Lent

By far my favorite season of the Christian liturgical calender. I really get into it. I try to observe most of the fasting traditions, and I take time out for self examination and prayer. I guess it's sort of like what most people say theyre going to do after New Year's with their resolutions. Except a lot better.

Here's a good synopsis I got off the internet somewhere:

Lent in the Christian tradition, is the period of the liturgical year leading up to Easter. Lent is a time of sacrifice for Jesus. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer — through prayer, penitence, almsgiving and self-denial — for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, which recalls the events linked to the Passion of Christ and culminates in Easter, the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Conventionally, it is described as being forty days long, though different denominations calculate the forty days differently. The forty days represent the time that, according to the Bible, Jesus spent in the desert before the beginning of his public ministry, where he endured temptation by Satan. Most followers of Western Christianity observe Lent beginning on Ash Wednesday and concluding on Holy Saturday. The six Sundays in this period are not counted because each one represents a "mini-Easter," a celebration of Jesus' victory over sin and death. 

40 Days In The Bible

The number forty has many Biblical references: the forty days Moses spent on Mount Sinai with God (Exodus 24:18); the forty days and nights Elijah spent walking to Mount Horeb (1 Kings 19:8); the forty days and nights God sent rain in the great flood of Noah (Genesis 7:4); the forty years the Hebrew people wandered in the desert while traveling to the Promised Land (Numbers 14:33); the forty days Jonah in his prophecy of judgment gave the city of Nineveh in which to repent (Jonah 3:4). Jesus retreated into the wilderness, where he fasted for forty days, and was tempted by the devil (Matthew 4:1-2, Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4:1-2). He overcame all three of Satan's temptations by citing scripture to the devil, at which point the devil left him, angels ministered to Jesus, and he began his ministry. Jesus further said that his disciples should fast "when the bridegroom shall be taken from them" (Matthew 9:15), a reference to his Passion. Since, presumably, the Apostles fasted as they mourned the death of Jesus, Christians have traditionally fasted during the annual commemoration of his burial. It is the traditional belief that Jesus lay for forty hours in the tomb which led to the forty hours of total fast that preceded the Easter celebration in the early Church (the biblical reference to 'three days in the tomb' is understood as spanning three days, from Friday afternoon to early Sunday morning, rather than three 24 hour periods of time).

There are traditionally forty days in Lent which are marked by fasting, both from foods and festivities, and by other acts of penance. The three traditional practices to be taken up with renewed vigour during Lent are prayer (justice towards God), fasting (justice towards self), and almsgiving (justice towards neighbour). Today, some people give up a vice of theirs, add something that will bring them closer to God, and often give the time or money spent doing that to charitable purposes or organizations.

No Alleluia's In The Liturgy: (My Anglican Church Does This...)

In the Roman Catholic Mass, Lutheran Divine Service, and Anglican Eucharist, the Gloria in Excelsis Deo is not sung during the Lenten season, disappearing on Ash Wednesday and not returning until the moment of the Resurrection during the Easter Vigil. On major feast days, the Gloria in Excelsis Deo is recited, but this in no way diminishes the penitential character of the season; it simply reflects the joyful character of the Mass of the day in question. It is also used in the Mass of the Lord's Supper. Likewise, the Alleluia is not sung during Lent; it is replaced before the Gospel reading by a seasonal acclamation. In the pre-1970 form of the Roman Rite omission of the Alleluia begins with Septuagesima. In the Byzantine Rite, the Gloria (Great Doxology) continues to be used in its normal place in the Matins service, and the Alleluia appears all the more frequently, replacing "God is the Lord" at Matins.

The last two weeks of Lent are known as Passiontide. All statues (and in England paintings as well) in the church were traditionally veiled in violet, and according to the rubrics should continue to be so. This was seen to be in accordance with the Gospel of that Sunday (John 8:46-59), in which Jesus “hid himself” from the people. The veils were removed at the singing of the Gloria during the Easter Vigil. 

Fasting

Fasting during Lent was more severe in ancient times than today. Socrates Scholasticus reports that in some places, all animal products were strictly forbidden, while others will permit fish, others permit fish and fowl, others prohibit fruit and eggs, and still others eat only bread. In some places, believers abstained from food for an entire day; others took only one meal each day, while others abstained from all food until 3 o'clock. In most places, however, the practice was to abstain from eating until the evening, when a small meal without vegetables or alcohol was eaten. During the early Middle Ages, meat, eggs and dairy products were generally forbidden. Thomas Aquinas argued that "they afford greater pleasure as food [than fish], and greater nourishment to the human body, so that from their consumption there results a greater surplus available for seminal matter, which when abundant becomes a great incentive to lust." In current Western societies the practice is considerably relaxed, though in the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches abstinence from all animal products including fish, eggs, fowl and milk sourced from animals (e.g. goats and cows as opposed to the milk of soy beans and coconuts) is still commonly practiced, meaning only vegetarian meals are consumed in many Eastern countries for the entire fifty-five days of their Lent. In the Roman Catholic Church it is traditional to abstain from meat from mammals and fowl on Ash Wednesday and every Friday for the duration of Lent, although dairy products are still permitted.

Holy Days During Lent

1) Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent in Western Christianity.

2) The fifth Lenten Sunday, also known as Passion Sunday marks the beginning of Passiontide.

3) The sixth Lenten Sunday, commonly called Palm Sunday, marks the beginning of Holy Week, the final week of Lent immediately preceding Easter.

4) Wednesday of Holy Week is known as Spy Wednesday to commemorate the days on which Judas spied on Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane before betraying him.

5) Thursday is known as Maundy Thursday, or Holy Thursday, and is a day Christians commemorate the Last Supper shared by Christ with his disciples.

6) Good Friday follows the next day, on which Christians remember Jesus' crucifixion and burial.

Is that awesome or what? I'm pumped. There's a part of me that likes the rigorous challenge of living an ascetic existence, at least for a little while. I've always daydreamed about becoming a monk and devoting my life to study and prayer. That will never happen, but during Lent I get a taste of it, and I get to see if I'm cut out to make sacrifices for my beliefs.

Anyway...time for prayer and bed. Ash Wednesday is in two days. Woot!

Summa Theologica

I had a great day today. Sundays are by far my favorite day of the week. There is nothing better than singing in church and spending time with your community. I was also the reader today, standing in for a vestry member that couldn't do it. Talk about nerve racking! I can get up there and sing like it's nobody's business, not feeling a pang of nerves, but there was something about reading God's word that added some solemnity. Tonight we had our Well Leadership meeting. Awesome to be surrounded by young lay leaders in our Church. I wish that I had come to my senses in my twenties. For whatever reason, it wasn't meant to be. Anyway, by the time the day was done, I was so filled with God's love that I got online and ordered a book that I've wanted for some time.

Written from 1265-1274, the Summa Theologica is St. Thomas Aquinas' greatest work. Originally written for the "instruction of beginners," it has grown over time to be known as a must for Christians of all ages.  Organized systemically for the clearest way of "setting forth" the "sacred doctrine," Aquinas addresses many of Christianity's most pertinent questions. The First Part of the Summa begins with the existence and nature of God, before moving to creation and the nature of man. The Second Part contains his examination of morality and law; it also provides his account of the theological virtues, the cardinal virtues, and the seven deadly sins. The Third Part, uncompleted due to Aquinas' death, treats the incarnation and the sacraments. Taken together, the three parts compose one of the most impressive works of Christianity. 

Problem has been, that every time I've seen the collection, it's been too pricey. So I splurged a bit today. I found a hardback in 'very good' condition that was published in 1952. Should be perfect. I was on fire for Christ today, and it is going to be an awesome add to my growing library.

Well, I'm off to pray. I've really been trying to get back into a heavy prayer rotation. It's so easy to slip out of when life gets too 'busy'. I hope all of you are doing well. Much Love.

The Importance of Prayer

I have begun a Christian library. Right now it's categorized by author name. But one day, before books are no longer made, I'd like to have enough of a catalogue so that I can arrange the books by topic...and then subcategorize within that topic by author name. These are the nerdy things I think about when I can spare a moment. Prayer has been fascinating me lately.

Everyone agrees that prayer should be an important part of every believer’s life. But prayer can be difficult at times, and many people wonder: why pray at all? After all, if God knows everything about us, we don’t tell God anything new by praying. Further, if we really need something, wouldn’t God—being wholly good—provide it, even if we didn’t ask for it in prayer? What, then, is the point of prayer?

Christians have struggled with this for almost two thousand years. And ever since people have expressed this sentiment, theologians have wrestled with this question of “why pray?” Of course, it also brings up many other questions as well: what exactly is prayer? How should we pray? When should we pray? What does the Bible say about prayer?

Below are some books that deal with prayer that I will ultimately have in the prayer section of my library. I have some of these books now, but of course, I want all of them. Here's my list:

• At the Master's Feet by Sadhu Sundar Singh In At the Master’s Feet, Sadhu Sundar Singh addresses this question directly. He suggests that prayer is to “lay hold of God,” and that through prayer we discover the will of God. He writes that we cannot alter the will of God, but only come to discover God’s will for us.
• Work of the Holy Spirit by Abraham Kuyper In the third volume of his Work of the Holy Spirit, Abraham Kuyper writes that prayer is a “longing, not for God’s gifts, but for God himself.” The point of prayer is communion with God, and this communion is made possible through the work of the Holy Spirit.
• Treatise on the Love of God by St. Francis de Sales According to St. Francis de Sales, prayer is a “mystical theology,” that is, an intimate, secret communication between a soul and God.
• Origen on Prayer by Origen In a very early treatise on prayer, Origen treats many objections to prayer. He argues for a Biblical conception of prayer, using frequent Scriptural citations to establish his claim.
• Our Lord's Sermon on the Mount by St. Augustine In an essay on the Sermon on the Mount, St. Augustine argues that prayer “turn[s] our hearts” toward God, so that we are no longer inclined toward temporal things but toward God. Prayer thus properly orients us to God.Prayer Availeth Much by T. M. Anderson According to T. M. Anderson, prayer is a place of peace, where we receive the power of God to do the work of Christ.
  
• Summa Theologica by St. Thomas Aquinas In the Summa Theologica, St. Thomas Aquinas argues that we do not change God through our prayers; rather, by praying, we “obtain what God has appointed.”
• On Prayer by John Calvin According to Calvin, prayer is a kind of conversation between God and man.* But he goes on to say that the point of prayer is not for God, but for human beings—we are much the better for it.
• A Short and Easy Method of Prayer by Madame Guyon The great benefit of prayer, according to Madame Guyon, is that it is a guide to perfection, and the means by which we expel vices and obtain virtue.
• How to Pray by Reuben Torrey Torrey believes that the great importance of prayer is that it is God’s appointed way for us to obtain things, namely, mercy, grace in times of need, and the Holy Spirit.

Holy Spirit

I was just filled with love and joy today. All day long, for reasons that had no worldly explanation. I was very grateful to God.

Today was capped off with a dinner for my buddy Nate. He was a big part of my spiritual journey down here in NC. He read at my wedding. He's been a close brother in Christ. Along with being his birthday, today was a celebration for his new job in Richmond VA. He'll be closer to his kids there, and he'll probably have a better quality of life. I hope his spiritual journey continues in a positive direction. I'll miss him, but we'll always remain close. I know that our friendship was forged on a solid foundation.

It's been a long week, and I look forward to maybe sleeping in a bit tomorrow. Don't have to go into work until 10am.

Much Love.

Battling Worry

I am amazed, when I really consider it, how God provides for me EVERY day. My job keeps me very busy and is often filled with unexpected turns of events and challenges. There are some nights I don't sleep well for worrying about what tomorrow will bring. I do this despite scripture's warning that it is a serious waste of energy. And at the end of every day, here I am perfectly OK. I need to get in the Word more and stay there!

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Matt 6:25

Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life ? Matt 6:27

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matt 6:34

Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Luke 12:6

But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. Luke 21:14

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Phil 4:6

Satan is a robber and a lier. He weighs on your conscience and tells you that you're not good enough. He wants to deprive you of your life giving sleep, so that your performance in the waking hours is as close to you're nightly worries as possible. Whenever your plagued by self doubt and worry, you can be sure that those whisperings are not born of your relationship with the father.

Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Mark 4:15

Lord, let me be a fertile field where the seed of your word is planted and grown. Let me embrace and nurture your loving assurance, that in you there is goodness and protection. Let me rest well knowing that  I can put my trust in you. 

Amen.

Reason For God Study

It was our first week of the study and I think it went well.

I had a long day. Last night I drove to Charlotte for a 50B hearing this morning. It got continued, much to my chagrin, and then I drove back to Raleigh for my 2pm cases. Then I made some intake phone calls, and made off for Holy Trinity Church.

We had about 60 people show up tonight at 7pm. I gave an opening welcome and we flipped on the DVD. Keller is the man, and I enjoy watching him in group settings. The topic was 'Is there really only one way to God?' Always provides good discussion. After the DVD my buddy Aaron spoke, then prayed, and we broke into our small groups.

I lead my small group, but it was too easy. Filled with men who have a heart for Christ. We talked about the issues candidly and openly. Really refreshing, and it inspires me to keep running after God. It's all about the community. The church. The relationship. When I'm with others in prayer, I feel so alive in my faith.

My group signed up for a tuesday night volunteer trip to the Rescue Mission. I'm looking forward to getting to know the guys better and hanging out some. I'm invigorated, and I thank God for the opportunity to be a part of The Well.

Until Tomorrow.

Good Day - And, Marriage

I was very busy today. Incredibly so. It was non stop from 8am to 7pm. But I felt the Holy Spirit in the midst of it all. And it doesn't even have to make sense. It was the peace that knows no understanding. Really amazing.

But I miss my wife. She's holed up at her Mom's house recuperating from a tonsillectomy. She is really my everything. We are a great partnership. Running the house without her comforting presence is really odd. It feels empty. Especially at night when I'm getting ready for the next day and putting the little guy to bed.

A bit on Marriage:

Beautiful the marriage of two Christians who are one in hope, one in desire, one in the way of life they follow, one in the faith they practice. They are servants of the same master...nothing divides them...they pray and worship together, instruct and strengthen one another...side by side they visit God's church, face difficulties together, and comfort one another. They have no secrets from one another; they never bring sorrow to each other's hearts. Psalms and hymns they sing and Christ rejoices and gives them peace. Where two are there, He is present with them...and where He is...evil is not.

Adapted from Tertullian - 3rd Century AD

Much Love.

Gearing Up for Another Long Week

One thing I'm starting to slide on is my commitment to prayer. It's amazing how 'real life' will interrupt your prayer attempts. Honestly, I've never been this busy in my life. Hosting the Keller study, Working 60 hours a week, volunteering in other ways at church, Singing in the group at church...being a loving and attentive father and husband...etc. Wow. Now is the time that I really need to be in prayer. But there just doesnt always seem to be time.

When I'm not in the Word, and I'm not in prayer...I become very distracted. I get overwhelmed by stress and worry. Christ tells me not to worry. But how can I rest assuredly in Christ when I'm not living in Christ?

I'm off to pray.

Much Love.

Singing In Church II

Just got back from Church Band practice. So awesome. I am singing lead with another girl who's way more trained and talented than I am, but I'm hanging in. There's also some other singers, guitar, bass, drums, organ and keys. How awesome is that! Clearly I'm excited. At the end of each practice we pray and I felt truly happy tonight for the first time in a while. That kind of Joy that C.S. Lewis described as a foretaste of things to come.

Last week at church went really well. This week we're off, and it's just the older folks in the choir leading the musical efforts. The choir is really important to our Anglican tradition. There are some older hymns that are absolutely beautiful and scriptural. We've got to keep that tradition up. A Mighty Fortress, and How Great Thou Art...etc.

I'm working facilities tomorrow, which means I'll be there at 8am until about noon. Setting up and breaking down. It will be a long morning but the behind the scenes stuff is important too.

Well, I've got to go pick up my son. My wife had surgery yesterday. She's recuperating at her mother's house this weekend and she wanted to spend a little bit of time with him. I'm feeling much more uplifted than I have been in weeks. Work has been really weighing on my heart. I'm trusting in Jesus, knowing that i'll be taken care of.

Much Love

God showing up again

So I was talking with a client for some time this afternoon and the topic shifted to how his belief in God is giving him the strength to forgive his wife for her infidelity, and helping him cope with his addiction issues. Well, that was all I need to hear. We went 40 minutes over our allotted time. Luckily my next client was running late.

One of the things he said was that his mother always told him that if he'd only stop running from his problems, they would go away. I thought about the truth in that as he spoke, and remembered hearing that Native Americans often told their children after waking from a nightmare to go back to sleep, face the enemy, and he would never appear again.

So as I laid down to bed tonight, I opened up the Message Bible that I recently ordered. I flipped to Lamentations. There's has been a lot of pain and violence in the world lately, and I wanted to read a bit about suffering in the bible. New Zealand has just been hit by a devastating earthquake, there are protests and riots across the middle east, etc. One of the great things about the message, is that some of the more archaic reads in the old testament are made a little more palatable.

The first page I turned to had this verse:

When life is heavy and hard to take,
go off by yourself. Enter the silence.
Bow in prayer. Don't ask questions:
Wait for hope to appear.
Don't run from trouble. Take it full-face.
The "worst" is never the worst.

There you go, I thought. Another example of God showing up in His word, correlating straight to my daily experience. This was the first page I opened. I wasn't searching for an hour to find some sort of connection to my day. I want to do my best to record these experiences, (they really do happen a lot), because they're so easy to forget or to chalk up as coincidence. And then one asks, Where are you God? I know God is with me everyday, and the more I engage Him in discussion, the more He shows up this way. It's a good life.

Much Love

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Java Divine

Awesome Day

Our little praise band did really well in church this morning. It was the HS all day long in that little chapel. It felt awesome. I went to bed barely able to sing the night before, prayed about it, had some tea, and in the morning I felt like my throat was completely healed. It was strong. Everyone performed incredibly. A great start to the day.

Then our little family found a home that we really like, and that I believe we will make an offer on this week. We will get the approval letter from our mortgage lady at BBT and also have some research come in from our realtor so we can craft a reasonable offer. I'm really stoked for this house.

I went into work for an hour and got my attorney life organized a bit. It went well. God had his hand all over the day today. I'm ready to diligently advocate for my clients tomorrow.

I came home and prepared the Reason For God study a bit. It's starting to come together. On Wednesday night we'll have the kickoff party with pizza and salad. We'll introduce the book a bit, talk about the Land of 100 Hills Coffee mission, the Raleigh Rescue Mission opportunities...and of course our church.

It's been a very busy couple weeks, but God has provided the time and space I've needed to get everything done. Life is a blessing and sometimes I feel that I'm getting much more than I deserve. And then I realize that I am getting much more than I deserve. And then I think of the free gift of the grace of Christ. And I remember how good is our God? Very very good.

Much Love

Prayer of the Pharisee

After I went to bed last night it dawned on me that my blog on drinking made me sound very much like the pharisee in the bible that thanked God he wasn't as bad as other people:

Luke 18:9

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ 

“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

I don't think I'm any better than anyone else who's struggling with issues that I've chosen to avoid. I simply wanted to express how it was made clear to me last night why I choose to abstain from alcohol. It reinforced the fact that I have no business going near the stuff. There's no good in it. But my post also made it clear how easy it is to fall into the trap of becoming judgmental. I always need to remind myself that there is no good that comes from my efforts alone. Any success I've had keeping away from the booze, or bettering myself in anyway has to be credited to the grace of God. I need mercy, for I am as big a sinner as any. 

Whew! I feel lighter now. It feels good to give it away. Much Love.

Looking Outward

I'm glad I don't drink anymore. For me, it was fine when I was single and had no family. Drinking made me look inward and focus solely on myself and my own desires. 

When my son was close to being born, I knew that ultimately I'd have to give it up. Parenting is hard enough as it is. Trying to find the energy to function after working 50 - 60 hours a week is hard enough as it is. The last thing I need to do is throw a nice hangover into the mix. 

I heard a sermon that described sinning as being completely in tune with your own needs. Being completely hunched over so that the only thing you could see is your own feet. Through being healed you are straightened so that you can finally see the world around you. Finding a new life in Christ helped me straighten up and focus on the needs of my family. It was something I wouldn't have been able to do without the power of the Holy Spirit.

I was in the company of people that enjoyed drinking to excess tonight. It reminded me of the sermon. Everyone was detailing things about themselves, recounting stories about their own lives, totally in tune with themselves. When someone else wanted to talk, they would just talk louder on top of each other. It became a shouting match, but no one noticed, because everyone was focused only on what they were trying to convey. No one was really listening. Everyone was hunched over staring at their own feet so to speak. It was sad.

I'm glad I don't drink anymore.

A quote by J.R.R. Tolkien, from a letter to his son Christopher:

We all long for [Eden], and we are constantly glimpsing it: our whole nature at its best and least corrupted, its gentlest and most humane, is still soaked with the sense of ‘exile’. If you come to think of it, your (very just) horror at the stupid murder of the hawk, and your obstinate memory of this ‘home’ of yours in an idyllic hour (when often there is an illusion of the stay of time and decay and a sense of gentle peace) are derived from Eden. (The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, 110)

The Reason For God Study

I've been working so hard on getting this study together after work that I'm a little bit delirious. As such, I'm just going to post the study guide that I finished typing up as an example of what I've been doing. Exhausted, but excited. Here's a taste of some of what I've been up to:

The Reason For God - Group Leader Guide 

Your Role: 

Not a teacher. These are tough issues, some of which have been debated within Christianity for over a 

millennia. Even Keller during the DVDʼs has to say ʼI donʼt knowʼ a couple of times. Thatʼs OK. You are a facilitator of discussion, as someone who has read the material and have access to the questions. 

You are a loving servant. Make people feel welcome, and safe to voice their opinions. Everyone will be at a different point in their spiritual journey. Trust in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit to guide the way. The issues are deep, and conversation will flow if people feel relaxed and safe. 

First Meeting: 

Have everyone go around and introduce themselves, and why they chose to do the study. Play the name 

game if necessary. Get email addresses, share your contact info and establish the rules of the group. (1. 

confidential, 2. no question is too stupid 3. Weʼre set to end every night no later than 8:45, although 

lingerers are welcome.) 

Techniques: 

1) Always be prepared. Read, answer the questions, and pray. 

2) If unsure, tell them that youʼll research a topic over the week. (Be sure to follow up). Always feel free to take it to Willa or another group leader that week. 

3) Donʼt preach or be dogmatic. Encourage discussion in a way that allows for a variety of perspectives. 

Build the trust. 

4) Donʼt fear the silence after you pose a question. 

5) Use open ended questions like ʻWhat do you think?ʼ or ʻHow do you feel...ʼ 

6) Avoid questions that encourage yes or no answers. Watch Keller do this during the vids. 

7) Use ʻThe Ger Methodʼ. If an answer is confusing or just flat out wrong...nod thoughtfully and 

say...ʼThatʼs great mate...anyone else?ʼ 

8) Model servanthood, love and care. Create friendships. 

Final Thoughts 

This book is sort of like the graduate level course of Strobelʼs ʻCase for Christʼ. It can be a challenging 

venture for people. It will be helpful to the group if you have been diligent in reading the chapters. Because the answers donʼt come from the DVD...they are laid out in those chapters. The DVD 

discussions however, will provide a great example of leading a small group in discussion. 

Lastly...our main objective isnʼt to prove that Kellerʼs right or that any objection to Christianity is baseless. Our objective is to build relationships and model the grace of Christ. In Yates' sermon last week he talked about doing more than just giving. Itʼs all about sharing life with people. Get to know your group. Make them feel welcome, and welcome their thoughts and ideas. Follow up with them. Email them. Care about them. 

First Cor 2:1-5 

And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spiritʼs power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on Godʼs power.

Gearing up for the Keller Bible Study

I've been working on this Bible study that I'm hosting. I pray that it goes well. We've got around 70 people signed up and this book can be challenging. It's not exactly a beach novel. But I'm trusting in the Holy Spirit. I can only offer it up, and people will do with it what they will. 

As I was reviewing the vids tonight Keller mentioned a world war one poet named Edward Shillito. He wrote a poem addressing the comfort we receive when we understand that God has experienced our pain. I think it's beautiful.

Jesus of the Scars

If we have never sought, we seek Thee now;

Thine eyes burn through the dark, our only stars;

We must have sight of thorn-pricks on Thy brow;

We must have Thee, O Jesus of the Scars.

The heavens frighten us; they are too calm;

In all the universe we have no place.

Our wounds are hurting us; where is the balm?

Lord Jesus, by Thy Scars we claim Thy grace.

If when the doors are shut, Thou drawest near,

Only reveal those hands, that side of Thine;

We know today what wounds are; have no fear;

Show us Thy Scars; we know the countersign.

The other gods were strong, but Thou wast weak;

They rode, but Thou didst stumble to a throne;

But to our wounds only God’s wounds can speak,

And not a god has wounds, but Thou alone.

The Trinity

Since the word “Trinity” doesn’t appear in the Bible, some wonder whether the early church simply invented the doctrine. The term “trinity” comes from the Latin trinitas. This term was used by the church father Tertullian (ca. A.D. 160-230) who wrote about “a trinity of one divinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.” Some are troubled that the word “trinity” doesn’t appear in the Bible. But the absence of this word in no way invalidates the doctrine. Many important biblical concepts are conveyed by terms not actually contained in the Bible — for example, terms like Bible, canon, and inerrancy. Surely nothing in the text prohibits the use of extrabiblical terms to express proper meaning. Although the word Trinity doesn’t appear, Scripture clearly reveals the doctrine.

Here is the Trinity doctrine in six biblically based propositions:

1. There is one, and only one, God (1 Timothy 2:5).
2. The person of the Father is God (2 Peter 1:17).
3. The person of the Son is God (Titus 2:13).
4. The person of the Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3-4).
5. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct and simultaneously distinguishable persons (Luke 3:22).
6. The three persons (Father or God; and Son or Christ or Lord; and Holy Spirit or Spirit) are frequently listed together in a triadic pattern of unity and equality (John 14:26).

Thus, the Trinity doctrine is derived directly from the content of Scripture. Though the apostles of Jesus were Jewish monotheists who believed strictly in one God, they nevertheless recognized that two other persons (the Son and the Holy Spirit) were spoken of as God. All three persons possessed the qualities and prerogatives of deity. The apostles therefore modified traditional Jewish monotheism in light of the revelation concerning the Son (Jesus Christ) and the Holy Spirit.

Back In Action

Had an awesome, rejuvenating meeting with The Well leadership team tonight.

http://www.htc-r.org/the-well.htm

We're guiding about 70 young adults through the book 'A Reason For God' by Tim Keller. Getting an eight week program together for something like this is intense. There was 8 of us around a table just getting to work for the glory of God. It felt awesome, and was just what I needed after a week of feeling a bit restless with my faith. We'll have a kick off party in about 10 days. We'll have food and various tables set up with mission opportunities, info about our church, registration etc. Then each week after, I'll give a quick intro to the group, we'll watch a dvd, and then break up into small groups to discuss. The topics are challenging, and deal with the overall theme of reconciling the existence of God in a post modern world.

I am really pumped. It's one of my favorite books. I'll be working this week at getting the study guide together. I'm going to be crazy busy. Work in itself sometimes holds me down for close to 12 hours in a  day. And now I'm gearing up for this study. But I'm excited. I feel invigorated for this. God has me all inspired again. He's truly amazing. If DWI defense law got me this worked up, I can only imagine what kind of attorney I'd be...

Well, I need to sign off. I've got some work to do to get this thing off the ground.

Much Love.

Busy Weekend

Life is just so worldly. It's hard to be distracted by all these concerns and stay focused on God. I'm looking forward to getting up tomorrow and heading to church. I'm singing tomorrow, and that always makes me happy. We're plugging in for the first time ever. There's going to be guitar, bass, drums etc. I think some of the older folk may keel over, prayer book in hand.

The wife and I are looking at new homes. I've kind of fallen in love with a house. I can't get it off my mind. There's a lot of upside to it. It's 100% financed through BBT. It's not in the best neighborhood, and the schools aren't stellar for Noah. This causes concern. I think it need to take it to the Lord in prayer.

There's not much to say tonight. I feel like the past week I've been a bit distant from God. There's a direct correlation with my prayer life and my connection with Him. If I'm not engaged in daily prayer, I fall away from the faith awfully quickly.

Hopefully a better post tomorrow. Much love.

Why Evil?

Because God Wants Our Love!

Life can provide some new challenges when you decide you are going to try to live in Christ. The sinful aspect of our nature doesn't 'suddenly' disappear as a result. For me personally, I loved to raise hell as a younger man. I did it well for decades. But sadly, the only thing you earn by sinning and raising hell is a pit of emptiness and a quicker end. Physically and spiritually. My old lifestyle only sped up my arrival at the ultimate stop over (death), and I've recently been trying to slow that bus down a bit.

This process of 'applying the breaks' (so to speak)... has included learning about and preparing a variety of defenses for my faith. It's been a fun process. I love being a trial attorney, and CHristian apologetics is somewhat an extension of that. You see, I couldn't just take a leap of faith and believe that God came down to earth and manifested himself as Christ, made the ultimate sacrifice, and most importantly...defeated death through the resurrection...if I couldn't intellectually defend and justify it. Because lets be honest...it sounds like a fantastical fairy tale. And my heart can not rejoice in what my mind intellectually rejects. But for reasons that this note won't endeavor to address, I am at a point in which I'm intellectually satisfied that all of it actually happened. I'm satisfied that the resurrection is in fact true, and that it provides the main turning point in the physical and spiritual history of human kind. 

So lets look at defending the faith. I often hear from non-believers that God can't exist because there is so much evil in the world. And no loving God would allow that kind of evil and suffering to run rampant. But yet, if God created the universe, it seems would've had to have created evil too. But if there's no sin in Him, and evil exists, then perhaps God doesn't exist after all. The syllogism goes as follows:

1) God created everything.

2) Evil is a thing.

3) Therefore, God created evil.

This is a flawed argument. The first problem is that to admit there is evil, presupposes that there is a perfect measure to compare it with. Otherwise, you wouldn't recognize it as evil. It would only be a happenstance of the natural universe. Not right or wrong. So if you can recognize something as evil in the world, there must be God.

But secondly, and more deceptively...the syllogism includes a category mistake that non-believers will try to trip you up with. You see, premise two is wrong. Evil is not a 'thing'. Evil is a real lack of the goodness of God. Here's an illustration: Evil is the same as a donut hole. What is a donut hole made out of? Nothing. But it's real...it exists.

Well...OK...lets say for the sake of argument that I'm right. Evil is a 'lack'...and it's 'real'...but it's not a 'thing'. If God is so magnificently all powerful...why would he create a world in which this 'lack' could not only exist...but flourish in such horrible ways?

The answer that has been making sense to me lately, and is actually beautifully layed out by C.S. Lewis in Mere Christianity, is as follows: (My version is not quite as good as Lewis')

Evil exists because God gave us FREE WILL. Evil came about because God gave us the ability to choose freely. Couldn't he have created a universe in which all we see is him?...with no choice but to fall to our knees and worship? Of course. (Sounds like hell though if you consider it...a world of 'automata' as C.S. Lewis put it...invoking images of Clockwork Orange with our eyelids permanently pulled back.)

But God actually WANTS us to have the opportunity to completely ignore him if we so choose. God is perfect. He is all good. All holy. He is a creator. And if he is going to create...he is going to create the most perfect thing that can possibly be created.

The most perfect thing of which I speak, the most perfect thing that God created, MUST allow for the potential of evil. Why? Because that most perfect thing is TRUE LOVE. And the only way to experience true love...perfect love...altruistic non-conditional love...is when it s FREELY GIVEN. When you freely choose to partake in it...despite the consequences. Anyone who's been in a dysfunctional relationship can attest to the fact that you can't MAKE someone love you. You can't MAKE them stay. But when they choose to freely offer their heart...it's the best gift conceivable. Despite our flaws, God chooses over and over again to dole out unconditional love upon us. Even when we usually don't deserve it, and that gift of love is called GRACE.

God wants our true love in return. And to have our true love, he had to endow in us the ability to choose him freely. The ramifications? There are going to be a lot of people who freely choose to completely tune him out. (And how easy that is to do with all of our modern distractions!!) As soon as you tune him out, say no to God...you've actualized the potential for evil. Why do we have the potential in the first place? Because God wants our true love.

To summarize: In order to allow for perfect love...God created a universe that has free will, and free will allows for the possibility of evil, which we then actualize when we choose to ignore God.

True Love requires a free choice. It requires FREE WILL. And when you freely choose to make the leap of FAITH that allows you to accept God's GRACE, you will experience JOY. (Which transcends the temporal happiness that we so often insist on finding in worldly things.)

And even though I ponder and try to understand these things...(and that's all this essay is...an attempt to better understand God and my purpose)...so often I choose to tune him out. So many times, throughout my day, I'm tempted to look the other way and ignore God. Even though I've received glimpses of unadulterated Joy...I still try to find happiness on my own. In fact, I often can't get through two lines of a silent prayer before my mind wanders off to something else. It seems to be in our nature to worry about our own priorities. To take our own lead, and to play king of our own little worlds. To dictatorially search for happiness as opposed to accepting Joy. And that's why I'm doing my best to give my little kingdom over to God. Giving my faith a go, and reaching out to accept His Grace. Because I'm so damned flawed. I tried to be the ruler of my own world for years and years. It wasn't a success. I'm not a good enough person to be an Atheist. Without a celestial judge on the bench...why bother trying to be good? I certainly didn't.

The answer? For me it lives in the cross and the resurrection. I don't need to figure it all out on my own. I'm not riddled with guilt for my slip ups. I don't need to 'earn' my way to heaven through good deeds and be 'better' than other people. I don't have to repetitively perform outward actions in a certain way, or at a certain time. Nothing that I could possibly do would be more effective than the work that was done for me on the cross. I love Biblical Christianity for that reason. It's all I've seen that offers complete assurance of where I will end up one millisecond after my death, and a personal relationship with a living intimate God while I'm here. My thankfulness and joy at knowing my savior intimately commands my outward acts of faith. Nothing else. I don't act faithfully because I'm hoping to earn a spot in heaven...I do it because Love flows two ways down the spiritual highway. As I see it, the goal of Christianity is not to become a better person by following the law...but to enter into a living relationship with Christ. Only through him will I become lastingly (eternally) transformed. And that transformation will allow me - (Lil ole me) - to become a pinprick of light in the universe, a personal intersection where God's Kingdom and the Earthly Realm are allowed to meet.

Ultimately I do have one job to do. I need to choose to accept that the work has been done for me...the work which was given as a gift of complete Grace and Love. Accept that on my own, I can't accomplish a whole lot. I need to accept that the only way to 'earn' the righteousness of God's grace, is to on my knees, ask for Christ's help. Then everything will eventually fall into place. I've seen a rebirth of my heart in the last couple years. A lot of my old self has indeed died, and a new heart has been reborn. Knowing that I have been Forgiven and Loved by Christ's perfect sacrifice...how can I decide against forgiving and loving everyone around me? Whether they deserve it or not. God knows I didn't deserve it! The resurrection has been alive in my own breastplate, and it's been an amazing feeling. And slowly but surely, I tune out a little bit less from God every day. Through the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit, my eyes are slowly opening to the goodness of it all. I'm starting to see it man!

Woot! I'm pumped about it. I'm so riddled with flaws...it's ridiculous. But I've got a reason for hope now. And trust me...I looked for it in a million other places before I looked here. This is the last place I thought I needed or wanted to go. It's been a heart changer.

Galatians 4:6

Ephesians 1:18

Much Love.