Hope

This morning my aching body reminds me that I’ve been out of high school for a decade. Last night in the second softball game of our double header, I tried (in vain) to do a superman dive after a ball in left field. When I did that in high school two things were different. First- I would probably be closer to catching it. Second-I wouldn’t feel it this much the morning after.
So in my state of bodily groaning I am going to remind myself of some quotes from NT Wright’s Surprised by Hope. Wright argues for an understanding of hope that isn’t based on an escapist pie in the sky end times, but a time in which God makes the world right again like it was originally in the garden. God will redeem all creation and blur the line between Heaven and Earth. In Kingdom living we both experience a foreshadowing of the time of redemption and we also currently participate in this redemption.

God did not want to rescue humans from creation any more than he wanted to rescue Israel from the Gentiles. He wanted to rescue Israel in order that Israel might be a light to the Gentiles, and he wanted thereby to rescue humans in order that humans might be his rescuing stewards over creation. That is the inner dynamic of the kingdom of God. (202)

It (Jesus’ work and death) is the story of God’s kingdom being launched on earth as in heaven, generating a new state of affairs in which the power of evil has been decisively defeated, the new creation has been decisively launched, and Jesus’s followers have been commissioned and equipped to put that victory and that inaugurated new world into practice. Atonement, redemption, and salvation are what happen on the way because engaging in this work demands that people themselves be rescued from the powers that enslave the world in order that they can in turn be rescuers.

Salvation only does what it’s meant to do when those who have been saved, are being saved, and will one day fully be saved realize that they are saved not as souls but as whole and not for themselves alone but for what God now longs to do through them.

Thoughts from the Beach

Two simple thoughts from my Memorial Day trip to the beach.

1. Don't bring your "boombox" to the beach. No one wants to hear your "jams."

2. I don't care what European country you are from and what they think there, but here in the US fellas don't wear Speedos on the beach.

Signposts

While in school I was given the advice to find a favorite theologian and read everything he/she writes. A slapdash read of my posts will show that I chose N.T. Wright. (An author whose name is Wright seems to clearly be the right choice.) One of Wright’s dominant metaphors in his writing is a signpost. A signpost, according to NTW, doesn’t ever point to itself, but it points to something beyond. In Simply Christian NTW talks about four main signposts that point to something beyond this broken world; Justice, Community, Beauty and Spirituality. For example beauty is a signpost to something beyond (to mix my metaphors) like an engagement ring “which is meant as it is to delight the eye but which is meant even more to delight the heart because of what it promises.”

In my life some of the greatest signposts are my patient wife, loving family, supportive friends, the fulfillment I feel when talking or hearing about Jesus, post-workout endorphin rushes, and making a difference.

What are signposts for you?

Suitors

Avery is getting to that age (fourteen weeks until her due date) when her suitors are starting to line up. Three currently reside in the front of the line. Here’s the breakdown on each’s chances, giving special attention to each gene pool.

Truitt- a stunning one year old from Houston, um... I mean Memphis.
Pro’s- Dad happens to be my best friend, a great minister and a pretty good athlete. Mom is the best preacher in his family with Truitt’s Grandma pushing for second place. Future ACU Wildcat.
Con’s- Truitt possibly could be scared of dogs like his dad. There also is a salacious rumor floating around of Truitt taking a bath with a girl before his first birthday.
Chances- Doubtful.

Samuel- a strapping seven month old from Panama City.
Pro’s- Parents are good friend of ours. Samuel is almost guaranteed to have outstanding manors and to be pretty smart with an engineer and doctor for parents. Has a good relationship with our dogs already and destined to be the best outdoors man of the three.
Con’s- Unlike his mother’s family that contains three D1 football players and three coaches, his dad’s lack of interest in football might thwart his athletic success. Has tried to spit into my mouth.
Chances- One in a billion.


Desean- a smooth three month old from Panama City.
Pro’s- Dad, a friend from the gym, happens to be one of the most ripped people I know.
Con’s- Desean could be a pretty boy like his dad, and Avery’s home has already exceeded it’s pretty boy limit.
Chances- Slim and none.

Conclusion- Avery doesn’t need any guy other than her dad.

Christians on Sitcoms

Who are some of the most famous or infamous Christian characters on TV/Movies?
Here the first two that come to my mind.

Angela from The Office

Ned Flanders from The Simpsons

Who else is there and what would be one word to describe them? Ned ("I just got back from a Christian camp, where I learned how to be more judgmental") and Angela ("Yeah I watch 'Will and Grace' and almost throw up.") can both be described as judgmental, especially Angela.

Beautiful Pregnant Wife/ Forgiveness

Here are some pics of my beautiful wife looking more beautiful than she ever has before. The first one is her at 14 weeks, with Chief around 18, at the beach is 21 weeks and in front of the mountains is at 25.


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Check out this amazing story of forgiveness.

Emerging

From John Burke's No Perfect People Allowed

“Generally, emerging generations do not ask, ‘What is true?’ They are primarily asking, ‘Do I want to be like you?’ In other words, they see truth as relational. ‘If I want to be like you, then I want to consider what you believe. If I don’t see anything real or attractive in you or your friends as Christ-followers, I don’t care how true you think it is, I’m not interested.’”

The primary issue, according to Burke, isn’t orthodoxy anymore, it’s orthopraxy. The issue isn’t mainly what you think, but how you behave.
If this is an accurate depiction of the emerging generation, then do you think this makes it easier or more challenging for Christians?

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On a side note, I have felt Avery kick in my smokin hot wife's belly, but now I have seen her kick in my baby's mama's belly. That's just amazing.

Joys of Delta

Living in the southeast, I know that if I want to get to heaven I have to fly through Atlanta first. Flying to Atlanta is always precarious; this morning was no different.

Good news- I got bumped up to first class on my flight from ATL to Sacramento

Bad news- I got bumped from the 6:00am flight to the 3:30pm flight.

And they still expected me to pay for the parking.

The silver lining was the lady behind the desk with the German accent was quite considerate. It helps having someone who can commiserate with your plight.

Mission

According to Cesar Millan, The Dog Whisperer, dogs need the following three things in this order:
exercise, discipline and affection.

His lists seems pretty accurate to the needs of people too, but let me insert one caveat about defining exercise. Birds were create to fly, fish were created to swim and dogs were created to walk. When a dog walks he exercises his God intended mission.
While people do need physical exercise, I think what we most need to exercise is our God given sense of mission.

In the cult classic Fight Club, a battle interrupts the plight of an over-bored and under-challenged suburbanite and in the process gives him new life (and a few new scars). I assume the movie’s ability to hit a nerve in the plight of many over-bored and under-challenged 18-35 year olds caused the movie’s success. Many people need to be instilled with a sense of mission. Some of us need to redefine our missions within the context of our current lifestyle and others need to take on a new mission.

What would you say are the three things needed most by people?

Scripture and Authority

In my pretend to be a cop day I unfortunately (or fortunately) didn't get to see anything too exciting. But I did get to wear a bulletproof vest, which was pretty empowering until I realized that it wasn't just for aesthetics.
My cop friend did get pulled over while driving his jeep. He had a nice line to get out of the speeding ticket, "I am a cop- here is my badge and gun." I think I might try that one.

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The phrase “Authority of Scripture” gets thrown around a lot by many church people (including me), but what exactly does it mean for scripture to have authority? Sometimes the phrase gets used as a trump card to support an interpretation of scripture, but I think it has a deeper meaning than that. The authority of scripture is a sense of calling to hear the word of scripture.


From NT Wright’s The Last Word

To affirm 'Authority of Scripture' is precisely not to say, 'We know what scripture means and don’t need to raise any more questions.' It is always a way of saying that the church in each generation must make fresh and rejuvenated efforts to understand scripture more fully and live by it more thoroughly, even if that means cutting across cherished tradition.

So how do we empower scripture to have authority without just giving it a title for aesthetics?