Saturday, January 21, 2006
Random Thoughts/Considerations
Pat Robertson shouldn't be on television. He needs to go back to writing, where A)he can actually take a second and look at what he's writing (I've read/glanced through a couple of his books, and they aren't too bad), and B)he has someone else to reign in on these things. Gah.
Ethics is going to be so much fun.
When I find myself wishing for somewhere "better" to live in the world, I actually think about it for a few seconds, and realize I've got the best deal possible going that can be found. Things are still workable here.
That said, this nation really needs something to wake it up, and get the people caring again, and cut away the unused portions of the government. Gah. I hate big government.
I think that's it for now.
Return Desk (1)
Ethics is going to be so much fun.
When I find myself wishing for somewhere "better" to live in the world, I actually think about it for a few seconds, and realize I've got the best deal possible going that can be found. Things are still workable here.
That said, this nation really needs something to wake it up, and get the people caring again, and cut away the unused portions of the government. Gah. I hate big government.
I think that's it for now.
Monday, January 16, 2006
Heads
Why does the church itself seem to skirt at least part of the following verses?
1 Corinthians 11:2-3 NASB
"Now I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold firmly to the traditions, just as I delivered them to you. But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ."
Ephesians 5:22-33 NASB
"Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, because we are members of His body. FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND SHALL BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH.This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband."
Hm. Now, how many think anyone would have a problem with the concept that Christ is the head of the church, and that God is the head of Christ? Seems pretty sound, right? Not really a cultural thing, pretty basic really. Christ is ultimately in charge of the church. God is in charge of Christ (let's not get into Trinity doctrine on this). So why is it so many seem to have trouble with the idea that the husband could maybe be the head of the wife and the home? I mean, trying to write that off as a mistranslation throws the other parts into suspect, but hey, if those are okay, and rightly translated, why wouldn't that part be? And we do so much to avoid actually acknowleding wives submitting to husbands. Now, let me pause and clarify some things. Men should never be tyrants of their home. They should never, never, never, ad infinitum, hit their wives. They should never touch their children in anger. That's where submitting to Christ, and loving like Christ loved the church, come into play. At any rate. So why don't we like the idea of the husband as the head of the home? That's the way it worked for centuries. And you know, when family was most important, when men did better jobs as fathers, this country did better. I don't think you can't correlate degredation of the nation and rise of single mothers and walk-out dads. The number of fatherless boys in the nation is painfully staggering.
Just some things to consider and discuss.
Return Desk (12)
1 Corinthians 11:2-3 NASB
"Now I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold firmly to the traditions, just as I delivered them to you. But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ."
Ephesians 5:22-33 NASB
"Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, because we are members of His body. FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND SHALL BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH.This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband."
Hm. Now, how many think anyone would have a problem with the concept that Christ is the head of the church, and that God is the head of Christ? Seems pretty sound, right? Not really a cultural thing, pretty basic really. Christ is ultimately in charge of the church. God is in charge of Christ (let's not get into Trinity doctrine on this). So why is it so many seem to have trouble with the idea that the husband could maybe be the head of the wife and the home? I mean, trying to write that off as a mistranslation throws the other parts into suspect, but hey, if those are okay, and rightly translated, why wouldn't that part be? And we do so much to avoid actually acknowleding wives submitting to husbands. Now, let me pause and clarify some things. Men should never be tyrants of their home. They should never, never, never, ad infinitum, hit their wives. They should never touch their children in anger. That's where submitting to Christ, and loving like Christ loved the church, come into play. At any rate. So why don't we like the idea of the husband as the head of the home? That's the way it worked for centuries. And you know, when family was most important, when men did better jobs as fathers, this country did better. I don't think you can't correlate degredation of the nation and rise of single mothers and walk-out dads. The number of fatherless boys in the nation is painfully staggering.
Just some things to consider and discuss.
Sunday, January 01, 2006
Grace and Truth
My pastor today said some very striking things. He spoke off of John 1:1-18, and focused on the ideas of grace and truth, or, in the translation he read from, love and faithfulness. I think that those words correlate fairly well.
He compared the ideas of grace and truth with cynicism and skepticism, and how they are frankly at odds. I'm definitely pondering this. Any thoughts?
He compared grace with tolerance. Grace, he said, cares about someone in spite of their flaws, and because of that, works with them to help the person past those things. Tolerance cares about someone and ignores their flaws, saying that they aren't really there, or aren't bad. Flaws could also be: sin, wrongs, mistakes, etc.
Grace without truth is permissiveness. Truth without grace is legalism. Only with both in balance can we acheive the attitude God wants from us.
Grace. Love. Truth. Faithfulness. Something everyone could use more of, especially me.
Discuss.
Return Desk (2)
He compared the ideas of grace and truth with cynicism and skepticism, and how they are frankly at odds. I'm definitely pondering this. Any thoughts?
He compared grace with tolerance. Grace, he said, cares about someone in spite of their flaws, and because of that, works with them to help the person past those things. Tolerance cares about someone and ignores their flaws, saying that they aren't really there, or aren't bad. Flaws could also be: sin, wrongs, mistakes, etc.
Grace without truth is permissiveness. Truth without grace is legalism. Only with both in balance can we acheive the attitude God wants from us.
Grace. Love. Truth. Faithfulness. Something everyone could use more of, especially me.
Discuss.
