Word of the Post
Today's word is: hubris
/hyoo"bris/
noun
From Greek. Overbearing pride or presumption; arrogance; overconfidence that sets one up for failure. I have often heard this term used to describe a pride aimed at God, an arrogance that one knows better than the mind of God.
~~~~~~~~~~
Children are innocent, and yet so sneaky. I got to watch the Adorable Niece on Friday. She is so full of life! She is smarter than the average bear. She was sitting on her knees on the floor, and looked like she would fall over. I asked her if she could get up. She said, "Yes." Then she got up, put her little hands on her barely-there hips, looked up at me, and said, "See?" Dear Hubby was home for lunch, and we both just laughed out loud. She has dimples. If you ask her where they are, she points to them, and giggles, which shows them more clearly. I'm smitten, in case you couldn't tell.
Today, we went to the ever-popular annual Medieval Faire in Norman, Oklahoma. This is held in a park near the University of Oklahoma campus. DH and I have gone together every year for eleven years so far. The weather was beautiful. Anyone who has ever been to Medieval Faire knows that the weather from year to year can be unpredictable, but cycles through these styles:
1. Tornado (which we had Friday afternoon)
2. Rain (comes with or without Tornado)
3. Freezing Cold
4. Blistering Heat
5. Wind to blow you to the Emerald City
6. Gorgeous
The park was muddy in patches, lake in others, and mostly just not full of allergens. The rain knocked down all the hay and grass and tree pollens, and kept the air cool. The bugs in the air were minimal, and the molds hadn't had a chance to form. Last time the weather was like this, I lost a shoe in a quicksand-like mud puddle. A nice man retrieved it for me, and I had to wear it without my sock, because I had then stepped in the mud to balance myself. This year, I was not trapped in such hazard, and for that I am prayerfully grateful.
The music is always the first thing I look for. There is a man who plays what he calls a Glass Harmonica. It is a table with various sized wineglasses filled to perfect pitch with water. He wets his fingers and rubs the rims, and each glass has it's own note. He plays actual songs on it, like Cannon in D, and Ode to Joy. There are people who play Flutes, Harps, Drums, Guitars, Bagpipes, and Dulcimers. There is much Irish and Belly dancing to watch. Many of the artists insist on audience participation.
The next thing we go for is the food. DH always gets a jumbo Roasted Turkey Leg. You can smell them from the street! I don't know exactly how it relates to Medieval times, but they also have Indian Tacos. I missed having these from when I lived in New Mexico. They are a fried puffy yet flat bread the size of a dinner plate, covered in beans and meat, and piled high with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and cheese. It is similar to an open faced chalupa at Taco Bell, but so much better. There is a stand that has been there every year, they sell bottles and root beer to fill them. This year it was called "Piper's Pub". They have Root Beer, Cream Ale (Soda), Wizzard's Wine (a Fruit Punch), and Raspberry Lemonade. If you bring bottles from prior years, they will refill them for only $1.
The live events are fun. There is usually a fully outfitted Joust and a live Chess game with period outfits on a huge chessboard stage. Both happen with much yelling, and a pretty maid's marital bliss on the line. There are people who go around selling flowers. One man yells derogatory remarks to anyone near him, hoping to guilt the men into buying the women roses made of Brass. There was a woman who was balancing on stilts in a tall tree outfit, and one lady looked like a mythical creature that was half human and half goat. There is a word for those... I forget it right now. I will edit when I think of it. {EDIT: The word is FAUN. Thanks to those leaving comments and DH for the rescue!} I missed seeing the guy that scared me the first year. He used to carry a large tankard around, and slosh beer on you, and he was dirty and loud, but never said anything. He once fell flat on his face in a booth, showing reverence to the Queen and Princess who had also entered the booth. I was quite confused, until the good shopkeep answered my query. He stayed there for almost half an hour, probably breathing dirt, until he was sure they had moved on. Some of these people take the Faire very seriously.
I usually have a few vendors that I look for. I am always happy to visit with Aubrey. She makes personal care items I know I can't live without, and spins wool while at the Faire. I look for unique jewelry and the cinnamon roasted almonds. I love to see the real swords you can buy, and learn the history of the crafts. This year they had two different blacksmiths, complete with demonstrations.
Then there is the Halloween improvisation. Honestly, at Halloween, you hope that the weirdos you see are just costumes. At Medieval Faire, you can never be too sure. There are couples fondling each other in public (enough to make you gag), goths being dark, OU fans just out for family fun because they didn't get tickets to the game, girls bringing out the goods for the spring clearance (it hurts me to watch them sunburn), and royalty dressed in fine array all walking around at the same time. I usually wear a simple skirt and blouse with a cloak I made, but this year I chose to be average 21st century comfortable Chelf.
If you ever get the chance to come, this is a wonderful event. It has grown over the years, but there are still some vendors and exhibits that are actually there to educate you, not just take your money. The roasted corn and chocolate bananas are not to be missed, and the kids getting faces painted makes it all the more fun. If all else fails, you can still snicker at the crazies. I will be in the crowd carrying the swords.
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Life Is Too Short To Wear Tight Shoes
Word of the Day
Today's word is: erudition
/er'u*di"tion/ noun
The act of instructing; studied book learning; profound scholarly knowledge. The Devil's Dictionary ((C) 1911 Released April 15 1993) says this is "Dust shaken out of a book into an empty skull."
~~~~~~~~~~
I had an epiphany this morning in church. Have you ever had one of those? I had a realization that will be life changing for a few of my more relaxed readers. I have found Biblical basis for wearing comfortable, removable shoes to church. I have found basis to justify taking off my shoes in worship service. It may seem small or insignificant to you, but this is major to me. There is no reason on earth to bind a foot into an uncomfortable shoe for the benefit of someone else. Follow my path of reason, please.
~~~Today's study notes that I am currently using the New American Standard Bible translation, from The Open Bible edition of Thomas Nelson Publishers.~~~
Go look up Exodus 3:5. God is about to call Moses to the greatest adventure from the "burning" bush. God tells Moses, "remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground." This is quoted to the people in Acts 7:33. Also, there is Joshua 5:15. The last sentence of the whole chapter is Joshua complying with the command to remove his sandals. In Isaiah 20:2, Sargon, the king of Assyria, was told to take off his shoes, and his clothes, and to fight naked and barefoot, in order to shame Egypt. Isaiah apparently went naked and barefooted for three years, and the king was fighting God's symbolic and physical fight in the proper manner. (I don't advocate stripping in church, however. Just taking off the shoes.)
This motion of removing shoes is seemingly meaningless to American culture, because we don't have the same dusty, dirty, dingy, dry plain to walk through. We don't comprehend the washing of feet to be a symbolic moment of servitude, because we don't have to wash our feet when we go to someone's home. The Japanese and Chinese cultures remove outdoor shoes before entering a home. My Chinese landlord takes his shoes off outside my home, that I rent from him. I was happy to see that, because I don't wear shoes in the house unless I am leaving it. I am a sock-footed dancing queen! It keeps the hardwood polished, and clean.
Matthew 18:20 says, "For where two or three have gathered together in My name, there I am in their midst." When we worship God, He is in the place with us. When we worship God, we are on Holy Ground. By this reasoning, we could say that we should not only remove our shoes, but we should prostrate ourselves (basically flatten the body on the ground face down) in the face of such holiness. God is so beyond what we see as special. He is Holy, Perfect, and fortunately for me, Forgiving. In Christ we are given freedom, that legalism is destined to misunderstand, and try to remove from us.
So what would happen if next Sunday, you got out into the aisle and took off your shoes, and knelt and bowed to God?
Now, I am not saying that you should make a spectacle of yourself. This is NOT a moment to be drawing attention to yourself. Worship is not about YOU. Worship is about GOD. We need to study what God wants from us in our worship. I want to challenge you to think about the commands to remove shoes. We are to be paying attention to the way we approach God, and if we don't do it right, there are dire consequences. Remember that the man who touched the Ark of the Covenant was still struck dead, even though he thought he was helping. God hasn't changed His mind about the directives. The 10 Commandments are still there, and we are still not supposed to have another god we put above Jehovah God.
Now, wear those flip flops to church, and take them off! Put your feet on the cool tile, or the soft carpet, and hope there are no spiders sneaking up on you. Consider that your feet are on Holy Ground, and your heart is worshiping the God of gods, the Great I Am. And remember that He told many great men before you to remove their sandals.
Today's word is: erudition
/er'u*di"tion/ noun
The act of instructing; studied book learning; profound scholarly knowledge. The Devil's Dictionary ((C) 1911 Released April 15 1993) says this is "Dust shaken out of a book into an empty skull."
~~~~~~~~~~
I had an epiphany this morning in church. Have you ever had one of those? I had a realization that will be life changing for a few of my more relaxed readers. I have found Biblical basis for wearing comfortable, removable shoes to church. I have found basis to justify taking off my shoes in worship service. It may seem small or insignificant to you, but this is major to me. There is no reason on earth to bind a foot into an uncomfortable shoe for the benefit of someone else. Follow my path of reason, please.
~~~Today's study notes that I am currently using the New American Standard Bible translation, from The Open Bible edition of Thomas Nelson Publishers.~~~
Go look up Exodus 3:5. God is about to call Moses to the greatest adventure from the "burning" bush. God tells Moses, "remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground." This is quoted to the people in Acts 7:33. Also, there is Joshua 5:15. The last sentence of the whole chapter is Joshua complying with the command to remove his sandals. In Isaiah 20:2, Sargon, the king of Assyria, was told to take off his shoes, and his clothes, and to fight naked and barefoot, in order to shame Egypt. Isaiah apparently went naked and barefooted for three years, and the king was fighting God's symbolic and physical fight in the proper manner. (I don't advocate stripping in church, however. Just taking off the shoes.)
This motion of removing shoes is seemingly meaningless to American culture, because we don't have the same dusty, dirty, dingy, dry plain to walk through. We don't comprehend the washing of feet to be a symbolic moment of servitude, because we don't have to wash our feet when we go to someone's home. The Japanese and Chinese cultures remove outdoor shoes before entering a home. My Chinese landlord takes his shoes off outside my home, that I rent from him. I was happy to see that, because I don't wear shoes in the house unless I am leaving it. I am a sock-footed dancing queen! It keeps the hardwood polished, and clean.
Matthew 18:20 says, "For where two or three have gathered together in My name, there I am in their midst." When we worship God, He is in the place with us. When we worship God, we are on Holy Ground. By this reasoning, we could say that we should not only remove our shoes, but we should prostrate ourselves (basically flatten the body on the ground face down) in the face of such holiness. God is so beyond what we see as special. He is Holy, Perfect, and fortunately for me, Forgiving. In Christ we are given freedom, that legalism is destined to misunderstand, and try to remove from us.
So what would happen if next Sunday, you got out into the aisle and took off your shoes, and knelt and bowed to God?
Now, I am not saying that you should make a spectacle of yourself. This is NOT a moment to be drawing attention to yourself. Worship is not about YOU. Worship is about GOD. We need to study what God wants from us in our worship. I want to challenge you to think about the commands to remove shoes. We are to be paying attention to the way we approach God, and if we don't do it right, there are dire consequences. Remember that the man who touched the Ark of the Covenant was still struck dead, even though he thought he was helping. God hasn't changed His mind about the directives. The 10 Commandments are still there, and we are still not supposed to have another god we put above Jehovah God.
Now, wear those flip flops to church, and take them off! Put your feet on the cool tile, or the soft carpet, and hope there are no spiders sneaking up on you. Consider that your feet are on Holy Ground, and your heart is worshiping the God of gods, the Great I Am. And remember that He told many great men before you to remove their sandals.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
I Know I'm Cute, Take The Picture Already
Word of the Post
Today's word is: prerogative
/pre*rog"a*tive/ noun
An exclusive or peculiar privilege for a particular person or group; precedence.
Bobby Brown was happy to tell us about "My Prerogative", but he pronounced it wrong throughout the song. I get his point.
~~~~~~~~~~
Wordless Wednesday
Kinda. I wanted to join in on the wordless Wednesday thing, and here I am neither Wordless, nor on Wednesday. (Technically, this is Thursday, because it is after midnight, but still is Wednesday to me, because I have not yet slept.)
This is my niece, in my living room, for an alternative to the sick babysitter a few weeks back. She knows where the toys live, and is too fast sometimes for the delay on the digital camera.
Today's word is: prerogative
/pre*rog"a*tive/ noun
An exclusive or peculiar privilege for a particular person or group; precedence.
Bobby Brown was happy to tell us about "My Prerogative", but he pronounced it wrong throughout the song. I get his point.
~~~~~~~~~~
Wordless Wednesday
Kinda. I wanted to join in on the wordless Wednesday thing, and here I am neither Wordless, nor on Wednesday. (Technically, this is Thursday, because it is after midnight, but still is Wednesday to me, because I have not yet slept.)
This is my niece, in my living room, for an alternative to the sick babysitter a few weeks back. She knows where the toys live, and is too fast sometimes for the delay on the digital camera.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Drinking Water
Word of the Post
Today's word is: felled
/feld/ verb, adjective
To bring to the ground, cause to fall, to level.
~~~
Dearest friends, we gather here today to mourn the loss of a beloved piece of nature. Today, the baby tree in the front yard has been felled. The poor thing got sick two summers ago, when we couldn't water it, because we were being limited by water rationing. After a year of striving to live, the poor arbor succumbed to the dehydration. Viewing will be allowed starting tonight, and ending when the trash truck comes tomorrow. Firewood is available if you will come to get it. Pallbearers are Chelf, and some guy named Fred who brought the chainsaw.
~~~~~~~~~~
When I was in a junior college, I used to eat my lunch in the car while at a park. I would read, or do homework, and enjoy the nature around me. In that car, I carried a $20 bill in the glove box, a Bible in the backseat, and I usually left the car unlocked. I figured, if anyone was dumb enough to try to steal that piece of junk, they could have it. They could also have enough gas money to get far away from me ("hell hath no fury" and all), and a Bible that they obviously needed more than I did.
One day, I was startled by a woman knocking on my window. She was a Jehovah's Witness, and was trying to get me into a conversation. She was amazed that I was reading the Bible, and I told her that I did this quite often. She was keen to know what church I attended, I guess to see which argument she was steeling herself for. I hemmed and hawed for a few minutes, and finally confessed that I attended a church of Christ. She jumped right at it. "You guys don't believe in God!"
Yes, I was as dumbfounded as you probably are. Whaddya mean I don't believe in God? Of course I do! So I asked her where she heard that. She said that since we "worship Jesus only," we obviously don't believe in One God. So, I asked her to explain God to me. I figured that maybe I could understand her point if I got her to explain MY supposed point. She said that God the Father was the supreme being, and that Jesus was the first creation. The fact that he was a prophet was just more testimony to the "fact" that he was only human.
I let this go on for a few minutes, and then I HAD to say something. I couldn't let her go on belittling my religious beliefs, especially since they were supposed to be so similar to hers. I started with a different direction. "Do you like drinking water?" This caught her off guard, because she had apparently never been asked this before.
So I ask you now, do You like drinking water? God is similar to water. Get a piece of paper and fold it in half. Open it up, and one side, draw three circles. They don't have to touch. Just make sure that they are in close proximity, like the corners of a triangle. Now, do it again on the other side. You want two batches of circles. In the first batch of circles, write one letter in each circle: O...H...H. In the second batch of circles, write one word in each circle: Father...Son...Spirit. Got it? Now...this is where it gets tricky. In the first batch of circles, you have the chemical designation for Water: H2O. In the second, you have the basis of the Trinity concept.
While drawing this for her, Ms. J.W. was getting very curious as to where I was going with this. It is pretty good, I think. Please don't think I came up with it, I think the Holy Spirit gave it to me for Ms. J.W.'s benefit. We can get into the Holy Spirit's guidance later.
Back to the illustration. On the first set, draw a line through the triangle, separating one of the H's from the rest of the pack. Do you know what you get if you take one Hydrogen away from a molecule of water? You get what is called Hydroxide, usually an acidic base. Draw another line through the triangle, separating the O from the rest of the pack. Do you know what you have when Oxygen is removed from Water? Hydrogen gas, which is highly flammable. Water has to be all three parts in one, in the same harmonious arrangement, or it is something entirely different. Water is always in the same chemical lock, as shown below. Makes it kinda look like Mickey Mouse. This has a name, but I can't remember it.
On the second set, draw a line through the triangle, separating the Father from the rest. What do you get without the Father? God has no Plan. Separate the Son, what do you get? God has no Sacrifice or Salvation. Separate the Spirit, what do you get? God has no Action. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are all very different pieces, but they all must be included, in the same harmonious arrangement, or God is not complete. I happen to think that God the Father is kinda like the Oxygen, a little bit bigger than the other two. After all, Jesus said that the Father was the only one who knew the day and the hour of his return; that it would be revealed to Jesus when the time came.
Who is to say that the world has no plan, no intelligence, no design? They need only drink a glass of water, and be happy that it is not acid or flammable gas. I find it intriguing that the Creator, the original three in one, made us out of mostly water, also three in one. There are three in one combinations all around us: apples (skin, meat, seed), and eggs (shell, white, yolk), and Humans (body, mind, spirit). Why is this such a difficult thought to absorb?
Ms. J.W. tossed some books at me through the window, and ran. I made her think, and I don't think she liked it. I hope that in some way it made her question the junk that she was trying to teach me. Did it make you question your books? Did it confirm your belief?
Today's word is: felled
/feld/ verb, adjective
To bring to the ground, cause to fall, to level.
~~~
Dearest friends, we gather here today to mourn the loss of a beloved piece of nature. Today, the baby tree in the front yard has been felled. The poor thing got sick two summers ago, when we couldn't water it, because we were being limited by water rationing. After a year of striving to live, the poor arbor succumbed to the dehydration. Viewing will be allowed starting tonight, and ending when the trash truck comes tomorrow. Firewood is available if you will come to get it. Pallbearers are Chelf, and some guy named Fred who brought the chainsaw.
~~~~~~~~~~
When I was in a junior college, I used to eat my lunch in the car while at a park. I would read, or do homework, and enjoy the nature around me. In that car, I carried a $20 bill in the glove box, a Bible in the backseat, and I usually left the car unlocked. I figured, if anyone was dumb enough to try to steal that piece of junk, they could have it. They could also have enough gas money to get far away from me ("hell hath no fury" and all), and a Bible that they obviously needed more than I did.
One day, I was startled by a woman knocking on my window. She was a Jehovah's Witness, and was trying to get me into a conversation. She was amazed that I was reading the Bible, and I told her that I did this quite often. She was keen to know what church I attended, I guess to see which argument she was steeling herself for. I hemmed and hawed for a few minutes, and finally confessed that I attended a church of Christ. She jumped right at it. "You guys don't believe in God!"
Yes, I was as dumbfounded as you probably are. Whaddya mean I don't believe in God? Of course I do! So I asked her where she heard that. She said that since we "worship Jesus only," we obviously don't believe in One God. So, I asked her to explain God to me. I figured that maybe I could understand her point if I got her to explain MY supposed point. She said that God the Father was the supreme being, and that Jesus was the first creation. The fact that he was a prophet was just more testimony to the "fact" that he was only human.
I let this go on for a few minutes, and then I HAD to say something. I couldn't let her go on belittling my religious beliefs, especially since they were supposed to be so similar to hers. I started with a different direction. "Do you like drinking water?" This caught her off guard, because she had apparently never been asked this before.
So I ask you now, do You like drinking water? God is similar to water. Get a piece of paper and fold it in half. Open it up, and one side, draw three circles. They don't have to touch. Just make sure that they are in close proximity, like the corners of a triangle. Now, do it again on the other side. You want two batches of circles. In the first batch of circles, write one letter in each circle: O...H...H. In the second batch of circles, write one word in each circle: Father...Son...Spirit. Got it? Now...this is where it gets tricky. In the first batch of circles, you have the chemical designation for Water: H2O. In the second, you have the basis of the Trinity concept.
While drawing this for her, Ms. J.W. was getting very curious as to where I was going with this. It is pretty good, I think. Please don't think I came up with it, I think the Holy Spirit gave it to me for Ms. J.W.'s benefit. We can get into the Holy Spirit's guidance later.
Back to the illustration. On the first set, draw a line through the triangle, separating one of the H's from the rest of the pack. Do you know what you get if you take one Hydrogen away from a molecule of water? You get what is called Hydroxide, usually an acidic base. Draw another line through the triangle, separating the O from the rest of the pack. Do you know what you have when Oxygen is removed from Water? Hydrogen gas, which is highly flammable. Water has to be all three parts in one, in the same harmonious arrangement, or it is something entirely different. Water is always in the same chemical lock, as shown below. Makes it kinda look like Mickey Mouse. This has a name, but I can't remember it.
On the second set, draw a line through the triangle, separating the Father from the rest. What do you get without the Father? God has no Plan. Separate the Son, what do you get? God has no Sacrifice or Salvation. Separate the Spirit, what do you get? God has no Action. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are all very different pieces, but they all must be included, in the same harmonious arrangement, or God is not complete. I happen to think that God the Father is kinda like the Oxygen, a little bit bigger than the other two. After all, Jesus said that the Father was the only one who knew the day and the hour of his return; that it would be revealed to Jesus when the time came.
Who is to say that the world has no plan, no intelligence, no design? They need only drink a glass of water, and be happy that it is not acid or flammable gas. I find it intriguing that the Creator, the original three in one, made us out of mostly water, also three in one. There are three in one combinations all around us: apples (skin, meat, seed), and eggs (shell, white, yolk), and Humans (body, mind, spirit). Why is this such a difficult thought to absorb?
Ms. J.W. tossed some books at me through the window, and ran. I made her think, and I don't think she liked it. I hope that in some way it made her question the junk that she was trying to teach me. Did it make you question your books? Did it confirm your belief?
Saturday, March 10, 2007
So You're From That ONE Church...?
Word of the Post
Today's word is: discipline
/dis"ci*pline/ noun
Development of the faculties by instruction and exercise; subject matter of instruction; education; training.
I wanted to focus not on the common use definition for Spanking, but on the learning portion of the word, for example the discipline of Yoga, or the discipline of religion.
~~~~~~~~~~
I really need to discipline myself to perform more housework and less computer gaming. I have so much that I wish to do with my life, and my time, that I cannot sit and do nothing near my computer all day. Dishes and Laundry need to be washed, Books need to be read, and Bible needs to be studied. Direction needs to be chosen, and course plotted. I need to show some exercise of time management, and show that I indeed own a bit of discipline.
In speaking of discipline, and of religion as a part of that, I would like to ask and answer a few questions. I like to think that I know some things about my choice of religion, and that I can come up with an answer when asked questions pertaining to my beliefs. I request that you ask me questions. I will post the questions, and then discuss the answers I have. I will always do my best to refer to the Bible first, but I may have other sources to reference as well.
I have in the past dealt with a friend who is Lutheran. We have had many discussions. There are many similarities and, unfortunately, many differences. The big one for me is that Lutherans call themselves after Martin Luther. Luther himself told them to call themselves after Christ, who died for them, not after any man, and not after Luther. The name on the door suggests that they did not listen to the man they claim to follow. If you follow the teachings of Christ, then Christian should be on the door.
Is the name on the door all that important? Yes, I believe it is. Community Church comes to mind. Did the Community around you die for you? No. Christ died for you. The name on the door should be that of Christ, the Savior who gave his life to save yours. Luther did not die for your redemption. Using terms that the Bible used should be of first importance. The Body of Christ is his Church. The English word "church" is from the Greek word "ecclesia", meaning "called out". The Spanish language uses this same basis to refer to churches as well, "iglesia".
Now, this argument can be taken too far in the other direction, as well. This results in denominations. All names are used as signs to tell the outside world some of what goes on inside the building. Differences between them can be monstrously large, or microscopically small. The point here is that the Body of Christ should all share one name, that of Jesus Christ, but we don't. We continually divide over petty things like the color of the carpet and whether to have candles in the building; we argue over salvation issues like baptism and what constitutes sin.
The Lord Jesus himself prayed to the Father that His followers would all be ONE. He knew that we would probably mess this up, just as we have messed up many of God's plans before this. We may not always do exactly as God wants, but His plans never fail.
Go read Ephesians 4:1-6. Pay special attention to verse 5. "one Lord, one faith, one baptism;" We are instructed to follow Christ, and His one path. I do believe that one church will go to heaven. The Bride of Christ, the church he died to save, the humans doing as He called out, these are the "one church" that will be in heaven. I do not believe that the name on the door has anything positive to do with that. If anything, the name on the door will prevent some groups from going to heaven.
Knowing that many older members of the Church of Christ will have an issue with this opinion, I am sorry. I do not mean to demean your belief. I merely wish to state and Biblically defend my own. I believe that on the day that Christ comes back, there will be many in the "church of Christ" that will be calling to the Lord, and be told "I never knew you", for their hypocrisy and pride. I also believe that many from other buildings with other names on the door will come to the Lord, and be welcomed, for their honesty and humility in doing what the Bible said.
Thankfully, the judgement is not up to me, but up to the Father.
Today's word is: discipline
/dis"ci*pline/ noun
Development of the faculties by instruction and exercise; subject matter of instruction; education; training.
I wanted to focus not on the common use definition for Spanking, but on the learning portion of the word, for example the discipline of Yoga, or the discipline of religion.
~~~~~~~~~~
I really need to discipline myself to perform more housework and less computer gaming. I have so much that I wish to do with my life, and my time, that I cannot sit and do nothing near my computer all day. Dishes and Laundry need to be washed, Books need to be read, and Bible needs to be studied. Direction needs to be chosen, and course plotted. I need to show some exercise of time management, and show that I indeed own a bit of discipline.
In speaking of discipline, and of religion as a part of that, I would like to ask and answer a few questions. I like to think that I know some things about my choice of religion, and that I can come up with an answer when asked questions pertaining to my beliefs. I request that you ask me questions. I will post the questions, and then discuss the answers I have. I will always do my best to refer to the Bible first, but I may have other sources to reference as well.
I have in the past dealt with a friend who is Lutheran. We have had many discussions. There are many similarities and, unfortunately, many differences. The big one for me is that Lutherans call themselves after Martin Luther. Luther himself told them to call themselves after Christ, who died for them, not after any man, and not after Luther. The name on the door suggests that they did not listen to the man they claim to follow. If you follow the teachings of Christ, then Christian should be on the door.
Is the name on the door all that important? Yes, I believe it is. Community Church comes to mind. Did the Community around you die for you? No. Christ died for you. The name on the door should be that of Christ, the Savior who gave his life to save yours. Luther did not die for your redemption. Using terms that the Bible used should be of first importance. The Body of Christ is his Church. The English word "church" is from the Greek word "ecclesia", meaning "called out". The Spanish language uses this same basis to refer to churches as well, "iglesia".
Now, this argument can be taken too far in the other direction, as well. This results in denominations. All names are used as signs to tell the outside world some of what goes on inside the building. Differences between them can be monstrously large, or microscopically small. The point here is that the Body of Christ should all share one name, that of Jesus Christ, but we don't. We continually divide over petty things like the color of the carpet and whether to have candles in the building; we argue over salvation issues like baptism and what constitutes sin.
The Lord Jesus himself prayed to the Father that His followers would all be ONE. He knew that we would probably mess this up, just as we have messed up many of God's plans before this. We may not always do exactly as God wants, but His plans never fail.
Go read Ephesians 4:1-6. Pay special attention to verse 5. "one Lord, one faith, one baptism;" We are instructed to follow Christ, and His one path. I do believe that one church will go to heaven. The Bride of Christ, the church he died to save, the humans doing as He called out, these are the "one church" that will be in heaven. I do not believe that the name on the door has anything positive to do with that. If anything, the name on the door will prevent some groups from going to heaven.
Knowing that many older members of the Church of Christ will have an issue with this opinion, I am sorry. I do not mean to demean your belief. I merely wish to state and Biblically defend my own. I believe that on the day that Christ comes back, there will be many in the "church of Christ" that will be calling to the Lord, and be told "I never knew you", for their hypocrisy and pride. I also believe that many from other buildings with other names on the door will come to the Lord, and be welcomed, for their honesty and humility in doing what the Bible said.
Thankfully, the judgement is not up to me, but up to the Father.
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Kicking Back For The Sit-In
Word of the Post
Today's word is: recalcitrant
/re*cal"ci*trant/ adjective
Stubbornly resistant to authority or guidance; obstinate; repugnance with opposition.
~~~~~~~~~~
I have started writing something several times today, and each time, the subject loses my interest in the second sentence. I have thought about history (birthday of Shaquille O'Neal in 1972, and death day of Pearl S. Buck in 1973). I have thought about discussions, and arguments I could start. I have pondered the consequences of saying questionable words, and actually defining them for the populace.
I come up short. Nothing keeps my interest long enough to continue speaking of it.
Had my mother known today's word, I am sure it would have been applied to me more often than necessary. She used to say that I would argue with her over the color of the sky, just to argue. Then she would say the sky was blue, and I would have to correct her. It was purple. Pink. Polka-dotted. Whatever I could come up with. Unfortunately, when I would argue that she was wrong, I proved her point. I still have some of this fight in me.
Some days, it takes a lot out of me to hold my tongue (or sit on my fingers, as the case may be, with my chat group). I have a hard time understanding the left side of the table. They don't help me any by yelling names at me. I can handle name calling. I was abused by it early, it no longer stings. What I really don't understand is the blind faith that they accuse me of is the same blindness they suffer for their cause, as well. I am not blindly following the words of random people. I research what I question, and I agree with thoughts that are like my own. Interesting how others expect respect, but do not show it.
I am sure this is sounding a bit out of tempo. I am feeling a bit lost at sea. I have so many ideas that would make wonderful posts, and yet when I sit to type them, my mind goes.... blank. Totally, completely, and boringly blank.
I am done for today. I will bore you more later. Thank you for dropping by. Well, thanks to everyone but Jared, who lobbed fruit at me on his way past. To Jared, I throw a mud pie. Eat THAT with your tomatoes! Ha!
Today's word is: recalcitrant
/re*cal"ci*trant/ adjective
Stubbornly resistant to authority or guidance; obstinate; repugnance with opposition.
~~~~~~~~~~
I have started writing something several times today, and each time, the subject loses my interest in the second sentence. I have thought about history (birthday of Shaquille O'Neal in 1972, and death day of Pearl S. Buck in 1973). I have thought about discussions, and arguments I could start. I have pondered the consequences of saying questionable words, and actually defining them for the populace.
I come up short. Nothing keeps my interest long enough to continue speaking of it.
Had my mother known today's word, I am sure it would have been applied to me more often than necessary. She used to say that I would argue with her over the color of the sky, just to argue. Then she would say the sky was blue, and I would have to correct her. It was purple. Pink. Polka-dotted. Whatever I could come up with. Unfortunately, when I would argue that she was wrong, I proved her point. I still have some of this fight in me.
Some days, it takes a lot out of me to hold my tongue (or sit on my fingers, as the case may be, with my chat group). I have a hard time understanding the left side of the table. They don't help me any by yelling names at me. I can handle name calling. I was abused by it early, it no longer stings. What I really don't understand is the blind faith that they accuse me of is the same blindness they suffer for their cause, as well. I am not blindly following the words of random people. I research what I question, and I agree with thoughts that are like my own. Interesting how others expect respect, but do not show it.
I am sure this is sounding a bit out of tempo. I am feeling a bit lost at sea. I have so many ideas that would make wonderful posts, and yet when I sit to type them, my mind goes.... blank. Totally, completely, and boringly blank.
I am done for today. I will bore you more later. Thank you for dropping by. Well, thanks to everyone but Jared, who lobbed fruit at me on his way past. To Jared, I throw a mud pie. Eat THAT with your tomatoes! Ha!
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