Father's Pain

Last night I had car trouble. I was on my way to play a baseball game across town. As I was driving down the interstate my car shut off. I pulled to the side and tried my best to get out of the way of traffic. Despite my many years of being under the car watching my dad work, I couldn't quite determine what the problem was. I had problems with the car before and knew this could be frustrating. I called me father who I knew could assess the problem easily. He didn't pick up so I called my older brother and told him I needed help. When he arrived, my father called and we spoke for a moment, he figured the alternator was bad. My brother and drove home in his car and later went back with gasoline and other items we thought might help our situation. We finally got the car back, but I missed my baseball game. Even before I spoke with my father on the phone I knew he was not going to be in a great mood about the situation. He expressed his discomfort, but did not blame anything on me. However, I still felt terrible because I knew I had caused him discomfort and he was feeling anxiety nevertheless. I thought later that night, that is the way it should be with our heavenly Father as well. When we cause Him pain, we should feel His pain. It should hurt us that we hurt Him. I think we experience this and it's a good thing that we do. When we realize that we are causing our heavenly Father pain without feeling any remorse ourselves, there is a serious problem.

Literary Meme

I don't usually do "memes," but I like this one:

1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open it to page 161.
3. Find the fifth full sentence.
4. Post the text of the sentence along with these instructions.
5. Don't search around and look for the coolest book you can find. Do what's actually next to you.

Here's mine: "All I knew was that I was going mad, but for the sake of my sanity, and dying that I might live, aware of the evil that I was but unaware of the good I was soon to become."

Confessions, Saint Augustine

Sacred Calling?

Why is it that in recent years (from what I've noticed in my lifetime and read about) we as evangelical Christians have viewed the world as sacred/secular? It seems that we see everything as either good or bad, God's or not God's, sacred calling or secular calling. We have consistently upheld the local church and it's clergy. By clergy I mean the people who's full time work week is devoted to work in the local church and receive salary from the church as primary means of income. I mean, we see the pastors and missionaries and youth ministers and children's directors as having a more "holy" calling or vocation than the rest of us businessmen or janitors or cooks. This common view extends beyond the church, although not as strong, to those working for parachurch organizations or non profit Christian ministries. We have seperated everything into either "sacred" or "secular" categories and we put everything in them; music, books, education, little trinkets you can buy on HSN.
Let me take this time to say I do appreciate what these retail websites do, certain books are with certain retailers. I wear a ring that has the five words of worship on it, obviously from a retailer that sells items relating to Christianity. These are God-honoring vocations and organizations. The place I find myself thinking "huh" is where I hear about "secular" music artists making it big or my neighbor's son who "feels a call to the ministry". We place those people who's calling is to preach or go to a foreign country on a pedestal. This has become an epidemic within the evangelical community. I strongly argue against this notion. Paul makes it very clear in his letter to the Colosians "Whatever you do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus" (Col 3:17). If a man is a trashman, he should be the best trashman there is, do it with all his ability. If a man is to be a businessman, he should be the best businessman there is. In Paul's letter he says, "whatever you do...do it all." That's pretty all inclusive.
Now there are limits to what a calling could be. Obviously if you can't do something in the name of the Lord Jesus, then it's not a true calling. Drug dealers, prostitutes, professional killers, these are things which could not be God honoring. Still, no vocation is looked at by God as more "sacred" or more "secular". God calls us follow Him wherever He might lead us, whether that be to the marketplace or to the church office.

Emphasis of Mission

So the past week or so I've been thinking about changing the world. Actually I think about that constantly, but. Last evening I had some discussion with two people who are dong awesome work for our Lord. Del Tackett, Senior Vice President of Focus on the Family and President of Focus on the Family Institute, has been lecturing us this week at Impact 360(www.impact360.net) on the topic of "Christianity and The American Founding". We spoke last night on the importance of transforming the culture we live in, Western/American culture that is. There are some distinct aspects of society that must be influenced by Christians if God's mission is to be carried out. We spoke about how government is one aspect of culture that must be changed. Accordingly, we spoke of abortion and gay marriage and how government has authority and responsibity pertaining to the sanctity of life and marraige/family. Dr.Tackett's view on the transformation of culture has largely to do with social issues and predominantly those of Western culture. He does hold to a Biblical view that God's mission is for the world. His calling is to work in the culture of America with social and political issues. He testify to this openly. He would view American culture as his place of calling within God's mission. Late in our conversation a differeing view arose from the crowd, one that viewed the Arab culture as the more important for that idividual. A short but worthy discussion emersed and one party viewed the Arab culture more important for her on the standpoint of having lived there for 17 years and that was her specific calling. Tacket's view on this is somewhat different. Tackett and the opposing party agreed that God's mission was global. Where they differed however, was on the notion of one's specific calling more important. Tackett's claim was that in arguing one calling more important than the other, however exclusive the calling and signifcance may be, implied a sense of insignificance on the other calling and thus each calling must be. Based on your ones own interepretation of mission/importance, one can make an indidual calling more significant. Tackett argued that the significance came from God. I support this claim and make this argument, as a Christian, we are called to go on mission for the kingdom of God. We are called to make worshippers (Disciples) of all nations. Each individual calling is just as significant as the other for, we are all working towards the mission of god. One must not view his/her calling more or less important in his own view based on the fact that it is his alone yet, work towards the common goal of world redemption, viewing everything in the mirror of eternity.

Death and Taxes

How did I get here? I’m on a plane going to Kingsport, Tennessee from Atlanta. My grandfather died yesterday. It was his 3rd or 4th heart attack last Tuesday. This has all happened so fast. It seems just yesterday I got the call from my sister saying that Mom was flying from Houston to Kingsport because Papa had a heart attack and was in the hospital. I’m trying not to think about this too much, but I am a thinker. It’s what I do. I can’t help but ponder the subject of death and dying. It seems like it just happens. Not much to it. It was his time and he went. It took him nearly a week to die but he just passed. Megan said he was waiting ‘til my birthday was over. Maybe God had a role in that. I can’t help but think about God’s sovereignty in all this. Of course, being reformed I have to figure out how God has His hand in things like this. I know God didn’t kill my grandfather but it was ordained. I’m trying to figure out how God can be glorified in this. Maybe there is a lesson for me to learn from it. Maybe it’s not just me who needs teaching. I have had a song in my head since all this happened. I’ve thought about my grandfather’s life and how he really didn’t have much room for church. My mother and father both agree they believe he accepted Christ as his savior but never was involved at church. My thoughts are that my grandfather didn’t glorify God much. “Be Glorified/Father Let Me Dedicate” by Matt Redman has been going thru my head all this time. “This alone shall be my prayer, glorify Thy name” I’ve been thinking that I really need to live my life for the Glory of God. That he would glorify His name through me. That is what I have learned so far from event. I continue to seek God’s Glory in all things.
I know there was no part in here about taxes but it was a good title.

Humor, objective or subjective?

I have spent the past month in the central part of The Czech Republic. This month long trip is part of the 9 month college program I am partaking in for this year called Impact360(http://www.impact360.net). Ther are 18 students in four countries. The main object of this trip is to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We have been working with IMB missionaries in all these places. The main task this month, and our reason for being in country, has been to teach English to students. Well, it's more like we help them with their speaking skills but, you get the point. The point of all this is, I have found it difficult to speak with some students. Something that always seems to go well however, is a joke or something humorous. I have been thinking about humor for quite some time but, this month has invoked even more thought on the subject. Where does humor come from? Is it just a neuron that fires in our brain or is it something more? What makes something funny? Is it completely subjective or is there an objective standard for humor? I seek to answer these questions. It seems that there are some things that only Americans would laugh at while Czech's have their own jokes. However, it seems whether I'm in the U.S or the Czech Republic or South America, people will always laugh when I make funny faces. Wow, even the sound of that makes me wonder. What is a "funny" face? So, what makes something funny? I think that this subject calls for a creator. I don't know how you can define humor or joy as a just a synapse without asking "what causes the synapse?" I think God created us with a sense of humor. He gave us the ability to laugh and experience joy and humor. I see no other explanation. The thought process is forever tedious yet, I enjoy a good long thought.

Just for Starters

I'm not much of a philosopher, yet. I am a thinker and I desire to be an intellectual evangelical. I love the world of ideas. I love ideas. I enjoy going over them and examining the implications of them. I'm also very into music. I live for worship and enjoy playing the guitar and singing. This blog is just some thoughts of mine on some of these subjects.