Some 25,000 survivors huddled in the Louisianna Superdome are being transported via bus to the Houston Astrodome in our backyard (literally - we can see the stadium from our back window). It's hard to quantify the damage caused by this hurricane.... one of the first things that struck me is that the total monetary damage of this hurrican will far outstrip the tsunami even though the tsunami in SE Asia claimed several hundred thousand lives...... Americans have so much wealth.....
So Erin and I have been thinking today about how we can be proactive in helping all these people - there's opportunities to host some displaced medical students at our home..... one of Erin's friends from med school is from New Orleans, and currently her entire family is living in her one bedroom apt..... perhaps we could offer them a place to stay?
One thing that's been on my mind today is how callous we are to the situation...... when the tsunami hit SE Asia.... there was a great cry of public support to help the victims..... but when is the last time you've heard the tsunami rebuilding effort mentioned? Perhaps it's our instant gratification culture..... something is only tragic in the now - then we move on and make space for other things to captivate our attention. The gulf coast is going to be messed up for a long-time..... you'd have to be pretty well off to be able to support a family financially for months (it's not like insurance pay-outs are instantaneous..... and I wonder what percentage were actually insured?) All the children will be missing school for sometime....... I also think that the majority of displaced homeless or poor folk will end up staying in Houston - what would they go back to? How would they even afford to get back?
All of this has my mind racing with ideas and questions...... sadly most people will look on this situation and think that God has somehow abandoned the gulf coast.... or God can't exist because of these types of events..... I however harbor a great deal of hope. When the rich young ruler approached the Christ and asked Him what else he must do to inherit eternal life (presuming that he'd followed perfectly all the commandments), Christ told him to sell all his possessions and follow Him. Is not Christ the Father of the fatherless? The defender of the widowed and poor? Surely these things are more than spiritual realities......
So here we have, across the street, 25,000 people. That's the University of Utah sitting across the street..... homeless and in dire need of mercy..... their lives are begging for rescue & for them I have much hope - they have no more possessions... all they have is questions and the stark realization that they are incapable of themselves to provide the answers.
As you are no doubt in prayer for all those effected - remember the Houstonians - and pray their mercy would extend to this new city forged within our city.
I leave you all with this passage, found in the middle of a rather lengthy lament of God's destruction of a nation......
Lamentations 3:21-58
21 Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: 22 Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 24 I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him." 25 The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; 26 it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. 27 It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is young.
28 Let him sit alone in silence, for the LORD has laid it on him. 29 Let him bury his face in the dust— there may yet be hope. 30 Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him, and let him be filled with disgrace. 31 For men are not cast off by the Lord forever. 32 Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love. 33 For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men. 34 To crush underfoot all prisoners in the land,
35 to deny a man his rights before the Most High, 36 to deprive a man of justice— would not the Lord see such things? 37 Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it?
38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come? 39 Why should any living man complain when punished for his sins? 40 Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the LORD. 41 Let us lift up our hearts and our hands to God in heaven, and say: 42 "We have sinned and rebelled and you have not forgiven. 43 "You have covered yourself with anger and pursued us; you have slain without pity. 44 You have covered yourself with a cloud so that no prayer can get through. 45 You have made us scum and refuse among the nations. 46 "All our enemies have opened their mouths wide against us. 47 We have suffered terror and pitfalls, ruin and destruction." 48 Streams of tears flow from my eyes because my people are destroyed. 49 My eyes will flow unceasingly, without relief, 50 until the LORD looks down from heaven and sees. 51 What I see brings grief to my soul because of all the women of my city. 52 Those who were my enemies without cause hunted me like a bird.
53 They tried to end my life in a pit and threw stones at me; 54 the waters closed over my head, and I thought I was about to be cut off. 55 I called on your name, O LORD, from the depths of the pit. 56 You heard my plea: "Do not close your ears to my cry for relief."
57 You came near when I called you, and you said, "Do not fear." 58 O Lord, you took up my case; you redeemed my life.
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
The Prophet D. Webb, Kaleo and more...
Interesting weekend.....
So our weekend started off by having some BBQ ribs and such with Aaron and Sara(h) (friends from med. school - Aaron's wife is the med student so he and I can talk and not be medical) which was great fun! We watched Hotel Rwanda... and that got me to thinking about the subject that will make up the majority of this post.....
Saturday night I went with John Roberson (jroberson.blogspot.com) to see Derek Webb (incidentally I think I left my sunglasses at the church.... weak) and it was pretty sweet. Derek talked a lot about social justice and Blood Water Mission (http://www.bloodwatermission.org/). This weekend I was also introduced to a website for a local church (www.kaleohouston.com). It's an Acts29 church that Jonathan Hays pointed me to... and Erin and I met the pastor and his wife (Bill and Shannon) and had dinner with them today (www.kaleobill.com).
I need to mention that Bill is Jonathan Hays' doppleganger.... Erin and I actually thought they looked alike when we saw him, even before we knew that he was the guy we were looking for. But I doubt that he's ever seen Bubba Ho-Tep or Cannibal: The Musical, so Jonathan is still superior....
OK.... onto some thoughts I've been processing for awhile:
On Africa and ministry to the extreme impoverished nations -
I've been thinking a lot about the call to Africa/Asia and the like where people are dying in the thousands daily due to lack of things like clean water, basic hygiene needs etc. I guess the question that baffles me currently is how do we effectively engage that culture? I struggle with how we practically help those people..... giving to things like Blood Water Mission or other humanitarian endeavors is surely worthwhile.... but to what end? What is the nature of the change that we're effecting?
So here's my hypothesis and I plan to flesh this out more over the next couple of weeks:
But my working theory is currently: Win the West to rescue the impoverished.
I think my concern with ministry in Africa is that no matter what we do for the people, the governement will at some point have to empower the people to make lasting changes...... giving bread and water will keep you alive long enough for someone to create a tax on charitable foodstuffs.... I know that's pessimistic - so I guess you can color me a realist.....
I don't really see the governments changing (BTW - government is used as a synonym for ruling authority, tribal or whatever) in Africa towards the freedom and active concern for the people.
Money talks, and when money shouts governments listen - so my proposal is that active evangelism of the richest will lead to the freedom of the poorest..... In some ways I see some of the humanitarian efforts as a stop-gap measure and not anything that could induce long-lasting social change..... we need people in high places with large wallets to actively invest capital in these poor countries for the empowerment and freedom of the people...... we need believers who aren't hindered by their desire for more 'stuff' who are Gospel driven maniacs who are so enamored with Christ that they would give tons of cash/time to make real change happen.
I think Africa is a really unique social situation - their needs are bread and water, not DSL and more accessible parking. In alot of ways it's like the final frontier for a 'ground-up' Gospel community..... How long can a society last? I think the mortality rate bears witness that it won't last much longer w/0 extreme intervention...... Does forgiving a country's debt imply that their rulers will be just in providing for their people..... Survey says: 'no'.
So how do we engage the rulers? We have to find a voice that will speak to them. Who's voice do they hear? Dollar bills y'all. Who's got the dollars? The West.....
There it is folks: your key to revolution in three minutes or less......
So our weekend started off by having some BBQ ribs and such with Aaron and Sara(h) (friends from med. school - Aaron's wife is the med student so he and I can talk and not be medical) which was great fun! We watched Hotel Rwanda... and that got me to thinking about the subject that will make up the majority of this post.....
Saturday night I went with John Roberson (jroberson.blogspot.com) to see Derek Webb (incidentally I think I left my sunglasses at the church.... weak) and it was pretty sweet. Derek talked a lot about social justice and Blood Water Mission (http://www.bloodwatermission.org/). This weekend I was also introduced to a website for a local church (www.kaleohouston.com). It's an Acts29 church that Jonathan Hays pointed me to... and Erin and I met the pastor and his wife (Bill and Shannon) and had dinner with them today (www.kaleobill.com).
I need to mention that Bill is Jonathan Hays' doppleganger.... Erin and I actually thought they looked alike when we saw him, even before we knew that he was the guy we were looking for. But I doubt that he's ever seen Bubba Ho-Tep or Cannibal: The Musical, so Jonathan is still superior....
OK.... onto some thoughts I've been processing for awhile:
On Africa and ministry to the extreme impoverished nations -
I've been thinking a lot about the call to Africa/Asia and the like where people are dying in the thousands daily due to lack of things like clean water, basic hygiene needs etc. I guess the question that baffles me currently is how do we effectively engage that culture? I struggle with how we practically help those people..... giving to things like Blood Water Mission or other humanitarian endeavors is surely worthwhile.... but to what end? What is the nature of the change that we're effecting?
So here's my hypothesis and I plan to flesh this out more over the next couple of weeks:
But my working theory is currently: Win the West to rescue the impoverished.
I think my concern with ministry in Africa is that no matter what we do for the people, the governement will at some point have to empower the people to make lasting changes...... giving bread and water will keep you alive long enough for someone to create a tax on charitable foodstuffs.... I know that's pessimistic - so I guess you can color me a realist.....
I don't really see the governments changing (BTW - government is used as a synonym for ruling authority, tribal or whatever) in Africa towards the freedom and active concern for the people.
Money talks, and when money shouts governments listen - so my proposal is that active evangelism of the richest will lead to the freedom of the poorest..... In some ways I see some of the humanitarian efforts as a stop-gap measure and not anything that could induce long-lasting social change..... we need people in high places with large wallets to actively invest capital in these poor countries for the empowerment and freedom of the people...... we need believers who aren't hindered by their desire for more 'stuff' who are Gospel driven maniacs who are so enamored with Christ that they would give tons of cash/time to make real change happen.
I think Africa is a really unique social situation - their needs are bread and water, not DSL and more accessible parking. In alot of ways it's like the final frontier for a 'ground-up' Gospel community..... How long can a society last? I think the mortality rate bears witness that it won't last much longer w/0 extreme intervention...... Does forgiving a country's debt imply that their rulers will be just in providing for their people..... Survey says: 'no'.
So how do we engage the rulers? We have to find a voice that will speak to them. Who's voice do they hear? Dollar bills y'all. Who's got the dollars? The West.....
There it is folks: your key to revolution in three minutes or less......
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Misplaced hate makes disgrace for races
The subject is a line from my boy, Tupac....
Erin and I have learned that racism is alive and well here in the great state of Texas..... and I really can't stand it. I remember sitting at a Mexican restaurant somewhere in SLC with John Harty, listening as John explained his theory that hispanics have become a sort of sanctioned slave culture.... desparate for work they receive paltry pay for their services... and our culture seems more than happy to let this happen....
Several times in the months we've been here I've witnessed caucasians berating hispanics because they have trouble (or are perceived to have trouble) understanding English..... for a place that claims to be the melting pot of society I see little melting going on... and I'm sick of it. Nothing is more telling of a person's heart than their behavior toward those who are at their mercy. Granted there are many people who abuse the system for their own gain - but that can't be an excuse to overlook those who desparately need help...... somewhere underneath the sentiment that poor people (whether they're immigrants or whatever) are where they are because they don't want to help themselves lies a much deeper sin......... intrinsic in that notion is the sentiment that I'm where I'm at because I've worked to be here. Perhaps that philosophy works in the humanistic "get rich while you're young enough to enjoy it" culture.... but this simply won't do for the believer. If we are not brought to the Gospel recognition of our desparate need for redemption in every moment of our lives we are missing Christ. If I can look at someone who comes to me in need and think "if only this person had ______ (fill in the blank) then they would be in a better position" and live with that as if it's christian rationale, then there must be a problem. I think the "Protestant work ethic" notion is perhaps mis-named..... for the true Protestant recognizes Justification by Faith Alone in all situations..... the true Protestant knows that whatever situation comes his way, it is brought about by the providence of God..... blessing or curse, the christian journeys onward toward the eternal city, knowing more and more each day of their weariness, of their need for rescue, of the miracle of redemption and rebirth.
Looking in the face of one who is in need of mercy should bring us to the face of Christ - "who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grapsed but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death even death on a cross! (Phil 2)" If He who was God became nothing that we might be reconciled to God, why do we put it beyond ourselves to become nothing for those who need mercy?
I'm just sick of seeing people be abused because they are in need and willing to do anything to provide for themselves and their families..... I'm sick of seeing them reach out to people who respond by spitting in their faces, and I'm truly growing more and more grateful for the merciful Christ - who rescues His people while they are spitting in His face. Thank you Jesus that my "merit" didn't get me where I'm at, but you're blood.
Erin and I have learned that racism is alive and well here in the great state of Texas..... and I really can't stand it. I remember sitting at a Mexican restaurant somewhere in SLC with John Harty, listening as John explained his theory that hispanics have become a sort of sanctioned slave culture.... desparate for work they receive paltry pay for their services... and our culture seems more than happy to let this happen....
Several times in the months we've been here I've witnessed caucasians berating hispanics because they have trouble (or are perceived to have trouble) understanding English..... for a place that claims to be the melting pot of society I see little melting going on... and I'm sick of it. Nothing is more telling of a person's heart than their behavior toward those who are at their mercy. Granted there are many people who abuse the system for their own gain - but that can't be an excuse to overlook those who desparately need help...... somewhere underneath the sentiment that poor people (whether they're immigrants or whatever) are where they are because they don't want to help themselves lies a much deeper sin......... intrinsic in that notion is the sentiment that I'm where I'm at because I've worked to be here. Perhaps that philosophy works in the humanistic "get rich while you're young enough to enjoy it" culture.... but this simply won't do for the believer. If we are not brought to the Gospel recognition of our desparate need for redemption in every moment of our lives we are missing Christ. If I can look at someone who comes to me in need and think "if only this person had ______ (fill in the blank) then they would be in a better position" and live with that as if it's christian rationale, then there must be a problem. I think the "Protestant work ethic" notion is perhaps mis-named..... for the true Protestant recognizes Justification by Faith Alone in all situations..... the true Protestant knows that whatever situation comes his way, it is brought about by the providence of God..... blessing or curse, the christian journeys onward toward the eternal city, knowing more and more each day of their weariness, of their need for rescue, of the miracle of redemption and rebirth.
Looking in the face of one who is in need of mercy should bring us to the face of Christ - "who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grapsed but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death even death on a cross! (Phil 2)" If He who was God became nothing that we might be reconciled to God, why do we put it beyond ourselves to become nothing for those who need mercy?
I'm just sick of seeing people be abused because they are in need and willing to do anything to provide for themselves and their families..... I'm sick of seeing them reach out to people who respond by spitting in their faces, and I'm truly growing more and more grateful for the merciful Christ - who rescues His people while they are spitting in His face. Thank you Jesus that my "merit" didn't get me where I'm at, but you're blood.
Saturday, August 20, 2005
More Clemens
This Thursday - Erin and I went to see Roger Clemens pitch for the Astros (v. Brewers).... once again I was afforded free tickets to a suite... which is sweet! We feasted on mini-burgers and chicken strips which is always a glorious occasion... Erin studied most of the game and on the train back home had me quiz her on various muscles.....I'm picking up random medical knowledge... and I think that will make me a stronger Jeopardy participant one day when I take the random trivia world by storm....
Last night after Erin studied a bit we went over to Justin and Lauren Stone's house.... they're moving to Fort Collins in a month or so, and it was cool to see them for a little bit before they leave town. They were telling us (along w/ Rob and Toni) about the bonfire incident at Texas A&M where 12 people died..... interesting conversations....
Erin is at school all day today studying. Her first exam is Monday - so prayers for the Umbriaco household are much appreciated..... I've gone domestic in Erin's absence: cleaning... cooking... taking out the trash... etc. I think there's a possibility that she'll come home tonight so I may see her for 5 to 7 minutes this weekend.... I'm one lonely husband....
I guess I'm not really alone though.... I could go outside and try to develop my non-verbal communication skills with the cockroaches that frequent the streets..... I'll look into that.
I've been thinking a lot lately about the bride as the church analogy...... how a man reacts when he sees his bride walking down the aisle... and how Christ looks at His bride... the church. That's really been a transforming grace for me over the past week - that Christ sees His bride as beautiful and He loves her and cleanses her and is steadfast and forgiving..... so many times I need to speak that to my heart.... unconditional love and acceptance... that's really amazing.....
If you get a chance you might listen to Tim Keller's thoughts on the subject at:
http://download.redeemer3.com/MP3/Lord_Of_The_Wine.mp3
Last night after Erin studied a bit we went over to Justin and Lauren Stone's house.... they're moving to Fort Collins in a month or so, and it was cool to see them for a little bit before they leave town. They were telling us (along w/ Rob and Toni) about the bonfire incident at Texas A&M where 12 people died..... interesting conversations....
Erin is at school all day today studying. Her first exam is Monday - so prayers for the Umbriaco household are much appreciated..... I've gone domestic in Erin's absence: cleaning... cooking... taking out the trash... etc. I think there's a possibility that she'll come home tonight so I may see her for 5 to 7 minutes this weekend.... I'm one lonely husband....
I guess I'm not really alone though.... I could go outside and try to develop my non-verbal communication skills with the cockroaches that frequent the streets..... I'll look into that.
I've been thinking a lot lately about the bride as the church analogy...... how a man reacts when he sees his bride walking down the aisle... and how Christ looks at His bride... the church. That's really been a transforming grace for me over the past week - that Christ sees His bride as beautiful and He loves her and cleanses her and is steadfast and forgiving..... so many times I need to speak that to my heart.... unconditional love and acceptance... that's really amazing.....
If you get a chance you might listen to Tim Keller's thoughts on the subject at:
http://download.redeemer3.com/MP3/Lord_Of_The_Wine.mp3
Sunday, August 14, 2005
To those shooting in darkness.... a light has dawned
This has been an intense week:
Erin had her "White Coat Ceremony" on Friday night. White Coat ceremony is where all the first year med students receive white coats - sort of symbolic of the longer white coats that MDs wear..... anyway for this occasion, my mom, Erin's mom, and Erin's grandma came out for the weekend. They arrived Thursday and they got back to SLC today.
On Friday I drove the ladies down to Galveston to visit with the Gulf of Mexico while Erin was in class..... that evening we went to the ceremony and consumed cookies and punch! Saturday was family day at Baylor College of Medicine.... one of the classes Erin takes is called IPS (integrated problem solving) where she gets together with a small group of students and they review case studies and work together to diagnose a problem.... so anyway for family day they thought it would be fun if the family got involved.....
Our case study involved a little girl who had blood and mucus in her stool..... after that bit of excitement they pulled out some brains and a heart etc..... it was a great day....I don't know that I can capture how exciting it is to have a wife who comes home and tells me stories of her work with a cadaver....
Anyway - on Saturday night we all went to see the Broncos defeat the Texans in preseason action.... oddly enough Plummer didn't turn the ball over... hopefully he'll get back on track next week.
This morning we went to Braeswood Assembly of God with Juanita and my mom.... we could only stay for an hour because we had to pick up Erin's grandma, Bernice, from the Catholic church she was at..... during the hour that we were at service we sang the entire time, and we're in fact still singing when we left.... that's a lot of singing.....
Well - Erin and I miss our family - and it was fun to have house guests.... we exposed them to IKEA and I hope that blessing goes with them!
I have one non-family related note that I've been dying to blog about.....
On Thursday - fire descended on the court of the Downtown YMCA and the second blessing - the annointing of the Holy Ghost Reverse Layup was poured out on some sucka who had the audacity to try and guard me baseline..... all I have to say about the encounter is that I played for the entire hour that I was at the gym (and the losing team has to leave the court).
Reverse Layups = Wins..... I think the Franchi$e should take a cue from my game and bust some reverse layups on unsuspecting centers around the NBA.....
OK - that is all.....
Erin had her "White Coat Ceremony" on Friday night. White Coat ceremony is where all the first year med students receive white coats - sort of symbolic of the longer white coats that MDs wear..... anyway for this occasion, my mom, Erin's mom, and Erin's grandma came out for the weekend. They arrived Thursday and they got back to SLC today.
On Friday I drove the ladies down to Galveston to visit with the Gulf of Mexico while Erin was in class..... that evening we went to the ceremony and consumed cookies and punch! Saturday was family day at Baylor College of Medicine.... one of the classes Erin takes is called IPS (integrated problem solving) where she gets together with a small group of students and they review case studies and work together to diagnose a problem.... so anyway for family day they thought it would be fun if the family got involved.....
Our case study involved a little girl who had blood and mucus in her stool..... after that bit of excitement they pulled out some brains and a heart etc..... it was a great day....I don't know that I can capture how exciting it is to have a wife who comes home and tells me stories of her work with a cadaver....
Anyway - on Saturday night we all went to see the Broncos defeat the Texans in preseason action.... oddly enough Plummer didn't turn the ball over... hopefully he'll get back on track next week.
This morning we went to Braeswood Assembly of God with Juanita and my mom.... we could only stay for an hour because we had to pick up Erin's grandma, Bernice, from the Catholic church she was at..... during the hour that we were at service we sang the entire time, and we're in fact still singing when we left.... that's a lot of singing.....
Well - Erin and I miss our family - and it was fun to have house guests.... we exposed them to IKEA and I hope that blessing goes with them!
I have one non-family related note that I've been dying to blog about.....
On Thursday - fire descended on the court of the Downtown YMCA and the second blessing - the annointing of the Holy Ghost Reverse Layup was poured out on some sucka who had the audacity to try and guard me baseline..... all I have to say about the encounter is that I played for the entire hour that I was at the gym (and the losing team has to leave the court).
Reverse Layups = Wins..... I think the Franchi$e should take a cue from my game and bust some reverse layups on unsuspecting centers around the NBA.....
OK - that is all.....
Monday, August 08, 2005
I am smellin' like a rose that somebody gave me.....
Blog readers: feel free to give your comments a clever title composed of song lyrics etc.
A lot is going on right now that I'm not sure how to deal with...... I found out (while reading Lazlo the Destroyer's blog www.dannysmixingdesk.blogspot.com) that Summit - as a church - is no longer meeting.... Clint's going to work on a Saturday night discussion group which I think will be really fruitful and a great opportunity to get people thinking about what they believe and why they believe it..... and I'm sure that will rule - but it's really weird to me to think about the fact that my church - Summit isn't around anymore. That's where I grew up as a christian (and where I came to faith for that matter) and it's really hard for me to think that I'll come back to SLC to visit and I won't be able to go hear my pastor speak - 'cause our church doesn't meet anymore....
I've also been on a journey for several months now of trying to break out of a rut and rediscover grace..... I'm a scientist - and my mind is wired to ask questions and to want to know answers about everything...... I can't be satisfied with surface answers I want to dig deep and try to figure things out... and since I came into the realization of Christ I've really been passionate about knowing the Word. In God's forebearance He allowed me a ministry where I could speak about God and His passions revealed in His Word... I was able to counsel and be counseled by all sorts of people in that time - and through it something in me lay dormant... staved off by all the people who I'd grown to care about: take a misanthrope - remove his heart of stone and place him in Gospel ministry and that's what happens.....
But as I've moved to TX (where the worm dieth not.... nor the roach apparently) and been removed from that ministry - something new has come up silently at first competing for my affections - a master I once knew well and loved. Through gracious rebuke and the illumination of the Holy Spirit I've been able to see more and more how much I love being under the law. Maybe it's an: if it's too good to be true it probably isn't sort of thing but I've been running from grace back into the arms of my tutor - unable to accept the lessons he was left in charge to teach me. But - as the Supertones say - I'm back in the game to even the score....
So I've been proactive as of late to surround myself around people of grace - which is more of a stumbling block for me than you might think.... I have this issue of wanting to analyze whatever situation I'm in..... so if I'm in a church I'm thinking about the issues of worship and the spoken word and how the sacrament is presented etc..... and I really have to fight off all these prideful things in my mind just to allow myself to be ministered to by those with a childlike faith. I taking a vacation from Owen so I can read some Nee....... Erin and I have been checking out Ecclesia on Sunday nights - and the whole assembly really reminds me of Summit when we were at the Coffee House - before there was like 70 people attending.... back when there were 20 people who met in an unfinished room to worship together..... I remember that the people I met there were really about living out grace and having grace for others.... and when I look around on Sunday nights - those are the people I see..... they're Main Street Coffee kind of people - and I really long for that right now........
So I'm requesting a ticket on the John Elliot spiritual journey train - room for one more?
A lot is going on right now that I'm not sure how to deal with...... I found out (while reading Lazlo the Destroyer's blog www.dannysmixingdesk.blogspot.com) that Summit - as a church - is no longer meeting.... Clint's going to work on a Saturday night discussion group which I think will be really fruitful and a great opportunity to get people thinking about what they believe and why they believe it..... and I'm sure that will rule - but it's really weird to me to think about the fact that my church - Summit isn't around anymore. That's where I grew up as a christian (and where I came to faith for that matter) and it's really hard for me to think that I'll come back to SLC to visit and I won't be able to go hear my pastor speak - 'cause our church doesn't meet anymore....
I've also been on a journey for several months now of trying to break out of a rut and rediscover grace..... I'm a scientist - and my mind is wired to ask questions and to want to know answers about everything...... I can't be satisfied with surface answers I want to dig deep and try to figure things out... and since I came into the realization of Christ I've really been passionate about knowing the Word. In God's forebearance He allowed me a ministry where I could speak about God and His passions revealed in His Word... I was able to counsel and be counseled by all sorts of people in that time - and through it something in me lay dormant... staved off by all the people who I'd grown to care about: take a misanthrope - remove his heart of stone and place him in Gospel ministry and that's what happens.....
But as I've moved to TX (where the worm dieth not.... nor the roach apparently) and been removed from that ministry - something new has come up silently at first competing for my affections - a master I once knew well and loved. Through gracious rebuke and the illumination of the Holy Spirit I've been able to see more and more how much I love being under the law. Maybe it's an: if it's too good to be true it probably isn't sort of thing but I've been running from grace back into the arms of my tutor - unable to accept the lessons he was left in charge to teach me. But - as the Supertones say - I'm back in the game to even the score....
So I've been proactive as of late to surround myself around people of grace - which is more of a stumbling block for me than you might think.... I have this issue of wanting to analyze whatever situation I'm in..... so if I'm in a church I'm thinking about the issues of worship and the spoken word and how the sacrament is presented etc..... and I really have to fight off all these prideful things in my mind just to allow myself to be ministered to by those with a childlike faith. I taking a vacation from Owen so I can read some Nee....... Erin and I have been checking out Ecclesia on Sunday nights - and the whole assembly really reminds me of Summit when we were at the Coffee House - before there was like 70 people attending.... back when there were 20 people who met in an unfinished room to worship together..... I remember that the people I met there were really about living out grace and having grace for others.... and when I look around on Sunday nights - those are the people I see..... they're Main Street Coffee kind of people - and I really long for that right now........
So I'm requesting a ticket on the John Elliot spiritual journey train - room for one more?
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
Must be nothing
So this weekend, Erin and I had our first overnight guest (other than our dads): John Roberson (jroberson.blogspot.com). John is going to be an intern for RUF here at Rice and happened to be passing through town, so we had some dinner and hung out. The night he stayed over also happened to be the night I met (for the first time) several neighbors.... John and I were outside talking and I'm pretty sure the people we met were thinking that John and I maintained an "alternative" lifestyle... so I did my best to make sure that everyone knew that my wife was upstairs...
Today in the sports page of the Houston Chronicle there were several articles on training camp for the Houston Texans.... among them was a blurb and a picture with David Carr and the man who holds the key to you best life now - Joel Osteen: pastor of Lakewood Church.
As I was thinking of that image and pondering what they might be discussing - I noticed how skeptical I am of the faith of certain high profile celebrities like Michael Irvin and "Neon" Deion Sanders..... I wonder if somewhere along the way - the line between discernment and discrimination became blurred and I've stepped over into the realm of the jaded. Where I once was a man who wanted only the simple declaration of Christ and Him crucified to be sure of one's faith, I now require works - works that fit my criteria... along with a statement of doctrine (submitted in triplicate).
Ryle's Holiness exhorts the reader to consider heaven and the people assembled there, and how we'd handle being there.... are we preparing ourselves for heaven? Or as Dr. Davis of FBC Durham puts it: how is God preparing you for glory today? I pray that I'm growing in the grace of Christ - after all... How do you love God whom you can't see unless you love your brother whom you can see?
Allow me to close with a limerick composed for a cockroach I encountered on the street a couple of nights ago:
There once was a roach on the street,
On it's bodice I did stamp with my feet.
The roach could not hide
From my vengeful stride
And it's evil advance I did beat.
P.S. This post was composed on Erin's new laptop!!!!
Today in the sports page of the Houston Chronicle there were several articles on training camp for the Houston Texans.... among them was a blurb and a picture with David Carr and the man who holds the key to you best life now - Joel Osteen: pastor of Lakewood Church.
As I was thinking of that image and pondering what they might be discussing - I noticed how skeptical I am of the faith of certain high profile celebrities like Michael Irvin and "Neon" Deion Sanders..... I wonder if somewhere along the way - the line between discernment and discrimination became blurred and I've stepped over into the realm of the jaded. Where I once was a man who wanted only the simple declaration of Christ and Him crucified to be sure of one's faith, I now require works - works that fit my criteria... along with a statement of doctrine (submitted in triplicate).
Ryle's Holiness exhorts the reader to consider heaven and the people assembled there, and how we'd handle being there.... are we preparing ourselves for heaven? Or as Dr. Davis of FBC Durham puts it: how is God preparing you for glory today? I pray that I'm growing in the grace of Christ - after all... How do you love God whom you can't see unless you love your brother whom you can see?
Allow me to close with a limerick composed for a cockroach I encountered on the street a couple of nights ago:
There once was a roach on the street,
On it's bodice I did stamp with my feet.
The roach could not hide
From my vengeful stride
And it's evil advance I did beat.
P.S. This post was composed on Erin's new laptop!!!!
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