Were it up to me, I'd live in San Diego and have already retired after inventing "silent velcro" (a fictious invention, made pop-culturally famous in the movie Garden State -- which, I coincidentally enjoyed greatly; mostly because of the "I've been in that mindset" moments more than the self-absorbed ones depicted in the film. since you asked) Some say that a person would get bored if they were obscenely rich. Nothing is exciting anymore, or something like that. Um, I'm creative... I could find a way. I'd enjoy a house on a hill with an ocean view, which is possible in SD (they wouldn't understand "lowcountry"). I don't like sand enough to live on it, but I like looking at the ocean. Yeah... I'd drive a massive 4mpg truck, eat nothing but steaks, watch the food network on Tivo, listen to music reeeeally loudly and look at the ocean. Not all at the same time (dang, that'd be sweet though!) but that would be primarily what I'd do with my time. I doubt your life would look like that if it were up to you, but I'm sure you have a few opinions already.
I met a guy about 9 and a half years ago that doesn't think that mine is such a good idea.
He actually doesn't think that many of us should decide where we will live. Apparently, he has a better understanding of how life tends to work than we do. I remember him saying something about me trusting that being his close friend would be enough... that I don't really need to be concerned with where I live or what my circumstances are. So far, he kinda sounds like a mob boss, I think.
I think our planning and scheming usually doesn't produce much of anything that's worthwhile. Whatever good we stumble upon was placed before us graciously, a long time ago.
The best experiences of my life revolve around obedience to something I wouldn't have chosen for myself. Re-read that, please. The things that I plan out and execute are decent, I guess... lackluster at best.
I'm finding that it depends less and less on the specifics of the decisions we make. A car, jeans, CDs, a spouse, a meal, a house, cereal, a book. When our main goal in a decision is seizing an opportunity to obey... I think we're onto something. Dying to oneself sounds like a miserable option, without a benevolent Overseer. His greatness is proclaimed to anyone watching us when we decide like that. When we ask "Are you in this decision? Can I see your leading? Is this something that will bring me closer or push me further from you?", we begin to think the mind of Christ.
I struggle to claim that "His blessings" will follow you when you go somewhere undesirable. For one, he's not a "cosmic slot-machine" when we push the D4 button the box of providential Junior Mints falls from that big, spinning spiral. What I mean is that you can sleep after making seemingly strange decisions when He is behind them. Doubt may surely haunt you, but that's from the pit. When he HAS to come through or your plans crumble.... you're golden.
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Sunday, April 15, 2007
fish out of water!! (think, childhood pool games)
Marco,
in the same way that a fish has only ever known water as the world he lives in, many of us have never lived in a world without television. certainly not without a phone or radio, electricity. the observation that video messaging, mobile internet/TV, and satellite images have become no longer novel but expected... we don't live in the world that most of our good literature was written in. they wrote by candlelight with quills and I'm slapping my fingers against some keys that make letters appear on a full-color screen with capabilities beyond anything I could/would want to ever design. and yet I resound with the sentiment of their hearts, as we have the same Christ. And we strive, similarly, to love Christ as He loves us.
I believe that we've lost something that was built into those past ages. They could go home. they had no pager/cell/email/phone clamoring for their attention. they had time in their day (they couldn't avoid it) of real reflection. often times our quiet time is placed on the altar of productivity. and not just striving to make money, but sometimes in worthwhile service. I submit to you that without that quiet time of refocusing and re-examing our lives that our productivity may increase at the same rate of our soul's decrease. our portfolio expands as our heart shrivels. much is done and little is loved. countries are conquered while, well... we're better suited to drink/swim up Niagara.
our culture is greatly unlike any previous. we must glean from the past the 'crucials' and translate them and make them digestably contemporary. never water them down, but take them from parchment to the projector.
we ought not feel bad about not living in the 'good ol days' when a quiet life was easier to come by. we have been called as a people chosen to redeem the lost in this crucial day. I think that knowing the battle we must face is key. it doesn't win the battle we're losing, but it's a strategy. reclaim your time of solitude, silence, and prayer!! as hard at it may be to turn off a cell, ipod, tv and laptop all at once... i think we've got to. yes, for our sake, but moreso for those that are looking to us as His representation on earth. His is a still and small voice.
yours,
Polo
in the same way that a fish has only ever known water as the world he lives in, many of us have never lived in a world without television. certainly not without a phone or radio, electricity. the observation that video messaging, mobile internet/TV, and satellite images have become no longer novel but expected... we don't live in the world that most of our good literature was written in. they wrote by candlelight with quills and I'm slapping my fingers against some keys that make letters appear on a full-color screen with capabilities beyond anything I could/would want to ever design. and yet I resound with the sentiment of their hearts, as we have the same Christ. And we strive, similarly, to love Christ as He loves us.
I believe that we've lost something that was built into those past ages. They could go home. they had no pager/cell/email/phone clamoring for their attention. they had time in their day (they couldn't avoid it) of real reflection. often times our quiet time is placed on the altar of productivity. and not just striving to make money, but sometimes in worthwhile service. I submit to you that without that quiet time of refocusing and re-examing our lives that our productivity may increase at the same rate of our soul's decrease. our portfolio expands as our heart shrivels. much is done and little is loved. countries are conquered while, well... we're better suited to drink/swim up Niagara.
our culture is greatly unlike any previous. we must glean from the past the 'crucials' and translate them and make them digestably contemporary. never water them down, but take them from parchment to the projector.
we ought not feel bad about not living in the 'good ol days' when a quiet life was easier to come by. we have been called as a people chosen to redeem the lost in this crucial day. I think that knowing the battle we must face is key. it doesn't win the battle we're losing, but it's a strategy. reclaim your time of solitude, silence, and prayer!! as hard at it may be to turn off a cell, ipod, tv and laptop all at once... i think we've got to. yes, for our sake, but moreso for those that are looking to us as His representation on earth. His is a still and small voice.
yours,
Polo
Timed Urgency
I was talking with my friend Ryan the other day, and we were reflecting on some bad news. A friend we know has a mom who's been battling cancer. Things were looking up. Now she has 4 weeks to live. This news arrived just weeks after his wedding. Ryan and I discussed the situation for a little while, grappling with how we'd embrace that reality, were it in our family or us individually. Within a few moments, we subconsciously conceded our lack of real understanding of it and talked about something we could understand a bit more. But something struck me just before the topic change.
How would I live if given a definitive time of 4 weeks?? If I could know to the minute (and that moment weren't far off), how would I spend my time? I'd encourage you to share your answer to this in a comment below.
My reaction was curious, hence it being blog-worthy. My heart sank and leapt in the same moment. I was immediately saddened in thought by what short time I'd have to tell people about the Jesus I'd be with oh so soon. Strangers, I mean. Not to mention all the people in my cell phone I never call. What a passionate, no-holds-barred, no-situation-missed, apostle to proclaim the Good News!! Can you imagine what a month that'd be? Then I was so excited that I had more than 4 weeks!! (from what I can tell, at least) To have the opportunity to live so unabashedly devout and with purpose. I was immediately bombarded with doubt and thoughts of how unrealistic it is to live like that. I mean, I'm NOT dying, y'know? So what's the urgency?
So the battles rages. Wilberforce, Luther, Edwards, etc. persevered through such doubt. They wouldn't accept a non-change. Pray with me that we could have such perspective and endurance. Let us count it all loss, compared to the all-surpassing gift of Christ. May we lay down our lives in such fashion that people would assume we haven't much of it left to work with. And that we would not seek to save our lives, but truly lose them.
I beg you to please pray with me for Dan's family.
How would I live if given a definitive time of 4 weeks?? If I could know to the minute (and that moment weren't far off), how would I spend my time? I'd encourage you to share your answer to this in a comment below.
My reaction was curious, hence it being blog-worthy. My heart sank and leapt in the same moment. I was immediately saddened in thought by what short time I'd have to tell people about the Jesus I'd be with oh so soon. Strangers, I mean. Not to mention all the people in my cell phone I never call. What a passionate, no-holds-barred, no-situation-missed, apostle to proclaim the Good News!! Can you imagine what a month that'd be? Then I was so excited that I had more than 4 weeks!! (from what I can tell, at least) To have the opportunity to live so unabashedly devout and with purpose. I was immediately bombarded with doubt and thoughts of how unrealistic it is to live like that. I mean, I'm NOT dying, y'know? So what's the urgency?
So the battles rages. Wilberforce, Luther, Edwards, etc. persevered through such doubt. They wouldn't accept a non-change. Pray with me that we could have such perspective and endurance. Let us count it all loss, compared to the all-surpassing gift of Christ. May we lay down our lives in such fashion that people would assume we haven't much of it left to work with. And that we would not seek to save our lives, but truly lose them.
I beg you to please pray with me for Dan's family.
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Embracing Doctrine
I think we should embrace doctrine. Hence the title. CS Lewis described becoming a Christian as entering a long hallway with multiple doors. Each door was an entrance to a room representing a varied doctrine. He said to grow in our faith that we must enter one of those doors, developing ourselves along the structures of the chosen doctrine. [Forgive the lack of specific quote, the book I recall isn't with me. I think the paraphrase captures the intended point]
I suppose my desire for your entrance to a specific room is because I floundered in my faith while waiting in the hallway. I accepted some basic reasoning because I was afraid that whichever particular doctrine might say something about God I wouldn't like. That changes who God is, in our minds. Hear me, God doesn't change---our understanding of who He is does. I wasn't ready for that, sadly.
As a guy who came to know Christ in my late-teens, I was at an age when I was trying define my manhood by not asking questions. Real men have all the answers, don't they? Since I didn't seek to root myself in any doctrine, I tried to marry the perception of my childhood's Sunday school, flannel-graph Jesus with that of a handful of miscellaneous teachings. Not good.
By embracing a particular system of beliefs, we find a richness and heritage that gives us a sense of smallness and truth. Smallness in that we're not in the new, hip wave of trend-setters and truth in that these beliefs have stood the testing of many generations. Heritage in that we pray as similarly minded followers have prayed for centuries and richness of abiding in an unchanging Christ.
We can follow the same Christ in love, I might add. As a young Christian, I wanted to solve all of the inter-denominational bickering by getting everybody together to hammer out our differences. That's because I'm a peacemaker who avoids conflict. I still don't like conflict, but I'm more of a realist. I think healthy disagreement is valuable. Learn what you believe and know what your fellow brother believes and be ready to tell him how he's wrong!! Obviously, not to just fight about something. As we try to understand our brother's "wrongness" (can you believe his stance on worship and pre-destination???), we'll be in the Word studying our beliefs to compare them.
And if you hear nothing else from me, pursue doctrine and debate in love. The "greatest of these" isn't doctrinal soundness. Align yourself in the heart of our Lord and His Spirit will guide your studies. As with any multitude of seemingly 'good' things, doctrine is wasted in the mouths of those lacking Christ's love.
I suppose my desire for your entrance to a specific room is because I floundered in my faith while waiting in the hallway. I accepted some basic reasoning because I was afraid that whichever particular doctrine might say something about God I wouldn't like. That changes who God is, in our minds. Hear me, God doesn't change---our understanding of who He is does. I wasn't ready for that, sadly.
As a guy who came to know Christ in my late-teens, I was at an age when I was trying define my manhood by not asking questions. Real men have all the answers, don't they? Since I didn't seek to root myself in any doctrine, I tried to marry the perception of my childhood's Sunday school, flannel-graph Jesus with that of a handful of miscellaneous teachings. Not good.
By embracing a particular system of beliefs, we find a richness and heritage that gives us a sense of smallness and truth. Smallness in that we're not in the new, hip wave of trend-setters and truth in that these beliefs have stood the testing of many generations. Heritage in that we pray as similarly minded followers have prayed for centuries and richness of abiding in an unchanging Christ.
We can follow the same Christ in love, I might add. As a young Christian, I wanted to solve all of the inter-denominational bickering by getting everybody together to hammer out our differences. That's because I'm a peacemaker who avoids conflict. I still don't like conflict, but I'm more of a realist. I think healthy disagreement is valuable. Learn what you believe and know what your fellow brother believes and be ready to tell him how he's wrong!! Obviously, not to just fight about something. As we try to understand our brother's "wrongness" (can you believe his stance on worship and pre-destination???), we'll be in the Word studying our beliefs to compare them.
And if you hear nothing else from me, pursue doctrine and debate in love. The "greatest of these" isn't doctrinal soundness. Align yourself in the heart of our Lord and His Spirit will guide your studies. As with any multitude of seemingly 'good' things, doctrine is wasted in the mouths of those lacking Christ's love.
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