The Final Stretch

Ok...so over the course of the last 3.5 years, I have dedicated my life to semi-serious study of Youth Ministry, Theology, and Liberal Arts. I say "semi" because I've severely lacked the motivation and focus that I should have had during my time at my college. While I could point fingers and give a list of excuses and reasons for this that would compete with Schindler's (moderate exaggeration) ...I must look past all that, swallow my pride and say "I'm guilty." So what now?

As I begin my final semester of college, I reflect and see that I have grown and matured so much. I have gone on this long journey to find myself, and I have discovered a man that God has given life and divine breath...a man that God has gifted uniquely; designed to struggle and strive with reality and with himself...as well as with God...but there is grace. In my falling short, God gives me strength and direction. Right now God is shifting me out of my comfort, and convicting me of my sin...my pride. ]

I have the opportunity to do a lot in this world, to look past my own minuscule plans and realize that God has a few plans of His own that are going to override mine. To resist this might result in my being swallowed by an enormous fish for a period of time, or even lead me to an early grave. In my referencing Jonah...I'm not in any way designating me the role of a prophet. No, that is hardly my role in this world. But God has given me gifts and desires to go into this world and be a light, to be His disciple and be an example to the World of who Christ is.

My desire is to not waste the years that God has laid out for me...to see God's world and to see His creation, but to also teach those uneducated in the ways of Christ, to ease the pain of those who suffer, to show love to the hurting, and to be a leader to those who cannot lead themselves. To help bring reunification to the holy catholic (small "c"-Universal) Church that has been ravaged by theological wars and petty differences.

I can't sit in this anymore and just let the world pass me by! May God give me strength and wisdom and lead me to do His will through all circumstances and events of life. May I decrease and He increase.

"I Hate Religion..."

Recently, there has been a particular Youtube video that has appeared on my facebook a great number of times. The video is called, "Why I Hate Religion, but Love Jesus." Personally I find such a statement very contradictory, but they are not coming from an accurate understanding of the word "religion." I do not say this to be arrogant (as many may accuse me of due to the previous statement, and no it's not called "judging" either). Instead, I simply saying that I have done some reading and spent time in conversations with people to the point that I have come to the conclusion that the vast majority of Christians that I know (particularly those of the South) do not understand the word and therefore use it incorrectly...and even in a derogatory way. For those interested in seeing what I'm talking about, here is the link to the video on Youtube ===>

I am sure that there are many reasons why one might have this conception of reality. One might be upbringing; we all know that family has a major influence in the way we think and the way we act. Another might be false accusations and/or teaching that one has received from his or her own church. A third reason might be one's inability to approach the holy text in a proper and professional manner as to be able to view the scriptures accurately and critically. The last possible reason that comes to mind is that it is merely the lashing out of a small immature child trapped inside the body a young adult  who was hurt or offended by "religion" and simply wants to rant about it while maintaining the status of Christian (not that I think this is the case with this young man here...but it could be true).

I would have to say that I definitely interpret the actions of Jesus just a little bit differently than the man in the video that I have linked above. Like so many I have met, this guy claims that Jesus came to destroy religion. Now...did I miss the scripture that says that??? Granted, I fail in my dedication to reading the Bible, but wasn't it in the book of James (pretty close to the end) where it is taught that true religion is taking care of the widow and the orphan? Religion in it's raw essence means "faith lived out", not "rules and salvation requirements for life." In fact, if you go to Dictionary.com (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/religion) and look up the word you will find the following definitions for the word "religion."

They are as follows:
Religion- noun

1.

a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purposeof the universe, especially when considered as the creationof a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involvingdevotional and ritual observances, and often containing amoral code governing the conduct of human affairs.

2.

a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generallyagreed upon by a number of persons or sects: the Christianreligion; the Buddhist religion.

3.

the body of persons adhering to a particular set of beliefsand practices: a world council of religions.

4.

the life or state of a monk, nun, etc.: to enter religion.

5.

the practice of religious  beliefs; ritual observance of faith.

6.

something one believes in and follows devotedly; a point ormatter of ethics or conscience: to make a religion of fightingprejudice.

I get what the man is saying, and he is so right! However, the misuse of the word religion as has been displayed here and the overzealous perspective of disgust and hatred of "religion" is something that I would argue to be unchristian and can promote others to act out in sin and cause unwarranted prejudice and disunity. Instead of ranting and making a bunch of statements that "sound good" to people, lets address the real issue here! Pride, hypocrisy, thievery, manipulation...all these issues of sin that happen in church, both the "religious" ones and the "nonreligious" ones! There are somethings worth fighting about...this isn't one of them. Come on Church...grow up.

Review of Real Marriage by Mark Driscoll

            Leadership begins in the home. How can a man be a leader in the church if he cannot be a leader to his own family and, first and foremost, his own wife? Mark and Grace Driscoll have written, what I would say is, a most excellent book concerning the topic of marriage. It is an important topic, especially with the numbers of divorces on the rise in (and out) of the Church.

I greatly appreciated the Driscoll duo’s honesty and openness in talking about their marriage and sharing their struggles and pains that they have had to deal with in life. This is a great strength to the book because it allows the audience to connect the couple. We see that they aren’t just spurting out information, but instead that they have had the experience of a rough marriage to go along with the academic knowledge. Mark and Grace Driscoll have opened up and laid everything out for the world to see, showing that they too are human beings and that they haven’t had a perfect marriage, but that they have overcome the struggles through the aid of the Holy Spirit.

A second strength to the book is the natural ability to communicate which is found in both of the authors. It is always a pleasure to read a book by someone who is able to articulate their words and clearly structure their thoughts, and Mark and Grace are no exception to this. Mark and Grace did not simply through down random words and thoughts; they have clearly taking the time to do their research and to structure their book.

A third strength to the book was the topic matter, as well as the Driscoll duo’s attention to theology and biblical doctrine. While the book wasn’t just drenched in scripture, there was some and there was obviously a great deal of care taken to make sure that they didn’t state anything that was heretical. In talking about what a couple can and cannot do in the bed (yeah, they took the time and care to talk about that stuff too), they did everything from a biblical stand point and asked the questions “Is it lawful?” and “Is it helpful?” These are fundamental questions for filtering out what is acceptable and what is unacceptable, even within a marital context.

I believe that there were many implications for ministry within this book. In his letters to Timothy, Paul teaches that leaders of the Church have to be able to manage their families and that they are to be good husbands. Mark told about his struggle in ministry due to the disconnect between him and his wife and how their church suffered because of their faulty marriage. This is something that ministers have to be aware of. If we do not take care of our spouses and build the relationship at home, how are we to be affective in the Church? If ministers can’t love their wives as Christ loved the church…then how do they expect to properly love the church and take care of it?

In addition to the previously stated, ministers have to deal with situations within their church in which there are couples whose marriages are in disarray and are in need of help. The minister has no right to speak concerning other peoples marriages if he himself is not working at his own marriage. I’m not saying that it is required of him to be the perfect husband or that the marriage be flawless, but that he be working hard to keep it together and to be a godly man.

Also I think that perhaps it is beneficial for a minister to learn to be somewhat open and honest about his own life and him and his wife’s past experiences when counseling others for marriage. In that minister’s openness they are able to better connect and it allows the couple being counseled to open up and be honest about their marriage and to share their pains and struggles.

The topic matter of the book ranges from friendship within a marriage to the couples se life. Since the book focuses on those who are already married, the topic of compatibility is not really discussed. I’ve heard of marriage books actually containing compatibility tests, which is pointless since they are already married and can’t do anything about it. Mark and Grace spend a significant amount of time discussing the topic of friendship and how it is the basis for a good marriage and healthy sex life. Mark talks about how he and his wife read nearly 200 books on the topic of marriage and not a single one of them talked about the topic of friendship (pg 24). The Driscoll duo makes a great case for talking about the importance of friendship in a marriage and it’s correlation to the couple’s sex life.

There are three my parts covered in the book. The first is Marriage in general, telling how guys and girls should act within a marriage. This part also covers the topic of friendship as stated in the above paragraph. The second part is totally about sex and what it is from a biblical standpoint, as well as what is biblically acceptable in the bedroom. The third is what I think is often overlooked within a marital context. Driscoll talks about how so many couples pour all their efforts into the “first day” of their marriage when “the last day is more important” (pg 204). He talks about the last day in reference to marriage ending in divorce, standing over the spouse’s grave in regret of the life spent together, or in rejoicing in all the memories that they have shared together. Overall I loved this book and I would definitely recommend this book to others.

Works Cited

Driscoll, Mark and Grace. “Real Marriage”. Thomas Nelson Inc. Nashville, TN. 2012

The Nature of Me

"My soul cries out unto the Lord saying, 'Rescue me, oh my Lord, for I am but a man, a sinner from birth! Let me not fall into utter darkness...far from Your divine hand!' and in the darkness I wait upon the Spirit of the Lord, for I know that He who hears all will not turn from me forever."

From time to time I fall into a state of reflection, contemplation, and self evaluating...this is one of those moments. In the course of current life events I find myself utterly useless and unable to bear the burden of facing my everyday struggles head on. Even worse is my loss of time spent in devotion to my God. I guess it would be more accurate for me to say "the one true God" as opposed to "my God" since 1) He is not only "my" God and 2) I hardly treat Him as such these days. Sure, I pray and occasionally read scripture and I sure talk a heck a lot about God and theology, but didn't also the Pharisees of old do the same? 

Over the last few years I have grown and matured and changed my perspective on life time and time again...but I still have so far to go. Recently, I have begun to lose vision for my life, and as a result my perspective on the future (as well as the present...and maybe even the past) has grown dark and hopeless. Isn't it amazing what can happen to a man in a period of two weeks? Granted, most of this has probably just been festering in the back of my mind for quite some time, but recent issues have caused the revealing of them. I grow weary, I wonder about my ability to be on my own, to raise a family, to make an impact in people's lives...

Tonight I laid in my bed with my thoughts being all but silent and was unable to sleep...and the next thing I knew I was grabbing my phone and, after a quick tweet, found myself reading through the first four chapters of Genesis and thinking about God and the creation of man. I lit a candle in my room and began to pray. I prayed in a way that I haven't since June when I was in Amman, Jordan. Why? Because the greatest tragedy in my life right now is not all the issues and events going on my life...not the family deception...not the family members that are sick and dying. No, its that I have stood here thinking that I might be one of the few people in my family with his head on straight or of spiritual stature when I am the one who grieves the Spirit of God with my pride and my spiritual arrogance! There may be things that I am doing right...and I might be a person with a servants heart, but I am neglecting a holy righteous God! I have taken the Lord's name upon myself in vain, saying that I am a "man of God" when I show so little love and devotion to Him! What good is the knowledge that I have if I don't have the Spirit of the most high God dwelling within and around me? I have becoming nothing more a than a silhouette of my true self...darkness with just enough light to give shape and form to who I am. 

Therefore I find myself no longer in a state of reflection...but in a state of repentance! I am crying out to the God of the universe to save me from myself, because I cannot, and I seek restoration and for vision. I know that tomorrow I will wake up and I will fail again, but truly God is holy and just and He is powerful...mighty to save. May He save my every day of my existence...that I might spend every single day waking up to His grace and His salvation and learning to live in community with His Spirit. Little by little becoming more and more like Him and being restored renewed, and redeemed. Old wine skins...to new wine skins.

Uniquely Different For His Glory

If you walked into a corridor lined with various stone sculptures, you will face a duel reality...and yet it most likely that it will completely pass over your head and you will only recognize one of the two reality. Some will  see the statues before them and see stone...overs might see carvings. What I mean to say is that some will look at them and will simply recognize that they are all stone...of the same essence...all "alike". Other, however, will see the details of the artists carvings and scrapings and say, "look how different they all are!", but few will recognize the duel nature that they are all different but they are all the same.

One aspect of culture that I find fascinating is the tendency for people to all fall into a pattern together. I have found that there are very few people in the world you are are truly unique or "different". This is not a bad thing, but it is often taught as such. I hear teens talk about wanting to be unique, their own person. The best part is when you ask them why and they respond with "because all my friends are!" I find it rather humorous that pop culture teaches teens to "be your own person so you can be like everyone else" and they fall for this false ideology. In the end the most unique person is the one who is trying to be like someone else. Admittedly, I have gotten to see quite a few interesting expressions of fashion and artistic interest because of this cultural set up.

The beautiful part though is that it can inspire one to get out and try something new...discover their abilities or their skills. Granted this can also do the opposite...I believe it does more good than harm. I do not think that I would have discovered this about culture if I had not myself gone and interacted with other cultures in Europe and the Middle East. Italy specifically drew out this reality in that I saw people WANTING to be the same. The desire for "individuality", as Americans use it, was all but nil.

We must remember that God designed humans with a need for community and fellowship...something that is evident in our nations addictions to social media, MMORPG's (Massive Multi-player Online Role-playing Games), etc. Those who are always alone are depressed, angry, hurting, or mentally unstable. This is one of the reason why Paul commanded the believers to "not forsake the gathering of the saints" because he recognized the need for fellowship with like-minded people and the need for us to encourage one another. Are we supposed to be carbon copies of one another? No....HECK NO! We being different...complete each other. We all have different talents, hobbies, and interests and we make up a grand collage that displays God's handiwork and paints a picture of life and death, good and evil, beauty and perversion called...humanity.

So therefore we must learn to be ourselves, but maintain our connection to the rest of humanity...each a working of the Great Artist. For we are all designed uniquely, and yet of the same flesh or "essence". It is not  culture that effects us...its that we effect culture by swinging to one of the two initial needs for individualism and community, and we must train ourselves to be of the mindset that draws out both needs and satisfies them.

For the Church, it means actually getting in there and doing what you're good at, being the member of the body that you are and stop sitting back and being lazy or complaining that you don't have someone else's task, etc. You dishonor God in wishing you were someone else, slapping God in the face by saying that the gifts and talents that He graced you with aren't good enough. Worship and honor your God by seeking to fulfill His will for your life...form and fill the Earth with the talents and gifts that He gave you. I struggle to fulfill this myself. It's one of the taints of the fall, but we must strive to do this, even in the knowing that we will fail time and time again! God knows and understands our weaknesses and He will aid us if we seek Him and run after pleasing Him. I believe the Holy Scriptures clearly teach that He desires us to be in communion with Him and to Worship Him with all our minds. our souls, and our strength...and if it's His will He will make it so that we can overcome every obstacle that keeps us from fulfilling that task!