Category: CHRISTianity

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JESUS talk

if you have ever walked past “free speech alley” at l.s.u. then you have probably experience the wrath that is the consuming fire fellowship. this “church” brings members (adults and kids) over to l.su. regularly and spouts hatred at pretty much anybody who walks by. if you’re wearing shorts, are walking beside someone who is wearing shorts, know somone who is wearing shorts, or you have ever looked at a pair of shorts then you are ripe for their condemnation. the consuming fire fellowship (hence forth cff) don’t mind it when people shout back at them because they rest in the confidence that JESUS said that those who followed HIM would be hated and persecuted (luke 6:26 & 2 timothy 3:12). the irony is that the nonCHRISTians who hear them don’t usually hate the cff. instead, they love them because the cff is great entertainment. people will bring their lunches outside and cheer as the cff spews their hatred. the only people who don’t really like the cff coming around are the CHRISTians because the cff fits into a hollywood stereotype of CHRISTians. the CHRISTians on campus end up getting painted with the same brush as cff and nobody really wants that.

one man has finally come up with the perfect answer for the cff. i haven’t met him yet but many of our students have. from what i know his name is ivan and he goes to free speech alley each week and sits close to where the cff preaches its hatred. he brings his newspaper and wears a shirt that simply says “JESUS talk.” ivan sits there until someone approaches him and asks what his shirt means. he then tells them that he is a follower of JESUS and has come out to free speech alley to listen to, pray with, and talk with people concerning his LORD. he doesn’t beat anyone up verbally. instead he is more concerned with getting to know these young men and women who were created by his LORD. ivan freely shares the gospel with anyone who approaches him but he never uses the gospel as a weapon to inflict hurt on someone. it has now reached the point that people track him down to ask him to pray for them. ivan gladly puts his paper down and shares GOD’s love with them. cff lives and says that GOD hates the students of l.s.u. and merely desires to condemn them. ivan lives and tells them that GOD loves them and wants to lead them to true life – the way it is supposed to be.

“JESUS talk” is a brilliant answer to the lies of the adversary. i wish i had thought of this seven years ago when i first moved to baton rouge. i guarantee that if there is a cff-like movement up at the unversity of wisconsin – stevens point that i will be following in ivan’s shoes as he follows in our LORD’s.

[tags]free speech alley, louisiana state university, JESUS talk[/tags]

[Listening to: Getting Scared – Imogen Heap – I Megaphone (4:53)]
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random acts of JESUS

what would happen if a church decided that the majority of it’s budget had to be spent on things outside it’s walls? i mean spending it on things that weren’t programs to make church members happy, or convince other members from different churches to swap to theirs, or anything that would make the church more attractive to “church people” but rather spending it on taking care of the needs of single moms or celebrating the community service of police officers or deciding to minister to the needs of one city block? now i know there are financial needs within the church, after all my salary is one of those needs. the church i am presently a part of has a building and that means it has to pay for maintenance, utilities, and much more. i know those are real needs … but i don’t really think they are ministry. what if a church decided that it would spend equal or great money on a need outside it’s building’s walls before each time we spent money on a need inside our buildings walls? what if instead of encouraging people to tithe because we need to pay for all the “member services” we have built up within our buildings we encouraged CHRISTians to tithe so that they wouldn’t be dependent upon mammon and to provide resources for transforming our community?

it’s just a question i’m dealing with now that i am hoping to be a part of starting a new community of believers.

i’ve been thinking about the random acts of kindness that people used to push. they were really great. of course, as a follower of JESUS i’m supposed to be called to something much more costly than kindness … i’m called to love. JESUS showed his love through sacrifice and it wasn’t just on the cross. read the story of JESUS in the gospel and you’ll see sacrifice through out it.

JESUS loved people (and still does) and HE showed this love through sacrifice. HE then called those that follow HIM to do the same thing. but i’m not really sure how often i truly sacrifice for someone. i do acts of kindness but acts of true sacrifice? i’m just not so sure about that.

so i think i’m going to try to start. here’s my plan: i’m going to shot for at least one act of true sacrifice each week. it has to be something that costs me in some manner (after all that’s what sacrifice is). the root goal of these “random acts of JESUS” has to be to show love … nothing else. it’s not about increasing church attendance or getting good p.r. for my local congregation. no, it’s about loving like JESUS. i’m convinced if i do that then GOD will be glorified. i’m not real sure what this will all look like but that’s the fun of it. i’ll report back later on how things are going.

this article (ht pamela) and reggie mcneil’s book “the present future” got me thinking about this stuff.

[tags]random acts of JESUS, sacrifice, church budget[/tags]

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the elctric shock

i love n.t. wright and this brief article shows why.

here’s an excerpt:

and whatever matthew, mark, luke and john were doing in writing the final sections of their books, they were not telling the story of JESUS’s resurrection as a happy ending. they were telling it as a startling new beginning. easter morning isn’t a slow, gentle waking up after the difficult operation. it’s the electric shock that brings someone back to life in a whole new way.

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my heros

just a little reminder to the parkview family that two of our own are having an incredible week this week. arnold & susie austin are in richmond, virginia on the last part of the interview process for becoming missionaries to peru (the kids are in town with their grandparents). you can read updates on how things are going by checking out their blog. remember to keep them in your prayers for what will be for them a long emotional week.

besides a freaky obsession with audio adrenaline (i have never known anyone so in love with a band – how many parents of teens do you know that go to 10 to 13 concerts within the same year of the same band? – of course, i love passion so this just makes me like the austins all the more) the austins (parents & kids) are amazing people.

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scandlous

i haven’t quite finished it yet but after reading most of ron sider’s “the scandal of the evangelical conscience” i have to say that it is an incredible book. i’ve really been challenged by what i have read. it’s a strong call for CHRISTians to live the dramatic call of CHRIST within the real world.

ron sider is the founder of the evangelicals for social action and is a strong voice for social justice within the CHRISTian community.

i’ve also started reading “GOD’s politics : why the right gets It wrong and the left doesn’t get it” by jim wallis, the editor in chief of sojourners, and though i have only finished the first chapter within it i have been very impressed with it.

the annual church crawfish boil was today and as usual it was allot of fun. it was at least nice that the church staff won the annual church staff versus church deacons softball game. usually the deacons bring in a few “ringers” to kill us. i think the only reason we won was because the deacons were missing their “ringers.” of course, i’m okay with that because it still counts as a win.

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easter morning #2

    i find that holy week is draining. no matter how many times i have lived through HIS crucifixion, my anxiety about HIS resurrection is undiminished. i’m terrified that this year it won’t happen; that that year it didn’t. anyone can be sentimental about the nativity. any fool can feel like a CHRISTian at CHRISTmas, but easter is the main event. if you don’t believe in the resurrection, you’re not a believer

john irving, a prayer for owen meany � 1989, ballantine books, new york, ny. pp. 250-251

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varitas #2

i went to another varitas lecture tonight. this one was by john kilner on bioethics and was quite good again. unfortunately it was also the last lecture so thus ends my 2005 varitas experience.

montana, my basset hound, my be the best stretcher in the world. a single stretch can last up to five minutes with her. she does such a good job at stretching that i usually feel better after just watching her stretch.

BTW, once again i loved the worship stations at the view last night. i am constantly amazed by what some of you guys and girls are able to do.
the view zephaniah worship stationthe view nahum worship station

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the breastplate

tradition has it that st. patrick began his morning everyday by praying the same prayer. it was a prayer for protection and a proclamation of his intent to follow CHRIST throughout that day. i think it is a butt-kicking prayer.

i arise today
through a mighty strength, the invocation of the TRINITY,
through the belief in the threeness,
through confession of the oneness
of the CREATOR of creation.

i arise today
through the strength of CHRIST’s birth with HIS baptism,
through the strength of HIS crucifixion with HIS burial,
through the strength of HIS resurrection with HIS ascension,
through the strength of HIS descent for the judgment of doom.

i arise today
through the strength of the love of cherubim,
in obedience of angels,
in the service of archangels,
in hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
in prayers of patriarchs,
in predictions of prophets,
in preaching of apostles,
in faith of confessors,
in innocence of holy virgins,
in deeds of righteous men.

i arise today
through the strength of heaven:
light of sun,
radiance of moon,
splendor of fire,
speed of lightning,
swiftness of wind,
depth of sea,
stability of earth,
firmness of rock.

i arise today
through GOD’s strength to pilot me:
GOD’s might to uphold me,
GOD’s wisdom to guide me,
GOD’s eye to look before me,
GOD’s ear to hear me,
GOD’s word to speak for me,
GOD’s hand to guard me,
GOD’s way to lie before me,
GOD’s shield to protect me,
GOD’s host to save me
from snares of devils,
from temptations of vices,
from everyone who shall wish me ill,
afar and anear,
alone and in multitude.

i summon today all these powers between me and those evils,
against every cruel merciless power that may oppose my body and soul,
against incantations of false prophets,
against black laws of pagandom
against false laws of heretics,
against craft of idolatry,
against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
against every knowledge that corrupts man’s body and soul.

CHRIST to shield me today
against poison, against burning,
against drowning, against wounding,
so that there may come to me abundance of reward.
CHRIST with me, CHRIST before me, CHRIST behind me,
CHRIST in me, CHRIST beneath me, CHRIST above me,
CHRIST on my right, CHRIST on my left,
CHRIST when i lie down, CHRIST when i sit down, CHRIST when i arise,
CHRIST in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
CHRIST in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
CHRIST in every eye that sees me,
CHRIST in every ear that hears me.

i arise today
through a mighty strength, the invocation of the TRINITY,
through belief in the threeness,
through confession of the oneness,
of the CREATOR of creation.