I mispell things!
since it’s been awhile since i’ve preached a message i recorded what i was preaching at the uwsp intervarsity large group meeting this past monday night. it’s a little hard to listen to, 1) because the quality of the recording isn’t that great – i simply had a recorder in my pocket, and 2) since i was out of practice i have a large number of verbal pauses in it – ouch, that’s hard to hear “um” over and over again.
anyway here it is if you want to listen to it.
i hadn’t posted a link to the ongoing adventures of asbo JESUS because i didn’t want to constantly just post stuff that bob carlton or marko had already posted. the problem is that asbo just gets better and better and therefore i feel the need to send my friends who don’t read marko to asbo also.
thanks to andy lickel i was able to preach at the intervarsity large group meeting tonight. it was a great group of college students that i really enjoyed being around. at the beginning of the message i tried to invite participation within it and even went so far as to give out by cell phone number and tell everyone that if they were too shy to speak in front of everyone they could simply text it to me and i would say it. this statement came from an idea i’ve been bouncing around concerning doing a message that has questions and comments sent in from the congregation through out it. anyway, i thought it was a good idea and i really stressed that i was serious that they could text me during the message and i would respond.
the problem with this is that at the beginning of the service i did the polite thing and turned my ringer down. i did not use my brain and turn my ringer up once i told everyone they could text me in the middle of the message. so when the messages came in i had absolutely no idea that it was happening.
stupid, robert! stupid!
thankfully there were only a couple messages sent and their senders were very understanding when i texted them back after the service.
my run for the day
distance – 1 mile
time – 10:45
pace – 10:45/mile
i like free stuff and therefore i was thrilled when earlier today i received an email stating that sermon cloud and church planting resources had partnered together to get us a few discounts and that one of those discounts was $20 off any audiobook at . for me this equaled a free audiobook (n.t. wright’s “kingdom, spirit & the people of GOD: eschatology and the church” – regular price – $24.98, sale price – $19.98, price after $20 coupon – $0). score!
just in case you are wondering what the coupon code is it’s CP20. by the way, they also have a 50% coupon (CPR50Y7M9)for highway video products (i love the vibe videos).
while i was there i also downloaded n.t. wright’s lecture “the JESUS of myth and history“. this lecture was free and it has been amazing thus far. i’ve especially enjoyed his discussion on JESUS statement to repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand and the implications of josephus’s statement to jesus the galilean (a different ancient near eastern person) to “repent and believe in me.” since it is a free lecture i would highly recommend downloading and listening to it.
SIDE NOTE – yesterday i ate lunch with a local youth minister and it once again reminded my how wonderful youth ministry is. i’m real thankful for what i get to do now but i’ll always have a warm and fuzzy place in my heart for youth ministry. unfortunately the truth is our church won’t have a youth ministry for quite some time. so if any of the youth ministers who read this blog want to bring in a a fellow going through youth ministry d.t.’s i’m your man.
SIDE SIDE NOTE – i attended my first kiwanis club meeting today. it was pretty darn good. i went to the stevens point kiwanis today (i’ll attend the plover kiwanis next week). they meet at the stevens point country club which i wasn’t too thrilled about (i’m not a fan of country clubs) until i saw that they had a curling club. any place that has a curling club is okay with me.
this is the latest teaching series at vintage faith church. obviously i haven’t heard the series so i can’t really say anything about it BUT i do want to say that i love the concept. if dan kimball’s execution of the series is as good as the concept then i would bet it is a butt kicking teaching series.
because of the fact that we do not have a fence into which we can release our bassets and let them do their business, i have to walk our dogs twice a day. this is not a bad thing. in fact, i really enjoy it for two reasons: 1) it’s good excercise for the dogs and i, and 2) i get to listen to my ipod. i’m presently listening to augustine’s “on CHRISTian doctrine” and he is amazing. the thing i like the most about him is that he says things that make such simple and profound sense that other people don’t say because they seem so simple. the quote that has been bouncing around in my head for the past two days is one of his chapter heads:
The Fulfillment and End of Scripture is the Love of God and Our Neighbor.
simple huh?
of course, the problem is that it seems to be far to simple to forget that what is most important about scripture is loving GOD and our neighbor. when we remember it is all about loving GOD and our neighbor we have kept true to the end of scripture. i’ve seen people use scripture for some unloving things. i’m sure i have done it myself. when this happens it is because we forget what the real end of fulfillment of scripture is … to love GOD and my neighbor.
augustine goes so far as to say:
And thus a man who is resting upon faith, hope and love, and who keeps a firm hold upon these, does not need the Scriptures except for the purpose of instructing others. Accordingly, many live without copies of the Scriptures, even in solitude, on the strength of these three graces. So that in their case, I think, the saying is already fulfilled: “Whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.” 1 Corinthians 13:8
when’s the last time you heard an orthodox follower of CHRIST say if we really lived out the way of JESUS then we wouldn’t need scripture anymore?
if you get a chance you really need to read “on CHRISTian doctrine.”
my run for the day
i should have posted this yesterday so please forgive me for a little late notice. for all you who know and love the austins (those who don’t know the austins just trust me that you would love the austins if you knew them – they’re just the type of people that you have to love) if you don’t already know then i want to inform you that they are just fine after the earthquakes that hit peru. they are now going through the process of determining how they and the imb (international mission board) can best show the love of JESUS in meeting the needs around them. you can go to their blog (http://hands-n-feet.blogspot.com/) for better updates.
remember to pray for the austins. in fact, it might be a good idea for many of us to commit to praying for them and the people of peru daily over the next month. if you are up for this or just want to drop them a line then email them at (each family member’s first name@reapsouth.org – i.e. arnold (at) reapsouth.org, susie (at) reapsouth.org, alisha …, ben …, and patrich …)
right now one way you can send some help to peru is through world vision’s disaster recovery fund. world vision is an excellent relief agency. the austins will be updating their blog over the next few days with other more specific manners in which we can be of help to the people of peru.
willems is just dang impressive. here’s what wikipedia has to say about him.
dirk willems (?? – May 16, 1569) was a martyred anabaptist who is most famous for his successful escape and subsequent reimprisonment after rescuing his pursuer, who had fallen through thin ice while chasing him. willems was born in asperen, netherlands, and was rebaptized as a young man. this action, plus his continued devotion to his new faith and the rebaptism of several other people in his home, led to his condemnation by the church of the netherlands. after his harrowing escape and recapture, he was burned at the stake near his hometown on 16 may 1569. today, he is one of the most celebrated anabaptist martyrs, and a historical drama, dirk’s xxodus, written by james C. juhnke, is based on his life.
SIDE NOTE – i also like the following clarence jordan quote:
faith is not belief in spite of evidence but a life lived in scorn of the consequences.
ian posted this franciscan benediction on his blog. it’s great so i decided to post it with a hat tip to him. here it is:
A Franciscan Benediction
May God bless you with discomfort
At easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships
So that you may live deep within your heart.
May God bless you with anger
At injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people,
So that you may work for justice, freedom, and peaceMay God bless you with tears
To shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger, and war
So that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and
To turn their pain into joy.And may God bless you with enough foolishness
To believe that you can make a difference in the world,
So that you can do what others claim cannot be done
to bring justice and kindness to our children and the poor.Amen
once we move to wisconsin i will begin work on stealing another idea from ian and that is building a shed to act as a study. i figure it will take me a year to collect the supplies and finish it.
for those who know and love the austins i would like to make sure that you have read their latest blog entry. they are fine but they are asking for everyone’s prayers due to some social unrest that is happening within peru.
susie says…
i have been assured that all of this is normal third world country peruvian life and that we are very safe. please do not worry or call, just pray. pray that all is calm during these protests and that the grievances are handled in a civilized, peaceful and uneventful manner.
so please keep our friends the austins in your prayers throughout your day and maybe send them a note or something.