Sunday, May 25, 2008

GRACE PAiNTS.

Eddie is a man's man. He is a true blue construction dude. He has what I would call a gentle, yet dignified mullet that sometimes wishes it was a rat-tail. Eddie has a gut that proves his wife can cook. A funny thing about Eddie is that, if he wore a pair of Umbros, you would likely consider his voice feminine. But because he is a good ol' boy, it is just kind of high-pitched.

The best part about Eddie though is his outrageous joy and love for Jesus. He's always happy. He's always rejoicing. He told me that he and some others left his Free Will Baptist Church about a year ago because of some tough issues. They have started meeting and fellowshipping together on Sunday mornings. I'm pretty darn sure that Eddie and I aren't on the same page on some of the finer points of theology. But I've never really thought about it. His glad concern for knowing Jesus and wanting others to know Him far outweighs what he thinks about predestination and the millennium. I tell you all this about Eddie to say this....

Grace paints with broad strokes.

We often think that grace must look a whole lot like us because we do Christianity the right way [though we'd never say that]. When in reality, there is a great beauty in the diversity of grace's ripple effects. How dare those of the pew-sitting and organ-only flavor accuse our Pentecostal brethren of forgetting to take their ADD pill when they were given their grace pill. How dare those who flaunt their "perfect doctrine" look down their noses at those who only submit to 37 of their 39 articles of faith.

We are the body. They will know we are His by our love for one another. Thank you Lord for my friend and yours, Steady Eddie.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

what i was thinking atop my 20-foot painting ladder today...

Should it mean anything to us that God knows that He is all-knowing?

The objectivity of subjectivity makes me subjectively cherish the objective.

Thinking is hard. Thinking about thinking is a bit harder.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

how to learn Greek by singing

In my spare time I have written songs for both the Greek and Hebrew alphabets. Actually, it was while I was driving 2 hours back and forth to seminary. The Greek song was for my mama so she could learn it and the Hebrew song was for me. It was reggae and had a pretty sweet groove.

I have now resolved that I need to get some connections and get paid for my Hebrew alphabet song because apparently someone just came out with something about singing NT Greek. Zondervan will do anything for a Christian buck.

Truthfully, it looks pretty fun.

Saturday, May 17, 2008

my wife's uncle

My wife's uncle went to Bob Jones. My wife's uncle went to Oxford. My wife's uncle is now a Catholic priest. We have good talks. He is a good man. 

Go here and read his lovely, fun discourse on good ol' southern preachin.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

our humble abode

Finally.

We closed the first week of May and have been taking loads over there nearly every day. Two small Hondas can't hold that much.

There has also been some manual labor required and several loads of nonsense to the dump.

We have painted a bunch as well. There was already a blue/green kind of theme in the house, so we painted our room Tranquil Bay. Paints have the coolest names.


Of course we are going to keep that satellite dish up there. 

Our neighbor Larry has been mowing our grass. He is the man. I think he mows his own grass twice a week. He smokes a pipe when he's on his riding mower.

Gee, it's fun to get the mail.


We also like our wood-burning fire place and $3-mirror from a garage sale. 


The backyard has a really tall and pretty tree-canopy that we love. This comes with free mosquitoes as well.

The last guy who lived here left a 1968 record player. I'm pretty excited about that. The only record he left us was "For Those of You About to Rock, We Salute You" by AC/DC.

Here's a good shot of part of the living room, Sara's favorite painting, our $40 Salvation Army love seat, and the bathroom way in the background over my right shoulder. 


We are very grateful and daily humbled that God has given us this place. I'm so scared of ever clinging too tightly to any earthly thing. I'd like to say that I would be like the Hebrews in 10.32-34 and be happy if some of my stuff got swiped because I know I have a better and lasting possession. We know that this is a gift from Him. And we pray that He would use it for His sake.

And with those hopes, we love our new crib.



Tuesday, May 13, 2008

CALViN and LUTHER ON BAPTiSM [for john paulling]

Calvin:
From these words, John 3.23, it may be inferred, that baptism was administered by John and Christ by plunging the whole body under water. Here we perceive how baptism was administered among the ancients; for they immersed the whole body in water.
Luther:
The term baptism is a Greek word. It may be rendered immersion, as when we plunge something in water, that it may be entirely covered with water. And though that custom is now abolished among the generality [for even children are not entirely immersed, but only have a little water poured on them] nevertheless, they ought to be completely immersed, and immediately drawn out. For the etymology of the word evidently requires it.

Thursday, May 8, 2008

evolution revelation

This is probably not thought-through enough, but it just kind of hit me the other day. Please let me know if it's off a little.

Evolution is primarily [maybe "only"] held to as a theory in countries that were founded on some sort of Judeo-Christian basis. This gives them a frame of reference to react against and deconstruct. They would say that this fits perfectly in their schematic of things slowly adapting to their environment. These random mutations in the mental realm just so happen to birth a self-aware theory of Darwinism only in post-Christian cultures. Evolution flaunts its own weakness if it must depend on that which it despises and opposes. Again, they would say that all my assertion is doing is clarifying what they hold. However, their point can only be heard from within the context of their doctrine. My accusation comes from looking at their system as a whole. Thus, they have some explaining to do [along with some Big Bang, fossil, and epistemological clarifications].

I haven't seen Ben Stein's "Expelled" yet, but heard that it's good. Maybe it'll make me think more about this.

unto them, a son is born

Our friends Jeremy and Heather just had the cutest little man-child. His name is Gabe and he is a big 10 days old. Here you can see how much fun he has clinging to his father's right breast.



Redemption from the New Perspective? Towards a Multi-Layered Pauline Theology of the Cross

Here.