Here and Now...and Yet To Come

We hear from both the left and the right that our faith is a private matter. To enter into public discourse is consider "impolite". Remember the two most impolite topics, religion and politics. I would argue that you can't separate the two, but that is a subject for a different day. Please don't hear this as me lobbying for "retrenchment". A term familiarly describing the likes of Pat Robertson, James Dobson, and Jerry Falwell. This term would lead us to believe that it is our religious duty to "over take" and legislate our faith into action. It's true that this is all we have known since Constantine, but it's time to begin to imagine a different alternative. Perhaps one of "being" the church. For further inquiry see:

A Peculiar People, Rodney Clapp

and listen to these

here and here.

"The Kingdom of the Lord...is in particular the destiny of the Anglo- Saxon race, which is destined to bring light to the gentiles by means of lamps manufactured in America."

-H. Richard Niebuhr

OH SNAP!!!

You may have noticed the new name change. Perhaps you didn't. Either way it changed.

I've been thinking about changing the name for some time now. With the original name, "The Here and Now", I was trying to steer people away from the idea that the Christian faith is all about getting to Heaven when you die. The Kingdom of God is just as available to us now as it will be in the future. Unfortunately, the previous name was an overcorrection to what I call the "I'll Fly Away" syndrome. I think that this new title better represents the gospel story in it's whole entirety. God is in the process of redeeming all of creation and we live in a constant strain of the "now but not quite yet."

Craig Gross is one of two guys who started www.xxxchurch.com. IF you haven't checked these guys out yet you should. I don't necessarily agree with all of their tactics but I agree and are appreciative of what they are doing to free people from the addictiveness of pornography. Being one who has struggled with this affliction, I know how destructive and truly addictive it can be.

Craig will be on campus tomorrow to speak in chapel and hold a seminar later in the afternoon. He is also speaking to some of the youth ministry classes about applications towards youth ministry. If you are a youth pastor or know of one who doesn't know about this great resource then you need to check it out. If you are near the Wilmore area and want to hear Craig speak then some to chapel tomorrow at 11:00 a.m.

Thought y'all might enjoy a peaceful labyrinth experience online. I promise I will have more on the question "Who are you?" at a another time. Reading and papers and work are taking up my time at the moment. Hope this quenches your appetite for something spiritual.

GO HERE

Grace and Peace

Watch THIS first. (Seriously, go watch it!)

Identity. Who am I? What makes me really me? Why I am here. What's my purpose?

I'm certainly not the first person to ever ask these questions. This has been a conversation in metaphysics since the early Greek Philosophers and was even a concern for the early Israelites.

I am sure that if Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle were here we would have a nice long discussion on differentiating between object andsubject. Dualism, monism, pantheism and the like, but there not here. Only you and I are. We have to deal with these questions in our terms. In our day. With our language. As with Philosophy and Theology, each generation must begin fresh. We must start from the bottom. Pour the concrete again and build the foundation. So that's what we are going to do. Slowly but surely, we'll get there. Which brings me to my next question.

Who are you? What makes you really you? Why are you here? What's your purpose?

Think about it. Come up with an answer and check back tomorrow...ok?

I realize this is all a bit late but I still think it is worth while. Here are a few thoughts you might not see or hear about on the nightly news. Enjoy!

Here

and...

Here

I'm in the library again. I just got done re-copying my notes from my last philosophy class. (Something I never would have done in my undergrad.) It seems to be a good class. We are currently reading a book titled Metaphysics: Constructing a World View which from what I can gather deals with the simple question: What is there? To which the answer is...Everything! Stew on that for a bit why don't ya.

I am actually reading another book called God and History which deals with the shaping of Christian thought by classical Greek Philosophy and traditional Hebrew thought. They seem to parallel each other quite nicely and I am glad that I have both courses at the same time. It's also cool that this book was written by the professor that is teaching the class. Neat.

Amidst all of that reading, I am also reading the classic Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Now that's a good read! Simple and to the point, but chalked full of golden nuggets for the kiddies. It's interesting though, I find myself disagreeing with about half of what Bonhoeffer suggests for the "good" of the community. Perhaps it is the running cliche of modernity and post-modernity rearing it's ugly head. I'll have to stay conscious of that.

Dru and I had 6 couples over this past Saturday night. I think it was a total of 14 people when it was all said and done. We all brought our own grub and grilled out on the back patio. I, of course, watched the game with a few other folks but we mainly just sat around, talked and enjoyed each others company. This may turn into a regular thing on Saturday nights. I suppose you could say that this place is beginning to feel more like "home."

Buckeyes Roll!!

See the article.

Can't talk. Busy.

I'm sitting in the library at 8:45 waiting for the bookstore to open. I have to get one book for my first class this morning PH501. I have already heard that a lot of morning classes have been canceled because of a staff prayer meeting. I would like to have class, but it is encouraging to know that prayer is held in high esteem around these parts. I guess we will see how it goes.

I just finished "Out of the Question and Into the Mystery" yesterday. Leonard Sweet is the author. It was a great read. I recommend it for any small groups y'all might have. Check it out here. Sadly, it will be the last book that I have chosen to read for a while. 13 total books and two reading packets will occupy my time for the next semester.

I'll let you know how this first day turns out.

*I want to make a public apology to my brother in law Dustin. Sorry we didn't holla at your birthday man. A card is on the way. Love ya!*