Tuesday, April 26, 2011
A series of events got me heated on this topic and so I want to say a few things and move on. Let me just say that Christianity in this country has become so watered down it's sick. Christianity is not something that we just do on Sunday's. It's not something we think about when it is convenient for us, and it for sure isn't about getting rich. There seems to be some confusion. It's not about going to "Church" on Sunday's and the rest of the week is fair game for whatever. We can't claim to be Christians and think the only way we are going to be happy is by making as much money as we possibly can. "Sell your possessions, and give to the poor"(Luke 12:33). God is not your personal genie sitting around granting you all the earthly wants you have. Lets freakin' step it up. Sacrifice is what Christianity is. Someone told me they switched churches cause they were no longer entertained. Entertained? Have you ever read the New Testament? Do you think the early Christians were entertained? Do you know what Christianity was for the early Christians? It was praying without ceasing, it was being persecuted for the name of Jesus, it was gathering in someone's home for the breaking of the bread, it was evangelizing daily, it was being martyred. Christianity is not about being entertained. They were crucified, upside down. Burned to death. Beheaded. Stoned. Fed to wild beasts. Come on. Christianity is not about being entertained. It is about sacrificing our lives for the Glory of the Lord. Period. Christianity is about imitating Christ who "emptied himself, taking the form of a slave...being obedient to death, even death on a cross" (Philippians 2:7-8). Don't tell me Christianity is about having a lot of money and/or being entertained.
Lord I pray that my faith would never become watered down. That "Church" wouldn't become a spinning globe behind a stage with someone entertaining me. Instead, that it would be Christ crucified hanging above an altar, with someone reminding me that I need to deny myself, take up my cross and follow Him. (Mark 8:34)
When we can overcome a Christianity that is diluted, we can then truly witness to heaven and earth colliding.
Oh and p.s. planned parenthood: you suck at what you do, except for killing people. "The most important thing kids need to know about pornography is that it most often does not depict reality... caring adults use pornography. Most of them use it to enhance their sex lives knowing that it is much more about fantasy than it is about reality." You're correct in saying porn depicts a false reality, but then you go and say that sex is not about reality. What does that mean for the young people who are taking your advice? You just threw your (correct) argument out the window. Just ridiculous. And you go to schools and teach this stuff to children and teenagers? Shame on you. "It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck and he be thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin" (Luke 17:2). Jesus' words not mine.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Holy Holy Holy Week
Sunday, April 17, 2011
I mentioned in my previous entry that the Israelites believed if they looked upon God, they would die. I don't know about you but I think that's pretty interesting. If they caught a glimpse of the source of their life, it would kill them. Very interesting. The Israelites knew this, but they insisted on seeing him. You see, idol worship was big back in the day (those days), partially because of the polytheistic society, but also, because the people wanted some sort of idea of what God looked like. The golden calf incident that took place, while Moses was on Mount Sinai, was not because the Israelites were trying to create another God to worship, in reality, they were just trying to create a visual image of THE God, the Lord, to worship.
God knew this desire of his people, and in his time, the Word became flesh. God took on the form of man, thus giving us an image of himself. "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father" (John 14:9). That interesting belief that seeing God meant death, was reversed, and rightly so. Life comes from God and as Jesus says himself, "I came so that you might have life and have it more abundantly" (John 10:10).
While the Israelites were moving about the desert, they were pretty bad at a lot of things (keeping the commandments) and really good at one thing (complaining). They were fantastic at whining and complaining (we still are huh?). "The people complained against God and Moses, 'Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in this desert, where there is no food or water? We are disgusted with this wretched food'" (Numbers 21:5). God, in his anger from these complaints, sent "fiery serpents" amongst the people. The people who were bit by the serpents would become sick and eventually die, and so the Israelites begged for forgiveness. God in his mercy, told Moses to create a bronze serpent and raise it up on a pole. When the people who had been bitten by one would look at the serpent that was raised up, it would heal them. The source of there pain, became the source of their healing.
God gives us crosses in our lives. We all have one, or some. Kind of like the fiery serpents for the Israelites. When Jesus, our source of life, is taken and raised up on the cross, like the serpent, we are healed, we are brought back to life. The pains of the cross, when looked upon with Jesus nailed to it and raised up, becomes the source of our healing.
Holy Thursday, when Christ provides for us by giving us bread and wine, his body and blood to eat and drink, let us not complain. Good Friday, when Jesus will be lifted up, let us all look upon Him and be healed. Easter Sunday (and Saturday night), let us rejoice and celebrate with the Lord who has won for us life and salvation by defeating death, by death.
Welcome to Holy week. Don't let it pass you by without receiving the gifts, the healing, and the life Christ desires so much to give you. Let us move from death to life.
Heaven and earth collide.
I mentioned in my previous entry that the Israelites believed if they looked upon God, they would die. I don't know about you but I think that's pretty interesting. If they caught a glimpse of the source of their life, it would kill them. Very interesting. The Israelites knew this, but they insisted on seeing him. You see, idol worship was big back in the day (those days), partially because of the polytheistic society, but also, because the people wanted some sort of idea of what God looked like. The golden calf incident that took place, while Moses was on Mount Sinai, was not because the Israelites were trying to create another God to worship, in reality, they were just trying to create a visual image of THE God, the Lord, to worship.
God knew this desire of his people, and in his time, the Word became flesh. God took on the form of man, thus giving us an image of himself. "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father" (John 14:9). That interesting belief that seeing God meant death, was reversed, and rightly so. Life comes from God and as Jesus says himself, "I came so that you might have life and have it more abundantly" (John 10:10).
While the Israelites were moving about the desert, they were pretty bad at a lot of things (keeping the commandments) and really good at one thing (complaining). They were fantastic at whining and complaining (we still are huh?). "The people complained against God and Moses, 'Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in this desert, where there is no food or water? We are disgusted with this wretched food'" (Numbers 21:5). God, in his anger from these complaints, sent "fiery serpents" amongst the people. The people who were bit by the serpents would become sick and eventually die, and so the Israelites begged for forgiveness. God in his mercy, told Moses to create a bronze serpent and raise it up on a pole. When the people who had been bitten by one would look at the serpent that was raised up, it would heal them. The source of there pain, became the source of their healing.
God gives us crosses in our lives. We all have one, or some. Kind of like the fiery serpents for the Israelites. When Jesus, our source of life, is taken and raised up on the cross, like the serpent, we are healed, we are brought back to life. The pains of the cross, when looked upon with Jesus nailed to it and raised up, becomes the source of our healing.
Holy Thursday, when Christ provides for us by giving us bread and wine, his body and blood to eat and drink, let us not complain. Good Friday, when Jesus will be lifted up, let us all look upon Him and be healed. Easter Sunday (and Saturday night), let us rejoice and celebrate with the Lord who has won for us life and salvation by defeating death, by death.
Welcome to Holy week. Don't let it pass you by without receiving the gifts, the healing, and the life Christ desires so much to give you. Let us move from death to life.
Heaven and earth collide.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Penta What?
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Today I had a pretty important test in my Pentateuch class. That's right, Pentateuch. If you're unsure, the Pentateuch is the first 5 books of the Bible. Tradition tells us Moses authored the entire Pentateuch, but their is pretty much no chance of this being factual. Unless, he was able to document his own death. Probably not, but then again, he did make water come from a rock, and he did part the red sea, and he did have a long flowing beard (possibly), which I will have one day (possibly). Anyways, I spent a solid hour hammering out exegesis on certain parts of the text, such as, Genesis (the binding of Isaac), Exodus (basically the entire book), and Numbers (umm...I forgot already). I then wrote a "well constructed essay" with all the joys of an intro, body paragraphs, and a conclusion, all in about 20 minutes. I defended the idea that God was in complete favor of the Israelites as his chosen people throughout their Exodus.
A few minutes after turning in my test I found myself sitting in the chapel on campus. We have adoration on Wednesday's. I went in and knelt down; I wasn't really praying, I wasn't really doing anything, and I had a thought...
God in the Old Testament seems kind of crazy, he just seems distant (to me at least). And I thought to myself, I just spent an hour trying to think about God, trying to write about God and all the craziness of the Exodus: Him inflicting plagues on the Egyptians, fighting for the Israelites, parting seas, and sending Manna from heaven for food. And if the Israelites actually saw God, they would die from his majesty...and here I am looking upon the same God, face-to-face. All that thinking and writing I just did to please my professor/GPA, and here is the fullness and complete answer to all those questions. I'm sitting with the same God that did all those crazy things. That same God that seems so ancient and confusing, is in the same room with me (well, I'm in the same room with him). That is crazy. Seriously, it's crazy. The Eucharist is crazy. We get to hang out with God. And when we go to Mass, the God that the universe can't contain, is in the palm of your hand, is resting on your tongue. It's crazy. We need and should want as much Eucharist as we can get because the Eucharist is Jesus himself, and Jesus himself provides the model for how we are meant to live.
The Eucharist is a pledge of the glory to come and is meant to lead us into the next life.
Heaven and earth collide. (In the words of Howard Dean...BYAH!!!)
3 points if you read this one (keep track of your points - winner gets a prize).
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Welcome Keynote
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
I have a pretty big test tomorrow and another on Thursday. I have a 6 page paper due next Tuesday and a 10 page paper due next Wednesday...I figured now would be a good time to start a blog! I've wanted to do this for quite some time and I think now would a great time...
This first entry won't have anything too thrilling in it. I just figured I would kick things off with a welcome entry or a first keynote if you will (not really sure what that even means, it just sounds cool). I decided to start a blog for a couple of reasons:
Heaven and Earth Collide:
Their are also a couple reasons for the name of the blog...I think:
I have a pretty big test tomorrow and another on Thursday. I have a 6 page paper due next Tuesday and a 10 page paper due next Wednesday...I figured now would be a good time to start a blog! I've wanted to do this for quite some time and I think now would a great time...
This first entry won't have anything too thrilling in it. I just figured I would kick things off with a welcome entry or a first keynote if you will (not really sure what that even means, it just sounds cool). I decided to start a blog for a couple of reasons:
- W.W.J.D. (obviously - that's a given)
- A good friend of mine/old youth minister has one and every time I read it, I feel inspired. If you don't know who I am talking about, his name is Jonathan Alexander and you should read his blog because it will always be better than mine. (http://jonamdg.blogspot.com/)
- I always have these thoughts or ideas and I never write anything down and I eventually forget whatever it was. I want to use this to begin writing a few thoughts down.
Heaven and Earth Collide:
Their are also a couple reasons for the name of the blog...I think:
- It's a lyric from a Hillsong United song and I was singing this song when I was asked for a title. The song is called "Father" - you should buy it...it's on iTunes
- I like the idea of heaven and earth colliding. I don't completely know why, I just think it's really cool. The thought that at every Mass ordinary bread and wine is transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ and in this, heaven and earth literally collide. I think we can get so caught up in the world that we lose sight of the reality of heaven, and we begin to think that heaven is something that is so far away or something that is just out of reach. But that's not true, it's actually quite the opposite of that.
- I still might change it...
I have no idea where this thing might go. I don't even have any hints for you. We will just have to wait and see. If I have grammar issues, don't talk to me about it! If you actually read this, 2 points for you!
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