LongDistanceConversations
Sunday night Laura and I went to an Andrew Peterson concert in Clear Lake, Texas. It the first of two concerts that Andrew, Derek Webb, Sandra McCracken, Jill Phillips, Andy Gullahorn, Andrew Osenga and Randall Goodgame did in the Houston area for their Behold the Lamb of God Tour, the second was last night.
The first part of the concert is played “in the round”, so the audience gets a formal introduction to the different singer/songwriters participating in the collaborative effort. Derek Webb and Andy Gullahorn accompanied their wives (Sandra McCracken and Jill Phillips). That part of the concert was good enough to have continued all night, but the crux of the show followed its intermission.
“My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness” was Peterson’s way of telling the audience, “We’re going to start playing music, shut up and sing along”. Then the story starts with the invitation to gather ‘round and listen to the story of Israel’s history up-to the birth of the boy-king Jesus in humble Bethlehem. Here’s a list and description of the songs played that night:
1. Gather ‘round ye children come- this is the introduction to the narrative string of songs that Andrew Peterson has written. It’s something of a call to worship and remember the good news that makes us new.
2. Pass over us- this song re-tells the story of the first Passover where YHWH showed mercy on Israel and judgment on Egypt.
3. So long Moses- This is a string of names and stories for various leaders of the Israelite people. There is the strong anticipation, from start to finish, for a good king to lead and love.
4. Deliver us- a cry of mourning for deliverance from the bandage that we are in, that we have sold our selves into (sung by Derek Webb).
5. O come, O come Emmanuel- An instrumental song… not too much more to say about it.
6. Matthew’s begats- Matthew chapter 1 set to music.
7. It came to pass- Mary, Joseph and an unborn Jesus arrive in Bethlehem.
8. Labor of love- a very true thoughtful re-telling of what the birth of Jesus was like. In short, it was not a “silent night” (sung by Jill Phillips).
9. The holly and the Ivy- An instrumental song… not too much more to say about it.
10. While shepherds watched their flocks- A retelling of the story of God’s bringing “glad tidings of great joy” to the lowest of men.
11. Behold the Lamb of God- a call to consider our condition and Jesus remedy.
12. Theme of my song- this song alone is well worth the cost of the album. All of the contributors to the album come together for a medley revisiting the whole album. This part made me cry when I saw it live. The audience singing come let us adore him follows this.
In short, by the CD and/or the DVD, it’s amazing stuff. Or try your damnedest to see them live you won’t regret it.
Grace and Peace,
J
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Monday, September 25, 2006
Baptism: A Big Pot of Trouble (For Me)
LongDistanceConversations
He are some questions and answers from Wikipedia about baptism, the p's are answers from Paedobaptists and the c's are answers from Credobaptists. Enjoy:
-Why do Christians baptize anyone at all?
P. Baptism is a sign that a person is a member of GodÂ’s covenant community.
C. Baptism is a public profession of faith. It is a symbolic way of publicly telling the world one is a Christian
-Who are the members of GodÂ’s covenant community or church?
P. Believers and the children of believers are members of GodÂ’s covenant community (or church).
C. Only those who have faith in Christ are members of GodÂ’s covenant community (or church).
-What does baptism signify and/or symbolize?
P. Baptism symbolizes cleansing and washing.
C. . Baptism symbolizes that the individual has been washed and cleansed from his sin by the blood of Jesus.
-Is baptism merely a symbol or is it a channel through which God conveys grace?
P. Baptism is not merely a symbol. It conveys grace.
C. Baptism is merely a symbol. It does not convey grace of any kind.
-If baptism conveys grace, does it convey justifying grace?
Paedobaptistsists disagree on the answer to this question. Some argue baptism conveys justifying grace, others sanctifying grace, still others say that it conveys both.
C. N/A
I hope that you guys might have some comments and responses to this.
Grace and Peace,
Jared
He are some questions and answers from Wikipedia about baptism, the p's are answers from Paedobaptists and the c's are answers from Credobaptists. Enjoy:
-Why do Christians baptize anyone at all?
P. Baptism is a sign that a person is a member of GodÂ’s covenant community.
C. Baptism is a public profession of faith. It is a symbolic way of publicly telling the world one is a Christian
-Who are the members of GodÂ’s covenant community or church?
P. Believers and the children of believers are members of GodÂ’s covenant community (or church).
C. Only those who have faith in Christ are members of GodÂ’s covenant community (or church).
-What does baptism signify and/or symbolize?
P. Baptism symbolizes cleansing and washing.
C. . Baptism symbolizes that the individual has been washed and cleansed from his sin by the blood of Jesus.
-Is baptism merely a symbol or is it a channel through which God conveys grace?
P. Baptism is not merely a symbol. It conveys grace.
C. Baptism is merely a symbol. It does not convey grace of any kind.
-If baptism conveys grace, does it convey justifying grace?
Paedobaptistsists disagree on the answer to this question. Some argue baptism conveys justifying grace, others sanctifying grace, still others say that it conveys both.
C. N/A
I hope that you guys might have some comments and responses to this.
Grace and Peace,
Jared
Thursday, September 21, 2006
The Magic Words
LongDistanceConversations
It's an amazing thing to think about. God has breathed and is still breathing scripture to equip us for every good work. But how does this work? I think that the inspiration of scripture comes in a community where it is read aloud and given the chance to fully equip the people for acts of service, encouragement and (not or) love of all kinds. In short, we are given the means to serve King Jesus (the Word and Wisdom of God) by God's very words. These words are passed down over generations through the community that God shapes and molds into a people who serve others to the point of their own deaths.
Some people chalk scripture up to a story or stories about the history of a tribal people in the ancient Near East, which it certainly is. But, scripture’s power comes from some place else. Scripture’s power comes from the same place that our very lives do; God’s breath. We don’t bring its life to it with our ingenuity or instincts to thrive. God makes scripture alive by breathing life into it.
I think I’ll end this little blog up in the same way that liturgical churches respond to the reading of the Holy Writ: Thanks be to God!
It's an amazing thing to think about. God has breathed and is still breathing scripture to equip us for every good work. But how does this work? I think that the inspiration of scripture comes in a community where it is read aloud and given the chance to fully equip the people for acts of service, encouragement and (not or) love of all kinds. In short, we are given the means to serve King Jesus (the Word and Wisdom of God) by God's very words. These words are passed down over generations through the community that God shapes and molds into a people who serve others to the point of their own deaths.
Some people chalk scripture up to a story or stories about the history of a tribal people in the ancient Near East, which it certainly is. But, scripture’s power comes from some place else. Scripture’s power comes from the same place that our very lives do; God’s breath. We don’t bring its life to it with our ingenuity or instincts to thrive. God makes scripture alive by breathing life into it.
I think I’ll end this little blog up in the same way that liturgical churches respond to the reading of the Holy Writ: Thanks be to God!
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Words, words, words.
LongDistanceConversations
Last week I finished a book called "Who Were the Early Israelites and Where Did They Come From?" by William G. Dever. This archaeologist reinforces what I've been learning for the past couple of years; the Bible is not a history book. It most certainly is a history of a people in the ancient Near East. But we'd do better to understand it as an imaginative telling of history. Tat may seem frustrating to some (myself included) but ultimately the issues of social justice and subverting oppressive authorities in the name of YHWH lies at the heart of the OT.
In my opinion this affords us the opportunity to view our faith in much more realistic terms. Rather than beating the drum of literalistic foolishness where the earth is 7,000 years old and dinosaurs don't quite fit, we ca embrace what scholarship has to say. We can engage the world around us instead of hiding in the wilderness on our compunds.
Okay, so I'm exagerating a bit. But, the fact still remains that we'll do better by wrestling with our faith, even if we wind up a little hurt at the end of the night, than we will being idiots believing in fairy tales. Does that mean that I don't believe in things like the bodily resurrection of Jesus? No, I still believe that. In fact none of the essential elements of my faith are lost by saying that the Flood, Exodus and quite a few other OT things didn't take place in the same way or scale that the Bible says. I believe that there was a monotheistic group in Canaan who posed a social, political and reliious threat to the rulers of their day. That group eventually became Israel, a nation totally different from the pagan world around it that cried out for and yielded a messiah (king), lord and savior to deliver them from these wicked kings and emperors. But that king ended up doin for the world what so many only wanted for themselves.
That's an incredibly over-simplified way of telling that tory. But we all get the point; truth is bigger than facts.
Grace and Peace
Last week I finished a book called "Who Were the Early Israelites and Where Did They Come From?" by William G. Dever. This archaeologist reinforces what I've been learning for the past couple of years; the Bible is not a history book. It most certainly is a history of a people in the ancient Near East. But we'd do better to understand it as an imaginative telling of history. Tat may seem frustrating to some (myself included) but ultimately the issues of social justice and subverting oppressive authorities in the name of YHWH lies at the heart of the OT.
In my opinion this affords us the opportunity to view our faith in much more realistic terms. Rather than beating the drum of literalistic foolishness where the earth is 7,000 years old and dinosaurs don't quite fit, we ca embrace what scholarship has to say. We can engage the world around us instead of hiding in the wilderness on our compunds.
Okay, so I'm exagerating a bit. But, the fact still remains that we'll do better by wrestling with our faith, even if we wind up a little hurt at the end of the night, than we will being idiots believing in fairy tales. Does that mean that I don't believe in things like the bodily resurrection of Jesus? No, I still believe that. In fact none of the essential elements of my faith are lost by saying that the Flood, Exodus and quite a few other OT things didn't take place in the same way or scale that the Bible says. I believe that there was a monotheistic group in Canaan who posed a social, political and reliious threat to the rulers of their day. That group eventually became Israel, a nation totally different from the pagan world around it that cried out for and yielded a messiah (king), lord and savior to deliver them from these wicked kings and emperors. But that king ended up doin for the world what so many only wanted for themselves.
That's an incredibly over-simplified way of telling that tory. But we all get the point; truth is bigger than facts.
Grace and Peace
Sunday, July 16, 2006
My favorite movies
LongDistanceConversations
Last night I was trying to make a list of my favorite movies, and the common thread (thematically) for most of them seemed to be characters finding their humanity (typically their manhood) by fighting the accepted or developing definitions in their culture at large. Two such examples are Fight Club and Good Will Hunting.
In both of these movies there is a degree of frustration with normative manliness that is dealt with violently. But interestingly enough I don't see the acts of violence themselves (whether it's Will lashing out at a former schoolmate who "kicked the shit out of me.." or the brutality of the fight clubs) as carrying any expectation of vicory over the world around theses men. The violence portrayed in Good Will Hunting looks like pent-up anger toward life that gets the best of Will. This despite, maybe even because of, his daunting intelligence. In Fight Club the violence is aimed at a goal, but it is not direcly related to toppling the consumer culture that has de-humanized western culture.
In the end the answer seems to be a letting go. Will needs to realease his guilt and fear of failure. For Jack (Edward Norton in Fight Club), and his entire generation, it's necessary to release the ideal to be perfect. In essence these two movies are very similar thematically. And I think that the themes are best summed up by Tyler (Brad Pitt in Fight Club) "I say, let's evolve. Chips fall where they may."
It's time to move on from the desire to be refined and perfect. Maybe humanity needs to have a few crags and crevaces, lending rough edges to our lives and interaction. The picture painted of intended humanity in the Bible may be care-free, but I think much of that stems from the lack of polish applied to YHWH's image (i.e. humanity).
If this post seems, in any way, disjointed, I apologize sincerely. I was really just brainstorming. But it would be slightly more than ironic were I to polish this particular post too much.
Grace and Peace,
Jared
Last night I was trying to make a list of my favorite movies, and the common thread (thematically) for most of them seemed to be characters finding their humanity (typically their manhood) by fighting the accepted or developing definitions in their culture at large. Two such examples are Fight Club and Good Will Hunting.
In both of these movies there is a degree of frustration with normative manliness that is dealt with violently. But interestingly enough I don't see the acts of violence themselves (whether it's Will lashing out at a former schoolmate who "kicked the shit out of me.." or the brutality of the fight clubs) as carrying any expectation of vicory over the world around theses men. The violence portrayed in Good Will Hunting looks like pent-up anger toward life that gets the best of Will. This despite, maybe even because of, his daunting intelligence. In Fight Club the violence is aimed at a goal, but it is not direcly related to toppling the consumer culture that has de-humanized western culture.
In the end the answer seems to be a letting go. Will needs to realease his guilt and fear of failure. For Jack (Edward Norton in Fight Club), and his entire generation, it's necessary to release the ideal to be perfect. In essence these two movies are very similar thematically. And I think that the themes are best summed up by Tyler (Brad Pitt in Fight Club) "I say, let's evolve. Chips fall where they may."
It's time to move on from the desire to be refined and perfect. Maybe humanity needs to have a few crags and crevaces, lending rough edges to our lives and interaction. The picture painted of intended humanity in the Bible may be care-free, but I think much of that stems from the lack of polish applied to YHWH's image (i.e. humanity).
If this post seems, in any way, disjointed, I apologize sincerely. I was really just brainstorming. But it would be slightly more than ironic were I to polish this particular post too much.
Grace and Peace,
Jared
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Share the well
So, here I am in Manta, Ecuador for the next couple of months. When I flew here we stopped for a night in Quito. And as I looked out the windows of my hotel room at the mountains that surround this frenetic city, I was reminded of the words to a Caedmon's Call song:
High above the Valley of Quito
An old man and his bride grow roses
Red and yellow, white and golden
And to him they are precious as children
Their daughter, she moved to America
One more brick in the tower of Babel
She has a son they've never seen at all
And they're praying they raised her well
On the mountain high
They will live and die
As time just slips away
And the children grow
In the God they know
As time just slips away
A man, his bride, his children, and his roses
Planted in faith and watered in tears
Honey, that's all they have, and they're happier here
Than any of my friends back home
They've met Jesus and they really know Him
On the mountain high
They will live and die
As time just slips away
And the children grow
In the God they know
As time just slips away
Now I'm back at home, all alone, and trying to find my thoughts
About that old man, so inspiring, but the TV's always on
And the phone, it won't stop ringing, and these bills, they keep on screaming
To pay for all the things that we have never really needed
And I wonder what he's doing right now
Maybe walking through his simple field and thinking about how
God has blessed him so
A man, his bride, his children, and his roses
On the mountain high
They will live and die
As time just slips away
And the children grow
In the God they know
As time just slips away
I've thought about those lyrics before coming to this country. But somehow, staring out of a window, with the thin air barely filling my lungs, wondering if I'm looking at that old man's home hit me with all the reality I'd missed before. It makes me think aobut the nature of our experiences, in the (post)modern, 21st century US. We leach on to movies, music, books and TV as our own knowledge and understanding. And in turn we alienate oursleves from actually experiancing. I want to go find that man and his wife. I want to smell his roses and look down at the valley. I don't know if I ever will, but the idea is inspiring.
Grace and Peace,
Jared
High above the Valley of Quito
An old man and his bride grow roses
Red and yellow, white and golden
And to him they are precious as children
Their daughter, she moved to America
One more brick in the tower of Babel
She has a son they've never seen at all
And they're praying they raised her well
On the mountain high
They will live and die
As time just slips away
And the children grow
In the God they know
As time just slips away
A man, his bride, his children, and his roses
Planted in faith and watered in tears
Honey, that's all they have, and they're happier here
Than any of my friends back home
They've met Jesus and they really know Him
On the mountain high
They will live and die
As time just slips away
And the children grow
In the God they know
As time just slips away
Now I'm back at home, all alone, and trying to find my thoughts
About that old man, so inspiring, but the TV's always on
And the phone, it won't stop ringing, and these bills, they keep on screaming
To pay for all the things that we have never really needed
And I wonder what he's doing right now
Maybe walking through his simple field and thinking about how
God has blessed him so
A man, his bride, his children, and his roses
On the mountain high
They will live and die
As time just slips away
And the children grow
In the God they know
As time just slips away
I've thought about those lyrics before coming to this country. But somehow, staring out of a window, with the thin air barely filling my lungs, wondering if I'm looking at that old man's home hit me with all the reality I'd missed before. It makes me think aobut the nature of our experiences, in the (post)modern, 21st century US. We leach on to movies, music, books and TV as our own knowledge and understanding. And in turn we alienate oursleves from actually experiancing. I want to go find that man and his wife. I want to smell his roses and look down at the valley. I don't know if I ever will, but the idea is inspiring.
Grace and Peace,
Jared
Friday, June 09, 2006
People as characters
LongDistanceConversations
I was just listening to Ebert and Roeper's podcast, and I was led to think about flat characters. It seems that some movies portray charters in a stale and "flat' manner. And these movies are rightly criticized for doing that. But many of us, myself especially, are only concerned with the main characters in a film. Maybe that's a symptom of our self-centered nature. It may just be that we're so short-sighted that we can only focus on one person at a time. In life that person just happens to be us.
I was just listening to Ebert and Roeper's podcast, and I was led to think about flat characters. It seems that some movies portray charters in a stale and "flat' manner. And these movies are rightly criticized for doing that. But many of us, myself especially, are only concerned with the main characters in a film. Maybe that's a symptom of our self-centered nature. It may just be that we're so short-sighted that we can only focus on one person at a time. In life that person just happens to be us.
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
LongDistanceConversations
LongDistanceConversations
I'll be gone for a week to Las Vegas and I'm not sure if I'll have interent access. So, just talk amongst yourselves. Here I'll give you a topic: corporate corruption is both corporate and corrupt; discuss.
I'll be gone for a week to Las Vegas and I'm not sure if I'll have interent access. So, just talk amongst yourselves. Here I'll give you a topic: corporate corruption is both corporate and corrupt; discuss.
Saturday, May 27, 2006
Female Characters
LongDistanceConversations
I just read an article in Time magazine about an author named Curtis Sittenfeld (a woman despite what her name may lead you to think) who has, to date, written two novels centered around unconventional female characters. I say that her characters are unconventional because they're described as realistically awkward. This is hardly something that happens very often, typically in movies and novels women are characterized as beautiful but awkward. One can only assume that the rules of convention apply to beauty, and in Sittenfeld's words "when a female character feels insecure, and then all the other characters are saying, 'but you're so awesome, you're so funny, you're the best!' you almost know that it's false insecurity." I don't think that I've come across that too much in novels, per se. I've been fortunate enough to read incredible authors like Jean Rhys, Chuck Palahniuk and Brett Easton Ellis; whose female characters are incredible. But I will say that in movies Sittenfeld's comments ring true. But I've been watching Shopgirl (which is a tremendous novella, by Steve Martin) and I must say that in both the book and the movie, the characterization of Mirabelle is incredible. I would have to say that pain and loneliness that she is shown to live with, are not only authentically feminine; they're human. I know that I may not necessarily qualify to comment on what is feminine, but her pain and loneliness is not generic. It really isn't something that you could put anyone into and still come out with a great story.
A lot of this comes back to the fact that there are differences between men and women. Obviously there are biological differences. But there are different psychological and physical needs within relationships as well. This is something that, in the struggle for equality between the genders, has been forgotten. We've replaced equality with same-ness. Because of the drive inherent within feminism to achieve equality without totally rethinking the power structures. It seems to me like we're trying to renovate a house infested with termites, and not replace a single piece of wood. Women are told from childhood on that they need to be self-reliant and not ever depend on a man. This is, of course, in reference to money. So what results is women who are educated, skilled and most certainly financially independent. Their scared to death of commitments, children and any type of devotion to someone other than themselves. In short, you get the four prattling heads of Sex and the City. Vile women who have ultimately been robbed of essential pieces of their femininity all because we're too dumb to see that equality and same-ness are mutually exclusive.
A friend once shared this analogy with me: men and women are like flowers and trees, which are both equal to one another. Flowers are beautiful, sweet smelling wonders within the world. And trees are rugged, sturdy things that we can build homes and boats with. But the pragmatic quality of a tree is no more valuable than that of a flower's aesthetic quality. Don't be fooled, like I was initially, into thinking that either of these plants is meant to represent a specific gender. It's not a one-for-one exchange; just a loose representation.
I suppose my point is that culturally femininity is completely misunderstood. And that this is reflected in the movies and novels that our culture creates. Mother hood is rarely ever specifically the focus of much attention. I would hope that much of feminism's attempts t reconstruct our world in a much more equitable way without robbing women or men of their god given identities would filter into the popular conscience. Maybe then high school girls would not feel the need to make sexuality into a commodity because Kim Catrell (sp?) does.
I just read an article in Time magazine about an author named Curtis Sittenfeld (a woman despite what her name may lead you to think) who has, to date, written two novels centered around unconventional female characters. I say that her characters are unconventional because they're described as realistically awkward. This is hardly something that happens very often, typically in movies and novels women are characterized as beautiful but awkward. One can only assume that the rules of convention apply to beauty, and in Sittenfeld's words "when a female character feels insecure, and then all the other characters are saying, 'but you're so awesome, you're so funny, you're the best!' you almost know that it's false insecurity." I don't think that I've come across that too much in novels, per se. I've been fortunate enough to read incredible authors like Jean Rhys, Chuck Palahniuk and Brett Easton Ellis; whose female characters are incredible. But I will say that in movies Sittenfeld's comments ring true. But I've been watching Shopgirl (which is a tremendous novella, by Steve Martin) and I must say that in both the book and the movie, the characterization of Mirabelle is incredible. I would have to say that pain and loneliness that she is shown to live with, are not only authentically feminine; they're human. I know that I may not necessarily qualify to comment on what is feminine, but her pain and loneliness is not generic. It really isn't something that you could put anyone into and still come out with a great story.
A lot of this comes back to the fact that there are differences between men and women. Obviously there are biological differences. But there are different psychological and physical needs within relationships as well. This is something that, in the struggle for equality between the genders, has been forgotten. We've replaced equality with same-ness. Because of the drive inherent within feminism to achieve equality without totally rethinking the power structures. It seems to me like we're trying to renovate a house infested with termites, and not replace a single piece of wood. Women are told from childhood on that they need to be self-reliant and not ever depend on a man. This is, of course, in reference to money. So what results is women who are educated, skilled and most certainly financially independent. Their scared to death of commitments, children and any type of devotion to someone other than themselves. In short, you get the four prattling heads of Sex and the City. Vile women who have ultimately been robbed of essential pieces of their femininity all because we're too dumb to see that equality and same-ness are mutually exclusive.
A friend once shared this analogy with me: men and women are like flowers and trees, which are both equal to one another. Flowers are beautiful, sweet smelling wonders within the world. And trees are rugged, sturdy things that we can build homes and boats with. But the pragmatic quality of a tree is no more valuable than that of a flower's aesthetic quality. Don't be fooled, like I was initially, into thinking that either of these plants is meant to represent a specific gender. It's not a one-for-one exchange; just a loose representation.
I suppose my point is that culturally femininity is completely misunderstood. And that this is reflected in the movies and novels that our culture creates. Mother hood is rarely ever specifically the focus of much attention. I would hope that much of feminism's attempts t reconstruct our world in a much more equitable way without robbing women or men of their god given identities would filter into the popular conscience. Maybe then high school girls would not feel the need to make sexuality into a commodity because Kim Catrell (sp?) does.
Friday, May 26, 2006
Homeschooling?
A few of you reading this may know part of our story. But, I will try to elaborate, if at all possible, in a condensed fashion.
When we got married, we were pretty much set on doing what most ignorant American parent does -- putting our kids in public schools. Honestly, homeschooled kids were just weird, and all the private schooled kids that I knew were morally "worse" than the public schooled ones. Thus, the beginning of our misappropriated journey. We began with the assumptions that our kids should be "cool" (not weird) and "moral."
Then, we started reading books. Not Jesus-touch-me-make-my-life-easier Christian books, but big, frustrating books. Around this time, we also started paying attention to quite a few believers from all over who were coming to much different conclusions than we had on parenting and education.
Probably the nail in the coffin of public or private school was our relationship which was formed while in Seattle with Phil and Jen Schmidt. They had decided to homeschool their kids, and we were intrigued. We had several conversations with them, and started reading the books they read. We both decided we would pursue the path toward homeschooling our boys. We had already been doing some catechizing and Cyn had been teaching the boys to read. So, it was perfect timing. They were pre-"gradeschool" age.
We sought out what we perceived to be the most biblical homeschooling curriculum we could find, and we began. I was working 60 hours a week around this time, so Cyn was doing the majority of the actual "teaching." If you asked her to this day, she wouldn't have traded that time for anything. She loved it.
Over a few months' time, we started trying to connect with some other local homeschoolers. We thought it would be good to gain some wisdom from those who had been doing it already. And, in reality, these were some of the strangest people around. Maybe they had figured out their "theology" but it seemed to have died in 1950. We visited a few local churches that had solid homeschooling families within them, and continued to be frustrated.
We also realized that we had become increasingly arrogant toward those who disagreed about the education of their children. We had all the answers, right...we had read all the books they hadn't. So, they were stupid, and we had it all figured out. We continued to make wise cracks at public schools, and in reality probably created more distance between ourselves and those coming from different perspectives than was necessary. So, the acquaintances we were left with were these weird homeschool people.
Then, we started talking a lot more about being intentional and "missional" in everything we do. Instead of bashing the government, maybe we should be involved. Instead of railing on public education, maybe we should be incarnational.
So, obviously, there were a lot of tear-stained conversations about the transition from what we assumed would be an oasis to what we assumed would be irresponsible.
One major understanding was that making the change would entail much more responsibility. Ultimately, we are responsible for the education and "bringing up" of our kids. The goal of "education" is not to make our kids good Americans. So, obviously, we may have to fight against a lot of things that we completely disagree with. But, rather than throwing stones from the outside, we have chosen to work with and for, from the inside.
Our hope is that as much as we can, we will be involved in the school system and our kids' friends' parents' and teacher's lives. We will help where we can. And, we will not naively think that a humanistic system is going to either "poison" or "save" our kids.
It's easy to assume we know someone's motivation for doing something. If our motivation for putting our kids in public schools was to "socialize" them or "educate" them properly or because we need a daycare, then we would be in sin. But, if our motivation is to be on God's mission in a specific time and a specific place for His glory, then I believe we are on the right track.
(I'm sure there will be more to come of this...)
When we got married, we were pretty much set on doing what most ignorant American parent does -- putting our kids in public schools. Honestly, homeschooled kids were just weird, and all the private schooled kids that I knew were morally "worse" than the public schooled ones. Thus, the beginning of our misappropriated journey. We began with the assumptions that our kids should be "cool" (not weird) and "moral."
Then, we started reading books. Not Jesus-touch-me-make-my-life-easier Christian books, but big, frustrating books. Around this time, we also started paying attention to quite a few believers from all over who were coming to much different conclusions than we had on parenting and education.
Probably the nail in the coffin of public or private school was our relationship which was formed while in Seattle with Phil and Jen Schmidt. They had decided to homeschool their kids, and we were intrigued. We had several conversations with them, and started reading the books they read. We both decided we would pursue the path toward homeschooling our boys. We had already been doing some catechizing and Cyn had been teaching the boys to read. So, it was perfect timing. They were pre-"gradeschool" age.
We sought out what we perceived to be the most biblical homeschooling curriculum we could find, and we began. I was working 60 hours a week around this time, so Cyn was doing the majority of the actual "teaching." If you asked her to this day, she wouldn't have traded that time for anything. She loved it.
Over a few months' time, we started trying to connect with some other local homeschoolers. We thought it would be good to gain some wisdom from those who had been doing it already. And, in reality, these were some of the strangest people around. Maybe they had figured out their "theology" but it seemed to have died in 1950. We visited a few local churches that had solid homeschooling families within them, and continued to be frustrated.
We also realized that we had become increasingly arrogant toward those who disagreed about the education of their children. We had all the answers, right...we had read all the books they hadn't. So, they were stupid, and we had it all figured out. We continued to make wise cracks at public schools, and in reality probably created more distance between ourselves and those coming from different perspectives than was necessary. So, the acquaintances we were left with were these weird homeschool people.
Then, we started talking a lot more about being intentional and "missional" in everything we do. Instead of bashing the government, maybe we should be involved. Instead of railing on public education, maybe we should be incarnational.
So, obviously, there were a lot of tear-stained conversations about the transition from what we assumed would be an oasis to what we assumed would be irresponsible.
One major understanding was that making the change would entail much more responsibility. Ultimately, we are responsible for the education and "bringing up" of our kids. The goal of "education" is not to make our kids good Americans. So, obviously, we may have to fight against a lot of things that we completely disagree with. But, rather than throwing stones from the outside, we have chosen to work with and for, from the inside.
Our hope is that as much as we can, we will be involved in the school system and our kids' friends' parents' and teacher's lives. We will help where we can. And, we will not naively think that a humanistic system is going to either "poison" or "save" our kids.
It's easy to assume we know someone's motivation for doing something. If our motivation for putting our kids in public schools was to "socialize" them or "educate" them properly or because we need a daycare, then we would be in sin. But, if our motivation is to be on God's mission in a specific time and a specific place for His glory, then I believe we are on the right track.
(I'm sure there will be more to come of this...)
TheFarSideOfCrazy
TheFarSideOfCrazy
So the new American Idol is a seventy-two year old man, huh? What's that all about?
So the new American Idol is a seventy-two year old man, huh? What's that all about?
Raising Cain I: Education
LongDistanceConversations
I've been thinking a lot about what I'll do in certain situations when I have children lately. One of the things that keeps coming up in conversations is education. It's generally accepted that people should send their children to the public schools provided by the government. But, I tend to disagree with that as an axiom. Compulsory education is not the only way to educate children. In fact, there are quite a few arguments in favor of alternative methods. I by no means have all of the answers when it comes to this particular topic. But I do have somethings to say. I won't write an essay here laying out what I think in detail. I'd rather that come out of dialogue. So, here's an essay that I find intersting:
http://www.spinninglobe.net/condunces.htm
And don't be shy. The spectrum of people that have been invited to this blog consists of experienced parents, unmarried people who have thought about this and one very skilled educator working on a PhD in curriculum theory (whom I happen to know is not a fan of John Taylor Gato.) So no one here can use the excuse of ignorance.
I've been thinking a lot about what I'll do in certain situations when I have children lately. One of the things that keeps coming up in conversations is education. It's generally accepted that people should send their children to the public schools provided by the government. But, I tend to disagree with that as an axiom. Compulsory education is not the only way to educate children. In fact, there are quite a few arguments in favor of alternative methods. I by no means have all of the answers when it comes to this particular topic. But I do have somethings to say. I won't write an essay here laying out what I think in detail. I'd rather that come out of dialogue. So, here's an essay that I find intersting:
http://www.spinninglobe.net/condunces.htm
And don't be shy. The spectrum of people that have been invited to this blog consists of experienced parents, unmarried people who have thought about this and one very skilled educator working on a PhD in curriculum theory (whom I happen to know is not a fan of John Taylor Gato.) So no one here can use the excuse of ignorance.
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Here it is...old but good
I posted this on mySpace and wanted (and was encouraged) to post it where people might care and even react and respond. So here goes.....
Pop culture frustrates me daily
Everyday I am reminded how much our society has lost it's f-ing mind as a whole. Even my very own friends irritate me with their ignorance to the world sometimes. I even irritate myself. We all sit around and shoot the shit and talk politics and world affairs. Some seem to care, some don't. But those of us that do, get all heated about it and then proceed with our lives and do nothing. And I become frustrated because with what little I do to do the things I feel I should be, seems never to be enough to counter the disgusting mounting pop-culture God that is marketed everday in our homes, on the streets and to our youth. So many are taught of this spiteful God who does not tolerate the"filth" of our world. The message of loving in faith has been buried with those who once taught it. Occasionally I come across an individual or community that seems to have their shit straight. It pleases me pink to find others in this world that feel our love and care for folks is our duty as a community of faith. I was driving past a rather large church the other day and their flashing billboard showing their message of the week said, "Who invented sex?" Where have we (as a church) gone wrong when people stop searching for true community and start going for a catchy-little-poppy message for an hour every Sunday. That is not what Christ taught. Then the argument comes up that Christ taught in parables. But his message was not some cutsey life lesson to better yourself and find happiness. It was about living together in faith during our time here and getting the heck out there and loving on others and showing the purest of pure loves to all, not just those who seem to deserve it. We were not taught to pick and choose. We were taught to love all, even those it is our human desire to hate. So, as I sit frustrated with discussion after discussion that shows that so many around me do not see what I do, I am also left reminding myself that all I can do is try to tell them and to love them even if they do not listen or care to hear. Some of the greatest lovers of people I have met are not "of faith" and some of the most lost have claimed the Lord as their guide. I am just trying to do the best I can to love the way He did, though I fail miserably sometimes.
Pop culture frustrates me daily
Everyday I am reminded how much our society has lost it's f-ing mind as a whole. Even my very own friends irritate me with their ignorance to the world sometimes. I even irritate myself. We all sit around and shoot the shit and talk politics and world affairs. Some seem to care, some don't. But those of us that do, get all heated about it and then proceed with our lives and do nothing. And I become frustrated because with what little I do to do the things I feel I should be, seems never to be enough to counter the disgusting mounting pop-culture God that is marketed everday in our homes, on the streets and to our youth. So many are taught of this spiteful God who does not tolerate the"filth" of our world. The message of loving in faith has been buried with those who once taught it. Occasionally I come across an individual or community that seems to have their shit straight. It pleases me pink to find others in this world that feel our love and care for folks is our duty as a community of faith. I was driving past a rather large church the other day and their flashing billboard showing their message of the week said, "Who invented sex?" Where have we (as a church) gone wrong when people stop searching for true community and start going for a catchy-little-poppy message for an hour every Sunday. That is not what Christ taught. Then the argument comes up that Christ taught in parables. But his message was not some cutsey life lesson to better yourself and find happiness. It was about living together in faith during our time here and getting the heck out there and loving on others and showing the purest of pure loves to all, not just those who seem to deserve it. We were not taught to pick and choose. We were taught to love all, even those it is our human desire to hate. So, as I sit frustrated with discussion after discussion that shows that so many around me do not see what I do, I am also left reminding myself that all I can do is try to tell them and to love them even if they do not listen or care to hear. Some of the greatest lovers of people I have met are not "of faith" and some of the most lost have claimed the Lord as their guide. I am just trying to do the best I can to love the way He did, though I fail miserably sometimes.
Peace
TheFarSideOfCrazy
Within my lifetime there has not been a single day when the United States military has not been engaged in some sort of activity in a country outside of itside borders. In fact, the same is true of really any generation in the past century. I don't think that this says something solely about American or western culture. The fact is that not a day goes by when there isn't some form of violence, be it on a large or small scale. Hate plagues every nation, culture and ethnicity.
I only bring this up because today I started watching a DVD called Peace. It was a bit unsettling that the entire video was pretty typical anti-war/Bush stuff. As much as I respect Howard Zinn I think that it's a bit naive for him to talk about the ameerican people as though they are essentially good. As though there were a time when America and the people who lived within its borders were peaceful and content to live with what they had. Instead I see a group of people waiting to accept the propaganda that their leaders were presenting them with. The subjigation of Native Americans was not monopolized by the Federal government. There were plenty of people who needed little help in hating, killing and the land of the indigenous people on this continent. Just like today many Americans take quite easily to hating Mexicans for whatever reasons they can muster.
The fact is that no culture has every been peaceful. And I don't jsut mean non-violent either. People everywhere are capable of terrible atrocities. And they wuite often make good on that capability. There seems to be a persistent cloud of darkness hanging over the world. There is no thoughtfully layed out plan to eliminate the evil that makes violence persists. That may sound a bit depressing. But I really don't think that it is. I hope for the day when the creator god YHWH re-creates his world and permanenly puts an end to the violence that plagues his creatures, and the other abusive and dehumanizing representations of evil.
More on this to come...
Within my lifetime there has not been a single day when the United States military has not been engaged in some sort of activity in a country outside of itside borders. In fact, the same is true of really any generation in the past century. I don't think that this says something solely about American or western culture. The fact is that not a day goes by when there isn't some form of violence, be it on a large or small scale. Hate plagues every nation, culture and ethnicity.
I only bring this up because today I started watching a DVD called Peace. It was a bit unsettling that the entire video was pretty typical anti-war/Bush stuff. As much as I respect Howard Zinn I think that it's a bit naive for him to talk about the ameerican people as though they are essentially good. As though there were a time when America and the people who lived within its borders were peaceful and content to live with what they had. Instead I see a group of people waiting to accept the propaganda that their leaders were presenting them with. The subjigation of Native Americans was not monopolized by the Federal government. There were plenty of people who needed little help in hating, killing and the land of the indigenous people on this continent. Just like today many Americans take quite easily to hating Mexicans for whatever reasons they can muster.
The fact is that no culture has every been peaceful. And I don't jsut mean non-violent either. People everywhere are capable of terrible atrocities. And they wuite often make good on that capability. There seems to be a persistent cloud of darkness hanging over the world. There is no thoughtfully layed out plan to eliminate the evil that makes violence persists. That may sound a bit depressing. But I really don't think that it is. I hope for the day when the creator god YHWH re-creates his world and permanenly puts an end to the violence that plagues his creatures, and the other abusive and dehumanizing representations of evil.
More on this to come...
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Organic Film&Theology (aka "Movie Night")
I like the idea. The communal abode is in preparation.
So, what's next?
So, what's next?
Monday, May 22, 2006
Okay... I'm figuring this whole blog thing out.
LongDistnanceConversations
Okay, you should all have been properly invited now. If I've sent you an e-mail but somehow neglected to invite you through blogger let me know. I'll figure this junk out sooner or later. And let me know if there's anyone you think should be on this, send me their e-mail address and I'll invite them, no questions asked.
Okay, you should all have been properly invited now. If I've sent you an e-mail but somehow neglected to invite you through blogger let me know. I'll figure this junk out sooner or later. And let me know if there's anyone you think should be on this, send me their e-mail address and I'll invite them, no questions asked.
Sunday, May 21, 2006
Hopes and Expectations
I've started this group blog so that you (my friends) and I can expose one another to our thoughts and views on faith, doctrine, art, relationships, etc. These are the things that (I believe) comprise real, good theology. Integrating these areas together under the title of theology exemplifies Soli Deo Gloria.
I've invited people in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Houston, Indiana, Canada and Spain to participate in this group because 1) they are my friends and 2) they all have a tremendous ability to reflect on all of the things I'm looking for in this blog. And if any one of you feels that someone you know that the rest of us don't needs to be on this blog, don't hesitate to invite them. This is not something that I started to have some dictatorial power over. So, post away and please make responses thoughtful, above all things.
Grace and Peace,
Jared
I've invited people in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Houston, Indiana, Canada and Spain to participate in this group because 1) they are my friends and 2) they all have a tremendous ability to reflect on all of the things I'm looking for in this blog. And if any one of you feels that someone you know that the rest of us don't needs to be on this blog, don't hesitate to invite them. This is not something that I started to have some dictatorial power over. So, post away and please make responses thoughtful, above all things.
Grace and Peace,
Jared
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