Talking about gender issues in Church typically gets one of two responses: either it is declared a “secondary issue” that is a matter of personal opinion and interpretation, or the very idea of “women in ministry” is viewed as a threat to the underlying fabric of the Christian faith. Both of these responses are wrong. after reading Pam Hogeweide‘s first book, Unladylike: Resisting the Injustice of Inequality in the Church, I am convinced that the place women occupy in our churches is a deep issue of justice and not (primarily) a doctrinal issue. I appreciate that Pam shares her story with passion. It is the story of a journey from an egalitarianism to polite complementary and finally to a place of advocating for equality in word and deed. Through her story, Pam begins to discuss topics like women in church leadership, the way we view girls/women in the church, patriarchy, and over all our idea of what it means to be created as man and woman in the image of God.

Honestly, this book has given me much to think about… and I think that’s the point. Women do deserve to have a voice along side their brothers. If we are going to see that happen in our Churches today, we have to think, talk, and act deeply about these complex issues. While it may not be a quick fix or an easy “new fad”, it is a reformation that is happening in hearts and minds. Don’t read this as a feminist book; read it as a call to equality in Christ for everyone who shares the Imago Dei.

Other posts you should check out:

1. Book Review: Steeple Envy
2. One Book Down!
3. Book Review: A Question of Faith

Today we celebrate the birth of theology; the light of the world built a home in out shadow lands. This is the fulfillment of advent. We give gifts because we have been given much. We feast because the bread of life calls us all to the table. We share life because the darkness is being pushed back and life is teaching us love.

“Rejoice, rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee o Israel.”

Other posts you should check out:

1. Light
2. Proof positive that I am not a heretic…
3. And I'd never even heard of this guy…

As the church, we tend to organized our selves around a form while trying to retain an identity. What if we organized our selves around our identity and let the form change to fit the rhythms of our life?

What do you imagine Church gatherings and activities could look like if we focused more on who the Church is and less on what the church looks like?

Other posts you should check out:

1. Why I’m a catholic// I gave up on your “church” and got into the communion of saints
2. Scattered thoughts on Driscol's final thoughts, or don't spend your crazy weather on self recognition.
3. Charis and Action: some thoughts on spiritual gifts

I think most of us are burnt out on religion, tired of bigger and better being the church mentality. We are sick to death of the Christianity we see on Sunday not matching up with what we see in the pages of scripture. This is why I really appreciate Victor Cuccia‘s book Steeple Envy. Primary, this book is Vic’s story of finding himself sick and tired of a Christian religion and his ongoing journey to rediscover the Church and Jesus.

Through out his story, Vic openly and lovingly questions practices and underlying motives  we have in our evangelical “super star” church mentality.

“The whole reason I’m writing this book is the share my mind and heart without being influenced by what people think or how they’ll react.”- pg 79

Steeple Envy wasn’t written to toot one man’s horn. The main thrust behind this book is to share the story thus far of Vic, Journey Church and their journey to re-think what it means to be the church. It’s filled with honest questions, and opinions about what Jesus started. It’s also got some crazy cool stories about stuff that God has done among and through Journey Church. Check out the stories behind the 12×12 Love Project. Testimonies like this shout at us all that God is at work and we can be a part of the good things he wants to do. Things don’t have to be status quo; we can live in a sacrificial way and show the love of God to the world.

It’s a great read. If your feeling that discontent with the Sunday show and questioning some of the priorities of Churches, I think you will resound with the book. I found it engaging, easy to read, and a great addition to the ongoing conversation of what the heck it means to be the Church of Jesus.

Other posts you should check out:

1. Book Review: A Question of Faith
2. One Book Down!
3. On the Verge: Review

This is a recreation of a post I lost due to a database crash. So if you saw it previously and are wondering, “What the heck?” that’s what’s up.

Something occurred to me recently. I’ve blogged in some form since 2004(ish). I registered my domain in 2008, and have written at CulturalSavage ever since. In all that time I have never had the foggiest idea of who is actually reading my ramblings. I figure now is as good a time as any to change that.

So, here is your chance to tell me all about you. Do you blog? Do you like bacon? How much coffee do you drink? Do you have a family? What are your ideas on double predestination? Where are you from? What are your spiritual beliefs? How awesome are you? What is your name for crying out loud!?

I’ve said enough on this blog  already. Now it’s your turn. Who the heck are you?

No related posts.

Read Part 1 here.

I think we often forget that 1 Corinthians 12-14 is part of a larger letter that was addressed to an entire community of believers. We tend to take this passage and apply it (or at least large parts of it) to our personal faith expressions and not see it in its community context. Paul’s words here are to an entire community who had apparently written him with some questions they would like to have addressed (as well as some correction that Paul felt needed to happen). This is important to remember. Too much (I feel) of our talk about the subject of “miraculous” spiritual gifts has begun and centered around personal experiences. While experience should never be ignored, it cannot be the litmus test and compass by which we navigate this topic.

Paul’s first words in this passage steer us away from blindly following experience. The people of Corinth may have been familiar with ecstatic expressions of worship to various idols and gods that created the Roman pantheon.  As real as those experiences might be, there is something distinctly different about spiritual gifts incited by the one true God. No longer are we led about by mute idols. There is an active, living God that is at work in our community of faith, indeed in our very persons. When the Spirit of God is at work in the lives, hearts, and minds of people will bring out the confessional proclamation ”Jesus is Lord!” This confession is a litmus test of sorts, as well as ties together the individual and the community of faith. So, right from the start, we are faced with the communal nature and purpose of the various gifts the Spirit activates in each of us.

The metaphor of a body made of various parts strengthens this idea, as well as points out an important fact: we are not all the same. Not all are given the same spiritual gifts, and this is ok. In fact this is essential. To use Paul’s metaphor, we can’t all be a hand or an eye. The entire community suffers if we all are seeking the same gifts and functions. This is one of the reasons Paul then admonishes us all to seek love above all. If we are loving each other, there is not going to be a scramble to prove our spiritual prowess with spectacular displays of majestic power. When we love, we are patient, kind, not boastful and full of envy. A community that is in love functions with the harmony of a healthy body. Love is the reason behind the gifts, it is what will last into eternal life, and it is the greatest of the things that make up a believing life.

The community and the way of love: these form the back drop for the expression of spiritual gifts. With this context, are we surprised at Paul’s words:

Since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, seek to abound in them in order to strengthen the church. (14.12)

The concept here is spiritual gifts are given by the Spirit for the purpose of building up a community of believers so that the confession “Jesus is Lord” is professed and proclaimed by all. Spiritual gifts are not a spectacular showcase of things to be amazed at. They are not designed to bring glory to an individual. Spiritual gifts have one (two-fold) purpose: to manifest the grace of God in the midst of his people and to grow us all up into the kingdom of God.

So then, what about tongues? I mean, how does an ecstatic utterance of prayer or doxology serve that purpose?

While I believe that in the proper expression, the gift of tongues has its place in the body, I think that some “experienced based theology” about the gift that needs to be addressed

First of all, we have to understand that tongues are not some divine seal, proving that the Spirit is working through an individual. Tongues are not proof of some divine authority. Neither are tongues proof of some sort of second blessing, an extra dose of salvation. Paul simply does not treat the gift this way in the passage.

Second, the gift of tongues is not a more intimate or direct communication with God. Every believer has the exact same access to God the Father through God the Son, empowered by God the Spirit. Since we have already seen Paul state quite plainly that not every one is given the same spiritual gifts, it would be wrong of us to assume every believer should have the gift of tongues. Since it is not for every believer, why would God give a more intimate or direct communication to some of his people? That doesn’t add up. Hebrews 9-10 makes it pretty clear that Jesus’ sacrifice alone makes way for our direct access to God.

Third (and perhaps the harshest), an expression of ecstatic utterance doesn’t automatically mean someone has the gift of tongues. A wide variety of religions and spiritual practices have a practice of ecstatic utterances. A miraculous sign (such as tongues) does not prove God is at work. Again, we look back to the litmus test: is the gift bringing out the confessional proclamation, “Jesus is Lord!”?

In the interest of honesty and full disclosure, I want to share my experience with the gift of tongues. I grew up around a strong Charismatic/Pentecostal influence. Speaking in tongues was always understood to be the “baptism of the Holy Spirit” and was thought to be a normative part of the Christian journey. My views on the gift have changed (I no longer equate it with the baptism of the Spirit, nor do I expect every Christian to have this gift), however it is still a part of my life with Jesus. One night in ’89 or so, I woke up at about 2am speaking in tongues. Ever since then, I have used this gift at various  times in my life for prayer, praying for others. In my personal experience, it has led me to praise and proclaim, “Jesus is Lord!”. Every time I have seen it used to build up the body of Christ, it has led to this confession. When I have seen it abused, it has been about personal glory, jockeying for authority, and/or harmful theology.

Yes, I believe the gift of tongues has an important role in the modern (or even post-modern) church… but I believe that every gift should be rightly expressed and lead us to proclaim to the world “Jesus is Lord!”

Other posts you should check out:

1. If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels… (part 1)
2. Charis and Action: some thoughts on spiritual gifts
3. My God My God

Advent is the time we wait for this coming and all it’s implications. Advent is when we wait for the dignity of humanity to be restored. Advent is when we wait for shalom (the overarching peace, harmony, and health of all things in the cosmos) to be renewed. Advent is when we wait for the culpable violation and rape of shalom to finally be judged and for all to be once and for all set right. Advent is when we wait for Jesus who came in a manger and is coming again in majesty, glory, and power.

Why waiting though? Why does the Church year begin with this season of waiting, unfulfillment, longing? Why not begin with Christmas time, easter, something more joyous that the haunting emptiness of waiting?

Read the rest…

Other posts you should check out:

1. Advent: what it is and why we wait
2. A good Advent resource

Jason Vana is this random dude on the internet that I met and have come to consider a friend.  He heads up a group called Ignite. He also is one of those design type people.

For advent (which starts tomorrow FYI) he has put together a devotional book/calendar that is defiantly worth your time and energy to check out. You can down load them free here. I’ve looked over the book, and am very excited to walk through Advent with this resource…well, try to anyways. I usually get about a week in and then suddenly it’s New Years. Like three or four weeks just disappear in a blink of an eye.

So, what resources are you using to celebrate and explore this Advent season?

Other posts you should check out:

1. Advent: what it is and why we wait
2. It's just too good not to share
3. Good Things

I found Tor Constiantino‘s book A Question of Faith a refreshing change in the comparative religion discussion. Too often no meaningful conversation comes from these attempts because of mischaracterization, vilification, and this weird need to empirically and definitively prove that “my religion is right”. I’m not against apologetics, nor do I think that all religions can all be right. However, if we are going to have an honest discussion, we need honesty about both sides. Too often people load the dice when talking about religion. What kind of honest talk about religion can come from that?

The entire book revolves around one question:

Q: Which of the major world religions listed below is the best for someone to believe?

• a. Buddhism
• b. Christianity
• c. Hinduism
• d. Islam
• e. Judaism
• f. Sikhism

Other posts you should check out:

1. On the Verge: Review
2. Grace Through Faith
3. One Book Down!

A few days ago, Marc (@_MarcCortez), Julie (@InciteFaith) and my self got into a little discussion about speaking in tongues. I quickly decided that 140 characters was a bit too limited for my thoughts, so here’s a blog post about it. Strange how that works.

Julie’s original question (which I admit I kind of busted in on… but hey, twitter’s great for over hearing conversations you really want to jump in on) was simple enough,

“ Speaking in Tongues. For or against? Why? or Why Not?”

This question however opens a big ol’ can of worms for us theological types. Smart men have discussed, debated, decried, demonstrated and other “d” words the gift of tongues for many years now. To put it mildly, the spiritual gift of tongues is one of those crazy parts of the bible that is really hard to wrap our understanding around. People lots smarter than me have said much more than I will about the topic, but I did want to share my experiences and understanding about this in hopes for some good, open conversation about such a weird topic.

Before we go any further, I think that it is highly germane to this discussion to briefly discuss what the heck a spiritual gift is? I mean, are we talking like super powers that we get for believing in Jesus? Are these things everyone experiences? Are they just for the super spiritual/ultra crazy charismatic Christians? This in its self is a large topic worth many words in its own right. In order to not follow the rabbit trail too deep, lets say this for now: Spiritual gifts are a short hand way of talking about various ways that the Holy Spirit empowers all believers to manifest and display the grace of God for the common good of the community and the world. The Spirit of God does something in the person/heart/mind of a believer to creates a perfect storm of personality, abilities, and passion. The Spirit of God then supernaturally empowers and uses all of that to manifest his person and mission to the believer and the people in the believer’s life.

No matter how uncomfortable it makes us or how weird it seems, according to scripture, one of the ways the Spirit manifests the grace of God through some believers is the gift of “various tongues”… but what is the gift of tongues? Right from the get go, we encounter part of the controversy. the gift of tongues is either a) the supernatural ability to speak in an existing language that is currently unknown to the speaker (like if I suddenly busted out some Russian Jesus talk to some Russian dudes) or b) a language that has been divinely granted to the speaker for the sake of prayer, self edification, and possibly (if there is interpretation) teaching/exhortation.

Like I said, this is a weird topic. I mean, if we have such a hard time defining what this gift is, how can I even say if I think it is still an active gifts in the Church these days? How can I decide if we can’t even nail down what we are talking about?

The primary text for our discussion is 1 Corinthians 12-14. I do want to dive into this text in (relative) depth and find some biblical answers to help shape our thinking… but first, there is a nagging question I have. I really hope no one takes this the wrong way, but why does this even matter? I mean it’s not like we are talking about the nature of Christ or the trust worthiness of the Bible. This passage is relevantly small and obscure, and many churches don’t ever talk about it. Why should we spend time thinking about something that seems to only cause arguments and division, not to mention confusion.

To wrap up my first entry on this topic, I would like to say a few things to address this last question:

This topic, as weird as it is, matters because it involves who we are as the Church of God. If spiritual gifts are (as I mentioned above) given so that the community of believers is built up, and if tongues are a valid spiritual gift, we have to look at the implications for our Churches today. There are also many believers (myself included) who have had personal experiences with this gift. While we never want to build an understanding  solely off experience, experiences do shape how we understand things. Maybe there is a reason people still have these kind of experiences.

On the other hand, it may not matter. Truly, this could be nothing more than a theological exercise in thinking about weird,  things from the Bible… but it is in the Bible. That leads me to believe that there is a reason God has seen fit to record these words and pass them down to us. I think it is also important to remember that these words about tongues and spiritual gifts were not given to us apart from the larger context of God’s self-revelation and his story of redemption. These words are in the Bible. They are part of the Bible, which means they have a proper place in pointing us to Jesus and helping us to become like him and be a part of the Missio Dei.

I hope this conversation ultimately points us to Jesus. If it doesn’t, I have a feeling we are probably doing it wrong.

Other posts you should check out:

1. Charis and Action: some thoughts on spiritual gifts
2. Bob Hyatt: The Death of Preaching
3. My God My God

First haircuts are so sad., a photo by Cultural Savage on Flickr.

First haircuts are so sad.

Other posts you should check out:

1. Self 365 1-5-08
2. Self 365 2-20-08
3. Self 365 2-27-08

Angles and prophets carried a message of hope and God’s great deeds in ages past. Now, celebrity preachers write books, travel to conferences, and leave pulpits to further their ministry. Why do our methods of proclaiming the topsy-turvy kingdom of God now look so sleek,so familiar to our internet culture? Inverting the old ways just leads to something we are comfortable with, something like us, something devoid of prophetic life.

The value of a martyr is not that they are brave enough to die. The true glory of martyrdom is the life preceding the death, a life that by its very way of expression proclaims something so different, so other, so holy they powers that be deem it as a threat to their familiar, their safe, their way of wielding power.

So, why does a blessed christian life look so much like the American dream? Why do pastors we think successful look like CEO’s, motivational speakers, and entrepreneurs?

The danger of conforming to the world is not that we will end up looking like the unwashed masses. The real devastation comes when our life loses its prophetic voice because the home we point to looks exactly like the demon of success. Maybe we should sell everything we have, give the money to the poor, and follow Jesus… not because poverty is more spiritually pure, but rather because that kind of action is so unfamiliar to our beautiful, savvy culture that shops at Ikea.

If our Message is Jesus and his new kind of life, should we really be telling people Jesus will give them everything they have ever day dreamed of?

Other posts you should check out:

1. Personal Rant: Hope and Theology

Bryan Allain wants me (and you) to blog better. Seriously, if you were to come upon him in a Starbucks, you could ask him, “Do you want me to blog better?” He would say, “Yes.”… and then be a bit creeped out from the awkwardness of the situation. Back to the point, Bryan wants people to blog better. Which brings us to this book he wrote, ”31 Days to Finding Your Blogging Mojo.”

Here’s the thing, I don’t really like most “blogging coach” talk. Most of it always makes me feel like there are catch phrases, buzzwords, and best practices, but not a lot of real substance. Not trying to knock anyone, it’s just how I feel. It seems that unless you’re a full-time blogger, immersed in the blogging culture, much of the lingo just doesn’t make sense in a “how the heck do I do this” way. Again, that’s my experience.

Bryan’s book is different, and not just because of his abstract sense of humor. Bryan has written a little book that is accessible to anyone with a blog. This isn’t a book about turning your blog into something it’s not. That would be lame. Bryan wants you to focus on what you are passionate about, and to connect with people who like what you have to say about that passion.

The book is divided into 31 chapters that are quick, fun reads. Each chapter ends with an action for you to do. They don’t take long, but they do give you some good track to run on to start seeing some changes in your blog. These are small steps, but added together it is a great plan to help you focus on your passion, make it accessible for people to read, and to hopefully gain returning, interacting readers.

I’ve had a blog in some form of another since the early 2000′s. As of late, I’ve been a spotty blogger at best. Honestly, this isn’t the kind of writer/blogger I want to actually be. While I alone am responsible for creating the content of this site, Bryan’s little book has helped me become proud of the fact that I am a blogger. I want to do this blog thing well; I want to do it my way, with my voice. I think this book is a great tool to help define what it means for me personally to be a good blogger, as well as help me build my blog into what I imagine it could be.

Plus, its funny. Like really funny. Bryan Allian is a funny guy.

Anyways, check the book out if you’re looking to get a little kick-start to your blogging mojo. It’ll do you some good.

Disclosure: I received a free e-copy of this book for the purpose of this review. The opinions expressed are my own, and were not solicited in exchange for anything. I really like this little book. I recommend it of my own free will. There is no check in the mail.

Other posts you should check out:

1. On the Verge: Review
2. Praise Habit: 21 days
3. Scattered days and refreshed feet

This is how my son said good morning today: Lightning McQueen!

Other posts you should check out:

1. Morning Prayer

Here are a few questions I would appreciate any and all feed back on:

1. How important is theology to your idea of faith?
• what is your definition/concept of theology?
2. In your opinion, was Jesus more about theology/orthodoxy(right believing) or Orthopraxy (right doing)?
3. If someone calls them self a “theologian”, what is your snap judgment about them?
4. What would happen if we stopped talking about theology in Churches?
5. Does a good theology matter in your every day, rubber meets the road activities and needs?
6. Where in the Bible is our theology?
7. Do you care about theology?

Other posts you should check out:

1. Is mission the mother of theology?
2. All my theology summed up
3. Personal Rant: Hope and Theology

Would you invest time, resources, money, etc… into someone who might become a church planter?

What if we helped identify peoples gifts, trained them to use them in a local context, mentored them, gave them a laptop full of resources and ideas… all before they they were ready to “launch” a new church plant? Like years before. Like so far in advance, they may not even be sure they want to be a missional Church planter…

What if we (prayerfully, as local communities, with the support of a larger network of congregations) chose to invest in every way in the gifting/calling/work of God in someone’s life, rather than a single project (Church plant).

No related posts.

Full disclosure: I received a free copy of On the Verge in exchange for writing a post reviewing the book. All the opinions contained in this post are mine alone. I was not given the book in exchange to positive words about it. I don’t roll like that.

This post is part of a larger blog tour happening all this week for the book On the Verge. While I am rather late with this post (it is still the 15th), this book has given me a ton to think about and wrestle with in my own thinking about the church, the Church, and how we Christians go about engaging mission. I am hoping to pump out a couple more posts interacting with specific parts of this book. But for now, a review:

Buy and read this book.

The primary focus of On the Verge is about a paradigm shift. Alan Hirsch and Dave Ferguson assert that the true core of Christianity is understanding that it is a people movement, not an institution. We have been doing and thinking about Church the same way since the days of Constantine. It isn’t working any more. It’s not true to our core identity, our DNA, as people following Jesus.

Please don’t think this is simply about moving towards a more grassroots or “international” method of practicing/patronizing. On the Verge isn’t another anti mega-church, pro simple church book. It’s a call for the western church to embrace the beauty of and. Shifting our paradigm is moving away from the battle that some of us feel between church growth methods and more organic styles of church.

Sorry this review isn’t more in-depth, but as I said I’m still working through the concepts, applications, and ideas presented. There is tons to think about and interact with in these pages. This book is full of large ideas, practical steps, and over all a heart that beats for the church in the west to rediscover it’s identity, it’s DNA, and to become a movement that alters the world for the glory of God.

No related posts.

So here is a concept I’m thinking about (I blame Jason Blair, Alastair Roberts, and Alan Hirsch for pushing me to think this way):

What if we stopped looking for support for our Church movements from within the existing frameworks (denominations, existing congregations, etc…). What if instead we identified the “tribe” we are already a part of and garnered support from those whom we carried the gospel to.

I think the first thing in this discussion is breaking from the traditional language of support as money. Instead, what if support was about talent, resources, goods, services, locations, etc… What if support was about people (both believers and not-yet believers) using what they had to cultivate and grow a gathering of people who wanted to walk with God (a Church) and be about what he is about for their location (neighborhood, city, people group, etc…).

What would this do to our idea of Church as an attractional event? What would this do to our peridime of Church planting and “missional”? Is this faithful to the story of the sent/sending God as he is revealed in scripture?

Thoughts?

Other posts you should check out:

1. Missional Hearts
2. I am struggling for words…

Full disclousure: this post is my version of entering a book giveaway from Marc Cortez. He is giving away Bill Mounce’s Greek and English Interlinear New Testament (TNIV/NLT). The full details about the giveaway can be found here. The opinions found in this post are mine alone. There has been no promise of compensation for this post. Yes I would like to win, but (as always) my words aren’t for sale.

In my early twenty’s, I recall a phase  that every Christian in the young adult age bracket seemed to go through at the same time. There was a distinct push to get as close to the original language of the Bible as possible. The idea was that if we could read scripture in it’s original tongue (or at least a good “word for word” translation) we would somehow get the real, unfiltered truth. There was some unspoken (or in some cases loudly spoken) idea that Bible translates had an agenda [insert liberal complete with scare quotes] and as a result, the “further” away from the original language a translation was the less it could be relied upon to be the word of God.

I fully admit my share in this trend. I went out and bought an NASB translation (because that was the accepted, most literal translation, and all the hip Christians were using it), and even got a hold of a Hebrew and a Greek interlinear Bible. Now, armed with literal translations and my strong concordance/lexicon, I could fully understand the word of God and get the real truth.

You study the scriptures thoroughly because you think in them you possess eternal life, and it is these same scriptures that testify about me,  but you are not willing to come to me so that you may have life. -John.539-40

Around this same time, I spent a summer and fall semester at Salt Lake Theological Seminary (which is now becoming The Vine Institute). They offered full courses in Greek and Hebrew. While I never got did take a Greek course, the professor (his name was Chris something or other, I believe) once said something that really stuck with me. He said that knowing Greek or Hebrew was good, but only like a color photograph is good. You get the exact same picture with black and white, same detail, same subject, same focus. A color picture just adds more vibrancy to the already beautiful picture.

Color, not truth.

I’ve heard many pastors use Greek in their sermons, and quite frankly it’s boring. It doesn’t reveal some hidden truth that English obscures. It doesn’t get the hearers to somehow be more like Jesus.  When we get caught up in the meaning of a word or a turn of a phrase, we can easily get distracted in the details and miss the point: Jesus.

I still enjoy digging in and expanding the little knowledge I have about the original languages. The Hebrew and Greek may add color, and that color may stir my imagination and ideas. They may help me connect ideas in the larger story of scripture. They may even inspire new-to-me ways of speaking about the ideas and truth in the Bible.  But, the original languages won’t unlock some big hidden secret, they won’t make me a more faithful believer. They won’t reveal to me one ounce of truth more than the Truth, the Way, the Life.

No matter the language, scripture is preserved and illuminated by the power of the Spirit so that all who come to the Bible will find the Word of God.

And the Word became flesh and mad his dwelling among us..

No related posts.

Christianity isn’t a dualistic belief system.

We are not God’s Jedi fighting the Sith.

Truth is, Yahweh is, and he is good and he alone is God. There is never some power or darkness that can threaten him, dethrone him, or over shadow his great love.

There is none like him. No one compares to him.

Our God is great… so why do we make the Christian life about the battle between good and evil?

Love already won and Christ is the victor.

We don’t live in a balanced universe.

Other posts you should check out:

1. You Believe In God? Yep. You Believe In MY God? Nope. BANG, YA DEAD
2. My God My God
3. God Remembers

Taken with picplz.

Other posts you should check out:

1. Oprah, the world is now watching all the time.

Sunday night, my friend Alece put this up on Twitter and the Facebook:

“You don’t feel your way into an action. You act your way into a feeling.” -@pwilson @crosspoint_tv

I understand that this was a quote from a sermon, and I don’t know the entire context this idea was presented in… however this statement (and this idea in general)  gives me mixed feelings.

On the one hand, I understand that our feelings often are fed by our actions. The more of a certain behavior we practice, the more our feelings shape to fit said behavior. Example: the more I sit on the couch and eat bags of Cheetos, the more my feelings are going to be that I really, really want to do that. (Don’t judge me… they were organic cheeto-type poofs.) So yes, there is truth to the idea that feeling follows action.

But…

There is another, deeper part of me that feels that this idea is somehow dishonest, somehow cheating me out of a whole person experience and settling for a stoic life look. There is a part of me that feels this idea is neglectful to the needs our feelings truly speak to.  We have feelings and emotions for a reason. Yes, they are effected by this sin sickness (just like our bodies and psyche are), but they are still a vital part of who we are. If I am to do right behavior in order to change my feelings, what happens when the feelings don’t change? What happens when I don’t love more, fear less, believe better, trust deeper, worship?

Acting my way into feeling feels like just that: acting. It feels like I am lying to my self (or at least to those around me) in order to convince my self of whatever. As I said, this idea strikes my as far to stoic. I can’t discount my feelings, even when they are wrong. Yes I want to see my heart changed and my emotions moved. But behavior isn’t the final solution. Modifying what I do may not ever truly touch the need, the reason for these emotions.

Maybe I’m off here. Maybe I’m just too sentimental, too undisciplined, feel too much for my own good. All I know is feelings matter. Acting to feel seems to deny this to me, even though I agree that behaviors feed feelings.

What do you think?

No related posts.

A few links from around the internet today regarding the news of Osama Bin Laden’s death:

Jenni Clayville wrote out a few thoughts here: Bin Laden’s Death.

My good friend Brandon wrote this piece: Grieving for Bin Laden: Why the Death of the Terrorist is a Cosmic Tragedy.

Schmutzie (schmutzie.com) posted this a few hours ago:

The Gospel Coalition has a piece up on why rejoicing might be appropriate: Grieving, Rejoicing that Osama bin Laden is Dead. Good read.

…

All of these people are expressing much of what is on my heart regarding the news of Bin Laden’s death. While we rejoice for justice, we must not celebrate the death of a fellow human being. I am in no way trying to argue that Bin Laden didn’t deserve an appropriate response for his actions. I am not suggesting that anyone is wrong for feeling relief that he is no longer a threat.

As a Jesus follower, as someone who is learning to truly love, I can’t find it appropriate at all to celebrate in any death, no matter how great the evil of the person who has committed those acts is. Rejoicing in the defeat of an evil is one thing; rejoicing in the death of a human being is another.

I weep that all is not well… yet. And yes, part of me mourns for the person who has died, even though I praise God that justice against evil has been served.

…

What do you think?

Other posts you should check out:

1. Bob Hyatt: The Death of Preaching
2. Death You’re a Bastard… or why there will be baseball in heaven

This is Anis Mojgani. He slams poetry the way I want to preach. Think about it.

Shake the dust from Anis Mojgani.

for those who can still ride an airplane for the first time from Anis Mojgani.

Other posts you should check out:

1. Genesis 1.1-2.25

Who: Jennifer Smith

Where: Unveiled Wife.com

What: A blog for wives, women who want to be wives, friends of wives… well you get the idea.

Why: I dig This blog for a few reasons, but primarily I really like Jennifer’s voice. She is very honest and her posts are always inviting. She seeks to be transparent in her words, exhorting, sharing her own story (warts and all), and all around trying to open up the dialog about marriage and being a wife within the Christian context. Go on over, check it out, and share in the “wife talk”.

About Unveiled Wife:

My name is Jennifer and I began this blog to share my journey as a wife, unveiled, uncovered and wide open, to purge my heart of the pain I have encountered AND to encourage other women in the world who are, have been, or will soon be wives.  Marriage is an interesting and complicated relationship and no one should feel like they are going through it blindly.  I want this to be an open forum where women can ask questions and share experiences in an effort to be heard and get advice. So please join me as I dive head first into my life as a wife and the lessons I am learning.

Disclosure: this post is part of a link exchange I am doing with some new friends. The opinions expressed are completely my own and have not been influenced in any way shape or form.

Other posts you should check out:

1. You Give and Wife Walks