Are we the unchurched generation?

This is something I've been meaning to write for a very long time. A few of my friends have decided that they don't want to go to church. That they've got their own way of doing things. While I realize that everyone has a different way that they connect with God best, it's unbelievably obvious to me that they've been badly misguided. As Pastor Scott at my church is so fond of saying, "The church is God's plan A. There is no plan B."

As I've been fond of saying lately, let's have a look at what Jesus did. I figure that, being perfect, he probably has the best possible habits that we can follow. Starting right at Luke 2:41 there is the story of Jesus leaving Joseph and Mary and staying in the temple at the ripe old age of 12. When they ask him why he would do such a thing he replies, "Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" And in case you forgot, he's God. That means that there really wasn't much for him to learn there. I know he limited himself, but still, if God decides that it's good to go to the temple to learn, you'd better believe it's a good idea for us too! This attitude he continues for the entirety of his life. Later he was more into the teaching rather than the learning, but again, isn't that a good reason for us to go to church? If we're a little more knowledgeable than others, the best thing we can do is share it. We're all part of the team. We're all part of the family. So really, shouldn't we all be saying, "Didn't you realize that I must be in our Father's house?"

So, if you don't think that simply following in Jesus' footsteps was a good enough reason (though I'd be very worried if you didn't...) let's look at the early church. Acts 2:42-46 tells us that the early Christians devoted themselves to fellowship, attended the temple together and broke bread together. It seems that simply going to church together wasn't good enough! In Hebrews 10:25, Paul pleads for them to "not neglect meeting together, as is the habit of some..." It seems staying isolated is the exact opposite of what we're supposed to be doing as Christians.

Another line of reasoning is in 1 Corinthians 12:12-27. There we're told that we are all part of the body of Christ. There's the funny yet profound questioning of the eye saying it doesn't need the hand, or the foot saying it isn't as good as the hand. In verse 14 it says "the body does not consist of one member, but of many." So then I ask, isn't is foolish to think that we can be apart from the body? It's as silly as thinking that the head can live without the heart. Alone we're just ears, eyes, and hands flopping around not doing anything. It's only together that we can actually accomplish anything of any worth.

Church is where we can love one another (1 John 4:12), encourage one another (Hebrews 3:13), serve one another (Galatians 5:13), instruct one another (Romans 15:14), honor one another (Romans 12:10), and be kind and compassionate to one another (Ephesians 4:32). How can we do these things for each other if we're not around each other? How can we be know by our love for one another (John 13:35) if we're never seen together? I ask you, what are you doing?

The big reason that I haven't actually written this out until how (aside from the fact that this isn't as long as a full sermon) is because the people that I'd actually teach this to aren't the ones who need to hear it. I pray that God will use this as it's sitting here to maybe teach those of you who do need to hear it. I hope that I get to meet you! I have to say that that is one of my favorite things about church. Getting to meet together with people that share a lot of the same ideals and thoughts with me. Getting to go to a safe space where I can be encouraged and learn. I really do love learning. And the more I learn, the more I realize how little I really know! I hope that you'll go to church. I know that they're not all as great as mine. I know that there will be conflict, people that you don't like. I know that. But remember that we're all on the same side, part of the same family. Sure our brothers and sisters may drive us nuts sometimes, but I wouldn't trade them for the world. My dear brother or sister, I hope that I'll get the opportunity to meet you too.

Is this the last hurrah?

Good day good sir, madam, or whomever ye may be. Apparently I'm in a strange mood... As always, it's been a wonderful Christmas season again, although I didn't get to see all of the cousins.. Next time Sean! Also Rob. Didn't see him. But I'm sure you don't care much about that now do you? No, you're here to hear my witty and intelligent thoughts on society, religion, life, and so on. Right?

The more I learn the more I find that I don't know enough. Every time I discover some interesting tidbit, I find that there's a new challenge that I'm not even close to being ready to face. What do I mean? Well, in case you didn't know, I've been heavily involved with things at my church, UDAC. I've actually been doing sermons, which I promise to post soon, for the young adults at least once a month. On top of that I also run games nights, a walking with God study, and GM for a pathfinder group. This coming semester I want to also start a men's ministry focusing on mentorship, as well as starting anew my apologetics bible study hybrid. Getting off topic, but I'll talk about those later. Because of my involvement, I've been more aware of other people's ideas and have been working to engage more with them, especially at school. This has been, to say the least, quite the challenge. There's been questions on the Trinity, on Jesus' divinity, on the nephalim, evolution, all sorts of stuff that I used to know, but have forgotten so much of. It feels like every step I take forward, my mind slips back two.. And with the sermons, every time I speak I learn something new. That's a good thing, but I feel like I can never get every important thing out in the one sermon. Like every tidbit needs to be explored and understood. That's really frustrating! As I don't have the time to either speak about it, or to study everything to my satisfaction. I guess that's just the curious/teacher side of me and my insatiable thirst for knowledge. I really wish it actually worked to improve your memory. Cuz I've tried. Man have I tried... Yeah, there's some stories there. Some pain. Though I guess there's some pain if you go anywhere. If that's what you look for. Maybe that's my trouble.

I'm gonna be honest with you. This semester has been just bad... There isn't the right word. Horrible? Terrible? Disastrous? Bad is the most general, yet negative word I can think of at the moment. Rough. It's been rough. I had two friends walk away from the church, a friend attempt suicide, a friend decide she didn't want to talk to me anymore.. I felt abandoned at church, I felt inadequate to speak, to get a job, to do well in school. At church my four closest friends all left for different reasons. I guess one didn't leave, but things just haven't been the same for some unfathomable reason. I just felt so crushed. Always tired. I spent so many days wondering if it would matter if I were here. Not in a suicidal way mind you, I just felt defeated. Unworthy. Useless. Abandoned. I find it amazing that I can say now that I'm stronger for it. It's been tough, and I'm still not past everything, but I do feel stronger. I had a good friend of mine as for advice, and I was actually able to help him out. That's something I didn't think I would be able to do. I don't know... I guess I just feel like myself again to a point. But I almost fell back into what I was before. Before I knew God. That emptiness. I'm so grateful that He decided to still talk with me! To teach me the things I needed to hear in my own sermons. To send those unexpected people to remind you that you're not nothing. That really is the fight that I have over and over. The struggle against nothingness. I'm scared that I'll never kick it. That I'll always be haunted by it. That I'll always be afraid. But that's what's driving me on to try and get back to God over and over! That's why I'm genuinely wanting to get involved. To make a difference. If you're reading this, please pray for me. I honestly don't have the words to express how hard this semester has been. I can't tell you how hard it is to fight against the weariness. Please pray.

But, (ah that ever interesting word) I have my plans for the coming year. Let me tell you about them and why I want to do them! I'll go over them in the same order that I wrote them up above.

Sermons! I'm still going to be doing them, and I think it quite obvious why this is important. Without learning, without that growth, I don't actually think it possible to be a Christian. And let me tell you, teaching teacher more than being taught! I think that every person should teach something, which is one thing that I want to get into in my apologetics hybrid, but we'll get to that. Anyways, I absolutely love speaking, and most people say they enjoy them and get something from them, so I guess I'm doing a decent job. Always room for improvement though! I'll be getting Pastor Scott to help me out with that!

Games night! Not one you'd normally think of as being important to the Christian walk which, if you haven't noticed, is something I've been especially focused on, and will continue to be. I keep learning that God has good things to say on almost literally everything, so I've been looking for opportunities to put what I learn into practice! Games night, right. This is to promote the combining of the different age groups. So many churches that I have been to have such distinct lines between the kids, the youth, the young adults, the 'regular' adults (still haven't thought of a good title for that), and the seniors. The church is supposed to be a family. More than that, a single organism, one body. How can we be that if we keep splitting off? At games night I ask everyone to attend (and to bring any friends, so we've had a few non-Christians come, which is exciting) and we've had some success with that. Had a couple seniors, two adults, a ton of young adults, and six kids/youth (have I mentioned I'm terrible at guessing ages?) come, and I'm hoping it'll keep expanding this next semester. Lord knows I can support a ton with my giant collection of games!

Walking With God Study! This is something Rayne and I have been doing together. We just started the week before finals, so I'm not worried that it was just us for the first two weeks! But anyways, Rayne is dyslexic, and finds it hard to connect with God through reading the Bible all the time. I can relate, and so can a bunch of other people! Which is why we started this. It's learning different ways to get to know God, specifically focusing on His creation! So we'll be doing things such as nature walks and... I honestly have no idea. It'll be an adventure that's for sure! This is a brand new way of thinking for me, and I'm excited to see where it leads!

GMing a Pathfinder Game! Again, not something you'd think would be important to a Christian life. This one is a little more personal. I have a friend who comes who isn't a Christian, and he loves to talk about religion, and to be honest is more informed on a lot than me. Before we start we always end up talking for a half hour or so, and quite often have really good talks about Christianity. He's great source for challenges, and I hope that I and the others in the group can challenge him. The group also has a few of my friends that have a hard time fitting into the 'normal' crowd, so I'm really glad that I am able to create a place for them to be comfortable and have fun in!

Men's Ministry! Again, I've noticed at a lot of churches the extent of the men's ministry is to have a breakfast once a month. That's it. I feel that that is a huge wasted opportunity and I'm planning on finding some like minded men to fix that! I already have at least one on board. Basically this is both because I want to build that interconnectedness that we're supposed to have as Christians, but there's also a very personal reason I want to have a mentor around. Over the summer, and with talking to Luke, I've found that pornography is a huge problem for, unfortunately, the vast majority of young adult men. I always kind of knew that, but it never really clicked until this semester. So the first thing that I want to address is porn. How to fight it, how to help others, and what it really does to us. I've learned so much from my sermons on the incredible importance and value of both sex and marriage, and porn is so destructive of that. I know because I struggle with it daily. I know that I need backup because I fail so hard and so often, and I want to make an opportunity for others like me to learn from people who understand and have gone through it. I know that porn is also an issue for girls (surprise!), but I'm not sure I'm ready to do things with that yet. Although it's just as destructive... So yeah! Fight against porn and connect through the ages. Alright!

Finally is the Apologetics Bible Study Hybrid! This is basically just restarting the study that I did last year. Over the summer Justine took it over and it moved away from the apologetics and more towards the Bible study. That's definitely good, but it's not what I feel I'm called to. So I want to start again with the study the way that I did it. Although I know that there are a few other guys that want to get in on it, as well as a good friend from another church! So I'm hoping what will happen is that we can combine to have a place for both our churches to come to get equipped against all the modern challenges! Lord knows I need the practice... I also want to run it differently in that I don't want to be doing all of the leading. I've learned that a good way to split is having a leader to keep the study on track and bring the material, someone to engage the group and make sure everyone is included and heard (I can't remember the name of this job), and the host, who prepares the study area. I was doing all of those things when I was leading, and it was really too much. So I think I'll try to do it more in this split way this time. Oh! And apologetics is important because people are lazy. We Christians in North America just don't think much! We don't learn the most basic of things, and then get wholly disillusioned when someone comes in with the most stupid of challenge, and we don't have an answer. I get so frustrated with our laziness (and yes, I'm in there too), and I want this study to be where we can go to actually learn the things that we should know. A place where any sincere question is a good question. I want to equip people to face the challenges. Because honestly, there are really not that many hard ones. We've just become fat. Oh man, I have a lot more to say on that, but I think I'm done for tonight!

I hope that you've had a fantastic Christmas season, and I hope that God blesses you in the coming year! See you on the other side.

Doom Bots are attacking my mind

Well, today is the day we head off to the young adults retreat at Crowsnest Pass. I am looking forward to it as it is always a good time, but I'm also apprehensive. You see, I'm talking about our identity as people of great worth. As you may know, this has been one of my greatest struggles throughout my life, and it's been rather tough working through the sermon. And I'm also nervous to share it with everyone. And I realized that this is because I don't have any good friends at REACH anymore. Josh can't come because of stupid rumors, Tony isn't coming because he doesn't feel like he fits in at UDAC anymore, Rayne has a baby and Dramanutz, and I still don't know what's going on with Chelsea. Rather than being refreshing, REACH has become quite draining to me. So much so that I've actually avoided going a few times recently without knowing why. I've started doing the very thing that drives me the most crazy about people who say they're Christians.. How can you be a Christian and not go to church when God demands it? As pastor Scott likes to say, "there is no plan B." As Christians we must go to church. I've actually had a few friends tell me that they've decided not to go to church anymore but still consider themselves Christian, and I am planing on writing a whole post on that, but now I also have to do it for me... Well, at least at the retreat I get to see my old college buddy Forrest Saturday evening. That'll be good!

A New Dawn

It's finally the end of the summer and just about time to start school again. Only two more days! Well, one, it is Tuesday right now I guess. I'm really excited to see what God has in store for this coming year. I know that things are going to be really challenging because I'm putting myself out in new ways. I want to live for God rather than just say I do. This summer has been an extremely long and painful time (every year I like summer less and less), but I have learned a lot. I've learned to love for real. I've learned the importance of community. I've learned the importance of friendship. I've learned a Ton about God. And I've changed my perspective a bit. I'm not so worried about people not liking what I have to say anymore. We're supposed to be counterculteral as Christians, so I've decided to not worry so much that people won't agree with what I say. I know I won't always be right, but I've learned a lot and God has made me a teacher. If I don't use that I'm simply wasting an amazing opportunity He's given me. So yeah, I'll probably say things to you that'll challenge you, make you uncomfortable, maybe even mad. But try to take it to heart. And it's okay to not like what I say, because now, for me, it's not about you. It's about God. I only worry about what He's got to say!

Good Easter all!

Hello everyone. I've been thinking a lot lately about what kind of a man I want to be. And a lot about what kind of a man I am. I realize this is kind of part of the series I was doing about evaluating myself, so... I'm not sure what my point was there. So in case you didn't know, and you probably didn't, I'm dating this wonderful woman named Chelsea. We've been going out for about a month now, and it's been quite the experience so far! You know that I get serious really fast, so this has prompted me to really think about marriage and if that is a possible reality for me right now. One of the biggest things about Chelsea that makes me go all gooey eyed is that she is a strong and passionate Christian, and that she Always encourages me in my faith and in my ministries. (Don't worry, I'll talk a lot more about her in a later post.) This has been a tremendous encouragement to me, and has prompted me to think about who it is that I'm supposed to be, that God really wants me to be, and what I need to do to get there.

Cuz here's the thing. Though I may be generous, I struggle (a lot) with finances. Though I may be loving, I am consistently focused on my own desires. Though I may be (sorta) godly, I struggle with laziness. I honestly don't know that I'm worth marrying right now. Now I don't mean that in a self depreciating way, but rather in that I don't think I'm at the point where I'd make a good husband. Heck, I ever suck at eating well, how do I expect to take care of my wife if I don't care enough to care for myself? I dunno... I just feel like I'm at an impasse that I've been stuck at for a long time. I've grown in my faith and in my knowledge, but I don't feel like I've grown as a man. I still feel and often act like a spoiled kid. Expecting things to go my way without having to put in any effort... It's that dreaded word: responsibility. I tell myself that I'm willing to do what it takes, but am I really? I've taken on quite a lot of responsibilities this year, and I've found that I've been doing them more and more halfheartedly. That may just be because of my health, but that's not a good excuse! I look at Chelsea and Rayne, and they both have done Amazing things despite their myriad of health problems. I guess this entry is just a call for me to step up. To stop making excuses and to take the steps to be the man I want to be. Because I want to be a good husband. I want it more than almost anything...

It reminds me of Philippians 4:13 (I had to look that up), "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." But that doesn't mean that success will come my way. Rather, look at the verses before, "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." I'm not promised success in everything I do, I'm promised that no matter what Does end up happening, God will bring me through it.

I'd like to end in a prayer:

God, thank you for being there for me. You've been with me through many tough times, times that I felt like I had no reason to go on. You know that I want to be a good man. You know that one day I want to be a good husband. I pray that you'd help to bring me to that point. God you are just so amazing! So far beyond anything I can understand! It doesn't make sense that you'd care to listen to me, to talk with me. I read an article today where the guy said that it wasn't that impressive you dying on the cross. After all, that's just your nature, and it's really more impressive when us flimsy humans sacrifice ourselves. But he's wrong! In your perfection, in your true and perfect justice, you should have nothing to do with us! You should leave us to rot in our own mistakes and screw ups... But instead you listen, you care, you act on our behalf, and the cherry on top, you Saved us! You decided that I was worth enough for you to do something completely beyond expectation. Why would you do that? Don't you know me? God, I can't see the worth that you see in me. I can't see why you would do something as ridiculous as dying for me. Thank you. There's nothing I can say but Thank you! Thank you! I know I don't deserve it, but you've said that I'm worth it. I pray that you'd give me the strength to live for you. Because I keep forgetting. I need you to remind me that honestly, there's nothing important but you. You are the Alpha and the Omega. The first and the last and everything in between! I want to live for you, but even in that I need your help, your strength. God, I also want to be a man worthy of Chelsea. You've done amazing things with her, and she's an amazing woman. It boggles my mind that she sees something in me that she likes. That she's willing to take a chance on. I pray that you would help me to bring that out. To become the man you want me to be. To be strong, loving, a leader, godly, and on fire for you. Thank you for bringing me thus far, and I pray you continue to take me closer to you. Thank you God.

Amen

Tired of ticking

Greetings my dear friends and colleagues! It being fifty minutes till April makes me a little stressed, as I've decided to write every single month, but the topics I wish to talk about are quite in depth and would be quite time consuming. And as you know, I hate writing, so that makes it even less appealing to me...
But I want to share something that's been on my heart for a while now, and that I'm going to be writing a sermon on. Apparently that's just something I do now.. But I love it! Sermons are lesson plans on things that I really care about!
Anyways, over the last few months I've been talking with many people who are dealing with feeling unworthy of God's love. Feeling that the past is too bad, or that it's impossible to get away from their old demons. And I just keep running different things that I want to say so badly, but I don't have all the words yet. It makes me think of a video that I may have put up here, but I'll put it up again. It's by Mattie Montgomery, the singer for one of Luke and Brianna's favorite bands For Today. In it he shares a vision that he had about how he saw Jesus and asked him if it hurt when he got the scars in his hands, and Jesus simply saying, "It was worth it."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogKnrBrrJSM

It's really powerful, and this one video has spoken into my life so many times. How the God who made the universe, the stars, the waters, the birds, the snow... For Him to really love us so much that he gave Everything. While we were still sinners he did this. We did nothing to deserve it, and we can do nothing to deserve it, but I often get hung up on thinking about that when that isn't the point!
The point is that he LOVES us! That there is NOTHING! NOTHING!! That can take that away! Neither death or life, angels or demons, the past or the future, heights nor depths, NOTHING! He loves us so passionately, so fully, so unrelentingly, that it is literally impossible to change it.
You've screwed up? Doesn't matter. You've hurt him? Doesn't matter. I don't know what you've done? What secrets you hide? IT DOESN'T MATTER!!! God loves us so incredibly, that the ONLY thing he wants in return is for us to love him back. That's not to trivialize our part. Love isn't easy after all!
While it may be true that we don't deserve God's love, there is hidden in there a lie from the devil. Because we may not deserve it, but it IS OURS. God loves you. Deal with it.

Church speaking on God the Provider

Well guys, it's happened! I'm actually speaking in front of a whole bunch of people at REACH tomorrow evening! AAAAAAHHH! I'm super excited and super nervous, so I'm going to be practicing a few times tomorrow. That's after church and rehearsal for my Improv midterm.... Oh boy. Anyways, here's my notes. I like them. They're pretty.


Tonight we're talking about God the Provider. Genisis 22:1-18


Read Gen 22:1-2
Woah. Abraham's journey had already been a little hecktic. Gen 12:1 he left his home for the land that God would give him. Gen 15:5 told he'd be the father of many nations even though he was super old. Gen 17:10 circumcise all the men in his household. About 300. After that he was told that Sarah and he were going to have a son. 99 at that point. Abraham always believed God and followed him and now this. You think after all that God would let him retire and fart around doing whatever it is really really old people do, but instead God asks “how much do you really trust me?”
That's a good question, and one that we should consider. Do I really trust God with my finances, when I'm asked to give offering. With job security when you stand up to your boss. With friends when we don't give in to the peer pressure. With providing a good Christian man or woman when being single is so lonely. Do we trust him when we don't know what he's up to?
Read Gen 22:3-6
We're in on the secret. But Abraham had no idea this was a test. Can you imagine how difficult it was? Saying “We'll be back soon” to his wife. To walk along with his son, oblivious to what his father is needing to do.
Read Gen 22:7-8
What does that mean? Maybe that Isaac, the miraculous gift that God had provided was the sacrifice. Maybe Abraham figured that God would raise Isaac back from the dead. Maybe Abraham suspected that God was testing him. Or maybe Abraham knew that God provided all the times before and he would provide again.
Read Gen 22:9
Abraham had to have told Isaac. The gig was up. There was no lamb along the way, God intended for this to go through. Notice Abraham bound Isaac. Isaac was 15, Abraham 115. Isaac had to allow it to happen. Not only was Abraham following God no matter what, so was Isaac.
Gen 22:10 “Abraham reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son.”
Can you imagine? This is it. No turning back. It's life or death.
Read Gen 22:11-14
That is some faith! And some story! But it's not done yet!
Read Gen 22:14-18
God is a master storyteller. This story is foreshadowing. Consider:
Isaac Abraham's only son, Jesus God's only son.
Isaac carried wood up mountain, Jesus carried cross up the hill.
Isaac was son of promise, Jesus promised one to come.
Isaac submitted to father's will in sacrifice, Jesus said “Not my will, but Yours be done” Luke 22:42
Ram became substitute for Isaac, Jesus became substitute for us.
Abraham didn't withhold his son, and God didn't withhold his.


God provided a ram for Abraham, and he provided a sacrifice for us.
I have a few more stories, maybe a little more identifiable to us. Not all of us have been asked to sacrifice our children, and probably don't even have any.


George Muller, a German man living in Bristol, England. Story of the orphanage and the milkman's truck breaking down outside after praying for breakfast. The baker decided to donate three batches of bread and donate it.
Tons of other amazing stories about prayer and provision.


My good friend had what was supposed to be a good job, but he was treated unfairly until finally he had had enough and quit. Once again stuck without a job, and he'd gone to school, but he's a hands on guy, so that hadn't worked out, so he wasn't able to do what he really wanted to do. Guess what? Two resume's in, and he got a job in the field he wanted to get into. God provided.


Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; know, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”


One last story for you.


John Patrick MD worked with a kid named Steven to research Cystic Fibrosis. Had to have a tube down his nose for a month, but had cough, so it would come out again over two hundred times. Did it and never complained.
Four years later John was called to Steven's room in the hospital. He was dying. When John got there Steven said, “good, I want to see you, sit down. It says in the bible that if you ask anything in my name it will be given to you. I'm nineteen and I'm dying and I don't want to. What do you say?”
So John worked his way through the creeds, God is God, Jesus son of God, confess sins and be forgiven, die and go to heaven. But then he remembered something he'd once heard.
“Oh yes God will provide for all your needs, but do read the fine print. God decides what those needs are. Not you. God will give you the answer to your prayers if it is good as defined by him. Not by you.”
John pointed out to Steven that there were kids that could run that wouldn't have been able to walk if it weren't for the research that he'd helped with.
I think God is saying this, “Steven, you've done everything I've asked of you, you've coughed enough. It's time to come home.””
John said, “we both know that unless there's a miracle, you'll die in the next few hours. Could you believe that that may be the best thing to ever happen to you?”


Are you hungry?
John 6:35 “Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry””


Are you thirsty?
John 4:14 “Jesus said, “but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst.””


Are you lonely?
Deuteronomy 31:6 “Do not be afraid of terrified, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”


Do you feel unloved?
1 John 4:8 “whoever does not love does not know God because God is love.”


All you need is love.


God will always provide you with what you need. He even provided you with his very own son. You never have to worry about provision.


God provides in different ways, a ram stuck in a bush, his son on a cross, a milk truck breaking down, a manager looking for a new hire, a friend in a time of need.


I have a challenge for you, I love challenges. Baker didn't need to give the bread to the orphanage, the manager didn't have to give my friend a job, John didn't have to stay and talk to Steven.


You don't need to worry about God providing TO you, but my challenge to you is this:
will you allow God to provide THROUGH you?

A new way to be human

I just realized that it only takes me about a millisecond to decide on the title of a post, even if I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to talk about! Interesting... Anyways, I've discovered that people tend to think as they talk instead of what I usually try to do, which is have my idea fully thought out before voicing it. However, I now realize that my method doesn't really work all that well for me considering my horrible memory. So I'm going to be trying more to let myself be unsure of my thoughts even as I voice them. This'll be a very odd transition!
Anyways, I was just thinking about something that Rayne and I were talking about last night, namely the idea of people and goodness. The way I look at it is that we are made in God's image, and that image is our spirit or soul. Now that soul is in and of itself good, because it is a reflection of God, who is the very definition of good. Kind of think of a mirror, and stick with me. But Satan comes along and messes up this world, and that ends up dirtying our mirror.
My friend/acquaintance David said that one of the biggest lies that Christians tend to believe is that we are garbage, when in fact we are simply broken. I agree with him, but I also like the idea of a dirty mirror more. But broken makes sense to me too.
I just had a thought. So we're mirrors right? But I wasn't sure how to make that connect with the idea of Christianity as a transformation. But I have an idea. What if our souls become what it is that we point ourselves at. Think of us as mirrors all walking around on the earth. Some of us point at money, some at popularity, some at sex. Now each of these things is good, but because of Satan's meddling we can't have the perfect true goodness in the world, and therefore, pointing ourselves at these things will end up making us a shadow the the true goodness these things are supposed to be.
So what if the transformation of Christianity is God twisting our frames from looking at the things in the world, to instead point towards him. We see the light in the things in the world, and we strive to get it, to feel it, to bring that light into ourselves. We say to God that we can figure out the light ourselves, we can uncover it, we can get that light ourselves, but God says, "I am the way, the truth, and the LIGHT!" It's hard to let God turn our frames because it's too bright, it hurts our eyes.
It's because of God that there is light shining on the things in the world, and maybe another way of looking at it is that all the good things on the earth are mirrors themselves. They have the light shining on them, but they can't reflect it perfectly. They have the grime of corruption on them. Maybe we keep on looking for goodness and light, but we miss the sun.
I need to figure out how to say this better, but I think I like what's coming of this. Good talk. See ya.

Kind of a book review, kind of a rebuttal

Hello dear blog readers! It is I once again! It's Christmas break right after Christmas, so this is the part of the story where I'm still at my parent's house, but everyone else has work and friends and such, so I'm stuck at home by myself. But that's okay! Although I really wish I had brought more books with me... I just have The Kingdom of the Cults, Wizards First Rule, and In Defense of Atheism. I finished the first two, and have restarted reading the third.
So some of you may be wondering what the heck I'm doing reading a book about Atheist and it's best arguments. Well, it's not actually my book, it's my best friend Rayne's, but the simple reason is because you can't take a fair view if you don't know both sides. So I've always done my best to read lots of books and articles and such that are against Christianity, so that I can make fair judgement. Anyhoo, today's topic is about what I've found in this book, In Defense of Atheism.
So first off, it's not exclusively against Christianity, it's arguing against the big monotheistic religions, so Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. I'm not nearly as well versed in the last two, so I've mostly been ignoring what he's said about them, especially seeing as how completely wrong he's been getting his ideas about Christianity. Although I'm assuming that he's talking about Catholicism when he speaks of Christianity, so he may be actually right about it. Again, I'm not very well versed in Catholicism. My main religious interests have always been Atheism and Jehovah's Witnesses. Anyways, I'm a few pages away from halfway through, so I feel I can say with due confidence that he has no intention of actually arguing anything. I mean arguing in the logical sense of putting forth premises to support an eventual conclusion. It seems that his only mode of attack is ridicule. He has a very sarcastic tone that kind of gets on my nerves, and all he seems to be doing is listing off everything that he could find that could potentially look dumb, and then makes fun of it. For those of you not knowledgeable in logic, this is not a legitimate strategy, and yet it's often used because it's so effective. But I can say, "Oh, Atheists think life just suddenly appeared out of nowhere, that's so stupid!". While I may be correct, I have no evidence to support my claim, so anyone reading or hearing it has absolutely no reason to think that it's correct, and in fact, in my opinion, should not think it correct.
But that's enough of that! One thing I should mention is that the author (Michel Onfray) is obviously pretty well researched, as evidenced by his mounds of events and ideas he ridicules. But of the things he talks about that I do actually know about, he seems to either have the details wrong or is talking about something that is really not Christianity. For example, he mentions that "the church" is incredibly biased against any scientific discoveries, and that when the human geonome was discovered and mapped out, the church was against it. "Avoid pain and suffering? Seek a human medicine? Absolutely not!" as he put it. But I know for a fact that the project to map the human geonome was run and indeed started by a Christian man. So either he's talking about the Catholic church, which he very well may be, or he is incredibly mistaken. There was a few more things that he had wrong, but I can't remember them at the moment. But the thing that has frustrated me the most was his insistence that all monotheistic religions cry out against anyone thinking and reasoning. I can prove him wrong right now simply by the fact that I am reading his book and trying to extrapolate and evaluate his logical points, and that this has always been encouraged in every church I know. We even have a name for it, apologetics. It's a point that he raises again and again and it just frustrates me. It almost seems like he has never actually been to a church and heard any of the things that he's so adamantly against. He seems to only know all the different stereotypes and myths about Christianity that are so common nowadays. So, I will finish the book, but I'm very afraid that the misinformation that he believes is becoming more and more commonly held that it won't be long until people don't even pretend that they're listening to anything a Christian would have to say. And the book is an international bestseller, so I'm not sure I'm wrong. I guess we'll just have to prove him wrong by being actual Christians, ie. the exact opposite of what he has portrayed us as. Oh boy...

The voices in my head

Like most people (I think) I have a lot of conversations in my head. I really enjoy doing this because it allows for me to actually be prepared if something like the conversation actually happens in real life. Because of this a lot of my head conversations are about apologetics and theology. So I've decided that every once in a while I'm going to actually put down a bit of the conversations I have, just for fun! This one has been sort of reoccurring lately, and it's more of a response to Christopher Hitchens who said that religion is so popular because humans have the natural want to be unfree.

"I'm afraid that for me I'd have to completely disagree. In fact I would say it's exactly the opposite. I am a Christian precisely because I wish to be free. I want to be free to be who I want to be, and I'm not. Cuz I want to be honest, but I lie. I want to be generous, but I'm selfish. I want to be loving, but I often get so frustrated that I can't. I want to be good. But I am not free to be good because some part of me fights against goodness. But I know a guy who is good. And so I am doing my best to follow him. You probably have people that you have tried to follow. People that you are inspired by and want to be more like. And that's not because you want to be stuck, it's because you want to be free. You and I want to have the freedom and the capacity to be who we want to be. You want to be an excellent scientist, and I want to be good. Christianity, for me, isn't about rules, it's about becoming free of what holds me back, and I will follow that crazy man Jesus until the day that I get there."

Quick thought

Just a quick thought before bed. I've been watching a lot of Lie to Me, a tv show about a scientist that studies body language to detect lies. It's really good. You should check it out. But there's this little reoccurring theme about how people never really change. And I was thinking about that and I think that, for the most part, I agree. But then I read David Rae's blog post, and he was talking about miracles. I think that God changing people may just be one of those miracles that everyone always asks of God. Maybe the miracles that Jesus said would surpass his own are the very ones that we Christians are especially gifted to see. At least more often than other people. Maybe God's greatest miracle is enabling us to change who we are. From broken, selfish people into little Christs. That is one crazy big miracle!

PAY ATTENTION!!!

Pay attention everyone, this may be the most important post I shall ever make on this humble blog. Ready? Okay.
I am going to be a Jesus Freak.
Crazy I know. But here's the thing, I am so incredibly sick of hearing and seeing half-assed Christianity. There is so much of it and just a blatant disregard for everything truly important in life and I frankly hate it with everything I have. It disgusts me. And I want to be different. I want it so badly that I will be different. Because what I truly believe we need is Christians to show up and show God. I am so blessed with having an amazing, supportive, and strong Christian family, and it makes me incredibly sad to see people who don't have that, and incredibly furious to see people throw that away. I was just reading Jesus Freaks by DC Talk and it is hundreds of stories of Christians around the globe and through the centuries who have been killed for the sake of Christ. And the thing that struck me the most, more than the fact that they could still forgive their killers, more than them still telling others the good news on the blazing stake, is that people listened. That having such an earth shattering faith is something that simply cannot be ignored. And so here in Canada and, as far as I know, the US, is where we have been trained to settle for less. It's brilliant really, make the most full of potential nations the most apathetic for true Christianity. Those last two sentences don't really flow.
What I'm trying to say is that I have to do this. I have to be a Jesus Freak, if for the only reason that no one else is. I will do and say things at UofL that I hope will challenge people. And I frankly feel so strongly about this that I don't even care if it costs me my dream. I don't care if I can't be a teacher. This is just too important. And I have to make people see that. At University I have been forced to look directly into the face of people who wish that I, as a Christian, had never been born. I have been told to my face that what I believe is stupid and makes no sense. And to my shame I didn't have an answer. But there is an answer. And that is that Christianity is the Truth. And that once again a few will have to stand up for the Truth against all odds and all others.
It truly is a battle that I cannot hope to win, and when I think about the people that won't listen, not just to me, but at all, it makes me want to scream. But I think this is a war that people don't even know the sides on, and I intend to struggle with all my might to make people realize that the Truth is more than just a matter of opinion, more than just a worldview, and more than just something to keep yourself amused by. There truly is Nothing more important. So I will become a Freak. For Jesus.

The terrifying truth

Greetings everyone, I would like to ask you a simple little question. And it is, why do people not believe the truth? Is it simply that they can't see the blatantly obvious facts? Or is it that they actually refuse to believe it despite the obvious? I was just thinking and imagining and reading about some students at a university where they are getting trash talked because they are Christian and believe in creation instead of evolution. Which is frustrating for me because as you may know, I've been studying this topic for a very long time. And I've come across so many roadblocks for evolution, with not even a hint of an answer from evolution, but a very rational answer from creationism. I was just reading this one evolutionary scientist who admits that the only reason he believes in evolution is because "creationism is just too incredible". So he turns from something that he can't quite comprehend to something that simply does not work.

So this got me thinking about truth and how this man appears to not believe in the truth, but to believe in a lie that he knows is a lie. Why would someone knowingly do this? I think it's because lies are so comfortable, so easy. A lie is apart from reality and therefore has no useful bearing on the world and therefore is safe. If I believe in something that doesn't apply to the real world, then I don't have to deal with the real world. Or at least that's what I'd like to believe. But the truth is different. It is not safe from blame and responsibility. The truth is unflinchingly and unabashedly real. To believe in the truth means that you have to face up to the real world and frankly, the real world isn't all that nice. It's scary. It doesn't let you off the hook. Because in the truth there is no margin for error, there is no place that you can step out of line, for then it isn't the truth, but a lie. A lie can be changed on a whim, without consequence or care, but the truth is unwavering, unchanging.

But here's the thing, while a lie sounds like such a great thing, a safe place where everything is as you want it to be, it isn't real. Only the truth is real. So really, it just means that we're fooling ourselves. We're not gaining anything by lying to ourselves. It's only when we finally turn and embrace the truth, hard and dangerous as it is, that we can really have anything real. A lie is a mere mist, here today, gone tomorrow, to be quickly replaced by another. The truth is something that you can count on. It doesn't change, and if we can learn to accept it and maybe even embrace it, then maybe we can have something to base ourselves on. To anchor to. Maybe part of the reason that the world is such a mess is because we don't have anything solid. There is so much mist that it's hard to actually see the truth sometimes. I guess that's where we come in. The Christians. Because we know the truth, and we have to use it to set the captives free.