If you don't want to read a fairly vitriolic opinion of war, and the role Christians should or should not play in it, then....don't read below the link.
Monday, October 11, 2010
J. I. Packer says it best
One of the reasons I love reading multiple books at the same time is that they inevitably teach me the exact same lessons, and I can only assume that God is hitting me over the head. While I absolutely love Shane Claiborne's The Irresistible Revolution, it's rather passionate, and some people might not like his slightly sarcastic tone. But then I'm also reading J. I. Packer's Knowing God (which is like Tozer's Knowledge of the Holy, but on crack). And Packer is firmly intellectual, presenting things as uncontested facts. So I thought I would quote him, because he's hard to argue with.
"You are called to go through this world as a pilgrim, a mere temporary resident, traveling light, and willing, as Christ directs, to do what the rich young ruler refused to do: give up material wealth and the security it provides and live in a way that involves you in poverty and loss of possessions. Having your treasure in heaven, you are not to budget for treasure on earth, nor for a high standard of living--you may well be required to forego both...
Your eyes must be open to see others' needs, both spiritual and material; your heart must be ready to care for needy souls when you find them; your mind must be alert to plan out the best way to help them; and your will must be set against the trick that we are all so good at--'passing the buck'...
None of this, of course, is strange to any of us. We know what kind of life Christ calls us to; we often preach and talk to each other about it. But do we live it? Well, look at the churches. Observe the shortage of ministers and missionaries, especially men; the luxury goods in Christian homes; the readiness of Christians in all walks of life to grumble about their salaries; the lack of concern for the old and lonely and for anyone outside the circle of 'sound believers.'"
"You are called to go through this world as a pilgrim, a mere temporary resident, traveling light, and willing, as Christ directs, to do what the rich young ruler refused to do: give up material wealth and the security it provides and live in a way that involves you in poverty and loss of possessions. Having your treasure in heaven, you are not to budget for treasure on earth, nor for a high standard of living--you may well be required to forego both...
Your eyes must be open to see others' needs, both spiritual and material; your heart must be ready to care for needy souls when you find them; your mind must be alert to plan out the best way to help them; and your will must be set against the trick that we are all so good at--'passing the buck'...
None of this, of course, is strange to any of us. We know what kind of life Christ calls us to; we often preach and talk to each other about it. But do we live it? Well, look at the churches. Observe the shortage of ministers and missionaries, especially men; the luxury goods in Christian homes; the readiness of Christians in all walks of life to grumble about their salaries; the lack of concern for the old and lonely and for anyone outside the circle of 'sound believers.'"
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Thinking Thoughts Again
I am currently reading a truly awesome book called The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne. I could probably write twenty posts about the things I am learning from it, but right now my passion is mostly very obnoxious, so I only expose my mom to my rants.
But one thing I have been coming back to lately is singleness. In the book, Shane talks about people asking him why he is still single, and is he either a homosexual or a priest? How sad that we are so unaccustomed to single people. I can testify to that, because already the women of my church are scheming to get me hitched. Apparently there is an attractive guy in the Internationals class (I've seen him, and he's very small), and two women said what he really needed was for me to speak English with him. Really? Me? No one else speaks English? And of course, I asked if he was a Christian, and they said, well, he seems nice.
I can only assume that at 22, it has become pathetic for me to be single.
Shane talks about how looking back through Christianity's past, many of the most influential Christ followers were single, were married fully to Jesus. He says their lives would have looked different (not bad, just different) had they been married. And he quotes Matthew 19: 12, in which Jesus says, "For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have renounced marriage because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it."
I want that kind of passion. I have recently admitted that duh, of course I want to be loved, to dedicate my life to someone and to have them build me up and protect me and encourage me. ...And that is exactly what I already have. Why am I looking elsewhere when Jesus is already my husband? How must He feel when I am looking for someone else to fulfill my needs?
What it comes down to is this: Marriage can be a great thing. Two can always accomplish more than one, and if God sends me someone who is passionate about changing the world for the better in the same ways that I am, then I would consider marriage.
But that's the thing. I will not change my relationship with God to fit into a relationship with a mere man. I cannot imagine the horror that would come from covenanting my life to another person, then finding out that they are pulling me away from what I think God wants me to do.
So I am renewed in my desire to live fully, to spend my singleness to the greatest possible degree, traveling freely and spending my time freely, unconstrained by anyone's rules or timetables but God's. And that is awesome. If I can grow up to be like Mother Teresa, then um, check! Life: success. And she didn't have a husband. She had God, and He was all she needed, or wanted.
But one thing I have been coming back to lately is singleness. In the book, Shane talks about people asking him why he is still single, and is he either a homosexual or a priest? How sad that we are so unaccustomed to single people. I can testify to that, because already the women of my church are scheming to get me hitched. Apparently there is an attractive guy in the Internationals class (I've seen him, and he's very small), and two women said what he really needed was for me to speak English with him. Really? Me? No one else speaks English? And of course, I asked if he was a Christian, and they said, well, he seems nice.
I can only assume that at 22, it has become pathetic for me to be single.
Shane talks about how looking back through Christianity's past, many of the most influential Christ followers were single, were married fully to Jesus. He says their lives would have looked different (not bad, just different) had they been married. And he quotes Matthew 19: 12, in which Jesus says, "For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have renounced marriage because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it."
I want that kind of passion. I have recently admitted that duh, of course I want to be loved, to dedicate my life to someone and to have them build me up and protect me and encourage me. ...And that is exactly what I already have. Why am I looking elsewhere when Jesus is already my husband? How must He feel when I am looking for someone else to fulfill my needs?
What it comes down to is this: Marriage can be a great thing. Two can always accomplish more than one, and if God sends me someone who is passionate about changing the world for the better in the same ways that I am, then I would consider marriage.
But that's the thing. I will not change my relationship with God to fit into a relationship with a mere man. I cannot imagine the horror that would come from covenanting my life to another person, then finding out that they are pulling me away from what I think God wants me to do.
So I am renewed in my desire to live fully, to spend my singleness to the greatest possible degree, traveling freely and spending my time freely, unconstrained by anyone's rules or timetables but God's. And that is awesome. If I can grow up to be like Mother Teresa, then um, check! Life: success. And she didn't have a husband. She had God, and He was all she needed, or wanted.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Osmosify Me!
There are times in my life when I don't think God is talking to me, and if He is, then I'm not listening. There are other times when I feel like God is run-on-sentencing me, and I cannot keep up with all the awesome things I am learning. This is one of those times, and I worry that I will not be able to fully embrace and understand and put into practice all the ideas and realizations He puts in my head.
But I've felt this way before. And I know I am more spiritually mature than I was one year ago or especially three years ago. So I guess it works.
I trust that somehow, it will sink in.
But I've felt this way before. And I know I am more spiritually mature than I was one year ago or especially three years ago. So I guess it works.
I trust that somehow, it will sink in.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Glee and God
Hello, pop culture.
I was a little skeptical when I found out that one of my favorite TV shows was going to have an episode all about God, because the things I love about Glee are its snark and sarcasm. I didn't think I could handle an episode in which God was mercilessly mocked.
But oh my word I loved it. It in no way validated Christianity, but it presented different views of spirituality in such beautiful honesty that I think it will get people talking and sharing their own beliefs.
I mean, whatever. So the God-centrism kicked off because Finn saw Jesus on his grilled cheese sandwich and proceeded to pray to win football games and get to second base with his girlfriend. But that was not supposed to be deep.
What got me was Kurt's pain, the going through life and the fear of death without a belief in God to comfort you. And I loved that Quinn quietly acknowledged that her relationship with God is what got her through her horrible life last season. And I loved Mercedes consistently and lovingly wooing Kurt toward the possibility of God, without anger or condescension or defensiveness.
Of course it wasn't perfect. Whenever pop culture tries to address God, and more specifically, who Christianity tells us He is, I find that they usually start from the wrong angle. This show was all about what we get from God. But what really matters is who God is, and that is all. What we want from God is so not at stake. God is God, and we just fit into that picture.
Even so, I thought it was a touching hour of television, and I hope that Christians will engage in entertainment like this and use it to talk to others about their faith instead of blindly shutting out everything that isn't perfect.
In related news, I just read an article about how J.K. Rowling talked about being a Christian and said she thought the Christian messages in her books were "obvious." Love.
I was a little skeptical when I found out that one of my favorite TV shows was going to have an episode all about God, because the things I love about Glee are its snark and sarcasm. I didn't think I could handle an episode in which God was mercilessly mocked.
But oh my word I loved it. It in no way validated Christianity, but it presented different views of spirituality in such beautiful honesty that I think it will get people talking and sharing their own beliefs.
I mean, whatever. So the God-centrism kicked off because Finn saw Jesus on his grilled cheese sandwich and proceeded to pray to win football games and get to second base with his girlfriend. But that was not supposed to be deep.
What got me was Kurt's pain, the going through life and the fear of death without a belief in God to comfort you. And I loved that Quinn quietly acknowledged that her relationship with God is what got her through her horrible life last season. And I loved Mercedes consistently and lovingly wooing Kurt toward the possibility of God, without anger or condescension or defensiveness.
Of course it wasn't perfect. Whenever pop culture tries to address God, and more specifically, who Christianity tells us He is, I find that they usually start from the wrong angle. This show was all about what we get from God. But what really matters is who God is, and that is all. What we want from God is so not at stake. God is God, and we just fit into that picture.
Even so, I thought it was a touching hour of television, and I hope that Christians will engage in entertainment like this and use it to talk to others about their faith instead of blindly shutting out everything that isn't perfect.
In related news, I just read an article about how J.K. Rowling talked about being a Christian and said she thought the Christian messages in her books were "obvious." Love.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Dream Changer
Our whole church is going through a study called r12, which is a marketing way of saying Romans 12. I think it will be pretty awesome, and I'm excited to be a Sunday School teacher, because I get to experience the material even though I can't go to one of the in-home studies.
Anyway, one of the questions we were supposed to discuss was "How have your dreams about the future changed since you were a kid?" with the purpose of then discussing what God might be dreaming for our lives. And oh my word, have my dreams done a 180 or what? In some places, my heart is still catching up with my head and my spirit, but still, the changes are happening.
All the way through high school, I had a very concrete picture of what my life would be. I would find a perfect man in college, and we would get married. I would have kids, and while my husband went off to work, I would stay home to be the perfect housewife. In my free time, I would write and eventually become a published author.
I thought this was a godly way to live my life. I thought this was THE godly way to live my life. And no doubt it is what God calls some people to do. But apparently not me! And honestly, thank goodness, because now the idea of living like that makes my skin crawl.
It's crazy how much God has changed me in the last couple years, and so sneakily! Do I still want to get married? Yes. But there is no great hurry, not when I get over my self-pity. But everything else....is so completely different. And I love it, because I just feel that everything I flippantly assert about myself, God rolls his eyes and says, "Little does she know..."
For instance. Growing up, there were two things I adamantly and loudly declared about myself.
1. I do not like kids!
(Clarification because people tend not to like my bold statements without disclaimers. I don't like kids in that when I see a kid, I don't get that melty insides thing that so many girls tend to get. If a kid is awesome, I will want to be around that kid. If a kid is annoying, I will avoid that kid. To me, kids are people, and they earn no special treatment just for being young. And don't get me started on babies. Sure, they're cuddly, but they're boring. Give me a kid with a personality, and then we'll talk.)
2. I will absolutely never ever be a teacher!
Honestly, my insides still jump to support those claims. And then I look at my life and say, oh.
I got back from Senegal, and what does God do? He throws a job in my lap which involves interacting and performing for kids on a daily basis. And He throws church jobs at me too--being a Sunday School teacher, and a Bible study teacher, and a missions teacher. Oh, what? Everything I do involves either kids or being a teacher.
When did this happen? When did I become okay with it?
And what is super exciting is that I think God is preparing me for something awesome in my future. Something I am growing into. Something I could not have imagined myself doing when I was a kid. Which is awesome.
Anyway, one of the questions we were supposed to discuss was "How have your dreams about the future changed since you were a kid?" with the purpose of then discussing what God might be dreaming for our lives. And oh my word, have my dreams done a 180 or what? In some places, my heart is still catching up with my head and my spirit, but still, the changes are happening.
All the way through high school, I had a very concrete picture of what my life would be. I would find a perfect man in college, and we would get married. I would have kids, and while my husband went off to work, I would stay home to be the perfect housewife. In my free time, I would write and eventually become a published author.
I thought this was a godly way to live my life. I thought this was THE godly way to live my life. And no doubt it is what God calls some people to do. But apparently not me! And honestly, thank goodness, because now the idea of living like that makes my skin crawl.
It's crazy how much God has changed me in the last couple years, and so sneakily! Do I still want to get married? Yes. But there is no great hurry, not when I get over my self-pity. But everything else....is so completely different. And I love it, because I just feel that everything I flippantly assert about myself, God rolls his eyes and says, "Little does she know..."
For instance. Growing up, there were two things I adamantly and loudly declared about myself.
1. I do not like kids!
(Clarification because people tend not to like my bold statements without disclaimers. I don't like kids in that when I see a kid, I don't get that melty insides thing that so many girls tend to get. If a kid is awesome, I will want to be around that kid. If a kid is annoying, I will avoid that kid. To me, kids are people, and they earn no special treatment just for being young. And don't get me started on babies. Sure, they're cuddly, but they're boring. Give me a kid with a personality, and then we'll talk.)
2. I will absolutely never ever be a teacher!
Honestly, my insides still jump to support those claims. And then I look at my life and say, oh.
I got back from Senegal, and what does God do? He throws a job in my lap which involves interacting and performing for kids on a daily basis. And He throws church jobs at me too--being a Sunday School teacher, and a Bible study teacher, and a missions teacher. Oh, what? Everything I do involves either kids or being a teacher.
When did this happen? When did I become okay with it?
And what is super exciting is that I think God is preparing me for something awesome in my future. Something I am growing into. Something I could not have imagined myself doing when I was a kid. Which is awesome.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Mail Order Friend
I really want to see the new Facebook movie. Its theatrical trailer is one of only two that I've ever seen that knocked my socks off, if you don't count books-turned-to-movies which predispose my socks to being knocked off, and I'm not. However, the first time a movie trailer blew me away, the actual movie ended with a guy cutting off his penis after being accused of pedophilia. So. Maybe my movie trailer radar isn't so good.
The thing is, I have no friends. This is the one thing I'm not really loving about Peoria. There are tons of people here that I love, but when it comes to hanging out, I'm at a loss. When I think of something awesome to do, I literally have no idea who to ask to join me. Everyone is either in school, doing homework, or relating to their spouse or children. Where are the young single people!? Not in Peoria.
Except there is one, and she is from Mongolia. Ghani is here as an interpreter for the Samaritan's Heart project, and when the Paulis asked for someone to hang out with Ghani, it is sad how quickly I jumped at the chance to have a friend my age.
And she is awesome! Dang, that sounds conceited, because my followup thought is this: She is just like me! But it is cool, because we were raised on opposite sides of the world, but we are so similar. We like the same music. We choose Jacob over Edward. We have the same no-nonsense attitude toward romance. And that is wonderful, because I've been losing my edge there, what with everyone that I know being married or dating and me being alone. It is SO NICE to be validated, to be admired for being single. So often I feel like a social reject, but at least Ghani is proud of me.
And we both are passionate about wanting to serve God. Obviously, she is succeeding in that very well, and seeing her encourages me. She is so in tune with God, and so devoted to following His law, because she truly believes it will bring her the greatest joy. She is who I want to be.
Still, it's a little annoying, because even though we have the same values and we look at the world through the same lens, she is dating a boy (even though he tricked her into it, and she hates kissing....oh how much I love her) and she has a best friend of thirteen years. The two things I want most from life.
Regardless, it was super awesome fun to play piano duets.
The thing is, I have no friends. This is the one thing I'm not really loving about Peoria. There are tons of people here that I love, but when it comes to hanging out, I'm at a loss. When I think of something awesome to do, I literally have no idea who to ask to join me. Everyone is either in school, doing homework, or relating to their spouse or children. Where are the young single people!? Not in Peoria.
Except there is one, and she is from Mongolia. Ghani is here as an interpreter for the Samaritan's Heart project, and when the Paulis asked for someone to hang out with Ghani, it is sad how quickly I jumped at the chance to have a friend my age.
And she is awesome! Dang, that sounds conceited, because my followup thought is this: She is just like me! But it is cool, because we were raised on opposite sides of the world, but we are so similar. We like the same music. We choose Jacob over Edward. We have the same no-nonsense attitude toward romance. And that is wonderful, because I've been losing my edge there, what with everyone that I know being married or dating and me being alone. It is SO NICE to be validated, to be admired for being single. So often I feel like a social reject, but at least Ghani is proud of me.
And we both are passionate about wanting to serve God. Obviously, she is succeeding in that very well, and seeing her encourages me. She is so in tune with God, and so devoted to following His law, because she truly believes it will bring her the greatest joy. She is who I want to be.
Still, it's a little annoying, because even though we have the same values and we look at the world through the same lens, she is dating a boy (even though he tricked her into it, and she hates kissing....oh how much I love her) and she has a best friend of thirteen years. The two things I want most from life.
Regardless, it was super awesome fun to play piano duets.
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