A Response From The Pastor

I got a reply from the email I sent my pastor regarding the lecture series last weekend. I am posting the response here. I have intentionally removed the names of the parties to protect their privacy interests.

Thanks for your thoughts on the lecture series, I shared them with (the two associate pastors). The three of us have talked about some of the statements made by Dr. _____. Of course, we can't speak for her, but it is safe to say that at least a point of her message was the diversity within scripture interpretation. She exemplified just that! There is a wide range of scriptural interpretation, no two people see every word the same way. However, I did appreciate the way she upheld the Bible as inspired, as the word of God, as our authority as Christians.

Some of her words (ie "convoluted") were rather abrasive, rough, and at times, even disconcerting to some, I'm sure. However, as (one of the associate pastors) commented, Dr. ______ is used to an academic environment, one with a purpose to challenge, to test, to dispute, to confront, to tantalize one's curiosity to plumb the depths of God's word - ie to do theology.

All of us can agree that Paul was more than just a computer keyboard for the HS. We can also agree that he wrote in a certain period, within a certain culture. What we cannot agree on all the time is how all of those ingredients fit into the equation we call inspired word of God.

You've made some good comments which any of us would enjoy discussing further with you, though I'd much prefer face to face. I'd also encourage you, if you'd like, to write an email to Dr._____. It would be interesting to hear her comments.

Thanks again Gina, for caring so deeply for the Word, for sharing your faith, and for joining together in our quest for a discerning heart.

Grace and Peace,

_________

"Rejoice in the Lord always!.... and the peace of God, which surpasses
all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
(Phil. 4:4,7)

What are your thoughts?? Comments??

"We Are Marshall" Cast to Visit Huntington on Saturday

Matthew McConaughey and other cast and crew members of the upcoming "We Are Marshall" movie will be in town this weekend to meet with reporters at the Keith Albee. Also on Saturday, there will be a block party on 4th Avenue to kick off the movie.

Phone Duty

I called the Social Security office yesterday regarding a matter I have been trying to get taken care of since my dad passed away in June of last year. After getting the run around for the last few weeks, I was finally able to talk to someone in the local office where I had originally filled out a form that has since vanished from the face of the earth. I was told that without this form (that I filled out almost a year ago) that I would have to start the process to get this matter taken care of from scratch, which means it would take at least another two months. However, I was told that if I contacted the local office they should have my form on file and could fax the form to the appropriate person to expedite this matter. Great, I think. Maybe I will get this taken care of before I die!

Unfortunately, I forgot that I was dealing with the a governmental organization. Here is what happened:

Me: Hi. I am calling regarding.....

SSA rep: Oh. Well...um yeah, it says they don't have the form and there is nothing I can do about that.

Me: Yes, I know. But, I was told that your office should have it on file.

SSA rep: Yes. We might have it on file, that's true. I would love to help you, but I am afraid I can't get up from my desk to check the filing cabinet because I am on phone duty and there are other callers waiting in the queue.

Me: I've been waiting for 9 months!

SSA rep: Yes, ma'am. I apologize. But, I am afraid I can't get out of my chair right now. As I said, I am on phone duty... We have other callers waiting...I am really sorry...I could call you back in a few hours perhaps...It's just that I am on phone duty and I have other callers in the queue...

Me: (Interrupting) Yes, I understand. (Sigh!) Ok, please return my call as soon as possible at _____________. Thank you!

SIGH!

I Guess Nathan Gets To Say, "I Told You So"

I posted here about my concern over the guest speaker from Columbia Theological Seminary that was scheduled to speak at my church today. I thought that it was only fair to find out what she had to say before jumping to any radical conclusions. Unfortunately, my fears were validated. In a nutshell, she essentially took a blowtorch to the doctrine of biblical inerrancy. In a series of lectures on family values she declared that there are several ways in which to understand family values from a biblical perspective and indicated that these various ways create a contradiction. At one point she declared that Paul's letters to the Corinthians were very "convoluted." She also said she hoped Jesus was wrong about there being no marriage or giving in marriage at the resurrection. Oh, lets see...what else? She further claimed that both Paul and Jesus thought celibacy was superior to marriage.

There are two more lectures in this series, one tonight and one tomorrow afternoon. Based upon what was said in her sermon during morning worship, I anticipate that she is setting the stage to justify alternative lifestyles, like homosexuality and same sex marriage. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely believe in equal rights in the workplace and etc... regardless of sexual orientation. I also believe that as Christ's church on the earth, we are to preach the truth in love. At the same time, the church must not redefine morality to make it more popular.

So, now I am not sure what to do. Do I stay and take a stand for the truth? Or, do I leave in order to preserve my mind from unsound doctrine?

Comfort

I had a terrible headache all morning and most of the afternoon. I hadn't eaten anything all day so I went out to get something around 2:00 p.m. or so. I thought that if I ate something and took some ibuprofen, I might feel better. As I was driving, Steven called. Here is an excerpt of our conversation:

Me: What should I have for lunch?

Steven: Hmm. A salad.

Me: Yuck. I don't want a salad...

Steven: Why not? Salad is good for you...

Me: Yeah, but salad is not comforting.

Steven: Ahhh! Food is not supposed to be comforting! Food is not a substitute for love.

Me: Oh...

Bittersweet Memories

Today would have been my dad's 54th birthday. Unfortunately, he passed away on June 14th, 2005. I think of my dad often, especially on days like today. I miss him so much more than I ever imagined was possible. I miss the way we used to discuss religion and politics until the wee hours of the morning, or how we listened to music together and talked about the lyrics. We also shared a love for reading, suspense movies, and most importantly, God. (Oh, how I wish I could have shared more of this part of my life with my father. But, it was not to be. In many ways my journey of faith echoed that of St. Augustine, who cried out in lament: "How late have I loved thee, oh God.")

My dad and I didn't always agree. In fact, we rarely saw eye to eye on many things. We were both very opinioned. In the earlier years of my life, this inherited trait kept me in a lot of trouble. Those years were not the easiest by any means. We had a lot of problems in our home. My parents argued a lot and my dad battled alcoholism. (He was sober for many years and then he relapsed and my parents divorced...) But, as I became an adult, we did grow closer. For that I am very thankful.

When someone dies, I think it is easy to put them on a pedestal and forget about their flaws. I don't want to do that. My dad wasn't perfect. No one is. Ultimately, it took cancer to bring him to his knees in repentance. In one day, after hearing the words, "You have cancer," my dad was able to do what he had declared for years was impossible. He gave up smoking and drinking cold turkey, and never looked back. (This from a man who drank from the time he got out of bed in the morning, until he went to bed at night). Its amazing what we can do when we have no choice. In my father's hospital room, a few days before he passed away, he looked at me with tears in his eyes and said, "I am so sorry. I know I did this to myself." What an awful realization!

Today has been hard. I talked to my associate pastor this morning and he invited me to a LOGOS dinner that the kids have on Wednesday nights and offered me some quiet time in the prayer room at our church. (It is a very peacefully little room that looks like a miniature sanctuary, complete with mini pews and an altar). I thanked him for the invitation, but I didn't go. Instead, I opted to have dinner with my mom and my grandmother. One thing I have learned from my father's passing is that, as much as your family members can get on your nerves or drive you crazy, time stands still for no one. Life is short. We must make the most of it. Of all the mistakes I have made in life, one that stands out among the ones for which I am most regretful, is the time, a couple of years prior to my fathers passing, that we did not speak for several months. I can't even remember why I was angry with him. But, I do know that in the end I would have given anything to have those few months back.

I bought my dad a birthday card today. I don't know why. My mother asked me what I was going to do with it. I said, "I don't know." I suppose a part of me just can't accept the fact that I can never give my dad another Christmas card or birthday card again. When I was in New York City over the holidays I saw many cards stuck in the fence at ground zero. I guess those people are a lot like me, and find it hard to accept the fact that their loved ones are gone.

Despite my grief,I know we will see each other again. I take comfort in this:

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 ESV

And this:

When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

"Death is swallowed up in victory."

1 Corinthians 15:54 ESV

I love you Dad. Happy Birthday!

"We'll Always Have Paris"

I knew it! I would LOVE to go to Paris...

You Belong in Paris

Stylish and a little sassy, you were meant for Paris. The art, the fashion, the wine, the men! Whether you're enjoying the cafe life or a beautiful park... You'll love living in the most chic place on earth.

What City Do You Belong In?

Removing My Sister's Link

After a brief review of my sister's my space link, I had to remove it from my blog because of the content. There were several questionable comments and a couple of photos that were not in good taste. So... sadly, I am not able to link to her. In my opinion, a link is an endorsement, and I can't endorse some of the stuff I read on there.

That being said, please pray for Deidra. She was baptized at an early age and professed a strong faith in Christ early on. When we were growing up, she was always the one who defended Christianity when I questioned it. However, as many people often do in their college years, she has wandered from the faith. I have been praying for her constantly. I was encouraged last week to hear that she went to church on her own a couple of weeks ago. That is a good sign, I think. But, from what I can tell, she doesn't have a lot of positive influences in Florida from which to draw upon. Her boyfriend is essentially a non-practicing Catholic who thinks that the bible should not be taken literally (ever) and believes he can do whatever he wants now and pay for his sins in pergatory later. Her best friend is also Catholic, and holds similar views. (By the way, I am not picking on Catholics. From what I can see, neither of them appear to even understand the doctrinal positions of "The Church." Much of their conduct would be considered mortal sin according to my understanding of Catholic doctrine, and thus, not subject to the refining fires of pergatory. In other words, if you die in unconfessed mortal sin, you go to hell, not pergatory, as the RCC teaches that pergatory is for venial (less serious) sin.)

I have been trying to share the gospel with them. Pray that God will remove the blindness from their eyes so that they may see the truth.

Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. John 8:32

Jesus: "The Author and Perfecter of Our Faith"

I have been thinking this week about Kansas Bob's recent comment about faith being lived in the heart and not the head. I have been really struggling lately with fear and discouragement. As I pondered Kansas Bob's words in my heart, this passage was brought to my mind:

Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14

It appears that Paul was able to stay focused on his journey of faith by refusing to live in the past. He could have easily allowed himself to become discouraged, had he focused on his past failures and missed opportunities. Instead, however; he chose to focus on Jesus Christ, realizing, as Kansas Bob pointed out, that faith is lived in the heart and not the head. It is a gift from God. Hebrews 12:2 affirms that it is Jesus who is the author and perfecter of our faith. Therefore, faith is not something we can manufacture on our own. This truth should be extremely encouraging to those of us who are all too aware of the depth of our own shortcomings.

I am convinced that fear is the main reason so many people (myself included) appear to reach a stalemate in their Christian walk. What limits us from doing the things we believe God may be calling us to do? Why do we sometimes fall away? Is it a fear of failure, or anxiety about the future because of mistakes we have made in the past? When we allow these things to take up residence in our minds it is a indication that we have taken our eyes off of Jesus. This is dangerous thing to do. Just imagine what would have happened to Peter if Jesus had not been there to rescue him when he took his eyes of Jesus and began to drown when he was walking out on the water to meet him!

While, we may be inclined to conclude from some biblical passages that faith is something we do, we must realize it is not something we do apart from Christ. Jesus affirms this is John 15:5, saying:

I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

We get in trouble when we forget this basic truth.

Self Esteem?

As I have been reading and studying about ways to overcome my fears and negative feelings from the past, the notion of self-esteem keeps popping up. Should Christians have self-esteem? I am so perplexed and frustrated. On one hand, I know that my negative self image is hindering my ability to develop relationships with others and God. Yet, when I read someone like John MacArthur I hear that we are all just "privy pots." :) So, what is the correct way to view oneself?

I'm Not Sure What To Make Of This

This was in the church bulletin this morning:

We are very excited and pleased to have one of our very own present this year’s Leckie Bible Lectures. ___________, daughter of ____________will share five lectures with us, from Saturday evening to Monday lunch. She will also preach Sunday morning, with the sermon “Whose Family Values?” with biblical texts Jeremiah 31:31-34 and John 12:20-33.

She states:
North American church and culture are aflame with debate about what constitute ppropriate family values.

• Crowds of protesters urge federal and state legislators either to defend the institution of heterosexual marriage or to extend its benefits to gay and lesbian couples.
• Child welfare agencies encounter increasingly harsh criticism in the face of repeated failures to protect the most vulnerable people entrusted to their care.
• Religious communities of every stripe battle over issues of human sexuality, clergy misconduct, and the proper character of family life.

The Bible serves as a significant authority—or weapon—in these struggles, with opponents hurling Bible verses at each other. I think the multiple voices of the New Testament offer several different answers to the questions we raise about kinship and family life, and I think this very diversity may itself prove helpful for the debate. My thesis is that there are among New Testament writers broadly three ways of construing family values, dubbed for the sake of conversation apocalyptic disorientation, theological reorientation, and ecclesiastical domestication. We will consider them and ask what each contributes to our thinking about life together in the household of God and in the individual households we create within it. If the water of baptism is thicker than the blood of kinship, what does that suggest about how we live together as families?

First of all, she states that the Bible is, "a significant authority" in these struggles. Ummm. Well, for Christians, it should be THE authority.

And, this really concerns me:

"My thesis is that there are among New Testament writers broadly three ways of construing family values."

I am not even sure I want to know what THAT means.

What a Relief!

I called my cell phone company today and talked to a really nice guy there. He agreed to backdate my rate plan and give me a credit for the minutes I went over. Of course, I will have to pay the difference between the plan I had and the plan I am switching to. But, that is a lot better than paying over $400.00.

I am happy.

Another Prayer from God's Word

Another great prayer from Beth Moore's Praying God's Word:

Lord, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-help me to make the choice to think about such things. (Philipians 4:8) Lord God, help me to feed the Spirit, not the flesh!

I talk too much

On the way home from class, I called to see how much my cell phone bill is this month. I almost fainted when the automated system said, $412.74!

Ok, wow...

I can't recall ever having a cell bill that high. My first impression was that there must be a mistake. Unfortunately, there wasn't. I realize I went over my minutes but it kinda burns me that for just $5.00 more they have a plan that would have covered me. But, instead, they are going to charge me .40 cents a minute for all my calls that went over the limit. Sigh!

I talk too much.

Biblical Affirmations

From The Bondage Breaker:

I am God's child (John 1:12)
I have been bought with a price: I belong to God. (1 Corinthians 6:17)
I have direct access to God through the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 2:18)
I have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7)
I can be confident that the good work God has begun in me will be perfected. (Philippians 1:6)
I can find grace and mercy to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)
I have been chosen and appointed by God to bear fruit. (John 15:16)
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! (Philippians 4:13)

Some others:

With man things might seem impossible. But with God's help, all things are possible. (Matthew 19:26)

I can regain control over my eating disorder because "greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world. (1 John 4:4)

I will not be tempted beyond what I am able to bear. In my temptation, God creates a way of escape for me. ( 1 Corinthians 10:13)

If I trust the Lord with all my heart and do not rely on my own wisdom, he will direct my steps. (Proverbs 3:5)

Prayers from Beth Moore's Praying God's Word:

Father, the false teachers of this world promise freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity- for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him. (2 Peter 2:19) I acknowledge my slavery and deeply desire to be mastered by You alone. Only Your mastery brings liberty.

"Everything is permissible for me"-but not everything is beneficial "Everything is permissible for me"-but I desire not to be mastered by anything. (1 Cor. 6:12) Lord God help me to recognize and discern what is not beneficial for me. Help me to see that authentic liberty is being free to do certain things and not free to do others.

More later...