Vanessa...I finally took the quiz!

Emergent/Postmodern		82%
Fundamentalist		54%
Neo orthodox		50%
Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan		50%
Modern Liberal		39%
Classical Liberal		36%
Reformed Evangelical		29%
Charismatic/Pentecostal		21%
Roman Catholic		14%

What's your theological worldview?
created with QuizFarm.com

Take it for what it's worth!

The Irresistible Revolution

In the aftermath of September 11, 2001; it came out that these "extremists" bombed the United States because it is a Christian nation. I laughed at that statement thinking, "don't they know anything about seperation of church and state..." or some other ignorant thoughts. Then the presidential election of 2004 came along and it seemed as though the conservative Christian minority was really a slight majority. I was a little shocked to see that Bush was reelected (even though I voted for him), but soon afterwords we see mainstream companies focusing attention on this Christian majority. New blue laws were passed, Hollywood has started to produce "cleaner" movies. It has been interesting to watch as events have unfolded over the past couple of years.

The Irresistable Revolution begs me to answer the question why not just forgive them? Why not hold a press conference and extend grace to Osama Bin Ladin? If we called off the search and made it widely known that we weren't going to hunt him down, take him off the 10 most wanted terrorist list, offer him anonimity and an open invitation to dinner at the White House, would it accomplish the end of the war on Terror? I struggled with that on the day of the terrorist attacks. I was asked that question and almost hated the person for saying it. I was so upset and confused and ready to join the army. As I ask myself that question, I want to say that if I were in the White House today that I would not only extend grace to Osama, but I would pray daily for his salvation (as I do now). Would that be the end of the war on Terror - if I had anything to say about it - yes! But it wouldn't end terrorism, or even terrorism in the United States. But it seems to be the teaching of Jesus. Forgive them no matter how many times they offend you.

The book makes me want to stop what I am doing and change the world one relationship at a time. An ordinary radical is a person who lives their life fighting injustice here and around the world - one relationship at a time. It is honestly the best book so far of 2007. I really don't know what to do with it. I really don't know what I should say or do after finishing such a thought provoking book. I am amazed at how much I can learn about the bible and not learn anything from the bible.

Lord, cleanse me of inactivity. Help me to use the authority given me to make this world a better place. The place you originally intended it to be. Thank you Lord, for making me new everyday. Thank you for your challenges and your trials. Thank you for sending people into my life to lovingly confront me. Lord thank you for creation, without it we wouldn't understand what life is really all about! Amen.

Umm...Over Their Heads?

So I had my students do this activity yesterday morning. They had to look at four passages that mentions the Day of the Lord and write down some descriptions about it. It didn't go over to well I even had leaders struggle. So, I'll do it really fast and see what I think.



Joel 2:28-3:3
The sun and moon will turn to blood.
People will unjustly party.
People will prophesy.
Bloodshed.


Amos 5:18-27
It will be of darkness and not light.
It will be one bad thing after another.
It will be a time of hopelessness, and suffering.
Worshipping God may be futile.


Obadiah 15
God will judge the godless nations.

Malachi 4:1-6
Fire will consume the wicked.

Was it over their heads? I don't know. I can't remember the last time I was led through a study in the minor prophets.

Of Wine and Heaven

I just listened to this sermon by Rob Bell yesterday and found it truly compelling. When thinking of the end times we rarely think about what the Old Testament says and we rarely think about what the original authors frame of reference was.

This is the link to the Mars Hill website's podcast link. The teaching is called Wine and Heaven.

More and More

So, I am writing a teaching series through the book of I Thessalonians and I am working through chapter four, and I stumbled onto something a little interesting. Chapter four has three parts (verses 1-8, 9-12, and 13-18). In 1-8 Paul is talking about how the people of Thessalonica are living like Christ, but - in verse one - should do it more and more, and then talks about how sexual immorality can screw that up. In 9-12 Paul is talking about how good these people are at loving each other as siblings, but - in verse ten - that they should do it more and more. In 13-18 (this is the classic reference for rapture theology) Paul describes the return of Christ like a 1st century wedding. Everything that Christ does in those verses is what the Bride-groom would do. There would be a trumpet call and loud shouting and then the groom would come to the bride. I believe in a marriage relationship it doesn't just start and never move or progress. In fact it is in constant movement - hopefully forward! Paul is telling these people to have a relationship with God. He wants their relationship with God to be more and more. I find this fascinating! And all to often we rip it out of context and make it say what we want it to say.

Serving with Eyes Wide Open

Just finished Serving with Eyes Wide Open by David Livermore. This is a book about our approach to Short-term missions. I am particularly intrigued with this subject because I am leading a trip to Poland this summer with a bunch of 10th - 12th grade students. I am looking forward to it, but the more I read Livermore's book I realized that I was enabling them. I wasn't giving them the tools to succeed, but rather giving them the short simplified answers that I think that they need to get the job done right (whatever that means). I always love a good book that will change my perspective on a subject.

I want to read books that will blow me away, not books that will just support what I all ready know. I want to read books that will blow me away by supporting what I already know. This book did just that. It took the passion I have to see the world as the kingdom and practically showed me how I can teach that to my students while on a short-term missions trip.

Thanks Dr. Livermore

Catholic Thoughs?!?

So I just found this article on Fox News and I was intrigued by it so greatly I wanted to hear your opinions on it.

Here are a few highlights:

Hell is a place where sinners really do burn in an everlasting fire, and not just a religious symbol designed to galvanize the faithful, the Pope said.

The pope, who as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was head of Catholic doctrine, noted that "forgiveness of sins" for those who repent was a cornerstone of Christian belief. He recalled that Jesus had forgiven the "woman taken in adultery" and prevented her from being stoned to death, observing: "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her."


God had given men and women free will to choose whether "spontaneously to accept salvation ... the Christian faith is not imposed on anyone, it is a gift, an offer to mankind."



Thoughts?

I'm curious. Albeit it sounds Arminian - but still prodestant!

A New Way to Look at Jesus...

So I've recently reading books that challenge the things I've been taught about Jesus. No, not anything heretical (i.e. God-Man, death/burial/ressurection - I'm still with you on these things), but things about his ministry. Things that I think we often miss.

Philosophical/Theological Rant
Our modern view of Jesus and the Bible has only put him and it in a box. I mean we don't even let the bible speak for itself when it comes to the text. We find this need to split it up to explain away any so-called "inconsistancies" only because we miss the big picture.

Back on Task
The Bible is one big and very cool story. Jesus' message of caring for people isn't a new concept! Creation was very good as God proclaimed, and then we screwed it up - and we continue to screw it up. But God entered the world through a family (Israel), and began to redeem it. He began to mold it and change it and shape this sinful, chaotic place into something completely different - in fact opposite of what it was. He was making it beautiful and good again!

Jesus comes along and he's preaching the same message. The message of God turning this place back into something good. The message of hope for this earth. The message of people doing extraordinary things to help overturn the cart and make this sinful, chaotic place beautiful and full of order.

Why don't we do that? Why don't we get involved and make this place beautiful? Why don't we make this place wonderful?

Things are completely different than they were in Jesus' day. I really don't live in fear of my life everyday, like some do. I don't need to worry about where I am going to live or food on my table. My basic needs are covered. I don't even worry about the our country being attacked and overthrown and occupied. I don't have to worry about those things. Don't you think that has something to do with Jesus' message?

I'm still thinking about this and I'm not sure where I'll land.