Freedom: Week 1, from formulas to freedom

This week Craig and Charlie reversed roles for a second so that Craig could talk on Matthew 15 and Charlie could wail on the guitar. I just have to say, and I know I say this often, but I just feel so refreshed whenever the order of the Genesis service is rearranged or varied a bit. It just seems so Spirit-led. And the reason it may seem so Spirit-led is because Jesus gives us an example, in Matthew 15, not to become chained to men’s tradition, in this case the order of events we rely on to have a church service.
There is a certain arrogance, I believe, in sticking to a rigid order of events week after week, believing the Holy Spirit will show up where He’s wanted and will otherwise behave Himself. I believe it is lazy to map an order of service and to depend on it as though not much else is required of us. A clean, uneventful service is often considered a successful one. But let’s not ignore all the times Jesus brought down the house during an all-but-orderly church service. The Holy Spirit has also been known to appear at unscheduled times, sometimes during a mealtime, or during naptime. The Holy Spirit has also been known NOT to appear during the time allotted him on the schedule. How embarrassing for all involved.
This morning we looked at our freedom from formulas- that is, formulaic attempts to attain spirituality or oneness with God. Rather than approaching God in a personal manner, sometimes we let ourselves fall into the rut of ritualism, deceiving ourselves into believing we’ve just "spent time with God." I’ve done this. Boy, have I done this.
My favorite passage from Matthew 15 right now (it could change, things do) is when Jesus rebuked the scribes and Pharisees for placing more importance on ritual than on being in the presence of God.

...You have made the commandments of God of no effect
by your tradition. Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:
'These people draw near to Me with their
mouth,
And honor Me with their lips,
But their heart is far from Me.
And in vain they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of
men.'

(vs. 6-9)

For a long time, I believed my "relationship" with God was a monolithic, unmoving one. Like bowing down before El Capitan and talking to it. The order of events was rigid and hard and cold, and I often walked away without hearing a word from God, but by golly I put my time in, whether it was a solid hour of Bible reading or a wandering prayer session that led to bouts of day dreaming. This habit was exacerbated when friends would greet me at any given time of day and ask, "Have you spent time with the Lord today?" Or, "What did you read [from the Bible] today?" To which I needed to have a satisfactory response. The need to impress or satisfy others formed a habit, and that habit became religion, and religion became ritualistic.
It was years before I began to understand that my closeness with God is more fluid than I realized. But first I had to let God chip away at the enormous El Capitan of legalism that I let rule my life, and that hurt. For a little while. Then there was a flood that cleared everything away and it was just me and God.
During that period I was not attending church, and for a while it was great! I remember one warm, sunny Sunday morning I was laying out by the pool and I didn’t even feel guilty for not being in church. In fact, I reveled in the fact that I wasn’t at church. God continued to reveal His truth to me during that time, and I thought "Who needs church? Not me!"
But that was only for a season and soon God was leading me to seek communion with fellow believers again. Which was humbling, because all of a sudden God was directing me to go to church again and I was like, "Hey wait a minute. You and me, we’re doing just fine." To which he solemnly replied, "Go." So, not wanting to be on the business end of another "spiritual lesson," I hurried up and did like I was told.
I think the freedom Craig talked about today is not so much a freedom to run wild and flop on the pavement or jump off a cliff or knowingly grieve God, but a freedom to be led by God. To be willing and obedient, and malleable and fluid, and to recognize when our attempts to communicate with God are actually hindering a real connection.
Maybe we can ponder these things inwardly as we begin a new year.

Update: True Identity

So I just listened to Charlie’s message from Sunday night, and I’m so glad he spoke on identity and our identity in Christ, even though I wasn’t there in person.
I can’t really speak for my sister, but some of what Charlie said did resonate with me and would probably ring true for my sister as well.
We used to always love hearing about our dangerous birth, where the doctors in a small town in the Idaho mountains didn’t have an ultra-sound machine in their two-room hospital, so nobody knew we were twins. When they finally realized we weren’t gonna be one big strapping boy named Christopher, but rather two very small pre-mature girls, they performed an emergency C-section on my mom. Thank God they at least had a registered anesthesiologist on staff. My aunt passed by the operating room door during the surgery and saw a giant text book open with instructions on how to perform a C-section, which was very reassuring.
After we all survived, they had to pick out names. Since I was in an incubator for almost a month you would think they had plenty of time to think things through. They agreed that Dad got to name me, and Mom got to name my sister. Since my sister was bigger and healthier than I was, she got to leave the hospital earlier so Mom quickly decided in Heather Brooke. Doesn’t it sound like a character straight out of Melrose Place? Or The OC, or whatever it is you kids are watching these days?
Dad saw that I was still alive after a couple weeks and decided to name me Jody Rae, true to his hickory mountain ways. Jody was the name of a babysitter he had a crush on growing up, and Rae is his dad’s name. So I was named after a mysterious ‘other woman’ and an old man. When I was nine I begged my parents to let me change my name to “Stephanie” or “Mariah Carey,” which probably made my dad feel kinda bad.
But usually people didn’t call Heather or me by our names. Mostly we were always “The Twins” or “The Girls,” as in, “can the twins come out and play?” or “What do the girls want for lunch?” As if we were one person, or conjoined.
(Some of these memories have been kicked up in the dust while I’m currently reading a novel about conjoined twin girls.)

I didn’t mind being a twin very much, but Heather did mind. She minded very much. She fought for her right to her own bedroom at age 3, solidified her own friendships by age 7, refused to wear clothing similar to mine, and generally paved the way for our singularity. Kids at school could easily tell us apart, identifying Heather as “the pretty one,” and me as “the funny one.”
Our newfound individuality was like a hungry animal demanding to be fed regularly but in greater quantities as time wore on. We ossified our identities in practical ways. Heather became proficient as a glamorous make-up artist and is now the head esthetician at her place of work; I pursued stand-up comedy and humor writing, and I like to make people laugh at my place of work.

But if that’s all there is to our identities this would be a very pitiful account. If my identity depends solely on my past or on earthly circumstances, I would still be the awkward, self-conscious junior high kid I remember myself as (my junior high years were significantly more awkward than the average American citizen’s). I would also be a hick, with my name and all (this assessment is open for debate and I realize I just opened myself up for cheap shots).

Nevertheless, how thrilling the moment when I put my faith in Christ instead of other people’s perception of me. All that really matters is that I stay true to who God made me.
I think we can also mistake Christ’s identity for someone else. We might have a faulty perception of who He is, but the incredible part is that our perceptions don’t change who God is. He is truth and eternal and we don’t get to shape Him to fit our image, no matter how many different names we use to describe Him.

This Christmas I visited Patrick’s hometown. Whenever I go to his mom’s house I spend a lot time looking through old family pictures to gain a sense of what his life was like before I knew him, plus he was a really cute little boy and for a long time I prayed that we would have triplet boys, all with red hair and freckles and mischievous grins until I came to my senses and made everyone stop praying that we’d have triplets.
And since we got married in a fever it has taken years to gain that sense of where he came from. Even though he hardly resembles the person in his high school photos (thank God-- mullet!) and even though he is a completely different person than he was ten years ago I still feel the need to define him, to picture him walking home from school and kicking a soccer ball, to see him skating the ramp in his back yard, or practically drooling beer onto his studded leather jacket after one of his ghastly punk rock shows. And I realize how defective this method of defining someone can be. You cannot truly get to know someone without interacting on some level. You cannot glance at old photos and grasp a memory that isn’t yours, and then project it onto someone and think you know them.
I think we do this with God.
We read personal accounts of experiences people have with God, and we adapt to their perception and intimacy with God without pursuing our own. It’s like glancing at old photos of God and hearing stories of things He once did, but never progressing or seeking Him right now.
I’m not a parent, so I can’t say this with any authority, but based on my own neurotic tendencies, I wonder if parents do this with their kids- try to shape their identities using pure will power and perception. It’s like how I picture our future son (it’s always a boy, I hardly ever picture a girl) with red hair and freckles and an affinity for team sports, when he might actually have straight blond hair like Patrick’s brother used to have, and he might actually have a revulsion for team sports, and prefer downhill skiing like my dad.

One of the neighborhood kids by his mom’s house is a little boy named Jonah. Jonah has 7 brothers and sisters, but is the only boy with red hair and freckles. I think I spooked him a little last weekend when I stared too long at his resemblance to Patrick as a kid. I’m not as weird as I sound. He really did look just like Patrick.
So all of that is to say this: What really matters is how we appear in the eyes of God, and when we become His and are grafted into His family, He looks upon us with love. Loving us for who we are in Christ.

Weekly Poll: Saddam's Sentence

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Weekly Poll Results: Cartoons

Last week we mourned the death of Joe Barbera, creator of Hanna-Barbera cartoons. Some of our favorite cartoons are as follows:

50% The Flintstones
20% The Jetsons
10% Yogi
10% Scooby
10% Tom and Jerry

Check back later for a new weekly poll!

True::Identity, Week 4

I wish I could have been at Genesis on Christmas Eve with all of you! Instead I was in visiting Patrick, Craig, Erica, and Amy's home town of Chino/Chino Hills and sweating through ninety degree weather. I think we may have established a new tradition of visiting Candy Cane Lane, which is an entire neighborhood of competing Christmas lights. It's like the Griswalds in Christmas Vacation, with every roof tile decorated. Even the telephone wires are strung with lights from one house to the next. I mean it, everything is lit up! They even have Clidesdale horses and carriages touring the streets, and families camp out on their driveways with firepits and lawnchairs to watch the traffic go by.
I also overcame my personal dislike of palm tress decorated with Christmas lights. When I first moved to California the sight of decorated palm trees depressed me and I felt sorry for CA residents who would never enjoy a white Christmas and even had to settle for substitute Christmas trees throughout the holiday season. I used to think anyone who didn't celebrate a white, cold Christmas was deprived and also "faking it," pretending to know how Christmas was intended to be celebrated. It's the same feeling I get while wearing a faux Hawaiian lei at makeshift Luau barbeques.
But now that I've seen how it's done in Chino, palm trees and all, my perception of California Christmases has been revised.

So, I haven't had a chance yet to listen to the message from Sunday night. Maybe someone who was there can share main ideas or personal insights in the meantime?

Merry Christmas!

Patrick and I are off to Southern California tomorrow morning. Hopefully we'll make it to Chino to see Candy Cane Lane and other light show neighborhoods. We won't see you this Sunday night at Genesis, but have a great time!

I hope everyone
has a wonderful and safe Christmas!

Pink Flamingos and Jesus T's

I couldn't really resist posting this video. It made me think of yesterday, when I was riding around town at lunchtime with two co-worker/friends, and we came to a stop light behind an enormous SUV. The back windshield was obscured with giant lettering that read, "No matter how great you think Jesus is...He's greater!"
While this statement is true, and I will not deny its truthfulness, I have to admit I felt a little embarrassed by it. Not embarrassed to be a Christian, and not embarrassed for the person driving the vehicle, but more embarrassed for the manufacturer of the sticker. Embarrassed that the thing itself exists, and so big. My friends turned to me and asked, "So, Jody. What do you think about this, uh, window sticker in front of us." It was so large, a person could not ignore it which is probably the point.
"I...well...I. Think it's. Not the most profound statement."
Here is where I am faced with a dilemma. I have to speak truthfully about my thoughts on stuff like this, but not in a way that undermines other Christians or elevates my opinions above theirs. I am guilty of owning several items of poor design and evangelism quality. My former Volvo rocked a small sparkly sticker that said, "Jesus loves the HELL out of you." I bought the sticker, like, the second I became a Christian because it spoke to the deep love of God and His desire that no one should go to hell, yet spoke it with an edge that reflected my own personality and quirky sense of humor. It's like, "I'm redeemed, but I'm saying 'hell' in the curse-word vernacular, yet the double entendre releases me of any conviction for swearing. Therefore my edgy-ness balances my newfound purity and soul-cleansing, which has proven to be a social inconvenience that drives a wedge between myself and my former friends. Cheers to using 'hell' creatively and with sparkles!"
You didn't think a message so wordy could fit within the confines of a sticker smaller than the palm of my hand. But I assure you, the message was there, loud and clear.
The intention behind my sticker MIGHT have been to share the Gospel of Jesus, but the effect was more of an "I'm a Christian and *darn* proud of it!" It was less about God and more about me. I think this can be a pitfall for some products, because they serve the purpose of impressing people already within the Christian sub-culture rather than proclaiming the name of Christ to the rest of society, therefore creating an even wider chasm between the two.
Right now I just have a Boise State University sticker covering some chipped paint on my car's bumper. Which is also misleading, because while I actually graduated from UCSC I did attend Boise State for 2 years prior, and I really consider it 'my school'- more so than UCSC. And I'm darn proud of it.
I’ve met people with body art that totally glorifies God with artful excellence. I like the idea of using tattoos to express God’s beauty and visual creation, so I also designed a tattoo for myself about two seconds after I became a Christian, and one second after buying the hell sticker. You’ll probably never see my tattoo because it is situated near my left hip, so that it is only visible if I’m at the beach, wearing a two-piece bathing suit. I chose a wave cresting around a cross, and the sun shining from behind the cross. This was significantly less expensive than the alternative, which would have been “Bob Dylan Forever” across my back as a commemorative statement to his proficient harmonica skills. I don’t regret my decision; however I did not consider the effects of abdominal elasticity should I one day bear children. Also, in the vein of purity and modesty, this tattoo draws less attention to Almighty God than to “that pretty picture sticking out above my swimsuit” that everyone needs to get a closer look at because it isn’t a large tattoo- and here is when I begin to view my tattoo as a little absurd, at least the positioning of it, because it’s like “hey, I’m still kind of edgy with my tattoo that compliments my bathing suit and navel ring, even though it’s the kind of tattoo that, like, so totally glorifies God and stuff.”
So, I really appreciate that the guys in this video are actually going to seek feedback from people on their Jesus branding. It’s too bad we can’t see what kind of feedback they get.

Goodsearch

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Weekly Poll: Cartoon Mania

Joe Barbera, of Hanna-Barbera cartoons, passed away yesterday. What was your favorite H/B cartoon growing up?

The Flintstones The Jetsons Yogi Bear Scooby-Doo Tom and Jerry

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Poll Results: I'm Dreaming of a Wet Christmas

It looks like the poll site is working again, and our test question was- Rainstorms: Yea or Nay?

We voted
70% Yea
30% Nay

I say yea. Though the sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy I still value the rainfall, so I can sit with a blanket and hot cocoa and watch the fog roll in.
And yea, though my house is sinking inch by inch with every storm I still love the sound of rain on the porch and in the trees.
This Christmas looks like it will be a wet one. For you. I'll be in SoCal soaking in the sun.

Check back later for a new poll!

The First Annual Genesis Christmas Party

A big thank you to the Diepersloot Family for opening up their home for the First Annual Genesis Christmas Party!
It was so much fun, and I met a lot of people for the first time!
Thanks, also, to anyone who brought food to share with everyone. We had a great time. Can't wait until the 2nd annual Genesis Christmas Party!

True:: Victory, Week 3

This morning Adam taught on True Victory over sin. The text we looked at was Matthew 9:9-13, where we see how Matthew chose to leave his sin behind and follow Jesus. This act of repentance shows us a glimpse of how God works in all our lives.
We see a man- a sinner- a tax collector known for stealing from the poor to build his own wealth. A man who probably knows he's not a "nice guy," but no one is stopping him from stealing, so he takes the liberty to continue. And we know that a man like Matthew the tax collector probably does not have a strong relationship with God, because he continues in sin without seeming to worry about consequences. Perhaps he does worry about the consequences. Perhaps before he falls asleep, he experiences a deep yearning for more of something else- for something he can't quite name. Perhaps he endures a terrible dark night of the soul, his conscience tormented with images of starving children or desperate slaves. Or perhaps he simply falls asleep wrapped in warm Egyptian cotton of the highest thread count, the images of the suffering souls dissolving like sugarplums on the tongues of royalty. We're not told as much.
All we know is that Jesus came to him- first. He approached Matthew in an effort to restore right fellowship. I love how Adam talked about God's model for reconciliation.
When there is a rift or a wedge between two parties, someone has to humble himself to reconcile the relationship because he cares about the other person. Jesus is perfect and does no wrong, and we are the party that sins and breaks fellowship with God. But Jesus came to restore us back into fellowship. We should be the ones who acknowledge our own sin and take responsibility by going to God in contrition. But we don't always do that. Sometimes, like in Matthew, God has to pay a little visit and then we are faced with a choice: to leave our sin to follow Him, or deny Him and continue in sin.

This is why we celebrate Christmas year after year; in remembrance of His coming to us, and of His promise to return. We can have true victory in repentance. We can choose, like Matthew, to drop our sin and follow Jesus. We don't have to clean up our act first, and then kneel before God. We can kneel down, in all our filth and guilt, and seek forgiveness. And choose not to go back to our sin.
I love this particular passage we looked at today because it reveals the character of Jesus and His heart for the unpious sinners, the "unlikely worshipers" who weren't the type to attend weekly services. He said, "I have not come to call the righteous, but the sinners." He knew that those who claim to be righteous would be less likely to drop their facade to follow him because they would not believe they needed reconciliation with God. They wouldn't believe, due to their moral lifestyle, that they were unrighteous. The blatant, identifiable sinners though were more receptive to His teachings and to His divinity.

Sometimes I feel like one of the moralistic "righteous" people who doesn't recognize her own sin. It's so easy to lead a moral lifestyle. Anybody can learn moral behavior. There are millions of good, upstanding citizens who are not reconciled to Christ. They have not achieved victory over sin, but have achieved the appearance of piety through behavior modification. And anti-bacterial soap. Jesus will come and tell me I'm dirty but I will look at my scrubbed hands and face, scrubbed raw and red, broken capillaries mapping my flesh, and I will tell him no, I'm not dirty at all. I'm clean.
Sometimes I feel like a dirty sinner trapped in a dark alleyway, blocked by towering trash heaps that teeter and sway, threatening to crush me and blocking out the light of day. I know the way out but I sit in the darkness, allowing liquid from the rotting trash heap to seep into my stained garments to warm against my moist skin. I can hear the rhythmic echo of condensation dripping on the lid of a tin can. And then I see the shadow of one who clears the trash heap methodically, piece by piece, heaving large dripping cardboard boxes and rusted metal cans to clear a path to me. His bare hands are cut up, with dirt and blood mixed, as he lifts even the cinder blocks to reach me. And I know I want to go with him. I don't want to sit in the dank, cold alley anymore. In fact, I never want to return to this place ever again. I know I have nothing to offer him for saving me, but I want to serve him out of gratitude and obedience and awe forever.

What I can't understand is how I can be the same two people at once. I guess it comes with the knowledge that I am clean. I am washed. But not by my own volition. I am washed by the shedding of His blood. But I should not become so confident in this knowledge that I cease to serve or follow Him.

I've never looked at Christmas through this lens before. I never saw the parallel between Jesus coming in the form of man, and Jesus coming back again some day.
I've only celebrated "Jesus's birthday"- yea, He came! Happy Birthday! But this is just a means to an end, Lord, so hurry and grow up so you can go to the cross for us and pay for all our sins. The real celebration is Resurrection Sunday, because that's more meaningful, yeah, because that's when He dies and then comes back and we are set freeeeeeeeeeee!

This is probably the first year I've actually celebrated Christ coming to us as a man, knowing He was gonna have to reconcile this thing we have going here. And it's that much more meaningful. No wonder we have to celebrate this holiday every year. It's for people like me who are a little slow on the uptake.

Here Comes Santa Claus...Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!!!

What IS that thing?

Don't Forget!

Remember~ if you plan on giving a gift to the Genesis adopted family, bring it on Sunday!

New Weekly Poll: Wet Winter

Rainstorms: Yay or Nay?

Yay Nay

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OK, if this poll doesn't work we'll figure something else out. Like a poll sabbath.

Meanwhile, ya'll can study using these Finals Prep tips. 'Course there's always good old fashioned prayer...

Insert Weekly Poll Here

Someone alerted me to the fact that the poll this week wasn't working right so I took it down. Um...stay tuned, I guess?

Weekly Poll Results: Christmas Break

Results are in and here's what everybody's doing over Christmas break:

20% Snowboarding
26.7% Surfing
0% watching tv all day
46.7% Reading
6.7% My Spacing all day
20% No break


Since most people plan on reading for a few days, let me recommend the book I'm reading right now. The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards is about a husband and his wife who gives birth to twins in the 1960's. One of the twins is born with Down Syndrome, so the husband sends her with the nurse to live in an institution. But the nurse decides to keep her and raise her as her own baby. It's a great book!












While I'm recommending books, I can't pass up the opportunity to plug Peace Like a River, by Leif Enger. I read it years ago before I was a Christian and after I finished it I cried and asked God to reveal Himself to me if He was real. I have read this book over and over, and I'd read it again but I keep giving away my copies.






Both are perfect winter books to curl up with and drink hot chocolate.

What are you reading right now?

Away with the Manger, No Crib for a Bed

So...some old news to report. There will be no Christmas trees adorning SeaTac this year to welcome travelers enroute to their final destinations.

This news comes just over a week after the Young Conservatives of Texas sent out a press release describing a new twist on the traditional Nativity scene.

An excerpt from their press release:

"We’ve got Gary and Joseph instead of Mary and Joseph
in order to symbolize ACLU support for homosexual marriage, and of course there
isn’t a Jesus in themanger,” said Chairman Tony McDonald. “The three Wise Men
are Lenin, Marx, and Stalin because the founders of the ACLU were strident
supporters of Soviet style Communism. The whole scene is a tongue-in-cheek way of showing the many ways that the ACLU and the far left are out of touch with the
values of mainstream America.” The scene will also display a terrorist shepherd
and an angel in the form of Nancy Pelosi.

There isn't any real connection between the SeaTac be-Grinch-ing and the YCT's bold anti-ACLU statements, except for the dichotomy of two separate organizations working in opposition to one another, yet proclaiming the appearance of a similar message.

Who do you think is more right?
Thoughts from either side?
I suppose the real concern is- Can we still keep the Christmas trees at Genesis???

(h.t. Randy)

True:: Worship, Week 2

This morning we received an education about the oft-misrepresented Magi from Matthew 2:1-12. Over the centuries the Magi, or wisemen, or "three kings", have been reduced to three eccentric personalities to balance the number of gifts mentioned in the Bible. This is understandable, given that their visit occurs a couple of sentences after Christ's birth, but actually they didn't arrive until a year or two after his birth. And the gifts they bestowed were more than likely offerings to the King rather than birthday presents off a quirky baby registry from biblical times.
Actually, we learned that there were probably more than three magi, since they traveled the lands carrying expensive stuff and needed manpower to avoid getting robbed. And they weren't kings, but actually very "unlikely worshipers" who studied astrology and magic, and who probably weren't the types to attend Temple every week.
But while studying a favorite hobby, they came across "His star" in their charts and chose to worship Jesus as God. I think that's awesome, because they might have been against all that Jesus represents. They practiced certain rituals and spells that God clearly instructs His people not to, yet Christ was still revealed to them and they chose to worship Him rather than ignore him or hunt him down the way Herod did. That's so cool. I always pictured them as wise, pious, humble men- and perhaps they became that way after an arduous trip on foot (which we saw in almost-real time in The Nativity Story).
When I came home, I moved the three wisemen from my little ceramic, caucasian nativity scene to make it look like they are actually enroute to Bethlehem during Christ's birth, rather than arriving "just in time." I think I will move the ceramic animals, too, because it's doubtful Mary and Joseph "made the best of things" in the manger for longer than a couple of days, and they probably moved out of there pretty quick. There isn't much I can do about baby Jesus resting in a trough filled with hay, since that is simply the ceramic mold he came in.

The lesson we learn from these unlikely worshipers is what it means to truly worship our King. True worship is not just singing songs around a campfire, and it's not just something we do on Sunday morning.
Worship is
deeply passionate- can you give God your undivided attention?
more than words- do you worship him through your actions?
costly- what does God require of you?
obedience- are you willing to do that?

It was difficult to find a pictoral reference of the Magi, since it's usually three kings standing over a newborn. But I did find one that shows a large group traveling with the Magi. There are even women and children in the painting, which causes me to wonder about the personal lives and families of the Magi.
The other painting I found is a little more abstract. There is even a female figure bearing one of the gifts, which may not be biblical but it's such a cool painting. I'm posting it because it's called "The Adoration of the Magi" by Jeffrey Guy.
I love the idea of such "unlikely worshipers" who are so passionate with their adoration of the Savior that they packed their belongings and set out on a long journey to bow before Jesus. They worshiped with more than words, they knew the cost, and they were obedient. They didn't journey with hopes of getting something in return, because Christmas is truly about worship.

Happy Friday

Found some new music I thought I'd share. I've never heard of Matthew Smith (except for one guy at work) until yesterday.

You can check out his My Space page here.
And his purevolume page here.
His official website here.
And his blog here.

His cd could make a great stocking stuffer for "that special someone in your life."

"I Repent"- Words and Music by Derek Webb

Last Sunday's message got this song stuck in my head. Now it can get stuck in yours, too!


I Repent
words and music by derek webb

i repent, i repent of my pursuit of america's dream
i repent, i repent of living like i deserve anything
of my house, my fence, my kids, my wife
in our suburb where we're safe and white
i am wrong and of these things i repent
i repent, i repent of parading my liberty
i repent. i repent of paying for what i get for free
and for the way i believe that i am living right
by trading sins for others that are easier to hide
i am wrong and of these things i repent
i repent judging by a law that even i can't keep
of wearing righteousness like a disguise
to see through the planks in my own eyes
i repent, i repent of trading truth for false unity
i repent, i repent of confusing peace and idolatry
by caring more of what they think than what i know of what we need
by domesticating you until you look just like me
i am wrong and of these things i repent

Weekly Poll: Christmas Break!

Hang in there! Winter break is almost here! What are your plans during your time off?

Select up to 2 of the following: snowboarding all day long surfing all day long watching television all day long reading all day long My Spacing all day long What break?

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Poll Results: Comments, anyone?

I know I'm a little early on posting poll results, but tomorrow promises to be a very busy workday and I find myself available right now, so here goes:

Last week, the question was how come ya'll don't post your thoughts on this blog?

30% want to, but are too intimidated
50% are too busy
10% don't feel they have anything more to add
10% don't want to
0% don't know how

Well, I can certainly understand the busyness with the Christmas season upon us, and also final exams. And I can also understand not wanting to share your personal thoughts with everyone...well, I used to understand. Then I started blogging and it comes sort of naturally now.
Thanks to everyone for voting!

Check back soon for a new weekly poll!

True Repentance

Yesterday, Charlie spoke on the meaning of true repentance. The text we looked at was Matthew 3:1-12, which talks about John the Baptist preaching in the desert and baptizing people. I think it's really interesting that John says in verse 11 that he baptizes "with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful...He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire."
This is where I could use some clarification.
If we stop at verse 11, then this is a vivid picture of how we come to faith. The significance of water, which cleanses, and of fire, which purifies, demonstrates how God can transform us into vessels in which the Holy Spirit can dwell.
But if we continue to verse 12, John jumps to the Coming One's metaphorical "winnowing fork" that will be used to clear the "threshing floor, gathering His wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire." Well, that changes things a little bit. If the wheat and the chaff symbolize repentant and unrepentant people, respectively, then the fire is less for purification and more for destruction. Or maybe both. Maybe those who are cleansed will be purified by the fire and baptized with the Holy Spirit, and those who are not cleansed will be burned up with unquenchable fire. I'm just not really sure which way to interpret it. I guess it seems pretty straightforward, and perhaps I overthink things, but any insight would be appreciated.

The Christmas trees yesterday were beautiful. I wanted to stay all day long just looking at them, but instead I went to see "The Nativity Story," (very native) with some people from Genesis.












The general consensus of the movie: "Not too bad"

Remember to keep our friend Ritchie in prayer this week as he continues to adjust to the physical, emotional, and financial discomfort of his accident and subsequent surgery(ies).