Desires for Home and Thoughts of the Christmas Season

Christmas is upon us but this time around it seems less real to me.

All I want though is to be with my family and make sure I am there for Krystal.

Her dad is getting brain surgery on Jan 6th and will be in the ICU for a week. This makes me realize the importance of family and the embrace of the time we have with them.

When I say family, I mean our family in Christ. Our time is so short and human life is so fragile I think we should spend less energy on things that divide and rather unify together and bring good to the world in the areas of social justice that Jesus talked about.

[i]Blogging note: I don't have large words and intensely philosophical ways to explain my thoughts like most "emergent" bloggers that I read, not that that is a bad thing. I just aim to say what I want to say in a way that I can say it.[/i]

I find it hard for me to stick to these things that I am talking about and I find it easier to look forward to the materialism that traditionally comes with Christmas. My mom has a good paying job for the first time in her life and I know that will have an effect on Christmas and I think apart of me is anticipating that. I am disgusted by that part of me. Because an even larger part of me loves the relational part of Christmas even more!

The past 2 years my family has gotten Krystal more gifts than me, which is the best gift they could give to me, seriously. That means the love her and accept her as one of the family. Not that their love is being measured in material possessions, rather my family is letting her be a part of our main Christmas tradition that is for our immediate family only...that means she is family which I love!
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On a different note, I got my research grant(don't know if I have written about this or not...) which means I will be doing research on the Emergent movement and how it constructs its identity based on web submissions. A part of our research though will involve heading to Minneapolis and doing sit down interviews though which I am very excited about because of the potential for research and my own personal gain. I don't have much experience with this bodies of believers that I seem to want to identify with and this will be an excellent opportunity to get to know them!

So that is cool...
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Musically I find myself drawn more towards bluegrass and folk as of late. I really think that I feel God moving in the notes. You can feel the passion and the expression behind the notes, and because I am relational, I feel God through that persons passion. This is why I want to get back into my Viola.
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Enough for tangents...I think I am ready for bed now.

Political Frustrations

Shoot, now I just simply don't know who to vote fore.

It has been long enough, I can justify voting for Obama at this point. His policies just simply fall more in line with the Christianity that calls for social justice. The policy that he has that troubles me the most as with other Christians is his stance on abortion, he has essentially voted for infanticide they say, but he frames it as just being the natural progression of believing in a womans right to chose. It is interesting.

About the only "Christian" policy that McCain is his stance on abortion, at least a Christianity that I identify with.

But who says that Christians are even supposed to vote? Acting in humility might require full submission to God's will which might mean leaders that encourage persecution to us as Christians. I commonly find Christians who get their duty as an American to vote tied into their duty as a Christian to vote, but I don't really think they can be put in the same area. We have this mentality that the USA is some Christian nation and we as Christians need to make sure laws that favor us or God's law happen. I think those two things need to be separated, I am a Christian first not a Christian American or in some cases, an American Christian. I think the latter here is scary. I have seen some Christians essentially convince themselves that whoever is in power is in the best interests for Christianity. Now, I can't say for sure whether somebody is or not, but the process of somebody convincing themselves of this is placing an American identity over the identity that we are to have in Christ.

All in all, I will be voting, and I have selected a candidate. You might be able to guess who, but I'll leave you with a line from Mike Birbiglia...

"You'd be surprised..."

I will stand up now...

and I will not step down.

I was doing my morning music devotion and I heard Stand Up by Everyday Sunday.

This reminded me of the whole start of this transformation. The reason I am more peaceful, more loving, and just more of somebody that I love and somebody that loves God in a different and radical way.

I worked at a "liberal" Lutheran Bible Camp, Camp Luther Crest. We sang this song for the staff musical. The song isn't important but the memories and the significance of it being the catalyst for the change in my life that is now!

I had a huge transformation from a "conservative" Christian who looked for fights with anybody on any silly little issue to, well...this!

You can swing by the blog I made while I was there to see the intense transformation I went!

http://lcbcsummer.blogspot.com/

Religion and Politics Part 2

I don't really know if a politician should be doing things that are not the things his/her consituents want. I think that even if a politician is religious, if they are representing a majority of people who are not religious, they need to be voting on legislation without their religious bias. If this is not possible, then I believe this politician should step down.

We have Senior W. claiming divine intervention and starting a war that he believes is God's will. Now this is fine and dandy as long as 51% of America agrees with this. I don't think this is the case and thus I don't think it is the right way to run a nation.

"But Dean, what are we to do about Romans 13?"

"1Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. 4For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. 6This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. 7Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor."

Many times I have had Christians tell me that this passage means that we need to blindly follow our governments but nowhere in this passage does this say that. Rather it says that governments are put in place by God to bring glory to Him and we should go a long with their glorification of God.

Also, this passage does not talk about why policitians should follow their religious convictions. The only way that I can see somebody interpreting it in this way would be to say that since policitians are appointed by God then they should do their best to follow God's teachings.

The problem with this point of view though in my opinion is that this leaves the leader of a nation in charge of interpreting scipture which is something humans have a history of doing fairly badly. (Examples: Salem Witch Trials, Crusades, Slavery, Women's Roles, and now Gays) The past does not bode well for leaders who have tried to interpret scripture. This is why I think it is a mighty dilema to have a politician voiting their religious convictions if they are not properly representing their constituents.

Wow, this got long winded...

Politics and Religion Part 1

Politics and Religion are a sticky thing.

I personally find myself identifying mostly with Libertarianism. I like the sounds of fiscal conservatism while leaving morals up to the individual rather than forcing it upon people. It actually seems very Christ-like.

In my experience/research, it appears that most emergents are supporting Obama. This does not surprise me. Emergents tend towards caring for individuals over issues like large military spending. The concept of universal health care is appealing to somebody who takes Christ's teachings of love for others and caring for the poor as being the most important thing he taught.

Maybe I am slowly becoming an Obama supporter, but I don't think the change will happen fast enough for me to vote for him.

So here, I concede that it makes sense for an individual to vote based on their religious beleifs, but what about candidates in office who are required to represent an entire group of people, of which all are clearly not religious. What happens when a Christian like Senior W. gets into office and starts making legislation that is based on their religious views, what do we do?

more later...

Cross post to what inspired me to start this blog.

I see the preaching going on on campus this week and it saddens my heart, a couple times today my eyes were just filled with tears.

I long for something more.

I saw somebody I know a little bit take a stand...something I have wanted to do for a couple of years now...

This person took a stand for love, peace, and what I view as an accurate depiction of Christ's love in an evangelistic setting.

Thank you.

Because you were willing to let God work through you I have given into my desire for something more.

I desire to have courage like what I saw today, I desire to not keep my mouth shut even though I know the people I'm with might not like what I have to say.

I believe Christ was radical, and what we need is the church to be radical. I am utterly disappointed at the reaction that this preacher would have for some of the people he talked to today.

"He is mocking them!" I said, "That is not Christ's love, Christ never did that!"

Somebody next to me said, "Yes He did!"

NO HE DIDN'T!

I feel like the gospel has been hijacked by people who feel the need to save as many people as fast as possible. The problem here is that people do not save people, God does.

So from here on out, I am going to take a stand when I feel His call, and I am not going to sit idly back when I fear persecution.

Call me a liberal, call me a nut-job, say I don't believe in truth, say I am sugar coating the gospel. Say what you will because above all things I believe in, I believe in the love of Christ transcending all. For it is by that love that we are set free, it is by that love I can live, and it is that love that gives me the hope I have in my heart.

1 Peter 3:15-16

15But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.

Mr. Preacher, you have the hope of Christ in your heart, I see it. But when the people in the audience are asking you to explain it, you are not doing it with gentleness and respect.

I am going to start a blog to document this stage in my life, I am going to put my random musings on things people say, stuff that happens to me, and just thoughts about spiritual things that happen in my life (bloggish eh?) but also I am going to put devotionals, messages, perhaps videos, and other philiophical/theological content that I feel is along the lines of being a radical follower of Christ.

Yearn

"I want to yearn for you. I want to burn with passion over you."

-Yearn by Shane and Shane

This is the line that I want to make my prayer.

I hear these words as I do my morning meditation on God while listening to music and it brings a tear to my eye because of how accurate it is.

Sometimes I am a bit off and that is exactly what I need to get back on. To yearn and burn with passion. So this is what I want.

On a random note:

I have my first office hour today, which means I get to sit in a room and wait for students to come to me if they have a question or something.

HAH, who would give me an office?

Something New

Last night I had a realization.

Sometimes it frightens me how much I know but I am not sure if I believe. I do almost nothing without being conscious of it and thus I am aware of the effects my actions have on others around me.

Well, one thing that drives me crazy is when people, including myself, just spout lines that everybody says all the time. Like, "God, we need you here right now, please heal us and just send your power into this place." Now, if you pray that and mean it, cool! But I hear it so often, I wonder if people just say it because they hear other people say it and know that is what they are "supposed" to say. This is what drives me up the wall because I know all the things I'm supposed to say/do but sometimes I don't know what I believe.

What I realized is this:
Uncertainty about something indicates my belief in something. I know what I believe with regards to certain theologies and such but if we take abortion as an example. If I say I am not sure that God is pro-choice or pro-life, then that means I don't have any knee jerk arguments, points, or analogies and this is GREAT for me. I don't know which means I can know that when I think and what I feel about this subject are real and not just scripted and forces actions.

Yeah, I don't know something therefore I believe it? Talk about an odd almost contradiction. This is something new for me. I think it is great that it is almost a contradiction, I think many things within Christianity are apparent contradictions but when we look deeper they are not.

This is a new step for me in this new stage of life.

I am excited to see all He has in store for me.

Today shall be a good day.