US Rep. in the 1st Cong. Dist - Stubby Stumbaugh
Governor - Asa Hutchinson
Lt. Governor - Jim Holt
Secretary of State - Jim Lagrone
Attorney General - Gunner Delay
State Treasurer - Chris Morris
State Rep. Dist. 86 - Kelley Linck
County Assessor - Janet Lacefield
JP Dist. 4 - John D. Ayers
JP Dist. 7 - Wade Robson
JP Dist. 8 - Diana Turner
JP Dist 9 - Lynn Lasky
JP Dist. 11 - Joshua Davis
Constable Dist. 3 - Dale Jones
Friday, October 13, 2006
Saturday, September 16, 2006
Steve Arterburn
Looking for Mr. Arterburn's own blog yesterday, I found a lot about a remark that had been made about him by Al Mohler, Dean of one of the Baptist seminaries, and a very outspoken conservative commentator. He's worth a listen, though I only agree with him most/some of the time.
I'd like to say just a couple of words (if you know me, you know that'll be unlikely) in Mr. Arterburn's defense. When I first heard that Mr. Arterburn had been married twice, I was appalled that he would be on a show that gives out advice to people about their marriages.
Over time, though, . . . I think of Steve like I think of Bonnie Raitt (my favorite singer). They surround themselves with the very best, and then they know when to speak and when to be quiet, when to play and when to play it straight. The difference, of course, is that what we hear of Bonnie is only the selected bits that she chooses to put on albums. Steve has the courage to come out on the air, unedited, every day, for the sake of giving hope and help to many people. I'll give ya that Steve has some weaknesses, but he's not just putting a load on my back. He's bringin' some people into his studio to help him tell me how to carry the load that I already have. And, those of us who know Steve kind of take his advice on marriages with a grain of salt. Steve just has to talk for a few minutes because it takes Henry 5 minutes to figure out what he thinks. Of course, when he does, it is SO WORTH LISTENIN' TO. But, you can't just have dead air for that 5 minutes. And, they do generally try to point people back to the Scriptures and scriptural principles.
As Paul forgave Mark, maybe you could forgive Steve. He's an encourager to us. He's not always entirely wise (who is), but his kindness and generosity make up for it.
On our radio station, New Life Live follows right after Tony Evans. So, right after Tony hits me up side the head (Like, would you wake up already!), I need New Life to come put ointment and a bandage on the wound and point and encourage me that I am able to do what Tony told me to do.
I'd like to say just a couple of words (if you know me, you know that'll be unlikely) in Mr. Arterburn's defense. When I first heard that Mr. Arterburn had been married twice, I was appalled that he would be on a show that gives out advice to people about their marriages.
Over time, though, . . . I think of Steve like I think of Bonnie Raitt (my favorite singer). They surround themselves with the very best, and then they know when to speak and when to be quiet, when to play and when to play it straight. The difference, of course, is that what we hear of Bonnie is only the selected bits that she chooses to put on albums. Steve has the courage to come out on the air, unedited, every day, for the sake of giving hope and help to many people. I'll give ya that Steve has some weaknesses, but he's not just putting a load on my back. He's bringin' some people into his studio to help him tell me how to carry the load that I already have. And, those of us who know Steve kind of take his advice on marriages with a grain of salt. Steve just has to talk for a few minutes because it takes Henry 5 minutes to figure out what he thinks. Of course, when he does, it is SO WORTH LISTENIN' TO. But, you can't just have dead air for that 5 minutes. And, they do generally try to point people back to the Scriptures and scriptural principles.
As Paul forgave Mark, maybe you could forgive Steve. He's an encourager to us. He's not always entirely wise (who is), but his kindness and generosity make up for it.
On our radio station, New Life Live follows right after Tony Evans. So, right after Tony hits me up side the head (Like, would you wake up already!), I need New Life to come put ointment and a bandage on the wound and point and encourage me that I am able to do what Tony told me to do.
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Links - political
For discussion of current public-policy issues that are facing the American political system, try the resources at the Institute for Philosophy and Public Policy at www.puaf.umd.edu/ippp/
For a basic "front door" to almost all U.S. government Web sites, click onto the very useful site maintained by the Univesity of Michigan http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs
I don't know how I happened upon it, but you can just find all kinds of stuff in The National Archives at http://www.archives.gov/historical.docs/document.html?doc=38title.raw=Constitution!252
If you want to look at state constitutions, go to www.findlaw.com/casecode/state.html
Project Vote Smart's Web site on current issues in American government offers a number of articles. Go to www.vote-smart.org/issues/
You can find a directory of numerous federalism links at www.gmu.edu/
The Brookings Institution's policy analyses and recommendations on a variety of issues can be accessed at www.brook.edu/
For a libertarian approach to issues relating to federalism, go to the Cato Institute's Web page at www.cato.org/
National Assocation of State Information Resource Executives: www.nasire.org/
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the leading civil liberties organization, provides an extensive array of information and links concerning civil rights issues at www.aclu.org/
The Liberty Counsel describes itself as "a nonprofit religious civil liberties education and legal defense organization established to preserve religious freedom." The URL for its Web site is www.ic.org/
If you want to read historica Supreme Court decisions, you can find them, listed by name at supct.law.cornell.edu/supct/
The Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) focuses on how development in communications technology are affecting the constitutional liberties of Americans. You can access the CDT's site at www.cdt.org/
An extensive collection of information on Martin Luther King, Jr., is offered by the Martin Luther King Papers Project at Stanford university. If you wish to check out these papers, go to www.stanford.edu/group/King/
If you are interested in learning more about the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or want to find out how to file a complaint with that agency, go to www.eeoc.gov/
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is online at www.naacp.org/
For information on the League of Latin American Citizens, go to www.mundo.com/lulac.html
The URL for Women's Web World, which provides information on empowerment and equality for women, is www.feminist.org/
If you wish to contact the National Organization for Women (NOW) or check out the resources and links it offers, go to www.now.org/
You can find information on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, including the act's text, at janweb.icdi.wvu.edu/kinder
You can access the Web site of the Human Rights Campaign Fund, the nation's largest gay and lesbian political organization, at www.hrc.org/
If you are interested in children's rights and welfare, a good starting place is the Web site of the Child Welfare Institute. Go to www.gocwi.org/
FindLaw, at www.findlaw.com/ U.S. House of Representatives Law Library, at law.house.gov/
Legal Resource Guide, at www.ilrg.com/
Yale University Library, one of the great research institutions, has a Social Science Library and Information Services. If you want to roam around some library sources of public opinion data, this is an interesting site to visit. Go to www.library.yale.edu/socsci/opinion/
According to its home page, the mission of National Election Studies (NES) "is to produce high quality data on voting, public opinion, and political participation that serves the research needs of social scientists, teachers, students, and policymakes concerned with understanding the theoretical and empirical foundations of mass politics in a democratic society." This is a good place to obtain information related to public opinion. Find it at www.umich.edu/~nes/
The Pew Charitable Trusts serves the public interest by providing information, advancing policy solutions and supporting civic life. The Trusts will invest $248 million in fiscal year 2007 to provide organizations and citizens with fact-based research and practical solutions for challenging issues. http://www.pewtrusts.org/
Now, with the explosion of weblogs and Web 2.0 services such as search, tagging, and Technorati, the Web itself has become a single, massive-scale outlet for citizen journalism. One simply doesn't need Command Post much anymore, but we're keeping the site up as an archive ... a small historical landmark along the hyperlink highway. "Oh, look, honey," Web travelers might say, "here's where average people around the world first collaboratively reported and documented history for themselves on a global scale." Something may happen one day that warrants reactivation of the network, but until then, please read and enjoy. http://www.command-post.org/
The Corner on National Review Online http://corner.nationalreview.com/
John H. Hinderaker is a lawyer with a nationwide litigation practice. Scott W. Johnson is a Minneapolis attorney. For more than 10 years, they have written on public policy issues. Paul Mirengoff is an attorney in Washington, D.C. They publish at http://www.powerlineblog.com/
History and history in the making at the Belmont Club http://www.belmontclub.blogspot.com/ for earlier posts. Newer posts are on http://fallbackbelmont.blogspot.com/.
Roger L. Simon is a mystery novelist and screenwriter. He can be found at http://www.rogerlsimon.com/
James Lileks, a columnist for the Star-Tribune and syndicated political humor columnist for Newhouse News Service, publishes humiliating defenseless ephemera at http://www.lileks.com/
Captain's Quarters - Thus every blogger, in his kind, is bit by him who comes behind -- http://www.captainsquartersblog.com/mt/
The Evangelical Outpost - reflections on culture, politics, and religion from an evangelical worldview - http://www.evangelicaloutpost.com/
For a basic "front door" to almost all U.S. government Web sites, click onto the very useful site maintained by the Univesity of Michigan http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs
I don't know how I happened upon it, but you can just find all kinds of stuff in The National Archives at http://www.archives.gov/historical.docs/document.html?doc=38title.raw=Constitution!252
If you want to look at state constitutions, go to www.findlaw.com/casecode/state.html
Project Vote Smart's Web site on current issues in American government offers a number of articles. Go to www.vote-smart.org/issues/
You can find a directory of numerous federalism links at www.gmu.edu/
The Brookings Institution's policy analyses and recommendations on a variety of issues can be accessed at www.brook.edu/
For a libertarian approach to issues relating to federalism, go to the Cato Institute's Web page at www.cato.org/
National Assocation of State Information Resource Executives: www.nasire.org/
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the leading civil liberties organization, provides an extensive array of information and links concerning civil rights issues at www.aclu.org/
The Liberty Counsel describes itself as "a nonprofit religious civil liberties education and legal defense organization established to preserve religious freedom." The URL for its Web site is www.ic.org/
If you want to read historica Supreme Court decisions, you can find them, listed by name at supct.law.cornell.edu/supct/
The Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) focuses on how development in communications technology are affecting the constitutional liberties of Americans. You can access the CDT's site at www.cdt.org/
An extensive collection of information on Martin Luther King, Jr., is offered by the Martin Luther King Papers Project at Stanford university. If you wish to check out these papers, go to www.stanford.edu/group/King/
If you are interested in learning more about the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or want to find out how to file a complaint with that agency, go to www.eeoc.gov/
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is online at www.naacp.org/
For information on the League of Latin American Citizens, go to www.mundo.com/lulac.html
The URL for Women's Web World, which provides information on empowerment and equality for women, is www.feminist.org/
If you wish to contact the National Organization for Women (NOW) or check out the resources and links it offers, go to www.now.org/
You can find information on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, including the act's text, at janweb.icdi.wvu.edu/kinder
You can access the Web site of the Human Rights Campaign Fund, the nation's largest gay and lesbian political organization, at www.hrc.org/
If you are interested in children's rights and welfare, a good starting place is the Web site of the Child Welfare Institute. Go to www.gocwi.org/
FindLaw, at www.findlaw.com/ U.S. House of Representatives Law Library, at law.house.gov/
Legal Resource Guide, at www.ilrg.com/
Yale University Library, one of the great research institutions, has a Social Science Library and Information Services. If you want to roam around some library sources of public opinion data, this is an interesting site to visit. Go to www.library.yale.edu/socsci/opinion/
According to its home page, the mission of National Election Studies (NES) "is to produce high quality data on voting, public opinion, and political participation that serves the research needs of social scientists, teachers, students, and policymakes concerned with understanding the theoretical and empirical foundations of mass politics in a democratic society." This is a good place to obtain information related to public opinion. Find it at www.umich.edu/~nes/
The Pew Charitable Trusts serves the public interest by providing information, advancing policy solutions and supporting civic life. The Trusts will invest $248 million in fiscal year 2007 to provide organizations and citizens with fact-based research and practical solutions for challenging issues. http://www.pewtrusts.org/
Now, with the explosion of weblogs and Web 2.0 services such as search, tagging, and Technorati, the Web itself has become a single, massive-scale outlet for citizen journalism. One simply doesn't need Command Post much anymore, but we're keeping the site up as an archive ... a small historical landmark along the hyperlink highway. "Oh, look, honey," Web travelers might say, "here's where average people around the world first collaboratively reported and documented history for themselves on a global scale." Something may happen one day that warrants reactivation of the network, but until then, please read and enjoy. http://www.command-post.org/
The Corner on National Review Online http://corner.nationalreview.com/
John H. Hinderaker is a lawyer with a nationwide litigation practice. Scott W. Johnson is a Minneapolis attorney. For more than 10 years, they have written on public policy issues. Paul Mirengoff is an attorney in Washington, D.C. They publish at http://www.powerlineblog.com/
History and history in the making at the Belmont Club http://www.belmontclub.blogspot.com/ for earlier posts. Newer posts are on http://fallbackbelmont.blogspot.com/.
Roger L. Simon is a mystery novelist and screenwriter. He can be found at http://www.rogerlsimon.com/
James Lileks, a columnist for the Star-Tribune and syndicated political humor columnist for Newhouse News Service, publishes humiliating defenseless ephemera at http://www.lileks.com/
Captain's Quarters - Thus every blogger, in his kind, is bit by him who comes behind -- http://www.captainsquartersblog.com/mt/
The Evangelical Outpost - reflections on culture, politics, and religion from an evangelical worldview - http://www.evangelicaloutpost.com/
Sunday, August 20, 2006
Gideons
I sometimes have some fairly unpopular opinions. This is one of those times.
This morning, at my church, we had a Gideon speaker get up to speak. As soon as he got up to speak, this scripture started running through my head. It was something about not throwing your pearls before swine.
Right before the Gideon speaker, we had heard about our church's ministry in Brazil. I'd been wondering why we had to go halfway across the world to minister the gospel. When the Gideon speaker got up, he shed some light on the subject. We have callused our Western world by over-disseminating the gospel, maybe.
This is, trust me, such a strange thought for me to have. I grew up wanting to be a sort of biblical Johnny Appleseed. I remember in grade school, when I heard the story of Johnny Appleseed, I literally wanted to be like him, except scattering God's Word all over the world.
The problem is that I hear God's Words spoken by the strangest people in bus stations and homeless shelters. Everyone knows a couple of verses by which they justify their lifestyle, but nobody knows or has much interest in knowing the whole book. It's like Western society has been given a Gospel innoculation to make it immune to the real Gospel message.
This morning, at my church, we had a Gideon speaker get up to speak. As soon as he got up to speak, this scripture started running through my head. It was something about not throwing your pearls before swine.
Right before the Gideon speaker, we had heard about our church's ministry in Brazil. I'd been wondering why we had to go halfway across the world to minister the gospel. When the Gideon speaker got up, he shed some light on the subject. We have callused our Western world by over-disseminating the gospel, maybe.
This is, trust me, such a strange thought for me to have. I grew up wanting to be a sort of biblical Johnny Appleseed. I remember in grade school, when I heard the story of Johnny Appleseed, I literally wanted to be like him, except scattering God's Word all over the world.
The problem is that I hear God's Words spoken by the strangest people in bus stations and homeless shelters. Everyone knows a couple of verses by which they justify their lifestyle, but nobody knows or has much interest in knowing the whole book. It's like Western society has been given a Gospel innoculation to make it immune to the real Gospel message.
Monday, August 14, 2006
Here are some notes from an article on the Rev. Gregory A. Boyd of Woodland Hills Church in St. Paul. I don't entirely agree with him, but I think he has some points.
A common concern is that the Christian message is being compromised by the tendency to tie evangelical Christianity to the Republican Party and American nationalism, especially through the war in Iraq.
I'm a dedicated Republican, as it so happens. But, I agree that the inextricable tying of evangelicals to the Republican Party is disastrous. It leaves us talking about political issues more than we talk about Jesus Christ. People who don't agree with our politlcal convictions might not be attracted to the Savior if we identify the two so closely.
He said there were Christians on both the left and the right who had turned politics and patriotism into “idolatry.”
It seems to me that Christians of all stripes are turning a lot of different leaders into idols, political leaders = political idols. religious leaders = religious idols. I think we should look back to what God said to the Israelites when they wanted a king. As Christians, God is our leader.
“I am sorry to tell you,” he continued, “that America is not the light of the world and the hope of the world. The light of the world and the hope of the world is Jesus Christ.”
I think that abortion and homosexuality are bad things, but I think that they are nowhere near as bad as people dying and going to hell. I never shop at our local Wallgreen's because of their support of homosexuality. But, I don't see many commandments in the Bible about trying to contain or hinder the sin of the world. I see commandments about weeding out sin in my life, to perfect my testimony to that world. I also see statements about shining as a light to a lost world. We can't stop the world from being . . . worldly. The god of this world is the devil. We shouldn't be surprised if the world is more and more evil. We should pick out battles and not waste our time trying to change the world. We should, instead, divide and conquer. Change individuals with the gospel and the world may slowly change a little.
A common concern is that the Christian message is being compromised by the tendency to tie evangelical Christianity to the Republican Party and American nationalism, especially through the war in Iraq.
I'm a dedicated Republican, as it so happens. But, I agree that the inextricable tying of evangelicals to the Republican Party is disastrous. It leaves us talking about political issues more than we talk about Jesus Christ. People who don't agree with our politlcal convictions might not be attracted to the Savior if we identify the two so closely.
He said there were Christians on both the left and the right who had turned politics and patriotism into “idolatry.”
It seems to me that Christians of all stripes are turning a lot of different leaders into idols, political leaders = political idols. religious leaders = religious idols. I think we should look back to what God said to the Israelites when they wanted a king. As Christians, God is our leader.
“I am sorry to tell you,” he continued, “that America is not the light of the world and the hope of the world. The light of the world and the hope of the world is Jesus Christ.”
I think that abortion and homosexuality are bad things, but I think that they are nowhere near as bad as people dying and going to hell. I never shop at our local Wallgreen's because of their support of homosexuality. But, I don't see many commandments in the Bible about trying to contain or hinder the sin of the world. I see commandments about weeding out sin in my life, to perfect my testimony to that world. I also see statements about shining as a light to a lost world. We can't stop the world from being . . . worldly. The god of this world is the devil. We shouldn't be surprised if the world is more and more evil. We should pick out battles and not waste our time trying to change the world. We should, instead, divide and conquer. Change individuals with the gospel and the world may slowly change a little.
AMEN, Rivkin & Casey
A few quotes taken from David Rivkin & Lee Casey's Article "The British Way" from THE WALL STREET JOURNAL's Editorial Page.
Indeed, judging by some of the more extreme criticism leveled against war-on-terror policies, there are those who consider as the purest tyranny any compromise of individual autonomy to meet the community's needs.
For 30 years, Britain's military and law-enforcement forces investigated, infiltrated, surveilled and openly fought the IRA and won, deriving two important advantages in the process. First, Britain's armed forces and police have been thoroughly schooled in the most advanced techniques of surveillance and counterterrorism. Second, its political establishment and population (obviously, with some exceptions) have become accustomed to the measures, sometimes intrusive and burdensome, necessary to prevent terrorist attacks.
The United States cannot, of course, adopt all aspects of the British system; our constitutional systems are really quite different. Nevertheless, there are clear lessons that can be drawn from the British experience--especially in affording the police greater investigative latitude and in accepting some compromise of privacy in exchange for a greater security. Bush administration critics often misquote Benjamin Franklin as having said that "those who would trade liberty for security deserve neither." What Franklin actually proposed was a balancing test: "They that would give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." In fighting terrorism, the British appear to have been striking that balance successfully.
Indeed, judging by some of the more extreme criticism leveled against war-on-terror policies, there are those who consider as the purest tyranny any compromise of individual autonomy to meet the community's needs.
For 30 years, Britain's military and law-enforcement forces investigated, infiltrated, surveilled and openly fought the IRA and won, deriving two important advantages in the process. First, Britain's armed forces and police have been thoroughly schooled in the most advanced techniques of surveillance and counterterrorism. Second, its political establishment and population (obviously, with some exceptions) have become accustomed to the measures, sometimes intrusive and burdensome, necessary to prevent terrorist attacks.
The United States cannot, of course, adopt all aspects of the British system; our constitutional systems are really quite different. Nevertheless, there are clear lessons that can be drawn from the British experience--especially in affording the police greater investigative latitude and in accepting some compromise of privacy in exchange for a greater security. Bush administration critics often misquote Benjamin Franklin as having said that "those who would trade liberty for security deserve neither." What Franklin actually proposed was a balancing test: "They that would give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." In fighting terrorism, the British appear to have been striking that balance successfully.
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Internet supervision
Marybeth Hicks has a great article on how she'd rather be an overprotective momma than ever see her kids on the 6:00 news. http://www.jewishworldreview.com/0806/hicks081006.php3
Monday, August 07, 2006
EU: Hezbollah not a terrorist group ?
"'Given the sensitive situation, I don't think we will be acting on this now,' said Finnish foreign minister Erkki Tuomioja, speaking for the 25 member states of the European Union, which this week rebuffed a plea from 213 U.S. congressmen to brand Hezbollah a terrorist group." - Diana West
"Some Islamist groups, notably Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad in Palestine and Al-Qaeda have used suicide bombers against civilians, soldiers, and government officials of the regimes that they oppose." -Wikipedia
"Some Islamist groups, notably Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad in Palestine and Al-Qaeda have used suicide bombers against civilians, soldiers, and government officials of the regimes that they oppose." -Wikipedia
"Nowadays, Hezbollah operates a number of operative agents in Israel, whose objectives are threefold:
- Establishing and developing terrorist groups in Israel with the purpose of perpetrating terrorist attacks in Israel, orchestrated directly by Hezbollah.
- Smuggling arms and ammunition including rockets and concealing them in Israel.
- Providing logistic and operative assistance for perpetrating terrorist attacks in Israel by Palestinian terrorist groups based in the Palestinian Authority administered territories." -- The Lebanese Foundation for Peace
In April 2005 Al-Manar (Hezbollah's satellite TV station) broadcast a 12-part series, also produced in Syria, the biography of Yehia Ayash (“the engineer”), one of Hamas’ most vicious senior terrorists. The series exalted and glorified Yehia Ayash, turning a brutal killer into a role model.(Between 1994 and 1996 he was behind several suicide bombing attacks in Israeli cities whose aim was to sabotage the Oslo peace process, and was responsible for the killing, wounding and maiming of hundreds of Israeli civilians.) http://www.intelligence.org.il/eng/sib/6_05/hezb_pub_e.htm
What I keep thinking as I'm reading up on this is . . . If right and wrong are determined by who seems to be getting the worst of the fight at the moment, the underdog, then the scales of our foreign policy will keep tipping back and forth as we support one movement until it gets strong enough to prevail, then we turn and start supporting its rival. This seems to be a very unstable way to determine foreign policy. This is what public opinion will do, though, without some intervention. Govt. leaders: When it comes to things as difficult to understand as terrorism, we've got to count on you, to some degree, to act in our best interest and not listen to us whining and mewing. Please hire people who are better and smarter than us, 'cause honestly we're pretty confused.
Sudden Jihad Syndrome
Have you heard of Sudden Jihad Syndrome? I hadn't. Jeff Jacoby mentions it today over at Jewish World Review (http://www.jewishworldreview.com/jeff/jacoby080706.php3), as he discusses Naveed Haq. Mr. Haq "forced his way into the offices of the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle by holding a gun to the head of a 13-year-old girl. Once inside, Haq announced, "I am a Muslim American, angry at Israel," and opened fire with two semi-automatic pistols. Pam Waechter, 58, died on the spot. Five other women, one of them 20 weeks pregnant, were shot in the abdomen, knee, or arm."
How does a country maintain freedom of religion when one of the religions is determined to make war on the other? Must not freedom of religion in this case give way to other freedoms, like freedom from semi-automatic pistol fire?
How does a country maintain freedom of religion when one of the religions is determined to make war on the other? Must not freedom of religion in this case give way to other freedoms, like freedom from semi-automatic pistol fire?
Sunday, August 06, 2006
Child Custody Protection Act
I'm not terribly strident about abortion to tell you the truth. Maybe I should be. I don't know. I guess what disturbs me most about interstate transportation of minors to obtain an abortion is not the abortion. It's that we're institutionalizing (if that's the right word) the circumvention of our laws. Disrespect for authority is pretty common among teenagers. Did I hear right that Senator Reid's block of the CCPA's passage into conference committee, thus keeping it from becoming law this term, was about his concern that clergy be allowed to circumvent the state laws? It's like the left's trying to play the church vs. state card that it's seen work so well for the right.
Whether you're left, right, or center, we have laws in this country. Circumventing them is not good. Teaching our children that politics or religion make breaking the law okay is horrible.
Of course, our getting our kids to pray at football games, refusing to acknowledge certain supreme court rulings falls under the same heading. The right is just as bad as the left.
Whether you're left, right, or center, we have laws in this country. Circumventing them is not good. Teaching our children that politics or religion make breaking the law okay is horrible.
Of course, our getting our kids to pray at football games, refusing to acknowledge certain supreme court rulings falls under the same heading. The right is just as bad as the left.
Monday, July 31, 2006
Deity Over Dignity
I was just looking at the passages in Mark and Luke where the disciples are bragging about how they saw a man driving out demons in Jesus' name and commanded him to stop it, because he wasn't one of them. But, Jesus told them that who wasn't against them was for them. I think there are some subtleties to that, because later the seven sons of Sceva got some seriously bad results from trying to drive out demons in Jesus' name. But, this passage (passages) reminds me of the relationship between me and my church. I try to do good things by studying and volunteering and things that I don't have to do. I could just sit at home and watch TV and play video games all day. I've been cleaning my house today. That's a huge step for me. If I told them, they wouldn't care. Nothing matters to them except that I don't have a job. I'm sure you don't see how this relates at all to this passage. I probably just sound like I'm griping for no reason at all. I'm like the man who wasn't one of the disciples. I'm not like all the others at church. I'm different from them. I don't fit in, so they don't know what to do with me. But, just because I don't fit in with them, doesn't make me against Jesus. If I'm not against them, and I'm certainly not, then let's all play on the same team. I've probably oversimplified things. I just get tired of people, in the name of love, voicing condescension and anything but love. It hurts.
Escalating Conflict
I just read an article by Jeff Jacoby in the Jewish World Review called Hezbollah is our Enemy, too (http://jewishworldreview.com/jeff/jacoby073106.php3). I confess. I haven't really been keeping up with the news lately. I've heard people make stray comments about something going on over in Israel and thought that I really ought to check that out. Sometimes, I'm just really off in my own little world. I know that's irresponsible.
After reading Jeff Jacoby's article, I wonder if part of our government's refusal to get involved has to do with the fact that it's Israel that they'd be seen as defending. Would Mr. Bush maybe not want it to seem that his evangelical convictions were setting his foreign policy, and therefore . . . I don't know how to say it. You know how a teacher is harder on her own child than on any other child, lest she be seen to show favoritism.
Then, there's the fact that our troops are already committed in Iraq. Do we really want to be fighting on two fronts if we don't absolutely have to? Is this attack on Israel a ploy by Hezbollah against the United States? Are they concerned about our slow but steady progress in Iraq? I don't know much of anything about military tactics. When we're done in Iraq, it would be very satisfying to just knock Hezbollah into the middle of the next century. But, maybe our commanders know what they're doing for now.
After reading Jeff Jacoby's article, I wonder if part of our government's refusal to get involved has to do with the fact that it's Israel that they'd be seen as defending. Would Mr. Bush maybe not want it to seem that his evangelical convictions were setting his foreign policy, and therefore . . . I don't know how to say it. You know how a teacher is harder on her own child than on any other child, lest she be seen to show favoritism.
Then, there's the fact that our troops are already committed in Iraq. Do we really want to be fighting on two fronts if we don't absolutely have to? Is this attack on Israel a ploy by Hezbollah against the United States? Are they concerned about our slow but steady progress in Iraq? I don't know much of anything about military tactics. When we're done in Iraq, it would be very satisfying to just knock Hezbollah into the middle of the next century. But, maybe our commanders know what they're doing for now.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Philip's Prophesying Daughters
I just finished reading the Everyday with Jesus Newsletter from Lifeway. I kind of liked it, but I have to take exception with it in a small way. Philip's four prophesying daughters in Acts 21:9 are seen as courageous and creative for speaking up despite their singleness and their femininity, which wasn't valued much back then.
I think that we don't much understand these days what the word prophesy means. I don't suppose any special brilliance about Greek or anything. It just seems like I understand the Word best when I test it and really try to live it out. To me, the word prophecy has come to mean having something to say that's not my word, that's God's word. Sometimes, if I'm not careful, God's word will get me so excited that I'll start embellishing it with my words. I ABSOLUTELY MUST NOT DO THAT. God's words are standalone. They are what they are. I have to just say them and then let people do what they will with them, without my help. Nothing I can add can make God's words better. When I hear what this writer from Lifeway says about Philip's daughters, I want to say . . . don't you get it? If the God who made heaven and earth tells you to say something, you say it. Period. If you don't say it, you bear the responsibility for it. You have to say it. Lots of people don't really want to hear what I have to say. It doesn't matter. I won't be able to sleep until I've said those words to someone. If I don't say them to this crowd, I'll feel so guilty because I know this is what God wants. Sometimes, I'm not really sure whether it was really God or whether I'm just crazy. But if there is a question, I would rather have gone out on a limb for God and looked like a fool than to have sat around my whole life wandering if that could really be God's voice calling me.
I think that we don't much understand these days what the word prophesy means. I don't suppose any special brilliance about Greek or anything. It just seems like I understand the Word best when I test it and really try to live it out. To me, the word prophecy has come to mean having something to say that's not my word, that's God's word. Sometimes, if I'm not careful, God's word will get me so excited that I'll start embellishing it with my words. I ABSOLUTELY MUST NOT DO THAT. God's words are standalone. They are what they are. I have to just say them and then let people do what they will with them, without my help. Nothing I can add can make God's words better. When I hear what this writer from Lifeway says about Philip's daughters, I want to say . . . don't you get it? If the God who made heaven and earth tells you to say something, you say it. Period. If you don't say it, you bear the responsibility for it. You have to say it. Lots of people don't really want to hear what I have to say. It doesn't matter. I won't be able to sleep until I've said those words to someone. If I don't say them to this crowd, I'll feel so guilty because I know this is what God wants. Sometimes, I'm not really sure whether it was really God or whether I'm just crazy. But if there is a question, I would rather have gone out on a limb for God and looked like a fool than to have sat around my whole life wandering if that could really be God's voice calling me.
Monday, July 24, 2006
Arguing with giants
Sometimes I love to read blogs by professors and educated people on the web. It's stimulating. Sometimes I feel like a real dummy in trying to respond to them, though. I don't have an education. Once upon a long time ago, I used to be smart. But, I think ya lose some of that as the years go by, if you don't use it continually. I don't know if my thoughts and ideas have any merit or worth. I just throw them out here like I'm so sure of everything. Then sometimes later, I think what am I doing arguing with this giant, or that kid in school who sounds like he knows twice as much as I do?
Worship
I was just reading Albert Mohler's post about worship. Admittedly, I didn't have time to finish it yet. I'll finish it tonite. Before I forget, I just wanted to put my two cents in on the topic. When I'm worshiping, the things we fight about just seem immaterial. We just seem to be missing the point.
People around me seem to think that "young" worship has to do with clapping or style of music or raising hands or some outward thing. (What clapping is really good for is giving my little hyperactive nieces something to keep them busy and out of trouble. They're not good at following the words to the songs yet, but I can keep them out of trouble clapping.) I'm not so young anymore (38), but what I'm seeking is none of those things. It's connection. Anything that facilitates that connection is something that we welcome (sometimes too readily.)
This Sunday, though, it happened this way. I slipped into the back row. My Sunday School teacher slipped in beside me. There was an adorable baby in her momma's arms in front of us. My teacher and her husband started playing quietly with this baby. I just got the thought . . . that's what God's like with us. We're all like that little baby to him. Oh, there's no words. Don't we all love playing with babies. I don't know why. But, it just seemed like God was saying to me that we were all His babies and he delighted in each of us just like we delighted in that little baby in front of me. This made me just beam up at Him, . . . like a bloomin' idiot. God loves me so much, and I make such a mess of it. It's just so wonderful to believe that He still loves me and forgives me and values me. What could possibly be better! Speaking in tongues couldn't be better than just that knowledge. I'm not saying that I don't believe in speaking in tongues. I'm just saying that I have absolutely no need of it. I have all I need. I have God. He's just so cool sometimes. It doesn't matter what you do or what you wear. What matters is what condition your heart is in. James would say that what you do and what you wear (fruit) is certainly an indicator of where your heart is and therefore important. Music and message can certainly have a little influence over the condition of your heart, but nothing can really dim joy that you've spent all week cultivating and preparing for. Hymns. Praise music. I love them all. I like worshiping in comfortable clothes in the evening, but I think getting at least a little dressed up on Sunday morning is a witness to my neighbors. But all that isn't really about worship at all. It's about something else. It's peripheral. It's like a nat detracting from worship. Get over it.
People around me seem to think that "young" worship has to do with clapping or style of music or raising hands or some outward thing. (What clapping is really good for is giving my little hyperactive nieces something to keep them busy and out of trouble. They're not good at following the words to the songs yet, but I can keep them out of trouble clapping.) I'm not so young anymore (38), but what I'm seeking is none of those things. It's connection. Anything that facilitates that connection is something that we welcome (sometimes too readily.)
This Sunday, though, it happened this way. I slipped into the back row. My Sunday School teacher slipped in beside me. There was an adorable baby in her momma's arms in front of us. My teacher and her husband started playing quietly with this baby. I just got the thought . . . that's what God's like with us. We're all like that little baby to him. Oh, there's no words. Don't we all love playing with babies. I don't know why. But, it just seemed like God was saying to me that we were all His babies and he delighted in each of us just like we delighted in that little baby in front of me. This made me just beam up at Him, . . . like a bloomin' idiot. God loves me so much, and I make such a mess of it. It's just so wonderful to believe that He still loves me and forgives me and values me. What could possibly be better! Speaking in tongues couldn't be better than just that knowledge. I'm not saying that I don't believe in speaking in tongues. I'm just saying that I have absolutely no need of it. I have all I need. I have God. He's just so cool sometimes. It doesn't matter what you do or what you wear. What matters is what condition your heart is in. James would say that what you do and what you wear (fruit) is certainly an indicator of where your heart is and therefore important. Music and message can certainly have a little influence over the condition of your heart, but nothing can really dim joy that you've spent all week cultivating and preparing for. Hymns. Praise music. I love them all. I like worshiping in comfortable clothes in the evening, but I think getting at least a little dressed up on Sunday morning is a witness to my neighbors. But all that isn't really about worship at all. It's about something else. It's peripheral. It's like a nat detracting from worship. Get over it.
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Baptists
Ya know, I grew up hating Baptists. They were too strident, too sure of everything, too demanding of the rest of us. Everything was black or white with them. Two of the things that changed my mind were their music and their knowledge of scripture.
First, their music. A lot of hymns are common to a lot of denominations. I've heard the same hymns in Methodist and Presbyterian churches that I've heard in Baptist churches. Of course, in the Lutheran church that I grew up in, anything from the 16th century was considered New Age. "Rock of Ages" was Rock 'N' Roll. I'm not sure if anybody was actually trying to sing the Lutheran music, all I remember was a long, dull drone . . . accompanied by Mel Schulz (God rest his soul) pounding loudly on the organ. There are four really big Baptist churches in our medium-sized town. Back when I was 21, I looked at the sea of grey heads in the Lutheran church and thought that maybe I'd like to go somewhere else to church. I don't know how I wound up in my first Baptist church, but it seemed to be where everybody else was going. I couldn't believe this. People (don't laugh) SMILED IN CHURCH. I didn't think that was allowed. I remember actually wanting to go up and ask somebody why they allowed everybody to smile and laugh in this church. I didn't, thank goodness. Now, they smile and laugh at the Lutheran church. Back when I was a kid, you just didn't do that. Church was a solemn occasion.
Anyway, back to their music. Once I got inside, I eventually found out what it was that made these people so happy. They had these hymns with words like "Trust and Obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey." Now, I'd heard a lot about being good in Jesus, and obedience was a pretty common theme. But, the very idea that somebody would write a song about being good and happy at the same time. And, this church that I was going to, they sang that song near every Sunday. They just loved that song. The more I heard it, the more I liked it. At first it seemed like just another moralistic admonition to obey. "Yeah, that sounds like Baptists, alright. Always scolding." But, the more I heard it, the more the happiness angle got through. Like, they were telling me that they knew the secret to being happy for the rest of your life.
Well, anyway, I can't rhapsodize on that any longer. On to their knowledge of scripture. I guess I should say our knowledge of scripture.
I guess everybody could say that they've met a lot of people in their life. I'd dare to say that I've met a wider variety than most, though. Because I'm scared to death of relationships, because they never last long with me, because I'm real good at making friends but real bad at keeping them, . . . I've known a lot of people. Everybody knows a little bit of Scripture, and everybody thinks they know the Bible a whole lot better than they really do. There are only a few people that ever really impressed me with their Bible knowledge, and only one of those wasn't a professional Bible speaker. He was working beside me on an assembly line. His name was Steve Tipton. I think he had just finished college and had come home to get married before attending Baptist seminary. We struck up a conversation because he remembered riding the bus with me when we were little kids. As a kid, I only remember Steve as the steady one, friendly, kind of protective, but never really enough that I even learned his name. I just remember his face, always just being there, watching. I met him right around the time I was getting saved. I started arguing scripture with him, and I just wouldn't let up. The difference between him and me was that I'm one of those people who doesn't know as much Scripture as they think they know. But, for every verse I knew, he knew where to find it in the Bible, and he knew an answering verse to support his point and where to find his verse in the Bible. That was almost enough, but not quite. Then, he nailed me. He quoted a verse I'd never heard before. At least, I didn't remember hearing it. I wasn't familiar with it, wasn't expecting it. I guess I thought that anybody that could beat me in a Biblical argument, well their religion maybe deserved a hearing. He suggested that I check out East Side Baptist Church. I went to East Side Baptist church the next Sunday night I think it was. I've been there off and on ever since. I guess I've pretty much been a Baptist since then. Sometimes I think I can't stand them. Sometimes, I want to just kill the lot of 'em. A lot of the time, I think they wanna kill me. [Chuckle] Well, it's all Steve's fault, y'all.
First, their music. A lot of hymns are common to a lot of denominations. I've heard the same hymns in Methodist and Presbyterian churches that I've heard in Baptist churches. Of course, in the Lutheran church that I grew up in, anything from the 16th century was considered New Age. "Rock of Ages" was Rock 'N' Roll. I'm not sure if anybody was actually trying to sing the Lutheran music, all I remember was a long, dull drone . . . accompanied by Mel Schulz (God rest his soul) pounding loudly on the organ. There are four really big Baptist churches in our medium-sized town. Back when I was 21, I looked at the sea of grey heads in the Lutheran church and thought that maybe I'd like to go somewhere else to church. I don't know how I wound up in my first Baptist church, but it seemed to be where everybody else was going. I couldn't believe this. People (don't laugh) SMILED IN CHURCH. I didn't think that was allowed. I remember actually wanting to go up and ask somebody why they allowed everybody to smile and laugh in this church. I didn't, thank goodness. Now, they smile and laugh at the Lutheran church. Back when I was a kid, you just didn't do that. Church was a solemn occasion.
Anyway, back to their music. Once I got inside, I eventually found out what it was that made these people so happy. They had these hymns with words like "Trust and Obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey." Now, I'd heard a lot about being good in Jesus, and obedience was a pretty common theme. But, the very idea that somebody would write a song about being good and happy at the same time. And, this church that I was going to, they sang that song near every Sunday. They just loved that song. The more I heard it, the more I liked it. At first it seemed like just another moralistic admonition to obey. "Yeah, that sounds like Baptists, alright. Always scolding." But, the more I heard it, the more the happiness angle got through. Like, they were telling me that they knew the secret to being happy for the rest of your life.
Well, anyway, I can't rhapsodize on that any longer. On to their knowledge of scripture. I guess I should say our knowledge of scripture.
I guess everybody could say that they've met a lot of people in their life. I'd dare to say that I've met a wider variety than most, though. Because I'm scared to death of relationships, because they never last long with me, because I'm real good at making friends but real bad at keeping them, . . . I've known a lot of people. Everybody knows a little bit of Scripture, and everybody thinks they know the Bible a whole lot better than they really do. There are only a few people that ever really impressed me with their Bible knowledge, and only one of those wasn't a professional Bible speaker. He was working beside me on an assembly line. His name was Steve Tipton. I think he had just finished college and had come home to get married before attending Baptist seminary. We struck up a conversation because he remembered riding the bus with me when we were little kids. As a kid, I only remember Steve as the steady one, friendly, kind of protective, but never really enough that I even learned his name. I just remember his face, always just being there, watching. I met him right around the time I was getting saved. I started arguing scripture with him, and I just wouldn't let up. The difference between him and me was that I'm one of those people who doesn't know as much Scripture as they think they know. But, for every verse I knew, he knew where to find it in the Bible, and he knew an answering verse to support his point and where to find his verse in the Bible. That was almost enough, but not quite. Then, he nailed me. He quoted a verse I'd never heard before. At least, I didn't remember hearing it. I wasn't familiar with it, wasn't expecting it. I guess I thought that anybody that could beat me in a Biblical argument, well their religion maybe deserved a hearing. He suggested that I check out East Side Baptist Church. I went to East Side Baptist church the next Sunday night I think it was. I've been there off and on ever since. I guess I've pretty much been a Baptist since then. Sometimes I think I can't stand them. Sometimes, I want to just kill the lot of 'em. A lot of the time, I think they wanna kill me. [Chuckle] Well, it's all Steve's fault, y'all.
Monday, July 17, 2006
E-Witness overload
Witnessing in a day of information overload must involve more than just shouting truth into the cacophony. The power that Christ has given to us is the power of prayer, the power to move heaven and earth by moving the heaven-and-earth-mover. I would rather shout at the wind because there's less warfare involved. Satan is not buffeting me when I post truth on the internet because he knows that no one important will ever see it. He moves heaven and earth to keep me off my knees, though. That would seem to tell me where my focus ought to be. I'd rather be posting, though. Why am I so stupid.
Friday, July 14, 2006
Good stuff
One of the ways that I know God is good is that I prayed that He would help me find my little miniature broom and dustpan. I haven't seen them in a while and things have begun to look pretty bad. Just a minute or so after I prayed that prayer, there was the broom and dustpan. This morning, I had a good time with God and I asked him for some big things for me, like a knowledge of His will for me and a deeper knowledge of Him and stuff like that. Then, I prayed for a couple of other people. It's been like God's been honoring that prayer this whole day.
Monday, June 12, 2006
Deity Over Dignity
I keep hearing Christians speak about counseling and I want to say something. Often I disagree with them. They're only half right because you can't really make blanket statements about counseling. Psychologists divide the patients they deal with into different Axes, depending on the severity of the problem the person is dealing with. The things we all understand, depression, anxiety, etc. . . . those things are easy to counsel. They are counseled well by Christians. They are straightforward. Disorders that end with the words Personality Disorder are more deeply rooted disorders. Christians have said to me over and over, "Well, we all have personality disorders, don't we?" Well, yes, of course, we all have sins and problems. We do not all have "personality disorders," though. Other children do not sit and sort and sort and sort and classify, rather than play, as I saw my niece doing this weekend. What she did reminded me so much of what I used to do for hours on end when I was a kid. Now, I make lists for hours on end to calm myself. I can list for 24 hours at a time, frantically. The things that Christians say don't apply to me then. I'm not reasonable. No reasonable approach will work because I don't understand why I'm afraid or even that I am afraid. I just have this strange compulsion to make a list of something.
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Dress as Fruit
I just read a really exciting (to me, at least) post at http://wittingshire.blogspot.com/. I can't say how much I encourage you to go over and read it. We shouldn't judge people by their clothes, if they can't afford to wear better than they're wearing. But, choosing to wear grungy clothes says something about your character. To me, it suggests that the person wearing them lacks boundaries. Boundaries don't just express themselves between people. Boundaries are also about accepting responsibility. This has to do with the boundary between us and God, I think.
In an infamous passage somewhere in the Corinthian letters, Paul asks that women wear something on their heads. He justifies this by saying that it is done so in all the churches. The way we dress profoundly affects our witness to the world. Yes, WE shouldn't judge people negatively and be less than completely Christlike because of the way somebody dresses. We should, however, be aware that others do judge by what they see on the surface of our lives.
Am I saying that we should be superficial? It kinda sounds like it, huh? No, I think that we should have integrity, internal and external consistency, that we should let our relationship with Christ reform every single part of us. Then, we should never be embarassed to be completely who we are, completely honest. It is only this that is truly a witnesses. Witnessing isn't telling somebody about Jesus. It's being true, such that people cannot help but see the difference that Jesus is or is not making in my life.
In an infamous passage somewhere in the Corinthian letters, Paul asks that women wear something on their heads. He justifies this by saying that it is done so in all the churches. The way we dress profoundly affects our witness to the world. Yes, WE shouldn't judge people negatively and be less than completely Christlike because of the way somebody dresses. We should, however, be aware that others do judge by what they see on the surface of our lives.
Am I saying that we should be superficial? It kinda sounds like it, huh? No, I think that we should have integrity, internal and external consistency, that we should let our relationship with Christ reform every single part of us. Then, we should never be embarassed to be completely who we are, completely honest. It is only this that is truly a witnesses. Witnessing isn't telling somebody about Jesus. It's being true, such that people cannot help but see the difference that Jesus is or is not making in my life.
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