tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193722732024-03-14T12:27:20.105-06:00Joel FrederickI am many things. I am a follower of Jesus, a son, a father, a husband. I program computers, play with amature radio (KG0IL) and play bass.Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02202249781984033516noreply@blogger.comBlogger489125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19372273.post-12253163622488209752012-06-26T23:08:00.001-06:002012-06-26T23:10:08.062-06:00Peter Rollins: Stop Teaching the Ethics of JesusI ran across <a href="http://peterrollins.net/?p=3739" target="">the following post</a> from Peter Rollins today. In talking to Kyle, we discussed how often we see it played out:<br />
<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><a href="http://peterrollins.net/?p=3739" rel="bookmark" style="color: #212121; font-family: HelveticaNeue-CondensedBold, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; text-decoration: none;">Stop Teaching the Ethics of Jesus!</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #212121; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 22px;"><span class="date" style="color: black; font-family: HelveticaNeue-CondensedBold, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">posted 26/6/12</span></span>There is a strong tendency within the church for people to extract and teach the ethical framework found in the Gospels. For instance, people might set up a community in which they attempt to live out principles such as giving to someone in need, turning the other cheek and living simply.</i></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>There are however a number of interrelated problems with this approach. Firstly it tends to generate guilt. In other words, the more that we hold up certain principles the worse we will feel when we fall short of them.</i><br />
<i></i></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>This leads to the second problem, namely repression. In order to deal with the guilt we will be more likely to avoid a direct confrontation with our failings. In this way we will tend to intellectually disavow what we are doing. One of my favourite parables is the one in which a king returns to his home one day to find a beggar at his gates. Upon seeing this man in rags the king ran into the palace and summoned one of his servants saying, “There is a beggar outside; throw him out immediately. Do you not know that I am too kind and compassionate a man to look upon such suffering?”</i><br />
<i></i></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>It is this logic that we see played out in our own lives on a daily basis. “Do not show me the suffering that takes place in the dairy industry, for I love animals so much that I cannot bear to see such pain” or “Do not tell me where this shirt was made because I love children too much to hear of their horrific abuse in sweat shops.” Here our “beliefs” are nothing more than a form of Unbelief—they are the story we tell ourselves about ourselves in order to avoid the truth. It is unbelief, because it is fully affirmed as what we believe while being that which covers over what we actually do believe (This subject of Unbelief is something I explore in my forthcoming book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1451609027/ref=as_li_ss_til?tag=httpwwwignicd-20&camp=0&creative=0&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=1451609027&adid=1XK4WWYE2JYANNCCW7DQ" style="color: #aaaaaa; font-family: HelveticaNeue-CondensedBold, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">The Idolatry of God</a>).</i><br />
<i></i></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Finally this leads to the symptom. In other words we are able to continue to do the action that we expressly attack because we are not directly confronted with it. Hence we see that some of the organisations that consciously uphold the most righteous ethical frameworks have some of the most destructive unethical underbelly (the Catholic Church’s dark underbelly of sexual abuse being just one example).</i><br />
<i></i></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>This was the insight of Paul regarding the Law. The more we say that we should be moral and avoid immorality the more our desire for what we disavow grows. The louder the “no” the greater the temptation to transgress the “no.” The result is guilt, a guilt that is managed through repression, a repression that results in pushing our destructive actions into the unconscious to be manifested in our clandestine actions (i.e. in symptoms).</i><br />
<i></i></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>So what is the alternative to attempting to hold ethical principles? The answer is creating a space of grace in which we are invited to bring our darkness to the surface, to speak of it in an environment in which we will not be condemned or made to feel guilty, a community that will let us speak our anxieties and darkness without asking us to change. In short, a place where we can confront our humanity rather than running from it.</i><br />
<i></i></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>The trick is to create an atmosphere of love, grace and acceptance where people are not told what to do. Where people learn that heresy which claims that, while not everything is beneficial, everything is permissible. In other words, while there are destructive things we do, they can be brought to the light without fear of condemnation. In such an environment ethical acts will emanate from the body just as heat emanates from light. One will not have to be taught that they should look after their neighbour as if it were something that we need to be told, they will simply be more inclined to do so.</i><br />
<i></i></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>The desire to have ethical rules to follow tends to lead to the action they forbid. This causes the spiral into guilt, repression and disavowed symptoms. In contrast laying such ethical propositions to one side and learning to accept both ourselves and the other in grace opens up the path to what we have set aside.</i></blockquote>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02202249781984033516noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19372273.post-79887507423641984572012-02-26T09:08:00.003-07:002012-02-26T09:15:32.623-07:00Rattlesnake KateI ran across an article about a lady in the 1920's who lived near Greely, CO, only about 30 miles north of where I live.<div><br /></div><div>Her name is Rattlesnake Kate. You can find out a little about her from Google. Here is her story found <a href="http://imthebikewriter.blogspot.com/2010/07/day-8-july-2-2010-rattlesnake-kate.html">here</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div><blockquote>The best exhibit is Katherine McHale Slaughterback, who made a name for herself in 1925. The 31-year-old nurse and mother found herself and 3-year-old son surrounded by snakes.</blockquote><blockquote>Kate and Ernie had been out looking for ducks left behind by hunters, but soon were surrounded by a spaghetti-plate full of hundreds of rattlesnakes.<br /><br />Using her .22 Remington rifle, Kate unloaded on the pool of snakes, but quickly ran out of ammo.</blockquote><blockquote>With glycerin madness in her eyes, Kate pulled a 'No Hunting' sign out of the ground and went Chuck Norris on the snakes, clubbing the rest of them to death. Two hours later the score was "Kate 140; snakes, 0."<br /><br />Rattlesnake Kate gained fame across the country. She also made fashion history using over 40 snakeskins and her best Betsy Ross skill set to build herself a dress. It was flapper-fashion with Crocodile-Hunter flare; accessorized by snake-skin-covered shoes, a rattlesnake "rattle" necklace, earrings and a headband that contained 37 rattles.<br /><br />Kate pioneered a work-from-home business hunting snakes, collecting venom for a research lab and crafting and selling snakeskin souvenirs.<br /><br />According to researchers at the museum, Kate was a handful; married six times and possibly into prostitution. Questioned whether she was ever bit by a snake, all signs point to 'no'; however, Kate was struck by lightning... and lived to tell about it.<br /></blockquote><br /></div><img src="http://www.greeleyhistory.org/pics/rattle.jpg" /><img src="http://www.greeleyhistory.org/pics/rattlesnake_kate_skins.jpg" />Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02202249781984033516noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19372273.post-84845915638743015472012-01-02T14:02:00.003-07:002012-01-02T14:08:02.993-07:00Cheesy Garlic Jalapeno Biscuits<a href="http://cdn.sheknows.com/articles/2011/01/vectors/Jalapeno-Cheddar-Biscuits.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="http://cdn.sheknows.com/articles/2011/01/vectors/Jalapeno-Cheddar-Biscuits.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><div><p>Last week I got the craving for Jalapeno Biscuits and found the following recipe <a href="http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/823177/cheesy-jalapeno-biscuits">here</a>. They were quite good.<br /></p></div><br /><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Georgia; color: #474747"><i>We all know those famous seafood chain cheesy biscuits. They're as addicting as they are garlicky. Now I want you to imagine those, with just enough background heat to make you go WHOA! Enjoy these biscuits on their own or with a piping hot bowl of soup.</i></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Georgia; min-height: 12.0pxcolor:#474747;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><i></i></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 13.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times; color:#212121;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Yield | 20 biscuits</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 13.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times; color:#212121;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b>Ingredients: </b></span></p> <ul> <li style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times; color:#212121;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">4 cups baking mix (Bisquick)</span></li> <li style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times; color:#212121;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1 cup shredded cheddar cheese</span></li> <li style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times; color:#212121;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1 1/3 cups water</span></li> <li style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times; color:#212121;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">3 tablespoons diced jalapenos (jarred or canned)</span></li> <li style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times; color:#212121;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1/2 teaspoon garlic powder</span></li> <li style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times; color:#212121;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1/2 cup melted butter</span></li> <li style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times; color:#212121;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1 teaspoon garlic powder</span></li> <li style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times; color:#212121;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1/4 teaspoon salt</span></li> <li style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times; color:#212121;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1/8 teaspoon onion powder</span></li> <li style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times; color:#212121;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1/8 teaspoon dried parsley</span></li> </ul> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 13.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times; min-height: 13.0pxcolor:#212121;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b></b></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 13.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times; color:#212121;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b>Directions:</b></span></p> <ol style="list-style-type: decimal"> <li style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times; color:#212121;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.</span></li> <li style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times; color:#212121;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">In a mixing bowl, combine the baking mix, cheese, water, jalapenos and ½ teaspoon garlic powder. Mix until dough is firm.</span></li> <li style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times; color:#212121;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Using a small scoop, place dough on the prepared pan.</span></li> <li style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times; color:#212121;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Bake at 375 degrees F for 12-14 minutes, or until golden brown.</span></li> <li style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times; color:#212121;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Combine the melted butter, garlic powder, salt, onion powder and parsley. Brush over baked biscuits immediately upon removing from oven.</span></li> </ol> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 13.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times; color:#212121;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"> </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 13.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times; color:#212121;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b><i>Notes:</i></b></span></p> <ul> <li style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 13.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times; color:#212121;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Not a fan of heat? Simply leave out the jalapenos.</span></li> <li style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 13.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times; color:#212121;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Sub in Pepper-Jack cheese for an added kick.</span></li> <li style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 13.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times; color:#212121;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Toss in 1/3 cup cooked, chopped bacon for a delectable twist. </span></li></ul>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02202249781984033516noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19372273.post-50608690523089079832011-12-28T12:31:00.003-07:002011-12-28T12:38:17.742-07:00The world is "God Breathed"<div>I ran across the following quote from a comment discussing <a href="http://www.internetmonk.com/archive/whatever-happened-to-bill-gothard">"Whatever happened to Bill Gothard"</a>. </div><div><blockquote><i>This world is God-breathed. It is a wild, perilous, vivid, and unpredictable place. You cannot put it into a paternalistic, legalistic box and hope to see His face. Where can we experience God if we refuse to experience anything?</i></blockquote>As a parent, I want to keep my son from experiencing pain and injury. On the other hand, those are things that make us stronger. </div><div><br /></div><div>A case in point is our bones. In a recent podcast on bone health, the woman who was the "expert" stated that while taking calcium was needed, your bones only became stronger with impact. While cycling and swimming are good thing for your aerobic abilities, it is the impact of running or walking or punching a bag that helps increase the strength of your bones.</div><div><br /></div><div>I've often said that it is my job as a parent to let my son "fail safely" so that he can learn. Each failure helps strengthen his character.</div>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02202249781984033516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19372273.post-77565127439116721302011-07-21T07:01:00.001-06:002011-07-21T07:02:07.387-06:00Cover: John Lennon's Jealous Guy by Jon StevensI love the bass work on this track.<div><br /><iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/S_xEg5xtwR8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02202249781984033516noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19372273.post-61222960090990426892011-04-26T06:27:00.002-06:002011-04-26T06:38:08.544-06:00Easter Sunrise Service<div>For the first time in many years (maybe one of the first times while here in Colorado) Marj, Kyle & I had no responsibilities on Easter.<br /></div><div>That allowed us the luxury of going to the Easter Sunrise service at Red Rocks. The day was cold with drizzle. We didn't see the sun rise but it did (I'm positive of that).</div><div><br /></div><div>We enjoyed the service and I was able to take some photos using my phone.</div><div><br /></div><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_RFjLLjmdPPg/TbR1RLf9ENI/AAAAAAAABe0/VQs59zUOVrM/s640/2011-04-24_05-41-09_631.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 640px; height: 480px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_RFjLLjmdPPg/TbR1RLf9ENI/AAAAAAAABe0/VQs59zUOVrM/s640/2011-04-24_05-41-09_631.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_RFjLLjmdPPg/TbR1TZVYxFI/AAAAAAAABe4/n2Q8mzgkqAA/s640/2011-04-24_05-43-48_978.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 640px; height: 480px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_RFjLLjmdPPg/TbR1TZVYxFI/AAAAAAAABe4/n2Q8mzgkqAA/s640/2011-04-24_05-43-48_978.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_RFjLLjmdPPg/TbR1V7LkERI/AAAAAAAABe8/KReVRvq7fIM/s640/2011-04-24_06-05-53_599.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 640px; height: 480px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_RFjLLjmdPPg/TbR1V7LkERI/AAAAAAAABe8/KReVRvq7fIM/s640/2011-04-24_06-05-53_599.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_RFjLLjmdPPg/TbR1YSnZf4I/AAAAAAAABfA/gPKj0LpNaQs/s640/2011-04-24_06-06-31_175.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 640px; height: 480px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_RFjLLjmdPPg/TbR1YSnZf4I/AAAAAAAABfA/gPKj0LpNaQs/s640/2011-04-24_06-06-31_175.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_RFjLLjmdPPg/TbR1YSnZf4I/AAAAAAAABfA/gPKj0LpNaQs/s640/2011-04-24_06-06-31_175.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 640px; height: 480px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_RFjLLjmdPPg/TbR1YSnZf4I/AAAAAAAABfA/gPKj0LpNaQs/s640/2011-04-24_06-06-31_175.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_RFjLLjmdPPg/TbR1cTURzhI/AAAAAAAABfI/gpUDpQfB7HQ/s640/2011-04-24_06-28-31_408.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 640px; height: 480px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_RFjLLjmdPPg/TbR1cTURzhI/AAAAAAAABfI/gpUDpQfB7HQ/s640/2011-04-24_06-28-31_408.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_RFjLLjmdPPg/TbR1dpqVOoI/AAAAAAAABfQ/c92U5heYcso/s640/2011-04-24_06-57-40_282.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 640px; height: 486px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_RFjLLjmdPPg/TbR1dpqVOoI/AAAAAAAABfQ/c92U5heYcso/s640/2011-04-24_06-57-40_282.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_RFjLLjmdPPg/TbR1gWiGKtI/AAAAAAAABfU/IhbiE5xa4qM/s640/2011-04-24_06-57-52_719.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 640px; height: 480px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_RFjLLjmdPPg/TbR1gWiGKtI/AAAAAAAABfU/IhbiE5xa4qM/s640/2011-04-24_06-57-52_719.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_RFjLLjmdPPg/TbR1mpd_04I/AAAAAAAABfo/EpP45wlgoNc/s640/2011-04-24_07-17-31_521.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 640px; height: 480px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_RFjLLjmdPPg/TbR1mpd_04I/AAAAAAAABfo/EpP45wlgoNc/s640/2011-04-24_07-17-31_521.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02202249781984033516noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19372273.post-44934792932022440062011-03-20T09:06:00.002-06:002011-03-20T09:14:44.647-06:00Spring Break 2011We decided we needed some rest and relaxation this year for spring break so off to Orlando we headed.<div><br /></div><div>We tried using frequent flyer miles but that didn't work out so well... Spring Break is, after all, spring break.</div><div><br /></div><div>Kyle & Joel ended up flying into Atlanta Friday afternoon and meeting Marj's brother Mario who took Kyle home. Because of parent-teacher conferences, Marj flew in early Saturday morning. Joel picked her up and we stayed near the airport, heading to Mario's house (near the Alabama border with Georgia) the next day. We ate breakfast with them and headed to Orlando.</div><div><br /></div><div>The highlights.</div><div><ul><li>Seasons 52 - A restaurant that specializes in dishes prepared with foods that are in season in that particular week.</li><li>Finding a Whole Foods market.</li><li>The airboat trip, seeing alligators (from a safe distance).</li><li>The trip Joel & Kyle took to Cocoa Beach.</li><li>Creating a "custom" R/C car at "Ride Makerz" (sort of like build-a-bear for cars).</li><li>Relaxing with little to no schedule</li></ul></div>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02202249781984033516noreply@blogger.com46tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19372273.post-12348597704313724322011-02-05T05:46:00.002-07:002011-02-05T05:56:09.223-07:00Answers and Questions<p>The other day a friend sent me the following quote because it brought me to mind. I really like the quote so I thought I put it here.</p><blockquote><i>... An answer is a place where we can fall asleep as life moves past us to its next question....Perhaps the secret of living well is not in having all the answers but in pursuing unanswerable questions in good company.</i><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><i>- Rachel Naomi Remen</i></div></blockquote><p>I am old enough to know that I have lots of questions (and am willing to ask others to travel with me on pursuing the answers).</p>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02202249781984033516noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19372273.post-52258430110026852452011-02-01T23:48:00.004-07:002011-02-01T23:56:24.684-07:00What a familyIt was a cold night when I got home, sub-zero temperatures. When I arrived home, however, I couldn't pull into the garage. Because of the cold, the garage door had gotten twisted and fallen off the track.<div><br /></div><div>What to do. The garage door company closed at 4:00 and it was only going to get colder.</div><div><br /></div><div>We did what any family would do (well, maybe not just any family). We rebuilt the door. </div><div><br /></div><div>We pulled the sections of the door off that had fallen and, panel by panel, put it back up. Kudos to Marj & Kyle for the teamwork. </div><div><br /></div><div>We'll have to live without an automatic garage door for a while but I think that is manageable.</div>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02202249781984033516noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19372273.post-21510148904796467502011-01-17T05:50:00.002-07:002011-01-17T06:19:51.274-07:00What I learned from TedLast night I watched the "Ted Haggard: Scandalous" on TLC (The Learning Channel). The show briefly touches on the scandal that occurred in 2006 which got him fired and placed under a restorative path. It concentrates on events which occur after that with this summers starting of <a href="http://www.tedhaggard.com/SaintJamesChurch.htm">St. James Church</a>. I realize it is quite heavily edited but here is what I learned watching the show.<div><br /></div><div>A lot of people "know" the Bible. That doesn't mean, however, that they really know what is in the Bible. They know enough of the Bible to support a position or belief they may have. This was evident as you saw people quoting scripture to support their belief that he should never pastor again.</div><div><br /></div><div>As a population, Christianity doesn't seem to believe in redemption. Simply put, redemption is the process that occurred on the cross and afterward. Think of it like a gift card. It is just a card until you use it. </div><div><br /></div><div>As a population Christianity doesn't seem t0 believe in justification. Through the New Testament, the word for justified and righteous and their derivatives are the same word. The translators make the decision to which one is used where. An overly simplified meaning of justification is "Just as if I had never sinned". As I watched the show, I saw a world that seemed to treat Haggard as if he had changed but "the Church" which has a lot of mistrust of him.</div><div><br /></div><div>As a population, Christianity doesn't seem to believe in sanctification. Sanctification is the process of becoming like Christ. It's that whole "If anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation". The calls and comments he received from Christians that were shown portray a people who do not believe that Haggard is a "new creation".</div><div><br /></div><div>As a population, Christianity doesn't seem to believe in a God who is love. As you list the characteristics of God, there are a lot of them. The Bible makes it clear, however, that God is LOVE. If you need a refresher of what that means, look up <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20cor%2013&">1 Corinthians 13</a>. I'll admit that I wasn't always very loving when the scandal occurred. Hopefully, I've changed. </div><div><br /></div><div>Being called a "Christian" identifies us with a lot of groups. There are the "liberals", "conservatives", "moderates" and "crazies". Unfortunately, the crazies get the press. As I write this I am reminded of the law passed in Arizona so that Westboro Baptist Church can not protest the funerals of those killed a week ago.</div><div><br /></div><div>It is pretty sad when the world around us appears more loving to people like Haggard than those that are supposed to love.</div><div><blockquote><i>My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn't know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can't know him if you don't love. - <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20John%204:7-8&version=MSG">1 John 4:7-8</a> (The Message)</i></blockquote></div>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02202249781984033516noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19372273.post-54691992780013769052010-12-25T07:26:00.001-07:002010-12-25T07:28:14.554-07:00Christmas according to John<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; ">The Word was first,<br /> the Word present to God,<br /> God present to the Word.<br />The Word was God,<br /> in readiness for God from day one.<p>Everything was created through him;<br /> nothing—not one thing!—<br /> came into being without him.<br />What came into existence was Life,<br /> and the Life was Light to live by.<br />The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness;<br /> the darkness couldn't put it out.</p><p style="text-align: left;"> John 1:1-5 (The Message)</p></span>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02202249781984033516noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19372273.post-20538242291158138852010-12-24T09:11:00.003-07:002010-12-24T09:21:36.157-07:00A new dentist in his crowing gloryI was scheduled to go to my dentist of 10+ years next week. It has made sense to drive the 20 miles to Thornton 2 times a year because I can go to the dentist, then drive to the Park & Ride and catch a bus to downtown.<div><br /></div><div>Last month, however, <a href="http://www.qwest.com/">Qwest</a> moved our office to an area where it made absolutely no sense to try mass transit. I found, however, that my commute is actually shorter if traffic cooperates. </div><div><br /></div><div>The <a href="http://mountainviewfamilydental.com/">new dentist</a> had been advertising this cool thing called a <a href="http://www.laserdentistry.com/why.html">waterlase</a>. It sounded high-tech and cool so I called. They had a check up appointment on Wednesday so I canceled my old dentist. Going to visit was quite the experience.</div><div><ul><li>Digital X-Rays.</li><li>A review of the teeth by the dentist</li><li>Digital pictures</li><li>The explanation that I need crowns (I've never had them before) -- some sooner than later.</li></ul>So, off we go... Yesterday, they prepped the teeth for crowns, sent the molds to the back, they "printed" the crown on a 3-D mill and re-filled a tooth. In the afternoon, I walked out with 3 crowns for the new year.<br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02202249781984033516noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19372273.post-81495650887432951382010-12-20T09:18:00.002-07:002010-12-20T09:24:46.594-07:00"Why The Daily Audio Bible" on Video<div>If you've read through some of my previous posts, you would discover that I am a big fan of the <a href="http://dailyaudiobible.com/">Daily Audio Bible</a> podcast. In fact, I've listened to it for the last (nearly) 4 years.</div><div><br /></div><div>This year, in order to help present the case for the Daily Audio Bible, it was asked that we (I didn't, however) send in videos of what listening to the podcast has done for us.</div><div><br /></div><div>You can watch the result on YouTube below:</div><div><object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/y2CULd2qqR4?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/y2CULd2qqR4?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object><br /></div><br /><div>If you'd like to download it for use elsewhere (just don't change the video), go <a href="http://dailyaudiobible.com/Publisher/Article.aspx?ID=1000098271">here</a>.</div>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02202249781984033516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19372273.post-81496826196472409422010-12-15T07:11:00.003-07:002010-12-15T07:23:22.052-07:00Jesus Manifesto revisited...<div>A few months ago, I <a href="http://joelfrederick.blogspot.com/2010/07/re-jesus-manifesto.html">mentioned</a> the book "The Jesus Manifesto". This month, <a href="http://www.wbcl.org/index.asp">WBCL's</a> (Indiana, Ohio, etc) "<a href="http://www.wbcl.org/MidMorningArchive.asp">Mid-Morning</a>" show's Char Binkley talked with Gloria Gather about the book.</div><br /><div>You can listen to the discussion below... <br><object width="300" height="42"><br /><param name="src" value="http://content.streamaudio.com/podcast/1721/mm20101202.mp3"><br /><param name="autoplay" value="false"><br /><param name="controller" value="true"><br /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><br /><embed src="http://content.streamaudio.com/podcast/1721/mm20101202.mp3" autostart="false" loop="false" width="300" height="42" controller="true" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"></embed><br /></object></div>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02202249781984033516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19372273.post-61812302324318001812010-12-08T05:35:00.001-07:002010-12-08T05:37:01.221-07:00Christmas Wrapping<div>The song "Christmas Wrapping" by The Waitresses has to have one of my favorite bass lines in it. This light display puts the icing on the cake for me.</div><br /><div><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/4-IQWLnD51c?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/4-IQWLnD51c?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object></div>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02202249781984033516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19372273.post-87527944250761310842010-12-05T07:35:00.003-07:002010-12-05T07:40:38.367-07:00Puzzling logic<div>Online, I saw this article -- <a href="http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/12/04/does-a-new-life-form-mean-god-is-dead">"Does a New Life Form Mean God Is Dead?"</a> -- with the following paragraphs: </div><div><blockquote><i>The discovery of what is apparently an entirely new form of life -- a bacteria based on toxic arsenic rather than phosphorus, one of the six building blocks of all life on Earth -- has set the scientific world abuzz, prompting White House inquiries to NASA and threatening to upend longstanding beliefs about biology.<br /><br />But some say the announcement also signals an end to religious faith, or at least the beginning of the end, because it implies that life can spring forth unexpectedly on Earth or even on other planets, and in unexpected forms -- developments that seem to run counter to literal readings of biblical creation accounts.<br /><br />"The polite thing to say is that discoveries such as this don't really impeach the credibility of established religion, but in truth of course they really do," David Niose, president of the American Humanist Association (AHA), a leading secularist organization, said of this week's revelations about the microbes discovered in Lake Mono in California.<br /><br />"The fact that life can spring forth in this way from nature, taken in context with what else we've learned in recent centuries about space and time, surely makes it less plausible that the human animal is the specially favored creation of all-powerful, all-knowing divinity," Niose said. </i></blockquote>Oddly enough, reading this, I didn't come to the same conclusion of Mr. Niose. What that does mean, however, is that I have a different view of how God can work in the world.</div>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02202249781984033516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19372273.post-9615898423830866592010-11-11T23:25:00.004-07:002010-11-11T23:43:35.517-07:00Scala & Candlewyck played on CovervilleCoverville hit another one out of the park with <a href="http://coverville.com/archives/podcast/coverville-719-fake-plastic-cover-requests-and-a-scala-bonus/">Episode 719</a>.<div><br /></div><div>Brian started off playing 4 selections from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scala_%26_Kolacny_Brothers">Scala / Kolacny Brothers</a>. Scala is a Belgium girls chorale which has recorded popular songs. The Kolacny Brothers are the conductor and pianist for the group. You can watch "With or Without You" below.<br /><div><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/M27IMEjqEgk?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/M27IMEjqEgk?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><div>My favorite that for that set was a Phil Collins cover of "Solsbury Hill". </div><div><br /></div><div>The show was finished out with a cover medley of Kansas' "Point of no return" and Rush's "Spirit of the Radio" performed by <a href="http://www.votiverecords.com/">Candlewyck</a>. Candlewyck is a bluegrass band (or as one music source put it nuGrass). Since I've liked both Kansas and Rush as well as those song in particular, this was a hit with me.</div><div><br /></div><div>You can listen to the show on the embedded player from the link above.</div>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02202249781984033516noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19372273.post-91498751929440834502010-11-09T06:06:00.003-07:002010-11-11T23:02:02.612-07:00Do you walk your dog or does your dog walk you?<div><table><tbody><tr><td><span id="wylio-flickr-image-1547077911" style="display:block;line-height:15px;width:191px;padding:0;margin:0 10px;position:relative;float:left;"><img style="padding:0;margin:0;border:none;" width="191" height="315" src="http://img.wylio.com/flickr/191/1547077911" title="10/365: Walking humane society dogs at lunchtime. - photo by: Christopher, Source: Flickr, found with Wylio.com" alt="10/365: Walking humane society dogs at lunchtime." /></span></td><td><span id="wylio-flickr-image-3278314163" style="display:block;line-height:15px;width:305px;padding:0;margin:0 10px;position:relative;float:left;"><img style="padding:0;margin:0;border:none;" width="305" height="228" src="http://img.wylio.com/flickr/305/3278314163" title="Dog Walk '06 - photo by: Robert Dobalina, Source: Flickr, found with Wylio.com" alt="Dog Walk '06" /></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>The photo on the left shows the "proper position" for walking dog. The photo on the left, while not extreme like some I've seen, shows the dog walking the owner.</div><div><br /></div><div>We take our dogs out for a walk nearly every day (at least week days). Let me chronicle our routine.</div><div><ol><li>Before leaving the house, the dogs must sit in the doorway to the laundry while we get ready and wait to have their leashes attached.</li><li>We head out the door. The dog must wait for the owner to go out first. It's a pack behavior that we want to instill (we are the "alpha").</li><li>We have rituals that the dogs have learned. One such ritual that we do for their safety is to stop and sit on both sides of the street.</li><li>Sometimes we let the "play". When we walk by an area which isn't owned by a neighbor, such as a park or an empty lot, we let the dogs explore to the end of the leash.</li><li>After a "play" we call them back to "heel". Keva will slow, sometimes imperceptibly to allow me to catch up with him.</li><li>Sometimes we work. One of the most difficult things to teach a dog at first is to "down", that is to lay down on the ground. The reason is that down is a submissive action and also, in the outdoors, a dangerous one. We will sometimes do a "down in motion" where we have the dog do a down while we are walking. While the dog is down, we will continue, sometimes to the end of the leash, sometimes much further. At some point, we either return to the dog or call the dog to us.</li><li>Walk time is, of course, one of the times the dog can "do their duty". We clean up after them.</li></ol><div>One of the most satisfying times is during those walks where the dog is focused on me. Where he senses what I want him to do. I'll look down and see him looking up at me.</div><div><br /></div><div>I started this post a couple of days ago and have let it age a bit before completing it.</div><div><br /></div><div>About a year and a half ago, I posted <a href="http://joelfrederick.blogspot.com/2009/05/what-my-dog-teaches-me-about-god.html">"What my dog teaches me about God"</a>. Looking at the list above, I am still learning. Is God "walking me" or am I attempting to "walk God".</div><div><br /></div></div>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02202249781984033516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19372273.post-62164715047349171112010-11-07T20:06:00.003-07:002010-11-07T20:15:08.193-07:00Run...<div>I may have watched the Orphan/Often scene (below) from the Pirates of Penzance too many times.<br /></div><div><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/g2XyRlq7cTk?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/g2XyRlq7cTk?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /></div><div>Others may say I am a bit pedantic at times (definition 2 <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/pedantic">here</a>).</div><div><br /></div><div>I flipped on the TV and heard the contestant on "The Amazing Race" yell to his father... </div><div><blockquote>"Run like you've never run before"</blockquote></div><div>I grinned! Why? I knew he meant to have his father running as quickly as possible but the following picture popped into my head...</div><br /><div>The picture of a grown man trying run for the first time.</div>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02202249781984033516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19372273.post-78738804577886538712010-11-02T05:22:00.002-06:002010-11-02T05:30:22.254-06:00Election Day -- Yea!!!It's election day! November 2nd!<div><br /></div><div>Why am I excited? It's the last day of calls throughout the evening that I don't want to hear. It's the last evening of advertisements on television and radio that annoy me. I'll get less junk mail as well!</div><div><br /></div><div>The bad part of the end of the election process? Each one of those things I mentioned above is a shot in the arm for our economy. As much as I dislike the advertisements, the printers will have less to do, the postal carrier will have less to do, the media will also have less income.</div><div><br /></div><div>Scott McKnight talked about <a href="http://www.patheos.com/community/jesuscreed/2010/11/02/the-eschatology-of-politics/">"The Eschatology of Politics"</a> on his <a href="http://www.patheos.com/community/jesuscreed">Jesus Creed</a> blog today. He wrote:</div><div><blockquote><i><b>This was published at Out of Ur blog; it is now edited for a new day.</b></i><br /><br /><i>Somewhere between 6pm and 8pm, Central Time, on November 2d, 2010, the eschatology of American evangelicals will become clear. If a Republican (or a Tea Party candidate) wins and the evangelical becomes delirious or confident that the Golden Days are about to arrive, that evangelical has an eschatology of politics. Or, alternatively, if Democrat wins and the evangelical becomes delirious or confident that the Golden Days are about to arrive, that evangelical too has an eschatology of politics. Or, we could turn each around, if a more Democrat oriented evangelical becomes depressed and hopeless because a Repub wins, or if a Republican oriented evangelical becomes depressed or hopeless because a Dem wins, those evangelicals are caught in an empire-shaped eschatology of politics.<br /><br />I can’t imagine 1st Century Roman Christians caught up in some kind of hope whether it would be Nero or Britannicus who would succeed Claudius.<br /><br />Where is our hope? To be sure, I hope our country solves its international conflicts and I hope we resolve poverty and dissolve our educational problems and racism. But where does my hope turn when I think of war or poverty or education or racism? Does it focus on my political party? Does it gain its energy from thinking that if we get the right candidate elected our problems will be dissolved? If so, I submit that our eschatology has become empire-shaped, Constantinian, and political. And it doesn’t matter to me if it is a right-wing evangelical wringing her fingers in hope that a Republican wins, or a left-wing evangelical wringing her fingers in hope that a Democrat wins. Each has a misguided eschatology.<br /><br />Now before I take another step, it must be emphasized that I participate in the election; and I think it makes a difference which candidate wins; and I think from my own limited perspective one candidate is better than the other.<br /><br />But before I take the next step I’ll say this: if our candidates lose won’t make one bit of a difference for our obligation to follow Jesus today. Not one bit.<br /><br />Participation in our election dare not be seen as the lever that turns the eschatological designs God has for this world. Where is our hope? November 2 may tell us.<br /><br />What I hope it reveals is that:<br /><br />Our hope is in God. The great South African missiologist, David Bosch, in his book Transforming Mission impressed upon many of us that the church’s mission is not in fact the church’s mission but God’s mission. Our calling is to participate in the missio Dei, the mission of God in this world. So, at election time we can use the season to re-align our mission with the mission of God. Therein lies our hope.<br /><br />Our hope is in the gospel of God. God’s mission is gospel-shaped. Some today want to reduce gospel to what we find in 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, while others want to expand it to bigger proportions, we would do well at election time to re-align ourselves once again with the gospel as God’s good news for our world. Therein lies our hope.<br /><br />Our hope is in the gospel of God that creates God’s people. God’s gospel-shaped mission creates a new people of God. In fact, the temptation of good Protestants to skip from Genesis 3 (the Fall) to Romans 3 (salvation) must be resisted consciously.<br /><br />We need to soak up how God’s gospel-shaped work always and forever creates a gospel people. The first thing God does with Abraham is to form a covenant people, Israel, and Jesus’ favorite word was “kingdom” and Paul was a church-obsessed theologian-missionary. Herein lies the challenge at election time.<br /><br />We are tempted to divide the USA into the good and the bad and to forget that the gospel has folks on both sides of political lines. Even more: we are tempted to think that the winners of the election are those who are blessed by God when the blessing of God is on God’s people. God’s gospel-powered mission creates a new people, the church, where we are to see God’s mission at work. Therein lies our hope.<br /><br />Our hope is in the gospel of God that creates a kind of people that extends God’s gospel to the world. Chris Wright’s big book, The Mission of God, reminds us that election is missional: God creates the people of God not so the people of God can compare themselves to those who are not God’s people, but so that God’s people will become a priesthood in this world to mediate the mission of God, so that all hear the good news that God’s grace is the way forward.<br /><br />Our hope is in God’s mission in this world, and that mission transcends what happens November 2d.</i><br /><br /></blockquote><br /></div>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02202249781984033516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19372273.post-25549039565012561222010-10-27T05:41:00.001-06:002010-10-27T05:43:19.444-06:00PoliticsLast week, <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/greg_boyd">Greg Boyd</a> tweeted:<div><blockquote>I admire the courage of some of our political candidates. Most people avoid public debates even when they know what they're talking about.</blockquote>I love that quote...</div>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02202249781984033516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19372273.post-9584414818715062252010-10-14T22:10:00.002-06:002010-10-14T22:20:27.981-06:00JeremiahI've been listening to Jeremiah on the Daily Audio Bible for the last couple of weeks. It has been interesting and, as a result, enjoyable. Here is a summary of what I've discovered.<div><ul><li>Lots of talk of judgement.</li><li>God "divorced" Israel because of their unfaithfulness to him (idolatry).</li><li>Both Israel and Judah are referred to as "prostitutes" because of their actions. I found an interesting parallel to the references to the prostitute mentioned in Revelation.</li><li>There appear to be lots of parallels with Judah and the Church.</li><li>The deception by false prophets seem similar to some pastors and their congregations.</li><li>Jeremiah was given the task of wearing linen underwear, then hiding it to let it rot as an illustration to Israel.</li></ul></div>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02202249781984033516noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19372273.post-77592860248759605022010-09-26T17:55:00.002-06:002010-09-26T18:11:01.754-06:00Strange bedfellowsI was listening to <a href="http://www.frankpastore.com/">Frank Pastore</a> on the <a href="http://www.drewmarshall.ca/listen2010.html#100918">Drew Marshall</a> show last week. He was a pitcher in for the Cincinnati Reds and is now a Christian and talk show host.<div><br /></div><div>During the interview, he mentioned that he was on <a href="http://www.salem.cc/">Salem Communications</a> stations. Salem bills itself as<i> "Reaching audiences interested in Christian and family content and conservative values on air and in print"</i>. The interview was quite good and is worth listening to.</div><div><br /></div><div>The thing that perplexed me a little is his comment about <a href="http://www.glennbeck.com/">Glenn Beck</a> <a href="http://www.rbr.com/radio/radio-programming/25669.html">being on Salem</a> with him. I've got nothing against Glenn Beck, even though I have some disagreements with some of the things he says on the air. </div><div><br /></div><div>I was perplexed because, according to several things that came out during his rally in Washington, Glenn is affiliated to some degree with the Latter-Day Saints (the Mormons). That doesn't make him a bad guy (I have friends who are LDS and would treat me better than a lot of other people I know) but it raises some questions in my mind about Salem Communications decision to sign him.</div>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02202249781984033516noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19372273.post-13485053000775298152010-08-25T22:10:00.001-06:002010-08-25T22:10:53.519-06:00The Conference CallThis is way too close<div><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/zbJAJEtNUX0?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/zbJAJEtNUX0?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /></div>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02202249781984033516noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19372273.post-24207329147377677922010-08-04T06:21:00.003-06:002010-08-04T06:28:02.527-06:00<div>Let me throw this out. It is not quite fully thought out so take it with a grain of salt... A big grain.</div><div><br /></div><div>Our churches and religious leaders prompt us toward "perfection" or "sinlessness". Part of my scripture reading today was from <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ps%2027">Psalm 27</a>. David was, as we know, far from sinless. He was, however, considered "A man after God's heart". </div><div><br /></div><div>This verse rang out today...</div><div></div><blockquote><div>Psalm 27:4 (TNIV)</div><div><br /></div><div><i>One thing I ask from the LORD, </i></div><div><i>this only do I seek: </i></div><div><i>that I may dwell in the house of the LORD </i></div><div><i>all the days of my life, </i></div><div><i>to gaze on the beauty of the LORD </i></div><div><i>and to seek him in his temple.</i></div><div></div></blockquote><div>What if, what God really wants from us is not sinlessness (he has that covered -- literally) but for us to desire him.</div><div><br /></div><div>We often desire or worry about all sorts of things we think are worthwhile or even "holy". We worry about our theology, our "sin" state, our jobs, our homes, our kids, our church. The list goes on. What if our focus was purely on seeking the Lord. </div><div><br /></div><div>God forgave David's sin. In fact, only the matter with Uriah was counted against him according to scripture. That being the case, if we are truly seeking the Lord, we might be surprised how little God cares about the sin against us.</div>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02202249781984033516noreply@blogger.com2