1. I built a sandbox. If you have never built a sandbox, you need to do it. It's pretty complexed. I bought some wood and nailed it together in the shape of a square. Then I put sand in it. Now Mo can play in it. She dropped her apple in it a few times. Mom showed her how to brush the sand off. When she did it again, she tried to brush it off herself and wasn't very effective and ended up eating sand. Yuck.
2. I built a garden box. This was even more difficult than the sandbox. It was a rectangle shaped box. The hard part came when I needed to load cow-poop into my van and then put it in the box. Yucky. Mo-mo liked the texture but not the flavor. Hopefully this will get us back on the path to become more involved in our neighborhood. We are hoping to share our vegetables with the neighbors. Being outside all weekend allowed us to re-connect with some of the neighbors and meet others.
3. Privacy Fence. Not sure how to feel about this still. I want to not keep people out of my space, but it seems necessary in our hood. Hopefully our space will be more welcoming to our neighbors in terms of hosting a barbecue. We'd like to host a pig-roast this summer. We'll see.
4. I met with a bunch of kids from church for lunches and breakfasts and what-not. I got wings, a burger, a chimichanga and some mex-brex at my meetings. They were all delicious except the chimi. Kind of underwhelming. I was surprised at the different levels of trust allready being formed and not formed. I still find it a challenge to interact with highschool girls. I need a good volunteer.
5. I also spent an hour or so writing e-mails to somebody who has been peeking in on my blog. This person e-mailed the priest at our church to let them know my views on hell. I guess I'm not really surprised, (other than I'm not sure about my view on hell). It seemed though that this person seemed only interested in getting me in trouble. Hopefully I won't. I honestly can't think of a situation where I would track down a person's boss to try to get them in trouble. Well, if there was somebody being harmed I suppose I would. I'm sure he fealt that my words were harmful and I guess justified his actions that way. Different paradigms I suppose.
It was interesting to dialogue about different styles of confrontation. I actually take what I would consider a "biblical" approach to the matter. Mathew 18 seems pretty clear on how Christians are to handle conflict between believers. Maybe he doesn't think I'm a believer though.
It was amusing to see a biblical literalist wiggle and weasle his way out of following Jesus' wishes on how the Church is to handle these kinds of situations. He knew I wouldn't fall for "The Devil made me do it" but instead tried to convince me that since the military handles things this way that it would be OK for him to. It's hard to argue with that. Since we are in the Lord's Army. Amen!
But, since I am adamant on the Mathew 18 principle, I have confronted him in private, and am now looking for a brother (sorry ladies) in Christ to help me confront him. The next step is the elders and then after that I shall treat him like the pagans and tax collectors. I think that means I have to buy him a beer and thank him for holding my money before I spend it on stupid things.
24 comments:
i say you hang him, then kill him, then skin him alive! (thats what they said they were going to do to peewee herman at the biker bar in his big adventure...although i think his big adventure later turned into something completely different)
that was funny. thanks for that. I really needed to laugh a little today. Sadness is just overwhelming sometimes. i love you.
Hey, I got to meet some neighbors this week too! Jen and I moved and within 24 hours I met people from 2 of the 3 other apartments on our floor. This was very cool considering that I never really met any of my neighbors at my past 2 apartments.
Also, I see I made your list of "blogs worth checking out" - I guess I'm really moving up in the world!
It seems you're really just looking for a way to justify your anger. Well there's nothing more I can do. If you don't want to hear about the reality of hell then stop reading the Bible. If you're not going to believe a simple Christian principle then you might as well stop believing everything else. If there is no hell then Christ's sacrifice on the cross has no meaning. If you don't want to believe that then keep a hold of your pride and wait till judgment day. However,that's not my wish or God's.
Really I think you're looking for a way to EXPOSE this guy for what he is! I think it's crap the way he has dominated the comments, proof-texted us all to DEATH, and then made his own blog "comment free" (no one can leave comments on his posts or even contact him). Nice.
c-mort. I love that scene in teh Big Adventure.
Jodi- I love you too. I menat for it to be funny. I'm glad you laughed. I haven't been writing about many fun things lately.
Steve- Coolio. It feels good to connect with people we live near eh? Obviously that's how it's supposed to be. Our culture has kind of screwed that up.
Oscar- Hey bro. Thanks for hopping in again and joining the conversation. Not sure what you think I'm angry about. i find your theology on the atonement and hell shallow and padantic. The next thing you're going to tell me is that the earth isn't the center of the universe. Huh. Everybody knows thatwe are the center and that there are spheres that envelope our planet and go out from there. I understand your frustration with my post today, but honestly, you can stop reading anytime. You're certainly welcome to read, but it may not be good for your spirituality or mental health.
One final thoguht though. What if you're wrong on how you view scripture in these areas? Do you really think that if there is no burning hell that following Jesus is pointless? Is salvation just protection from hell?
Once again I'm trying to explain light to a blind man.
I hope you all have a happy Easter weekend,
Oscar
Oscar said:
"If you don't want to believe that then keep a hold of your pride and wait till judgment day."
I missed the whole hell discussion, but come on; the greatest pride is in refusing to admit that you might be wrong. By definition, nobody's going to believe in something they think is WRONG, but we all have to admit that we've got limited understanding, and can't possibly know the real reality of the mind of God.
Oscar, people who say "don't argue with me, argue with the text!" and "simple Christian principle" are guilty of believing that their interpretation of scripture is the ONLY interpretation. Along with elevating scripture above all other forms of revelation, and often insisting upon certain translations (Authorized 1611 King James Version, for instance), this is bibliolatry. You know, worship of the Bible.
It is by faith we are saved, and that not of ourselves, that no one may boast; it is a gift of God. That means it's NOT by our beliefs or our rhetoric or our views, our beliefs on hell or salvation or the inerrancy of scripture or the virgin birth or George W Bush.
"It is by faith we are saved, and that not of ourselves, that no one may boast; it is a gift of God."
How can you be sure of that? I mean it says it in the Bible but how can you be sure if you follow your line of reasoning? "the greatest pride is in refusing to admit that you might be wrong."
It may come as a shock to you, but there are many things I don't understand in the Bible. Mark Twain said, "It ain't the parts of the Bible that I can't understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do understand." ...that God will punish liars, thieves, etc.
"Once again I'm trying to explain light to a blind man".
I agree. A blind man trying to explain light to a blind man. This is my point.
Juanito. Was "W" really born of a virgin? Do you have scritpture to back that up with? This IS good news. Finally I can follow Bush with the fervency he deserves.
Going out a limb is one thing, but throwing poo at anyone who has two feet on the ground gets our shoes dirty. C'mon down Oscar or no one will want to climb that tree anymore.
I feel like I'm on a Seinfeld episode right now. Or worse yet, an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Oscar,
I hope you all have a happy Easter weekend too. Sorry we've caused you sleepless nights. When we start to obsess over something we don't agree with and find that nothing is changing through our words (Christian & I) we usually take a brake from that conversation and even reading it for a while. We call it the Blog Time Out. It's to center ourselves again with the universe and all the energies that are negatively impacting our self. It's an anceint Buddhist practice. Not really, I'm just messing with you...I don't know anything about that stuff, just thought it might ruffle some feathers.
P.S. Christian I just had to re-write that cliche three times because I couldn't remember how it went, yet I refused to give up on the power of the cliche! Don't you just love that?
stan- I remember when I was a kid my brother and I and sasha Haurek would climb this big oak tree and poop out of it. It was really high up. I don't know what that makes me... I guess a "sicko".
Jodi- don't forget about alligning your chakras. If you don't allign them, you have no balance and the feng shui causes instability. I think that's what you're looking for.
What???????? that is soooooooooo grose! What would ever posess a person to poop out of a tree? I'm your wife and I can't tell if that story is true or not! Did you really do that?
Christian: are you asking me if George Sr. and Barbara ever did it??? Eeuguhheughhh...
Oscar: i really don't know you, but i'd like to take the liberty of guessing that your favorite rhetorical fallacies are the Slippery Slope ride and my buddy Mr Straw Man.
But seriously, dude, i've known a lot of people like you (by your rhetoric only -- again, i don't presume to actually know you) and a lot of people like Christian, and i must say that Christian makes me think of how the Disciples looked, while you make me think of the Pharisees.
Remember, it was the proud, self-righteous literalists of Jesus' day that were his adversaries. The drinking, cursing fishermen and prostitutes were Jesus' closest companions.
I beg of you, Oscar, that as get older and struggle with life, that you don't give up on Jesus, and come to think of him as a folly of young but earnest self-deluding hypocrites. It happens. A lot.
"biblical literalist" are your words not mine. I do agree with Mark Spence who sent me this: http://thecow-juicecure.blogspot.
com/2007/04/is-my-bible-really-
free-from-errors.html
"We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it;"
1 Corinthians 4:12
http://www.apprising.org/archives
/2007/03/the_new_emergen.html
"When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes." Matthew 10:23
While I can't thank you all for being sanitary, thank you for being mostly polite. Goodbye and God bless.
HE IS RISEN.
Oscar,
I've studied textual criticism a bit and I have to say, I'm not sure where you were going with that article as a response to Juanito's comments. Of course we can be confident that our Bible's are reliable, but does that mean our interpretations are equally as reliable?
Also, I do appreciate the concern of the second article in critiquing the emergent movement. Oobviously you want to tread carefully whenever you're attempting to rethink theology and doing ministry. But that doesn't mean you should never do any rethinking (where would we be had Martin Luther and the other reformers simply taken everything handed to them at face value?) So it's really with that in mind that I have to say I found the article to be very rude. It's one thing to critique other believers (or people in general), it's quite another to resort to name calling like "disgruntled futurist" and "rabbi wannabe."
I've read some articles on that blog before and it seems that they try to scare people from learning about the emergent church by setting them up as some kind of evil villain through name calling and using phrases like "toxic teaching." And of course through ficticious statements like the final paragraph. Would any of the leaders mentioned actually say that? Are they really just setting up a feel-good gospel? Isn't caring for social needs part of the gospel?
James 1:27 "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."
Do you think he's gone?
I must say, I do not find the conversation (if you can call it that, it seems to be awefully one-sided by him) between any of the commenters on here and "Oscar" to be in the least bit entertaining. In fact, I find it very stressful. Mostly because of the hateful judgements being spewed out of his and his brother's mouths!
I say "right on " steve-o! Your comments on, "where would we be had people like Martin Luther" just taken everything they were taught and never tried "rethinking" it, were so TRUE. Why should we think that we aren't ever supposed to rethink what they thought? Right? There's so much fear driving these kinds of people that are haters of today's thinkers. Just Free Your Mind, and the rest will follow! Be color blind, don't be so shallow!
Peace.
I'm new to this discussion and your blog, Christian.
It's clear from the start that I'm not at all as "read up" or even "knowledgeable" as most of the folks that discuss things here, but I find the conversation fascinating and educating.
After all that introduction, I only have one small statement to add to the discussion and even that is stolen from one of my favorite professors in grad. school. The quote has become one that defines my life, or more correctly, keeps me humble whenever I think or begin acting like I know more than I do.
"We are ALL Heretics."
He totally pissed off most of the students when he wrote that on the blackboard (yeah, he was so old school with the chalk and stuff. I tried to get him to use a laptop, but the chalk really messed up the glossy screen on my Mac, so that really sucked).
But his point really made me think and so I guess I'm throwing my wee little brain behind whoever it was who posted the question of whether our interpretations are always correct. The answer is NO. We don't have all the answers, and none of us has perfect interpretation of Scripture, therefore in some way (for some minute/small, for others like me, usually HUGE ways) we all have at least some part of it wrong and that makes us all heretics, even if only a bit.
There, I've said it.
Next time, I'll share with you why I also believe we are all hypocrites, but that's another one for another day. peace be with you.
sorry this is a long one but it will be my last too, seriously!
Jodi you said: "I say "right on " steve-o! Your comments on, "where would we be had people like Martin Luther" just taken everything they were taught and never tried "rethinking" it, were so TRUE. Why should we think that we aren't ever supposed to rethink what they thought?"
This is exactly what I'm talking about and I totally agree. I'm the lone guy here getting it from 5 sides. My point all along is that we should look at all sides and question them too. And since we are only puny little humans and have a very limited knowledge we have a God who gave us the ultimate rule of thumb, the Word of God, to compare everything to, and the Holy Spirit to guide you.
Martin Luther didn't start a revolution by some new interpretation of scripture, it was the Church he questioned and he went back to the Bible and believed what he read, because the Bible stands alone as the Word of God and you can't add anything to it or take anything away. In a sermon published in 1537, Martin Luther spoke of the Law being used as a schoolmaster to bring sinners to Christ: “This now is the Christian teaching and preaching, which God be praised, we know and possess, and it is not necessary at present to develop it further, but only to offer the admonition that it be maintained in Christendom with all diligence. For Satan has attacked it hard and strong from the beginning until the present, and gladly would he completely extinguish it and tread it underfoot.” I think it was Peter who said "don't go away from the simplicity that is in Christ".
and Steve... your right James 1:27 says "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."
And these are good things that a Christian should do but good works doesn't provide for the forgiveness of sins, good works is a result of a life surrendered to Christ. Religion here means the way we should live as followers of Christ,; but if we live according to James 1:27 but don't have repentance and faith then what we do is meaningless. Salvation comes from repentance and faith alone. Read John 3:16 and the book of Romans. If you're a Christian you'll desire to do good things because you want to please the Father. That's the important part... it's all for His glory. Not for peace on earth or to clean up the neighborhood, but to honor Him. We warn people of the consequences of sin, the reality of judgment day and hell because to prepare them for the grace and mercy of the Cross because that brings honor to Him.
juanito you said earlier: "I beg of you, Oscar, that as get older and struggle with life, that you don't give up on Jesus, and come to think of him as a folly of young but earnest self-deluding hypocrites. It happens. A lot."
You're right it does happen a lot, like when someone comes to Christ by the modern message of the gospel which says "give your heart to Jesus, he will give you happiness, joy, peace, and if you've got a drug or alcohol problem he'll fix it." Without the knowledge of sin, true repentance and faith in Christ... when temptation, tribulation and persecution come along the false convert will wither and die. That's really what we're promised as Christians: temptation, tribulation, persecution and everlasting life. And when hard times come it will drive us closer to the Cross not further away.
juanito also said: "Remember, it was the proud, self-righteous literalists of Jesus' day that were his adversaries."
Actually it was the proud, self-righteous LEGALISTS. If they had been better "literalists" they would have known through prophecy in scripture that Jesus was who He claimed to be. Also I hope you realise you have a small glimpse of what kind of man I am because it doesn't bother me to be called a "pharisee", "literalist", "judgmental" or even uptight. I do agree all of us are proud until we go to the Cross, humble ourselves, repent and put our faith in Him.
Seriously this is my last post. I came back because I was up late reading and felt I needed to tell Jodi I'm sorry, and that means a lot because I'm a man of action, I almost never say it I just fix it, but my girlfriend says it's nice to hear if you're upset and I really don't want to piss off a pregnant woman, j/k. But if you do feel offended because I sound like I come across as being judgmental about people's souls I really am sorry, (my girlfriend says I need to work on my communication skillz too) that wasn't my intent. I also wanted to share that some amazing things have been happening lately good and bad. My mom and sis have accepted Christ, my 3 yr old nephew came up to me and blowing on my harmonica, he stopped and said, "that was 'Jesus Loves Me'" (the song). I guess the music he's listening to has changed too. And a friend, 19yr old girl, died in a car accident Saturday. She was a Saint and will be missed greatly but I know God will use this for His good, especially in my town of 672 people where the average audience size for a funeral is between 300 and 1000, and they'll all be sure to hear a clear message of salvation. BTW, if you've wasted the time to read all my ramblings then you have the time to pray for these people and for Christian and Jodi's soon to be new family member too.
Goodbye all and God bless,
Oscar
p.s.
Martin Luther: He said, “Satan, the god of all dissension stirs up daily new sects. And last of all which of all others I should never have foreseen or once suspected, he has raised up a sect such as teach that men should not be terrified by the law, but gently exhorted by the preaching of the grace of Christ.”
Oscar,
You're right, you can't have good works alone apart from faith. But don't forget that you can't have faith apart from good works either.
James 2:14 "What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if people claim to have faith but have no deeds? Can such "faith" save them?
Skip on to the second half of 2:18... "Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do."
We as Christians spend an awful lot of time talking about faith when perhaps we should be spending more time acting on our faith.
It's like all of my creative writing teachers used to tell me, "show, don't tell."
Oscar,
Thanks for the appology. And thanks for the prayers for our little womb-dweller. I'm glad that you have family members making committments to further God's kingdom. That's great. I hope God will continue to mold you and shape you into the man he created you to be.
Peace.
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