Why not?

I just posted a little Halloween thingy at my blog here. I thought I'd bless you all with one of my all-time favorites cause I can. Enjoy!

Is it wrong that this made me laugh?

Bird watchers in Chicago coaxed a burrowing owl from its home, only to see it immediately eaten by a hawk. The birder who first spotted the owl said, "The sad truth is that we birders may very well have been responsible for the demise of the burrowing owl."

HT: Relevant Magazine

It's late.

I'm awake late tonight. Can't sleep. This rarely happens to me. Usually I'm blessed to sleep like a baby. Not tonight.

Anyway, I've been thinking... I do want to get this blog back to it's original intent. A forum to post theological questions and have some discussion.

I really, really like a good, healthy back and forth chat around a topic. I hate bickering and finger pointing though. However, I would like to try and get back to that.

To help accomplish that, I think I'll go back and delete some more of my personal posts and move them over to a personal blog I want to get up and running.

Then I'd like to come up with some ideas for creating discussions. It may work, it may not. But it's still something that interests me.

To bad I'm not sleeping though and thinking about this nonsense!

Some stuff I am thinking about right now...

1. How hard it is to get back into the blogging rhythm after missing a few days.

2. This funny link that Steve sent me Go Obama/Palin 08!

3. Luke 14. It's amazing how Jesus had no problem making a big crowd smaller.

4. The movie Iron Man. It was good. For some reason my wife and I are suddenly into purchasing DVD's. Not sure why. But we are.

5. Why gas prices are not falling in Canada at the rate they are in the states. That and Canadians pay the highest cell phone rates in the industrialized world, AND we're taxed like nuts too.

6. About the tussle over whether or not to allow homosexual couples to marry in California. California is definitely a post-Christian, non new testament following society. What do people expect? Seriously though, like Dan Kimball is talking about, if it's just about love why not allow polygamy? But then again, the sanctity of marriage was lost a long time ago. How many marriages occur totally outside the Judeo-Christian spectrum already by allowing Elvis impersonators to marry drugged out celebrities for 20 day marriages. Nobody was up in arms over that... Who knows?

7. Thinking about how my wife says I've been too negative on the old blog lately... I guess that's what happens when your in the down cycle of ones bi-polar lifestyle... ;)

8. Also thinking about heading back to my old blog. I know, I know. This has become kind of like my blog, but that wasn't the point when I started and I still feel weird posting personal stuff here... What do you think...?

Minutia

Here are a few things that have come across my desk at TP! HQ:

• Matt Chandler has a blog. That may not excite many of, if any of, you. But to me, he is my favorite person in the world outside my wife and son (and a few others too). He is the pastor at the Village church in Texas. His sermons blow me away and challenge me whenever I listen to them. I'm not kidding. Not even a little bit. If you have a second, download "the great gospel" or any of his recent sermons from the Luke series. You will not be sorry.

You can download them here. Or just use iTunes. Do it. Really, do it.

• The world series is happening. The Dodgers are not involved. Therefore I do not care.
• I watched a really interesting documentary on public TV about William Tyndale last night. I was just flipping through the channels when I came across it. I don't really think I've fully appreciated his enormous impact on western Christianity. The shame is he was kidnapped from Belgium and returned to England where he was burned at the stake only a few months short of King Henry the 8th creating the church of England so he could divorce his wives. That's crazy too, Protestant Christianity and the freedom to read the bible in English came about largely because a guy wanted a boy child.
  

Every day is like Sunday.

What a day.

Tired. Drained. Restless.

I lead the musical form of worship this morning with my acoustic guitar and friend Jessisca singing with me. It was strange. We have been without accompanying musicians for awhile now, and I really thought I was used to it but it was kind of missing an element today. Not sure. It might have been my choice of songs, and their order... Hmmm. There was some other weird distractions before we started. Must be a trend. I've now gone like 3 out of the last 4 weeks with a something going a-miss at church, some sort of scuffle or confrontation.

I need a break. But there isn't really anyone else to step in, so I carry on. I don't necessarily need a break from the music. Just the drama that is associated with it.

Then at the end of the time I kind went all stream of conscience on everyone and blabbed and cried about the persecuted church and my own short comings. Not sure if it was appropriate. People are used to me being transparent and stuff, but the weird thing is I don't have a normal relationship with anyone where I can share this stuff so I do it in public, from the stage or from the blog. I'm not really sure that is the healthiest way.

Then after church we had a pot-blessing, (or whatever we're calling them these days...) and then we came home as my wife had to work this evening. After she left I was tempted to veg on the couch for the rest of the day but felt like I should head over to our Lifeline feeding ministry in town where we hand out groceries and soup and stuff from a converted blue school bus. So Noah and I headed over there and it was a big crowd. Really big. Noah seemed to fit in with the crowd of mostly homeless and recovery folks. He was a bit of a spaz though and I had to kind of chase him around. He'd help for a second, then try to climb all over everything. In the middle of it, I kind of misplaced him for a second to find that he had cut into the food lineup and went to window so he could get a cup of juice. It was kind of cute, he could have just asked one of the volunteers but he just assumed you had to get in line like everyone else.

Another touching moment that I will probably remember for the rest of my life made our trip there totally worth it. It's hard to explain but put it this way, Noah is active. I spend most my time wrangling the kid like a steer. He kind of invades folks space so I have to watch him. Well, I noticed he was sitting at the rear of the bus and a lot of the people we were serving try to cut back there as to bypass the line up. This one lady was doing that, and I saw Noah start to talk to her and kind of start his "space invading". I started over there and he was suddenly giving this lady a huge hug. I picked up my pace thinking this person may not want this attention. As I got there I noticed he was trying to touch her face, I looked and saw she was wearing sunglasses with a big bandage beneath them. Then he did something I've never have seen him do, he asked if he could pray for her, and as she kind of started to object, my 5 year old ignored her and prayed "Jesus, please make this ladies eye feel better, amen". Then he got all spazzy did a flying leap off the back of the bus and I had to chase after him again. It all happened so quick, and he prayed like it was the most natural thing he's ever done. It was a precious and bizarre moment all wrapped up into one. We pray for him when he's hurt so I guess he thinks that's what you do!

Hmmm. Who knows? Long day. I'm happy to report that I was able to veg on the couch for awhile this evening after returning home. Now I'm off to bed!

-Jason

Shalom Sabbath

To my persecuted friends in churches all over the world.
To my safe and consuming friends all over the world.
To those who are broken and those who are well.
To those who dream of heaven and those who fear hell.
To every age, under every sky,
who know all the songs and verses.
To those who think they are righteous, and those who think they are worthless.
There is only one who is worthy of praise,
only one to whom all the earth bows low

King Jesus.

Heart breaking

Grief and sadness.

Jeremiah 14 -

Today's bible reading (well last weeks, but I'm behind.) Honestly one of the saddest I've ever read. And the hardest. So, so, so hard. And I'm not even exaggerating.

There are times when the scriptures are crushing to me and nearly suffocate any hope I have out of me. Just being honest. God is so great, just and full of holy terror. I can't even whisper beneath the weight of his righteousness. It's good to be a casual Calvinist in times like these and hold on to the assurance of my salvation. Or it's better to look to Christ, the Hope of Salvation.

Then there is the ongoing struggles around the world. The persecution of believers in India and Iraq. And a lot of other places. There is the apathy most have towards it, the apathy I battle to maintain. So much of me want to ignore and insulate all over again. What do I do to maintain?

There is a mother of little ones in our church who was just transferred to hospice care. Horrible and sad.

In our little church over the last two years we've had way too many battles with cancer. The odds are not fair.

I miss being on vacation. That seems trite amidst everything else. The sun, the family, the beach. Being with my family all the time and not driving back and forth to work and hour each way. Not getting home after 6 each night. Wondering who we're going to find to babysit my kid each day after school since the original plan fell through.

I hate sucking. I have sucked at life this week. Embarrassingly poorly. Ashamed at my laziness and futile attempts at following Jesus. I don't know how else to put it. I suck.

I hate that I'm struggling even though none of this directly affects me or my family in any serious manner like it does so many others.

Just all together it's too heavy to bear.

Posted by Jason_73

The Cross and the Crown

The current financial crisis has been a blessing for me. It has worked to reveal some of my own idols and helped me to see the gospel a little more clearly.

As I survey the landscape of current evangelicalism and the depths of my own heart, I am convinced that I want the crown without the cross. You see the church and I are often plagued with wanting the blessings of glory, while not understanding the fellowship of His suffering. We have a over-realized eschatology. We want to live in the fullness of his kingdom right now, and we are not so interested in the not yet. Instead of being a witness through daily suffering for the glory of Christ we want our best life now.

Yes I want to experience the miraculous, healings, the tangible presence of God, and lives radically transformed. But, that stuff is becoming increasingly dull to me. I don't know how to put it any other way. I am becoming more and more disinterested in what we might narrowly call "the supernatural" and am finding real excitement in watching others make Christ look great in the midst of their suffering. I am encouraged and provoked when Christians live in what Eugene Peterson called "a long obedience in the same direction."

Besides the financial crisis bringing clarity to this a new book by John Piper has helped me with this. It is not your typical Piper book, but it is a poetic and illustrated book based on the life of Job. This book has pierced me with many uncomfortable questions: Could I suffer like Job and still not curse God? Do I love God more than my wealth and health? If I want to follow Jesus do I realize that he was crucified? .....and many more similar questions. Anyway, I if you are interested in previewing the book you can watch the trailer below. Also I would love to hear your thoughts....

-Dave

Obama and Harper....?

Last night Canada elected it's second conservative government, and at the same time the U.S. is about to elect it's most liberal government in history. Our we losing our stereotypical identities? Are Canada and the U.S. trading places?

- Dave

Crazy.

This election is crazy. I think I need to head back to my observer status and keep my mouth shut. The word "politics" just seems like it's becoming another term for "manipulation". This whole Obama as terrorist thing is out-of-control. Right winged whackos calling for his death at campaign stops with Palin. I am thinking after further review that McCain could have been a whole lot stronger with his comeback on the video below actually. A lot stronger. And they could have been a bit more careful in their rhetoric not to insight it in the first place.

This is the last time I comment about the election. Probably for the rest of my life.

How 'bout them Dodgers!

Or how 'bout that persecution of believers in India!

posted by: Jason

+100 points for John McCain in my book.

Ya'll should watch this. Some people I hung out with during my vacation should watch this.

America is a freaking polarized place right now. John McCain gets mad props from me for this little nugget.

Posted by: Jason

HT: Longbrake

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Hostile Takeover...

During Jason's absence I thought I'd entertain you with a little......? (I don't know what you call it but I love this song...)