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i’m tired of not doing anything
I’ve been brooding on these thoughts of late. This post by Josh Brown didn’t really help at all.
I’ve been listening to the Sustainable Faith conference, and I’ve been somewhat thinking through my life and the sustainability of it. don’t see too many ways in which I can currently make my life more sustainable, yet I know my life is considerably “unsustainable.” We currently own two cars, I drive a truck which has over a year left on the lease, Becky drives a more modest pontiac g5, obviously when my lease is up I’ll be “downgrading” to something more environmentally friendly. What can I do there to help? I want to get some sort of motorcycle to commute as much as possible on, but certain members of my family (read: Becky) aren’t quite down with that idea.
We live the lives of crazy college kids with very little set free time. We both work 40 hour weeks, we both have three classes a week, we are both involved in a college group at our church, we’re both involved in leading 4th and 5th grade kids every week for our church. I basically have two nights a week free, what do I with them? I spend them either watching tv, playing video games, or going somewhere with Becky. What can I do there? How does one go about just going into Atlanta and hanging out with the homeless? How does that look? How do you start that?
I’m with a church that cares very little for anyone but themselves. This fact was confirmed by a staff member a few months back. It’s a sad fact but it’s true. I’m involved with a college ministry that essentially tries to emulate a glorified college “service” that broke up about a year ago. They may not admit to that straight up, but it’s decently obvious to at least Becky and me. How do I help that change? I have absolutely zero credibility in the department of “social justice” right now, other than voicing my opinions on it. How do I convince a group to join me on journey that I haven’t even truly started? Someone within the groups hierarchy stated that they didn’t want to mention beforehand when we do do those rare “service projects” because they were worried that attendance wouldn’t be so good that night. With that kind of view, how is change ever going to happen?
For a second here I’d like to make mention that I’m not looking to proselytize the group into coming with me, I want to show them that, hey, this is what I think Jesus was talking about here.
Back on topic.
Becky and I have a severe addiction to eating out. We’re either eating in the college foodcourt, eating fast food, or going to a sit down restaurant basically every night of the week. We’ve tried buying food to cook at home but we run into two problems: 1. We spend just as much (if not more) money eating at home than we do eating out, and as somewhat cash strapped people this is an issue. 2. When we do buy food at times it goes to waste because we either don’t have time to cook, or forget that it we even had the food to begin with. Then there’s the problem of us actually buying food, of course we’d love to grow our own, but how can we with our 12×20 back yard and a spare room that’s not really big enough for any sort of hydroponics system (that I know of at least- I’ll admit I’m not very knowledgeable in the area.)
Like I said- I’m tired of not doing anything, but I don’t know where to start. It’s all well and good to “be part of the conversation” but in the end that does absolutely nothing. If we’re not doing anything that we haven’t really changed.
One of my favorite quotes is: “You don’t believe what you believe, you believe what you do.”
On a lighter note: here’s a fun page I came across today.
Technorati Tags: social justice
my sad fears
So the emergent cohort for the Atlanta area meets tomorrow, but I don’t think I’m going to go.
Why? Because I’m a chicken.
I’m completely comfortable with online posting of my thoughts, listening to others thoughts and opinions, and on carrying conversations. But you get me in with a group of people I don’t really know and I don’t quite come out of my shell.
I can handle like one on one meetings well and stuff like that, but talking to groups of people I don’t know and so on is difficult for me. I’m rather nervous, never having met any of the people and such. It sounds silly, but for some reason it’s a grounded fear for me.
I think I can handle going to an emergent conference and meeting people there, but to me this seems like I’d be trying to “break” into a set group.
Anyways, I’ll let you know if I go or not. (and if I do- what I think)
Technorati Tags: emergent, cohort
questions
So I’m reading “The Divine Conspiracy” by Dallas Willard right now. All I can say is wow, this guy is deep. I’m seriously only on page 50 and he’s already made some pretty profound (well backed) statements. I’ll post up my complete thoughts on the book when I’m done (at the rate I’m reading it will probably be a few days— I want to let this one sink in a bit). But for now let me just emphasize: this guy knows his stuff.
Anyways, onto my questions, which by the way don’t have much to do with what I’m reading, but they’ve been bothering me for a while. Becky (the wife) and I had a conversation about this a few days ago and it’s still bugging me (and probably will bug me for a while).
1. Why is it that when Jesus talks about hell, he says essentially those going to hell are the ones who aren’t “doing” worthwhile things.
We’ve been taught a faith based on grace alone, yet the words of Jesus seemingly contradict it every time He talks about hell (not necessarily the kingdom of heaven, which is accessible to all and around us as He claims)
2. Why do I never hear Jesus taught in church, why do I always hear Paul?
Yes, I know a common subject in emergent/ing circles is this idea of Paulianty, but I have yet to hear an opinion from within the church on the topic. Sometimes I just want to scream some one please take a look at what your preaching.
3. We uphold the various councils that put together what we now know as the bible, I’m fine with that, but heres what I want to know: Why do we use 2 Tim 3:16 (All Scripture is God breathed) and Revelation 22:18-19 (If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.) to encompass the whole bible as it’s known today.
Paul probably wasn’t talking about his own letters when he said “All scripture is God breathed” in fact, he probably wasn’t talking about any of the new testament at all. And as it appears, John was only talking about his own writings in Revelation when he made his statement. Yet here we are 1900 years later saying that these two statements apply to the whole of the Bible as it is known today. Why?
4. Sometimes I wonder why we accept the fact that God hasn’t “spoken” in written form in 1900 years.
Like God’s words only come from the time period before Jesus and immediately after His death? Thats a bit silly and seemingly attempts to bind God. I’m sure we all feel like God speaks today (unless you’re a deist… then I can’t really understand what you think), yet how he speaks shouldn’t be held and cherished in the same way. I’m not advocating for a study of recent Christian texts in the same way as we study the Bible, but I am advocating a questioning of why we believe what we believe.
5. Why do people never question their beliefs?
I’ve found that recently I have been immensely less frustrated with those who don’t believe what I believe, and immensely more frustrated with those who believe what they believe only because it is what was taught to them. Especially when what they believe brings no passion to their lives.
6. What does God think about us?
Does he laugh at our silly idealizations of Him? Does He feel sorry for us as we truly don’t seem to be able to grasp him at all? Does He wish to reveal more of Himself to us but we stop Him because we don’t really want to know?
7. Why do we (I guess not all of us, but some people) feel that God calls us to standards which he doesn’t hold Himself to?
We’re called to forgive, yet we supposedly have a God who’s incapable of forgiving (yet He’s capable of all things? <– reconcile that). We’re called to continue pressing and loving those who reject us, yet God can’t get over rejection of Him? Why does this last question always come to the point of “God’s ways aren’t our ways.” Give me something better than that. If we’re created in the image of God, then our ways should conform to His ways. You’d figure the ways He gives us would be His ways. If that’s true then His way is to always forgive (seven times seventy anyone?), and quite a few people have got some things wrong over the past few years.
the separation
Edit: I miss-spelled separation and didn’t catch it before I posted, but now there are two trackbacks to this post so I don’t want to change the links, thus it will stay as is.
So many have seen the chart which evidently shows which members of e(E)mergent are outside of orthodoxy. The chart was created by C Michael Patton for his series “Would the Real Emerger Please Stand Up.” One caveat… I’ve never heard the term Emerger thrown around, emergent/emerging but never emerger…
Anyways, I just finished reading thought it and here are my (brief) thoughts:
Disclaimer: I understand that I am not doing full justice to the breadth of the essays, but I wanted to post my reactions none the less.
I think Patton does a decent job here. He makes mention of the fact that emergen-t/ing is not just confined to the authors/personalities that McArthur attacks in “Truth War.” He does defend his placement of D.A. Carson in the middle of orthodoxy by stating “D.A. Carson represents the best of traditional Evangelical scholarship,” this however has been questioned because lets face it, Evangelicalism has only been around for 150 years or so, and thus brought change to orthodoxy as it was known.
I severely dislike charts, graphs, circles, and lines. I think they tend to do more harm then good, but Patton uses them nonetheless so I’ll talk about them. What Patton shows here is probably one of the most fair and balanced overviews of Emergent that I have read from someone who isn’t fully part of emergent. There is no condemnation, which is a thing of beauty.
Patton claims to feel like part of emerging while still leaning towards evangelicalism, while someone on his final essay commented that he shouldn’t be considered emerging because he uses graphs and such. I would like to refute this statement with my whole being, I feel like Patton does a great job of adding a voice to the conversation. He offers no accusation nor attacks, just an overview.
He plainly states out his biases (evangelicalism) towards the end of the essays, which offers some insight as to why he views evangelicalism as the center of orthodoxy.
I’ve read several attacks of his posts, but I must say: We encourage conversation, we desire to hear from all voices on all issues (not just the ones we agree with) as long as those voices are spoken “softy” (as in without attack or condemnation).
Thus my encouragement to all who read is to take lightly his message, and respect it.
Thoughts?
t-shirt?
This one’s for fellow blogger (and podcaster <—plug) Josh Brown who’s been getting some flack over the past week or so. (Click- you can’t view from the main page)
re: facebook, (not)literal?
EDIT: The conversation has devolved into back and forth, thus comments have been closed. Thanks to all who participated.
A brief discussion was started on facebook regarding belief in a literal translation of the genesis account.
Here’s the comments on the topic, if you have something to add feel free to post it.
Bill C
No, Rob does not believe in a literal Genesis account. That’s the whole point of calling it a poem. You don’t take poems literally. This line of thinking fits nicely with the prevailing embrace of Evolutionism by the evangelical church in the West and is in line with Rob’s other personal teachings (”Everything is Spiritual” was referenced by someone else as an example of such a teaching).
I won’t post any links here so as not to stir up trouble, but I watched the video in its entirety, took notes, and wrote up a critique of it in a Facebook note as well as on my personal blog. Feel free to view my profile and/or contact me personally if you want to talk more.
Matt W
well, bill, i’m glad that you’re here to clear that up for us. I mean, where would facebook and Christianity be without the theology police patrolling the scenes, making sure everything is safe and doctrinally sound.
And just because someone refers to part of the bible as a poem, does not mean it is not true. The entire book of Song of Songs is a poem, and it can be taken literally, but you have to use the right hermeneutics when interpreting.
Bill C
Matt: are we not to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints? Is right doctrine (i.e. right thinking about who God is and what He does) not important? Surely Dr. Easley would contend that it is.
Matt S (thats me)
Bill C: Christians once refused to believe that the world was round and not the center of the universe, they were wrong then. If you have questions on the view of theistic evolution www.thankgodforevolution.com is a great place to start.
If you’d like to converse about my opinion feel free to send me a message.
Bill C
Matt Scott:
1. Do not confuse Roman Catholicism with biblical Christianity.
2. Galileo was persecuted by the Roman Catholic Church because he challenged the traditions of the Catholic Church (which it holds as equal in authority to Scripture). Interesting to note, the geocentric teachings of the Catholic Church were arrived at not through biblical exegesis, but by way of the pagan Aristotle. See Clement and Origen, both of Alexandria.
Matt S
Bill C:
And who are you to decide that Roman Catholics are not Christians?
Anyways, where is the hurt in reading the Genesis poem as a poem and not a literal interpretation?
Nate S
He has EVERY right to state Roman Catholics are not Christians… Acts 20:29, I Timothy 4:16, and Jesus Himself states it in Matthew 5:17! I’m not saying it is right to slash out at Roman Catholics, but if someone is teaching false doctrine we have EVERY right and before God should call them out!
Why read Genesis as literal? … because it IS literal. Study it yourself!
a white man’s world?
So there’s been some intense discussion over on Josh Brown’s site about emergent being a white man’s game, if you haven’t read through them I’d highly suggest reading all of the comments as there is plenty of insightful and good stuff in there (and some junk).
So this conversation got me thinking about how most of what I read is from some white guy and I don’t really stretch the boundaries much. In my defense I really want to read both “No Future Without Forgiveness” and “God Has a Dream” by Desmond Tutu, but other than those two books I hadn’t really considered reading books from “minority” authors.
This conversation mixed with a post by Andrew Martin on the differences between American and European focus really got me thinking about how I seem to only want to look at things that I think about. Meaning my focus is on things I know/care about and I tend to ignore important issues that I don’t know/care about.
So what’s the best way to get over this myopic view? Read things by authors outside of my “normal” realm.
Thus I’ve made a commitment to only read a white guy book after I’ve read and appreciated a book by another social/race/gender class than my own.
You might ask why 1-1, well I still want to learn and think about things that I can “relate” to, and I know there are some books coming down the pipe by guys that I already read and enjoy.
Hopefully this little experiment will expand my thinking and understanding to even greater heights than before. (I’m pretty sure it will)
Healthcare
I just finished watching Sicko, a documentary on health care, in which Michael Moore shows how pathetic (corrupt, a-moral) our American health care system is. It kind of hurts watching the documentary. Seriously.
I know that some of this has to be propaganda but my God, if even some of it is true (and I feel like most of it likely is) then what the hell are we doing? Becky and I were talking about how the documentary makes us want to move to a different country, but I’m curious as to how the systems actually work in “socialized” countries.
So I’d like to open up to two conversations… the first is anyones take on our american health care systems and what we can do to improve them.
and two… I have a few international readers (including someone from Zimbabwe- which is just awesome) and I want to get your take on your “socialized” health care systems.
Sicko
Watching sicko… I’ll post my thoughts when I’m done and processed it.
Wordpress
I’m gonna make another switch here in the next few days (already left .mac for blogger). I’ve been looking at wordpress here a bit lately and I think it’s the best choice in blogging systems. I basically hate the comment leaving system on blogspot, and I don’t like the annoying blue bar at the top of the screen, and there’s the other issue of the theme looking like complete crap.
So… if the sites down for a bit, hopefully I’ll have it back up quickly.
Reading: Irresistible Revolution.
Edit: Took stinkin’ longer than I thought it would… but we’re back. The style of the site will change a bit too so be patient. (Good?) Content with be forthcoming.