Hmmm... interesting

I am in the throws of looking for a job again- just something part time. I was looking through the classified section of the newspaper when I came across an ad for a secretarial position for a church with ideal hours and pay. I've been skimming their website to see what kind of a place it is, and I thought I'd share a few highlights.

They don't have a purpose statement, but they do have 7 principles they live by:

-The inherent worth and dignity of every person
-Justice, equity, and compassion in human relations
-Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations
-A free and responsible search for truth and meaning
-The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large
-The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all
-Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part

There was a A and Q section for the website, and this one caught my notice:

Q: Is this some kind of cult?

A: No! If anything, it is the opposite of the mind control that characterizes cults.

Does that set your mind at ease? Here's another question. This one is in answer to how I could become a member:

There are two requirements for membership: 1) Sign the membership book, and 2) make a donation with your name attached to it (the amount is up to you). Joining any religious organization is a big decision, so we have literature on the subject, introductory classes, and lots of people who would be delighted to respond to your questions.

So, what do you think? Should I apply? ...and yes, if you guessed it was a universalist church you get the prize for the day.

Pursuant

There is a couple in one of my immediate circles who were just recently engaged. It was a bit of a surprise (to everyone actually, including some of their closest friends) because the couple never dated. Even up to the point where the man popped the question with the ring in hand they were “just friends”. The situation fits them. I am happy for them, and do not want to squelch their unique story, but it definitely reads differently than most romances I have witnessed.

There is something kind of fun about watching a man trying to win a girl’s heart. Some, it seems, use their wits and creativity. Other guys act cocky, or maybe they are just plain persistent, not accepting the word “no” to mean no. For the record, I am not being pursued. I have my theories as to why, of course: too intimidating, not intimidating enough, too tall, too short, I have yellow teeth (I drink a lot of tea *sheepish grin*), too shy, too confident… the list goes on. You may have some of your own theories (family members do not need to comment on this one :p)

However, I think The Art of Pursuing goes up a level in my mind, when the target of the one pursuing isn’t really all that lovely. Or maybe they are lovely, in their own way, but it is not very obvious to anybody else. The pursuit takes place because of some secret phenomenal reason only the pursuer knows. Maybe some witnesses know too, but the reasons behind the pursuit are rooted deeper than surface level.

You are probably familiar with the poem entitled the Hound of Heaven by Francis Thompson. Recently I have been reading a book called Why I Am a Christian, by John Stott, and in his first chapter he talks about how God has been the Hound of Heaven in different individual’s lives. An excerpt from some of C.S. Lewis’ writings stood out to me:

“The prodigal Son at least walked home on his own feet. But who can duly adore that Love which will open the high gates to a prodigal who is brought in kicking, struggling, resentful, and darting his eyes in every direction for a chance of escape?... The hardness of God is kinder than the softness of men, and His compulsion is our liberation.”

Stott also uses some of Augustine of Hippo’s writings before and after Augustine came to Christ. Here is a clip from that:

“Augustine attributed his experience to the sheer grace that is the free and unmerited favor of God. He claimed that God had quickened all five of his spiritual senses- hearing, sight, smell, taste and touch.

‘You called and cried out loud and shattered my deafness. You were radiant and resplendent, you put to flight my blindness. You were fragrant, and I drew in my breath and now pant after you. I tasted you, and I feel but hunger and thirst for you. You touched me, and I am set on fire to attain the peace which is yours.’”

C.S. Lewis, Augustine and John Stott all had deep experiences because of the pursuit of the Hound of Heaven. Reading through different accounts of this happening reminded me that God pursues the unlovely, the prodigals and those who are kicking and screaming. Earlier in this post I said I wasn’t being pursued, but in actuality, I guess I am. I am, and so are you.

Timid Prayers

I have issues. Some of my problems stem from verses like Proverbs 15:29, “The LORD is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.” You get similar verses in the Psalms about God hearing the righteous, and it is also reflected in the NT as well (James 5:16 for an example). The most unnerving aspect of these verses is that I do not FEEL righteous most of the time. Deep down I empathize more with being wicked. This has affected my prayer life. Sometimes I think “How righteous do I need to be for God to really hear my prayers? I know there are cracks in this kind of thinking, but these misgivings have caused me to restructure my moments of prayer. I think, “Well, it’s best to get the dirt on the table to begin with.” Clean vessels pray better, right? I really do believe that is true, but sometimes even after this process misgivings well up. What happened to coming before the throne with boldness? Hebrews 4:16 says “Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need.” this verse more than hints at the need to approach the throne not as a timid being, overly conscience of imperfection and caked on mud, but as… well, more like a warrior.

I was happy to learn that I was not alone in my mental gymnastics. Andree Seu, one of my favorite journalists, had an article in September’s issue of World magazine that struck a chord with me. She wrote:

“The Lord says when we come to Him we should come ‘without wavering’. What would ‘without wavering’ look like? I know full well what ‘wavering’ looks like: Maybe God is ticked off with me. Maybe God won’t answer because of what I did last night. Maybe I’m not forgiven. Maybe the request I am making is the kind of thing God doesn’t do anymore. Maybe that promise I thought I saw in the Bible pertains to the distant future only. Maybe that miracle was only for the time of Christ. Maybe that verse that looks like a promise is not really a promise but a principle. Maybe I’m not asking according to His will.”

Andree then proceeded to systematically map out verses and reasons why these “waverings” are lame. Highlighting verses that speak about there being a lack of an audience when it comes to condemnation (Romans 8:1, 1 John 3:20), and addressing each of the “waverings” head on.

Last night I went to a prayer meeting to help send off one of my friends to Lebanon. My mind started to wander towards the end of the meeting, and I had to direct myself back to focus. I needed to remember that we were in the middle of a battle and talking to someone omnipotent. The room was full of grey haired individuals; nothing wrong with that; just a little bit of a rough turnout for my generation. And as I looked around the room afterwards, I had to smile, realizing what a rag tag group we were. We didn’t carry the look of an unabashed conquering army, but still, it was an army. And being yanked back to reality during the prayer time, the importance of what we were doing struck me. It made me resolve to throw out the “waverings” as they show their ugly faces. There is quite a bit on the line here: evangelism, the future of the church, and personal growth just to name a few. We, as Christians are indeed at war. We cannot afford to pray like a bunch of pansies. It’s not in the budget, nor has it ever been.

Psalm 145:18 "The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth."

Paris Hilton and The Hunger Games

The only reason I will admit to having watched the show is because I was distracting myself. Sometime I feel like I have A.D.D. as I flip through the TV channels at the gym; trying to forget that my muscles are burning, and that I still have 20 minutes to go on the elliptical machine. This particular show was a reality series built around Paris Hilton finding a new best friend (or B.F.F., as the show kept reminding the viewers). At the time, it was hard to decide what bugged me the most about the show. The shallowness of it was definitely screaming for me to change the channel, but the puzzlement over why all those girls would put themselves through the contest kept me glued. The show was down to four contestants, when the camera crew filmed Hilton telling each of them that they were eliminated from the show. Hilton then proceeded to watch each girl during their exit interview after she had left the room, taking note of how sad they were about getting kicked off her show. Hilton then decided based off of the interviews who was really the girl to be weeded out. It seemed like such a classic case of manipulation, ingenious really, but “Ouch!”, so cold and harsh at the same time! It’s like Jr. High all over again, but with America watching.
This show established a new hobby horse for me. It made me start to think that we, as a culture are on our way to the arenas of Rome. I know, there is a big distance between A and B here, but let me explain.
We already know that our reality shows contain manipulation. What is the harm of that? Those girls signed up for it, right? But one of the key elements that makes me squeamish is the disconnect audiences feel toward reality show contestants, and our strong desire for entertainment and distraction (whether it be from sore muscles or just escape from our normal existence). The TV audience has now been programmed to view some ghastly things without flinching. We do not know the contestants personally, even though we might be interested in their character. Stinks to be them… but oh well!
Last weekend I read the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. It is one of the most suspenseful books I have read in a long time, and it articulates some of the cumulative thoughts and feelings I have had over the last year (since watching Miss. Hilton and her prospective B.F.F.s.) The book is in the category of teen lit, and so it spends some time on a love triangle that still hasn’t untangled itself by the second book (I’m not finished with that one yet), but over all it is a good read. It is insightful about the direction our society is taking. Not only in the sense that the storyline is woven around a reality TV show arena, where kids are forced to kill each other, but The Hunger Games also brings to light the vanity and self focus that often accompanies wealth. While the main character, Katniss, was having to deal with issues like death, shell-shock nightmares, poverty, hunger and being on the government’s hit list, another acquaintance, named Octavia, was living a life of ease in The Capital. Octavia lamented to Katniss the fact that her biggest disappointment in life was having people come to her Birthday party wearing feathers (it was apparently a fashion disaster). The irony is very apparent. This contrast was a reminder to me that as Americans we are rich compared to the rest of the world. If we close our eyes to the distraught, poor and hungry we are no better than Octavia. It was a direct hit between the eyes, but it is a point well taken.

Mmm bueno… Blue Bear is my favorite!

I am about to reveal something shocking (and perhaps EVEN terrifying) about my current living situation. I was opening the freezer drawer to retrieve a can of juice, when… I CAME ACROSS THIS!!!!



I know. That is exactly what I thought! It is not every day you find a frozen bear head in the freezer with the hair still on it, and the eyes and everything in tact! I don’t want you to think we are barbarians, however. There are still some indigenous tribes in the mountains of South America who routinely eat Blue Bear- it's just not commonly found in the United States. I have been flipping through the recipe books, and there is not even one recipe written for Blue Bear head that I could find. I was rather diligent in looking too, perusing many categories such as soups, casseroles, and even pies. My thoughts are, though, with a little hot sauce and some garlic it could turn out okay. If you have ever had this delicacy before, let me know. I am open to new ideas and recipes.

Forward Thinking

Isaiah 25:8-9

He will swallow up death forever;
and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces,
and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth,
for the LORD has spoken.
It will be said on that day,
"Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us.
This is the LORD; we have waited for him;
let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation."

Gut Experience

When I was a kid, one of my favorite sports was soccer. I remember one year especially being the hallmark year for getting the breath knocked out of me with the ball. I am not sure if it was because of the particular group of kids I was playing with, or that my stomach was a magnet for flying objects, or just that my skill level wasn’t quite there yet. But I remember that instantaneous feeling happening frequently in a period of a few months.
There is nothing like getting the breath knocked out of you. When your lungs are feeling collapsed, and when you don’t have any gumption to stand straight anymore. The whole world slows down, your eyes widen, and you focus on just one thing: B-R-E-A-T-H-E.
Last night I auditioned for the Topeka Symphony. I prepared. I practiced for it several hours a day for a few weeks, and felt solid on my repertoire. I came early, and was given the audition spot of number 2, which meant I could go in and get the audition over without waiting until my palms started to sweat first. It was all going well, until I heard the girl in front of me practicing one of the excerpts. Spiccato!? I didn’t know we had to play spiccato!!! It got my heart racing. When it came time to do the blind audition, I started with my most solid piece first. Mozart. I had been playing this certain piece of music since high school. With too much pressure on the bow I started too loudly, I couldn’t keep my intonation centered and clipped my beats- producing wretched rendition of something that sounded decent just 10 minutes beforehand. The following excerpts went better, but the sight reading left much to be desired. Overall I feel like I bombed it. Overall, it feels like I had the breath knocked out of me.
I haven’t heard if I got into the symphony or not, but my gut feeling is that it is a “no”, which is pretty disappointing. But what can you say? That’s life!
I’m going to put this down in my book as a learning experience… another one for this year that cuts deep- another failure; another pummel to the stomach. But there are still a few things left to do. Straighten up. Breathe. Don’t be afraid of the ball.