Ordinary Visionary

Quotable: David Loveless

“      In heaven there will be no computer crashes! Because everybody will be using Apple computers!
— David Loveless”

Ministry Opportunity for Women

If you're a girl in the Orlando area looking for a ministry opportunity here's one I'm getting involved with tomorrow… The prostitution ministry is a group of girls pouring into the lives of women who are trying to make better lives for themselves. Meet at Discovery Church at 5:45pm Mondays. STATUS has done amazing things in my life, and I am finally ready to use that to give something back to the community I live in. I am ready to stop looking away, and start being a part of the solution. I can't wait to see how God uses me in the lives of these women.

ONE by ONE

Today's post will be short because it is the last chance I have to digest a semester's worth of Physics II before the final exam. Then the semester will be over!

You've probably heard of the ONE campaign, "a new effort by Americans to rally Americans — ONE by ONE — to fight the emergency of global AIDS and extreme poverty. ONE is students and ministers, punk rockers and NASCAR moms, Americans of all beliefs and every walk of life, united as ONE to help make poverty history."

I love this campaign because it brings to light the fact that less than ONE percent of the US budget is dedicated to this cause, even while decision makers would have us believe that our humanitarian efforts are far greater than that.

This movement is dedicated to helping the world's poorest people help themselves, and to preventing the spread of AIDS in those places. America gives less than one percent to this cause now, and increasing that number will not only help the poorest countries in the world, but help the way those countries see us. "One percent is national security, enlightened economic self interest, and a better safer world for us all."

Find out more about the ONE campaign here, and check out who is already supporting this campaign by visiting the photo gallery. If you believe in this cause, sign the ONE declaration and donate a small portion of what you have been blessed with by purchasing a few white wristbands. Finally, to keep up with what the ONE campaign is doing in the world and the issues that they stand for, visit the ONE blog.

EduLog is not gone!

I just set the default blog for Think Different to this weblog. If you came here looking for all the multitudes of notes that are at EduLog, click here to be redirected to that site. Update your bookmarks, people!

Run away from sin, not sinners.

“      Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.
— James 5:19-20 (NKJV)”

Response

When Donald Miller came to Discovery to speak to the Status crew a few months ago, he made reference to the "Christian bubble" that we can easily find ourselves living (or hiding) in. America is a country that likes to say it was founded on Christian principles so it is easy to push Christianity as a consumer commodity here. We have Christian book stores, Christian coffee houses, Christian blogs, Christian private schools, Christian music — a whole Christian subculture. These things can be good, but it is dangerously easy to forget that there are people outside our bubble who need ministry more than anyone who already has it together. I'm not devaluing the importance of surrounding ourselves with good people who love God; I'm only emphasizing the (greater) importance of introducing or reminding others of the One who has allowed such blessings in our lives.

So I was going to start by asking the rhetorical question, 'Have you ever written someone off because they were down on their luck, away from God, or living a life of sin?' but who would answer 'yes' to that? Most of the time we say we stopped spending time with these people because we have "different interests" or we "grew apart." Sometimes it's true. Sometimes it's an excuse.¹

I know of more than one of my high school friends who are now strippers in downtown West Palm Beach, and knowing this makes me wish I had maintained a relationship with these women even more. Solomon² reminds us that, "A refusal to correct is a refusal to love" (Proverbs 13:24) and although I don't have the audacity to say that I could "correct" these girls, sometimes all it takes to set a person straight is a stable friend who demonstrates forgiveness and love, and who holds her accountable for her actions. That I can do.

A person can fall into a life centered around sin for innumerable reasons, but I'd guess that somewhere near the top of the list are [1] not loving him/herself enough and [2] not believing that what he/she does on this earth matters in the end. I hate to change from third person to second in the middle of a paragraph, but let's make this personal. On your darkest day, could being reminded that you are loved for who you are and that someone else values your life change your outlook? Isn't that what the best pastors do when we are sick or going through a rough time? Call me a hippie, but love is free. All we need is love.

How much love do you have to give?

We have been told that "love covers over a multitude of sins" (1 Peter 4:8 and above). That verse — that undervalued verse — describes exactly what I'm talking about (Solomon says: Jamie says nothing new). Surround yourself with love, live in a safe Christian bubble home with your Christian books and your Christian music. But after you stockpile enough of this love go give it to the people who actually need it, people whose lives could be forever changed by it.

Run away from sin… toward the sinner.

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I felt footnote-y writing this…

¹ I had a sudden urge to recite this quote: "Excuses are terms of incompetence that build monuments of nothing, and those who specialize in them seldom accomplish anything." Thank you Mrs. Barnes, 7^th grade math teacher. That is all I learned from you.

² Solomon was a great mind. I imagine that if he was here today he'd be the guy sitting in a local coffee shop talking philosophy with the yuppie barista until close on a Monday night. I'd love to have lunch with him in heaven.

MoonBeans Cafe

I walked around Downtown Orlando this afternoon after I spent some time on campus with the Guru and a professor of mine. I wandered into a little coffee shop next to DMAC (not the one in DMAC) called MoonBeans and saw a woman sitting at a round table watching a surfing show on TV. She had a small child in her lap, sleeping, so innocent. I am a sucker for small locally owned coffee shops trying to make it two blocks from a Starbucks, so I ordered an iced chai and a croissant.

The small child, now perched on the countertop, proceeded to curse at us (f* word and all). The mother looked confused and I tried to hold a smile as I watched the innocence deteriorating from the miniature person in front of me.

As I took my iced chai made from powder and milk and my croissant that came from the case with the bugs flying around inside, I decided that whatever it takes I'm not going to curse around my kids. And if I ever own a coffee shop it will have air conditioning and be at least three blocks from the nearest Starbucks.

In case you are wondering, the chai at MoonBeans was surprisingly good. I just don't recommend the croissant with the flies on the side.

God Answers Prayers

“      If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.
— Matthew 21:22 (NIV)”

Response

I'll keep this short because it's been a long week for many of us and I am a little worn out to say the least…

Last night (now two nights ago) was a little terrifying for me. I think either my body's continued rejection of food is catching up with me or I am coming down with something. I staggered around for a bit with my ears ringing and my vision blurry with a pounding headache and a feeling of faintness. A few times I had to lay on the floor to get the room to stop spinning (bless Chester for putting up with this while he was asking to go outside). I was not up for studying or really existing at the end of the night, but I had to try and cram just a little before calling it quits.

So I read the last four required chapters of my Forensic Pathology text, looked over some material for my Operating Systems final, and considered my dues paid. Before I fell asleep, I prayed for mercy, to clear my mind and heal my body at least for this day. I mean I really pled with Him.

And what a happy coincidence; today I was able to eat (after being hungry — imagine that!) and walk without feeling like water was sloshing around in my head. In other words, I feel much better.

Answered prayers have a way of making me feel very close to God. I feel like He laid a hand on me and whispered "I haven't forgotten about you" before I woke up this morning… A very good feeling. Amen.

No Post 04-27

I will not be posting a daily meditation for 04-27 because I have two finals I need to concentrate on passing! So here's the prayer for tonight…

Now I lay me down to rest.
I pray to pass tomorrow's test.
If from my sleep I should not wake.
That's one less test I'll have to take.

Bank Error In Our Favor

“      LORD, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive? But you offer forgiveness, that we might learn to fear you.
— Psalm 130:3-4 (NLT)”

Response

A good friend of mine, who is not a Christian, said to me over dinner the other day that he believed leaders of the church (e.g. priests and ministers) should not be permitted to commit sin. This means no sex, no drinking, no cursing, no piercings, no dancing downtown on a Saturday night, no listening to Madonna… Nada.

My response was that I think he's forgetting something very fundamental about human beings. There are going to be a lot of people who disagree with me on this one, but ever since the garden — the first two humans on earth — we have all been sinners by nature. God created us in His image, perfect, and we ruined it. Thanks, Eve.

So we're all sinners; does that mean our luck has run out? No! Don't forget that we're not running the show… Our luck doesn't run out until God says it does. And lucky for us, he doesn't keep a record of our sins. Remember Moses? He was a murderer! Remember Peter? He was a betrayer! And these people are so loved by God that they were written into the biggest best seller the world has ever known. Maybe we would think that they didn't "deserve" it, but do we really deserve every blessing God has allowed into our lives?

King David spoke of this, describing the happiness of an undeserving sinner who is declared to be righteous: "Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight. Yes, what joy for those whose sin is no longer counted against them by the Lord."
— Romans 4:6-8 (NLT)

I agree that church leaders should live righteously, love the Lord, and be instruments of Christ's love, but I don't think they need to be as pure as God Himself. First, it's not possible. I don't believe in trying to force someone to be someone other than who they are — forcing a human, who is sinful by nature, into a life of apparent sinlessness is akin to putting a square peg through a circular hole. It's just not who we are designed to be.

More importantly, God doesn't keep a record of our sins. He's the Amelia Bedelia of record keepers, making bank errors in your favor when your account balance is in the red and your house note is due. He asks so little in return, only that we maintain an account with His bank!

So no, I don't think it's necessary for church leaders to be 100% squeaky clean. I can't identify with that. It's not who I am, and I'd argue it's not who they are either. Break out the wine and give your wife a kiss. Praise God!

Sorry if the last two posts seemed like digs at the Catholic Church. They weren't.

One Loaf, One Body

“      And we all eat from one loaf, showing that we are one body. And think about the nation of Israel; all who eat the sacrifices are united by that act.
— 1 Corinthians 10:17-18 (NLT)”

Response

I consider myself a "part" (whatever that means) of two churches. These places appear to be complete opposites of one another. One church I grew up in; the other I started attending after I moved to Orlando a couple years ago. One church is non-denominational; the other is a denomination nobody has ever heard of. One church does communion every Sunday; the other does communion at seemingly random infrequent intervals. One church is tiny (we're talking very very small) and the other is massive, exploding across Orlando. One church has big screens and projectors and contemporary worship music; the other has hymnals and a modest choir. One church has pews; the other has rows of chairs. One church has an entire Internet ministry, the other has me. These two places are my yin and my yang, my left and right, up and down, big and small, inside and out. They are unique and distinct, yet somehow they both mean the same thing to me.

Some people would say that there are traditional Christians and nontraditional Christians, new age and old age (haha) Christians, CEO (Christmas and Easter Only) Christians… I used to think you could tell which of these categories a person fell into by asking what version of the Bible they read. But it's irrelevant. At the end of the day we are all Christians. One body, one faith.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. — Galatians 3:28 (NIV)

Just as we are one body, I believe that there should be one bread and one cup for that body. Open communion is so central to the Disciples of Christ faith (that tiny denomination I mentioned earlier), and it is of course practiced in non-denominational churches as well. Both churches recognize baptisms from other denominations and invite all persons who believe in Christ to come to the table, drink of the cup, and eat of the bread.

The Bible teaches us that communion unites us as one body in Christ. What a comfort it is to know that I am welcome at the tables of two churches that are polar opposites of one another, and that each is united to the other and to all Christian churches through the blessings of the bread and the cup! Amen.

Quotable: Unknown

Heard this one at Status and wanted to remember it… I wasn't able to easily find who said this, so I'll leave it as unknown. If you know who said it please tack it on the comments. Thanks.

“      No one in hell will be able to say, 'God put me here.' No one in heaven will be able to say, 'I put myself here.'
— Unknown”

Spiritual sonship?

Wayne Leman of the Better Bibles Blog writes (of Galatians 3:26, "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus"):

Are female believers actually adopted to some kind of spiritual "sonship"? Is this what the Bible teaches? Or does the Bible teach that God adopts us as his children? What is the focus of the Bible's teaching? These questions are a dilemma for Bible translators who want to be true to the original context of each Bible passage while not obscuring any teaching that was intended to be normative for all cultures and times.

Those who believe that masculine terminology of the Bible should be retained, even if the spiritual teaching is gender-inclusive, believe that the translation decision is clear: We must retain the wording of "adoption as sons". Then we can teach what they consider the "wonderful truth"that females can become spiritual "sons of God" just as males can. A theological system has developed around this masculine primacy believed to be in the Bible.

The androcentric rhetoric in the Bible is one of the things I am focusing on in my study of scripture. I will write something on this when I am ready to, but I wanted to earmark this for future use and for you to think about if it's something that hasn't crossed your mind before.

Overheard In Orlando: Random Girl

A random girl in a bikini (and nothing else) walks into Metro Espresso in a swanky part of downtown Orlando.

Waitress: Um, excuse me I'm sorry but you need to… Wear something.
Girl: Huh?
Waitress: You need to put some clothes and shoes on.
Girl: Are you sure?
Waitress: …
Girl: So, like, can I borrow your apron?

He Knows Me Like That

“      GOD, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand. I'm an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I'm thinking. You know when I leave and when I get back; I'm never out of your sight. You know everything I'm going to say before I start the first sentence.
— Psalm 139:1-4 (The Message)”

Response

I have a few friends who would argue that The Message is not really a Bible, but rather an author's inaccurate attempt to spoon-feed lazy Christians the Bible. Be that as it may, I like The Message because it speaks to my frame of reference better than many translations I've read. I love reading Psalms from The Message because they have helped teach me how to pray and what to pray for. This Psalm taught me to pray for the trust to allow God into my heart, to know the parts of me even my most trusted friends don't know.

Have you ever known someone — a friend, a family member, a boyfriend or girlfriend — who you could sit quietly with and (without speaking) know what he or she was thinking? That is the most amazing kind of relationship we can have with another person, a kind of relationship it takes some degree of trust to achieve. Allowing someone to know you intimately, to hear your thoughts without a word spoken, renders you vulnerable. It's a good kind of vulnerable, and it should go both ways. This is the kind of relationship we should seek to have with God.

I have heard people say that God led them to do something — to change their life, to change their outlook, to call an old friend — and I think this is what they are talking about. Sitting quietly in a room, without a word said, listening to what God speaks into their heart.

But remember that God can get to the places we don't let our best friends, spouses, and family members see — even those who understand our thoughts from across a silent room. Remember when I talked about my dark night after Easter? That's exactly the place in our hearts God wants to take over.

How amazing is it that the creator of the universe wants to know you better than your mom, your best friend, your girlfriend, your dog, or anyone else who seeks a relationship with you? This is an amazing kind of love, and it takes more trust than any other kind of relationship to accept it. I say this because you are trusting God to know you better than any of the people you can see and hear.

So my prayer today is for trust. Not just the kind of trust it takes to allow our friends and loved ones to know us intimately, but the kind of trust it takes to allow God to know us better than anyone else. Amen.

Proverbs on Depression

“      A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
— Proverbs 17:22 (NIV)”

Response

USNews reports that "In any one-year period, 9.5 percent of the population, or about 18.8 million American adults, suffer from a depressive disorder … Depressive illnesses bring pain and suffering not only to those who have the disorder but also to those who care about them and for them."

Proverbs has a ton of great stuff in it — a sort of All Purpose Extra Strength Bathroom Reader for worldly advice. This verse caught my eye, though, because depression has been a common topic of conversation among a group of my friends lately. It is so true that depression, or I would argue any significant thing weighing on your mind, can affect the body in numerous undesirable ways.

Whether it's pint-sized indulgences or days without eating or lack of sleep or hearing the phone ring when it's really not, the body can be a powerful indicator of what's going on in the mind. In the same way, a vibrant outlook can improve one's health and doctors will be the first to back that up.

So what can we do to bring joy into the lives of the 9.5% around us suffering from depression? Do you remember what Job's friends did for him? They came from the surrounding countries and "they sat with him on the ground. Seven days and nights they sat there without saying a word. They could see how rotten he felt, how deeply he was suffering." Sometimes that's all it takes. Just being in the same room, quietly waiting to listen to what they have to say, can bring light to someone whose life is filled with darkness.

It is the prayer of my heart that I may bring light to someone who needs it whenever I see a crushed spirit in my midst.