Really Great Quotes pt. 2

7 09 2008

I just read another quote that hit me hard enough to come write it down for you to read and enjoy.  It comes from one of the earliest (if not the earliest), not-in-the-Bible Christians we know about.  He was born around the year 100 AD.  And just to give you a time-frame, that’s about 5 years after the apostle John was banished to Patmos, where the last book of the Bible was written.  This man, Justin the Martyr, penned these words sometime before he was killed under the reign of Marcus Aurelius who you may recognize as the compassionate, gracious Emporor from the great movie, “Gladiator”.  As you read this passage, imagine maybe Justin’s family and fellow Christians reading it shortly after he was martyred.  You’ll see what I mean:

We ourselves were well conversant with war, murder and everything evil, but all of us throughout the whole wide earth have traded in our weapons of war.  We have exchanged our swords for plowshares, our spears for farm tools … now we cultivate the fear of God, justice, kindness, faith, and the expectation of the future given us through the crucified one … the more we are persecuted and martyred, the more do others in ever increasing number become believers.

Then they killed him…

Early Church Father

If you’ve heard any great quote recently, post ‘em baby!





God’s Politics: A book review…actually just a book-title review

2 09 2008
I am in the middle of about 5 different books right now.  Most are books about the Christian life, and how to do it better.  One of these books isn’t so much about Christian life, but about Christian politics, and what that should look like and how to make that better.  Jim Wallis is the author, and the title is “God’s Politics: A New Vision for Faith and Politics in America”.  I love the headline on the back of the book:
“God Is Not a Republican . . . or a Democrat”
When I see things like that I always think of the old cheezy bracelet, and the old cheezy song, and the old cheezy phrase people would say, wayyy back in the nineties: What Would Jesus Do?  I like to add different verbs at the end of that phrase.  It makes it more real for me.
Where would Jesus live?
How would Jesus dress?
What would Jesus rock out to?
then it hit me…
Who would Jesus vote for?
Obama vs. Mccain

Obama vs. Mccain

The Bible is clear that we should respect the authorities God placed in our lives, but what about when it’s our job to elect them?  I don’t know much, but in my life, I’ve seen enough news stories and I’ve heard enough tales about politicians to realize that they aren’t the most reputable breed.  I’m all about respecting them as authorities and obeying them, as far as they agree with God, but I don’t know how I feel about voting for them.  Any of them.
In another book that I’m in the middle of, Jesus for President, Shane Claiborne and Chris Haw creatively explain how Jesus came to show another way than what the empire of Rome offered.  They say (and I tend to agree with them) that Christians shouldn’t necessarily depend on trying to get politicians in office that will accomplish God’s will on earth.  That’s not the job of politicians.  That’s the job of the body of Christ, empowered with the Holy Spirit.
This post may be ending rather abruptly, but I have some school work that still needs done tonight.
Let me know what you think.




Greg the watch-dog

11 08 2008

My mom took these pictures of my dog, Greg R.N.  You can see in the pics, he is viciously territorial as this poor little squirrel invades his area.  You’ll probably need to click on the image to see it larger





Thoughts on Gardens

22 07 2008

When “gardens” is the topic of discussion, different people will bring up different thoughts and points of view.  Some may talk about the garden they have in their back yard.  In this garden, they boast, are plump tomatoes, tall cornstalks, delicious green beans, etc., etc.  There is undoubtedly a significant group who would mention a garden of sorts near their home where they go to read, relax, play sports, or whatever to reenergize them from their stressful lives.  I know I have a garden like that.  Other people, more in the religious mindset, are bound to bring up the Garden of Eden.  I think most people have at least heard of this garden.  This is the garden where God placed the first man and woman to live and take care of the world.

Now, according to these contexts, when we boil down the basic elements of a garden, we get a comforting place where work must be done in order to cause growth to occur and fruit to come forth.  There may be other vital aspects of a garden that I am ignorant of, but for my analogy, this works. 

Now, based on our defenition of a garden, I want to introduce to you another Garden.  In the beautiful, broken city of Baltimore, MD, there is a new kind of church plant called The Garden.  The name alone is a new kind of church name.  And along with the type of church plant, and the type of name, the church itself is a new (yet ancient) type of church.  I say new because it is fresh, relevent, and different from the way churches have been in the recent past.  I say ancient because the Garden seeks to do church and life with the same passion and love as did the early church way back when Christianity started.  In the Biblical book of Acts, we read about how the believers met in each others houses.  This new movement was fresh and relevent and different from the norm of that day.  The religious up and ups of their time were arrogant and prideful.  They walked around in beautiful clothes and wouldn’t even talk to the sick and homeless because they considered themselves too good.  But when the new church was planted by Jesus, they helped the sick and homeless and did whatever necessary to show God’s love for all mankind.  The Gaden - Baltimore has the same desires.  They seek to live out the whole great commandment (Matthew 22:37-39), as well as the great commision (Acts 1:7-8).

I’ll write more on this later, but if you live in the Baltimore area, and for some reason read this blog, check out the Garden Community.  It will be worth your while.





Charlie Hall - Come For Me

5 06 2008

This song has been a great encouragement to me. Hopefully it will be to you as well. If any of you are feeling worn out, or alone, or whatever else us humans feel that make us gloomy, remember who we are. And remember, more importantly, who we serve.