One Thing

I have a question which requires an answer. The question is:

What do you think the gift of faith is?

a) the common faith shared by every believer
b) the faith of a skeptic or one who struggles with doubt
c) the faith of one who searches deeply but does not struggle with doubt
d) other

This question requires nuance. I am speaking here of the gift referred to in Scripture (cf, 1 Cor. 12:9). It is not, by nature, the faith all believers have in common. That is my opinion. But, you are allowed to disagree. If you answer D., you must explain. The difference between B. and C. is not the level of spiritual maturity but the natural inclination of the person. One can struggle with doubt (or not struggle) and have a folk-type faith that is unexamined and unquestioned. Or, one can struggle with doubt (or not struggle with doubt) and have a deep and vibrant relationship with the Lord that includes intense study and searching.

My bias is coming out here, because the real question I am asking centers on the two middle choices. Is the gift of faith given to the one who searches and struggles with doubts or to the one who searches and does not doubt?

I'll tell you what I think once everyone has responded, so please respond. I'm not posting again until somebody does.

Kevin Costnerdamus was right

So I just paid $60 for a tank of gas for the Camry (Gordita), and it hit me, Kevin Costner was WAY ahead of his time. Remember Waterworld? The polar ice caps melt (sound inconvenient?) and gas is a precious commodity for nefarious seafaring peoples. Well, it's starting to look like Costner knew what he was talking about. We're well on our way. What's next, pregnant men?

Gospel e-Meeting (first night)

Well, this night can't last forever. I think that's a line in at least 50 songs. 75 if you include other languages. Este noche no burrito siempre. I can't remember the spanish word for last. Lo siento.

So where do we start with a gospel presentation if not condemnation and judgment?

If it's not clear already, I do not think that we should start with condemnation and judgment. Some of you are concerned if we will ever hear c/j at all. The answer to that is affirmative. Some of you are hoping it won't ever make it in. You will be disappointed. Actually, I made this whole paragraph up. No one is thinking that.

To answer the above question, let me give a few suggestions:

- We do have to start somewhere. If we're not intentional about where we start, though, the presentation suffers significantly.

- Considering my agreements with the thinking behind narrative theology, I think we can start our gospel story with the start of the story. Why not start with creation? Paul seems to think that creation implies a Creator, as do the Psalms. I have a hard time thinking that it would be negative to start with, "In the beginning..."

Of course, it doesn't take long for the story to deteriorate. If presenting the Gospel is in some way getting someone to buy into a different story other than the one they are creating for their own self (and I think it is), then we have to be able to explain the reason for buying into this different story. As such, I believe that a fundamental characteristic of the story of what God is doing and has done in the world (the Gospel) is making things right again. Thus our gospel presentation becomes a matter of convincing someone that something in the world is not right.

I am of the persuasion that convincing someone that everything in the world is not right is pretty easy.


So to recap, here is where I would probably start:

In the beginning, God created...

Shortly thereafter, something happened that caused things to go awry and now God is working to redeem creation.

This Memphis Mourning

Well, that game was wrenching. What a heart-breaker! My heart goes out to this Memphis team and its fans (I can only claim a bandwagon seat, at best) for a tough loss. Jess and I know several people who made the trek hoping for great things only to be disappointed in the haunting final minute of that game.

Yeah, the officiating affected the outcome of the game. It usually does. The real tragedy is in those final five free throws. And Coach Cal said he was willing to take the blame for the way they executed an attempted foul in the last 10 seconds.

What hurts the most is how much this city wanted/needed a win last night. Those players wanted to win for each other, but they also wanted to win for this city in a way that most college teams do not or cannot understand. In some way, this team was a microcosm of the city and it would have been great to see this city come out on top. It would have been great to see a united city, if only for a few weeks. As it is, this team played hard. They won more games than any other team in NCAA history. And, in spite of the loss, I think they earned a lot of respect for their city. For all of that, this city can be proud.

House Husband Help

Fold A Fitted Sheet With Perfectly Squared Corners

So I googled help with folding the fitted sheet this morning, and found this great gem of a video. Impress your wife or roommate or self with your amazing ability to turn a once difficult task into something more difficult (but also more rewarding)! I got it on the first try. My thanks to Ben Stein for the helpful explanation.

Gospel e-Meeting (first night)

Well, I didn't expect James to read anything longer than a few sentences that wasn't about Starbucks or Seattle, but he brings up a good point that is worth some attention. James is a lot like Lola.

I would like to state for the record that my last post was intentionally misleading. I meant to incorporate some of the old gospel vernacular to set up where I would probably start in my gospel presentation. As such, James' comment is to be expected (especially from our generation) and I would consider it appropriately provoked. His thoughts were not new or surprising to me.

And so, we begin with the "hellfire and brimstone" concept. What role, if any, do judgment and condemnation have in any presentation of the gospel? Is this in fact where we should start?

The answer, in short, is no. Unfortunately, I think that starting with condemnation is no longer culturally viable. I am totally comfortable with saying that starting with condemnation/judgment (henceforth c/j) is theologically viable, but theology is never performed or conceived in a vacuum. In the past, it seems that starting with c/j was an acceptable cultural practice. This, of course, had its own limits as such gospel presentations covered the spectrum from fear-mongering to honest concern for another person's "eternal destiny." We have a hard enough time now convincing people that they have an eternal destiny, let alone deciding for them what that destiny will be.

Of course, that decision is not ours to make. That's for another "night," but the point here is simply that if we want to be heard, we can't start with c/j. If we do, quite simply, we'll only be scaring the choir. No one else will be around to listen. Our world does not want to hear any talk of hell, damnation, lakes of burning sulfur, an angry God, etc. John Lennon invited the world to imagine no heaven or hell and it has. As such, we must change our gospel beginnings.

Invoking the James Wood Rule, I have to stop. We'll continue with a few suggestions for where we can start soon.

Gospel e-Meeting (first night)

In the spirit of the Gospel meetings of yore, each post will represent a night of said meeting. I expect this meeting to run more than seven nights. You may also consider this gospel e-meeting, in part, satirical in form. The other part, I suppose, is a cultural re-adaptation. What's more culturally relevant than taking an old form of communication and putting an e in front of it, after all?

As with all first nights, I think we have to start off with the dirt, the fire and brimstone, the hellfire and Jonathan-Edwards-sinners-in-the-hands-of-an-angry-God-type thoughts. I mean, where else can you start except with pointing out why one needs any gospel in the first place? This makes sense to me. It's the classic salesman technique: you can't sell a solution until the customer is aware of the problem. Ladies and gentleman, I give you technology. It solves all the problems you never knew you had.

It's a crude metaphor, but it works. The analogy breaks down, however, when you being to consider yourself a salesman and the Gospel your trade. We don't peddle; we live. But that's getting ahead of 0urselves. Let's talk about why people and the world they live in are "bad..."


in the next post. Sorry, but James Wood says these posts are too long so I'm going to have to break them up into smaller chunks.