends, maybe I can meet you for dinner at, oh let's say, San Marcos? I'll keep you posted.

If I can, I'll stop by and drop a line sometime during the next two weeks. If I can't, just check back the first few days of January, and I'll be back. If I don't reply to your comments or emails, don't fret. I don't hate you, I'll just have limited internet access over the holidays.

Have a Merry Christmas.

Pondering the Blessed Virgin

2004-12-14T22:38:00.000-06:00

I grew up a good Protestant, protesting all things either Roman or Catholic. Clerical robes were considered heretical. The "Lord's Supper" was always called the "Lord's Supper" and never the "Eucharist" or the "Mass". We never spoke of a host, an altar, and especially not of John Paul. I even hated Roman Numerals!

Currently, I am in recovery from my anti-papist stance. I am actually growing fond of the Catholics. I have found renewal in a Trappist monastery and solace in the writings of my favorite Trappist monk, Thomas Merton. I can't get the image of "kissing the cross" out of my head from the Good Friday service I attended earlier this year. I have an icon of St. Francis over my desk, which I purchased at the Franciscan Monastery in D.C. I also have a Catholic cross hanging on my wall, purchase at the same monastery, with the corpse of Jesus still hanging. This past year I prayed the morning office of the Catholic Liturgy of the Hours three times a week with Harry. I'm enjoying flirting with Rome.

Since my recent courtship with things Catholic, I have been continually drawn to the Blessed Virgin that we Protestants try so hard to avoid. When Advent comes, my mind can't help but go to Mary, whom the early church often called the Theotokos, which literally means "the one who gave birth to the one who is God." I am intrigued by her faith and astounded by her wisdom. If church tradition is correct, Mary was but a young teenager when she gave birth to the incarnate God. The Gospel of Luke says that Joseph and Mary were only engaged when they arrived in Bethlehem (Luke 2:5). A teenage, unwed mother giving birth to God in the flesh. That is as controversial as you can get.

Though in doubt, Mary believes. In the face of unbelievable circumstances, Mary says, "Let it be." Her courage is remarkable. And the song Luke ascribes to Mary, the Magnificat, explains to us confused Westerners (who are used to the best, the brightest, and the strongest achieving the blessing) the way God works in the world--a lesson Mary learned personally. "He has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed...He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty."

Mary has a lesson to teach, and we would be wise to embrace her instead of avoid her this Advent Season. Mary, the one who gave birth to the one who is God, is an example for all who strive to have the life of Christ birthed in them. By the power of the Holy Spirit, Mary conceived and gave birth to Christ in the flesh. So we too, by the power of our baptism and the Holy Spirit, are called to incarnate Christ again in our lives.

To all my Protestant friends, let me officially (okay, I'm not that official) say, "It is not a sin to honor the woman who gave birth to our Lord." When we honor her and call her blessed, as her song foretold, we do not worship her as divine. We are not claiming that she is equal with Christ. When we honor her, we worship the Divine that was birthed through her. We marvel in the messiness and glory of the incarnation. We exalt the God who chooses the lowliest of places to birth the greatest of miracles. In Mary we see us all, a broken, lowly, unworthy people who have been chosen by God to give birth to Jesus in the world. Though we may not understand this calling, and we may at times doubt the one who called us, may we have the courage to say with Mary, "Let it be with me according to your word."

Pondering Christ

2004-12-09T23:04:00.000-06:00

I can't get the comment out of my head: "Of course, Jesus was God's Spirit in a human body." This comment was made in a paper I was grading for the freshman Bible class I was Graduate Assistant for. At first glance, it may appear to be a fine comment, perhaps even orthodox. But as I read over it again I was struck by how unorthodox it was. To say that Jesus was simply God's Spirit in a human body is to deny the power of the incarnation of Christ! The more I thought about the comment, the more appalled I became.

Maybe you don't share my frustration with such a statement, but I believe that many Christians today have an inadequate, if not completely absent, Christology. We say we believe in Christ. Many who read this blog are members of the Churches of CHRIST. We worship Christ, pray in Christ's name, preach Christ, read books about Christ, and sometimes yell out his name when we are really mad or really happy. But I don't think we understand who Christ is. I don't think we understand the incarnation.

'Tis the season of Advent, a time when the Church turns its eyes towards the long-expected Jesus. Advent is the turning point of the Christian Calendar. Occurring after the season of Pentecost, it looks forward to the Second-Coming of Christ, the eschaton, when Christ will return and the kingdom will come in all its fullness. Advent is also the beginning of the Christian year. It is the season when the Church relives the Messianic expectation, awaiting the advent of the Messiah--God in the flesh. Advent is the celebration of the comings of Christ--the incarnation and the second coming.

In such a season, I believe it is time for us to reexamine our Christology. It is time for us to ponder the mystery of God in the flesh. To delve into the depths of the incarnation, experiencing again--or, perhaps, for the first time--the affirming, freeing blessing of God uniting divinity with humanity.

The incarnation of Jesus is my favorite doctrine. For me, it is the cornerstone of Christianity. The incarnation reminds me why I am here on earth. The incarnation gives me hope for the future. The incarnation gives me validity for my life. In the incarnation of Jesus, the flesh is affirmed; the material is glorified. God announces once again, "It is good," as he unites his divine nature with his creation. Because of the incarnation, this world has meaning; art has beauty; words have power; songs have melody. The incarnation gives life--all of life--validity and beauty.

When Jesus came into the flesh, the flesh was given the opportunity to become what God intended it to be--his image. In the incarnate Christ, God offered humanity the restoration of life's created intention--to be like God. As St. Athanasius said, "God became human that we might become God.” In Christ, we are shown a new way to be human. We are shown the correct way to be human.

In the God-Human Jesus Christ, we are shown the purpose of our life--to unite our human nature with the divine nature. This is salvation: to become like Christ. Salvation is not about escaping the earth, for if this were the case then why would God come in the flesh to affirm the earth? Salvation is about becoming what we were intended to be--truly human. When Jesus came in the flesh he was fully human and fully divine, not half human and half divine. He was a person, not a spirit. He became flesh; he did not fill the shell of a body with his spirit. Christ was both God and Human at the same time, so that we humans could become like God.

This is why I get upset when Christians don't understand Christology; for if we fail to properly understand Christ, we fail to understand ourselves, the purpose of the church, and what it means to be saved.

It's Really Late and I'm REALLY Done!

2004-12-08T01:14:00.000-06:00

It is 1:15 a.m on Wednesday morning and I have just finished my last assignment of the 2004 Fall Semester. I just emailed my take home final exam for my "Advanced Restoration History Class" to Dr. Doug Foster. Earlier today I completed my last Greek class ever. It feels nice. I'd celebrate, but I'm too tired. Maybe I'll celebrate tomorrow, oh around noonish, when I get up for lunch. Until then, I'll be asleep--so you better not bother me! Unless you are Marti, of course. Baby, you can bother me anytime! (Can you tell I've been drinking coffee for the last three hours?)

By the way, now that things have cooled down for me, expect some more blogging this week and the next. Though I'll most likely be away from blogdom during our Christmas break, I will try to make up for lost time before then. I can already hear the cries of joy now: "Finally, Travis is back to blogging! I wonder what he will say next to piss me off?"

Would You Believe I've Been Busy

2004-12-01T15:25:00.000-06:00

I apologize to those who have visited my blog in the past few weeks and have found nothing new to feast your eyes upon. It has been a busy time of the year for me. Finals are next week. Final papers are to be turned in next week. It has been a busy semester, but things are quickly coming to a close. Since I haven't shared any new content on this blog in a while, I thought I would share with you the fruits of my academic labors. I have posted several papers and one sermon that I have worked on this semester for your reading pleasure. But I am under no delusion. I know many if not all of you will not even read these papers. Who wants to read an academic paper? In all honesty, I share these papers more for me than for you. By sharing them I feel like I have at least placed some content on the web for you to contemplate, whether you choose to or not. In other words, I post these papers to aleviate my guilt for not updating this blog in the past few weeks.

So, here's the papers:

My Ethic's paper on Paul Ramsey's approach to justifiable, Christian use of violence. For anyone interested in reflecting on the Christian's participation in war, this is the paper for you:
The Demands of Love: Paul Ramsey and Resistance

Traditionally there are several different ways to think about ethics. I have taken the approach known as "virtue ethics." To learn more about this, here's my paper on the subject.
Virtue Ethics

Since my time in Nashville, I have been intrigued by the history of the Central Church of Christ in downtown Nashville. Here's may paper examining their origins, theology, and the controversy their practices caused in Churches of Christ.
Real, Practical Christians: The Ministry and Example of Nashville’s Central Church of Christ

I believe that theology is more than simply thinking about church doctrines. In this paper I argue "a theologian is one who prays, and one who prays is a theologian."
Theology is Prayer

Finally, here's a sermon I preached a while back at Treadaway. The purpose of this sermon was to inform the church more about my role as the new "Connections Minister" and encourage our many weekly visitors to get connected to a local congregation.
Baptized into the Church

Special Bonus: I am sure no one has read my paper I wrote last spring about the Church's response to homosexuality. In this paper I take the argument made in my Professor's (Dr. Fred Aquino) book Communities of Informed Judgment, and apply it to how we should address homosexuality. This is sure to be controversial.
Addressing Homosexuality in Christian Communites of Informed Judgment

Happy reading!

I Choo-Choo-Choose You

2004-11-17T13:52:00.000-06:00

I watched a favorite Simpson's episode of mine with my lovely wife over our lunch break, courtesy of my brother buying me Simpson's Season 4 on DVD. It was the famous episode where Lisa gives Ralph Wiggum a Valentine out of pitty and Ralph falls in love with her. The Valentine has the picture of a train, with the caption: "I Choo-Choo-Choose You."

One of my favorite Ralph lines was in the episode: "My doctor said I wouldn't have so many nose bleeds if I'd keep my finger outta there." Perhaps the funniest scene is when Lisa asks Homer if it is alright to take other things from people while Homer is hanging above the piano a degree from "Oral Roberts University" addressed to Ned Flanders. Hilarious, I tell you, hilarious.

In other news, I just purchased Peter Singer's new book The President of Good and Evil: The Ethics of George W. Bush. For those wanting a thoughful examination of our President, instead of the at times over-the-top writing of Moore and Franken, this is a good book to read. Singer is one of the most respected ethists and philosophers in the world today. I'm reading the chapter on the War in Iraq for my Ethics paper due in 25 hours. My opinion so far: the Bush Administration has lied a lot more than Clinton ever did.

USATODAY.com - Powell, others to leave Bush administration

2004-11-15T10:25:00.000-06:00

Hmm?
USATODAY.com - Powell, others to leave Bush administration

Our Big Brother, Walmart: Always Watching

2004-11-14T09:35:00.000-06:00

NY Times:What Wal-Mart Knows About Customers' Habits
"'You can see the pattern of Wal-Mart's mandates, and as Wal-Mart grows in power, it is getting more dictatorial,' he said. 'The suppliers shake their heads and say, 'I don't want to go this way, but they are so big.' Wal-Mart lives in a world of supply and command, instead of a world of supply and demand.'"

The Just War

2004-11-11T13:54:00.000-06:00

Some thoughts I'm pondering this afternoon as I'm working on my paper about just war for my Christian Ethics class. They are from Paul Ramsey, a famous Christian Ethics who taught at Princeton. When the paper is done, I'll post it for everyone to read and relish or revile.

"The Christian is commanded to do anything a realistic love commands (and so sometimes he must fight). But this also prohibits him from doing anything for which such love can find no justification...This means that nuclear war against the civil centers of an enemy population, the A-Bomb on Hiroshima, or obliteration bombing perpetrated by both sides in World War II were all alike immoral acts of war; and that Christians can support such actions only by dismissing the entire western tradition of civilized warfare that was originally born in the interior of that supreme compassion which always seeks if possible to wound none whom by His wounds Christ died to save. This theory of just and severely limited conflict has guided action and served as the regulative norm for military conduct for nineteen centuries" (pg. 145).

From Paul Ramsey's The Just War: Force and Political Responsibility

Hearts for Unity: Part 2

2004-11-08T22:47:00.000-06:00

As the passion for unity grows in my heart, I am at the same times sadened. I am apart of a denomination that began as a unity movement. Though we've had our ups and downs, in our greatest moments we have proclaimed unity to the Christian world. Ironically, however, this unity movement has become a fractured movement. Like every other denomination in the U.S., the Civil War divided us, geographically and ideologically. As Churches of Christ separated from the Disciples of Christ, the Disciples held on to the vision of unity. Though they themselves divided with the Independant Christian Churches over theological liberalism (among other factors), they better than any other segment of our tradition held on to the vision of unity, leading the way in such unity movements as the World Council of Churches.

Churches of Christ held on to the idea of the primitive church. As we strove for primitivism, we isolated all who disagreed with the mainstream thought. We pushed out the premillennialists and the anti-institutionalists. We isolated those who believed that the Spirit worked through other means rather than simply scripture. We pushed away those who adopted a strict discipling method. We cut off those who were passionate about campus evangelism. Today, we have divided Churches of Christ again, unofficially, between "liberals" and "conservatives"; between "Freed-Hardeman Churches" and "ACU Churches." ACU Churches will not hire Freed grads, and Freed Churches will not hire ACU grads. We have our papers--separate papers, our separate lecturships, our separate institutions, and our separate preachers. In some locales, we even have our separate styles of worship. The lines have been drawn. We can spot a liberal from a mile away. We know if we are conservative or liberal, and we can't understand how someone else could be the opposite.

As I witness the divisions in our unity movement, I realize more than ever the tremendous need for hearts of unity. Hearts of unity are willing to forbear with people they disagree with. Even though they may never understand the other's positions or beliefs, they stick with one another. Hearts of unity never condemn without personally knowing those they disagree with. Instead of saying, "How could you believe such heresy", they say "Tell me why you believe this?" Hearts of unity value those they disagree with, realizing that they provide an invaluable contribution to the church of Christ, no matter what race, theological camp, gender, or political party they might be.

It is my prayer that those in the "liberal" camp never think they have outgrown their "conservative" brothers and sisters. I pray that they will never think that they have arrived while they are "stuck in their ways." I pray that they will value the "conservative" contribution to the kingdom of God and learn from their unique voice in the kingdom of God.

I also pray that those in the "conservative" camp will not write off their "liberal" brothers and sisters. I pray that they will be willing to study with and ask questions of the "liberals", striving to understand their point of view. I pray that they will never think that they are holding true to the faith while everyone else who disagrees with them are apostate.

I pray that we will all, at all all times, look beyond our differences and drink freely at the waters of our shared Spirit. I pray that we will never look down on the face of the other, but will always recogonize Christ in our brothers and sisters. Remember, love is patient. Love is kind. Love is not rude. Love does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth.

Hearts for Unity: Part 1

2004-11-08T22:05:00.000-06:00

Ever since my early days in college, at the school of my Freshman year, Faulkner University (good 'ole Faulk U), I have had a desire for Christian unity. As a freshman I sat at the feet of my college minister Jon Owen and learned about the grace of God. I began to develop a faith of my own. I discovered Christian music and Christian literature. I began to realize that, although Churches of Christ are different from other Christian denominations, we have much more in common than we often like to believe. As my mind began to broaden, I began to dream of a church united. I was no longer content to look at the "denominations" as "them", but recognized the common Lord, faith, and baptism that we all shared. As Paul said, we were all baptized into one Spirit and from that same Spirit we all drink freely.

As I continued my college education at Lipscomb University (there's no scum like Lip-scomb), I craved any interdenominational worship experience I could get. I attended on my first Sunday in Nashville Woodmont Hills Family of God and never left. At Woodmont I sat at the feet of Rubel Shelly on Wednesday nights where I drank from his passion for the church and for unity. He brought in friends from many church traditions who would share their faith-tradition with us, teaching us to appreciate those who were different from us.

Now that I am at ACU finishing up my seminary work, the passion for unity still drives me. I have expounded my vision beyond mere denominational unity, and desire racial unity as well. I also desire equality for women in the church. The more I study scripture, the more I am convinced that the gospel is a unifying message. In Christ, slaves and free people are brought together into one church. Jews and Gentiles are united as one body. Males and females are joined together on a level playing field. In the church we are all united together as together we are united with Christ. If the gospel is to be preached, unity is to be the result.

Sounding Off

2004-11-03T23:42:00.000-06:00

I am not bitter about the outcome of the election. Honestly, I didn't even cast a vote. Before you get all "you're a hypocrite" on me, let me explain. I was one of the many Florida voters who tried to get an absentee ballot in time for the election but never received it. Well, I take that back. I finally received it yesterday at noon. About a week too late. I went ahead and sent it anyway, though, just to make me feel like my voice was heard.

But back to bitterness; I am not bitter. My previous blog was more tongue-in-cheek than anything. I wrote it with a smile. Maybe next time I'll include a nifty emotio-con, or whatever they are called. But I do want to respond publically to a comment Tammy made in the last post (and Tammy, you know it goes both ways--you are always stuck with me as well). She said that my blogs were more interesting and challenging before I started talking about politics. Perhaps that is true, I don't know. My traffic has gone up considerably when I have posted about politics, and my highest trafficed day was in response to a political related post. I do, however, have my reasons for posting so much about politics in the past. My main concern is this: that Christians accept as their brothers and sisters in Christ those with whom they disagree politically. Just because we may come down on different sides of political issues doesn't mean either side are less Christian. What matters is that we all struggle with one another, in the spirit of Christ, putting up with one another's faults as well as our strengths.

I decided to expose some of my political views in hopes of causing deeper dialogue. Over all, I think many of our discussions acheived this. We have discussed some sticky issues and on many of them agreed to disagree in the love of Christ. That's great. I have discussed them, though, not to win anyone over to my view point, but to open dialogue and allow us all to hear from those with whom we disagree. We all have the tendency to "ghettoize" ourselves. We surround ourselves with those who think like us and look like us, and never attempt to get to know the other person. Many can't understand how a good Southern, preacher boy like me could support John Kerry (and no, I did not help at all with any campaigning, nor did I ever where a shirt or have a bumper sticker or sign). I assure you, though; I have my reasons just like supporters of Bush have their reasons. Believe it or not, my reasons are firmly planted in my life-long commitment to Christ. I attempted to vote for Kerry because of my core values. Perhaps you think my core values stink--that's okay, but before you judge, at least sincerely desire to know what those values are. It was not the liberal media, liberal education, or any other manipulation that caused me to try to vote for Kerry. It was my heart.

And guess what. Christians who voted for Bush voted their heart, too. They voted for the candidate who best expressed their values, no matter what the media or others told them. That is wonderful and right as well. On many occasions I've heard people express their faith commitments that led them to vote for Bush, and I respect those convictions. Frankly, I could care less who you voted for.

Perhaps it is time to lay political discussions aside. I do not know? I will continue to be interested in discussing matters of theology and how they relate to our life and practice. At times this will bring up political discussions and issues, and at times it will not. I don't think we can avoid (may be can, but we, at least, should not avoid) relating our faith to concrete life issues. I will continue to talk about things that are passionate to me: racial reconciliation, poverty, unity, and respecting the other. I will continue to offer my spin on current events and try to relate them to my faith. I will continue to discuss theological issues and issues that are pertinent to Churches of Christ and the broader Christian world. Hopefully, you will continue to read, continue to frankly share your thoughts, and continue to love me as we all together love Christ.

May God bless us all as we seek to live for him in all we do, whether it be in the blogdom, our communities, our homes, or our churches. Thanks for putting up with me, and "you're welcome" for putting up with you.

Mourning or Rejoicing

2004-11-03T11:51:00.000-06:00

The election is officially over. I'm not sure if I should mourn because Bush won or rejoice because this crappy election is finally over. Questions to ponder: Does God divinely work through electoral votes? Are Florida, Texas, and Ohio more open vessels for God working than California, New York, or New Hampshire? If God really wanted Bush to win, then why was the race so close? Is the devil so strong that God could only barely beat him? Or does God just like a good show?

One thing I hope the Democrats realize from this election: if you can't convince the Evangelicals to vote for you, you might as well throw in the towel now.

Bev Dowdy's Open Blog to Sean Hannity

2004-11-02T11:53:00.000-06:00

Some more good stuff.

My Open Blog to Sean Hannity

Being Gracious and Pro-Life

2004-11-02T09:21:00.000-06:00

I found this article from Christianity Today wonderful. This is the kind of Pro-Life person I want to be and want to encourage others to become.

Why I Apologized to Planned Parenthood - Christianity Today Magazine

Treadaway's Fall Festival

2004-11-01T23:18:00.000-06:00

Saturday, Treadaway had it's second annual fall festival. We "mini van-ed" in (that's all they had at the rental place) about 20 kids; had many visitors from the community stop by; and had our own children from the church participate. We had about 80 kids in all, the OVERWHELMING majority not members of our congregation.

Below is a picture of a few of us dressed up for the festival.

(Pictured from right to left:
*Me in my costume/PJs and Mohawk (No, I don't normally have a mohawk. For those wondering, yes I shaved it off before church the next morning so as not to be in violation of the "decently and in order" clause);
*CiCi (the daughter of one of our ministers);
*Marti my wife (also in her PJs);
*and in the back, Jerry Taylor, our preacher (no, his eyebrows are not always that bushy).

Self-promotion

2004-10-29T13:48:00.000-05:00

Just thought I'd let the world know, I am officially beginning my search for a ministry job. I will be done with grad school in May, ready to move ASAP. We are starting to seriously look at opportunities now, since churches often take a while to go through the search process. I am interested in pulpit, associate, education, college, singles, involvement--pretty much any sort of ministry. If you hear of anything, let me know. I'd also be interested in teaching Bible or working for any church related ministry or para-church organization. Pretty much anything with a salary.

Thanks for letting me self-promote.

Good News...Bad News

2004-10-29T13:22:00.000-05:00

The good news is that all the "I'm a better person than you" political talk is almost over.

The bad news, four years of complaining about the next elected president is just beginning.

Racism or the Holy Spirit

2004-10-25T01:02:00.000-05:00

I'm blessed to be apart of a reading group this semester in which we are reading the book United by Faith. In our first discussion of the book Dr. Edward Robinson made a world-shaking comment: "I wonder which spirit is stronger, the spirit of racism or the Holy Spirit." I wanted to affirm what I thought was the obvious answer, "The Holy Spirit, of course." Yet, as I've been pondering this statement, I have been faced with the grim reality that in Christianity the spirit of Racism (or any other "ism," for that matter) is much stronger than the Holy Spirit--or at least it is the spirit we often promote to positions of power in our churches.

When brothers and sisters make comments like the following, the spirit of Racism is lord: "I think it's better for whites and blacks to worship separately." "We need to move out of this neighborhood. We just don't feel safe anymore with all the blacks around." We often deny it--"There's not a racist bone in my body"--yet, in reality, all of us have some inkling of racism, some spirit of sectarianism still lurking inside of us waiting to uncover its ugly head. Do we not make sure we have all the car doors locked when we see a person of color crossing in front of our car in our intersection? Don't we avoid driving through the "poor" parts of town, fearing what might happen to us? Aren't we very comfortable with TV shows that always portray the African-American male as the criminal who is to be feared and locked-up? These things may seem common sense to us--"We are just trying to be safe. You know you can't be too careful these days." Yet, they are expressions of a lingering racism.

When Paul envisioned the church as it should be, he envisioned a church without distinctions; where males and females, Jews and Gentiles, salves and free could all be treated equally. The early church was a revolutionary counter-cultural statement to the world. In the midst of a world divided by class, gender, economic status, and race, the church, in her best days, stood as a model of a desegregated community. In the church, the slave could become a church leader just as easily as his or her master. Jews could continue being Jews, while they embrace Christ as their Lord. Women and men were viewed equally. As time progressed, the church found ways to justify their failure to live up to this ideal. Jews were forced out of a Gentile-ruled church. Women were oppressed by bigoted men. Slaves were allowed to attend church, but only as a means of social control. It was in church that they heard the sermon, time and time again, "Slaves, obey your masters," yet they never heard a sermon against the evils of being a cruel master. Eventually, the church found ways to justify White churches and Black churches, Hispanic churches and Asian churches--all meeting "separate and apart."

It is time we stop making excuses and start taking steps towards healing and reconciliation. Many African-American churches refuse to merge with White churches because they know who will be in power. It is time that the White Christians step down from their "white privilege" (which, we must admit, it a very real thing), empty ourselves of the power we have been holding on to, and humbly work towards reconciliation.

I've attended to congregations of Churches of Christ who would, on occasion, have an African-American male lead a few songs as the worship was starting in order to get things fired up. After he led "Get Right Church" and "Said I Wasn't", he would sit down and the white guy would lead the rest of the service. While the leadership of these two churches did not intend to promote a racist agenda by this, the unspoken message was that the African-American guy was for fun and show, while the White guy was there to conduct the official, serious worship business. These are the actions, as unintentional as they may be, that continue to promote the racism that lurks underneath the surface in our churches. If we are truly to be "ministers of reconciliation" we need to think seriously about what we do to promote racism and what can be done to end this evil cycle and allow the Holy Spirit, not the racist spirit, to rule in our churches.

Got any ideas or observations of your own?

Why I Sometimes Don't Post

2004-10-15T08:55:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I don't post because I have nothing to say. I will sit here, fingers in proper typing position, trying to muster up an intelligent post. I will sift through the magazines I've read recently, trying to find fodder for starting a fire in blogdom. When nothing arises, I go about my business feeling for the HUNDREDS of internet users who stop by my blog, see nothing new, and proceed to a blog that provides more for your money.

On other days, though, I don't post because I have too much to say. Thoughts ping around my brain, waiting to come out through my typing fingers. I will attempt to write a post during these times. I might start on one topic and end on a completely different topic. My attempted posts turn out to be nothing more than ADD ramblings. And so, I delete these posts and once again leave my blog empty of anything of substance.

Today is one of the later days. I am typing this post right now, not sure how it will turn out. There are so many ideas flowing inside me, I am unsure which idea will incarnate itself on my blog.

I want to talk about my new role at my church. As of this week, I am the new "Connections Minister" at the N. 10th and Treadaway Church of Christ (that's our version of involvement minister). I want to proclaim that today is my last day to work in the ACU library (after 2 plus years).

Theologically, my world is continuing to be shaken up. Recently I have rethought my pacifism. Ever since Lee Camp inspired me while I was a student at Lipscomb, I have grown in my commitment to pacifism. But now, after reading Reinhold Niebuhr, I am rethinking this position. I am beginning to think that, at times, in our fallen, crappy world, war may be unavoidable. I still think violence is wrong and contrary to the kingdom of God. But a realistic assessment of our world causes me to think seriously about the results of a non-violent approach to global politics. Yet, in the midst of these thoughts, I still am highly adamant that war should never, under any circumstance, be glorified. Yes, I'm glad I live in a free nation--but I hate the fact that war was the path to such freedom. As the church, perhaps we should say war might be necessary, but it should only be pursued as a last option and always taken up with the utmost regret and repentance. Perhaps we should even require our soldiers and political leaders to repent for having to result to actions that are contrary to the kingdom of God? Am I radical, or what?

Personally, I am beginning to feel the anxiety that comes when seminary students are faced with the completion of their education. Where will I be next summer? Will a church hire me? What if someone from a church I will apply to reads this blog? Will I find a ministry job that will provide for my family? Has my education decreased or increased my chances of finding a ministry role in Churches of Christ? These are the questions on my mind as I fall asleep.

On thing that I have really been thinking about and wanting to post on is the insistence of members of Churches of Christ to include a lower-case "c" in "Churches." As my Restoration History professor Doug Foster told us, its not "church of Christ' or "Church of Christ"--its "Churches of Christ." We are a separate group of people (I'm not saying we are denominational). When we use the term "Churches of Christ," we are referring to a distinct Christian tradition. If we are talking about the entire body of Christ, composed of members from various Christian traditions, by all means, use church of Christ. But not when you are talking about the church that is a part of the Stone-Campbell Movement. Perhaps if we were as cool as Apple, we could begin our product names with lower case letters. Unfortunately, we are not. We are a distinct group. So, fellow bloggers, let's capitalize the "C" so that we can stop looking grammatically ignorant.

Those are the many thoughts going through my head right now. There are so many things I could post about today. I wonder which one I will choose?

Highlights From My Links

2004-10-14T07:44:00.000-05:00

There were several posts this week from my list of blog links that I thought I'd share with you:

Jan Ellis, a friend of mine from Montgomery, AL, has just joined the blogging world. So far she's off to a great start with this entitled "Choose Your Own Adventure. In it she wrestles with the ever difficult question: Does God have my life mapped out for me, or are many of my decisions left up to me?

Mike Cope, minister at the Highland Church of Christ here in Abilene where Marti and I used to attend, shared with the blog world the transcript from a recent announcement from his elders concerning the participation of women in Highland's public worship services. You can find it here. I am very proud to hear the steps that Highland has taken. It is always hard for churches--even autonomous Churches of Christ--to make bold steps like this. Highland has had and will have their share of flack over this issue (and other issues). Yet, in the midst of it all they have remained committed to their positions, which they have drawn from their study of scripture.

Matt Elliot, worship minister at the Campus Church of Christ in Atlanta, GA, reminisced a bit with this post. Matt is a member of a world-renown (I once saw a Honduran boy with their T-shirt on) musical parody group entitled "Three Large and Very Serious Guys." They rocked my world as a young Churches of Christ teen in the 90s. I was forever changed by their songs: Purple Reindeer, Weight Watching, Fatter Than, and Don't Shave My Back (My Very Hairy Back). Perhaps one day they will finally release that long awaited album?

Finally, I'd like to direct you towards a new blog I've been reading: Baghdad Burning. It is a blog written by a woman who is living in Baghdad. It offers a different perspective about the conditions in Iraq right now that you can't get from any of our news sources. It is a very challenging read.

Enjoy the links. More substance coming soon.

My Struggle

2004-10-08T09:01:00.000-05:00

Here's my struggle. I just don't understand how Christians can say things like this: "I'm sure you recognize that, as a nation, we are standing at a crossroads. Our society's moral decline has accelerated at an alarming rate in recent years, and if trends continue, the America that you and I know and love will cease to exist. Issues critical to the future of the traditional family - abortion rights and same-sex marriage being chief among them - will be influenced by the values of our next president and his cabinet. Judicial appointments made by the president can significantly impact our culture for decades. If we are to salvage the beliefs and principles upon which our forefathers founded this nation, we must make our voices heard in the public square." That's a quote from James Dobson on his "iVote Values" website.

My struggle is not over the two issues mentioned by Dobson, per se. I understand that these are two issues that are very controversial, both politically and theologically. Please, let me officially say that I am against abortion. I have my own reasons why and how I think the church should approach the subject. As for same-sex marriage, I have my position on that issue as well, but I'm not ready to get my readers riled up on this subject. (Yes, I know, I have no control over where you take these blog discussions; but I can at least try.) My struggle is over the fact that these are the only "critical" issues mentioned. Are abortion rights and same-sex marriage the only "moral" crises in our nation today?

The root of both of these issues is prohibition. They are all about keeping society from doing the things that we don't think are right. It's all about the tendency of Christians to exclaim, in a loud voice, "Don't do that!" But where are the Christian voices standing up for the "least among these." Where are the Christian activists trying to help the sick and the lost, not the healthy and the saved? For me, the Church MUST be a voice against injustice. We must be a voice against oppression. If the church is going to stand against anything at all, these must be our stands. And, I fully admit, abortion is a moral injustice, but it is not the only moral injustice our nation faces.

As a church, we must stand out against economic oppression. Oppression of undocumented citizens in our country is a moral issue. Our mass spending on military while many in the world dies of hunger is a moral issue. War is a moral issue. Our need to stop the AIDS crisis in Africa and other parts of the world is a moral issue. Stopping the violence in inner cities and our homes is a moral issue. The proper, humane treatment of criminals, both domestic and international, is a moral issue. Capital punishment is a moral issue. Care for the elderly is a moral issue. The fact that so many United States citizens don't have health care is a moral issue. The high cost of life-saving medicine is a moral issue. The oppressive practices of our insurance companies is a moral issue. I could keep going on and on...

Please, if you say that abortion rights and same-sex marriage rights are moral issues, don't make them the only moral issues. Perhaps we should stop saying, "Don't do that!" and start saying, "How can I help you?" Would not the Christian light be better shown by lending a loving hand than taking a militant stand?

Why W. Doesn't Go to Church

2004-10-07T20:12:00.000-05:00

I found this article very interesting. I wonder, would we still consider our own church members such "godly men and women" if they never went to church.

Why W. Doesn't Go to Church

Racism in Churches of Christ

2004-10-07T10:17:00.000-05:00

In my Advanced Restoration History class we have reached the Civil War period in our study of the Stone-Campbell Movement history. We read articles from the leaders of the movement talking about the problem of slavery and how the church should respond. The main leaders of our Movement (Campbell, Stone, and Scott) believed that the church should take a moderate position on slavery. They tried to refrain from becoming extreme abolitionists or extreme proslavery proponents. Their goal was to maintain unity in the church. In pursuing this goal, however, they refrained from ever speaking out against the strong racism that was behind slavery.

Campbell believed that slavery was a political not a religious issue, a mistake that the Church to often makes over issues of injustice. He even wrote a serious of articles in the Millennial Harbinger proving that slavery was never condemned in the Bible. In fact, he went as far as to say that Scripture condoned it. Because scripture never spoke out against the institution as a moral evil, he himself could not speak out against the institution as a moral evil. Campbell did oppose slavery, but not on moral grounds. He believed that slavery, while it may be "lawful", was not "expedient" to society. He believed a gradual phasing out of slavery was the best way to take care of the problem. He also thought the inhumane treatment of slaves was wrong and believed that if the masters would treat slaves well it might even be better for the slave to be in bondage than to be free. Stone, too, believed that slavery was not expedient and was against the harsh treatment of slaves. He was a strong proponent for a gradual abolition of slavery that would send the free slaves to the free slave colony in Liberia, West Africa. Stone said that if all the slaves were free and left to live in the United States, he would have to move.

In the midst of all the Stone-Campbell Movement rhetoric over slavery, there still lies a strong racism, even with those who opposed slavery. Stone believed slaves should be freed, but he didn't want to live in a society with free slaves. Campbell once wrote, "I love the black man, but I love the white man more." Their opposition of slavery was merely on political grounds, never believing that all people, including the slave, was equal. In fact, Campbell believed that the phrase "All men are created equal" was not a scriptural phrase but merely Jeffersonian rhetoric. While the phrase itself is not found explicitly in scripture, the spirit of the phrase permeates scripture.

I share this history because I think it brings to light our continued racism in Churches of Christ. We are still a segregated church. While our schools may be somewhat integrated, and a minority of our churches may be integrated, we are still a church divided over racial lines. And the greatest problem with this is, we don't care. We believe it is "expedient" to have white churches and black churches. We say we aren't racist, but we do nothing to overcome our racist history. In the days of the Civil Rights movement, Churches of Christ were strong segregationist. One can still see where an old sign hung on a bathroom door in the Burton Bible Building at Lipscomb University marked "Colored." There were lights of hope during this time, Christians who stood up against racism. Unfortunately, they were not the majority.

Society forced us to integrate our schools, but society can't force us to integrate our churches. But I wonder, does the reconciling message of the Gospel force us to fight our racial divisions. Does the "neither slave nor free" message of Christ cause us to actively work towards a multi-cultural church, testifying to the world that we are truly one in Christ. Or are we content to continue to worship in our white churches and our black churches, enjoying our comfort and our particular worship styles, while the body of Christ remains rent. The pains of the Civil War are still upon us. Perhaps we should stop fighting for the right to worship with new songs, clapping, and praise teams and start fighting to create a church that is a testimony to the world of our reconciling Savior.

Pat Buchanan and the Pope on War and Peace

2004-10-01T15:28:00.000-05:00

I catch up on Friday for being a bad blogger during the week:

"In 2003, the United States invaded a country that did not threaten us, did not attack us and did not want war with us, to disarm it of weapons we have since discovered it did not have."

--Conservative pundit Patrick Buchanan in Where the Righ Went Wrong: How Neoconservatives Subverted the Reagan Revolution and Hijacked the Bush Presidency

"Peace is always possible! ... Conflict is never inevitable! And religions have a special duty to remind all men and women of this awareness .... This is what I would call 'the spirit of Assisi.' Our world needs this spirit.

--Pope John Paul II in a greeting to a September gathering of religious leaders in Milan.

(As quoted in the October 5, 2004 issue of Christian Century.)

To Whom It May Concern

2004-10-01T10:56:00.000-05:00

I found this on the Wineskins forum. You need to read this. It is a very moving letter from the brother of a fallen American soldier in Iraq. Very moving.

To Whom It May Concern

An Exerpt:

I had made the very same trip in February, cutting classes to spend my brother's two weeks' leave from Baghdad with him. Little did I know then that the next time I saw him would be at Arlington National Cemetery. During those days in February, my brother shared with me his fear, his disillusionment, and his anger. "We had all been led to believe that Iraq posed a serious threat to America as well as its surrounding nations," he said. "We invaded expecting to find weapons of mass destruction and a much more prepared and well-trained Republican Guard waiting for us. It is now a year later, and alas, no weapons of mass destruction or any other real threat, for that matter."

Ryan was scheduled to complete his one-year assignment to Iraq on April 25. But on April 11, he emailed me to let me know not to expect him in Atlanta for a May visit, because his tour of duty had been involuntarily extended. "Just do me one big favor, ok?" he wrote. "Don't vote for Bush. No. Just don't do it. I would not be happy with you."

The Debate

2004-10-01T08:49:00.000-05:00

Honestly, I wasn't impressed with the debate last night. A lot of it seemed nothing more than meaningless rhetoric. "My plan's better." "No, my plan's better." "You will do it in 13 years, but I can do it in 4 years." "You're inconsistent." "I'm consistent." "The war was the best thing ever." "The war was the worst thing ever." Blah, blah, blah. Perhaps this is the nature of political exchange, I don't know. But it was hard to hear after spending 3 hours in a Christian Ethics class seriously discussing the issues.

A Non-Political Post

2004-09-30T09:39:00.000-05:00

And now for something completely different:
Christians talk a lot about desiring to be Christ-like. Preachers preach sermons, calling their congregation to imitate Christ in all they do. Believers read books, wear bracelets, and pray daily to become more like Christ. Yet, when they are at their job, they treat their co-workers rudely. When they are at home they disrespect their spouse. In political discussion, they mock the other opinion, never giving the person's view the dignity and respect it deserves. I wonder, when this is the case, do Christians really desire to be Christ-like.

Being Christ-like is more than simply wanting to be Christ-like or praying to be Christ-like. If you desire to be like Christ, it would follow, then, that you start acting like Christ. If I say I want to be an honest person, yet I lie to everyone I meet, you would seriously doubt my desire to be honest. If a Christian goes the church every Sunday, says "amen" to the sermon, sings the songs, and shares in the Eucharist, yet leaves and continues living their self-indulgent life, I would say they are not that interested in being a Christian.

For Christianity is not about mere rhetoric. Christianity is not a system of beliefs to be believed. I am not a Christian simply because I believe in the Trinity, the Divinity of Christ, the necessity of Baptism, and follow the "New Testament Church Model" for worship and church government (if there really is a "NT Model"). I am not a Christian because I hold certain views on political issues and vote for certain political candidates. I am a Christian because I seek to live my life in apprenticeship to Christ. I am a Christian because I desire to crucify my old self, and clothe myself with the righteousness of Christ. If, therefore, I am not becoming more holy--more like Christ--then I am not really a Christian.

Bad Blogger

2004-09-30T08:59:00.000-05:00

I've been a bad blogger. I apologize. Yet, in spite of my negligence to post new material, you keep visiting and looking for new thoughts from the brain of Travis. For that, I thank you.

I've been posting a lot lately about politics. I may have given the impression that this is an obsession of mine, that I live and breath political discussion, constantly watching the news. This, however, is not true. Actually, right now, my living and breathing is centered on Advanced Restoration History, Greek and Christian Ethics, for these are the classes on my table this semester. It has been a busy semester, so far, and only promises to get busier. In the midst of the busyness, I will still strive to provide you with current thoughts and trends from Travis Stanley.

Before moving on to something completely different, I will say one more thing about politics. I'm frustrated with it. I'm tired of hearing all the talk about which candidate will make the better "warrior," without a mention of which candidate would make the better peace-keeper. Honestly, I wish John Kerry would stop trying to prove himself a patriot. I listened a while back to an old debate he did over the Vietnam War and I was very impressed. He was willing, in spite of a lot of controversy, to stand up for what he believed was immoral war practices. I wish this John Kerry were running for president. Instead, I find someone who doesn't seem to stand for anything. He seems too busy proving he served his country well in Vietnam, that he never spends much time talking about how he will serve his country well the next four years. His platform is really nothing more than, "I'm not Bush." As attractive as that is, I wish he would (as well as "W") focus more on the issues and stop "flip-flopping" around. Maybe tonight's debate will be more than candidate bashing. As for Bush...I still don't like him. I thought what the RNC did in Arkansas and West Virginia was despicable. For me, this election is about choosing the better of two bad candidates. The best thing about the whole thing is that the kingdom of God is not contingent on who wins the election. God will continue being God, the church will still be the church, and our citizenship will remain in heaven.

Travis' Blog: Mission Statement

2004-09-24T07:38:00.000-05:00

1) To write about the things that will bring people to my site. (This tuesday was the most hits on my blog EVER.)

2) To "contradict myself," as Abba Evagrius said.

3) To encourage people to realize that ideas are complicated. Rarely are theological, philosophical or political issues as simple as "white or black." All issues/ideas are complex and deserve a deeper "think" about them.

4) To offer a place for Suz, Greg and Charles to "talk amongst themselves."

5) To promote my change-agent, liberal, feminist, egalitarian, anti-Bush, anti-Kerry, Old Light, Anti-Burgher, Seceder, institutional, one cup, pro-immersion, instrumental, pro-clapping, pro-orphanages, pro-missionary societies, pro-kitchen in the church building, pro-gay marriage, pro-choice, pro-life, pacifistic, anti-foundationalism, anti-logical positivism, pro-modern, anti-pro-modern, non-nationalistic, charismatic, non-charismatic, grace and works oriented, PC hating, Mac loving agenda.

Thanks for reading.

Florida Postcard

2004-09-23T21:05:00.000-05:00

My friend Tammy sent me this postcard for my home state of Florida. I thought I'd share it with you.

Jimmy Swaggart: Always Spreading the Love of Jesus

2004-09-23T10:05:00.000-05:00

Sojourner's Magazine shares this appaling quote from Jimmy Swaggart that was broadcasted on one of his T.V. sermons.

"I've never seen a man in my life I wanted to marry."

(shouts, applause)

"And I'm gonna be blunt and plain, if one ever looks at me like that I'm going to kill him and tell God he died."

(laughter, applause)

"In case anybody doesn't know God calls it an abomination. It's an abomination! It's an abomination!"

(applause)

..."I'm not knocking the poor homosexual. I'm not. They need salvation just like anybody else.... I'm knocking our pitiful, pathetic lawmakers. And I thank God that President Bush has stated we need a constitutional amendment that states that marriage is between a man and a woman."

(applause)

I, unlike Jimmy, did not get the memo from God letting his followers know that killing is no longer an abomination. Apparently, if you think someone's lifestyle is wrong, that justifies killing them. How conveinent. Unfortunately, this sick trash has become the charicature of Christians in our world. Didn't Jesus say, "They will know you are my disciples if you let them know that they are an abomination that should be murdered instead of loved." I think that's in the Bible, somewhere in the back.

Read David Batstone's commentary on Jimmy's sermon.

Wow

2004-09-21T13:23:00.000-05:00

Wow, we've had some good discussion on the previous post, far more than I expected. My two greatest comment producing posts, I think, have been related to discussions about pro-life/pro-choice. I have some more thoughts on this matter that I want to share that have been spurred by some of the comments made. Unfortunately, the Greek New Testament text and my Greek class at 3pm today is calling my name and I must answer.

Until then...continue discussing the issues. I appreciate, for the most part, the dialogue so far. My challenge is for us all to be a little more open instead of being defensive of our side of the issue (one of my biggest problems). I challenge us to in all fairness hear out the other side and engage the issues beyond mere political/moral rhetoric.

I'm toying with the idea of responsibility and how we, at some level, are responsible for many "evils" of the world, beyond merely voting for politicians who support these issues. I think it is sad when Christian social action is reduced to, "Vote for this person who will solve our moral crisis through legislation" (I realize this is an oversimplification, but I hope you get my point). Perhaps there's a greater, more active level that we should take in addressing these situations. Voting has become our way of justifying our problematic lifestyle. Instead of thinking about how our way of life contributes to the social ills (this is the old question of "Why are the poor poor?"), we fight about which political party has the easy answers to our problems. By my saying that abortion is a difficult issue, I am not saying that that difficulty lies in deciding if the unborn is a fetus or a human being (though, I think, this is still a difficult issue that I would be interested to hear the positions of some scientist who acutally study this stuff). Instead, I am saying that it is difficult when we start asking questions like, how does the way I live, the way my church lives, contribute to teenage pregnancy, sexual promiscuity, and abortion. Questions like these are difficult because they begin to hit us where we live and cause us to squirm in our pants.

But, heck, isn't it much easier to just legislate morality. Let's just outlaw everything we think is wrong so that we don't have to deal with it anymore. The government can imprison the "sinners," while the church ministers to the "faithful." When we lock up the problem, we don't have to deal with it.

Oops, I said I wasn't going to say anything about this right now. My bad. The Greek text is yelling my name right now, so, since I am in the library where yelling is STRICTLY forbidden, I must go.

Endorsing Evil This Election

2004-09-17T15:32:00.000-05:00

I just read the following letter to the editor in the September issue of the Christian Chronicle.

Abortion is key issue in political party choice
There is no escaping the fact that aligning oneself with a political party that advocates abortion--especially partial birth abortion among other positions is to endorse evil (see "Currents," page 17, August). It is not just a matter of harmless political opinion: it is about right and wrong. When members of a major political party attack the Christian values that have built this nation, there is indeed something wrong with supporting that party.

Well, I guess that just sums it up for us all. Don't vote for anyone, because no party adequately reflects "Christian values." Not even the church adequately reflects those values. According to the author of this letter, every vote does count--ETERNALLY! So, if you want to go to Heaven, choose your vote wisely. And, we all know which "party" doesn't "endorse evil."

Geez! (I really want to use something harsher) The longer this political season goes, the more I want to be a-political like Greg commented in the previous post. Or, maybe it's the fact that I've been sitting behind this desk working in the library since 7am this morning.

Causing a Stir in Chapel

2004-09-17T10:52:00.000-05:00

By the way, Chapel went well on Wednesday, even if some people didn't like what I had to say. Apparently I offended one person and they walked out. That's my first walk out. In my 2 years here, I've never seen anyone walk out of chapel. A friend of mine went to Chicken Express afterwards and heard a group of GST students talking about my sermon. They were apparently upset at my use of "perfection." I guess when you start messing with the "American Myth," people can get a little pissed. My goal was not to be offensive, but to allow the counter-cultural, offensive nature of the Sermon on the Mount to speak to citizens of the United States. At least no one stood up in the middle of my talk and verbally objected, although I don't like the silent "talk about it among your friends" attitude either. I say if you have problems with what I said, talk to me about it. We'll debate, discuss and learn from one another. Or, we can just label the guy who spoke in chapel a "liberal" and write him off.

Here's the link to the full text of my sermon: Be Perfect. I preached it at Treadaway on 4th of July and received only positive feedback. I updated it a bit for chapel. As I read over it again, I can't believe I said some of the things I said. I've really gotten more bold and authentic recently. Enjoy.

Ivan and Family

2004-09-17T08:21:00.001-05:00

Hurricane Ivan passed right by my hometown of Niceville, FL Thursday. I am from the part of Florida that was hit the hardest, just 45 minutes east of Pensacola. Whenever you see someone reporting from Ft. Walton Beach, FL, that's my home area. My family made it through the storm alright. The only damage received to our property was a few trees down and some shingles gone. My dad said he could not get out of our drive way because the trees were blocking the way. My Mom weathered the storm in Birmingham, AL, which received some damage from the storm as well. Her only concern now is how to get back home. Many of the roads leading into Niceville are still closed. Marti's family were all impacted by the storm too. Her family lives in Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, and outside of Montgomery.

Nine years ago in October Hurricane Opal hit NWFL. It caused a lot of damage, washing away roads and bridges and beautiful Emerald Coast sand dunes. They are saying that this storm was much worse. Perhaps next time we visit Okaloosa Island, the beautiful snow white sand dunes will be strewn into the bay, leaving a flat beach surface. Prior to Opal, it was very difficult to see the Gulf from Okaloosa Island on Hwy 98. After Opal, it was a clear view. After Ivan? Who knows. Perhaps the gulf will be lapping the edge of the highway.

Hot Dogs and Chapel

2004-09-13T07:39:00.000-05:00

Saturday was a good day for our church. We set up in our church parking lot and gave a way about 7 tables full of clothes and 210 hotdogs--all for free. We were going to have a free car wash in order to reach out to our community, but Abilene is still on water restrictions. We decided not to break the law. Instead, we just gave away food and clothes and rented a "bouncy-castle" for the kids to play in. We had a lot of people from the community come and visit us, leaving with a bag of free clothes and a few hot dogs in their bellies. After things died down, we packed up our food and grill and carried it a couple blocks down the street to what is called "the Jungle." The Jungle is an area where people from one of the low-income neighborhoods near our church building hang out. Old men sit at a table and play dominoes while drinking their beer and smoking their cigarettes. Young men and women gather around and drink and talk with one another. I'm told you don't want to know what goes on in the Jungle at night. We set up our grill right beside the domino game and fed all who were gathered, sharing with them the love of Christ with no strings attached. One lady who got a hot dog asked my wife, "Are you with Love and Care Ministries (a very active community ministry in Abilene)?" Marti said, "No, we are with the church right down the street." "That church?" she said. "Yes, that church over there," Marti replied. "No shit!" the lady said in amazement. Apparently she was surprised to see a little church serving in this way. I am proud to be apart of a church that is willing to spend its Saturday giving away clothes and food in the name of Jesus.

In other news, this Wednesday is my one-time chance to speak in Graduate chapel. Being a 3rd year student, I have been graciously invited to speak in Chapel. Actually, the truth is, I'm on the chapel planning committee and we had a Wednesday we couldn't fill so they asked if I wanted to go ahead and make this week my week. I couldn't refuse. While it is always a bit nerving to preach in front of your fellow students and professors, I am really excited about the opportunity. I love preaching. If you are in Abilene, come out to ACU's Chapel on the Hill this Wednesday at 11am.

God Bless Rubel Shelly

2004-09-10T10:13:00.000-05:00

We're Having Rubel-Fest 2004 over at Matt's Blog. If Rubel has influenced your life, come and share.

Indiscriminate Love

2004-09-07T07:43:00.000-05:00

I loved this from the latest issue of the Christian Century.

In August 1998, Sam Bowers, a former Imperial Wizard of the White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, was finally convicted of a crime he had committed over three decades earlier. In 1966 Bowers and some fellow Klansmen torched the house of Vernon Dahmer. The fire killed Dahmer and injured one of his three children. Dahmer's offense was that he had allowed black people to pay their poll taxes in his grocery store. At the 1998 retrial of the case, a newspaper reporter was surprised to see that Will Campbell, a maverick Baptist preacher known for his civil rights activism, had befriended both Dahmer's widow and Bowers himself. The reporter asked Campbell why he befriended both a murderer and the widow of the victim. The ever-salty Campbell replied: "Because I'm a Christian, G-dammit!"
(Thomas Long, Testimony: Talking Ourselves into Being Christian)

Problematic Bush

2004-09-03T13:17:00.000-05:00

I found these quotes problematic from the President last night:

I am proud that our country remains the hope of the oppressed, and the greatest force for good on this earth.

I believe that millions in the Middle East plead in silence for their liberty. I believe that given the chance, they will embrace the most honorable form of government ever devised by man. I believe all these things because freedom is not America's gift to the world, it is the Almighty God's gift to every man and woman in this world.

Like generations before us, we have a calling from beyond the stars to stand for freedom.

You may think these statements are good, true and biblical. I disagree. I believe that freedom is a gift of God, but often His freedom is a lot different from our version of freedom. Freedom to God seems to be freedom to serve, freedom to suffer, freedom to die, freedom to be a slave of Christ. If you were to ask Paul what are the "self-evident" rights of humanity, he would say, "What are you talking about? I have no rights. I've been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me." If you were to ask Jesus, "Don't all people deserve the right to pursue happiness?" He would say, "Sure. Happy are those who are poor in spirit. Happy are those who mourn. Happy are the peacemakers. Happy are those are persecuted for righteousness sake."

I am not advocating political oppression. I am not advocating tyranny. Instead, I am voicing my concerns against an administration that believes that the values of America are the values of God. Democracy IS NOT the hope of the world. And America--dear God--is not the "greatest force for good on this earth." The arrogance of that statement reminds me of why many across the planet hate us. If the hope of this planet lies in America, we are doomed. If good can only be achieved under the American flag, let's give up now.

I enjoy the benefits of democracy. I can write this blog criticizing the president because of democracy. I'm not devaluing democracy, but I do refuse to deify democracy. Democracy was an idea birthed in the European Enlightenment, not in heaven. The founders of this nation, influenced by the philosophers of their day, established a nation based on their philosophical convictions. The Enlightenment has led to much progress in our world. Many innovations have resulted from the Enlightenment. The quality of life for many has improved. The Gospel has been spread in ways unimaginable prior to the Enlightenment. Yet, in the midst of all these achievements, much has been lost. Individualism has been elevated over community. My rights are more important that my duty to serve others. Arrogance has deluded our minds into thinking that humanity can solve it's own problems and eradicate evil by our own power. There are some good things about Enlightenment philosophy, but it is not God's gift to humanity. Democracy has its benefits, but it is not the answer to the world's ills.

The Middle East is a region that never experienced the European Enlightenment. Their values are vastly different from ours. Democracy is not as "self-evident" to them as it is to us. To invade another country and force our culture and values on them, justifying our actions by statements such as "I believe that millions in the Middle East plead in silence for their liberty" and "We have a calling from beyond the stars to stand for freedom," is culturally ignorant and, I believe, on the edge of blasphemy.

Before you criticize me, let me say, "I'm not saying Sadaam was a good leader. I am not saying Iraq is worse off without him there. I'm not saying democracy is not an improvement from dictatorship." So, don't criticize me with any of these statements. There are plenty of other things to criticize me for, so be creative. What I am saying, however, is that regardless of the benefits we experience with democracy that does not mean democracy is a divine right or the only acceptable form of government under God.

If you would, think back with me to the book of 1 Samuel. When God decided to directly intervene in the politics of a particular nation called Israel, what kind of government did He establish? Hmm...Democracy? WRONG! I believe God established a monarchy, complete with a king who was either put on the throne because God directed a prophet to anoint him as king or he simply inherited the throne by blood. There were no elections. There was neither a House of Representatives nor a Senate. There was a king and a nation that followed his leadership. I'm not saying this was good. I'm not saying that monarchy is the answer to the world. But I find it problematic to say that democracy is the only "God-ordained" form of government when the only biblical account of a "God-ordained government" was a monarchy.

The kingdom of America is not the hope of this world; the kingdom of God is. Worldly kingdoms have their roles, but the kingdom of God holds the monopoly delivering salvation to the world. The kingdom of God is the only hope for true, God-given freedom. Bush is not God's appointed man to do God's bidding in this world, neither is Kerry or Nader (oh yeah, there's another guy running for president). The church is God's representative in the world. The church is God's force for goodness in the world. We are the body of Christ. We are his hands, feet, mouth, ears, eyes, and heart in this world. Instead of cutting of a limb, handing it to the president and saying, "Here. I think you would do a better job than we are doing." We need to step up to our Divine calling to be the body and blood of Christ in the world. The church, not America, is the salt and light of the world. The only calling from beyond the stars to stand for freedom that's been given has been given to the church, and God's freedom is found only in Jesus Christ. Church, let's stop committing blasphemy by believing that America is the hope of the world and let us put our hope and trust only in God. For where the Spirit of the Lord, not America, is, there is freedom.

God Bless the Church!

One Year of Blogging

2004-09-03T10:37:00.000-05:00

September 1st marked one year of blogging for me. I was so busy with the beginning of the school that I forgot to celebrate. Thanks to everyone who has supported me over this year. It has been a rewarding and learning experience for me. In light of this anniversary, I'm posting below one of my earlier posts from September 2, 2003. Enjoy.

A NEW SALVATION
My whole concept of salvation is being reshaped. I have long (if 23 years is long) been taught and believed that salvation is about ME. Christ died for even ME. While Christ was hanging on the cross, He thought of ME and took on the penalty of MY sins. And so, when I was saved, Christ came to live in MY heart. He became apart of MY life.

While these personal notions of salvation are true and Biblical, I have been challenged with the idea recently that they are far from a sufficient explanation of the salvation experience. The focus of this teaching is on my work, my life--not on God's life. When Christ entered the world as a child, the world changed. As Christ began preaching, he announced that a new age has dawned. "The time has come, the Kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!" (Mark 1:15). A new time, unlike no other, was being ushered in. The mission of Christ and, consequently, the Church is to announce this new Kingdom and invite everyone to enter into it (this, my friends, is evangelism).

Salvation, then, is not so much about the penal, substitutionary atonement mindset that we have long taught, sung about, and believed. The focus on salvation is not on how Christ paid for my sins--He took on my penalty. This is an important, necessary and Biblical truth, but not of chief importance. The removal of our sins and guilt was not the end of salvation but a means to achieve the end. The end, as I see it, is our entering into the Kingdom of God. Christ's death prepared the way for us to embrace this new time, this new age--to join in God's life and enter into His kingdom. Salvation is not about Christ getting into my life, but our getting into God's life.

The problem that we have seen in Churches of Christ and in Christendom worldwide is that when the only notion of salvation taught is the penal, substitutionary atonement idea, many new Christians never mature. When the focus is on getting MY sins forgiven, what is the use of joining a community of believers and living out the ethical, Christ-like life if you already have forgiveness and heaven. When the focus is on entering the kingdom of God, announcing the Reign of God, participating in God's life--it follows that one would RUN into a community of believers and gladly leave behind the old-kind-of-life and embrace the new-kind-of-Christ-life, modeling in our behaviors the ethical norms that Christ lived out.

Maybe that is why racism is still a problem in our churches today. We have not seen the need to enter into this kingdom life where all are equal; where there is neither Jew nor Greek, male nor female, slave nor free. Maybe that is why Churches have often participated in and promoted violence. We have not seen the need to enter into this kingdom life where we love our enemies and turn the other cheek; where we seek to do good rather than harm; where justice and righteousness flow like rivers; where we desire mercy and not sacrifice.

Salvation is not about believing a set of ideas or doing a list of actions. Salvation is about ordering your whole life around God. Salvation is not a "get out of hell free" card. It is an invitation to join a new life. Christ has come and has announced the changing of the orders. No longer does humanity and creation have to live in the pains of sin. No longer do we have to accept the injustices of the world. No longer do we have need to retaliate and hate. We are free from our sinful existence; free from the bondage of a life lived outside of the kingdom of God. There is no judgment for the saved, kingdom people, for we are living the eternal-kind-of life now. And everywhere we go, we should be like the one spoke about in Isaiah 52:7: "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, 'YOUR GOD REIGNS!'"

Way to Go Matt

2004-09-02T09:09:00.000-05:00

Matt has some good thoughts on the sins of email forwarding. Go to his blog, read the sweet dad stuff about his children's birthday parties, say "aww" at the pictures, appreciate his book recommendation and then enjoy the rant. I highly agree with him. Here's my rull of thumb about email forwards: unless you write it yourself, don't forward it.

Wallis v. Falwell

2004-09-01T13:43:00.000-05:00

I just got the following email from Sojourners. For those who don't subscribe to their email list, I thought you would like to know about this. Since we will all be at church tonight, as all good Christians should, let's all set our VCR's to record so we can see their discussion.

Rev. Jim Wallis (editor of Sojourners Magazine) and Rev. Jerry Falwell (famous religious right guy) will appear "live" tonight on CNN's popular television program "Anderson Cooper 360." The hour-long program airs at 7 p.m. EST, and the Wallis-Falwell segment is scheduled to run closer to 7:30 p.m. Please check your local listings for more information.

Another Busy Semester

2004-09-01T07:34:00.000-05:00

For those who have gotten use to my almost daily posts this summer, I must apologize. School has just started and is a bit busier than I expected. I no longer have days filled with boredom and inefficiency that drive me to my blog.

This semester I am revisiting Greek for the first time since the fall semester of my senior year at Lipscomb. We are translating most of the book of John this semester. It is hard, but not as hard as I expected. Apparently the good Drs. Moss and Goldman gave me a nice Grecian foundation. I am also taking Advance Restoration History and Christian Ethics. Advanced Restoration History will be a challenging course as we explore the intellectual history of the Stone-Campbell movement, which has birthed my home Church tribe, Churches of Christ. It will be a challenge digging through the good and the bad of our history, learning from our mistakes while reclaiming the beauty of our history. Christian Ethics will also be a challenge for me. While I consider myself to be a somewhat ethical person, this class will challenge me to think deeper about my faith and how it relates to society. I know many of my beliefs will be thought through and challenged.

As for you, my beloved blog readers, I will keep you up to date on my happenings. As I am being challenged by ideas this semester, I will share them with you. I do appreciate your kindness and support as we struggle together to make sense of our Christian faith. And thanks to those who gave me encouragement last week. Things are looking better at church. We are still trucking along and not letting anything stop us. Blessings.

Learning from the Man who Chewed Me Out Last Night in the Middle of the Class I Was Teaching

2004-08-26T10:20:00.000-05:00

Last night a man chewed me out at my church. The best thing about it was how he chose to do it in the middle of the Bible class that I was teaching. Let me explain.

I'm not the most direct teacher. Being taught by preaching professors such as John York and Tim Sensing and reading the likes of Fred Craddock and David Buttrick, I was taught to preach and teach inductively. If you were to hear one of my sermons or classes, you would not discover an outright, direct statement of my purpose. I like to sneak up on my point. I like for others to discover the lesson's focus as I discovered it in my own study. Instead of blatantly walking through the front door, I like to sneak around and enter through the back door or the window or the doggy door or the chimney. This is the way I was taught; to not lay it all out in the beginning, but direct your listeners through a journey that will lead them to, what Eugene Lowry calls, an "Aha moment" of discovery.

Apparently, one of the older brothers at my church does not appreciate such inductive methods. On one occasion he confronted me after class and told me he could have taught the whole first chapter of Philippians in the time it took me to do the introduction. But never has he, or anybody, told me in the middle of class exactly how they felt.

This semester at Treadaway I am teaching the Wednesday night class about "the nature and function of scripture." We are going through my version of ACU Press' God's Holy Fire. Treadaway is a predominately African-American church with a growing number of white college students attending. I have been one of the few white males to become actively involved in the leadership of the church.

Last night I was talking about the importance of story, trying to get us to understand scripture as the story of the Divine's relationship with humanity. I began by talking about the importance of story for our own lives (that’s the window I crawled through), how simple stories such as Star Wars and Back to the Future can shape impressionable 1980's children like myself. I talked about Seinfield and the main characters' lack of having a real defining story to live by. I talked about the church’s story, which, unbeknownst to many CoCers, includes folks like Martin Luther, Ulrich Zwingli, Thomas Aquinas, Anthanasius, and Justin Martyr. I then talked about the importance of the story of Israel for Jews and Christians. I did a Walter Brueggemann move and pointed out that the way Israel chose to describe their God was through story. The adjectives that they used about God were not, "Omnipotent, Omniscience and Omnipresent." Instead, they described God as loving, gracious, righteous and just--words that point to actions. God is loving because God rescued Israel from Egypt. He is gracious because he kept his promise to Abraham.

Apparently I made two women mad at the beginning of all this, because, after distracting me with their whispers, they left after about 5 minutes of my class. 5 minutes later was when the brother in the back interrupted me. After politely raising his hand, this is the gist of what he said to me:

"You are boring people. What are you talking about? We are supposed to be talking about studying scripture. What does this have to do with that? How does what you are saying have anything to do with what you talked about last week? You are putting people to sleep…"

This carried on for several minutes while I tried my darnedest to pull things together. There were scared looks on the faces of our visitors. Marti's heart skipped a beat. I did my best to hold back my anger. After finally getting him to shut-up, I continued with class. The class perked up, determined to prove this man wrong--they did care about what I was saying and were determined all the more to get something out of class. Several people made comments about how interesting things were and how important my lesson was to them. One lady even asked us to pray that we would be open-minded and not think that things were boring.

After class, the man apologized to me, which I greatly appreciated, followed by his reasons for not liking my teaching style. But the damage had already been done. Our visitors and returning college students were confronted with hatefulness and rudeness from a resident member. Jerry and Walter, our two ministers who were absent from the class, discussed the situation with me after class. We explored the reasons why this guy would have done such a thing. We were determined to get to the bottom of this and root out whatever it was so that the Gospel would not be hindered.

We discussed issues of race--did some of the members of Treadaway look down on me because I was a white man teaching in a black church? We discussed issues of age--were some of the resident members upset because of the young people who are "taking over" the church? (On any given Sunday and Wednesday, there are always a lot more college students at church than resident members.) And of course there are issues about my teaching style--to many, if the teacher or preacher is not blatantly studying a passage from the Bible, they are not truly a Bible teacher.

This experience is opening my eyes to the hardships of ministry. I know some of you veteran ministers who are reading have had many experiences like this--some even in the middle of Communion! I have never had such experiences. Treadaway is offering me a world of experiences. I am learning what it means to be in the minority and to, at times, be judged by the color of my skin. I am learning that many people will not agree with the method, style or content of my preaching. I am learning the importance of continuing to teach the gospel in spite or resistance, modeling in my teaching and life the reconciliation that must result when Christ is preached.

I will continue to teach my Wednesday night class. I will continue to worship at Treadaway. I will continue to greet this brother every time I see him and try to understand where he is coming from. We are even in talks about getting me hired as another part-time minister at Treadaway; that is, if we can find the support and money to do so--the former which may have been complicated as of last night and the later of which is difficult because we are a poor church. I've been told by my professors and mentors that ministry is not easy. I've been told that churches are full of broken people, and that's all God ever promised us to work with. We are all clay pots. Last night I was reminded of this. Not everyone appreciates me the way my wife appreciates me. Not everyone is able to have their beliefs challenged and explored the way I am. Not everyone sees everyone in the same light. I know my learning experience is not over; there are more challenges ahead. Until then, I will keep blogging and keep being myself and doing what I know I should do, praying that through the grace of God I can be used in the reconciling message of the Gospel.

iPod

2004-08-23T14:41:00.000-05:00

My iPod is here and working beautifully. Also (Chris) my accessories are here as well so that I can use it wirelessly in my car through my radio.

I don't understand how I used to manage, having to carry around a HUGE walkman or discman to listen to music portably. This is much better. Now, if only I could find my text books in audio book form. Then I could download them to the iPod and count this whole thing as a "school expense."

Begin Again

2004-08-23T07:49:00.000-05:00

School officially starts for us ACU GST students today. To tell you the truth, I am ready. I am a theological nerd who craves sitting in class for three hours at a time, taking notes and talking about stuff that would bore most regular human beings to tears. And the best thing is, since I have a blog, I'll get to share some of these wonderful insights I learn in my classes with you, so that you, my reader, will have the chance to be bored to tears.

I wanted to drop a quick link and send you to Dave Barry's report on the Olymipics. He's been giving up to date journaling on the events of the Olympics since they began. He has also reported from the recent Democratic National Convention and will be at the Republican National convention soon.

Check it out

A quote:
If there are two words that, over the centuries, have become virtually synonymous with the phrase ''Olympic Games,'' those two words are ``beach volleyball.''

This exciting sport got its start in ancient Greece, when some ancient Greeks found an inflated goat bladder on a beach and had the idea of hitting it across a net. Fortunately, they realized that this would be disgusting, so they used a volleyball instead, which is why today the sport is called ''beach volleyball'' instead of ''beach goat bladder.'' (Although beach goat bladder has been accepted as an Olympic sport for the 2008 Games, along with ballroom dancing, lawn darts, bathroom remodeling and Go Fish.)

Troubles with Walmart

2004-08-20T10:15:00.000-05:00

For many years I have regularly shopped at Walmart. Lately I have grown to HATE the store. My distaste for the "Low Price Leader" has centered around how crowded it always is. Every time I go to Abilene's only Super Walmart the aisles are filled with 85% of all West Texas residents along with boxes full of new products waiting to be placed on the shelf. Slowly, though, my hatred towards America's largest employer has become less personal and more righteous indignation.

I remember, when I was younger, many in my church boycotted Kmart because they owned Walden Books who sold pornography. A coworker of mine is currently writing a letter to Dallas Morning News because they have apparently posted an add to Playboy magazine. I have heard of boycotts of Disney World for allowing "Gay Day", Levis for supporting the Boy Scouts inclusion of gay troop leaders, and of the Dixie Chicks because they exercised their American right to speak out against the President. One thing I have never heard in our churches is a boycott against an employer for its unethical practices.

Walmart has been in the news lately for several injustices. They are currently being sued by 1.5 million women in the largest sexual discrimination suit to date. Hundred's of thousands of their employees are making wages that places them below the poverty level. They are accused of inhumane practices in their international factories. For many years they have been accused of driving local businesses out of business by moving in their huge Super Centers with low prices that the average business owner cannot compete with. They often cover up their accusations by advertising their community service, and there are signs all over their stores now and many commercials letting us know how good they are for our communities. My question is, if you were really good for your community, would you need to spend so much money telling us about it?

I love Sojourners Magazine, obviously. They are an organization committed to engaging Christians in their world, calling us to stand up for injustice in whatever forms it appears in our world. For a while now they have been expressing concerns over Walmart, calling Christians to think about their shopping practices in terms other than where can they find the greatest bargain. Here's an excerpt from a recent article:

Wal-Mart's power comes with responsibility to pay just wages. With hundreds of thousands of Wal-Mart employees below poverty-level income, corporate contributions to community and charity are not enough.

Wal-Mart expects to reap $1 billion in sales of "Christian" merchandise in 2003, only the doorstep of a much larger market. Evidently, Christians are shopping at Wal-Mart. But what are we buying, when a dollar saved in the store is another dollar squeezed from the life of "one of the least of these?"

Preachers and Sunday school teachers need to be asking Christians more about what our dollars support, and in Wal-Mart's case, who's paying for consumer "savings." A favorite preacher of mine says, "If you want to know what people care about, look in their checkbook" (or Visa statement, as the case may be). Our purchases ought to reflect deeper values than just "always low prices." Christians have asked Wal-Mart for cleaner magazine and CD content. Perhaps it's time to demand cleaner corporate character as well.
You should read the whole article.

Marti and I are on the verge of never shopping at Walmart again. I write this, not to tell you that all good Christians should boycott Walmart, but to cause us to think through how our faith impacts the way we live in the world. There are more important things than saving money on groceries. Christians are called to act out against injustice, to be a voice for the voiceless, and to offer a helping hand to those stuck in the cycle of poverty. If Christianity is, as I have argued, a way of life, then we need to ask ourselves, "How does this way of life reflect itself in how and where I spend my money?"

Christianity as a Way of Life

2004-08-18T12:21:00.000-05:00

We've been discussing political issues on the blog for the last few posts. I have been encouraged by the exchange. While reading some of the comments I began thinking about the nature of Christianity. When did Christianity become a set of beliefs to be adhered to? For many, Christianity is about what you believe about the inspiration of scriptures, the role of women, and the use of instruments in worship. Political issues such as the justness of war, taking care of the environment, abortion, and gay marriage become tests for seeing if one is a true follower of Christ. Christianity is definitely about believing something, but it cannot be reduced to simple belief. If a Christian is not being transformed into the image of Christ, they have missed the point of Christianity. If, however, they are being transformed into the image of Christ, I don't think the particulars of their list of theological and political beliefs matter that much.

Ultimately one's stance on abortion or the role of women in the church will not save. Salvation is not about getting doctrine correct, dotting every i and crossing every t. Salvation occurs when one becomes a different person. Christianity is a way of life that transforms the believer into Christ-likeness. The road you takes towards transformation may be different than my particular road. Your journey may lead you to embrace different beliefs and doctrines than my journey will. But ultimately, no matter the particulars, we are still on the same journey. We are still headed towards Christ, still trying to look more and more like him every day.

As we debate doctrine and political ideology, let us not forget that one's conclusions on certain issues will not determine if one is or is not saved. If you believe in Jesus and have pointed your life towards him, let us travel this journey together, benefiting from our own unique paths while we press on towards the same goal.

"Evangelical Christianity Has Been Hijacked"

2004-08-18T10:12:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Wade Hodges for this link.

I found this Beliefnet interview with Tony Campolo to be very good.

'Evangelical Christianity Has Been Hijacked': An Interview with Tony Campolo

The interview touches on several of the issues we have discussed on this blog. The more I hear and read Tony, the more I love the guy. While I don't agree with all of his positions, I respect him for his honesty and courage to say what many people are scared to say. His stance on certain issues has caused him grief in the past. I remember when I was in High School he got uninvited to Youth In Action because of his views on homosexuality, most of which at the time were simply rumors. I wonder how many more uninvites are coming his way with the release of his new book?

An Exerpt:
Well, there's a difference between evangelical and being a part of the Religious Right. A significant proportion of the evangelical community is part of the Religious Right. My purpose in writing the book was to communicate loud and clear that I felt that evangelical Christianity had been hijacked.

When did it become anti-feminist? When did evangelical Christianity become anti-gay? When did it become supportive of capital punishment? Pro-war? When did it become so negative towards other religious groups?

Read More...

Cave in Israel linked to John the Baptist

2004-08-17T11:56:00.000-05:00

Interesting...

USATODAY.com - Cave in Israel linked to John the Baptist

Enjoying Java City

2004-08-17T09:45:00.000-05:00

This morning I am skipping work and enjoying Abilene's new "Java City" coffee shop (I do have work I'm doing). The great thing about Java City: wireless internet access. As I sip on my overpriced, flavored coffee drink, I can also enjoy my glorious iBook. There's one think about Java City that has me stumped: what's with the Spanish music? I will say this, though: you haven't listened to music until you've heard Spanish rap. Now that's some quality stuff.

In other news, thanks to the money the Presbyterians gave me for preaching, generous Birthday gifts from my family and family-in-law, my wife's permission and Apple's educational discount, I have purchased myself an iPod. It's a good day.

*** Java City Update
11:33 am: The radio has now been changed to 80s music. I'm not sure, but I think I just heard Bette Midler.

God is not a Republican or a Democrat

2004-08-16T15:43:00.000-05:00

Sojourner's has put together this thoughtful petition to encourage Christians not to make God into the image of their political party. Many thoughts I have been weighing this election are expressed in the petition.

These leaders of the Religious Right mistakenly claim that God has taken a side in this election, and that Christians should only vote for George W. Bush.

We believe that claims of divine appointment for the President, uncritical affirmation of his policies, and assertions that all Christians must vote for his re-election constitute bad theology and dangerous religion.

We believe that sincere Christians and other people of faith can choose to vote for President Bush or Senator Kerry - for reasons deeply rooted in their faith.

We believe all candidates should be examined by measuring their policies against the complete range of Christian ethics and values.

We will measure the candidates by whether they enhance human life, human dignity, and human rights; whether they strengthen family life and protect children; whether they promote racial reconciliation and support gender equality; whether they serve peace and social justice; and whether they advance the common good rather than only individual, national, and special interests.
Read the rest of the petition.

Understanding All Sides of the Debate over Gay Marriage

2004-08-16T10:04:00.000-05:00

Being a truth-seeker means that one is not afraid to genuinely listen to opinions that differ from one's own. It means that one is willing to hear the other side of the story, listen to all sides of the debate, and make an informed judgment based on what one has learned.

A hot topic in our nation today is gay marriage. This issue is fueled with many emotions. It is both defended and argued against by scripture. Some people see allowing gay marriage as the next big step towards the moral decline of American society. Others see allowing gay marriage as a needed step in promoting equality and justice for all people, virtues they believe God desires for his creation. The debate is far from over. Society, as well as churches, is almost certainly promised further polarization and even division before some resolution is made.

In my small piece of virtual real estate in blogdom, I want to do my best to promote what has been called by my professor Fred Aquino "Informed Judgment". I want to entertain both sides of issues. This does not mean that I am not free from my biases. I am sure you have discovered my biases as I have discovered yours. My goal is not to create a bias-free world (an impossibility), but to create an environment on this blog where readers can hear various opinions, offer their agreements and objections, and learn from one another as we all seek to be God's ambassadors in this world.

In light of this "mission statement", I offer to you a take on gay marriage that you may not have thought of. I was intrigued when I read this article this morning. It is an op-ed piece from the NY Times, written by a gay man. (Yes, I know. Not the NY Times again. I promise I do read several other papers, I just love some of the opinion pieces of the NY Times.) I will paste the entirety of this article below, so that those who are not subscribers to the free daily email can still read and participate in discussion. I welcome your thoughts on this piece, both in agreement for and opposition to what the author has presented. I, and others, may challenge what you write, but it will only be done in a spirit of truth-seeking, as we all seek to have informed judgment about the issues important in our world.
Imperfect Unions
By JONATHAN RAUCH

Washington -- What happened to Governor McGreevey - that is, James E. McGreevey, the Democratic governor of New Jersey, who announced his resignation on Thursday because he was secretly gay and had "shamefully" conducted an extramarital affair - was strange, to say the least. Pundits wondered whether there would be broader ramifications for gay civil rights, same-sex marriage or American politics. I doubt it. A rich and seemingly unique concatenation of homosexuality, adultery, suspicions of political featherbedding, and rumors of extortion and sexual harassment made the McGreevey scandal look like an aberration.

What happened to Mr. McGreevey - the man, not the governor - was not strange at all. It was familiar to almost every gay American of Mr. McGreevey's generation. Marriage, not homosexuality, lies at the heart of it.

Mr. McGreevey is 47. I am 44. We have in common being among the early members of the post-Stonewall generation. We came of age in the 1970's, when overt expressions of anti-gay animus were becoming unacceptable in polite company. The worst of official repression was past. Vice-squad raids and scandalous arrests and federal witch hunts were not central fears in our lives. There was still plenty of unofficial discrimination and ugly and ignorant rhetoric, and we all feared the low-grade terrorism known as gay-bashing. But on the whole we were free, as no previous generation had been, to get on with our lives.

There was one thing, however, we knew we could never aspire to do, at least not as homosexuals. We could not marry.

By that I mean not just that gay couples could not marry. Self-acknowledged gay people - coupled or single, adult or adolescent, open or closeted - also could not hope to marry. The very concept of same-sex marriage had yet to surface in public debate. We grew up taking for granted that to be homosexual was to be alienated and isolated, not just for now but for life, from the culture of marriage and all the blessings it brings.

Social-science research has established beyond reasonable doubt that marriage, on average, makes people healthier, happier and financially better off. More than that, however, the prospect of marriage shapes our lives from the first crush, the first date, the first kiss. Even for people who do not eventually choose to marry, the prospect of marriage provides a destination for love and the expectation of a stable home in a welcoming community.

The gay-marriage debate is often conducted as if the whole issue were providing spousal health insurance and Social Security survivors' benefits for existing same-sex couples. All of that matters, but more important, and often overlooked, is the way in which alienation from marriage twists and damages gay souls. In my own case, I did not understand and acknowledge my homosexuality until well into adulthood, but I somehow understood even as a young boy that I would probably never marry. (Children understand marriage long before they understand sex or sexuality.) I coped by struggling for years to suppress every sexual and romantic urge. I convinced myself that I could never love anybody, until the strain of denial became too much to bear.

Others coped differently. Some threw themselves into rebellion against marriage and the bourgeois norms it seemed to represent. Some, to their credit, built firmly coupled gay lives without the social support and investment that marriage brings. And some, determined to lead "normal" lives (meaning, largely, married lives), married.

At what point Mr. McGreevey realized and acknowledged he was gay I don't know. I do know that many gay husbands begin by denying and end by deceiving. Perhaps that was so in his case.

Opponents of same-sex marriage sometimes insist that gays can marry. Marriage, they say, isn't all about sex. It can be about an abstinent, selfless love. Well, as Benjamin Franklin said, where there is marriage without love there will be love without marriage. I'm always startled when some of the same people who say that gays are too promiscuous and irresponsible to marry turn around and urge us into marriages that practically beg to end in adultery and recklessness.

For most human beings, the urge to find and marry one's other half is elemental. It is central to what most people regard as the good life. Gay people's lives are damaged when that aspiration is quashed, of course. Mr. McGreevey can probably attest to that. But so are the lives of spouses, of children. Mr. McGreevey can probably attest to that, too.

The country is still making up its mind about same-sex marriage. Massachusetts has it. Most states have pre-emptively banned it. On Thursday, the California Supreme Court invalidated about 4,000 same-sex marriages performed by the city of San Francisco, but gay-marriage advocates hope that this is a temporary setback. Through litigation now working its way through the system, California's highest court may yet overturn the state's gay-marriage ban.

The McGreevey debacle suggests why all Americans, gay and straight alike, have a stake in universalizing marriage. The greatest promise of same-sex marriage is not the tangible improvement it may bring to today's committed gay couples, but its potential to reinforce the message that marriage is the gold standard for human relationships: that adults and children and gays and straights and society and souls all flourish best when love, sex and marriage go together. Nothing will ever make the discovery of homosexual longings easy for a young person. But homosexuality need not mean growing up, as Jim McGreevey and I and many others did, torn between marriage and love.

Jonathan Rauch is the author of "Gay Marriage: Why It Is Good for Gays, Good for Straights and Good for America."

The Journey towards Truth

2004-08-13T14:24:00.000-05:00

We live in a polarized time. The dividing lines have been drawn. By a few probing questions, one's political allegiances, religious affiliations and views on all the "hot issues" can be discovered. Once one realizes the other's affiliation, arguments begin.

"How could you be a democrat, don't you know that democrats stand for this issue."

"A republican, are you kidding? Republicans care nothing about this issue."

"How could you in your right mind be a Catholic? You know, the Pope's Catholic."

"You support gay-marriage. Haven't you read the Bible!"

Battle lines are drawn, arguments ensue and dialogue never happens.

I want to be different. I'd rather learn from you than argue with you. Maybe I am too postmodern (whatever the hell that means), but I am more interested in the pursuit of truth. Contrary to popular belief, postmoderns do care about truth. Sure, there may be some out there who think truth is relative, but my experience is to the contrary. We want truth; we just don't want your version of truth.

I am not interested in a party line, "this is what you must believe or else" truth. I want truth in all its beautiful forms. You can tell me all day why the Democratic Party is wrong and it won't faze me a bit. I'd rather see why they are right; what about their party is true and good. You can tell me all day that Catholicism is wrong and dangerous (I have even heard the word "cult" used about the tradition). I'd rather learn from the beauty and mystery that Catholicism has to teach me. You can even tell me that Buddhism is a false religion, Islam is anti-Christian and Judaism is null and void after Christ. I'd still rather learn from these religions, exploring them to find out what they contribute to the discussion of life.

If we are really interested in truth, we need to look for truth in all its many hideouts. Truth is not found simply in one group and one ideology. If God, the Creator of the cosmos, is true, then truth must be scattered throughout the world. All of existence must be saturated with truth. Yes, I believe that Christianity is true. Yes, I believe that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. I believe in God, the Father Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord... (You know the rest of the Apostle's Creed, or do you). My belief in Christianity, however, does not negate everything about everything that is not Christianity. Call it postmodern. Call it new age. Call it "being tossed and fro by every wave of doctrine". I am pursuing truth.

Because I want truth, I want to listen to your opinions. I want you to disagree with me and challenge me, so long as you let me do the same for you. My pursuit of truth will cause me to ask questions that make some uneasy. I might question the norms and traditions of my family or my church. That doesn't mean I disregard everything about my upbringing and tradition. It only means I am unwilling to be handed someone else's "truth". I must discover truth for myself. I am not being relative here. I am not saying, "I know what's true and right for me, and you know what's true and right for you." I am simply saying that truth is something I must personally discover on my own journey.

God has given us intellects. He has graced us with the ability to think, reason, explore, question and doubt. If he did not intend for us to use these capabilities, then he would not have blessed us with them. Let us use our God-given abilities to learn from one another instead of isolate one another. Let us not be afraid to celebrate the goodness and truth that we find in unlikely places while holding on to the truth that we hold dear. Let us not be scared to dialogue with those with whom we radically disagree, both learning from one another and challenging one another at the same time. And let's not get so upset when I may suggest things and discuss things that you may not agree with. Remember, I am on a quest that is not yet complete. It may take me to some strange places, but hopefully, in the end, I will have a healthy grasp of the Divine truth that permeates our world. Would you join me in the journey?

Julia Child Dies

2004-08-13T10:46:00.000-05:00

I just got this breaking news from USA Today:
NEW YORK - Julia Child, whose warbling, encouraging voice and able hands
brought the intricacies of French cuisine to American home cooks through
her television series and books, died in her sleep three days before what
would have been her 92nd birthday.

I never watched Julia Child, but my good friend Chardon used to do an impression of her that cracked us all up. Me and Chardon would do a Swedish Chef meets Julia Child skit. It was a lot of fun. Tammy, if you are reading, do you remember us doing this? Reading this news made me think of Chardon, who died from cancer a few years ago. Chardon was a good friend with whom I have shared many fond memories.

I Used to Love Mr. T

2004-08-12T16:15:00.000-05:00

Greg's 1980's Pop Culture Pop Quiz got me thinking about my old 1980's toys. One of my favorite toys was a doll of Mr. T. It was the coolest toy, complete with gold jewelry and long, turquoise, removable earrings. Actually, I think my Grandma might have given me this doll. If my mom is reading, maybe she can help me out on this one. I don't know why I blog about this. I just has a random memory that I thought I'd share. Besides, I had nothing else to blog about today. I think my brain is gone on vacation these last few weeks before school starts.

In other news, I have the opportunity to preach at a Presbyterian Church this Sunday (which, as a matter of fact, is the day after my birthday). I will let you know how it goes. Mike preached at the same church a few weeks ago and here are his thoughts on the experience. Thanks to Kevin for the opportunity.

Breast-Feeding in Public

2004-08-11T11:03:00.000-05:00

Yes, I know. This is not your typical discussion topic. But I read this piece from the Washington Post and thought I'd pass it along.

Do Me a Favor, Keep a Lid on Your Double Latte.

The latest assault on the right to a peaceful cup of Joe comes courtesy of Lorig Charkoudian, a Silver Spring woman who not only wants to breast-feed her daughter at Starbucks whenever she likes but expects me to avert my eyes or leave if I don't share her enthusiasm for double breast milk latte. It's not enough that a new Maryland law supports her right to lactate in public -- no, she wants Starbucks to issue a nationwide corporate policy supporting her position.

Speaking for the school of not letting it all hang out, let me say: Don't. Please, please please. Just don't.
Read More.

Ed Needs Help

2004-08-11T09:23:00.000-05:00

Ed is contemplating a new ministry. Through a recent community outreach at his church, he has been asking if his church could do more for the poor in their community. For several years they have participated in Financial Peace University, and he is curious if such a ministry that teaches fiscal responsibility could be done with those stuck in poverty.

He needs your help. He wants to know if any of my readers have any ideas about how such a ministry could be done. If you have any thoughts or any experience with such a ministry, stop by his blog and give him your ideas. Visit his two posts: How Do We Help the Poor and Who Are They? and How Do I/We Help the Poor?. I left a LONG comment on How Do We Help the Poor and Who Are They?. Thanks for helping Ed out.

Super Size Me

2004-08-10T15:28:00.000-05:00

Last night Marti, Jeremy Loy and I went to see the documentary Super Size Me. It was a very informative romp through the dangers of eating at McDonald's. I have never been in love with McDonald's, but I do enjoy a Quarter-Pounder everynow in then with a big ole box of french fries. After this movie, I doubt I will ever eat at McDonald's again.

The documentary is about the 30-day McDonald's only diet the writer/director Morgan Spurlock embarks on. He successfully shows the public the damage eating this food can do to your body. His doctors told him that if he kept this diet up he would soon be dead. The most intriguing find in the movie was the damage the McDonald's only diet did to his liver. They compared his liver's condition to what it would look like if he went on a 30-day drinking binge. I don't think I will be eating fast food anytime soon (except Subway).

Below is a description of the movie from their website. You should go and see it. Just don't make the mistake we did and eat at Wendy's right before you see it as we did. My "Mushroom Bacon Classic Combo" was not sitting well.

Why are Americans so fat? Find out in Super Size Me, a tongue in-cheek - and burger in hand -- look at the legal, financial and physical costs of America's hunger for fast food.

Ominously, 37% of American children and adolescents are carrying too much fat and 2 out of every three adults are overweight or obese. Is it our fault for lacking self-control, or are the fast-food corporations to blame?

Filmmaker Morgan Spurlock hit the road and interviewed experts in 20 U.S. cities, including Houston, the "Fattest City" in America [note from Travis: Since production, Denver has replaced Houston as the "Fattest City" in America]. From Surgeon Generals to gym teachers, cooks to kids, lawmakers to legislators, these authorities shared their research, opinions and "gut feelings" on our ever-expanding girth.

During the journey, Spurlock also put his own body on the line, living on nothing but McDonald's for an entire month with three simple rules:

1) No options: he could only eat what was available over the counter (water included!)
2) No supersizing unless offered
3) No excuses: he had to eat every item on the menu at least once

It all adds up to a fat food bill, harrowing visits to the doctor, and compelling viewing for anyone who's ever wondered if man could live on fast food alone.

The film explores the horror of school lunch programs, declining health and physical education classes, food addictions and the extreme measures people take to lose weight and regain their health.

Super Size Me is a satirical jab in the stomach, overstuffed with fat and facts about the billion-dollar industry besieged by doctors, lawyers and nutritionists alike. "Would you like fries with that?" will never sound the same!

And here's some facts for you:

These facts? Uh, Not So Fun.
* Each day, 1 in 4 Americans visits a fast food restaurant
* In 1972, we spent 3 billion a year on fast food - today we spend more than 110 billion
* McDonald's feeds more than 46 million people a day - more than the entire population of Spain
* French fries are the most eaten vegetable in America
* You would have to walk for seven hours straight to burn off a Super Sized Coke, fry and Big Mac
* In the U.S., we eat more than 1,000,000 animals an hour
* 60 % of all Americans are either overweight or obese
* One in every three children born in the year 2000 will develop diabetes in their lifetime
* Left unabated, obesity will surpass smoking as the leading cause of preventable death in America
* Obesity has been linked to: Hypertension, Coronary Heart Disease, Adult Onset Diabetes, Stroke, Gall Bladder Disease, Osteoarthritis, Sleep Apnea, Respiratory Problems, Endometrial, Breast, Prostate and Colon Cancers, Dyslipidemia, steatohepatitis, insulin resistance, breathlessness, Asthma, Hyperuricaemia, reproductive hormone abnormalities, polycystic ovarian syndrome, impaired fertility and lower back pain
* The average child sees 10,000 TV advertisements per year
* Only seven items on McDonald's entire menu contain no sugar
* Willard Scott was the first Ronald McDonald - he was fired for being too fat
* McDonald's distributes more toys per year than Toys-R-Us
* Diabetes will cut 17-27 years off your life
* McDonald's: "Any processing our foods undergo make them more dangerous than unprocessed foods"
* The World Health Organization has declared obesity a global epidemic
* Eating fast food may be dangerous to your health
* McDonald's calls people who eat a lot of their food "Heavy Users"
* McDonald's operates more than 30,000 restaurants in more then 100 countries on 6 continents
* Before most children can speak they can recognize McDonald's
* Surgeon General David Satcher: "Fast food is a major contributor to the obesity epidemic"
* Most nutritionists recommend not eating fast food more than once a month
* 40% of American meals are eaten outside the home
* McDonald's represents 43% of total U.S. fast food market

I think I'm going on a diet.

Reflecting on Hiroshima

2004-08-06T11:05:00.000-05:00

Fifty-nine years ago today, the United States became the first nation to use nuclear weapons in war, dropping the Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima.

President Truman on the bomb:

"It was to spare the Japanese people from utter destruction that the ultimatum of July 26, was issued at Potsdam. Their leaders promptly rejected that ultimatum. If they do not now accept our terms, they may expect a rain of ruin from the air the like of which has never been seen on this earth."

"The force from which the sun draws its power has been loosed against those who brought war to the Far East."

"That bomb had more power than 20,000 tons of TNT. It had more than 2,000 times the blast power of the British 'Grand Slam,' which is the largest bomb (22,000 pounds) ever yet used in the history of warfare."

"In their present form these bombs are now in production, and even more powerful forms are in development."

"I shall give further consideration and make further recommendations to the Congress as to how atomic power can become a powerful and forceful influence toward the maintenance of world peace."

"But more important for the long-range implications of this new weapon, is the possiblity that another scale of magnitude will be developed after considerable research and development. The scientists are confident that over a period of many years atomic bombs may well be developed which will be very much more powerful than the atomic bombs now at hand."

Read more: First Atomic Bomb Dropped on Japan; Missile Is Equal to 20,000 Tons of TNT; Truman Warns Foe of a 'Rain of Ruin'
-------------------------

A Poem from a Hiroshima Survivor:

We Shall Bring Forth New Life

It was night in the basement of a broken building.
Victims of the atomic bomb
Crowded into the candleless darkness,
Filling the room to overflowing -
The smell of fresh blood, the stench of death,
The stuffiness of human sweat, the writhing moans -
When, out of the darkness, came a wondrous voice.
"Oh! The baby's coming!" it said.
In the basement turned to living hell
A young woman had gone into labor!
The others forgot their own pain in their concern:
What could they do for her, having not even a match
To bring light to the darkness?
Then came another voice: "I am a midwife.
I can help her with the baby."
It was a woman who had been moaning in pain only moments before.
And so, a new life was born
In the darkness of that living hell.
And so, the midwife died before the dawn,
Still soaked in the blood of her own wounds.
We shall give forth new life!
We shall bring forth new life!
Even to our death.
------------------------------

Every year there is a gathering in Hiroshima to remember the atrocities of 59 years ago and work towards a peaceful future. The following are some exerpts from their "Peach Declaration" released today.

Peace Declaration
August 6, 2004

"Nothing will grow for 75 years." Fifty-nine years have passed since the August sixth when Hiroshima was so thoroughly obliterated that many succumbed to such doom. Dozens of corpses still bearing the agony of that day, souls torn abruptly from their loved ones and their hopes for the future, have recently re-surfaced on Ninoshima Island, warning us to beware the utter inhumanity of the atomic bombing and the gruesome horror of war.

Unfortunately, the human race still lacks both a lexicon capable of fully expressing that disaster and sufficient imagination to fill the gap. Thus, most of us float idly in the current of the day, clouding with self-indulgence the lens of reason through which we should be studying the future, blithely turning our backs on the courageous few.

As a result, the egocentric worldview of the U.S. government is reaching extremes. Ignoring the United Nations and its foundation of international law, the U.S. has resumed research to make nuclear weapons smaller and more "usable." Elsewhere, the chains of violence and retaliation know no end...

...Rekindling the memory of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we pledge to do everything in our power during the coming year to ensure that the 60th anniversary of the atomic bombings will see a budding of hope for the total abolition of nuclear weapons. We humbly offer this pledge for the peaceful repose of all atomic bomb victims.

For more information on the cost of war and the hope for peace, spend some time reflecting at the Hiroshima Peace Site

------------------------------

In completely unrelated news, Washington's Gift to Bomb Makers (New York Times).

An exerpt:

There is no bigger and more urgent threat to the security of every American than the possibility of nuclear bomb materials falling into the wrong hands. That is why it is astonishing, and frightening, that the Bush administration is now pushing to strip the teeth from a proposed new treaty aimed at expanding the current international bans on the production of weapons-grade uranium and plutonium. With talks on the new treaty set to begin later this year, the administration suddenly announced last week that it would insist that no provisions for inspections or verification be included.

Churchgoers Get Direction From Bush Campaign

2004-08-05T16:01:00.000-05:00

I know this is old news, but I just read it for myself. I am appalled. I don't care which political party is doing this, it is wrong. I'm not just picking on Bush/Chenney here. This is not the intention of the church. Perhaps we should contact Rick Warren and add a 6th purpose of the Church: Worship, Evangelism, Discipleship, Ministry, Fellowship, and Political Partisianship.

Read it for yourself and tell me what you think. Then replace Bush/Cheney with Kerry/Edwards and see if you feel the same way. For me, its appalling whichever party is doing it.

Churchgoers Get Direction From Bush Campaign (washingtonpost.com)

CIA Asks Bush to Discontinue Blog

2004-08-04T11:18:00.000-05:00

This is hilarious! Thanks to Greg for pointing me towards it.

CIA Asks Bush to Discontinue Blog

Remember friends, it's satire.

Lovey Dovey

2004-08-03T09:17:00.000-05:00

Two years ago today Marti and I were married. We started dating in December of our Senior Year. After about 5 months we were engaged in May 2002 and married in August of 2002. We had known each other for several years, but never considered dating one another. Well, that is not completely true. We had friends who would bug us at times and told us we should date, but we always responded with a "Date Marti?" or "Date Travis? You've got to be kidding." We are eating our words now and they taste good.

I love my wife very much and am blessed to have her. She brings out the best in me. She is my best friend and my lover. Tonight we will wine and dine together celebrating our special day. Then we will return to our apartment for evening festivities, the likes of which I cannot mention on a blog like this (I am anticipating the "Too much information" comments).

In other news: Stay tuned for the 24th anniversary of my birth on August 14th. Begin planning for it now by visiting my Amazon.com wish list. (Sorry. I know I'm shameless.)

I'm Proud of My Wife

2004-08-02T16:16:00.000-05:00

Just a quick post to let everyone out there know that I'm proud of my wife. Today, Marti began her first official day as the secretary for Rainbow Bible School. For the past 2 years she has taught in various preschool classes, including a year in the 2 year old class. When their past secretary put in her notice, Marti was the only person from the preschool whom they approached about taking over the secretary position. She will continue to have a 40 hour work week, but now she will get paid a few dollars more an hour and not have to deal with a room full of kids. She deserves this promotion since she's been working hard with little ones since we've been in Abilene.

I love my wife and am proud of her! (By the way, tomorrow is our 2nd anniversary. Congratulations to us.)

Isn't Lasagna Yummy?

2004-07-29T16:51:00.000-05:00

For those who were wondering, the pictures of Jesus in my title bar above are all taken from various paintings of Rembrandt. I love Rembrandt! Thanks to Adobe for providing the 30-day free trial of Photo Shop that made my title bar a possibility.

An update on life: We had a great visit Tuesday night with our friends Chaz and Echo Vetter. They were passing through Abilene on their way to a Vetter family reunion. Echo is the daughter of our dear friends from Nashville, Glenn and Phyllis Hill. The Hills did all our premarital/sexual training stuff and Glenn preached our wedding. Marti and I practically lived at the Hills before we were married, so it was great visiting with Chaz and Echo again and catch up on our Nashville friends. We miss Nashville!

On a related note, I cooked dinner for the Vetters because my wife was busy working and I am an equal opportunity spouse. I made a spinach lasagna (who knew spinach was spelled with a "ch"? I sure sounds like spinage to me) all by myself. Before you are too amazed, it was quiet easy. All I had to do was follow a simple recipe and stick it in the oven. However even in its simplicity, I was scared I would mess the whole thing up. We had Papa John close at hand, just in case. I, however, triumphed over the lasagna and we had a great dinner that would have made Garfield, and my mom, proud.

Another New Look

2004-07-28T17:27:00.000-05:00

I've been teaching myself how to use HTML and here's what I've come up with so far. If it looks horrible or something displays funny on your browser, let me know. If you hate it or if you love it, let me know. Thanks.

A Few Things...

2004-07-26T09:56:00.000-05:00

1) Last week was VBS at our small church. We bussed in about 70 or so kids from area apartment complexs, feed them nightly and tried our best to show them the love of Christ. I had the opportunity to teach in both the 3rd/4th grade class with my wife and in the adult class. My wife is a good teacher! It was a good, but tiring experience. While we enjoyed it, I can't say we are ready to do it again anytime soon.

2) Free advice--if you can't get 3rd and 4th graders to pay attention to what you are doing at VBS, offer them sugary candy. Works like a charm.

3) Marti and I bought fish. We've had a fish bowl before, but the little guys kept dying off. Now we are the proud parents of 7 little goldfish and one little snail in our new 10 gallon aquarium. They are really cute kids. My favorites are the one who is missing his right eye and the goldfish who has big 'ole bubble cheeks that make him look like a hamster who has just packed his cheeks full of food. They are a lot of fun!

4) Check out Q's recent blog. Very interesting thoughts on the questions of God and women. Don't condemn her for her questions, but praise her for having the courage to ask questions that many of us will never ask. It has long been said that doubt is the road to faith. Questions are the language of faith. One who refuses to ask questions about their faith, refuses to have faith.

Leavened Bread vs. Unleavened Bread

2004-07-24T19:48:00.000-05:00

In the comments of the last post, Ed said the following:
When Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper, it was in the context of the Passover meal which from the begining in Egypt used unleavened bread and when the commemorative feast was instituted, it was even refered to as the feast of Unleavened Bread. Just a thought.

I thought this would be a question that would arise in this discussion. In light of it, I decided to post my response to Ed in a post instead of a comment. Hope you don't mind, Ed. Thanks for reading! And go check out Ed's recent post about unity in Churches of Christ. Interesting...

I understand the concerns related to the Passover. Unfortunately, the Gospel texts don't tell us when exactly Jesus instituted the Eucharistic meal. Jews were only required to eat unleavened bread for 8 days of Passover, and then they could eat whatever bread they desired. In Jewish sacrifices, leavened bread was used for thanksgiving offerings while unleavened bread was often used for repentance. The purpose of the Supper in the early church was one of thanksgiving, hence the name that it is given Eucharist, which is a form of the Greek word for thanksgiving.

We do not know what bread Jesus used that night. The writers of scripture did not see it important enough to include. What we do, however, know is it was indeed bread and wine that were used for holy purposes. Also, we do know that the early church, in both the east and the west, used leavened bread until the 9th century. The introduction of unleavened bread into the Latin Church worship was one of the causes of divisions between Western (Latin) and Eastern (Greek) Christianity. Today, the Eastern (or Orthodox) Church still uses leavened bread.

I think the lack of details in the Gospels points us beyond the specifics to the life-transforming act of the Eucharist itself. We too often get bogged down in the details (which the writers of scripture did not see important enough to include in their texts) and miss out on the purpose of the acts themselves. Participating in the Lord's Supper is not about getting a ritual correct, doing it at the correct time, in the correct way, with the correct elements. Participating in the Lord Supper is about unity, with Christ and with the Church. It is about thanksgiving. It is about participating in the death and resurrection of Christ. It is about including people at the table of the Lord. It is about becoming, ourselves, the body and blood of Christ in the world. Correct observance of the Lord's Supper is not found when it is done exactly right, according to detail, but when the actions change the life of the participant.

I found an article that might be helpful. It is a paper written on this very subject. I don't know who the author is, but it goes through a lot of the details and scripture and early Christian text related to the discussion. The article is apart of a website dedicated to the Orthodox Churches practice of baking "Prosphora", which is their holy leavened bread used in their Eucharistic services. Here's the article.