i feel like a sissy…
Our good friend Pat Robertson shows us that, while he can’t always control the muscles in his mouth, the ones in his legs are apparently quite the opposite: Click Here
In related news, I am pretty sure that I haven’t been to the gym in over 2 years.
Adventures in Poop Land
So I have had 2 posts milling about in my mind the past couple weeks, one about a recently read book, another about some thoughts on sanctification, a topic i’m trying to study and get notes together to help with children’s church curriculum….and i have yet to carve out time to sit and make those thoughts coherent enough to type out into cyberspace. So between not taking the time for that and my brain being over-run with silly things such as figuring out the best strategy for this whole cloth diapering thing (switched over a few weeks ago, no more rashes since the switcheroo) and wondering what it would be like to own my own milking goat (i have a nice list of pros and cons running, and it’s not like this would ever actually happen so why am i wasting brain power on it??)….i doubt i’ll ever get around to posting anything of real significance here… just thought you might like to know. but then again, you never know. we’ll just have to wait and see.
in other news jen tucker called the other day asking me to sing a song to her that i wrote back in the day in the ‘boro… reasonable request i suppose (she wanted to sing it to her husband but forgot the tune)…and i froze. it’s been some time since i’ve sung out loud with the intention of others listening. how weird that i’m weird about that. she doesn’t care if it sounds good or not, she just wanted the melody so she could pass it on. insecure/self absorbed much? so i called today and sang it for her on her voicemail. on that same vein (or vain really..) i started practicing my flute outside so asher could play in the yard and i could have something productive to do while he’s playing. i find myself not practicing stuff i can’t play b/c my neighbors are listening. Seriously, they’re probably not even home. Geez.
one last short story, ‘day in the life’ style. After lunch i came downstairs with Asher Pants (new nickname) to play a little “soccer” with him, and had to change his diaper. so i went ahead and got him cleaned up, then left him bare-butt for a minute while i ran upstairs to get a clean diaper (seriously takes less than 1min). As i neared the stairs to come back down i heard him say, “uh-oh” and saw him backed up to the couch staring at the floor. As i came down the stairs he looked up at me and then at the floor again and said, “poo-poo”. Ah yes, Asher the incredible poop machine….naked on my (off)white carpet. uh-oh indeed. it’s all cleaned up and fine, so no worries. but the sad part of this story is that i found it cute…. not cute during the cleaning part, but the discovery was cute. My how things change.
the interesting code…
wow, two posts in one day…
Anyway, I have been reading some different material online in regards to Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code in preparation for a lecture that I will likely be giving in relation to the book and movie. While most all the critiques are along the same line, pointing out the historical inaccuracies, I came upon this incredibly insightful analysis of the book.
The review was written by Jed Walker, Director of the Every Nation School of Campus Ministry in Nashville TN. If you are into the whole ‘Da Vinci Code’ dialogue, I believe this would be a refreshing breath of fresh air in a conversation with a lot of repetition.
two cent earl…
Ok, I watch My Name is Earl. In fact, I watch it every week.
The first time I saw a commercial for the show I thought, “man, who would watch this crap?” Then, one fateful thursday night when there was nothing on the other 10 channels we get, I stopped on the show. After the first night, I was hooked.
As I have watched the show I always walk away saying, “what is it that I like so much about this show?” I mean, the whole premise of the show is that Earl is working to “right” all his “wrongs” under the supposition that if he does good where he did bad then he will be rewarded with a better life. This is all motivated by his belief in karma, which Earl seems to ascribe deity.
Now, my problem is that this is clearly unbiblical. The problem lies in the fact that, at its root, the list is self serving. Earl’s motivation is that he wants a better life… He goes down his list, righting his wrongs, mostly because he doesn’t want bad things happening to him anymore.
This is the problem of having a life that has not dealt with the Cross of Jesus Christ. At its deepest level, the center of your actions are focused on yourself. This is true in both the religious and non-religious world. In religion, self is at the center. You do work to please a God so that you can receive a reward (paradise, enlightenment, nirvana, etc).
This stands in stark contrast to Christianity. In Christianity, God is at the center of all. Contrary to the misconception, the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ is not for you to enjoy a life of eternal bliss. The sacrificial death of Jesus is for the redemption of people who can never redeem themselves so that God’s grace in Jesus might be glorified (Ephesians 2:7). John Piper is one of the best contemporary scholars on this concept. Piper points out that God’s glory and our joy are closely related… such that, our greates joy is when God gets the glory he has ordained that he receive.
When one has received the gift of salvation is Jesus Christ, he or she then is transformed (not by their actions like Earl) but they are transformed as a free gift from God (Ephesians 2:8). When this occurs, something very amazing happens. Men and women are motivated to show this transformation through outward works. The difference between these works and Earls works is what is at the center. For those redeemed by God in Jesus, the center of their actions is not themselves, but God. Their good works (righting wrongs) is not to earn favor with God (for he has already given them his favor freely, apart from any work) but instead, they are full of joy and their good works are showing the reality of the change in their life.
A great example of this is found in Luke 19. We see a tax collector named Zacchaeus. After encountering Jesus, his life is transformed. The result is his making restitution to those he had stolen from. The restitution was not to gain Jesus’ favor, for Jesus had already show him favor by choosing him. The restitution was out of a heart transformed by an encounter with Jesus.
See, Earl’s problem is that the very thing that motivated him lie, cheat, steal, etc is the same thing that motivates him to do good things. In the end, he is looking out for himself.
But, I guess I watch it because I have hope for earl. See, Earl’s greatest strength is that he is humble. well, sort of… I guess humility is marked most clearly by looking out for other and not yourself (Philippians 2:3-11)… but compared to say, the nerds at the OC or the Apprentice, it is refreshing to have a TV character that isn’t annoyingly prideful. While his theology is off, Earl might just get it someday… Maybe some day he’ll add to his list, “exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man” (Romans 1:18-32).
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Recent Comments
- Jennifer T.: Poor Jenn. Pretty funny though. I’m just glad you’re already meeting people! That’s...
- Amy: Ryan - have you seen this? http://www.christianitytoday.c om/yc/2008/005/6.49.html
- monica: hahaha this story makes me laugh cause I really can imagine your face Jen.
ah kids are so funny - Ethan: Oh, I just read my comment and realized that it might sound as though I only go to your site when I’m...
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