Random Stuff

This is the second or third time since school began that I'm posting on some random stuff in my life...I think I'm losing my edge.

I spent the weekend with some really good friends up in Dayton, Ohio. Thank you to the Shaf's for housing me for a few days--to Aaron for some great theological discussions and Stacia for her great cooking and hospitality (especially for the lemon poppyseed loaf!). I got to spend time with my good friends Steve and Anna--one of my favorite couples and my fashion consultants until God gives me a wife. And I got to see Mitchel and his sweet wife Megan. Thanks Mitch for allowing me the privilege of speaking on Tuesday night--even without much prep, I had fun, and I hope that it was beneficial for those who heard me deliver a message from Romans 12. And Chris and Matt, thanks for allowing me to hang out with you at Subway. And I also got to see Todd Leroy and Erin before they head out for a couple of years. I didn't get as much homework done as I needed to there, but I actually had fun--I guess I need that now and then.

September 30 is my mother's and my aunt's birthday (they're identical twins--it was kind of weird when I was a kid going out with my aunt and having people mistake her for my mother, and having people we don't know talk to us because they think my mom is my aunt). So, happy birthday to them both.

not Iscariot had some time together in Nick's basement today. I'll have more on this soon, but reunion might be in the air. And yes, my hands are quite sore after playing rock music for the first time in quite some time. To hear some of n.I.'s old recordings, check out http://www.nicknye.com/ under music--and you can hear some of Nick's solo stuff as well. And I got to preview the Foo Fighters latest cd at Nick's--so I bought it. It's definitely a unique cd set for them, and it's a progression in music for them. I'm usually way behind in buying cds that I want because I don't want to waste the money, but I thought I'd get it.

I've been reading quite a lot for classes. I'm going to be writing a paper for my Ministry of Leadership class on church conflict, and so I've been reading a bunch about that. One book I'm reading is Managing Church Conflict by Hugh Halverstadt. The book has some good points to it, but the guy is definitely liberal in his theology (you can tell fromthe first paragraph of the book). Here's an example of what he says:

"Another faith meaning informing a negotiating process is the belief that God's creative Spirit may dwell in and transform good faith transactions between human beings. A win/win negotiating process presumes to trust in God's mysterious way of indwelling social processes." That's pretty good; but the next words in the paragraph are awful!

"Like the feeding of the five thousand, when principals pool their meager personal resources for a common good, all parties may be miraculously fed" (158).
Argh! That's so awfully modernist/naturalist. So, this is not a book that I would suggest anyone read, at least without practicing extreme discernment.

I am reading a great book by Derek Prime titled The Ascension: The Shout of a King for my Systematic 3 paper which will be about the Ascension and how that relates to our salvation. Prime is correct to note that the ascension (and I'd say the resurrection as well) are downplayed and almost forgotten when it comes to modern gospel presentations--this is quite unhealthy. The gospel of the kingdom demands the preaching of the resurrected/vindicated King/Priest and His continual priesthood and kingship over the cosmos.

I've only read half of this book, but I can't 'speak it up' enough--this is a must read. It's practicality is evident on every page. For example:

In reference to Romans 8:34, "The background seems clear: accepted as we are by the Father, at His own initiative, through the work of his Son, we nevertheless still sin, and, sadly, often dishonour Him. The office of our Lord Jesus as Advocate has particular reference therefore to our sins after our conversion, for which Satan accuses us in the court of heaven. He has the audacity to appeal to God's justice that we ought to be punished. In our absence, our glorious Advocate takes up our cause. He takes our part before the Father as the Judge of all the earth, and argues against Satan on the ground of His atoning owrk at Calvary. He does not deny our crims, but He argues His substitution. He does not deny God's justice, but claims it for us because the price has been paid for our sins. He neither ignores our guilt nor neglects God's law, but through His unique satisfying of God's justice against our sin by His atoning death, and through the power of His advocacy--and here again it does need to be vocal, for His presence as our Saviour at God's right hand declares all that needs to be said--our opponent is thwarted, and God the Father's justice and mercy are honoured" (66-67).

And as for the gospel, I feel like such a legalist lately. There are times when I want to share and the enemy or my flesh convinces me against sharing because I think/feel like I am not living up to the standard/I'm doing something that isn't blatantly normally thought of as American-Christian (like listening to DC Talk or helping an old woman across the street--though what I am doing is not wrong). I know that I am not alone in this thinking, otherwise they wouldn't have covered that this is wrong thinking in my Evangelism class. I need to bust out of the Christian bubble and get back to my zealous pursuit of the lost. Father be gracious! Thank You for Your grace on account of my Advocate!

And one more thing, I will be posting some theological stuff soon--so for those of you who actually enjoy my excessively long/theological posts, I'm already working on one--and Mike Ward, this one will be for you!