Bible Discussion — Acts 6-7

09/3/2008, 1:00 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

This week, Bweinh.com progresses to the next two chapters of Acts.

PREVIOUS DISCUSSIONS:
Genesis: 1-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-18 | 19-22 | 23-26
27-29 | 30-32 | 33-36 | 37-39 | 40-43 | 44-46 | 47-50
Exodus: 1-4 | 5-8 | 9-11 | 12-14 | 15-18
19-22 | 23-26 | 27-30 | 31-34 | 35-40
Romans: Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3 | Ch. 4 | Ch. 5 | Ch. 6 | Ch. 7 | Ch. 8 (I)
Ch. 8 (II) | Ch. 9 | Ch. 10 | Ch. 11 | Ch. 12 | Ch. 13 | Ch. 14 | Ch. 15-16
Luke: 1:1-38 | 1:39-2:40 | 2:41-3:38 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10
11 | 12 | 13 | 14-15 | 16-17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24
Esther: 1-2 | 3-5 | 6-8 | 9-10
Acts: 1 | 2 | 3-4 | 5

INTRODUCTION:
Connie:
Believers continued to be made in staggering numbers until there was just too much daily work for the apostles to handle. When it became overwhelming they took a page from Moses and started to raise up new leadership. These two chapters tell the story of the leader of those leaders, Stephen, namesake of our own fearless leader here at Bweinh…

David:
There\’s trouble in paradise, as the Jewish converts who accepted Greek customs begin to feel discriminated against by the conservative Jewish Christians. The disciples call “the multitude” together, leaving the selection process of deacons to the body, while ordination rests (literally) in the hands of the Apostles.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Josh:
Stephen refers to those who sold Joseph as “the patriarchs” (7:9) — which they were, but it’s certainly not how I think of Joseph’s brothers in that story.

Chloe:
It was as if the men of the Sanhedrin were literally blind. They saw that Stephen\’s face was like that of an angel (6:15), and yet it had absolutely no impact on them.

Steve:
Stephen’s sermon was rhetorically brilliant in a few ways, but I noticed this time the way that he subtly and repeatedly identifies himself with his accusers. “Our father Abraham,” “our people,” “our fathers.” It makes me wonder if he would have been released, had he not chosen to twist the knife with his last three verses.

Connie:
As in all things, there are some jobs no one wants to do…or at least ones that sometimes get neglected. And there were seven men chosen, including Stephen, but I bet no one remembers the names of more than two of them…

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Josh: Stoning Stephen
David: Three Score and Fifteen Souls
Chloe: This Fellow
Steve: Proselyte
Connie: The Patriarchs

Continued here!

My Rat Jude

09/3/2008, 11:00 am -- by Chloe | No Comments

I\’ve admired my sister and her skill with animals ever since she got her first dog, a pit bull named Jazzy. Now Ashley has three dogs: Jazzy, a German shepherd named Trinity, and a Sheltie named Hank. They are all meticulously well-behaved: she can put a bowl of food in front of any of them, and they will ignore it, watching her until she tells them to “take it.” I want dogs just like my sister\’s.

I live in an apartment, however, and a dog isn\’t feasible. So I settled for the next best thing — a rat. His name is Jude, and he\’s a fancy hooded rat, which means his face and spine are black, while the rest of him is white. Rats are great with people if they’re hand-trained, but as Jude was meant to be snake food, he isn\’t. He\’s very timid and frightened of people and noises, and he doesn\’t recognize a person as a being.

My sister has six rats, five of whom are highly interactive and playful. They weren\’t like that when she got them from the pet store, of course. One of them would attack as soon as the cage was opened when Ashley first got her. But Ashley worked with her as she did with them all, slowly gaining their trust with food and eventually turning them into something out of Cinderella.

I\’m following in my big sister\’s footsteps now, hand-training Jude, slowly but surely. I\’ve never had the responsibility of taking something antisocial and socializing it. Just by virtue of my responsibility and Jude\’s fear, I love this rat so much. What\’s more, I admire my sister for the patience and care she must have given to all her animals to bring them to the level of behavior and socialization they have attained. Not just anyone can take care of an animal the way it needs.

So thank you, Ashley, for teaching me how to be a good pet owner.

Bible Discussion — Acts 5

08/27/2008, 1:00 pm -- by Bweinh | 3 Comments

This week, Bweinh.com progresses to the next chapter of Acts.

INTRODUCTION:
Steve:
Much like Mike refers to in his reprinted article today, this time in the growth of the early church was dangerous — and exciting. The disciples had just seen with their own eyes the powerful example of the only One worth giving their lives for, and they were prepared to take whatever risks were necessary to tell the world.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
David:
For the first time I began to think about the motives of Ananias and Sapphira. Why sell the land, keep back part of the price — then give the rest to the church? How does the song go? “Say a prayer but let the good times roll — in case God doesn’t show.”

What if this doesn\’t work out? What if I don\’t love God’s people, or they don\’t love me? I need something to fall back on. Maybe this was not about the couple’s greed as much as it was being unwilling to sell out completely and throw their lot in with God’s people.

Maybe it\’s less about money and more about keeping your options open.

Chloe:
Perhaps this is an obvious point I\’ve just failed to notice, but I find it very interesting that the passage does not say that anyone killed Ananias and Sapphira. They simply fell down and died.

Steve:
Gamaliel’s argument is a little odd. He gave examples of two men who tried to lead revolts and were killed as a result — I’m not sure why the other members of the Sanhedrin didn’t just say, “Uh, yeah, why don’t we kill these guys too?”

Connie:
When Gamaliel gave his advice about leaving the apostles alone to see how things would work out in the long run, he mentioned Judas of Galilee from the days of the census, as an example of someone who amounted to nothing.

Did anyone else just automatically change that to Jesus of Galilee, keep reading, then say, “Hey, wait, what did he just say? Who the blinkers is Judas of Galilee?” To which Gamaliel would’ve replied: “Exactly!”

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Chloe: Fallen Shadow
Steve: Colonnade
David: Healing Shadow
Josh: Jailbreak
Connie: Peter’s Shadow

Continued here!

Once Upon A Time (Part Six)

08/26/2008, 10:30 am -- by Chloe | 4 Comments

Read part one, part two, part three, part four, and part five! Or read the entire story, all at once, here!

All activity ceased. Suddenly every single human being was staring in the prince’s direction, her eyes wide and her breath held. The prince froze, as well, waiting for the women to attack him.

The nearest woman knelt by his side and cooed, “What\’s the matter, deary?” and clutched him to her buxom bosom.

The prince detached himself from the woman and cleared his throat. “I — I need to see”¦” he chose his words carefully, heeding the dragon\’s words. “I need to see the lady with the magical powers.”

And so it was that the young and dashing prince found himself in the presence of the great and terrible sorceress Vashti, who had stolen away all the women of his kingdom. “Can I help you?” the villainous Vashti asked.

She didn\’t look like a sorceress. She looked like a rather ordinary middle-aged woman dressed up like a man, just come in from her gardening. What\’s more, her throne — for she was the president of the government, which the prince\’s guide called a “democracy” — was not very majestic. It looked more like a desk.

The prince cleared his throat awkwardly. He had more expected to battle the sorceress in the bowels of the earth, his sword against her spells, or perhaps on a vast plain, his skill against her cunning. Instead he was in an office, having been relieved of his weapons before entering. “No need for these barbarities,” the guard had said, picking the things up with her fingertips and grimacing before tossing them in a pile of other weapons. The prince had assumed the other weapons belonged to other noble princes who had fought and courageously died for the sake of their womenfolk. Perhaps he would join their ranks today, though he didn\’t particularly want to. He preferred to return home in time for some soup.

The prince cleared his throat a second time. “Where have you put the women you stole from me and my father\’s kingdom?”

“My father\’s kingdom and me. The pronoun is always last,” President Vashti corrected, then looked down at a memo on the desk. “What did you say your name was?”

“I am Prince Charming of the —”

“Oh, yes.” She cut him off. “Your father is a dirty lying scumbag.”

“You will not speak of my father with disrespect, woman!” the prince roared, reaching for his sword and grasping air.

“Woman?” the woman repeated, not even rising from her seat but succeeding in making the prince tremble with the look in her eyes. “I am President Vashti to you, worm. And don\’t you forget it.”

“Yes, ma\’am.”

“As I said, your father is a dirty lying scumbag. The fact of the matter is, we got so sick and tired of dealing with you idiots that we left. We warned you, but you never believed us, called us your little women, told us not to worry our pretty little heads, ordered us back to our hearths and to hush the baby. Meanwhile, you ran the country into the ground with your greediness, licentiousness, and plain stupidity — honor, you called it. So we packed up in the middle of the day, right in front of your gaping faces, and we left. So you can go back and tell your father, young man, that we\’ll be back when we damn well please!”

There was a little cheer from a guard in the hall. The prince stared at President Vashti and said, “Mother?”

The president stood and tidied her papers before straightening her vest and striding from the room. “Evil sorceress, indeed,” she muttered.

When the prince arrived back at the castle, admitting a sound defeat at the hands of the guileful sorceress, he gave his father and the whole kingdom a detailed account of his heroism and courage, then delivered the terrible news that the women had developed a highly successful society and intended to peacefully take over their country within the week.

At these foreboding tidings, the king said, “Man, that woman is stubborn,” and continued gnawing dejectedly on his beef jerky.

One Hundred Words (31)

08/25/2008, 2:30 pm -- by Chloe | 2 Comments

I heard this in Target’s shoe section on Sunday:

Mom: Don’t you pull that tooth out, Morgan Bradley!
Daughter: Why not?
Mom: Because the tooth fairy is off tonight.
Daughter: No, she’s not! Really?
Mom: She’s in Jamaica. Didn’t you know that? She’s on vacation. I wish I was in Jamaica with the tooth fairy.

Later, the daughter wandered the shoe aisles, preparing to ask for Hannah Montana paraphernalia.

Daughter: Mom! Mom, where are you?
Mom: (sneaking around the aisles) Mom isn’t here right now! Please check back later. (snicker)
Daughter: Mo-om!

I could enjoy being that kind of mom.

–CLA

Once Upon A Time (Part Five)

08/18/2008, 10:00 am -- by Chloe | 2 Comments

Read part one, part two, three, and part four!

The prince, now almost completely at his wit’s end, could no longer find it in himself to kill the dragon. In all honesty, he was almost sure the lance would glance off the thick black scales and the dragon would laugh at him again.

He simply could not bear that.

And so he tapped the dragon\’s shoulder with the tip of his lance and said politely, “If you please, which way to the evil sorceress\’s lair?”

This was how the prince came to find himself at the shore of a massive island, having first taken advantage of the ferry provided to assist commuters in traveling to and from the mainland. It was a nice ferry, well-kept and reasonably priced, and the prince enjoyed the slow chug of the engine and the sea breeze in his hair as the little boat crossed the channel. The horse did not enjoy it because he was not allowed on the ferry as he could not pay the toll, and the prince simply could not lend him any more money.

Upon reaching the island, the brave young prince leapt upon the land and bellowed, “I challenge the evil sorceress who stole the women of my country and turned them into slaves to a duel to the death!”

A fishwife on the dock stared at him for a moment before muttering, “Terrible grammar. What are they teaching in schools these days?”

No one else paid the bold prince any attention. So he sought out the nearest tavern, which was surprisingly clean and quiet for a dockside pub. In fact, it more resembled a tea house. The prince strode bravely to the bar and slammed his fist down on the counter. “I vow to handsomely reward any man who takes me to the evil sorceress residing on this island!”

He was met with silence. “Is there no one man enough to aid me in my quest?”

Someone cleared their throat primly. “Not particularly,” a voice answered. It was, in fact, a woman. They were all women, dressed in trousers and smudged with dirt.

The prince backed out of the tavern. “What manner of enchantment is this?” he cried, rushing into the street, where he only saw more women, women everywhere, and all in men\’s clothes, doing men\’s work, and scratching like men do.

This, the prince decided, was the last straw. He had been laughed at, threatened, and insulted, and now he was faced with more of the fairer sex than he had ever imagined existed — and they all acted like men. The trembling prince fell to his knees and wailed, “I want my mommy!”

All activity ceased. Suddenly every single human being was staring in his direction, her eyes wide and her breath held. The prince froze, as well, waiting for the women to attack him.

The nearest woman knelt by his side and cooed, “What\’s the matter, deary?” and clutched him to her buxom bosom.

The prince detached himself from the woman and cleared his throat. “I — I need to see”¦” he chose his words carefully, heeding the dragon\’s advice. “I need to see the lady with the magical powers.”

To be continued — one last time!

Bible Discussion — Acts 2

08/13/2008, 6:00 pm -- by Bweinh | 1 Comment

This week, Bweinh.com moves on to the second chapter of Acts.

INTRODUCTION:
Connie:
I think the day started out the same as quite a few others the apostles had been having, but something was different in the heavenlies — and suddenly, something was quite different in the Upper room… then throughout Jerusalem… until the whole world was different.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Josh:
“…and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

These verses to me seem a fitting response to those who believe the full power of the Holy Spirit was only available to those present at Pentecost.

Erin:
Peter used a great excuse for the Apostles to not be drunk: “It\’s only nine in the morning!”

Connie:
There must be a difference between old wine and new wine?

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Josh: Drunk in the Morning
Erin: Phrygia and Pamphylia
Steve: Fear Came
Chloe: Blood Moon

Continued here!

Once Upon A Time (Part Four)

08/12/2008, 10:30 am -- by Chloe | No Comments

Read part one, part two, and part three!

For three days longer, the prince and his steed traveled. On the third day, when the prince began to despair of ever returning home, he came upon a boneyard, stretching on for miles beyond the horizon. In the center of the carnage was a dragon, massive and black, and curled up asleep.

The prince and his cautious steed crept quietly amongst the refuse until they were close enough for the dragon\’s breath to singe their eyebrows. As the prince raised his lance to plunge it into the dragon\’s stone heart, it opened one eye and said, “You\’ll be lost for all eternity if you do that.”

Now, the young prince did not normally hesitate at the empty threats of his enemies. But he had been laughed at by both an ogre and a kraken, and his self-assurance was flagging. “Why?” he asked, a little bit whiny, lance still at the ready.

“You\’re the bloke means to round up all the women and take them back to their husbands?”

“How did you know?”

“News travels. You took a wrong turn few miles back.”

“And why will vanquishing you to the depths of Hades cause me to be lost for all eternity, wretched beast?”

“No, no. You\’re already lost. I know the way to where you\’re going, and I ate everyone else who knows. Knew.”

“Foul beast! You seek to lead me astray!” And the prince hefted his lance once again, to his wise steed\’s alarm.

“Before you kill me,” drawled the dragon, “may I offer you two pieces of wisdom?”

The brave prince, thrown off guard by this small generosity, assented. “First,” said the dragon, stretching leisurely, claws clicking on bone. “Stop calling people names. It\’s not nice. Second, ask for directions.”

“Is that all?” the prince asked, hefting his lance a third time.

“Oh, yes, and — ” The dragon released a colossally smoky guffaw. “That was in reference to your quest,” he said, and curled up to go back to sleep.

He simply could not bear that.

And so he tapped the dragon\’s shoulder with the tip of his lance and said politely, “If you please, which way to the evil sorceress\’s lair?”

To be continued!

Once Upon A Time (Part Three)

08/6/2008, 11:00 am -- by Chloe | No Comments

Read part one and part two!

The prince rode on for three more days, until he came to the edge of the forest and the shore of a wide, deep lake. On either side and as far as he could see, the water stretched on. The prince was perplexed, and had no idea what to do with this turn of events.

At that moment, a great and ugly beast reared its head from the depths of the briny blue. “Hello, little prince,” the kraken gurgled.

“You know, I\’m not that little where I come from,” the prince muttered, hefting his spear. “And unless you tell me how to cross this great water, I shall force you to forfeit your life, monster!”

“Will you?” the kraken asked, but his amusement didn\’t show well on his mucky face. “Well, then, I will tell you how to cross this water — if you will first tell me why you are so intent on crossing it.”

The prince, still somewhat stung by his encounter with the ogre, chose to slightly amend his quest. “I journey to release my countrywomen from the clutches of an evil sorceress and to find my one true”¦ queen.”

The kraken\’s peals of laughter were truly terrifying, boiling and churning the waters to a frothy gray soup. The prince missed soup.

When the kraken recovered himself, he said, “I will gladly take you across this water. You\’ll need all the help you can get. Climb onto my back, you and your gentle steed. You have nothing to fear from me.”

“What were you laughing at?” the prince asked tentatively, as he settled onto the kraken\’s briny back.

“Me? Oh, nothing. Frog in my throat, all that.”

When they reached the other side of the vast lake and the kraken deposited the prince and his noble sea horse on firm sand again, the kraken said, “I leave you with one piece of wisdom, little prince. Nothing is as it seems. For all your power, your greatest weapon is knowing when to surrender.”

“But a real man never surrenders!” the prince called out. The kraken, however, had already disappeared into the deep.

To be continued!

Once Upon A Time (Part Two)

08/3/2008, 11:00 pm -- by Chloe | 1 Comment

Read part one here!

The prince rode his noble steed in the forest for three days, seeing and hearing naught but their own breath. On the third day, the prince entered a beautiful glade, at the center of which was a massive snoring ogre.

The brave prince vaulted off his steed and unsheathed his magnificent sword, declaring, “Stand, Ogre, and meet my Doom!” Doom was, of course, the name of his blade.

The ogre sat up groggily and proved more massive than the prince might have imagined. The clever steed moved a safe distance away as the ogre yawned, filling the glade with the stench of death. Then the ogre stood and said, “Little prince, I will let you pass through my glade unmolested if you answer my question.”

The prince barked a laugh. “Let me? Nay, ogre, I will pass by on my own terms, with your head severed from your warty neck! Now stand and fight!”

The ogre sighed and shook his head. “Little prince, the first lesson you must learn is this: choose your battles wisely. There is more to won than glory, and more to be lost than honor. I ask you, then, what is your quest?”

The prince stood squarely and declared, “I go to release the women of my country from the clutches of an evil sorceress so that they may return to home, hearth and husband!” As an afterthought, he added, “I also go to find my one true love. And treasure, if there is any.”

At this, the ogre fell to his knees in a fit of laughter. The trees shook, the rocks trembled, and the prince faltered. “What are you laughing at?”

The ogre composed himself with some difficulty, wiping a mossy green tear from his eye and rising again to his feet. “I will let you pass, little prince. I will even let you jab your little doom at me, if you like. You have far greater battles ahead.”

The prince mounted his distant steed then, and did indeed jab his sword at the ogre, because he didn\’t like to be laughed at. He didn\’t break the skin, though; he didn\’t much feel like jabbing any longer.

At that moment, a great and ugly beast reared its head from the depths of the briny blue. “Hello, little prince,” the kraken gurgled.

To be continued!

Bible Discussion — Esther 9-10

07/30/2008, 1:00 pm -- by Bweinh | 1 Comment

This week, Bweinh.com finishes our discussion of Esther by addressing its last two chapters!

INTRODUCTION:
David:
Ecclesiastes tells us that there is a time “to gather stones together and a time to cast stones away,” meaning a time to commemorate events and a time to let things slip away into obscurity and be forgotten. This great deliverance of the Jews is to be commemorated and celebrated forever.

Connie:
It’s showtime. All the preparations were made to the best of everyone’s ability, but the actual battles still had to be fought.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Chloe:
It says repeatedly that the Jews did not lay hands on the plunder of the men they killed. This harks back to Deuteronomy, when God told the Israelites to destroy the towns of the people living in Canaan, taking no plunder so that they might remain ceremoniously clean. In other words, what the Jews committed in Esther was not a massacre, but a holy cleansing.

Connie:
Just like in the other battles the Jews had waged, part of the victory was in the reaction of the enemy to God’s movement on their behalf. 9:3 says that the Jews were helped by government officials during these battles, because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them.

David:
The king’s garrisons in each province helped the Jews.

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Steve: Can’t Touch Plunder
Connie: Casting Pur
Chloe: Distant Shore
David: The 10 Sons of Haman

Continued here!

Once Upon A Time (Part One)

07/30/2008, 10:30 am -- by Chloe | 1 Comment

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there lived a prince. This prince had fair hair and blue eyes and chiseled features, and when he donned his armor, any lady would swoon for him if she had any sense at all.

No ladies, however, swooned for the prince when he donned his armor. This was not for lack of ladies with good sense; on the contrary, it was for lack of any women at all, ladies or otherwise.

The prince had been brought up with the knowledge that long ago, when he was a mere lad, an evil sorceress had come to the land and stolen all the unsuspecting women from their unsuspecting husbands and families in one terrible night. To this day, a national day of mourning was held to remember the country\’s women. Since these men were neither known for their coping skills nor their capacity for any emotion at all, this sacred day was more one of drinking and acting awkward around each other and puttering about the house like a child without his security blanket. Which is exactly what these men were.

This tragic event, the cornerstone of the prince\’s existence, was why he had donned the armor that would have made any sensible lady swoon. The prince had always known that as soon as he came of age, he would set out to rescue his country\’s womenfolk by vanquishing the evil sorceress and her dragon (he assumed), triumphantly returning the lost women to their hearths and choosing the most beautiful and noble as his bride, to stand beside him throughout his long and prosperous reign.

After bidding farewell to his aging father and his countrymen, the prince valiantly vaulted onto his noble white steed and rode off into the forest with nothing but his armor, his weapons, and a knapsack full of dried venison. No man had mastered the arts of bread, cheese, butter, or food in general since the women had disappeared — but they understood meat.

To be continued!

Once Upon A Time

07/30/2008, 10:30 am -- by Chloe | No Comments

No ladies, however, swooned for the prince when he donned his armor. This was not for lack of ladies with good sense; on the contrary, it was for lack of any women at all, ladies or otherwise.

The brave prince vaulted off his steed and unsheathed his magnificent sword, declaring, “Stand, Ogre, and meet my Doom!” Doom was, of course, the name of his blade.

The prince barked a laugh. “Let me? Nay, ogre, I will pass by on my own terms, with your head severed from your warty neck! Now stand and fight!”

At this, the ogre fell to his knees in a fit of laughter. The trees shook, the rocks trembled, and the prince faltered. “What are you laughing at?”

At that moment, a great and ugly beast reared its head from the depths of the briny blue. “Hello, little prince,” the kraken gurgled.

“Will you?” the kraken asked, but his amusement didn\’t show well on his mucky face. “Well, then, I will tell you how to cross this water ”” if you will first tell me why you are so intent on crossing it.”

The kraken\’s peals of laughter were truly terrifying, boiling and churning the waters to a frothy gray soup. The prince missed soup.

“What were you laughing at?” the prince asked tentatively, as he settled onto the kraken\’s briny back.

“Me? Oh, nothing. Frog in my throat, all that.”

“But a real man never surrenders!” the prince called out. The kraken, however, had already disappeared into the deep.

“You\’re the bloke means to round up all the women and take them back to their husbands?”

“How did you know?”

“News travels. You took a wrong turn few miles back.”

“And why will vanquishing you to the depths of Hades cause me to be lost for all eternity, wretched beast?”

“No, no. You\’re already lost. I know the way to where you\’re going, and I ate everyone else who knows. Knew.”

“Foul beast! You seek to lead me astray!” And the prince hefted his lance once again, to his wise steed\’s alarm.

“Before you kill me,” drawled the dragon, “may I offer you two pieces of wisdom?”

“Is that all?” the prince asked, hefting his lance a third time.

“Oh, yes, and ”” ” The dragon released a colossally smoky guffaw. “That was in reference to your quest,” he said, and curled up to go back to sleep.

The prince, now almost completely at his wit\’s end, could no longer find it in himself to kill the dragon. In all honesty, he was almost sure the lance would glance off the thick black scales and the dragon would laugh at him again.

He simply could not bear that.

And so he tapped the dragon\’s shoulder with the tip of his lance and said politely, “If you please, which way to the evil sorceress\’s lair?”

A fishwife on the dock stared at him for a moment before muttering, “Terrible grammar. What are they teaching in schools these days?”

He was met with silence. “Is there no one man enough to aid me in my quest?”

Someone cleared their throat primly. “Not particularly,” a voice answered. It was, in fact, a woman. They were all women, dressed in trousers and smudged with dirt.

All activity ceased. Suddenly every single human being was staring in his direction, her eyes wide and her breath held. The prince froze, as well, waiting for the women to attack him.

The nearest woman knelt by his side and cooed, “What\’s the matter, deary?” and clutched him to her buxom bosom.

The prince detached himself from the woman and cleared his throat. “I ”” I need to see”¦” he chose his words carefully, heeding the dragon\’s advice. “I need to see the lady with the magical powers.”

She didn\’t look like a sorceress. She looked like a rather ordinary middle-aged woman dressed up like a man, just come in from her gardening. What\’s more, her throne ”” for she was the president of the government, which the prince\’s guide called a “democracy” ”” was not very majestic. It looked more like a desk.

The prince cleared his throat a second time. “Where have you put the women you stole from me and my father\’s kingdom?”

“My father\’s kingdom and me. The pronoun is always last,” President Vashti corrected, then looked down at a memo on the desk. “What did you say your name was?”

“I am Prince Charming of the —”

“Oh, yes.” She cut him off. “Your father is a dirty lying scumbag.”

“You will not speak of my father with disrespect, woman!” the prince roared, reaching for his sword and grasping air.

“Yes, ma\’am.”

“As I said, your father is a dirty lying scumbag. The fact of the matter is, we got so sick and tired of dealing with you idiots that we left. We warned you, but you never believed us, called us your little women, told us not to worry our pretty little heads, ordered us back to our hearths and to hush the baby. Meanwhile, you ran the country into the ground with your greediness, licentiousness, and plain stupidity ”” honor, you called it. So we packed up in the middle of the day, right in front of your gaping faces, and we left. So you can go back and tell your father, young man, that we\’ll be back when we damn well please!”

There was a little cheer from a guard in the hall. The prince stared at President Vashti and said, “Mother?”

The president stood and tidied her papers before straightening her vest and striding from the room. “Evil sorceress, indeed,” she muttered.

At these foreboding tidings, the king said, “Man, that woman is stubborn,” and continued gnawing dejectedly on his beef jerky.

Bible Discussion — Esther 6-8

07/16/2008, 12:00 pm -- by Bweinh | 7 Comments

This week, Bweinh.com continues in Esther by discussing the next three chapters!

INTRODUCTION:
David:
When God begins to deliver His people, it all starts with a King having a sleepless night, courtesy of the King of Kings, the One who watches Israel, who never slumbers nor sleeps.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Josh:
I don\’t think I\’d noticed that the honoring of Mordecai came after the edict to destroy the Jews. Did the king just not read the edict, or was he really that impulsive?

Connie:
At the end of chapter 8, many of the people of the land became Jews because fear of the Jews fell upon them. This was the only way to salvation at the time, so this was not just a plan to save Esther’s people, but also their friends and neighbors. This is what we’re supposed to be doing now as well.

Steve:
This whole situation came about because of the king’s insomnia, and his desire to be put to sleep by a happy story from his archives. How would God have worked deliverance had Unisom been available?

David:
When the decree went out to reverse the fortunes of the Jews, many of the other inhabitants of the empire suddenly became Jews. Can they do that?

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Josh: King’s Delight
Chloe: Rather Than Me
Steve: Royal Crest
Connie: Harbonah’s Irony
David: Big Thana

Continued here!

The Wardrobe of a Homeless Man (Part Two)

07/7/2008, 2:00 pm -- by Chloe | No Comments

Read Part One here!

George’s third layer is a gray zip-up hoody with pockets right where he can slip his hands in. He wears this in the fall and spring when the weather hasn\’t chosen its extreme yet. He found it in New Mexico at a thrift store. He saw a woman come in with boxes and bags filled with all kinds of coats and gloves, so he asked her where they were from. No one person could have that many clothes, he thought. She told him they were from the school she worked at. “Every winter,” she explained, “the Special Ed department offers a free cup of coffee to students who bring in clothes to donate to the Good Will. This is the first week\’s drop.” He found the jacket and left. He keeps the kindness of strangers close to his heart, but far enough away so that the kindness won\’t burn when it turns sour. It almost always does.

His fourth layer is his big army jacket — the one that keeps him warm on the harsh New York winter days. He carries all his belongings in the pockets: his skipping stone with “prosperity” carved into it, his Canadian dime, a ticket stub from the first and last movie he ever saw — Gone with the Wind — a business card from the pastor down at the soup kitchen, and his gold — the library card.

When it gets too cold, all he needs is that card and he can go to the library and read a book or go on the Internet or do whatever he wants. Sometimes he\’ll just sit and watch the people go by. He knows this makes them quicken their step and clutch a purse or a child\’s hand a little tighter. It doesn\’t matter. He wears all his layers on top; their stereotypes mean nothing to him. His coat used to be dark green like his T-shirt, but after years of falling asleep in it, using it as a pillow or a mattress, there is no color. There is Broadway, 24th and Main, Times Square, Central Park, the obscure alleyways in Queens. The color of his coat is New York. He wears his life on the top layer — who he is, where he goes, what he does. It\’s all there for everyone to see.

Then there are his regulars. His black jeans, now gray with white spots and oil stains, his black boots with scuff marks, scratches and a hole at each pinky toe, and his brown socks that used to be white, the ones he nicked from Payless six years ago. There\’s also his cap with a broken bill and his driving gloves with slick leather grips and holes at each fingertip. These are all the commonalities in his life. These are the sins he\’s committed, the good he\’s done, the things that have scratched him and scuffed him and taken things out of him. These are the things that have stolen his years and over time put dirt under his nails and in the wrinkles of his face, dirt that will never wash out. These are the things people assume are there because they see them in everyone else like him. He wears these assumptions no matter what the weather, right against his skin.

Last, there\’s his blanket. It is brown and frayed at the edges. There are torn places where a strip or two has been shed. He found it a long time ago on a subway, covering another degenerate who had been lucky enough to find a token for a ride, but unlucky enough to choose a car where no one would realize that he had expired. George saw him and informed the conductor, but not before he took a memento of the man to remember him by. Now this blanket is what protects him when the world gets to be too judgmental. He wears a shield as his last layer so he can wear his other layers on top, show them off. He wears his last layer to remind him that this too shall pass, that when he dies, the world will still go on and the subway will not stop running.

Bible Discussion: Esther 3-5

07/2/2008, 12:00 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

This week, Bweinh.com continues in Esther by discussing the next three chapters!

INTRODUCTION:
David:
The scene is now set for the clash between God\’s people and the reigning world power. All we need to set it off is an arrogant prime minister and an uncompromising man of God.

Connie:
The newlyweds begin their happily-ever-after — but wait, there\’s an evil ambitious madman threatening to wreck their future! Why hasn\’t Disney gotten to this yet?

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
David:
I just noticed, or perhaps re-noticed, that Mordecai\’s refusal to bow to Haman leads to the decree to kill all the Jews. The Bible says the upright contend with the wicked just by keeping the Law; this is the proof.

Connie:
I guess that Mordecai sort of caused all the trouble in the first place by telling his friends at the gate that he was Jewish — after swearing Esther to secrecy. He\’d already told everyone she was his daughter, so whether he told or she told, either way, the cat was out of the bag.

Chloe:
3:15 says that the city of Susa was bewildered, but it doesn\’t say why.

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
David: Nisan
Connie: Haman’s Conspiracy
Steve: Hammedatha

Continued here!

The Wardrobe of a Homeless Man (Part One)

07/2/2008, 10:30 am -- by Chloe | No Comments

They say people have layers, that each layer gives you a little insight into a person\’s life. Most people hide their layers, though, so you won\’t see who they really are, what they care about, why they\’re here. Most people go their whole lives without anyone seeing all their layers. They die as undiscovered people.

Almost everyone in New York City wears one layer: the executive accountant, senior partner, musician. They scream their success with cell phones and hair dos and million-dollar purses. The lawyers live in Armani, the musicians in black, and the artists under crooked berets. That is the only layer you see. Most people don\’t show underwear or bare skin. They don\’t want you to know about that part of them.

George chose to be different the day he walked away from his childhood. He was 15. Since then, he\’s learned a lot of things — about the world, about the people, about himself — and he\’s learned that the best way to wear the truth is out where everyone can see it. Shock ”˜em. It\’s the only way to go.

He wears his thinnest layer nearest to his heart: a wife-beater that used to be white but somewhere along the way turned yellow, and boxers with little stars and moth holes all over it. They are always there, by him, but in the summer is the only time he shows them off to the world. He lets them know, “This is what I left home with, and I still have it.” Then he asks, “What do you have?” This is the layer he keeps nearest to his heart, with the things most important to him held close.

His second layer is for those warm summer days: an old pine green T-shirt that used to smell like a woman\’s perfume. There\’s a lipstick stain on the ragged collar from the only girl he ever loved. It\’s faded, but it\’s still there. On the shoulder seam, there\’s a long tear from when they parted ways. The cops were pulling them apart and she was holding onto his sleeve and it ripped. Now on summer days when the world seems to have reached the edge of perfection, he sees his sleeve and he remembers there\’s no such thing as perfection. He keeps hatred and love right above his home.

Continued here!

One Hundred Words (22)

07/2/2008, 2:00 am -- by Chloe | 1 Comment

I fall in love with every car I drive.

The first was a huge silver Dodge with a diesel engine and a roar that herded cows more than once.

The second was a little red Toyota stick shift. I loved to hear the (shift) VROOM (shift) VROOM that made me feel like a drag racer. (The very day I named it Macbeth, it blew a head gasket and soundly died.)

Now I\’m driving a Ram Charger with gargantuan wheels and fantastic speakers. I lean back with one arm out the window, music blasting, and feel a little bit awesome.

–CLA

New Developments in the Field of Silence

06/26/2008, 3:00 pm -- by Chloe | 2 Comments

I\’ve tried silence as prayer a few times now. The first one was the hardest — sitting in the dark, trying to empty my mind of all the thoughts and songs crowding my brain. Once the critter that scurries around on the roof at night started up, and a pack of coyotes began howling, I realized I would not be able to concentrate.

The second time, I fell asleep while sitting up in bed. Note to self: sit in silence earlier. Also, get more sleep.

But then the other night I got some news, news that could either be nothing or be very, very bad. I was scared. I needed God, and I didn\’t know what to pray. So I sat there in silence, opening my mind and all the waves of thoughts going through it to the only One who could comprehend it all, and then do something about it.

I didn\’t try to organize my thoughts into cohesive ideas. I didn\’t try to summarize my complex emotions. And I didn\’t hide anything. Before, I felt like I could hide behind my Pharisaic prayers, but now, consciously acknowledging all my thoughts before God, I can\’t conceal anything.

When I got up, I felt calmer, more like I didn\’t have to worry about the situation. What came to my mind while I was on my knees were Paul\’s pivotal themes — faith, hope, and love. These, I think, are what God wants me to remember and practice tirelessly, whether or not the worst news comes.

“Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.

“So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him . . .” — I Kings 19:11-13

Bible Discussion — Esther 1-2

06/25/2008, 12:30 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

This week, Bweinh.com starts a brand new book by discussing the first two chapters of Esther!

INTRODUCTION:
David:
The Greek word “diaspora,” used to describe the scattering of the Jews in the Old Testament, carries with it the idea of being sown like seeds. Here is a wonderful example of God powerfully using two of his people who were carefully planted in the right place while in captivity.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Connie:
Esther was really Mordecai\’s cousin, not his niece, which made me wonder why he didn\’t marry her. I mean, Jewish law was weird that way anyway”¦

Erin:
Mordecai and Hadassah (Esther) were of the tribe of Benjamin, the youngest brother of the twelve. Once again, God uses the least to bring about salvation.

Chloe:
The men believed it would only take one action of the queen to cause a rebellion throughout the nation.

Josh:
When I heard the story as a kid, I always pictured some kind of beauty contest with everyone assembled, lasting maybe a day or two. I didn\’t realize it was more of a private audition, stretched out over years. A 12-month beauty treatment?!

David:
The feast at the beginning of the book was in the third year of the King\’s reign, but Esther didn\’t appear before him until his seventh year.

Kaitlin:
Xerxes\’ palace is described in ornate detail, from the colors of the curtains to the “mosaic pavement of alabaster, turquoise, and white and black marble.”

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Josh: Kings of Babylon
Steve: The Word of Memucan; Seven Eunuchs
Connie: Thus Prepared
Erin: India to Cush
Chloe: Vashti
David: Hegai, Keeper of The Women

Continued here!

One Hundred Words (19)

06/18/2008, 11:30 am -- by Chloe | No Comments

They sat on the porch because it was too hot inside.

There were four of them, and they smoked one pipe between them as they sat on rickety chairs made of fallen branches with their feet up on the solid porch railing.

They didn’t talk, but there was only the street and the sky to talk about anyway. The street and the sky and a couple of mangy dogs, scratching at their fleas and chasing a cat all over the road.

So they sat and they smoked, one pipe between them, because it was too hot to light four.

–CLA

Silence

06/11/2008, 10:00 am -- by Chloe | 1 Comment

— I —

I don\’t know how to pray. I ask God to forgive my sins and take care of my family and heal this or that other person, but it\’s as if, as has been said before, my prayers aren\’t reaching beyond the ceiling.

But that\’s not it, exactly. It\’s not that I feel like God is ignoring me. I feel like my words are missing something, and I have no idea what.

— II —

I went to a new church last Sunday. I didn\’t care for the sermon too much. The lay pastor tried to prove Jesus\’ Christology through reason, something I believe cannot be done, just like you can\’t prove God\’s existence — that\’s the profound beauty of faith. Sunday school, on the other hand, was remarkable. We watched a video done by Walter Wangerin concerning the four steps of prayer: we speak, God listens; God speaks, we listen. This was the final lecture of the series, regarding emptiness before God. Wangerin told about a life-changing decision he had been praying about, sure that he would be receptive to what God would say to him. But Wangerin heard nothing, and nothing, and nothing. Only after driving through the treacherous Alaskan hills in a snowstorm, where one misstep meant the end of his life, did he hear God\’s answer. He was empty before God, finally depending on Him completely to survive moment by moment. That is when God spoke.

— III —

The Carthusian order of monks is considered the most strict and austere of the Catholic orders. Founded in 1084, the order has changed only trivially in the last millennia. Carthusian monks depend on solitude for their spiritual formation, and entry into the order is difficult simply because many men would go crazy for the silence.

The Carthusians devote their lives purely to prayer. To them, prayer ranges from liturgy and study to petitions and meditation. The monks teach the novices that the purpose of the endless hours of meditation is to empty oneself and hear God speak.

— IV —

I do not know how to pray. I am missing something vital, something I suspect no one can teach me — I have to discover it for myself. And so instead of praying loudly in my head, asking for this or giving thanks for that, I will sit quietly, empty myself of my life in this world, and listen for God\’s voice in the silence.

Clash of the Titans LXXXIV: Dressing Up

06/6/2008, 10:00 am -- by Bweinh | 4 Comments

In this corner, opposing dressing up, is Job!

And in this corner, in favor of it, is Chloe!

I will have my own policies
I will sleep with a clear conscience
I will sleep in peace
— Sinead O’Connor, Emperor’s New Clothes

Dressing up is a fact of American life. Social, religious and vocational pressures demand conformity and attention to dress in varying degrees. We have terms to assess the severity of these demands: black-tie, business casual, country formal, etc. This is unavoidable, unless you endeavor to be a pariah, in which case consciously dressing down is as much a conformity as consciously dressing up.

But the hardest crease for me to iron out of this societal doctrine is the thought that dressing up is an attempt to separate one’s self, one’s workplace or one’s church from its human surroundings: to suddenly appear as more than we actually are. In short, to be something we aren’t.

I am a Seabee in the Navy Reserves, and as you might imagine, I have several uniforms that I must wear at times. If you speak to members of the military about their uniforms, the consensus would be that we wear our uniforms with pride and the feeling of having earned them. Furthermore, most would agree that when we wear them together, we represent something far greater than ourselves as individuals.

The same can not be said of the uniform of modern fashion — a constant and ceaseless competition, an exercise in poor taste and inadequacy. Dressing up has become increasingly uncomfortable, inefficient, impractical and at times blatantly immoral — if not through the exposure or enhancement of flesh, then by the consuming, metastasized materialism that boils inside those dedicated to looking “good.”

If your job has a dress code, then of course you must abide. If you need a false confidence to get you through the day and curry the favor of those shallow enough to reward your efforts at color coordination, then of course you must abide. But if you can dress practically, cleanly and cheaply while losing no sleep . . . then you should abide that with equal fervence.

I like to look pretty. I wear skirts and high heels and makeup and jewelry. I spend a lot of time getting ready, even if all I\’m doing that day is working a ten-hour shift at the restaurant. My reasons have more to do with the way I feel about myself than they do with the way others treat me, but I have noticed a big difference when I look nice.

Yes, sometimes I get unwanted attention from men (see “The Proper Way to Treat Your Waitress” from last summer), but they are never crude or inappropriate. And yes, sometimes people are still rude or impatient with me. But when it comes down to it, when I dress up, I get more respect.

Why is that? Well, when we see a poorly-dressed person, certain stereotypes tend to pop into our heads: they don\’t care about themselves, so why should we care about them? Or perhaps they\’re lazy, they\’re bums, they don\’t take care of themselves.

But when we see well-dressed people, we think of wealth and prosperity. We assume they\’ve worked hard to get where they are, and that they care about themselves. These associations make us relate more positively to them, and so we give them more respect.

Let me give you an example straight from my opponent\’s mouth. When Job came to visit Steve, he was dressed in his Navy uniform. The attendant at the toll booth saw his outfit and gave Job a significant discount on his toll. Job has found that when he dresses up in his uniform, he not only gets more respect, he also gets a lot of freebies and discounts.

Whatever Job may say, even he has found that dressing up is beneficial.

{democracy:249}

Bible Discussion: Luke 24

06/4/2008, 2:00 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next chapter of Luke, Luke 24.

PREVIOUS DISCUSSIONS:
Genesis: 1-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-18 | 19-22 | 23-26
27-29 | 30-32 | 33-36 | 37-39 | 40-43 | 44-46 | 47-50
Exodus: 1-4 | 5-8 | 9-11 | 12-14 | 15-18
19-22 | 23-26 | 27-30 | 31-34 | 35-40
Romans: Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3 | Ch. 4 | Ch. 5 | Ch. 6 | Ch. 7 | Ch. 8 (I)
Ch. 8 (II) | Ch. 9 | Ch. 10 | Ch. 11 | Ch. 12 | Ch. 13 | Ch. 14 | Ch. 15-16
Luke: 1:1-38 | 1:39-2:40 | 2:41-3:38 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14-15 | 16-17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23

INTRODUCTION:
Connie:
The night is over — the Promise has dawned. It is merely waiting to be experienced, saints.

David:
This chapter is the only explanation the priests and Pharisees got concerning the bold change in Peter and the other apostles, seen in Luke\’s next treatise (Acts). Seeing Jesus risen from the dead, and having the Scriptures opened to them, changed everything — including the world. Soon they would be known as the men “who have turned the world upside down.”

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Connie:
It took the entire day for the disciples to believe/understand/experience the Resurrection. It was dinner time for most of them. We emphasize Easter as the dawn, which it was for the women, maybe — but not for the majority of His followers.

Chloe:
The disciples were more inclined to believe they saw a ghost than to believe Jesus had told the truth about rising on the third day.

Steve:
Jesus urged the disciples to “handle Him” to assuage their doubts!

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Josh: Flesh and Bones
Connie: What Things?
Steve: Suffer and Rise
David: Threescore Furlongs

Continued here!

The Whole Story

06/4/2008, 12:30 pm -- by Chloe | No Comments

Swearing, interrupting, speeding, gossiping . . . we all have bad habits, some more noticeable or annoying than others. I\’ve discovered a new one in myself, one that surprised me because of its irregularity and motivation. I tell people the end of movies, plays, and books, especially ones with surprise endings, like “The Sixth Sense” and Life of Pi. The reason is that I want them to appreciate the story as a whole, to grasp the metaphors and themes as they relate to our lives, because that\’s what makes a story meaningful.

I think my bad habit stems from something deeper, though. Forgive me if you\’re one of these people, but I have trouble with Christians who are intensely focused on prophecy. I know a few Christians whose belief system revolves around Revelation and Daniel, in conjunction with the works of Hal Lindsay and Tim LaHaye. These people believe we are in the end times right now, and therefore study and interpret prophecy in an attempt to divine where we are in the book of Revelation.

Revelation is the end of the story. But God seems to have always been about the journey, the lessons along the way. God\’s promises are fulfilled in time, from Abraham\’s descendants becoming a great nation, to the Israelites fighting for generations to fully claim Canaan, to David\’s struggle to get and keep his throne, to Jesus coming not as a great king, but as a baby who had to grow up. What\’s more, time is where His people learn the lessons that make them capable of fully grasping God\’s promise.

We know the ending of the story: Revelation. We also know the journey: the Great Commission. Therefore, while those who are focused on prophecy annoy me, they do recognize an important part of the story that I\’m missing. Likewise, they may miss out on the journey in their anticipation for the ending. One part without the other is an incomplete narrative, not what God intended.

Take up my bad habit. Look at the story as a whole, from the beginning to the end, and look for those overarching themes and metaphors, meant to infuse our journey with meaning and prepare us for the ending.

A Summer Reading List

05/28/2008, 2:30 pm -- by Chloe | No Comments

It\’s summer again, and that means everyone is playing outside, going on vacation and lying on the beach! Which is why a summer reading list is ludicrous, but I\’m suggesting some good books and authors anyway. The asterisk indicates young adult books, but I\’d recommend them for adults, too.

Authors
Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Neil Gaiman
Lauren Winner
Terry Pratchett
T.A. Baron
Amy Tan
*Scott Westerfield
*Ann Rinaldi

Books
Life of Pi, Yann Martel
The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini
Lipstick Jihad, Azadeh Moaveni
Reluctant Saint, Donald Spoto
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Jean-Dominique Bauby
Behind the Lines, Andrew Carroll
Art, Yasmina Reza
Rhinoceros, EugÃ¨ne Ionesco
All About My Mother, Samuel Adamson (contains graphic content)
*The Key to the Golden Firebird, Maureen Johnson
*Guitar Highway Rose, Brigid Lowry
*What Happened to Lani Garver, Carol Plum-Ucci
Song of Albion (3 books), Stephen Lawhead
Confessions, Saint Augustine
The Crystal Cave and The Hollow Hills, Mary Stewart
Wicked and Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, Gregory Maguire
1984 and Animal Farm, George Orwell
Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
Jacob Have I Loved, Katherine Paterson
The Nanny Diaries, Emma Mclaughlin and Nicola Kraus

Bible Discussion — Luke 23

05/28/2008, 12:00 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next chapter of Luke, Luke 23.

PREVIOUS DISCUSSIONS:
Genesis: 1-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-18 | 19-22 | 23-26
27-29 | 30-32 | 33-36 | 37-39 | 40-43 | 44-46 | 47-50
Exodus: 1-4 | 5-8 | 9-11 | 12-14 | 15-18
19-22 | 23-26 | 27-30 | 31-34 | 35-40
Romans: Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3 | Ch. 4 | Ch. 5 | Ch. 6 | Ch. 7 | Ch. 8 (I)
Ch. 8 (II) | Ch. 9 | Ch. 10 | Ch. 11 | Ch. 12 | Ch. 13 | Ch. 14 | Ch. 15-16
Luke: 1:1-38 | 1:39-2:40 | 2:41-3:38 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7
8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14-15 | 16-17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22

INTRODUCTION:
Steve:
Jesus is brought before the rulers of the area, who rightfully find no fault in Him. But at the insistence of the religious leaders, and the crowds they whip into a frenzy, He is beaten, mocked, ridiculed, whipped, and brutally murdered. Yet at all times He responds with love. With forgiveness.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Connie:
Verse 11 says that Herod (contemptuously) gave Jesus a beautiful robe while mocking Him, then sent Him away. In John’s Gospel, He still had it on the way to the cross. I wonder if that’s part of what the soldiers drew lots over in v.34. All I remember from John is a tunic with one seam, but it does say there were four parts — enough for four men.

Chloe:
Verse 56 says of the women preparing the burial spices and perfumes, “But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.” Just thought it was interesting.

Josh:
Jesus’ words in v.43 — “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise” — are often used in the debate over whether we go straight to heaven when we die, or lie in some dormant state until the resurrection.

I don\’t care much one way or the other, but what I hadn\’t even thought of until this reading is that Christ himself wasn\’t even going to paradise that day. He had some other stops to make first.

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Steve: Give Us Barabbas
Chloe: Subversive Nation
Chloe; Connie: Barabbas
Josh: Cover Us!

Continued here!

One Hundred Words (9)

05/28/2008, 9:00 am -- by Chloe | No Comments

In the spirit of Proverbs 10:19, our newest regular feature will be a series of posts of 100 words — or fewer. Comments under ten words!

It snowed on Friday. In New Mexico. In May.

When I saw it, I laughed, the kind of laugh that only forms when the irony of life triumphs. And all day I kept thinking of “The Day After Tomorrow.” I don\’t know about global warming and all that, but I do know some pretty old people with some very long memories at the restaurant where I work, and none of them remember snow in May.

I\’m not saying there\’s going to be some catastrophic planet-wide climactic shift or anything. Nothing like that. It just freaked me out. That\’s all.

–CLA

Bible Discussion — Luke 22

05/21/2008, 8:00 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next chapter of Luke, Luke 22.

PREVIOUS DISCUSSIONS:
Genesis: 1-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-18 | 19-22 | 23-26
27-29 | 30-32 | 33-36 | 37-39 | 40-43 | 44-46 | 47-50
Exodus: 1-4 | 5-8 | 9-11 | 12-14 | 15-18
19-22 | 23-26 | 27-30 | 31-34 | 35-40
Romans: Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3 | Ch. 4 | Ch. 5 | Ch. 6 | Ch. 7 | Ch. 8 (I)
Ch. 8 (II) | Ch. 9 | Ch. 10 | Ch. 11 | Ch. 12 | Ch. 13 | Ch. 14 | Ch. 15-16
Luke: 1:1-38 | 1:39-2:40 | 2:41-3:38 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7
8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14-15 | 16-17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21

INTRODUCTION:
David:
Here Jesus says farewell to His puzzled disciples and faces arrest and trial before giving Himself for the sin of this world.

Steve:
The Last Supper and Christ’s prayer in the garden. Fascinating and compelling narrative that takes us back two millennia to personally witness the agony that brought our peace.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Josh:
Verse 36, where Jesus tells His disciples to buy swords, seems a bit troubling, like an endorsement of violence. But one minute after telling them all to get a sword, He told them that two were enough for the whole group (v. 38). Then, when they actually used one — a mere flesh wound — He immediately stopped them and healed the man (vv. 50-51). In this context, Jesus\’ words seem more of a warning to be prepared for strife, because the real battle is finally coming.

David:
Even at the last supper, while Jesus discussed his death, the disciples were still carrying on the argument from the start of their trip: who would be the greatest after Jesus was gone.

Steve:
Verse 18 explains some of that confusion about the current generation not passing away until the Kingdom of God came — Jesus here seems to be explicitly referring to His resurrection.

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Josh: Treacherous Kiss, Hour of Darkness
David: Perverting the Nations
Steve: Fervent, Stone’s Throw

Continued here!

One Hundred Words (5)

05/21/2008, 9:00 am -- by Chloe | 3 Comments

In the spirit of Proverbs 10:19, our newest regular feature will be a series of posts of 100 words — or fewer. Comments under ten words!

My mother is complaining about the heat. It’s 103, no A.C., and I say, “Remembering this got me through five months of snow.” And she says, “You like this?”

I’m happier when it’s hot. I love emerging from a dark, air-conditioned house into the dry heat. I love the warm wind cooling my sweat and messing up my hair. I love evenings when it’s 75, and my sister and I lie on her back yard’s broad wall, recalling childhood memories because that’s all we have in common since I moved 2000 miles away.

What was I thinking?

–CLA

Best of Chloe — The Whole Word of God

05/1/2008, 11:00 am -- by Chloe | No Comments

Originally published May 30, 2007.

Last week at an awards ceremony in a university chapel, I sat near a plain square box with a gold Star of David painted on the front. It was a Torah ark. I hadn’t seen one of those in years, not since I had been to a special shul with my mother, during which graduates of a Hebrew class were honored. My mother was a graduate with her friend Damon, a Messianic Jew who sat beside her with a yarmulke covering his mostly bald head. He sang the Hebrew in a strong and liturgical voice and made me wish I knew how to sing the words so I could join in.

The Torah ark at the synagogue I had attended was huge, painted with rich hues and accented in gold filigree. The wood was carved and the metal molded into complex designs that no doubt told a story I would only understand if I were Orthodox like the people around me. Everything in the decorations had meaning because that is how the Jews look at the world. God created the universe; therefore it is imbued with His symbolic meaning. If we unearth this meaning, we draw a little nearer to God.

The rabbi took the Torah out of the ark for the reading. As he carried it from the ark to the bima where it would be read, the members of the synagogue kissed it as it went by. The part of this that struck me as most profound was how reverent everyone was as the rabbi walked by. This was the Word of God passing through their midst, and their quiet demeanor showed that they would not forget that.

In the Jewish tradition, the old scribes who copied the Torah had certain rules that governed their discipline. For example, they would only write the secondary names of God (El, El Shaddai, Elohim, etc.) with a brand new pen, no matter how fresh the first pen had been. And YHWH, the name God used to reveal Himself, was an entirely different matter. “Before they wrote this highest and best name, [the scribes] rose from their seats and went into their personal quarters. They took off their robes, bathed themselves, clothed themselves with new, clean garments, and returned to their work. There they knelt down, confessed their sins, took a new pen, dunked it once into the inkwell, and wrote those four letters.” (Dr. D. James Kennedy)

Quite a few of my Christian friends tend to avoid the Old Testament. Some of the reasons I’ve been given for that decision include that it’s boring history, or that it’s hard to spot God’s grace and mercy through all the gore on David’s sword. Worse, it has been called outdated, the old law that isn’t important anymore and shouldn’t be bothered with — except for the Psalms, of course, and anything to do with Revelation and/or Messianic prophecy.

But I was enthralled with the Old Testament when I read it. I mourned with Leah over her husband’s neglect and yelled at David for not going to war in the spring, when kings were supposed to go to battle, not play peeping tom. I fell in love with the poetry in Job and sobbed when Jonathan died.

Most importantly, I discovered something that is denied by all those excuses for not reading the Old Testament. I discovered, as we’ve seen in our weekly Bible study, that Jesus was and is everywhere, saturating the narrative with His presence and reaffirming His role as the fulfillment of the law.

Clash of the Titans LXXXI: Prose v Poetry

04/25/2008, 12:30 pm -- by Bweinh | 4 Comments

In this corner, arguing for the superiority of prose, is Chloe!

And in this corner, fighting on the side of poetry, is Erin!

“I was delayed that afternoon because I had brushed the teeth of a pretty animal that I’m patiently taming. It’s a chameleon. This endearing animal smoked, as usual, some cigarettes, then I left.

I met her on the stairs. “I’m mauving,” she told me, while I myself crystal at full sky I at her look that river towards me.

Then it locks and, maÃ®tresse! You pitcherpin so that at nice vase I sit down if the paths tombs.”
–Desnos

Go ahead. Tell me what that means.

. . .

Yep. I don\’t know, either. That\’s because it\’s poetry, which was never meant to be understood by anyone but the Opium Club.

Think of all your favorite authors when you were little, all the people you learned to read from. Tell me, how many of them were poets? I\’ll wager not a lot, because kids can\’t learn to read on poetry. Why? Because it doesn\’t make sense! And when it does make sense, it\’s talking about feelings or nature or other things that are really, really boring to read about, and have no impact on society whatsoever.

Prose, on the other hand, is not only much easier to understand, but it\’s also really exciting! Are you a science fiction fan? A mystery reader? Narrative and memoir? Do you like straight-up non-fiction about humor, politics, history, or theology? Prose has it all!

And by the way, feel free to show me what Mere Christianity and The Chronicles of Narnia would look like in poetry. I would guess that not too many people would read those versions. They wouldn\’t get them, because the author would play around with the words, try to say things in new ways without actually saying them, using things like metaphor and alliteration that tie up your tongue and muddle your brain. Also, they\’d throw in archaic words and references to heathen gods we\’ve never heard of because we\’re good people.

With prose, on the other hand, we can learn about all sorts of different subjects, and authors can communicate important ideas and cultural phenomena. Sound boring? This is exactly what Lewis did with Narnia and Pratchett does with his Discworld series. One draws you into a new and exciting world, while the other keeps you on the floor laughing! When was the last time poetry had you on the floor laughing?

Poetry is nice, I\’m sure, for those ten people in the United States who get it. For the rest of us, though, prose is the more interesting, accessible way to go.

I was in third grade when I discovered poetry. It was during “reading” class, and I had just discovered the amazing talent of tuning people out. We had 20 minutes of silent reading time, to be followed by the rest of our regular class time. Halfway through silent reading, I came across the word “fuchsia,” and I stopped.

Who invented a word like “fuchsia?” I knew it was a color, but what did it mean? I put down my book, picked up my pencil and paper, and proceeded to sit through the rest of silent reading and the first fifteen minutes of class writing about what I thought fuchsia could be. And that was my first poem.

Why tell you this? Because I think that poetry is about something deeper than the conveying of information: it\’s about the beauty inherent in everything that there is to convey. Even tragedy or atrocity point to what could be beautiful and no longer is.

Poetry isn\’t necessarily about an argument, or a description, or a collection of thought; and that is why it is wonderful. Taking words that would not normally complement each other, kneading them into submission (but never entirely!), and hoping that what you come up with will catch someone\’s soul besides your own — that is one way to look at poetry.

In more formal verse, the challenge is to go beyond the rules — of expression, depth, etc. — while obeying the rules of form and meter. Such a collision of goals results in poetry that constantly seems like it is trammeling up a few drops of what really is inside of what we can perceive, like oxygen inside a beaker. We can\’t really see the gas, but the form of the glass contains it just long enough for us to get a sense of what it\’s like.

Prose, while able to accomplish more in the areas of formal cataloguing of knowledge, information, and advertisement, can claim no advantage over poetry in storytelling, social commentary, persuasion, or celebration. Many of the greatest contributions to literature (Homer, Virgil, Dante, Chaucer, and Shakespeare, to name just a few) contain what? That\’s right, poetry — because it expresses beauty, emotion, and that tugging behind your navel that means that something important is going on.

And just look at the tomes of prose in the world — anything from tax law to textbooks, poorly written novels to theological treatises — where do we draw the line on what gets published? What is quality? What communicates well? Poetry must work much harder to prove its worth, and the poet to prove her or his gift.

What we have to decide is what is more important to us: the dry, systemic, and categorical communication of human experience in truth that is prose, or the vibrant, painful, beautiful communication that is poetry.

{democracy:239}

Bible Discussion — Luke 19

04/23/2008, 1:00 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next chapter of Luke, Luke 19.

Genesis: 1-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-18 | 19-22 | 23-26
27-29 | 30-32 | 33-36 | 37-39 | 40-43 | 44-46 | 47-50
Exodus: 1-4 | 5-8 | 9-11 | 12-14 | 15-18
19-22 | 23-26 | 27-30 | 31-34 | 35-40
Romans: Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3 | Ch. 4 | Ch. 5 | Ch. 6 | Ch. 7 | Ch. 8 (I)
Ch. 8 (II) | Ch. 9 | Ch. 10 | Ch. 11 | Ch. 12 | Ch. 13 | Ch. 14 | Ch. 15-16
Luke: 1:1-38 | 1:39-2:40 | 2:41-3:38 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14-15 | 16-17 | 18

INTRODUCTION:
David:
Here, Jesus sensed the errant thoughts of the disciples concerning His rule on earth, and tried to let them down easy. “There was this guy, and he was going to receive a kingdom, but to do it he had to leave for a while and go to another country far, far, far away”¦”

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Josh:
Luke\’s telling of the parable of the ten minas is different than I realized. There were ten servants who received a mina, although only three report upon the master\’s return.

Chloe:
God likes short people better?!

Steve:
The people on the side of the road during Christ’s entry into Jerusalem were described as “the whole crowd of disciples.” I wonder how many people that included.

David:
Not this time, but another time, I noticed that this is actually the second time that Jesus cleansed the Temple. He did it at the beginning of his ministry too, the first time he ever visited Jerusalem.

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Chloe: Muttering Sin
Josh: Five More; Stones Cry Out
Steve: Ten More Mina

Continued here!

Houghton Going Green

04/22/2008, 1:30 pm -- by Chloe | 1 Comment

A new professor is coming to Houghton College — Dr. Matthew Sleeth, an environmentalist and the author of Serve God, Save the Planet. He\’s been hired to make the campus green.

I don\’t like the sound of that.

See, we all have our own opinions on how Houghton College spends its money. Personally, I\’ve been watching professors drop like flies. The sociology department\’s class offerings have dwindled to entry-level courses, and senior writing majors have been forced to coerce over-extended professors into doing independent studies, or else succumb to Intro to Creative Writing.

And instead of getting a few new sociology or writing professors, we hire some guy to make the campus green? Houghton doesn\’t care about being green! This is a marketing strategy.

This whole semester, every time I heard Sleeth\’s name, I went off on the poor souls who found themselves within a ten-yard radius of me. “Do you know they\’re requiring all the first-years to buy his book?,” I would cry. “He\’s rewriting the Scripture and calling it the first ”˜Green Bible!\’ It\’s going to be printed with recycled paper and soy ink. Soy ink!” Absolutely absurd.

Sleeth spoke in chapel yesterday. I would have boycotted, but I skipped too many chapels earlier in the year and had to go to meet the requirement. I decided I would go, but I wouldn\’t enjoy it.

Sleeth started off on the wrong foot, bragging about how his son was 19 and graduating from Asbury, and his daughter was 17, in her second year at Asbury, and looking forward to seeing her book, “It\’s Easy Being Green,” in bookstores soon. Well, whoopty-freakin-do.

But then he started talking about his life. He graduated third from the bottom of his high school class. Relatively Christian, he met a Jewish girl and got married, then together, they swore off religion. His wife announced soon after their wedding that she thought he should go to college, so he did, worked his butt off, and went to medical school just two years later.

Throughout his chapel talk, Sleeth spoke time and again of how someone — usually his wife, often God — challenged him, leading him to dedicate himself entirely to something: first emergency medicine, then Christianity, and finally environmentalism. When Sleeth chose to believe in something, he threw himself into the work of perfecting it. He loves what he does, he\’s passionate, and he wants others to be passionate with him.

I enjoyed his chapel, immensely. He\’s speaking again today, and I can\’t wait to hear him. Maybe the college isn\’t spending its money wisely, but that doesn\’t have anything to do with who and what Dr. Matthew Sleeth is. I can\’t wait to see what he will do for Houghton.

Bible Discussion — Luke 18

04/16/2008, 1:00 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next two chapters of Luke, Luke 18.

INTRODUCTION:
David:
In this chapter God uses a story about an unjust judge to make two points. One, men ought always to pray and not faint. Two, there will be times in your life when the God who loves you so much will appear disinterested in you and your problems, but that is never true. When this happens, refer to point one.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Connie:
In John’s telling of the Bartimaeus story, he says he wants to regain his sight. Matthew reports that there were two blind men, and they asked Jesus to receive their sight. I keyed in on the word regain, because I think that sometimes we don’t appreciate what we have until we lose it. We need to stop that behavior, saints.

Chloe:
I never noticed that little phrase in verse 7 — “cry out to Him day and night.” Jesus isn\’t talking about any prayer. He\’s talking about prayers with depths of emotion and need. It\’s a promise, but not the promise we may like to interpret it as.

Steve:
Jesus made the blind man ask for his sight (as Josh mentions below in a great illustration).

David:
Infants were being blessed, but not baptized — something Protestants still do today.

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Steve: Flog
Josh: Tax Men
Josh, Connie: Scourge[d]
David: How Hardly; Sorrowful Rich

Continued here!

Please Procrastinate

04/16/2008, 10:00 am -- by Chloe | 1 Comment

Last Sunday, Erin and I went to Geneseo for some grocery shopping. Well, great, you\’re no doubt thinking, who cares?

But it was a very important day. I had just gotten back from a writing retreat and had a lot of homework to do. She always has a lot of homework to do. We needed to buckle down and plow through our respective to-do lists.

But the sky was piercing and the wind was meandering and everyone else was playing catch outside.

So we threw on capris and sleeveless shirts for the first time this year, and when our housemates asked us where we going as we giggled our way out the door, all we said was, “Crazy!”

We drove with the windows down, my feet on the dash (Death Cab in our heads), as I read a book out loud. We did our grocery shopping, then went to Starbucks. And Dunkin\’ Donuts. And Tim Hortons. To be fair, the last two were good deeds, not indulgences. (When everyone figured out where we\’d gone, they had called and placed their order.)

On the way back, as twilight settled and the warm air turned chilly and wet, we pulled over next to standing water and Erin introduced me to the peepers, those little frogs that almost sound like crickets. I had never noticed them before. We came home bearing gifts of coffee and donuts and ice cream; never mind that every donut had a sizable bite out of it. Finder\’s fee and all that.

The homework didn\’t get done. I didn\’t finish reading the chapter, I didn\’t do the worksheet, and I didn\’t write the reading response. But I got an A on the quiz, and it didn\’t kill me not to turn an assignment in. I\’ll forget that within the month. I will not forget my adventure with Erin. The essence of that little road trip will come back every time I hear the peepers, every time I drive with the windows down, every time I drive through Geneseo or go to Wegmans.

The work will get done. It always does. The adventure will pass you by.

Bible Discussion — Luke 14 and 15

04/2/2008, 12:30 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next two chapters of Luke, Luke 14-15.

INTRODUCTION:
David:
The contrast between these two chapters is noteworthy. In ch. 14, Jesus addresses scribes and Pharisees during a social event at a chief Pharisee’s house, and rebukes the guests (v. 7), the host (v. 12), and the entire nation of Israel (vv. 16-24), while challenging their commitment to follow Him.

In ch. 15, He addresses publicans and sinners, and it\’s all about how anxious God is to have them saved, how happy that salvation makes heaven (v. 10), and how happy it should make the rest of us (v. 32).

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Connie:
After the man finds his lost sheep, he calls together his friends AND neighbors, and has a party to celebrate. I know it’s a metaphor for the lost sinner, but it made me wonder what all those people will eat during this party? Hopefully not all of his other sheep, hmm?

Chloe:
The father gives the lost son the best robe, a ring, and a party with a fattened calf for the meal. But what never occurred to me before is that since the lost son took his inheritance, the father is using what is rightfully the good son\’s to supply this party. I can see why he\’s sore about it.

Erin:
Peace is always an option instead of war, even when two armies are getting ready to fight (14:31-33).

Josh:
Jesus preempts the Pharisaical protests to healing on the Sabbath by asking them if it’s okay in advance (14:3).

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Josh: The Other Son
Chloe: Famine
David: Lost Coin
Steve: Dropsy; Pig Pods
Connie: Bread Enough
Erin: Five Yoke of Oxen

Continued here!

Cactus Flowers

04/2/2008, 9:25 am -- by Chloe | 2 Comments

Bweinh! celebrates National Poetry Month this April.

I miss the desert like I miss a drink of water after a day of fasting, like I miss my bed after a year of traveling.
That grit in my teeth when the wind blows too hard, and that crack of thunder that makes me steady the expensive vases teetering in their tenuous places.
The rain on a tin roof a few times a year, and then the transformation, the green invasion in my trusty red dirt.

And I am missing it to live in a deadened landscape where the rain doesn\’t smell like anything and there is no noise at night but the absence of sound when there\’s snow on the ground.
I miss the crickets.
I miss the coyotes.
I miss those sounds in the night that bury me in my covers, that give me shifty eyes, or no eyes at all because I don\’t want to know what would make a noise like that.
Anything but this silence like life doesn\’t come around here anymore.

Continued here!

Bible Discussion — Luke 13

03/26/2008, 1:00 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next chapter of Luke, Luke 13.

INTRODUCTION:
Connie:
The red words continue to abound in this chapter, although this time they include some warnings we should heed…

David:
This section starts with two narratives showing the wrong and right attitudes about judgment. In the first one, people gloated about God\’s judgment falling on others, and Jesus rebuked them. He followed that up with a story about a man interposing himself to save a tree from judgment, saying, “Wait! Give me some more time! Maybe I can turn this around!”

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Connie:
Galilean blood was shed as a sacrifice by Pilate (v. 1). Was that to get back at Jesus through His countrymen?

Steve:
Pharisees came and warned Jesus that Herod wanted him dead.

David:
Many will seek to enter by the straight gate, but won’t be able to.

Josh:
In this passage, the synagogue ruler does not directly rebuke Jesus for healing on the Sabbath, but rather the people, for coming to be healed on that day.

At any rate, based on the description provided here — merely a touch and a word — it\’s hard to fathom how anyone could consider this healing “work.”

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Josh: Fallen Tower; Gathering Brood
David: DIG IT/DUNG IT
Steve: Ox or Donkey
Connie: Fruit on the Fig
Chloe: Third Day (shhh, don’t tell anyone, but it really is one!)

Continued here!

Luke 12

03/26/2008, 10:00 am -- by Chloe | No Comments

Last week’s Bible study was on Luke 12. That passage is my favorite in the whole Bible, so I\’d been looking forward to it ever since I heard we were doing Luke. However, college ate my life and I had no time for the Bible study. But I will not be deterred! I want to share with everyone what that passage has meant to me these last few years.

My father died when I was seven, leaving my mom, my sister and me with Social Security checks to take care of us. We lived off of those for several years, but we always knew that when I turned 16, my mom\’s check would stop, and when my sister and I turned 18, our checks would stop. I turned 16 the same year my sister turned 18, and that year my mom lost her job. She didn\’t find another one until after that last check stopped coming.

I cannot describe the fear we faced every single day for those two years, both together and in our own worlds. I remember staying up nights, terrified that we would have to give away our animals and everything we owned, that we would have to leave our apartment and live in our van, that we would starve. I remember the November the electricity bill was somehow $400, and my mom forbade us to turn on the heat or use the oven, and constantly yelled at us for having too many lights on. I remember the Pop Tarts for both breakfast and lunch, and running out of milk or bread near the end of the month and having to wait until the 1st or 2nd to get more.

But most of all, I remember being so afraid, always so afraid.

I do not remember going hungry. I don\’t remember going thirsty, or without decent clothes. I don\’t remember ever going to sleep without a solid roof over my head. I was helpless with worry those two years, but at least once a week I read Luke 12:22-34, and later committed it to memory. Experience has impressed on me the passage\’s truth. I have never gone hungry for lack of food. I have never been without clothes or shelter. And though I worried, I\’m sure I did not add a single moment to my life by doing so.

God is faithful. It\’s taken me a couple of years to get to the point where I can finally write those words and actually believe them, but God is faithful nonetheless. Luke 12 didn\’t teach me that — I had to learn it myself — but the passage certainly reminds me of the truth whenever I forget.

“Then Jesus said to his disciples: ”˜Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?\’ ”

Bible Discussion — Luke 11

03/12/2008, 12:30 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next chapter of Luke, Luke 11.

INTRODUCTION:
Connie:
This is a great passage for the Spitzer scandal backdrop this week, because Jesus begins by emphasizing our need for daily dependence upon God — through prayer for our every need: physical, mental and spiritual. He goes on to show that although hypocrisy may be effective for a time to succeed in the natural world, it cannot bring lasting reward in the Kingdom of God. The outside must match the inside.

David:
Jesus teaches His disciples to pray in this chapter, to persevere in prayer, to understand where their authority comes from in prayer (binding the strongman), and to avoid the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees.

Mike:
A rollicking adventure of a chapter where Jesus teaches about prayer, unclean spirits, and then denounces some lawyers!

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Mike:
v. 52–Jesus’ charge that the lawyers “have taken away the key of knowledge.” He seems to accuse those who know the law the best of misinterpreting it, and thus barring themselves and others from the rich life the law could provide.

David:
In verse 42, Jesus compared the Pharisees to hidden graves that men walk over without noticing. This action would render them unclean, in their theology. I believe that unknowingly accepting hypocritical and false teaching does the same to us now.

Steve:
Luke says Jesus drove out a mute demon, and that when it left, the possessed man could speak, amazing the crowd. Interesting.

Josh:
In this passage the entire “woe”Â segment is sparked by a Pharisee who was taken aback that Jesus did not wash up before a meal. I wish I’d known that when I was younger and Mom was on me about washing up.

Chloe:
Abel is counted among the prophets.

Connie:
The scribes, Pharisees and men of law grew angry, despising and blaspheming the words of Jesus; then a woman spoke up and admired Him and the wisdom and power with which He spoke.

At first I dismissed His rebuke to her as one to those whose would later idolize Mary, but really it was much more than that. Jesus led the woman to a higher consideration. Though it’s a great privilege to hear the word of God, the ones who are truly blessed — that is, blessed of the Lord — are those who hear it, keep it in memory, and keep to it as their way and rule. Look at how many heard the same things she did that day, yet used them to scheme against Him.

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Josh, Mike: Queen of the South
Chloe: Sign of Jonah
Steve: Lamplight
David: woeuntoyou
Connie: Best Seats in the Synagogue

Continued here!

Bweinh! Goes to the Movies — The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

03/12/2008, 10:00 am -- by Chloe | 3 Comments

The screen is blurry, and I blink several times to clear my eyes. No, still blurry. I blink again. So does the screen. A little better. There are shapes moving about now. The screen blinks again and the shapes become people. It wasn’t my eyes.

“The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” is the story of Jean-Dominique Bauby, the former editor of French Elle, who suffered a stroke at the age of 43 and lived the remaining two years of his life locked inside his paralyzed body. The opening scene is a rendering of Bauby waking from the coma and learning that he has locked-in syndrome — he cannot speak, he cannot move, and he cannot communicate at all, despite his fully conscious and capable state.

But Bauby is a remarkable person, and so he does not only spend his last years longing for his past life and the release of death. Though he cannot speak, Bauby can blink his left eye. Therefore, his speech therapist devises a simple yes-no blinking system, then goes on to develop a list of French letters organized from the most common (e) to the least (w). She recites this list to Bauby until he blinks, thus enabling him to slowly spell out words and communicate with people. In this way, Bauby writes a book: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, an abstract personal narrative on which the film is loosely based. The final manuscript is strong and pristine, every word’s worth and work weighed by hours of solitude and stagnancy.

Throughout the film, the director parallels Bauby’s current life with his past life — being trapped inside his body as an invalid, juxtaposed with his life filled with supermodels and lovers and the mother of his children, who stays by him to the end, but whom he continuously reminds us is not his wife. There are scenes where, in flashbacks, he sneers at the invalids in holy places hoping for a miracle, and scenes where he is the invalid being wheeled toward the blessed springs. There are scenes where he plays with his three children and jokes obscenely with his teenage son, and scenes where they play around him, incapable of playing with him.

The film enables the audience to live life through the eyes of someone with locked-in syndrome. We experience Bauby’s muteness, humiliation, and helplessness alongside him. We feel trapped and frustrated and suffocated as he does. And when the movie ends we release our breath, unaware that we were holding it the whole time, dreading with Bauby the end.

Best of Bweinh! — Hot v. Cold

03/7/2008, 7:00 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

Originally published June 26, 2007.

In this corner, preferring cooler weather, is Steve!

And in this corner, preferring hotter weather, is Chloe!

Today, Syracuse will swelter. It’s the hottest day of the year. The high will be 95; combined with tropical humidity, this will make it nearly unbearable outside. Last week, I spent 7 days in New Mexico, Satan’s sauna, where highs reached triple digits every day.

What a perfect time to extol the joys of cooler weather!

I’ve worked outside in temperatures that ranged from 25 below to 95 above, and I’ll take the colder end anytime. Most of the worst jobs in America face extreme heat, including cowboys, ironworkers, longshoremen and roofers. Horses and hot tar don’t give you a 6-hour break at high noon!

It’s true people are more comfortable in warm-weather attire, but let’s think about extremes. If you’re too cold, you can always put on warmer clothing, or more of it. But when it’s hot outside, there’s a pretty strict legal limit on how high you can, uh, let your freak flag fly. Even if you can get nekkid, there’s no guarantee that unfortunate decision will cool you down enough to be comfortable.

Plus they say freezing to death is one of the least objectionable ways to die. Your extremities slowly go numb, which sounds like bliss compared to the searing pain of heatstroke pounding your head into seizure, hallucination and coma.

Maybe the best reason to like cold weather is its effect on relationships. When it’s hot like today, unless you’re submerged in a body of water, you don’t want to be near anyone. Tempers shorten, fuses blow, and even a platonic hug exchanges more fluid than a blood transfusion.

But not only do you want to be around other people when it’s cold, it’s practically necessary to conserve heat! Cuddling up on the couch with someone special isn’t an unpleasant, sweaty chore like in July — in the winter, it keeps up both morale and body temperature.

Hot weather is for individuals — sweaty, uncomfortable, and alone — but cool weather? Cool weather brings us together.

Imagine yourself, eight years old, waking up one morning and noticing the air is unusually crisp and muted. As you tumble out of bed, heart racing, breath quickening, you know that — yes, out the window — SNOW!

You run screaming down the hall, smack into your mother’s knees. “Not without these!,” she chirps, pointing to the mountain of snow gear she will soon inflict on your person.

By the time she finishes protecting your cute little extremities from frostbite, you have to pee, you couldn’t play in the snow if your life depended on it (or get up if you fell down), and the radio has announced the roads are plowed, so school is not canceled.

This would not happen if it were hot. For one thing, you can easily move in the attire required for a hot day, which is next to nothing. More importantly, school can’t be canceled in the heat because there is no school! That means days filled with tans, swimming pools, water fights, picnics, sports, and siestas.

Oh, yes, siestas. It’s a physical impossibility to work when it’s 105 degrees out, ladies and gentlemen. That means you quit at 1:00 and don’t start up again until 6:00, if at all!

Still not convinced? Let’s not forget these other important points:

— Ice will kill you on the road. Hot asphalt will not, unless you’re stupid and walk barefoot on it, and then it’s your own fault.

— Heat makes all the scary things go away, like snakes, big things with teeth, and children.

— Heat stroke is temporary, but another good reason not to work. Frostbite is forever, like diamonds, but without the jewel or the finger to put it on.

— Water parks, ice cream, barbecues, parades. Have you ever tried to have a parade in below-zero weather?

If you still prefer the cold, I’ll pull the patriotic card. As Americans, we stand for liberty, and if shorts, tank tops and flip flops aren’t liberating, I don’t know what is. Certainly not your snow pants.

{democracy:70}

Best of Bweinh! — Romans 8 Discussion

03/5/2008, 12:00 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

Read Part One here, and Part Two here!

Best of Chloe — The Dragon Tree

03/5/2008, 10:30 am -- by Chloe | No Comments

Originally published December 7, 2007.

In a place called Clissold Park in North London, where dogs run without leashes and babies learn to walk, off the path and far into the cold emerald grass, there is a dragon, cursed by an English witch hundreds of years ago to be eternally rooted in the ground, to pay for transgressions long since forgotten.

The dragon is mossy green with age, and ribbons of bark twist around his huge serpent-like branches. His coils stretch far and low, curling like arabesques in stone cathedrals, and reaching out to those who happen by him. At first glance it is impossible to tell whether he is inviting people to take refuge under his canopy or clawing the sky, writing in agony with the wind.

I have only ever seen the dragon in the winter, when the leaves have all fallen and he looks ragged and lost, like nature put far too much work into one side and forgot about the other. His branches lie at the height of my shoulder, five feet from the ground, and I can wrap my arms around them as if I were holding a horse’s strong, muscular neck, and feel the strange warmth in the tree’s core, the flame of his breath that has yet to burn out. He is a climbing tree, and a limber person could clamber all the way to the top branches to view St. Paul’s and the Gherkin defining London’s horizon, or simply settle in the cleft of a low-hanging branch and write verse or read old novels.

When I first discovered the dragon, I couldn’t tell if he was writhing or beckoning, whether the warmth in his branches was from the burn of fighting muscles or the comfort he exuded. I couldn’t decide whether the holes in his trunk and the creeping moss were conquerors or companions. Perhaps, I thought, he was a content and wise old tree — or perhaps an embittered dragon biding his time, waiting to break free.

Whatever the case, I took on impulse the invitation to recline where the trunk had split at the base so that another gently sloping trunk had grown out of the ground. I accepted the proffered place to sit and muse, to lie back and tell him my thoughts on God and nature, on my fellow man and our history.

During these long afternoons, the dragon taught me things he had learned throughout his centuries in the ground. He described to me the great people who took their first steps within his circumference, the heinous crimes committed beneath his branches, and the everyday commonalities that taught him the most about humanity. He taught me that men search for God in whatever they can, be it mountains or oceans, stars or suns, or trees that reach out to touch people, to brush their shoulders and say, “Come, I have much to tell you.”

The dragon taught me that, as great as nature is, and as much as it can fill me with awe, the Creator is still greater. He taught me that I too must learn patience and discernment if I will be wise like the dragon. He taught how the world will go on after I have passed away and time has swallowed my memory, how I am so undeniably small.

There is a dragon in Clissold Park in North London. I have never hugged, never loved, never learned from a dragon before. But the dragon in Clissold Park, cursed by a good British witch, has learned much in his years in the ground, sedentary and silent but for the wind. He has learned that when one’s movement is measured in decades rather than seconds, one must calculate each choice carefully: that choosing to writhe is choosing to writhe for an eternity, and choosing to beckon is choosing to listen and teach forever. And he learned that though each small movement will make its impression on his form, only the results of centuries will be remembered.

Clash of the Titans LXXIII: City v Country

02/29/2008, 11:00 am -- by Bweinh | 8 Comments

In this corner, living in the country, is Chloe!

And in this corner, residing in the city, is David!

Nowhere, New Mexico

It’s 6:15 in the morning, and I’m on my way to work. The sky has a mashed potatoes and golden butter look to it, and the sunrise’s fingers turn pink as they stretch further west. The sunflowers are blooming, yellow heads turned up to worship the sun. A few times on the mountain pass, I have to slow for the massive elk wandering across the road.

The cafe opens at 7, and like clockwork, Frank and Roy and Robert come in for their eggs, bacon, toast and coffee. I don’t ask how they want their eggs done, or what kind of bread they prefer. They’re here every morning; I already know.

Throughout the day, Anne and Mike, Sam and Elaine, Mark, Lisa, and Jacob will probably come in to chat and check out the special. Today will be busy, both with work and with catching up with everyone, passing on praises and prayer requests.

On the way home, I’ll wave at the people I pass on the mountain. Some I recognize, others I don’t. When I get home, Grandma and I will eat dinner on the porch and watch the thunderstorm march over the valley. We’ll take the dogs on a long walk before settling down with some hot chocolate and a good book by the time the storm breaks over us.

London, UK

Some friends and I have decided to go to a pub for dessert — a pub that we frequent at least once a week. It’s close to Guy Fawkes Day and there are fireworks going off everywhere, but we don’t linger. It’s after dark and this is a park; we should move as fast as we can.

We spend two hours at the pub, oblivious to the passing time and the Sunday drunks surrounding us. When we look up again, my purse is gone.

The gruff bartender promises that he’ll provide the police with CCTV and takes my name down, but won’t let me use his phone to call the police myself: “Don’t you have a mobile?”

“Well, I did. It’s in my purse.” Moron.

My friends and I leave the pub. I call the police from a friend’s phone while several sirens scream by me. They don’t answer. When I try again and they pick up, the Cockney operator tells me disdainfully to call the non-emergency number.

I run home down London’s dirty streets under the patches of dark clouds because I have to get rid of the nervous energy. I don’t stop shaking till morning.

I was raised in the city, that noted bastion of civilization, and although the country is a wonderful place to visit, I would not choose to live there full time, and the main reason is the lack of people.

I once lived on a farm for a summer, and I can assure you, it gets boring when your nearest neighbor is a mile or more away. What good is a chess set with no one to play? What good is a softball field if all you can do is bat rocks with a stick while playing an imaginary game in your mind? Any truly joyous activity requires the presence and participation of other human beings. And you can find them in the city.

Ever since the first rude barbarians realized that domesticating animals and cultivating crops was much easier than chasing your food down and killing it in the forest — while trusting serendipitous encounters with edible fruits and vegetables for roughage — cities have been generally acknowledged as the best mode of living upon this green earth. Indeed, the entire course of civilized history was one in which barbarians settled down to the good life, lost their wild lonesome ways, then patiently waited to be conquered by the next envious band of brutes who realized what they were missing in their rustic wanderings.

I believe that every person needs a good balance of quiet solitude and lively social intercourse. For me, the city provides the best opportunity for both. When I want to be left alone, I go into my library and close the door, or I watch TV with my wife in the living room. When I want to be with people, I go sit on my front porch, or we go out to eat.

And nothing equals a walk through our neighborhood, where the sidewalks are sheltered by ancient shade trees, bordering the twilight beauty of gentle homes twinkling with warm light — as evening settles on the distant spires of chapels, and various towers of commerce, that grace our small city.

Alexander the Great did the world a signal act of service, for which we should all feel gratitude, when he conquered the entire civilized world, establishing one common language and a culture that revered education and the building of public libraries and theaters. Where would we be without this grand impetus toward education and social intercourse, which was followed up and fortified so well by the laws and roads of Rome?

Never mind, I know where we would be — the Dark Ages. When libraries were burned, priceless art was destroyed forever, and the great cities were broken and all but abandoned.

Tribuo mihi urbs!

{democracy:221}

Bible Discussion — Luke 10

02/27/2008, 1:00 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next chapter of Luke, Luke 10.

We also welcome a few visitors from David’s home Bible study — and work with a joint entry from Chloerin!

INTRODUCTION:
David:
In this chapter, Jesus says some things that never make it into the world’s conception of the all-loving gentle teacher from Galilee, while sending his followers out to extend His power to the lost.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Chloe/Erin:
Even though Jesus sent the 72 out with instructions to preach, perform miracles, etc., they were surprised to find that they could drive out demons in Jesus’ name. What more (or less) did they expect, I wonder?

Rachel Clancy:
We always preach a balance in spiritual things, but Jesus seems to disagree when Martha asks for help from Mary. When Jesus is here, forget everything but Him!

Steve:
I don’t ever remember reading verses 23 and 24. Jesus references men like Socrates, Job, and David, who had longed to know the fullness of reason and religion, to reason with God as a man speaks to a friend, and tells these fishermen and tax collectors from backwater Israel that they had been given the ultimate honor — to see the things so many had longed, and would long, to experience.

David:
After the disciples are rejected, they are to tell the people, “Be ye sure of this, the kingdom of God has come near you!”

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Ian Clancy: The Very Dust
Steve: Trample
Rachel: Two Pence (none the richer); Lambs Among Wolves
David: Babes
Erin/Chloe: twoBYtwo

Continued here!

Bible Discussion — Luke 9

02/20/2008, 1:00 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next chapter of Luke, Luke 9.

INTRODUCTION:
Connie:
This is a lot of material — sending out the disciples on a missions trip, feeding the 5,000, deliverance ministry issues, prophetic proclamations of his death and the transfiguration. There was a lot going on here, and I cannot imagine trying to keep up with Jesus in these days.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Josh:
Before Jesus fed the 5,000, he instructed the disciples to divide the people into groups of 50. I guess even miracles need a little organization.

Chloe:
I wonder if the feeding of the 5,000 happened directly after the disciples got back from preaching and healing for a reason. If it were me, I would be thinking I was pretty talented by now: “Yeah, I cast out at least a hundred demons, and this kid with this huge tumor on his leg is playing football now, and…”

But then Jesus told the disciples to feed the 5,000, and they couldn’t. Jesus had to do it. I can hear the disciples thinking, “Oh, yeah. He’s the one who made it possible for me to do that, not me.”

Steve:
John, perhaps Jesus’ closest disciple, and one whose later writings showed the deep and abiding work of love in his heart, is the same guy who follows up Jesus’ object lesson about welcoming children and the least being greatest with a parochial boast about fighting an ally! Verse 50 is another that should be committed to the minds of all Christians, especially those with tendencies to believe that they have hit on the one ‘best way.’

Connie:
I never noticed that when word started spreading of Jesus’ fame and works, everyone began to put it into a box, or form, that they could understand. Elijah they had heard of; John they had seen, or at least knew someone who had. So they saw Jesus as another Elijah or John. They didn’t have the faith — or didn’t want to have the faith — to seek Him out for who He really was. Especially Herod — I imagine he was just getting his pot ready to wash his hands of the whole matter.

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Josh: The Twelve
Connie: Five Loaves and Two Fishes
Steve: Tetrarch; Keep it to Yourself

Continued here!

The Depression Epidemic

02/20/2008, 10:30 am -- by Chloe | 4 Comments

Several friends have told me that they’re depressed these last few weeks. Symptoms have ranged from not feeling like doing homework, to not wanting to get out of bed, to avoiding other people at all costs. Most attribute their sadness to the fact that the sun hasn’t shown its face more than twice in the past three weeks. We’re in the lull before break right now, when everything is cold and white and icy, and a day consists of getting up, doing schoolwork, then going back to bed. In other words, this too shall pass, and soon.

But these conversations, combined with how many people I know who are medicated for clinical depression, has sparked me to question what might be causing an apparent epidemic of depression.

The National Institute of Mental Health reports that 18.8 million American adults suffer from depression, two-thirds of whom are women. Depressed Americans make up 6.2% of our population. This may not seem like a staggering statistic, the idea that 6 of every 100 people has depression, but that statistic is talking about clinical depression. It doesn’t include brief bouts of melancholy, or the type of depression that hits you with a razor blade and leaves you smiling and sunny six months later. The World Health Organization estimates that 15% of the world’s population has a depressive episode in a given year (which could range from two weeks to a full year). That’s 990 million depressed people. 990,000,000.

So there are the staggering statistics. Now I’ll introduce something that will sound entirely unrelated. I’m doing research on self-consciousness right now, and one study I came across tested boredom proneness (yes, they’re related, but it would take another article to explain how). Boredom proneness has, in several studies, been linked with depression.

I’ve found nothing that states which is the cause and which is the effect, but here’s my hypothesis: we as Americans are bored because of how used to being entertained we are. As a result, we have trouble finding interest in everyday life, and on some level we believe that our lives are unfulfilled, perhaps because they don’t look like television lives. Why should we get out of bed? What new and exciting thing will happen?

And again, we have lost our ingenuity, our ambition to create new and exciting ways to live life — because we can live on a mysterious island on Thursday night, and be the next top model or superstar any day of the week. All we have to do is turn on the TV. But the show always ends, and none of it is real. Is it any wonder that we are bored and depressed?

An important point I must make is that I don’t think boredom causes depression across the board. Sometimes depression comes from childhood abuse or trauma in one’s life, and sometimes it’s a chemical imbalance. The frustrating thing is that so little is known about the chemical aspect of depression that no definitive hypothesis can be formed. We can only tinker with dosages until a medication seems to work, while we play connect-the-dots with cause-effect relationships in research.

The thing that perplexes me is the sheer number of people suffering with bouts of depression (not clinical depression). Surely that isn’t common! Surely men and women haven’t suffered mind-numbing sadness like this since the beginning of time! I mean, I don’t deny that it’s possible. However, I suppose that when you had to run a farm to feed your family, you didn’t have the choice to think about how you didn’t see the point in getting out of bed. But that’s just speculation.

This is the part in the article when I provide some concise conclusion, or offer some advice on where to go from here, what we can do to alleviate the epidemic. I, of course, have no solutions. I only have hypotheses and questions and an urgency that something should be done. But I’ve found that often the best way to find a solution is to talk to people and get other opinions. So comment or email me your thoughts.

Bible Discussion — Luke 8

02/13/2008, 12:00 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next chapter of Luke, Luke 8.

INTRODUCTION:
David:
Jesus teaches a wonderful parable about the types of soil we offer God to work with in our life, heals a demoniac and a woman plagued with a life-long infirmity, and then raises the dead again.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Erin:
The people of the Gerasenes were overcome with fear, and that’s why they asked Jesus to leave them. Even after he’d performed a miracle, the people’s fear was what drove Jesus away.

Josh:
One of the women who supported Jesus was the wife of Herod’s steward.

Steve:
Jesus kept the true meaning of the parable of the soils from the crowd, then urged His disciples not to light a lamp and hide it under a jar or a bed. I don’t think this is contradictory, though; Jesus simply knew the same secret that TV producers, secret societies and women use to their benefit: a little mystery is attractive.

Soon what was concealed would be brought into the open, but making the people work a little, to use their minds to discover the Truth, had numerous benefits to the Kingdom and its future followers. Our Lord isn’t into brainwashing.

Connie:
On His way to visit Jairus’ daughter, Jesus has the encounter with the woman with the issue of blood. I couldn’t help but wonder, if she hadn’t come forward and identified herself, would He have taken back the healing? Otherwise, why was He asking? He goes on to say the answer — her answer — was the reason for the healing. But was it the answer, the mere stated words, or the declared faith in those words?

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Josh: Hidden Light
Chloe: Broken Chains
David: Came Down A Storm
Connie: Gadarenes
Steve: Drowning Pigs; Abyss

Continued here!

Therapeutic Truth

02/6/2008, 2:00 pm -- by Chloe | 2 Comments

Therapists have a bad rap. They get called names like “shrink” or “quack.” They’re accused of charging obscene rates for little or no work. People think they just mess with people’s heads and create neuroses to get clients to return. The worst thing I’ve heard anyone say about therapists, though, is that they’re significantly responsible for the degradation of Western society.

And the guy who said that is a therapist.

Speaking from an expert psychotherapist’s perspective, Dr. William Doherty writes in his book, Soul Searching, that from the inception of therapy, the trade has focused on the individual — stressing questions like, “What is this doing for you?,” “How is this benefiting you?,” and “What are you getting out of this relationship?” He gives examples of a therapist who told clients to stop volunteering in the community because he saw altruism as an unconscious attempt to fill a hole in the client’s life, of others who told divorced or separated couples anything from, “You need to think about yourself for a change — abandon the kids,” to “Take him for all he’s worth! You deserve it!”

These examples are frightening. Psychotherapists have taught their clients that the most important person in the world is oneself. People must act in their own interest. We can see how ingrained this lesson has become ingrained in our society.

But Dr. Doherty brings good news also. The subtitle to his book is “Why Psychotherapy Must Promote Moral Responsibility,” and it’s a herald to a new method sweeping the field — morals-oriented therapy.

Doherty wants therapists to be up front with their clients not only about their virtues (what a single person holds as important), but also about morals, which he defines as applicable to everyone. That’s right — absolute truth.

Examples include confronting ex-husbands about the way they manipulate their ex-wives or hurt their children, or doing the same to women who use their children against their ex-husbands. You can imagine how little these people want to hear what Dr. Doherty has to say to them; therapists who practice morals-centered therapy run the risk of being fired by clients who don’t particularly want to hear, “Why don’t you consider how your actions are affecting other people?” But Doherty’s examples tend to end with the clients growing as individuals, and more importantly, as members of a community.

This is exciting to me because this book, and most of the field of therapy, is secular; yet it’s moving towards thinking in terms of other people, of morality, of absolute truth. Therapists are coming to the conclusion that an individualistic life approach doesn’t work. The only way people can lead mentally healthy lives is through the good old Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have done to you.”

Bible Discussion — Luke 7

02/6/2008, 12:00 pm -- by Bweinh | 1 Comment

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next chapter of Luke, Luke 7.

INTRODUCTION:
Steve:
Who does Jesus touch in this chapter? A servant. The only son of a widow. Tax collectors. A harlot. It is a perversion of Christ’s example and the Gospel when we do not extend His love to them, and when we preach that material success is the singular sign of his blessing.

David:
In chapter 4, Jesus pointed out that God performed miracles for a Gentile widow and Naaman during the time of Elijah and Elisha. Here, Jesus does something similar in healing the servant of a Gentile who exhibited a faith unseen in any of the Jews Jesus had encountered. Luke, a Gentile himself, captures many such touches in Jesus’ ministry.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Erin:
Jesus doesn’t answer the questions that John’s messengers bring to him: he just tells them to go back and tell John of the evidence of Jesus’ ministry, and let the Spirit of God that inspires John to prophesy reveal to him who Jesus really is.

Josh:
I’d never before noticed the timeline presented in this book, and it’s a little confusing. John the Baptist essentially asks Jesus in this chapter if He is the One (7:19), but four chapters ago, JB baptized Jesus. The whole dove and voice from heaven thing would have seemed to have established that (3:21,22). Perhaps John was unable to see these signs or recognize Jesus for who He was, but considering he recognized Him when they were both still in the womb (1:39-45), that seems a bit odd.

Chloe:
The elders tell Jesus that the centurion deserves to have Jesus heal his servant for what he’s done for Israel. And yet the centurion says the exact opposite — “I do not deserve to have you come under my roof.”

Steve:
All the times I have read this passage, I never before noticed that the centurion, by Jewish testimony, loved the nation of Israel. I suppose it makes sense that he would have heard of Jesus then. I wonder what that meant in his life and his religious devotion.

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Steve: Dirge
Erin, Chloe: Marketplace Children
David: Go in Peace
Josh: Dead Man Speaks

Continued here!

Clash of the Titans LXVI: US Troops to Darfur

02/1/2008, 11:30 am -- by Bweinh | 11 Comments

In this corner, supporting deployment of American troops to Darfur, is Job!

And in this corner, opposing their use, is Chloe!

I know many people chafe against America’s stint as the world’s police, but if that role were ever necessary, the situation in Darfur is the time. This is not the global equivalent of assault, grand theft auto, or arson. It is, my friends, murder one.

I’m an isolationist at heart, but not spurious in my desire to see American intervention in areas of political or religious upheaval. I think, at times, intervention is necessary, and I support our efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan currently, and Haiti and Somalia in the past. But the sheer scope of the tragedy in Darfur — the injustice, the lawlessness, the bloodshed, and the fact that there are no cool heads to be put towards prevailing — gives this situation a sense of urgency on steroids.

Whatever compassionate, protective, empathetic part of the brain that responded to the great tsunami should also respond to this senseless loss of life. There are not sides to be delicately understood, or diplomatic measures to be massaged here. What is necessary is for the only nation with the willpower, the means, the expertise, and the track record — the United States of America — to send not only our soldiers and sailors to Sudan, but also our Marines.

This can’t be misconstrued as a search for oil or hegemonic dominance. This is an instance where the darkness of the world is winning, while we do nothing about it. I don’t speak of darkness in the Biblical sense — although I could focus this argument entirely on our need as a believing nation to alleviate the suffering there — but rather a darkness of ideology that continues to dim the value of life and the vigor of freedom all over the world. Our indifference — perhaps too strong a term for 2008, but which will most certainly be applied (perhaps accurately) years from now — to the plight sickens me on a personal level and frustrates me on a policy level.

What an opportunity — to reshape an image, reinvigorate our “brand,” and mold an emerging Africa in a better shape — while ending the slaughter (and that is not hyperbole) that should be casting a shadow over our nation’s collective conscience.

It’s a human rights crime. 200,000 to 400,000 dead, over two million displaced. Why the discrepancy in numbers? The chaos makes it impossible to carry out a proper count, but one thing is for sure — the situation is dire. So how could anyone say that the U.S. shouldn’t send troops to Darfur?

It’s simple — sustainability. History has taught us that the only way improvements can occur is through sustainable development. What does that mean? Consider intervention like a drug. Morphine is meant to alleviate pain. Unfortunately, if it’s administered without prudence and discretion, the recipient will become addicted, and the drug will destroy his life.

Likewise for international aid. For example, look at the 2007 report of the Millennium Development Goals. In most cases, there has been improvement, but it is, unfortunately, nominal. NGOs, much like foreign aid, can sometimes facilitate dependency and make it difficult for a country or group to overcome circumstances on their own. Or worse, they will fund the corrupt government, or opposition groups, while civilians continue to be slaughtered.

This is what I fear for Darfur. But aid is exactly what the displaced people are expecting. In a stunning article written in 2007, Amber Henshaw interviewed six people within the camps, asking them questions like, “What do you think is needed to reduce, and hopefully stop, the fighting and killing completely?,” and “What do you think could most change your situation right now?” The answer was always, “Protection from the international community.” The six Sudanese interviewees were convinced that nothing would change until troops, whether from the U.S. or another country, were deployed to shield them from the Janjaweed.

Millions of dollars have been poured into developing countries; yet, as the MDG report testifies, the change is negligible in relation to the resources. Perhaps it’s heartless to say that the Sudanese people have to do it themselves. But the fact of the matter is that history tells us they do.

{democracy:207}

I â™¥ Grocery Shopping

01/30/2008, 8:00 pm -- by Chloe | 3 Comments

The other day, a friend of mine was talking about “retail therapy,” which means going on a shopping spree until unhappy feelings go away. I declared that I was going to do that on Friday, and she said, “Ooh, where are you going?”

“Um. . . Wegmans,” I answered sheepishly.

“I don’t think grocery shopping counts,” she answered, but I still think it does.

I have never in my entire life been so excited to go grocery shopping. I made a list in class today of all the things I intend to buy. It was two pages long, and included such things as “cheeses” (you can never have enough cheese, and only one kind won’t do) and “ingredients for cookies,” which means any possible ingredient for cookies I could conceivably imagine in my wildest sugar-deprived dreams.

I’m ecstatic about the culinary delights that lie before me. My grandmother’s best dishes, my childhood favorites, my church’s famous potluck inventions…even a top secret recipe from Germany, for which I promised my firstborn son and daughter. Believe me, it was worth it. It was a cookie recipe.

I never thought I’d be thinking day and night about all the things I could buy at the grocery store, as if it were a stationery shop or shoe outlet. Those of you who have been college students may understand. Those of you who have been poor will understand even more. And those of you who have been both — you’ll know exactly how I feel.

But if you have never been any of the above, try spending $20 on groceries for a month and see how you feel afterwards. Suddenly the grocery store will look to you like Toys-R-Us looks to kids, a week before Christmas.

Bible Discussion — Luke 6

01/30/2008, 12:30 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next chapter of Luke, Luke 6.

INTRODUCTION:
Steve:
Jesus’ sermon in this chapter will never cease to be countercultural, because at every turn it challenges the default setting of humanity, to seek selfishness and success.

David:
In the last chapter, Jesus scolded the people for trying to mix New Covenant and Old Covenant concepts in their question about fasting, likening it to placing new wine in old skins. Now He begins to use His teaching to turn the Jewish religion upside down, overturning their ideas about the Sabbath, wealth, popularity, judgment, mercy and what constitutes real righteousness.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
David:
After leaving the guy with the splinter alone, and pulling the beam out of my own eye, I am actually allowed to go back and say “OK, now about that splinter:”

Erin:
Before Jesus chose the twelve disciples, He spent an entire night praying. Talk about careful consideration! And yet, all of these men were flawed, said and did things that were less-than-upbuilding to Jesus or His ministry (Peter, etc.), and often seemed so dense when Jesus spoke to them that it is hard to understand why He chose them to be His “inner circle” of followers.

Chloe:
Jesus is talking to people from Judea and Jerusalem, which means He’s talking mostly to Jews. And yet He says, “For that is how their fathers treated the prophets,” ‘their’ referring to the ones who persecute ‘you.’ Already the believers have been set apart from the rest of the Jewish nation.

Steve:
I hadn’t noticed what Chloe just said until I read this discussion, so I’m going with that.

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Josh: Blind Guide
David: Plankeye
Erin: Simon Called Peter
Chloe: False Prophets
Steve: Bramble Bush

Continued here!

Is Good News A Myth?

01/24/2008, 12:00 pm -- by Chloe | No Comments

I check the news daily, but I rarely read any of it. It’s not that it’s bad writing (though it is) or that it’s slanted reporting (though it is). It’s not even that I’m bored with it (though I am). The reason I haven’t been reading the news is because it gives me nightmares. It makes me sick to read the headlines of FOX News and CNN, because their style of reporting is more like a parade of freakishly heinous crimes rather than anything resembling journalistic integrity.

I took a sampling this week of the headlines on the two sites. One day I had to copy nearly every single headline. These are just a few exemplary examples of the daily dose of bad news:

Sri Lanka clashes kill 59 rebels
Cops arrest 66 in online prostitution sting
Stabbed Woman, 4 kids found dead in burning home
Cops: Mom put son in oven as punishment (with video)
Bad Day: Doc delivers baby, watches house burn down
Macedonian army helicopter crash kills 11 (with photos)
Man found with maggots in eyes dies
Marine slaying crime scene photos

Our world is fallen. We can’t close our eyes to the fact that these types of things happen every day. However, I cannot stand any longer for their use as entertainment. The only reason news agents write articles like the above is because people read them. If it’s not bloody and bizarre, it’s not worth reading. It’s like ambulance chasers, or people who slow down at the scene of a car crash, trying to spot a mangled body or some bits of gore. It’s sick. There’s no other word for it.

But there’s some good news! Literally! I went searching for something to ease my discomfort after reading those headlines, and I found the Good News Network. GNN was started by Geri Weis-Corbley, a TV news producer who was exhausted by the inundation of bad news in her profession. Now it boasts such lines as “Johnny Depp donates $2M to Children’s hospital,” and “Couple reunited after 60 years apart since the war.”

This is what I was looking for. It’s just good news — in business, civics, earth, family life, health, recreation, and other fields. So if you feel burdened by the daily news reports, visit GNN. It’s a refresher and a reminder that though our world is fallen, good things still do happen.

Bible Discussion — Luke 5

01/23/2008, 12:00 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next chapter of Luke, Luke 5.

INTRODUCTION:
Steve:
Miracles are on display in this fast-moving chapter. Jesus’ ministry is getting started, and woe to the demons, paralysis, or fish that get in His way!

Connie:
Jesus continues His new ministry by choosing disciples and irritating the local religious leaders with unorthodox and amazing healings.

David:
Peter is called and forsakes his fishing business to follow Jesus, but this is not the first time for Peter (Matthew 4:18) nor the last (John 21:16). Peter always manages to end up back in his boat, fishing again. Peter and I (and perhaps you too) have had to deal with this issue more than once. It’s interesting that in the famous water-walking text, Jesus is again urging Peter to get out of the boat. “Do you love me? Then feed my sheep.”

Erin:
This chapter is just one of the many that make up Luke’s account of Jesus’ ministry. I am both interested and frustrated at Jesus’ willingness to heal (in some instances), His intentionally vague parables, and His choice of disciples. But that’s why many have called our faith a “mystery”!

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Josh:
Just before Jesus forgives the paralytic, it says that Jesus “saw their faith.” Not his faith, but their faith. I know that ultimately we all have to make faith decisions for ourselves, but I also believe strongly that there are times when we just have to have enough faith to carry our friends through to that point.

Erin:
After the leper is healed (v. 13), people start flocking to Jesus, and the need for Him to be alone with His Father seemed to increase — it seems to me a sign of Jesus’ humanity that as the pressure of his ministry increased, communing in prayer with God became even more important.

Steve:
I never noticed the reaction of those who witnessed Jesus forgiving and healing the paralytic — “We have seen strange things today!” I can tell you — I’ve left some meetings with that same testimony.

Connie:
Verse 17 — “…and the power of the Lord was present to heal them.”

Chloe:
Luke points out an important aspect of Jesus’ character in verse 6: “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” This made me think about what I do when I’m emotionally drained, as I’m sure Jesus was (and much more than I) throughout His ministry. Typically, I read a book, or turn on some music and play a game online. I don’t pray. Prayer sounds exhausting to me, and I need to relax. Prayer as an emotional refresher is something that never really occurred to me.

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Chloe: Water’s Edge
David: Whither Thou Wouldest Not (WTWN)
Steve: A Certain City
Connie: Follow Me
Erin: Sons of Zebedee
Josh: Through the Roof; Dinner with Sinners

Continued here!

Bible Discussion — Luke 4

01/16/2008, 12:00 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next chapter of Luke, Luke 4.

INTRODUCTION:
David:
John lists three things that drive the flesh: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Eve exhibited all three in man’s fall, finding the fruit good for food, pleasant to look upon, and desired to make one wise.

Jesus too faced all three in the wilderness: hunger, the glimmering apparition of all the world’s glory, and a challenge to his pride that began with, “If you really are the son of God:” Our fall is completely reversed in what Jesus faces to start off this chapter.

MC-B:
In this whirlwind passage, Jesus meets the Devil, becomes famous, heals the sick, and declares Himself to be the fulfillment of the prophesies of the Old Testament.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
MC-B:
I missed Jesus’ explanation of how no prophet is accepted in His hometown, probably because when I’ve heard this chapter covered in the past, the focus has been on Jesus’ reading from Isaiah.

Connie:
How much deliverance Jesus did at the start of His ministry. Initially it just mentions that He teaches, but when it comes to hands-on ministry, he deals the most with deliverance — because tormented people cannot listen/hear.

Josh:
I’d never paid much attention to the story of Jesus in the synagogue. I just imagine what it would be like today for someone to stroll into my church, pick up a Bible and read it aloud, then basically say, “Yep, that’s me.”

Steve:
I never really thought about how Jesus escaped from the crowd who wanted to kill Him in verse 30. Wouldn’t it be interesting if He just snuck out somehow, hiding behind some fat guy or something? I know that He could have transported Himself elsewhere, blinded His foes, or jumped off the cliff and flown away, but wouldn’t it be more in fitting with His character to just humbly sneak away?

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
David: Brokenhearted
Steve: High Fever
Josh: Hometown Prophets, Screamin’ Demons
MC-B: Highest Point
Connie: Simon’s Mother-in-Law

Continued here!

Boundaries in Forgiveness

01/9/2008, 4:00 pm -- by Chloe | 3 Comments

I recently had a conversation with a good friend about forgiveness. She had a painful childhood, but she’s found a way to forgive those who hurt her — forgetting. She remembers who hurt her and the general idea of what happened, but she can’t remember specific fights, words or wounds. She’s moved on, and used the results of her broken childhood to become a brilliantly insightful writer and poet.

Nevertheless, my friend still receives pressure from her extended family to forgive her parents. They believe that forgiveness means making contact with her father, going back to her mother’s house on vacations, etc. Essentially, they want her to act like the sins were never committed and submit herself to the possibility of being hurt again.

I know another woman who had a difficult life, somewhat due to her family. She claims to forgive them, but daily brings up specific incidences when they hurt her. She believes that one can forgive without forgetting, and sees no problem with rehashing those wounds, both with her family and with other people.

These are three different concepts of forgiveness, three coping mechanisms for conflict in the human brain. Jesus instructed us to forgive infinitely, but did he tell us how to treat the people we forgive? Is it healthy to forget? If not, what do we do with those memories? Where do we set up boundaries against those who have hurt us, or should we set up boundaries at all? Take a moment to think about it, and then please leave your comments and experiences, as well as any verses you find particularly applicable.

Bible Discussion — Luke 2:41-3:38

01/9/2008, 12:00 pm -- by Bweinh | 3 Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next section of Luke, Luke 2:41-3:38.

INTRODUCTION:
David:
This section offers the one small glimpse of Jesus’ childhood afforded us. If it was important to know more, we would. If he had done astounding miracles and dispensed wisdom destined to be Scripture (as fabricated in other works), we would have seen evidence of that in the Gospels.

Connie:
Jesus grows up and gets ready to begin His ministry. His cousin John is featured prominently in this passage.

Steve:
This part of Luke is very interesting, the opening movement to a great symphony. There are foreshadowing notes of Christ’s power to teach, the compelling counter-melody of John the Baptist, the crescendo at baptism when the two lives reconnect, and then the introductory genealogy, like a drum roll as we wait for the ministry of Christ to begin.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Chloe:
John addresses the 3 major people groups in his sermon — the crowd (the community), the tax collectors (the sinners or the government), and the soldiers (the outsiders or the law enforcement). Random, but kind of cool.

Josh:
I’d never noticed the wording that people assumed Jesus was Joseph’s son (v. 23). I guess I never stopped to think if it was known among the people at the time that He was not, in fact, Joseph’s blood.

Along those lines, I’ve found it strange that Jesus’ genealogy is traced through Joseph, with whom He shared no bloodline, instead of through Mary, with whom He did. I understand that the custom of the day was paternal lineage, but I’d still be far more interested in knowing Jesus’ actual ancestors.

Steve:
It’s no wonder Jesus is such a popular name among Spanish speakers; one of Jesus’ great-great-great grandfathers was named Jose!

David:
In 3:12, the Publicans called John “Master,” which is the word rabboni. It is a term that shows great respect and admiration. John was not viewed as some jack-leg preacher; he had respect as a learned man of God, and his grasp of OT scripture backs that up.

Connie:
John’s call to repentance is followed by questions from the crowds of “How?” His answer is to love others — by seeing to their needs. Another example of faith without works being useless. And his answer is not to rely on heritage — good fruits were required now.

Erin:
It says that Jesus’ parents didn’t understand what he was saying when he stayed behind in the temple. What must that feel like, to know that your ‘child,’ the Son of God, is speaking beyond your comprehension?

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
David: Son of Arphaxad
Chloe: Unaware
Steve: Custom Feast; Son of Er
Connie: Cosam
Erin: Hill Made Low
Josh: Children of Rock

Continued here!

Bible Discussion — Luke 1:39-2:40

12/24/2007, 2:45 pm -- by Bweinh | 1 Comment

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next section of Luke, Luke 1:39-2:40.

INTRODUCTION:
David:
There is no surprise that Luke’s account of the nativity has become the standard for Christmas celebrations down through the ages. His writing is beautiful, and he himself was a gentile, a startled and awestruck outsider whose heart had not been hardened by religion.

Connie:
Mary leaves on her fact-finding mission, only to find everything is as Gabriel has said. Elizabeth is pregnant and the babies in womb seem to know each other. So cool!

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Steve:
I didn’t think I would find one, and then I read v.80 — John the Baptist was “in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel.” I knew he hung out in the wilderness, eating locusts and honey, but I didn’t remember it was a long-term lifestyle, preparing him for the ministry to come.

Connie:
Mary was there three months, meaning she could have stayed through to help with the birth — even though it isn’t specifically mentioned. That could have prepared her for giving birth on her own later, as it turned out. I cannot imagine that she’d leave with the birth so imminent; maybe the written order isn’t as legalistic as it sounds.

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Chloe: Heavenly Host
Steve: In the Deserts
Connie: Quirinius

Continued here!

Bible Discussion — Romans 15/16

12/5/2007, 12:00 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next two chapters in the book of Romans, Romans 15-16.

Genesis: 1-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-18 | 19-22 | 23-26
27-29 | 30-32 | 33-36 | 37-39 | 40-43 | 44-46 | 47-50

Exodus: 1-4 | 5-8 | 9-11 | 12-14 | 15-18
19-22 | 23-26 | 27-30 | 31-34 | 35-40

And the book of Romans: Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3 | Ch. 4 | Ch. 5 | Ch. 6
Ch. 7 | Ch. 8 (I) | Ch. 8 (II) | Ch. 9 | Ch. 10 | Ch. 11 | Ch. 12 | Ch. 13| Ch. 14

INTRODUCTION:
David:
The last two chapters of Romans are filled with last-minute admonitions and personal greetings, along with some interesting nuggets.

MC-B:
Paul’s best instruction manual to believers concludes with another reminder to serve one another, build each other up, and listen to what is good.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
David:
In 16:26, the phrase “the scriptures of the prophets.” It’s significant that a New Testament writer testified that what the prophets wrote was scripture.

Steve:
Paul describes intercessory prayer as “striv[ing] together with him” in his work.

Chloe:
In verse 27, is Paul saying the Gentiles owe the Jews money because the Jews shared their spiritual blessing?

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
MC-B: Holy Kiss
David: Lucius and Jason, Erastus the Chamberlain
Chloe: Hindered, The Gentiles
Steve: Brother Quartus, Strive

Continued here!

The Dragon Tree

12/5/2007, 10:30 am -- by Chloe | No Comments

Bible Discussion — Romans 14

11/28/2007, 12:30 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next chapter in the book of Romans, Romans 14.

Genesis: 1-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-18 | 19-22 | 23-26
27-29 | 30-32 | 33-36 | 37-39 | 40-43 | 44-46 | 47-50

Exodus: 1-4 | 5-8 | 9-11 | 12-14 | 15-18
19-22 | 23-26 | 27-30 | 31-34 | 35-40

And the book of Romans: Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3 | Ch. 4 | Ch. 5 | Ch. 6
Ch. 7 | Ch. 8 (I) | Ch. 8 (II) | Ch. 9 | Ch. 10 | Ch. 11 | Ch. 12 | Ch. 13

INTRODUCTION:
David:
Chapter 14 illustrates one of the key differences between the New Covenant and the Law. Rules and regulations regarding dietary restrictions and Holy Days are lifted and replaced by a measure of liberty, but that liberty can not be used to wound others. In addition, Paul introduces the concept that we stand before God Himself as our judge, not man — rendering the priesthood obsolete.

Connie:
There can’t be anything more Christlike than laying aside your desires in favor of someone else’s. This whole chapter points out that if we truly call ourselves Christians, our smallest actions and most common practices should always reflect our heritage.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
David:
When it says here that “every knee shall bow to me,” it is intended as a warning to Christians like me not to judge others. It’s not there for me to threaten the world with.

Chloe:
Paul’s talking about another kind of sacrifice we don’t hear about often — the sacrifice of normal things for the benefit of those who see them as a medium of sin.

Steve:
Verse 9 presents a nice little nugget of theology about Christ’s resurrection, smack dab in the middle of a treatise on how to treat each other. Christ died and returned to life so that He might be the Lord of both the dead and the living — to conquer death by paying the price of sin for all time. So who cares if I celebrate Christmas? Back off! God’s still on the throne!

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
David: Everyknee
Chloe: Everyday Alike
Connie: Stumbling Block
Steve: Every Effort

Continued here!

November!

11/27/2007, 1:00 pm -- by Chloe | No Comments

My friend Keisha and I made an attempt this week to find a coffee shop with wireless on Oxford Circus so we could work on one of our many final papers. It was raining when we hopped on the 19 and struggled up the stairs to find seats, spotting two in the back after several moments of searching. We wedged ourselves in and watched the windows fog up as the bus lurched to a stop to pick up more passengers.

No one ever talks about buses in London. It’s all about the Tube and the Thames and other things starting with T that you can get around in, like taxis and trains and . . . tugboats. No one talks about how close you can get to people you don’t know on the bus — and I don’t mean inside. I watched with mild panic as mopeds and bicycles swerved in and out of our lane, wondering if they would suddenly slip on the wet asphalt and meet a damp and messy end before my eyes. Other buses breathed down my neck at stop lights, while my bus did the same to unfortunate passengers in other vehicles. I didn’t realize until that ride how small buses are. It wasn’t long before I was in a full-fledged anxiety attack, and I had to force Keisha to move to another seat closer to the stairs and surrounded by more windows to keep from hyperventilating.

We never got to Oxford Circus. By the time we reached Holborn (a 20-minute ride normally), we had been on the bus for nearly an hour and a half, and the muggy bus wasn’t even inching along in the driving rain. It was millimetering along. Keisha and I went downstairs in the mad hope of jumping off at the next stop, no matter where it landed us. Then a girl approached the bus driver and asked him to open the doors. “I’m late to an interview,” she said. “I’m so late, and I must get off. We haven’t moved in 15 minutes!”

“If I open these doors and you get plowed down, you’ll sue me. I can’t open the doors,” the gruff driver replied. He’d already displayed an extensive arsenal of colorful words throughout the trip, and so we inched away from the looming altercation.

“No, no, I promise I won’t sue you! Please, let me off, I need this job!”

She continued to beg him, and he continued to refuse. Then a gallant young businessman rose to the occasion and defended the fair maiden. “Look, please just open the door.”

Good job, turbo.

“I can’t open the doors, because I’ll get sued if you get hurt…but that doesn’t mean you can’t open the door.”

So the ambitious knight began tugging on the door. “No, no!” the bus driver said. “Press the button above your head!”

The hopeful suitor looked above him and espied the button, pressing it with all the fervor of a man about to be spurned by a pretty girl.

The doors hissed open and the girl sprang off, yelling “Thank you!” over her shoulder. The poor hero hopped off, too, heading in the other direction. So I was romanticizing it, but I had been on the bus for over an hour; I was mildly insane by that point.

Keisha and I made our escape at that point, too, giving up our search in Oxford Circus and returning to familiar territory — the Starbucks in Angel with two floors and magnificent heating. We were freezing cold and dripping wet, and we had spent nearly two hours getting there.

As I settled down with my Eggnog latte (Ã¢”šÂ¤3.05, but I so deserved it), I picked up the assignment for the literature class:

No traveling at all — no locomotion,
No inkling of the way — no notion —
‘No go’ — by land or ocean — [:]
No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease,
No comfortable feel in any member —
No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,
No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds —
November!

Indeed.

Bible Discussion — Romans 13

11/21/2007, 3:30 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next chapter in the book of Romans, Romans 13.

Genesis: 1-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-18 | 19-22 | 23-26
27-29 | 30-32 | 33-36 | 37-39 | 40-43 | 44-46 | 47-50

Exodus: 1-4 | 5-8 | 9-11 | 12-14 | 15-18
19-22 | 23-26 | 27-30 | 31-34 | 35-40

And the book of Romans: Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3 | Ch. 4 | Ch. 5
Ch. 6 | Ch. 7 | Ch. 8 (I) | Ch. 8 (II) | Ch. 9 | Ch. 10 | Ch. 11 | Ch. 12

INTRODUCTION:
David:
Sit down. We need to talk about your attitude toward authority. “The powers that be are ordained of God, whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God…” Parents, teachers, policeman, bosses, presidents — even if it’s Hillary — are you ready to live this out?

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Steve:
Paul’s brief summary that equates love and the law. All the commandments about human relationship are designed to protect others, to give them the same respect and care we afford ourselves — so one who loves perfectly must necessarily (and perfectly) fulfill the law.

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
David: Walk Honestly
Chloe: Fellowman
Steve: Slumber

Continued here!

Trust

11/21/2007, 10:00 am -- by Chloe | No Comments

In Starbucks the other day, a woman asked me to watch her purse, jacket, and shopping bags while she fetched her coffee downstairs. It struck me as ironic that she would trust me, a total stranger, with some of her most important belongings. For all she knew, I was a thief waiting for the chance she gave me. In all honesty, I thought she was a total moron for trusting me, not because I shouldn’t be trusted, but because no one should be trusted.

When Adam and Eve ate from the tree and betrayed God, an innate inability to trust sprung up alongside sin in humanity. Because we as individuals know that we should not be trusted, we instinctively do not trust anyone else, particularly God. He is, after all, the One we betrayed. It’s like we’re just waiting for Him to get back at us when we least expect it.

This isn’t just true of non-believers or people who have been hurt by Christianity. I, for one, am struggling daily with giving even an inch to God for fear of what He’ll make me do, what He’ll make me give up. There are some things in this life I’ve decided I can’t live without, and I just know that if I trust God, He’s going to take that chance to get back at me. Just like I deserve.

Trusting God and giving up control over our lives is not easy, especially when we have everything planned out with careers and relationships, budgets and schedules. Who knows, maybe God will ask you to give up your office or teaching job to do His work in the Congo or Zimbabwe. My fear is that God will tell me to give up writing to go do something awful and miserable, something I’ll hate and will eventually kill me. Something like teaching high school.

Will He? I don’t know, which is one of the reasons I haven’t let go yet. But I’ve been told God doesn’t work like that. He doesn’t give gifts and then forbid us to use them. Obviously, I don’t believe that yet, so if you’re struggling with the same thing, let me be an encouragement to you. You aren’t alone in your wrestling. I’m praying for you, and I’ll ask you to pray for me, and then hopefully one day soon we’ll take that step and let Him direct our lives. I wish you the best.

Bible Discussion — Romans 12

11/14/2007, 11:30 am -- by Bweinh | No Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next chapter in the book of Romans, Romans 12.

Genesis: 1-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-18 | 19-22 | 23-26
27-29 | 30-32 | 33-36 | 37-39 | 40-43 | 44-46 | 47-50

Exodus: 1-4 | 5-8 | 9-11 | 12-14 | 15-18
19-22 | 23-26 | 27-30 | 31-34 | 35-40

And the book of Romans: Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3 | Ch. 4 | Ch. 5
Ch. 6 | Ch. 7 | Ch. 8 (I) | Ch. 8 (II) | Ch. 9 | Ch. 10 | Ch. 11

INTRODUCTION:
David:
Chapter 12 marks a complete change in the tenor of this epistle. The main work of dealing with the law, the Jew, and the Gentile done, Paul turns to general exhortation for the body of Christ. It is rich in basic instruction on “How to Live” for the believer.

Chloe:
A wonderfully concise handbook for Christianity.

Connie:
The chapter begins the final section of Romans, a call to practical obedience to God. Christians should live lives that reflect a transformation by our salvation working in us, and we should demonstrate such by good stewardship of our spiritual gifts.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Tom:
Under the old covenant, there were two types of sacrifice: the sacrifice to atone for sin, and the sacrifice made for worship. Since Jesus already became the sacrifice for our sin, when we’re exhorted in this chapter to be living sacrifices, we aren’t earning our salvation through good works. Instead, Paul encourages us to make our very lives an act of worship, which IS a pretty reasonable service given the circumstances.

Erin:
Verse 19 says, “Never avenge yourselves.” Never! I had always heard “Vengeance is mine” quoted, but the other side of that statement hits home. We are NEVER justified in “getting back” at someone. Never. Not even if it feels fair.

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Erin: Customs of this World
Tom: Place to Wrath, Fervent in Spirit
Chloe: Zeal
Steve: Overcome
David: Abhor
Connie: Vengeance Is Mine
Josh: Humble Associate; Hungry Enemy

Continued here!

Sunrise on Firth of Forth

11/14/2007, 9:30 am -- by Chloe | 2 Comments

There is no smell in the air, none at all. There is no lingering cigarette ash or swirling car exhaust, no rotten garbage or fetid water. And it is quiet, only the sound of the water slurping up the rocks and the wind rustling the waves like a dancing woman’s skirt. Scotland’s wind is not pushy and impatient, but mischievous, catching and teasing the tendrils of hair that have slipped my fist. Here there is respite from noxious cars and obnoxious horns, from people muttering, “Sorry,” and salesmen tugging at my sleeves. Here there are only the croaking calls of seagulls and the chatter of wind and waves.

There is a storm brewing off to the north, big and tumultuous, yellow and blue like a bruise, and when it breaks, everything in Scotland will turn greener than it was. In London, the plain almost-gray sky never quite rains, but drizzles unremarkable specks of water into unremarkable puddles of muck. When this storm breaks, the writhing clouds and turbulent ocean, the heavy blue hills ambling out of the water towards the southeast, all that will be washed in tacky greens not fit for painting. Maybe, when it breaks, the neon sunrise lurking beneath the horizon will decide to wander in.

I settle on a rock, where brine has anchored conical shells to the sides of the massive black boulder, and they scrape my legs each time I swing them back and forth with the rhythm of the tide. I face the east, where the sun will make its entrance and wrestle with the waves for the stage.

The sun rises uncertainly over the harbor, budding baby yellow on the hills, melting into confused greens and deepening shades of blue up into the sky. As it gains confidence, though, it throws out against the clouds an armory of pinks and oranges, bold and embarrassing colors to the Prussian blue ocean. The sky is flaming now, no longer shy yellows and greens, but bright shades of gold against the clouds.

And then the tides change. The clouds begin to recede. Those bullying masses were only testing the waters, looking for a reaction, and meant no harm, after all. They give ground to the sun, taking with them the chill wind and white waves, leaving in their place ripples on a placid surface, and shallow pools reflecting the boulders on which I perch. And then a final flourishing bow from the clouds splashes vibrant greens all over the opposite shore.

Scotland is green once again.

Epilogue

11/8/2007, 1:00 pm -- by Chloe | 2 Comments

I wanted to share this with everyone. I volunteer at Salvation Army Homelessness Center on Wednesdays after class. This week I went in, and the boss, Andy, said, “Oh, Chloe! You have a message!”

A message? For me? I’m not important enough at Salvation Army to have a message! But there was a little yellow piece of paper with the name “Jean” on it. I don’t know a Jean, and certainly not one who works at “Islington Home Health Care.”

“What’s the message?”

“Well, apparently she found your driver’s license on the street. She sent it by post, so it should be here by tomorrow.”

(In my head, I’m still jumping up and down, yelling, “Praise God, praise God, praise God!”)

What are the odds? Really, what are the odds that in all the 7.5 million disenchanted, apathetic, tunnel-visioned people in a big city like London, a decent person would spot my stolen driver’s license and pick it up? More than that, what are the odds that the card I have from Salvation Army would be chucked out with it, land in the same place, and stay there with all the wind London had Wednesday? And, honestly, what are the chances that, in calling that number, the angel named Jean would get in touch with someone who knows me in a church as big as Regent Hall?

There aren’t any.

Praise God, praise God, praise God!!!!!

Bible Discussion — Romans 11

11/7/2007, 12:00 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next chapter in the book of Romans, Romans 11.

Genesis: 1-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-18 | 19-22 | 23-26
27-29 | 30-32 | 33-36 | 37-39 | 40-43 | 44-46 | 47-50

Exodus: 1-4 | 5-8 | 9-11 | 12-14 | 15-18
19-22 | 23-26 | 27-30 | 31-34 | 35-40

And the book of Romans: Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3 | Ch. 4
Ch. 5 | Ch. 6 | Ch. 7 | Ch. 8 (I) | Ch. 8 (II) | Ch. 9 | Ch. 10

INTRODUCTION:
David:
During the previous two chapters, Paul has picked up his opening argument that God opened the Gospel to the Gentiles based on faith, and rejected the Jews and their pursuit of salvation through the works of the Law.

This requires some adjustment of the parameters of “rejection” and “acceptance” to assure the Jews that they are not beyond God’s grace, and remind the Gentiles that they are not above rejection themselves if they do not continue in faith.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Steve:
Paul identifies the Jewish remnant as saved by grace in verse 2, and goes on to say that grace rules out the possibility of works. Work and grace exclude each other. We can’t rely on some combination of the two.

David:
David’s remarks, quoted from Psalm 69 (11:9-10), actually referred to those who would specifically reject the Messiah.

Connie:
For a chapter that talks about the rejection of Israel, there is a lot of talk about the restoration of Israel.

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Steve: Irrevocable; Holy Lump
David: Seven Thousand Men
Chloe: Wild Shoot
Josh: Stumbling Block

Continued here!

Awful, But Good?

11/7/2007, 9:30 am -- by Chloe | 6 Comments

London isn’t so friendly anymore. In fact, I rather hate it right now, but I’m sure that will pass eventually.

I got back from Scotland late last Monday night to find my room in ruins. Apparently a water input pipe on the toilet in the room above me had suffered from a slow leak. When I first saw the rubble, I thought my room had been broken into. But amazingly, nothing was ruined, thanks to how much time I spent tidying up before I left. What’s more miraculous, though, is the fact that I wasn’t in the room when the disaster occurred. The ceiling collapsed in an area where I spend a lot of time, and big chunks of stained drywall landed right where my head would have been.

I was moved around a few times until the guesthouse settled me in a room meant for one person. I’m sharing it with a dear friend whose kindness shows no bounds. The room is cramped, very cramped, but it’s only temporary. On the 15th my own room will open up. In the meantime, I’ll have to do what I’m worst at — humbly accept the kindness of others. I’m in awe, really, of how hospitable Houghton students are. I had numerous offers the first night for me to stay with someone else, and one girl was adamant that she would give up her bed for me. And again, with the friend I live with now, Christian hospitality is at its best, even if it means my pride is writhing on the floor.

The Sunday after this incident, while most people were gone on break to Rome, Amsterdam or Geneva, three friends and I went to the White Swan, a fantastic little pub with cheap and delicious coffee and meals that fits our budget when the food at the guesthouse is substandard. We sat around a square table, and I put my purse between Matt’s and my feet, nearly under the table. It was safe, I knew, but I checked it every so often because I’m paranoid.

We were there for two hours, completely absorbed in a conversation that weaved in and out of film and literature, what made movies span generations, and whether M. Night Shyamalan was working on anything. Then something changed in the atmosphere, a flurry of movement, perhaps, or a sound, and when I looked down, my purse was gone.

I don’t remember getting up from my chair and running the length of the bar to get outside, but suddenly I was out there, jogging down the street to find a man I had noted as suspicious when he walked by the table twice. There he was, walking quickly down the street. I jogged ahead of him, then stopped and turned around, getting a good look at his face. He didn’t look nervous, but he had a backpack big enough to conceal a purse, and if the police find anything on the CCTV, I’ll have no trouble confirming it. I know that man’s face. I dreamed of it last night. He was a televangelist.

I didn’t lose much: $40, my (now canceled) debit card, driver’s license, mobile phone, universal bus/tube ticket, hair brush. The things I’ve missed most are my chapstick, oddly enough, and my glasses. On the way out the door, I recalled that it was a weekend, so usually pubs had bouncers out front to check ID’s. I’d been turned away before on account of my student ID being unacceptable, and I almost, almost took my passport along. But then I thought, No, this will be the night my purse gets stolen, and opted for the license instead.

Again I find that if this had to happen, this was the best possible way — and again I am dumbfounded by how wonderful people are. One girl even gave me a hairbrush! The professors have gone out of their way to replace my travel card, and thanks to the kindness of others, I now have a loan to last me until I can figure out how to get money from the States to my pocket.

London is not my favorite place right now, not by far. But throughout this terrible week, God has reinstated in me a faith in other people, and in the divine arrangement that kept me from losing my head to plaster, or a knife in return for my purse.

Things could have been so much worse, but praise God, they weren’t.

Clash of the Titans LVIII: Library Internet Censorship

11/4/2007, 2:00 pm -- by Bweinh | 6 Comments

In this corner, against censoring the Internet in libraries, is Tom!

And in this corner, in favor, is Chloe!

I am in no way in favor of children viewing adult material. I’m not even in favor of the vast majority of adult material. But I am against an adult using the Internet and having it censored.

Censorship’s main problem is the inelegance that defines its operation. To function properly, a censor’s parameters must be defined by a person, and enforced by a machine. This is a less than ideal situation. The first problem is mostly that of scope. There are many ideas on the Internet with which a given librarian may not agree. What’s to stop that crusading librarian from blocking that subject from all patrons, for their “own good”? Restricting access to one arena opens the door wide to restriction for any other, and I fervently believe that the power to restrict people’s access to ideas could and would be misused.

The other problem with censorship is enforcement. A computer is a machine, and as such would make mistakes in enforcing almost any type of censor that could be installed.

A violence filter could block images of religious icons, news articles exposing the savagery of which humans are capable, and even reviews and previews of sweet Lady Hollywood’s newest blockbuster.

A sexuality filter could block access to this article (it does contain the word pornography), websites devoted to the health and safety of young people, and even reviews and previews of sweet Lady Hollywood’s newest blockbuster!

And a profanity filter might decide that your 56-year-old eyes cannot be trusted reading the velvety prose of my erstwhile opponent’s last clash, written back when she still extolled the virtues of free speech.

Friends, a better solution exists. In every public library I’ve ever entered, the computers were fitted with polarizing screen filters. This inexpensive device renders it impossible to see what the screen contained unless you were sitting in a chair directly in front of it. This way, when I’m triumphantly reading my newest clash against sex trafficking, or my latest public service announcement lauding the HPV vaccine, no child will be harmed by the foul language and ideas. To be doubly sure of their safety, a NetNanny-style censor could be activated should a child need to use a computer, as I have no problem restricting the freedom of those little monsters.

Because, remember — they are our future.

I had a librarian in high school named Mr. W. He was old, at least 75, and perhaps the most ill-tempered librarian I’ve ever come across — and I’ve seen some vicious librarians. He commonly yelled at students for talking, and was known for his tendency to throw students out while they were studying or doing research. We were all quite thrilled when he was fired, and we were absolutely triumphant when we found out why. Pornography had been discovered on his work computer. We were right! He was the devil!

But he was a teacher, exempt from the Internet restrictions imposed on students. It was just assumed that, as an adult, he would have the self-control and moral standing to refrain from such behavior.

Clearly, this assumption was wrong.

Library computers exist to assist in research and provide those without access to a computer the opportunity to use the Internet. They are not there to enable people to look at pornography or read about methods of violence. If a person wants to expose himself to such filth, he should get his own computer and do so in his own home. But when a free service is provided by public funds, we have the right to impose restrictions.

Yes, it’s true that at times, censoring can be annoying. There have been occasions when I was doing research, and for some odd reason, Houghton’s filter refused to grant me access to pages due to “adult content,” which was absurd. It’s irksome when you’re doing research on, say, breast cancer or victims of human trafficking, and you’re barred access because of explicit content. It’s inconvenient, but easily remedied. In a library setting, it’s not that hard to either find another website or ask the proctor to lift the restriction for the moment.

Internet censorship in libraries isn’t an impediment on your rights. It’s not a ridiculous attempt by the nanny state to turn you into a moral human being. It’s common sense, because there are people who would use those computers for the sole purpose of viewing explicit or malicious content — and that doesn’t belong on a publicly-run service.

{democracy:160}

Bible Discussion — Romans 9

10/24/2007, 11:45 am -- by Bweinh | 1 Comment

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next chapter in the book of Romans, Romans 9.

Genesis: 1-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-18 | 19-22 | 23-26
27-29 | 30-32 | 33-36 | 37-39 | 40-43 | 44-46 | 47-50

Exodus: 1-4 | 5-8 | 9-11 | 12-14 | 15-18
19-22 | 23-26 | 27-30 | 31-34 | 35-40

And the book of Romans: Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3
Ch. 4 | Ch. 5 | Ch. 6 | Ch. 7 | Ch. 8 (I) | Ch. 8 (II)

INTRODUCTION:
David:
After introducing the concepts of calling, predestination, and election in chapter 8, Paul must now deal with the ramifications of these doctrines on his people, Israel.

Steve:
Paul turns a corner here, going from the exaltation of the last few chapters, to equal depths of anguish as he weeps over the condition of his countrymen, the Israelites.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Steve:
Paul actually says the Israelite people “are not all Israel.” Much like Esau had the right blood, but the wrong heart, the current descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were focused on genealogy rather than God.

Chloe:
The Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it by faith. The Jews, because they tried to gain righteousness by works, did not.

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Steve: The Same Lump
Chloe: Cursed and Cut Off

Continued here!

Doomed to Learn

10/24/2007, 9:15 am -- by Chloe | 3 Comments

It was a bright and beautiful day when we kicked off. The weather must have been sunny with a high of 75, not a cloud in the blue London sky. The traffic was moderate, only a few people honked at us, and before too long, we were on a train headed to Birmingham.

Two friends (Mike and Matt) and I were biking from Birmingham, England to the coast of Wales, 160 miles total, sleeping on the side of the road, and eating dried fruit and peanut butter and jelly. We had been planning the trip for weeks, everything had gone right, and now we were there, on the train, actually going on this grand adventure.

Birmingham was bigger than we anticipated. We hadn’t done much in the way of city cycling, and we didn’t know Birmingham. As the sun sunk lower, it got colder. We lost each other a couple of times trying to maneuver the rush hour traffic. Then I started shaking. My heart was beating irregularly, my legs were on fire, and I was dizzy. I was falling behind, so I jumped off my bike. Mike and Matt stopped ahead of me and waited for me to catch up. We had only been biking for about four miles. “I don’t think I can do this,” I announced.

They convinced me to try again, arguing that since I wasn’t out of breath, it was probably just the traffic throwing me off. They were sure I could do it.

But ten minutes later I was off my bike again, then again five minutes after that. Only then did they finally accept I simply could not handle this trip. So they went on, and I walked the bike all the way back to the station and caught a train home.

Throughout the next day, I learned that even the fittest person can’t just hop on a bike and go 160 miles in four days — that kind of work uses such specific muscle groups. It would take intensive training to take such a strenuous trip. But my mother didn’t share her similar biking experiences until I got home. My professors didn’t admit how worried they were until I admitted it was impossible. No one said I couldn’t do it. And knowing me, if they had, I would have made a point to prove them wrong.

There are so many lessons in life we must learn the same way. One of the hardest things is keeping your counsel when you know someone else is going through such a trial. But the lessons learned through experience will be lessons they’ll never forget, lessons that will increase their wisdom and make them more whole.

Mike and Matt returned home the next day because of a broken bike. I’m thankful all three of us got home safely. I’m thankful for the experience, for biking around London and Birmingham, for getting to know Mike and Matt better, and for getting to see firsthand how God humbles and protects His children.

And I’m thankful to the people who let me figure it out myself.

Bible Discussion — Romans 8 (Part Two)

10/17/2007, 3:00 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next chapter in the book of Romans, Romans 8. Romans 8 Day continues!!

Again, joining us as guests are Capt. Steve Carroll, Rev. Dave Maxon, and Maj. Doug Jones!

Genesis: 1-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-18 | 19-22 | 23-26
27-29 | 30-32 | 33-36 | 37-39 | 40-43 | 44-46 | 47-50

Exodus: 1-4 | 5-8 | 9-11 | 12-14 | 15-18
19-22 | 23-26 | 27-30 | 31-34 | 35-40

And the book of Romans: Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3 | Ch. 4 | Ch. 5 | Ch. 6 | Ch. 7

RANDOM THOUGHT:
Maj. Jones:
There is now no condemnation. Satan can’t condemn. Jesus won’t condemn. We shouldn’t condemn ourselves; unfortunately, we sometimes forget that truth.

MC-B:
This would easily make my top ten list of chapters of the Bible that a Christian should be extremely familiar with.

Steve:
Freedom from the Law was one thing, but for us to be described not only as children of God, but “joint heirs with Christ,” is an unimaginable honor. We will be glorified together.

Mike:
What is the difference between foreknowing, predestining, and calling? Why does Paul draw this difference?

Pastor Dave:
“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” If people ever truly understood the depth of God’s love towards us, it would radically change their Christian experience in a positive way. Gone would be all those nagging thoughts — “He doesn’t love me,” “What did I do wrong to deserve this,” “What am I being punished for,” “Am I saved?” We would all walk with encouraged hearts, full of anticipation, knowing that no matter what’s around the next bend in the road, our ever-present help in time of need, the Lover of our souls, was with us.

Capt. Steve:
At night, when I am putting my son to bed, I often tell him, “Of all the little boys in the whole wide world, your Daddy loves you the best.” What am I going to say if my wife has another boy?

Erin:
What does it mean for the Spirit to intercede for us with groans?

David:
This chapter presents Christians as “spiritual” people, while Jude presents the wicked as “sensual” people. Are we being led by our senses or the Spirit? All that is in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — are not of the Father, but of the world (1 John 2:16).

WHERE IS JESUS IN THIS PASSAGE:
Capt. Steve:
“At the center of it all.” He provided the means of this new life. He Sent His Spirit, who empowers and frees us from sin’s control.

Djere:
Not condemning, rather, having set us free, He is raised from the dead!

MC-B, Connie, Pastor Dave:
Everywhere — without Him, there is no way that humanity can approach God in order to have the relationship with Him that is detailed by this passage.

Erin:
This passage is all about Paul trying to understand Jesus!

Mike:
He is the pattern for the life of this new family, the church, and the giver of the Spirit which animates the life of this new family.

Chloe, Josh:
At the right hand of God, interceding for us.

Maj. Jones:
Jesus is throughout the entire chapter, beginning with freedom from condemnation and sin, making us joint heirs of the kingdom, keeping us firmly in His hands through any and every trial.

David:
In 8:32, being delivered up for us all.

VERSE TO REMEMBER:
Steve:
8:18 — “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”

Mike:
8:19 — “The creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God.”

Tom:
8:32 — “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”

Chloe, Pastor Dave:
8:28 — “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

Erin, Connie:
8:38-39 — “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Capt. Steve:
8:6 — “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”

David:
8:14 — “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”

Josh:
8:15 — “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’ ”

Djere, MC-B:
8:31 — “What then shall we say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?”

Maj. Jones:
So many verses, so little space — verses 10, 17, 26, 28, 31, and 35-39!

Continued here!

Bible Discussion — Romans 8 (Part One)

10/17/2007, 11:30 am -- by Bweinh | 3 Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next chapter in the book of Romans, Romans 8. That’s right, it’s Romans 8 Day!!

And not only do we have almost-universal participation, but joining us as guests today are Capt. Steve Carroll, Rev. Dave Maxon, and Maj. Doug Jones!

Genesis: 1-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-18 | 19-22 | 23-26
27-29 | 30-32 | 33-36 | 37-39 | 40-43 | 44-46 | 47-50

Exodus: 1-4 | 5-8 | 9-11 | 12-14 | 15-18
19-22 | 23-26 | 27-30 | 31-34 | 35-40

And the book of Romans: Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3 | Ch. 4 | Ch. 5 | Ch. 6 | Ch. 7

INTRODUCTION:
David:
This Chapter articulates the key difference between the world and the Christian. The people of this world walk in the flesh, “fulfilling the desires of the flesh, and of the mind” (Eph 2:3) — but “as many as are led by the Spirit, they are the sons of God” (Romans 8:14). The test to determine which you are is Romans 8:9 — “…ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit if . . . the Spirit of God dwell in you.” You must be born again of God’s Spirit.

Capt. Steve:
This is the kind of passage that I start reading quietly to myself, but by the end of the passage, I am shouting the words at the top of my lungs, and people are sticking their heads in my office to make sure everything is okay. “It’s all fine — I just got a little excited!”

Mike:
Set free from our slavery to death, we are made God’s beloved children. In a flourish, Paul declares that the calling of the children of God is the crowning moment for all of creation (v. 19-20) and that God’s love for his children never fails (v. 31-39).

MC-B:
This passage contains some of the most important tenets of Christian faith, so I suppose I should probably actually discuss this one, huh?

Maj. Jones:
Whenever I am asked about my favorite portion of Scripture, I always say Romans 8. As I now reflect and ask myself why, I am reminded of the assurance of life, liberty and the source of my joy and contentment.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Pastor Dave:
How yellowed and worn, the edges of the page that holds Romans 8.

Capt. Steve:
The Holy Spirit is praying for us. How does that work?

Josh:
Verses 38-39 contain a fairly well-known list of things that cannot separate us from God’s love, but the list actually starts in verse 35.

Djere:
“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” — The words “for us” are omitted in the NU text. I’d never noticed that before.

Mike:
The phrase in v. 2: “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free…” Still wrestling with what precisely that means.

Connie:
The verses preceding Romans 8:28 are the ones that emphasize the Holy Spirit as our Intercessor. I always separate them and use them separately, instead of realizing that His intercession can lead us right to knowing HOW all things in our lives can and will work to our good, as long as we love Him and walk in His calling.

Steve:
It can’t be wrong or inappropriate to pray for God’s will in a situation — that’s precisely what the Holy Spirit is doing.

Maj. Jones:
Paul begins in verse 35 by asking who, but then lists many whats.

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Connie: Sheep for the Slaughter
Capt. Steve: Plan B
Chloe: For Your Sake
Tom: The Pangs; Indwells
Pastor Dave: Glorified; Foreknew
Djere: Firstfruits of the Spirit
David, Mike: Abba
Steve: Peril
MC-B: The Whole Creation
Erin: The Creation Waits
Josh: No Charge; Famine Nakedness Danger

Continued here!

Mentally Homeless

10/17/2007, 10:00 am -- by Chloe | 11 Comments

Imagine your doctor telling you that you are seriously ill. He books you into hospital for an operation. You go in, are shown to your bed and are asked what you want for supper.

The next day you sit by your bed, now familiar with the hospital and its regime. You wait patiently.

The next day is followed by another. Nothing happens. The days turn into weeks; and then months.

And one day a nurse says: ‘Tomorrow you are going home.’ ‘But I thought I was seriously ill,’ you say in surprise. ‘Oh, you are,’ she replies, ‘but our budget doesn’t extend to curing you. This is all we can afford.’

— John Bird, The Mail on Sunday, February 2007

This is the image John Bird presents of the way the UK deals with homelessness. Essentially, government-funded programs provide soup kitchens, hostels, clothing and flats to homeless people depending on need, urgency, and of course, funds. It’s a social program designed to keep legitimately poor people off the street. It generally does a good job of weeding out those who are homeless due to drug or alcohol addiction, which is why between 87 and 90% of homeless people in London are there because of addiction.

John Bird is one of the founding members of the Big Issue, a magazine which provides homeless people with 10 free issues to sell on the streets, then allows them to buy more magazines as they sell. The Big Issue is a not-for-profit organization, designed to enable the homeless to make a living and gain both the skills and the resources to rehabilitate themselves.

One would think that, as a founder of an organization aimed at helping the homeless, Bird would be sympathetic to them. Instead, he writes, “The people who are homeless through addiction are feckless, unstable, unreliable, incapable of holding down a job, feeding themselves or cleaning themselves. You take them into a hostel, patch them up and put them in State housing on benefits and they continue to kill themselves… They are ill and should be ‘sectioned’ — lifted from the streets and confined in the care of the mental health system, behind bars if necessary.”

Bird argues that, while not all homelessness can be attributed to addiction, those that are addicts need to be institutionalized and ‘reprogrammed’ in order to live stable, healthy lives. In England, there are a few institutions that deal exclusively in rehabilitating the homeless. Bird reports a 60 to 70% success rate.

Is addiction a mental disorder? Is Bird right in saying the homeless should be committed? What about people who aren’t homeless, but still struggle with addiction? Or is it just the homeless who are mentally unstable? What do you think?

Bible Discussion — Romans 7

10/10/2007, 12:00 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next chapter in the book of Romans, Romans 7.

Genesis: 1-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-18 | 19-22 | 23-26
27-29 | 30-32 | 33-36 | 37-39 | 40-43 | 44-46 | 47-50

Exodus: 1-4 | 5-8 | 9-11 | 12-14 | 15-18
19-22 | 23-26 | 27-30 | 31-34 | 35-40

And the book of Romans: Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3 | Ch. 4 | Ch. 5 | Ch. 6

INTRODUCTION:
David:
If you believe Paul has been speaking about the purpose of the Law (with a few asides) ever since introducing the subject in chapter 2, then chapter 7 makes more sense — because it becomes a demonstration of what happens when the Law is applied to the flesh, rather than a peek into Paul’s personal failures.

The Law came to produce death, and it still produces death when we try to walk in “the oldness of the letter” as opposed to the “newness of Spirit” extolled in chapter 8.

Steve:
Look at what happens when we get a challenging chapter — everyone disappears! I bet they come back for the celebration that is Romans 8, but you can’t get there till you struggle through chapter 7!

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Steve:
How much Paul stresses that the Law was an innocent bystander in our murder by sin. At the very least, it seems to be the weapon by which sin brought death, produced evil desires, deceived us and killed us — but still he repeats that “the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.”

Tom:
Relative complexity of a NKJV translation of 7-12.

David:
The word “oldness.”

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Steve: Free
Tom: Will Is Present
Josh: Utterly Sinful; Body of Death
David: Wretched Man

Continued here!

Best of Bweinh! — Prophets of the Rain

10/10/2007, 9:30 am -- by Chloe | No Comments

Best of Chloe, July 2007.

I won’t waste your time telling about the rain. You know the rain, its monotonous drip, drip, drip, its messy puddles and leaks. The rain is boring. It’s the oracles that are so alluring and stunning, the way they turn the storm into an electrical mess that muddles your senses and leaves you waiting for something both life-threatening and satisfying.

They come in the evenings, when it’s finally cool enough to go outside and work. If there’s a shed to be painted, a deck to be oiled, or lumber to haul, I can count on the clouds that hover like an alien ship to come crawling over the mountains in the south. These clouds aren’t blankets, oh, no. They are mountain ranges, arroyos, Grand Canyons flipped upside-down to create a skyscape that looms overhead and promises quite the show.

That’s how it starts, with the clouds. And then the birds begin to sing. I’ve heard that birds are most active before a storm, and the ruckus reminds me of an out-of-control high school class.

After the birds come the wind that, when it blows through the pine boughs, sounds like the tide on the wet sand. The wind brings with it the scent of the rain, that dusty metallic aroma of ozone. Then the air changes, an electrical charge that starts the birds off at a whole new decibel and pulls me further outside to feel the coming of the storm. Now the air is a rosy brown like old pictures and the wind chimes sing something familiar in the key of G and any moment now, any moment now, any…

The first drop is teasing, as if the clouds are demanding proof that I really want this deluge they’ve been dangling in front of me all evening. I reply with a shiver that can only come to a person who has been glorying in three-digit temperatures. Another drop falls and the old picture fades into a fog as that strange sheet comes tearing across the valley straight for me.

I won’t waste your time telling you about the rain. It is a disappointment, ten minutes of downpour that will evaporate in half the time. It wasn’t the rain I came out to see, though. It was the prophets of the rain.

Bible Discussion — Romans 6

10/3/2007, 12:00 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next chapter in the book of Romans, Romans 6.

Genesis: 1-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-18 | 19-22 | 23-26
27-29 | 30-32 | 33-36 | 37-39 | 40-43 | 44-46 | 47-50

Exodus: 1-4 | 5-8 | 9-11 | 12-14 | 15-18
19-22 | 23-26 | 27-30 | 31-34 | 35-40

And the book of Romans: Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3 | Ch. 4 | Ch. 5

INTRODUCTION:
Mike:
Paul presents his readers with a decision: will they be a slave to “sin” or will they be a slave to God?

David:
In the last chapter Paul made the statement that “where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” He now deals with two questions that he assumes will come to the reader’s mind.

The first: “If grace brought sin, shouldn’t we continue (stay) in sin so that grace will keep coming?” The second: “Well, if we can’t stay in sin, can we visit occasionally (now that we have grace to forgive us when we do sin)?”

Erin:
Paul continues his logical argument for the Christian life in this chapter, focusing on why Christians should not just take Christ’s sacrifice for granted and continue living a sinful life.

Connie:
Sin versus grace! Watch them battle it out in a no-holds-barred fight to the death! Don’t miss it, right here, on Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday!!!

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Steve:
When the Romans were slaves to sin, they were “free in regard to righteousness,” able to raise as much heaven as they dared.

Connie:
Verse 15 is a great verse to fight the “once saved, always saved” doctrine.

Josh:
Just how often Paul likes to interrupt himself to ask questions that misrepresent his arguments, then shoot them down.

Chloe:
God is the slave’s master in this passage. How must this have sat with the abolitionists in the 19th century?

Mike:
v. 19: “I am speaking in human terms because of your natural limitations.” I wonder what Paul really wanted to say, but couldn’t because of the weakness of his audience. I’m certainly glad his audience was weak, because the slavery analogy is so profound.

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Steve: Reckon
Connie: Old Man
Josh: By No Means
Erin: Baptism Into Death
Mike: Somebody’s Slave
Chloe: Natural Selves
David: Undergrace

Continued here!

A Fresh Look at Bible Stories

10/3/2007, 9:30 am -- by Chloe | 4 Comments

There once was a man who was possessed by many unclean spirits. He lived among the hills in the region of the Gerasenes, cutting himself and crying out at all hours. He called himself Legion, and even chains could not restrain him. One day, as Jesus was getting out of a boat, the man came and started calling out to him in a loud voice. The spirits begged Jesus not to torture them, then asked to be sent into a herd of 2000 nearby pigs. Jesus consented, and the unclean spirits drove the pigs over a cliff and into the water to be drowned.

Fifty or so years before this incident, there was a Roman legion called Legio IX Hispana, which disappeared mysteriously from the meticulous Roman records. Some say the legion was overtaken by robbers. Others say it was swallowed by the earth for the sins of the Roman Empire. Still others say the legion was made up entirely of men who refused to ask for directions or cook for themselves, so they all starved to death in Siberia. Whatever the case may be, the fate of the legion has remained a mystery…..until now.

It has been proposed that perhaps this legion was killed in a brutal manner, before its time, and far from home (all ingredients for a proper haunting). What if this legion of wronged Gentile souls found its way into this poor Jewish man and made him so strong that even chains couldn’t bind him? What if they so longed for pork that they actually desired to be pigs? What if the only way for their deaths to be avenged was for them to get out of the kosher man and into the unclean pigs? And what if all demons in the gospels are actually ghosts?

What if, indeed?

Now, it must be admitted that few people believe this story. Why, when my Luke-Acts professor suggested we all get under the conference table and start a camp fire so he could tell us a ghost story, I thought for sure he was completely bonkers. But after he made the disclaimer that he didn’t actually believe what he was telling us, I began to see the light. This must be true, if my educated Bible professor doesn’t believe it. So open up your mind, forget all you’ve been taught, and read the story on a stormy night, preferably Halloween.

And don’t forget, gullible isn’t in the dictionary.

Clash of the Titans LII: Profanity

09/28/2007, 12:00 pm -- by Steve | 19 Comments

NOTE: This Clash contains certain words that might be offensive to some readers. Viewer discretion is advised.

In this corner, against profanity, is Connie!

And in this corner, supporting it, is Chloe!

I have to extol the virtues of not using profanity. I bet you think I’ll pull out Scripture like Col. 3:8 (“…put off anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, and filthy language”). I bet you already voted for Chloe’s “swearing isn’t appropriate, but there are rare situations, extreme duress, etc.,” because no one can see you vote anyway… But I have a slightly different spin on this. I didn’t write it for everybody (actually, I wrote it for Job) — I wrote it for us, Christians. Let me tell you a story.

It’s Autumn 1999, and I’m a brand-new substitute teacher called in for the day, trying to wade through lesson plans, homework, assignments and unreadable notes from the ‘real’ teacher — not to mention a bad case of senioritis in one class. The day and period were nearly over and one group of guys were up front talking crude, making the rest of us uncomfortable, so I shut them down. Not to be dissuaded, they continued to discuss their favorite subjects in a disgusting way. Since I’d been interacting with them, I decided to weigh in on the conversation instead of verbally smacking them with my big ol’ Mrs. Maxon Ruler.

Boy: “I told him, you don’t have the b*lls!” (They weren’t talkin’ sports.)

Me: “Cheeeez (imagine the Dog Whisperer noise), stop! That’s not the word you need. What are you trying to say? He’s not BRAVE enough, COURAGEOUS enough, or STRONG enough, maybe? So say what you mean! You have a great brain, use it!” They acted like they’d just been taught something they’d never heard before.

Our language is a beautiful tool. What can beat the feeling of finding the perfect word when we’re trying to describe something? It’s extraordinary, really. The right tool can make all the difference — I was just thinking about that this morning while I was stirring creamer into my coffee with a pencil.

We need the right tools and we need to follow Paul’s instructions and put off the early signals of frustration (anger) that lead to other thoughts (wrath). If we don’t, soon we’ll be wondering where that word popped out from. We are called to be different from this world, and I submit WE ARE DIFFERENT. Look around, go check out those bios. Have you ever seen a more different group of people? When we follow Christ’s directives, that difference draws others, even foul-mouthed teenaged boys, and that makes a difference in the Kingdom.

Profanity in everyday conversations is not appropriate. However, there are times when swearing is necessary. For instance, when writing about difficult subjects, choosing against using profanity will occasionally cause the reader to distrust the author, especially when the reader is not the typical audience.

When writing about poverty, drugs, family abuse and incest, etc., I can’t write, “Sometimes you feel like no one’s there for you,” because it goes much deeper than that for the audience. They would tune me out unless I told it like it was: “You’ve decided no one gives a shit, so you have to take care of yourself.”

Similarly, when talking to someone from those types of situations, I cannot use common descriptions of feeling: “I know losing your baby brother in that drive-by made you upset and angry.” Rather, if I intend to get through to him and show him I understand him, I have to speak his language.

One pastor in LA discovered this while working in a deeply impoverished and drug-infested area. He abandoned Christianese, and now his kids connect with him, and no longer think of him as that rich, white Christian guy who thinks he can fix everything. To them, that kind of person is completely ineffective and doesn’t understand or offer the salvation they need.

In one-on-one conversations, it may also be necessary to speak the other person’s language. I have a dear friend who has gone through horrible things in her life, but if I were to say that to her, she would shut me out. To her, it’s not “horrible things,” but “shit.” Instead of being “angry,” she is “pissed off.” People aren’t jerks…you get the idea.

She doesn’t want an educated, well-spoken Christian to attempt to guide her through a healing path. That person doesn’t understand what she’s gone through, can’t connect with her, and surely will judge her. She wants a real person who’s been there and who can give her some guidance.

Granted, the situations in which profanity is necessary are very rare, but they do exist. Missing them could mean driving away someone you could potentially help, or worse, alienating someone from hearing the good news.

{democracy:142}

Blue Rose Code

09/26/2007, 4:30 pm -- by Chloe | 5 Comments

There is no better concert than the one where you sit with the band when they aren’t performing. Last night I had the privilege of hanging out with Chris Smith and Blue Rose Code, thanks to my graphic designer friend Jesse. She had been to a Blue Rose Code concert the week before and ended up chatting with Chris, the band manager, about her work. He asked to see her portfolio, liked what he saw, and invited her back to chat with the band about the possibility of working together. I tagged along since Jesse didn’t know these people or where she was going, and ended up discovering a new favorite band.

The concert was at The Distillers, a classy pub in Hammersmith, and though the room where the event was held was more in the style of an open mic, the audience was completely focused on the performers. People who talked were shushed, and any mobiles that dared to ring were promptly tossed out the window. The program was called One Taste, and included a remarkable young man named Jamie Woon, who took a looping device and turned his voice into a full choir and band to accompany his rendition of “Wayfaring Stranger.” Also part of the show was PoeTree Man, a slam poet and tree surgeon who, as part of his performance, had the audience sing and scream like they’d been oppressed for two thousand years.

Blue Rose Code is an Islington band (Islington is a borough of London), although the lead singer, Ross, is from Scotland and Steve, the bass player, is from South Africa. They play relaxed folksy rock, bringing in instruments like the harmonica and fiddle to accent the acoustic guitar and bass. The band members themselves were personable, treating Jesse and me as little sisters, rather than a potential business partner and her random friend. Chris offered to buy us drinks, Steve’s sister told us stories from when she was a student at the London School of Theology, where we happen to be studying now, and Steve and Ross fell in love with the art samples Jesse brought along to show them.

Most important, however, was their music, which was so mellow and nostalgic that I became convinced I could listen to them forever and never grow tired of their style and sound. Blue Rose Code has real talent, and I wouldn’t be all that surprised if, in a couple of years, we find their album in our music stores. I encourage you to check them out at MySpace, and if you like what you hear, you can purchase their CD here.

Bible Discussion — Romans 5

09/26/2007, 12:00 pm -- by Bweinh | 1 Comment

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next chapter in the book of Romans, Romans 5.

Genesis: 1-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-18 | 19-22 | 23-26
27-29 | 30-32 | 33-36 | 37-39 | 40-43 | 44-46 | 47-50

Exodus: 1-4 | 5-8 | 9-11 | 12-14 | 15-18
19-22 | 23-26 | 27-30 | 31-34 | 35-40

And the book of Romans: Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3 | Ch. 4

INTRODUCTION:
Steve:
We’re through the tough sledding of the first few chapters and their focus on human depravity — now it’s time for the payoff, which starts right off with the good news — “therefore, having been justified by faith.” The rest is just icing.

Mike:
Paul builds on his previous chapter to examine the results of our justification: we have peace with God, and our sufferings have new meaning as they eventually produce hope in us. He also compares Christ’s life-giving ministry to the death-giving “ministry” of Adam’s sin.

David:
Paul explains our new position in Christ, and introduces the idea that the law came to show us our shortcomings, so that we might receive God’s grace.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Steve:
Verses 13 through 17 are one long parenthetical statement in the NKJV…

David:
God intentionally puts us into a process that includes tribulation so that it can produce patience, experience and hope in us. Too bad he didn’t just make those things “gifts.”

Chloe:
I’m embarrassed to say that I’ve never read Romans very closely, but now that I’m carefully trudging through the cryptic sentence structure and overloaded nouns, I’m suddenly finding an astounding comfort in these chapters. God’s Son died for His enemies. I was God’s enemy. I am no longer. Praise the Lord!

Erin:
How much the chapter stresses Jesus’ humanity — His ultimate sacrifice is death, yes, but being fully man for that to be possible was a huge sacrifice as well.

Mike:
Verse 10 says we are “reconciled” to God through Jesus’ death, but “saved” by his life. Interesting distinction, though we shouldn’t push it too far, I suppose.

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Steve: In Due Time
Erin: Received Reconciliation
Mike: Reconciled
Tom: Imputed
Chloe: Powerless; The Trespass
David: Adam’s Transgression

Continued here!

Bible Discussion — Romans 4

09/19/2007, 12:00 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next chapter in the book of Romans, Romans 4.

Genesis: 1-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-18 | 19-22 | 23-26
27-29 | 30-32 | 33-36 | 37-39 | 40-43 | 44-46 | 47-50

Exodus: 1-4 | 5-8 | 9-11 | 12-14 | 15-18
19-22 | 23-26 | 27-30 | 31-34 | 35-40

And the book of Romans: Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3

INTRODUCTION:
David:
The last chapter ends with a question about the law being “made void” by faith, and an assertion by Paul that justification by faith for both Jews and Gentiles does not void the law, but establishes it. The Jews just needed to understand that the law was intermediate, not pre-eminent. It was a step toward redemption, but not the bearer of that redemption. It was like a mirror that could show us our need of a bath, but contained no power to clean us up.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Steve:
The law brings about wrath, because without the law, there would be no transgression. But would the end result have been any different?

Chloe:
Paul portrays Abraham’s faith as acknowledging his shortcomings and believing God would overcome them. A crucial part of faith is humility. Why don’t preachers talk about that more often? “You can’t do it! Give up! . . . Let God do it.”

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Josh: Against All Hope
Chloe: Heir of the World
Connie: Seed of the Law
Steve: All The Seed

Continued here!

The Difference Between an Englishman and an American

09/19/2007, 9:30 am -- by Chloe | 6 Comments

I have, on many occasions, been accused of being an Anglophile. People say this to me with any number of emotions in their voice, ranging from disgust to perplexity. They have horrible food, bad teeth, and haughty demeanors. Why would I choose to be obsessed with the English culture? How could I betray America like that?

Gentility. They have it. We don’t.

On my way from the airport to my new home, I had to carry two 50-pound bags on the metro, up and down many flights of steps, and through vast crowds of people enclosed in tight spaces. I had no idea how I was going to do it alone, and I was sorely tempted to spend an outrageous amount of money on a taxi to avoid it altogether. However, when I got onto the platform for the train from the airport to the Underground and started struggling with my suitcases, a man nearby carried them into the train for me. On the way out of the train, another person did the same thing. When I reached the Tube, people walked around me, didn’t bump me or harass my luggage, and helped me on and off the train.

The real kicker, however, was when I got to my home stop and faced a huge escalator, many people, and the difficulty of getting through the narrow ticket passage. A little old lady, not more than five feet tall and somewhere between 65 and 70 years old, swooped in and announced that she was going to help me. She grabbed a suitcase right out of my hand and carried it off. I thought for sure that she was trying to steal it, but of course she wouldn’t have gotten far, since she couldn’t have weighed more than twice what the bag did. She carried it all the way out of the station before handing it back to me, then nodded once and walked off. I have never experienced that type of kindness in a big American city.

While England is much more secular than America, its people seem to understand something that we don’t: those around us are people, too. We as a general population are very capable of walking by a struggling person and ignoring them. The English do not. They treat each other with respect, even saying “Sorry” whenever they bump into someone on the street. Americans keep walking, or worse, instigate something. This flaw in our society saddens me even more in the context of our beliefs. We’re supposed to be a Christian nation. Where did our common courtesy go?

The Body of Christ

09/12/2007, 1:15 pm -- by Chloe | 3 Comments

I’m always nervous when I return to a place I haven’t been in a while. Going back to Houghton tends to be more difficult because I know my friends and I have changed in leaps and bounds, and the girl I wanted to hang out with all the time last year could quite possibly have morphed into a moody or flaky stranger. If I no longer know the people I knew, what will I be left with?

This semester, I only returned for a few days because, as most of you know, I’m off to merry old England tomorrow. The first chapel I went to emphasized the body of Christ. God singled out my fear and reminded me that the body of Christ is everywhere. I don’t know the majority of the students at Houghton, and some of them aren’t part of the body of Christ, but looking around the chapel, I felt nearly the same thing that I do when I take Communion — this is my family, whether I know them well or not.

After chapel ended and I began the trek towards the campus center, globs of people around me, my fears of isolation completely vanished. From every side there were people saying, “Chloe! Where have you been?” or, “Chloe, how have I not seen you this whole time?” Right and left, people who knew I was going to London were doing double-takes at my presence on campus. And for the three and a half days that I’m here, I have only half a handful of hours left to myself because my friends want to catch up.

The intense love that comes with residing in the body of Christ always surprises me. My group of friends has showered me with that love these past few days, telling me about their assistance in the first ever purely civilian election in Sierra Leone, their trials in teaching inner-city Buffalo kids to read, their joy in spreading the Word of God all over the East Coast with Dayspring. I am amazed at what my friends are accomplishing for the Kingdom, and they share their excitement with me as if I had been right alongside them the whole summer.

I am so blessed to be part of this group of people, and even more blessed to call the body of Christ my family.

Bible Discussion — Romans 3

09/12/2007, 12:00 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next chapter in the book of Romans, Romans 3.

Genesis: 1-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-18 | 19-22 | 23-26
27-29 | 30-32 | 33-36 | 37-39 | 40-43 | 44-46 | 47-50

Exodus: 1-4 | 5-8 | 9-11 | 12-14 | 15-18
19-22 | 23-26 | 27-30 | 31-34 | 35-40

And the book of Romans: Chapter 1 | Chapter 2

INTRODUCTION:
Mike:
Romans 1: The Gentiles are guilty!
Romans 2: The Jews are guilty!
Romans 3:1-20: EVERYBODY’S GUILTY!
Romans 3:21-30: But:there is some good news.

David:
Paul has revealed God’s wrath against the ungodly, then extended the parameters of ungodliness to include the Jews. Now he attempts to ameliorate their position while simultaneously reaffirming their guilt. And he does it all in a language he has not mastered, making it all the more confusing.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Steve:
Paul asks what the profit of circumcision was, immediately answering, “Much in every way!” He must have had lowered rates of HIV in mind.

Chloe:
Verse 2’s explanation of why the Jews were important — they were entrusted with the very words of God. Wow, how privileged are they? But then again, now we’ve all been entrusted with the Word of God.

Josh:
Verses 10-18 appear to be one long quotation, but are actually several shorter quotes from all over the OT, seamlessly compiled to establish a point.

David:
Paul says there are many advantages to being a Jew, but lists just one — they received the law.

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Josh: Grave Throat; Not Even One
David: Just Damnation
Chloe: Every Mouth
Mike: Venom of Vipers
Steve: My Lie to His Glory

Continued here!

Bweinh.com Goes Global

09/5/2007, 2:30 pm -- by Chloe | 1 Comment

At the beginning of the summer, I declared that if you didn’t want to go to New Mexico, you would change your mind by the time you read my articles. Well, it’s September, and even I don’t want to be in New Mexico. Despite the fact that the days are shortening and fall is descending, the mercury still boasts still between 98 and 102 degrees. I’m ready for something new.

Here’s the plan, then: I’m out of here. I’m jumping the pond, and I’m taking Bweinh! with me. Until mid-December, my articles will serve as a travel log, unless there’s something more important to write about. All the things you’d naturally hear about (the Tower of London, the Thames, the Tube) may or may not be mentioned, but the things you never hear about (the great food, English gentility, the homeless) most certainly will. So sit back, relax, and enjoy, while our favourite website finally crosses an ocean.

Bible Discussion — Romans 2

09/5/2007, 12:00 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next chapter in the book of Romans, Romans 2.

Genesis: 1-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-18 | 19-22 | 23-26
27-29 | 30-32 | 33-36 | 37-39 | 40-43 | 44-46 | 47-50

Exodus: 1-4 | 5-8 | 9-11 | 12-14 | 15-18
19-22 | 23-26 | 27-30 | 31-34 | 35-40

And the book of Romans: Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION:
Mike:
Paul turns the tables on his “righteous” readers. In ch. 1, we can almost hear them “Amen”-ing Paul’s devastating critique of ungodly Gentiles. But in ch. 2, he argues that the religious folks are equally unrighteous.

David:
In Chapter 1, Paul introduced the Gospel and proved the whole world guilty before God. In chapter 2, he deals specifically with the Jews, who condemned and despised the Gentiles, but did not acknowledge any guilt among themselves.

Connie:
This chapter is Paul’s “prophetic” realistic view of hardened religious hearts and his warnings that God is not fooled by outward appearances and actions.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Steve:
Verse 5 says that rather than repenting, “in accordance with [their] hardness and [their] impenitent heart,” the Romans were “treasuring up wrath,” to be cashed in on the day of judgment. I never noticed this particular turn of phrase before, and its connotation of gradual accumulation of punishment is chilling, like a Direct Deposit of damnation.

Connie:
I guess I never realized that this problem could be so widespread. Keith Green sang about it. Recently Mother Teresa’s private letters even alluded to it. Do we all suffer from it at some point, but believe we’re the only one?

Djere:
I guess I never really noticed how judgment-heavy Romans was… the first couple chapters are so thick they’re a blur.

Mike:
How very focused on works Paul is here: at least in this passage, it is our wicked works that lead to God’s judgment — vv. 3, 6, 8, 9, 12. It’s too easy to break down Paul’s thoughts into faith vs. works. Rather, there seems to be an inward change that is vital to salvation, and works testify to that inward change.

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
David: Babes
Josh: Mere Man; Glory, Honor and Immortality
Chloe: Perish Apart
Djere: Inward Jew
Connie: Inexcusable Man
Steve: Impartial
Mike: Instinctively Obedient Gentiles

Continued here!

God’s Will, Without A Machete

08/29/2007, 3:45 pm -- by Chloe | No Comments

“When [the people of Ephesus] asked [Paul] to spend more time with them, he declined. But as he left, he promised, ‘I will come back if it is God’s will'” (Acts 18:20-21).

I used to look at God’s will as a path, and it was my duty to hack my way through the jungle of choices with a machete to find it. It was terrifying because I thought there was one right way, yet I had so many choices in front of me, particularly for college. I worried that I was serving myself, missing the signs, and ruining God’s plan for my life by going to this school instead of that, or majoring in writing rather than, say, religion. But when I read Paul’s declaration in Acts, I was struck with how calm and assured he sounded. From that simple sentence, one could sense Paul’s certainty that God would reveal the proper path in due time, without a machete.

How did Paul achieve such a profound trust in God, though? Well, as a Pharisee, he studied the Torah and respected writings on it for years and years. The Word of God was part of his very being, even more so because of his revelation of Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus. He had seen the Truth, he had suffered for it, and so he rarely doubted it.

When I was deciding what to do with my life, I doubted, and often. I wanted to write, but I was sure God wanted me in missions, and I just knew God couldn’t use my writing in missions. After all, why would He let me do what I found enjoyable? (It sounds ludicrous, I know, but this is really what I believed.) I finally came to the conclusion that I had to major in theology and go on to seminary. To some, this may sound fantastic. To me, it was a death sentence.

My pastor watched me go through the agony of making this decision and others, then sat me down and gave me some guidance that I will forever be thankful for. Among the verses he showed me were Psalm 37:4 and Isaiah 30:21 — “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart,” and “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it.'”

He explained that God’s will isn’t a question where we figure out the one right choice. God doesn’t turn our lives into a daily search for a needle in the haystack. What He wants is devotion. If I delight in the Lord, if I devote myself to Him, I will want His will. There’s a big difference between committing to go somewhere for God and committing to be God’s person, no matter where you go.

Paul was God’s person no matter where he went. When he was in prison with Silas, they sang praises and prayed to God. When he was being arrested, he told the mob shouting for his death about the glory of Jesus’ sacrifice and how they too could be saved. Paul realized that when he traveled from city to city, he had to keep moving as God led him.

Even though the people of Ephesus begged him to stay (and I think he probably wanted to stay a little, too, given the poor reception he’d been receiving in other cities), he said, “Only if God wants me to.” Paul laid down his desires at God’s feet and made God’s desires his own. Paul leaned on God’s understanding and allowed God to direct his paths. And as a result, more people joined the church every single day.

Depending on God is not easy. Wanting His will is not always a party. For some, that has meant forfeit of their very lives, or the lives of loved ones. But just as in Paul’s case, what will come of it is a fantastic harvest of souls, the price of which we cannot comprehend.

Bible Discussion — Romans 1

08/29/2007, 1:00 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at our first chapter from the New Testament, Romans 1.

Genesis: 1-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-18 | 19-22 | 23-26
27-29 | 30-32 | 33-36 | 37-39 | 40-43 | 44-46 | 47-50

Exodus: 1-4 | 5-8 | 9-11 | 12-14 | 15-18
19-22 | 23-26 | 27-30 | 31-34 | 35-40

INTRODUCTION:
Steve:
Welcome to our first trip to the New Testament! After a few months working our way through Genesis and Exodus, we’re postponing Leviticus for a while and skipping a few hundred pages forward. Selfishly, I feel much more comfortable in the doctrinal books of the New Testament than I do in the narrative books of the Old, and I’m curious to see how this format and these people handle this very different part of the Word!

David:
Christianity would have remained an obscure sect of Judaism without the brilliant Pharisee we call Paul. He alone grasped the scope of what had to change. Jesus did not come to reform Judaism but replace it. The Book of Romans articulates that fact better than any other book in the Bible.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Tom:
Debate is mentioned among the unrighteousness of 1:28. I wonder why that is?

David:
The Holy Spirit is here called the Spirit of Holiness. No wonder he is so rarely comfortable around us.

Josh:
Paul opens his letter with a tone that seems like he felt he owed them apologies or explanations — sorry I couldn’t come see you, I mean I really wanted to, you have to know that, but I just couldn’t. I’m sure you understand. But I’ve been praying for you a lot, God as my witness.

Djere:
In 1:7, Paul writes, “To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints.” I don’t think he means there are only a handful destined to sainthood. All believers are loved by God and all are called to be saints.

Steve:
The first four verses of the letter are an amazingly concise restatement and preview of the following sixteen chapters. Paul declares himself to be both a slave of Christ and an authoritative apostle. He tells us that the Gospel fulfilled Old Testament prophecy, identifies Jesus as both the Son of God and the seed of David, then closes by referencing the Holy Spirit, holiness, and the resurrection from the dead. Wow.

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Josh: Without Excuse
Tom: Natural Affection
David: The Barbarians
Steve: Both of You
Djere: Birds and Animals and Reptiles

Continued here!

Rain in the Desert

08/22/2007, 10:30 am -- by Chloe | 1 Comment

Best of Chloe, originally published on April 25.

It’s raining, the first raindrops to fall on Las Cruces since October, and all I can think is, Praise God. The rain mesmerizes me as the sun peeks from behind black clouds to turn the beads into the precious jewels they are to us.

Las Cruces has been in a drought for nigh on ten years now. I have walked across the great Rio Grande with my bare toes and heels sinking into the hot sand, reluctantly conquering that once proud and powerful course. I have watched each summer as Elephant Butte, our last resort, grows smaller and smaller while the islands in the middle grow taller and taller.

Is there hope for our scorched land, hope apart from the fickle sky and erratic wind? We could say that we find hope in our farmers, who will pump their wells dry and dig again to sustain crops of cotton and chilÃ©, corn and tomatoes. We can find hope in those surreptitious reserves underground that feed our fading trees and pesky mosquitoes alike. We find hope in Colorado’s rainy weather, snowy weather, and anything else that may produce a runoff into the Rio Grande’s branches and sources. We may even find hope in the news that the ice caps are melting, because that means more water for everyone, and perhaps we’ll finally be allowed to scrub the dust off ourselves when the waters come roaring in from what used to be California and Arizona.

Just as quickly as it began, the rain now stops, and the droplets gleaming on my window are fast in drying, leaving only spots of dust in their stead. And yet the strikingly blue New Mexican sky is still obscured by those black and promising clouds.

The whole of the Mesilla Valley heaves a sigh and leaves the porch chairs set out specially to watch the rain color a brown and yellow landscape green. Not today, the wind sighs, reforming and dispersing the clouds. Not today. And the people turn away, removing hats with brittle hands to wipe away the sweat.

Will we find relief? Or will we dry up and turn to dust to be thrown by the idle winds to the north, where rain falls to the point of people’s loathing and grass is green in the summer? Or will we, perhaps, continue to live as we’ve always lived, skimping here and there with the dishes and the showers, saving water in landscaping and laundry alike? We have persevered thus far, proven that water is not as vital as we were told. Some of us have lived our whole lives covered in dust, wondering in awe at the rain, and some of us have grown thirsty for our old emerald fields of England or Ireland, where even the bark of the trees is green. But all of us have learned to sacrifice our fascination with water to the sun god, all of us have learned to accept — yes, even enjoy — the hot wind and the grit in our teeth.

We are tough like that, tough like dried meat and leather, tough like rock and bone, tough like the dry, dry river bed. Our water lies deep beneath all that, just as the desert’s water conceals itself beneath a cactus’ needles or a camel’s hump.

And we can live for a millennium like this. We already have.

Bible Discussion — Exodus 35-40

08/15/2007, 12:00 pm -- by Bweinh | 1 Comment

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next six chapters of the Bible, Exodus 35-40.

Previously in Exodus:
1-4 | 5-8 | 9-11 | 12-14 | 15-18
19-22 | 23-26 | 27-30 | 31-34

The book of Genesis:
1-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-18 | 19-22 | 23-26 | 27-29
30-32 | 33-36 | 37-39 | 40-43 | 44-46 | 47-50

INTRODUCTION:
David:
The last few chapters here deal with the tabernacle and its trappings. Tabernacles are temporary dwellings; but the real resting place came not when a finished temple was completed, but when God fulfilled Ezekiel 36:27. “I will put my Spirit within you:”

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Connie:
I think this is the only time in the Bible when the people had to be asked to stop giving to the Lord.

Chloe:
The half shekel from each person counted in the census, which was called “atonement for your lives,” is put towards the sanctuary. Because of that, even the poorest family could say they had contributed to the construction of the Lord’s Tabernacle.

Josh:
I think I tend to forget just how extravagant the tabernacle really was. I picture some tent, then I come to the scripture and see the people bringing gold and silver, fine linen, precious stones — all of their finest materials and craftsmanship for the Lord.

David:
Moses called for an offering of common household items, like “ram skins dyed red, badger skins, and shittim wood.” Just normal stuff everyone has laying around the house, I guess.

Steve:
There were special, ornate, jeweled, royal “garments for ministry” that the priests apparently wore every time they entered the Tabernacle. God was apparently pretty immodest and ostentatious, eh Job?

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Steve: Golden Spoon, A Bekah For Each Man
David: Holiness to the Lord
Josh: One Talent
Chloe: Southside Tabernacle

Continued here!

The Proper Way to Treat Your Waitress

08/15/2007, 9:30 am -- by Chloe | 4 Comments

We have been called to be servants to those around us, slaves for Christ, and yet so often we scorn those who serve us. One waitress wrote that church groups were usually the ones who treated her poorly, then left a small tip. How do you treat those who serve you? Do you show them God’s love, or remind them why they don’t go to church? Here are the four most common types of people I’ve come across in my two months as a waitress. Try to guess which one you are and which one you should be.

Robot
This type of patron is usually on the higher end of the economic scale, or he doesn’t have much in the way of a personality. Friendly banter is lost on him, and he avoids eye contact. He may talk on his cell phone while ordering, or completely ignore the waitress because he wants to finish his conversation. He rarely tips, and he’ll send the waitress back for things one at a time — water refill, coffee refill, hamburger not well done, ketchup, more napkins — rather than asking for all that he knows he needs at once.

Imbecile
This type of patron could either be on the high or low end of the economic scale. The richer patron generally assumes that anyone in such a dead-end job must be an idiot, and deserves the treatment he’s dishing out. Who knows? Maybe he will inspire her to actually do something with her life! The poorer patron believes the world owes him something, and considers the waitress below him, because everyone else acts like he’s below them. This type of patron leaves a tip in relation to how hard the waitress worked — the harder she worked for him, the smaller the tip. He also abuses the waitress for what is usually the cook’s fault; shoot the messenger, and all that.

Piece of Meat
This type of patron is a man (though if the server is male, the patron will be female), and is usually the age of the waitress’ father or grandfather. He thinks she’s there for his viewing pleasure. Sometimes he’s younger and unattractive, but fancies himself God’s gift to women. More often than not, he’s looking for free food. He doesn’t realize she gets hit on about twice a week, and asked out once or twice a month. He also doesn’t realize that he looks like a lobotomized pig compared to her crush/boyfriend/fiancÃ©. No matter how he flatters her, she doesn’t feel pretty when she’s working. She feels sweaty and sticky and covered by the stench of French fry grease and dried ketchup. His phone number will line the trash bin along with all those other dopes, and he will be ridiculed in the kitchen.

Friend
This type of patron is kind, has probably been in the waitress’s shoes before, or just realizes that her job is not easy. He is gentle, tells her it’s fine if she messes up, and he leaves the proper tip (but doesn’t overly flatter her). A variation of this patron is the one who comes in often, and has both a “usual” and a sense of humor. This patron knows why the waitress looks stressed and will be sure to ask how school is going and how her family is doing. This patron tries not to leave too much of a mess on the table. Once in a while, he might even pray for the waitress.

Your waitress is a person. She has emotions, bad days, fears, and a life outside of work. Her dog gets hit by a car, her grandpa is dying of cancer, but she has to come to work anyway. She will usually do her best to keep you happy (if only because she really needs that tip), but she isn’t perfect, and she can’t always bend over backwards for you. And more often than not, she really, really doesn’t want your phone number.

Serve those who serve you. Please, respect your waitress.

Clash of the Titans XLI: Die Hard v. Pirates

08/10/2007, 12:00 pm -- by Steve | 6 Comments

In this corner, on the side of Bruce Willis/John McClane, is Connie!

And in this corner, backing Johnny Depp/Jack Sparrow, is Chloe!

I must say I was somewhat excited about this Clash, and I’m not ashamed to say it was at my suggestion that it is even here for your Clashmusement. I also should say that I am a fan of the Pirates movies, but the question here before you today is who makes a better hero? Bruce Willis and Die Hard’s John McClane? Or Johnny Depp and Pirates’ Captain Jack Sparrow? I submit that when the rubber hits the road, there is no contest! The only real hero — the only real man — is John McClane.

Let do some straight up comparisons shall we? John McClane is a man. Jack Sparrow? Let’s just go with flaming sissy boy. You can tell by the amount of hair on their heads and the way they walk. Okay, you might not like bald, but at least you don’t have to worry about what might be crawling in it.

John McClane’s role model? I’d guess John Wayne. Jack Sparrow — we all know it’s a drunken druggy rocker from the Rolling Stones named Keith Richards.

Motive? John McClane is always out to save his wife, family, or country. Jack Sparrow? Someone else’s ship, treasure, or rum. Two out of three of those are definite vices — and the third is iffy.

John McClane fights terrorists. You know who the bad guys are. In Pirates the bad guys change at least three times. It’s the British:except for the two funny soldiers. And the officer that wants to marry what’s her name. Except at the end — then he’s a good guy! Arghh! Pirates change all the rules. Dead’s not dead anymore. You can’t count on anything! I need order! Give me a simple story with a simple man who can drive a simple car into a helicopter when it’s absolutely called for!

In summation: John is a mind-your-own-business reluctant hero kind of man, a police officer just trying to do his job and earn his pension. Not unlike you and me? Somehow along the way though, he has managed to save the greater San Francisco Bay area, Washington’s Dulles Airport, most of New York City, and now the entire US economy as we know it. He always makes us laugh along the way, too, WHILE eliminating the bad guy(s).

John’s just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Jack Sparrow, on the other hand, is just plain wrong! A drunken, strange-toothed, boot-jingling, sashaying sissy with an eyeliner bill that must demand some serious doubloons, a man who somehow has us rooting for the vortex to win.

Bottom line — who would you rather walk down a dark alley with after midnight? If you don’t know, watch both movies. See, they take off their shirts. Bruce/John: buffness. Johnny/Jack? Well, a she-crow could carry him off for lunch for her babies.

CAW!!!

(David Maxon may have contributed to this report)

Hmm. What Connie says is true. Sparrow is not, by any means, buff. He does not typically blow things up. And he certainly hasn’t saved the greater San Francisco Bay area, Washington’s Dulles Airport, most of NYC, or the economy. So I will address each of these issues in order.

Looks
Jack Sparrow already has a one-up on McClane simply because he has hair. What’s more, I’d like to see you put eye liner on McClane without him looking like a drag queen. Sparrow, on the other hand, looks flippin’ hot! There is only one woman in the movies (Maria) who can resist his undeniable charm and allure. And that’s just in the movies! I’ve never once heard a woman say, “Oh, that John McClane is so dreamy!” But there is no number high enough to count the times women have told me, “I wish Jack Sparrow were real!” Even men want him to be real, and they try to make that possible by dressing up like him for Halloween, International Talk Like a Pirate Day (September 19 — mark your calendars!), and any other possible excuse. There is no John McClane costume, no “Talk Like The Guy From ‘Die Hard'” Day, and no signature John McClane swagger.

Method of Combat
Sparrow is mad with a cutlass, guns, cannons, rigging, even the ship itself as a weapon! But let’s not compare physical weapons; we’re talking about two different centuries. Instead, let’s look at those things that transcend the ages — fire and brains. I’ve heard it say that a good ruler must be a chess champion because it’s the paramount game of strategy, crucial to triumphs in war and politics. If Sparrow’s remarkable ability to manipulate situations is any indication, he would excel at chess. McClane would blow the pieces up and mutter a four-letter word under his breath.

Accomplishments
Captain Jack Sparrow did not save entire cities from destruction, it’s true. Instead, through guile and swashbuckling skill, he saved the entire planet! And he did it through a selfless act — handing immortality over to the infinitely noble and responsible William Turner. In his pursuit of immortality, Captain Sparrow vanquished the heartless (literally) Davy Jones, and by replacing him with Turner, he ensured that not only would the seas forever be protected by the kindest and most merciful of captains, but also the dead would not be abused and neglected, as they had been in Jones’ reign. McClane never really did much for anyone’s eternal soul, did he?

So let’s tally up. Sparrow is much hotter and more manly (as proven by his ability to wear eyeliner, yet still sweep a girl off her feet).

He’s got intellect, while McClane stops at brawn.

And Sparrow saved both the world and the afterworld, while McClane is ethnocentric.

Who’s the better hero, then?

{democracy:96}

Bible Discussion — Exodus 31-34

08/8/2007, 12:00 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next four chapters of the Bible, Exodus 31-34.

Previously in Exodus: 1-4 | 5-8 | 9-11 | 12-14 | 15-18 | 19-22 | 23-26 | 27-30

The book of Genesis:
1-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-18 | 19-22 | 23-26 | 27-29
30-32 | 33-36 | 37-39 | 40-43 | 44-46 | 47-50

INTRODUCTION:
David:
In this section Moses received the law, Israel fell away, God came close to destroying them and starting over with just Moses, Moses pled for, and received, mercy for God’s people, and God gave Moses another set of laws to replace the set Moses broke in anger.

MC-B:
I know we haven’t talked in a long time, but I wanted to let you know you’re still the only one for me. Much love. ~Mike

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Djere:
God is serious about his weekends. Whomever doesn’t honor the Sabbath must be put to death. Dag, yo.

Josh:
In my head I had always pictured Moses throwing the tablets directly at the golden calf, but upon closer inspection I see that I just made that up. Or maybe I saw it in Superbook.

Steve:
God was going to send the Israelites to the Promised Land with an angel guide, because He didn’t trust Himself not to kill them all on the way…

Chloe:
Moses, through reason and with righteous intent, turned the Lord from His wrath, just as Abraham did. More proof that prayer is powerful!

Tom:
3000 people were killed in the aftermath of the Golden Calf debacle. It’s easy to look at the forgiveness and overlook the punishment.

David:
God promised them feast insurance. Every man was required to leave his lands and come together for a feast that would leave their homesteads open to raiding. God’s promise here foreshadows Jesus saying, “Seek first the Kingdom of God.”

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Tom, Djere: Finger of God
Steve: Godfinger; Go, Get Down!
David: Face Shone; Wot Not
MC-B: Tablets of the Testimony
Josh: Empty Handed
Chloe: Tribe of Dan

Continued here!

The Next C.S. Lewis?

08/8/2007, 9:30 am -- by Chloe | 9 Comments

“Every time I’ve been asked if I believe in God, I’ve said yes, because I do, but no one ever really has gone any more deeply into it than that, and I have to say that does suit me, because if I talk too freely about that I think the intelligent reader, whether ten or sixty, will be able to guess what’s coming in the books.” — J.K. Rowling, Vancouver Sun, 2000

***Warning!***
Spoilers ahead!

I just finished the last Harry Potter book. I know, Harry Potter is evil, the scar on his head is the mark of the beast, and we must all burn the books and fight to have them banned. As a Christian I should not be filling my head with such filth.

Except that Harry Potter, as it turns out, is an allegory for the gospel.

What?! Don’t stop reading. It’s not ludicrous, and I’m not just another English major trying to fit a square peg into a circular hole by taking things out of context. I’ll prove it (but I will be giving away the plot).

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the seventh and final book in the series, is largely focused on the destruction of seven “Horcruxes,” mundane objects in which Voldemort, the Dark Lord, has deposited pieces of his soul, ensuring that though his body might be destroyed, he will not die. While searching for them, Harry and his two friends (isn’t three a holy number in the Jewish tradition?) learn of the “Deathly Hallows,” three objects that, when united under one person, will give him dominion over death. During the search, Harry’s friend Ron, a rash but devoted boy, leaves Harry — but then comes back to become a great help to him. I smell a Simon Peter lurking under Ron’s skin.

At one point, Harry faces an elf, forced to serve him, who hates him beyond words. Harry believes that if he just treats the elf well, it will come to love him. And he’s right. After pouring out kindness and love to the angry elf, it becomes eternally loyal to Harry.

Harry’s mentor and guide, Dumbledore, was killed in book 6, soon after giving Harry the task of finding and destroying the Horcruxes. Throughout book 7, Harry is tormented with doubts that Dumbledore sent him on a hopeless mission, and sorely tempted, by a journalist of questionable integrity, to think Dumbledore was a fraud. Not to twist the book around, but that sounds like Jesus being tempted, and his pleadings in the garden of Gethsemane.

Before I get to the big one, I’ll point out some small things that are commonly related to the gospel. Throughout the book, the numbers seven and three keep popping up. These are commonly revered numbers in Jewish and Christian beliefs. At one point, someone gets their ear chopped off. Lily, the name of Harry’s mother, is also a flower commonly associated with Mary, mother of Jesus. Harry saves the life of his nemesis, showing forgiveness though the boy tried to kill both Harry and Dumbledore.

The most powerful “spell” in the book, the only one that will ward off evil “dementors” is the Expecto Patronum — Latin for “I wait for the savior.” The Bible is quoted twice in the book: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also,” and “The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.” There are also prophecies about Harry, whose last name, I might add, is also a description of God. And Voldemort tries to kill Harry as a baby, after which he is secreted to a location that will protect him.

But the ultimate connection to the Gospel is near the end, when Harry Potter walks to his death in the forest. He dies willingly at the hands of Voldemort, to save his fellows being slaughtered in battle and hopefully vanquish the Dark Lord, but he learns he had united the three Deathly Hallows, conquering Death. After death, he travels to King’s Cross, which could be interpreted as a direct representation of the cross — but is probably a coincidence, since King’s Cross is the largest train station in London and widely known as a crossroads.

Anyway, dead Harry meets Dumbledore at King’s Cross, and he explains that the part of his soul that had been mixed with Voldemort’s (don’t ask) when the Dark Lord tried to kill him as a baby had now been destroyed. Harry is pure. So he returns, pretending to be dead, to watch the Dark Lord and his minions celebrating in vile ways. His friends, though mourning, do not give up; they wait and hope for a miracle.

Then Neville, faithful friend of Harry, cuts off the head of Voldemort’s snake with an ornate sword. This snake was the last Horcrux, and so Voldemort’s soul is destroyed. Harry jumps up and pursues Voldemort, killing him in a magnificent plot twist. Feasting and joy ensues, along with the forgiveness of the three bad guys who repent.

If you’ve read Dante, Lewis, Bunyan, Eliot, or many others, you’ve caught the symbols and metaphors commonly used in Christian literature. The willing death, the transition, selflessness, overcoming temptation, dominion over death, the battle between good and evil, the short, unholy celebration of evil, the snake being crushed, forgiveness, the wedding feast, etc. — they’re all here.

You may disagree (but don’t unless you’ve read the books; you’ll just sound ignorant), and that’s fine. But J.K. Rowling said back in 2000 that her Christian beliefs were quite possibly the foundation for the end of the series. Maybe she isn’t the whore of Babylon after all…

Clash of the Titans XV: Starbucks Coffee

08/3/2007, 12:00 pm -- by Steve | 1 Comment

Originally published on April 20!

In this corner, attacking Starbucks, is Steve!

And in this corner, defending Starbucks, is Chloe!

If only they were included in those annual surveys of whom Americans trust, drug dealers might manage to bump car salesmen and lawyers out of the basement of public esteem. Typified in the collective mind as a shady, unshaven man with sunken eyes slinking around a playground at dusk in a bulky trenchcoat, the drug dealer is universally reviled as a corrupter of youth and an exploiter of human weakness.

But while we readily identify the local dope seller as an odious blight on society, we happily make peace with his ideological cousins at Starbucks, who peddle a product no less addictive or mind-altering.

Caffeine is the world’s most popular psychoactive drug, and its honored place in our society should not cause us to overlook its very real effects on the mind. A Johns Hopkins study found that as little as “one small cup of coffee daily” can produce caffeine addiction, a malady that may be included in the latest edition of the diagnostic manual for psychologists as a full-fledged mental disorder. When I read the list of caffeine withdrawal symptoms, it helped me understand why many Starbucks defenders are so rabid. Nausea, fatigue, and pounding headaches might be enough to keep me coming back for my daily fix as well.

But even if you accept the popularity of this mind-altering drug as a necessary evil in our sleep-deprived, results- obsessed society, there are plenty of reasons not to seek your dose from the ubiquitous mermaid:

– Starbucks charges far too much. It’s bad enough that a regular coffee is nearly two dollars, but those specialty drinks really get you. A mid-sized latte or frappuccino (words I freely admit I do not understand) costs more than a gallon of milk; large versions of these drinks approach five dollars. Drink two a week for 20 years and you’ve slurped down a cool $10k — before interest.

– Starbucks coffee apparently isn’t that good. I don’t drink coffee, but people who do, from the well-respected Consumer Reports magazine, ranked Starbucks coffee below McDonald’s in a blind taste test. I’m lovin’ that.

– And Starbucks stores just feel insincere. The whole shtick seems so calculated, a slick attempt to bottle a hip atmosphere and re-create it on a national scale, through generous doses of shallow philosophy, mood lighting, and second-rate classical guitar. It certainly seems successful, but that doesn’t make it any less creepy or manipulative.

I won’t claim any unfair business practices or exploitation, and I sincerely don’t mind that they’ve spread like kudzu across the country, or put other coffee shops out of business. That’s the American way; competition is the heart of capitalism, and they’ve succeeded admirably. They deserve some credit.

But I do hope you’ll forgive me if I don’t throw myself behind a behemoth corporation that fakes ambiance and overcharges its customers for an addictive psychoactive drug. As a future lawyer, I’d like someone to look down on in those surveys.

I was furious when I heard that Starbucks was opening not one but four stores in my hometown. I knew what would happen: The Shed, CafÃ© Rush, Java Junkie and all my other favorite hangouts would be obliterated. To me, as to many others, Starbucks was to coffee shops as Wal-Mart was to grocery stores. Namely, it was the end of them. When Wal-Mart came to town, only one other grocery store survived. I didn’t want that to happen to my coffee shops.

Starbucks didn’t kill any of my hangouts, though. They’re going strong, their eclectic, homey styles still beating out the corporation, mainly because of the music scene and the fact that everyone knows all the people in the pictures decorating the walls. The people in my hometown go to Starbucks, but that’s just when they’re in a hurry. They go to the little places for the people, because let’s face it — the coffee just isn’t that great.

I’m not saying this is the situation in all cities. I know about all those sad stories about the mom and pop cafes being booted out thanks to the monster mermaid. Yes, Starbucks has the cheesy “third place” thing going on, even though the atmosphere isn’t that great, and pales in comparison to the coffee shop your best friend decided to open rather than going to college.

But Starbucks Coffee isn’t all about the coffee it sells or the atmosphere it projects (but the coffee is good and the atmosphere not half bad). It’s about the prices, the sky-rocketing $1.55-cup-of-joe. Yes, the exorbitant charge is important, and in a good way.

There’s a reason Starbucks is so pricey. It’s called fair trade. Fair trade is a certification on coffee and other crops that ensures fair price and labor conditions, direct trade, democratic and transparent organizations, community development, and environmental sustainability. Starbucks buys about 10% of the world’s fair trade coffee, more than any other single coffee buyer in the United States.

What usually happens with trading in developing countries is that the trader will provide loans for the farmer to sustain the crops. The loans come with conditions that ensure the trader’s complete control over the crop, the prices, and the farmer. The trader will often buy the crop at cost or just above, so the farmer doesn’t make enough money to survive, let alone plant next year’s crop, which means he has to go back to the trader for more loans.

But Starbucks buys coffee high above the cost where most other coffee buyers do, which naturally pushes their prices up to what looks like an unreasonable fee to us. In 2003, Arabica coffee was selling at $0.55-$0.70 a pound. Starbucks paid $1.20 per pound, twice the amount that Folgers or Maxwell House paid.

Yes, Starbucks is expensive. But if we could just stop demanding low prices at the expense of the lives of coffee farmers all over the world, maybe we’d realize a $1.55 coffee is so completely worth it.

{democracy:24}

Bible Discussion — Exodus 27-30

08/1/2007, 12:00 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next four chapters of the Bible, Exodus 27-30.

Previously in Exodus: 1-4 | 5-8 | 9-11 | 12-14 | 15-18 | 19-22 | 23-26

The book of Genesis:
1-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-18-2 | 19-22 | 23-26 | 27-29
30-32 | 33-36 | 37-39 | 40-43 | 44-46 | 47-50

INTRODUCTION:
David:
In these chapters God began to lay the foundation for atonement and introduced the function of the High Priest. Both of these are fulfilled in Jesus — the Lamb that was slain before the foundation of the world, and our High Priest.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Steve:
Apparently the design of the altar and tabernacle were shown to Moses and some others up on the mountain.

Chloe:
30:15 talks about the “atonement for your lives,” as if to say that simply living requires forgiveness.

David:
The age-old question of briefs or boxers is settled in 28:42. Briefs don’t reach to the thigh.

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Steve: Strange Incense
David: Curious Girdle
Chloe: Skillfully Woven Wasteband, Fat Tail

Continued here!

Conservation Theology

08/1/2007, 9:45 am -- by Chloe | 2 Comments

When I was in second grade and living at my grandparents’ house, their well ran dry. I remember walking around the property with a witching stick that was supposed to be pulled toward the ground when it passed over an underground stream, and I remember the inescapable roar of the well driller digging deep into the ground when Grandpa finally found a dependable water source.

From then on, my grandparents’ house became one of extreme conservation. They had always been careful, throwing waste food on the compost pile and recycling what they could. After the water scare, however, Grandma and Grandpa looked into ways to prolong the new well’s life.

Even today, in a new house and with a more dependable well, Grandma adheres to her system of conserving water. She saves the dishwater throughout the day to water her flowers. She only runs the water in the shower if she’s rinsing. If she takes a bath, she’ll haul the water to put on the grass, rather than letting it go down the drain. Recently, she had rain gutters put in with an 80-gallon rain barrel at each spout. She uses this water to wash the dogs or the car. We’ve even joked about the possibility of washing our hair in rainwater, since apparently it makes hair softer than groundwater does.

Because of my grandma, I’ve developed habits that are crucial to preserving the beauty of where we live. She taught me that respecting and protecting the environment is just as much part of being a Christian as treating other people as children of God. The planet is God’s, it is his artwork, and it is a testimony to his power and glory.

You may live in the desert like I do, and my words may resound with the concerns you have about water. Or you may live where it rains often and for days, and the idea of conserving water is ridiculous, what with it coming out your ears half the time. That privilege may not last forever. The Rio Grande ran dry once, after all.

I’m not asking that you go to extremes like my grandma and I have. I’m simply suggesting that you live responsibly, consider how much you throw away and try to cut back, and be considerate of the amount of pollution you produce.

In short, live as if you were guests on someone else’s planet. You are.

Best of Bweinh! — Grammar and Anticipation

07/25/2007, 2:00 pm -- by Chloe | No Comments

Originally published on April 17, 2007.

My grandfather gave me my first grammar lesson when I was seven years old, after I had asked him if I could play on his old green Chevy truck. “I don’t know, can you?,” he asked, home from his bike shop for lunch, an empty plate and half a can of beer in front of him.

“Yes,” I said slowly, wary of my grandfather and his tricks: how he gave me something shiny and yellow and called it fool’s gold only after I had told him all the things I would buy with it, and how he convinced me that I could buy a miniature collar and lead for the tarantula I had just captured so I could show it around town as my pet.

My grandfather took a final swig of beer and swiped his sleeve across his mouth, which earned a sour look from my grandmother, who did his laundry.

“Yes, you can.”

“Thank you!,” I yelled, already at the back door.

“Chloe!” I reluctantly returned to his chair and waited as attentively as a seven-year-old in the summertime can wait. My grandfather pondered me for a moment, scratching the peppery stubble on his chin. I waited patiently because I knew instinctively that something important was going to happen, just like when he let me help him mix concrete and put up the dog pen, even though as a rule, he preferred to do work around the land alone, and a little girl would only get in the way. Though he firmly believed a woman’s place was in the kitchen, we eventually completed many projects together, the last a door installation cut short after he severed most of the top part of his thumb and bled all over my mother’s white carpet because he was too manly to feel pain.

“Chloe,” he repeated after several long tick-tocks of the grandfather clock, “I’m trying to teach you something here. You say ‘can’ when you are able. You say ‘may’ when you want permission. So:” He waved his hand at me and the smell of the oil he used on the chains and gears in his bike shop wafted towards me. It smelled like a car. Or a big green Chevy.

“Can I go play on your truck?” At this point I was fidgeting like I was about to wet my pants, but still he spoke slowly, in a gravelly voice that sounded like he had worked hard his whole life, and would continue to do so until the day he died. “You are able to play on my truck, but you have to ask me if you may get permission to go do it.”

“M…may I…?” I trailed off, and he nodded encouragingly while my grandmother audibly rolled her eyes. “May I go play on the truck?”

He folded his newspaper and stood. “No, I have to go back to work. But you can give my plate to your grandmother and throw my can away.”

Bible Discussion — Exodus 23-26

07/18/2007, 12:00 pm -- by Bweinh | 1 Comment

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next four chapters of the Bible, Exodus 23-26.

Previously in Exodus: 1-4 | 5-8 | 9-11 | 12-14 | 15-18 | 19-22

The book of Genesis:
1-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-18-2 | 19-22 | 23-26 | 27-29
30-32 | 33-36 | 37-39 | 40-43 | 44-46 | 47-50

INTRODUCTION:
David:
What may seem like a dry section of Scripture actually gives us some wonderful images and types of the Christian faith. Here the Mercy Seat is established, the place where God promised to “meet” and “commune” with his creation. I don’t think we comprehend what an amazing privilege we have in our fellowship with God.

Steve:
I think this passage has scared off some Bweinh!tributors this week. But we brave three shall soldier on!

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Steve:
Moses took 73 Israelite elders partway up the mountain, where they “saw God.” Clearly, from what Moses asks God later, they didn’t see God’s face, so I wonder what they did see. And who cleaned up after the meal.

David:
One of the shelves in my library is uneven and needs to be fixed.

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Steve: Paved With Sapphire, Onyx in the Ephod
David: Six Branches
Chloe: Acacia, Young Goat

Continued here!

Prophets of the Rain

07/18/2007, 10:15 am -- by Chloe | 1 Comment

That’s how it starts, with the clouds. And then the birds begin to sing. I’ve heard that birds are most active before a storm, and the ruckus reminds me of an out-of-control high school class.

Clash of the Titans XXXVIII: Soda

07/17/2007, 12:15 pm -- by Steve | 4 Comments

In this corner, opposing soda, is Chloe!

And in this corner, supporting soda, is Mike!

So I did all this research for this Clash, 23 pages worth, and it thoroughly convinced me I was right in calling soda (pop) the drink from hell, and then I realized none of you care and you’re going to drink soda anyway.

Well, that’s okay. Rot your teeth. Get fat. Develop osteoporosis. See if I care.

That didn’t come out right. I do care. I also care if you develop cancer (from the benzene) or just keel over because you left your diet soda out in the heat and it turned into formaldehyde. Um, ew? The proof that I care is right here, this Clash. Soda just isn’t that healthy. (I’m thinking about pulling the “Your body is a temple of God” card, but I feel bad doing that unless I stop drinking high-fat coffee and eating potato chips.)

Soda also causes great strife. Whole families have been ripped down the middle by the soda v. pop debate. It’s tragic! How can we allow such a minute detail to break down the family unit? Why do we let this satanic drink rule our lives?

Soda facilitates drug use. Because people hear Coca-Cola used to have cocaine in it, they think that’s cool, and so they put cocaine in their soda. It also makes your ears turn green.

Soda makes you burp. Therefore, it facilitates bad manners and makes you look like a hick. An obese hick, with bendable bones and no teeth. Well, the bendable bones thing is cool, and you could make a lot of money at a carnival with that — except that you’re a hick, and no one wants to watch a hick bend his bones.

Soda is bubbly, which a lot of people like (it’s like your drink is spitting in your face; haven’t you realized that yet?), but when you think about it, it actually leads to drinking problems! See, people drink soda, get bored with the whole bubbly without the buzz thing, and look for something more potent. They find themselves at beer, and we all know that beer is a drink from hell. See? Drinking problems!

Soda leads to car accidents. How many times have you gotten that Yeti Gulp (100 ounces!!!) and found it didn’t fit in your miniscule drink holder? So you nestle it in the passenger seat, hoping the seatbelt will do the trick. Then it spills, you swear (another sign of the devil), and lean down to clean up the mess — then slam into the patrol car you didn’t see. Yeah, that was the soda’s fault.

Did I already mention that when you drink a soda, it’s actually spitting in your face?

I know, I know, many sound arguments can be raised against soda. It’s bad for your teeth, and your gums and probably rots your soul too. My worthy opponent will no doubt raise these and other points and build a sound case.

Against this, I can only ask: have you ever had a cold, really cold, just-barely-frozen Coca-Cola in a frosted mug with a twist of lime? If you have, you know that those sound arguments fade away into the background, along with all troubles and cares. There is, bar none, no better way to spend 140 calories. But if you have not, there is nothing I can do except insist that you go out and try it before casting your vote in this Clash. If you do, I’m certain your vote will be for me; if you do not, your poor benighted soul will vote against me.

We all know soda addicts: the jittery lass at the office who downs 12 Diet Cokes a day; the hefty fellow at the Chinese buffet who can’t settle for four pounds of fried wontons but has to wash them down with subpar root beer; the trucker who nurses a 64-ounce Double Big Gulp from Tulsa to Waco. This is not responsible soda consumption, taking a veritable nectar of the gods and turning it into a cheap drug, a stabilizing crutch for emotional problems.

You don’t have to drink soda at every meal; heck, you don’t even have to drink it every day! But tell me with a straight face that an excellent pizza doesn’t deserve a good Dr. Pepper. Tell me a hot-off-the-grill cheeseburger doesn’t deserve a cold Cherry Coke. Tell me 3rd Shen would have been anything without lukewarm Caffeine-Free Diet Coke the Salvation Army couldn’t give away. Tell me there’s anything as good as slightly flat ginger ale when you’re a little sick to your stomach. You cannot tell me these things! Your little health-conscious PC soul wishes to, but you cannot, because you know soda is an essential part of these slices of life.

Without soda, a root beer float is just a lump of boring vanilla. Without soda, church-reception punch is just cranberry juice. Without soda, burritos, bratwursts, pizzas and yes, even some breakfast cereals (Count Chocula, anyone?), are widowed, crying out for their mates who were created for them from the dawn of time.

Don’t deny them the companionship they so richly deserve. And don’t deny yourself one of life’s tingly pleasures–soda.

{democracy:85}

Bible Discussion — Exodus 19-22

07/11/2007, 12:30 pm -- by Bweinh | 2 Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next four chapters of the Bible, Exodus 19-22.

Previously in Exodus: 1-4 | 5-8 | 9-11 | 12-14 | 15-18

The book of Genesis:
1-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-18-2 | 19-22 | 23-26 | 27-29
30-32 | 33-36 | 37-39 | 40-43 | 44-46 | 47-50

INTRODUCTION:
David:
In this section God revealed the Law to Moses. Paul later told us in Romans 5-7 that the point of this revelation was not to save people, but to kill them, to prove to them how awful they were so God could save them.

Connie:
Two months from the day the Israelites were delivered from the slavery of Egypt, they found themselves encamped before Mount Sinai, where they encountered — nearly face to face — their God. He presented them with a covenant agreement, promising to make them a special and holy nation unto Himself if they will follow His laws.

Mike:
The law–God’s way of ordering society–is introduced to the people.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Chloe:
Moses sent Zipporah and their sons away while he was leading the Israelites out of Egypt. It makes sense, but that must have been difficult for all of them.

Mike:
There was no punishment for a slaveowner who brutally injured his slaves, just so long as the death was not immediate.

Steve:
After studying American law for three years — and in painful depth for the past two months — it’s very interesting to me how many of the same concepts, from degrees of murder to responsibility for trespass, are addressed similarly in Exodus.

Connie:
“Showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments” in verse 6 contrasts with verse 5 — “showing iniquity to three or four generations.” This demonstrates how God’s mercy is greater than His wrath and extends even more to the generations of righteous people. The lingering effects of righteousness will last far longer than the lingering effects of wickedness.

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Connie, David: Rephidim
Djere: Stripe for Stripe
Steve: Thick Cloud, Covet His Ox
Chloe: Capable Men
Mike: Thou Shalt ROCK!

Continued here!

To Know and Be Known

07/11/2007, 10:00 am -- by Chloe | 2 Comments

When I was in London, there was an unspoken rule to avoid eye contact. Looking people in the eye was some kind of invitation, depending on the person, to badger me for money or scream profanities. I learned that when I went into the city, I should look straight ahead and walk with purpose, like I owned London, in order to be free of the grasping hands that would have my soul with one look in the eye. As a result, I saw little of what the people of London looked like. I was autonomous in that huge metropolis, but I didn’t know anyone except for my classmates and the people at my church. It was lonely.

Here, in Nowhere, New Mexico, I’ve had to unlearn that habit of isolation. Here, I chat with everyone I come across — the post office lady, the gas station clerk, the person who lives at the end of the lane. Here, I don’t just drive by other cars — I wave to the people in them, especially if it’s another big truck with a cowboy hat and/or a dog in the flatbed.

Here, I don’t just serve my customers. I ask their names and where they’re from, what they do for a living and how they like the heat. In return, I give them bits of my life — why I’m here when I live in New York, who I’m related to, what I’m studying, and yes, that fine truck outside is mine, for two more months, anyway. Here, eye contact is as unavoidable as skin contact in church.

When I decided to go to Western New Mexico for the summer, I thought I would be lonely, what with only knowing my grandma. Now, after throwing candy in a July 4th parade and hearing at least three people yell, “Oh, there’s Chloe! Hi Chloe!,” and learning the faces of customers who not only remember my name, but also ask how my boyfriend’s studying is coming along, I question why I ever thought I liked the independent blinders I put on in London. This small-town familiarity is growing on me.

Clash of the Titans XXXVI: Outsourcing

07/7/2007, 12:00 pm -- by Steve | 20 Comments

In this corner, supporting outsourcing, is David!

And in this corner, opposing the practice, is Chloe!

I am 46 and I’ve been a salesman nearly all of my adult life. I don’t know everything, but I know some things. Globalization, outsourcing, whatever else you want to complain about, it’s all inevitable.

Without getting deep into all the economic theory, this one is a no-brainer. People want to pay the lowest possible price for the product or service they need, and if there is a way to make that happen, someone, somewhere, will do it. And the market will either flock to them or find an even cheaper way. If that means using factories in Mexico to produce clothing, our clothes will come from south of the border. If it means locating a call center in India because they can hire five people for the price of one here, then our calls will be handled in India. Inevitable.

I personally believe our main barrier to accepting this globalization is our American mindset — after all, we are Americans and we have rights. We want to pick up the phone, call the number and have our billing problem solved in 30 seconds. We are the fast food generation. We microwave TV dinners because waiting 20 minutes for the oven is too slow. “Dang it, solve my problem now Rajiv, or we’ll bomb you back to the stone age! And learn English!!!”

The other half is that as patriotic Americans, we are threatened by any loss of jobs here. We enjoy a privileged existence in the richest nation in the world, and we don’t want anyone to screw it up. “Let the rest of the world starve, we don’t care! Don’t take our jobs!!!” We are a far cry from Moses, who “when he was of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter . . . esteeming the riches of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt.”

An unknown second-century writer penned a letter to a certain Diognetus, describing Christians thusly: “The Christians are distinguished from other men neither by country, nor language, nor the customs which they observe. They display to us, nevertheless, a wonderful and confessedly striking manner of life. They dwell in their own countries, but simply as sojourners. As citizens they share all things with others, and yet endure all things as foreigners. Every foreign land is to them as their native country, and every land of their birth as a land of strangers . . . they pass their days on earth but they are citizens of heaven.”

I remember feeling the weight of this the first time I took a missionary trip to Haiti. I looked around the bus as we rode through this foreign land, watching the Haitian translators sitting quietly in their seats as we made fun of their food, their roads, their hygiene and their language. Meanwhile, we were on our way to a meeting to preach the Gospel to them.

Globalization is just part of the issue. We need to understand we are not citizens of earth, we’re citizens of heaven. Once we settle that, I think we may be able to shed some of our hatred for immigrants, outsourcing and anything else that threatens our privileged life here in America.

I would like to introduce you to a family by the name of Gutierrez. They have three children: 11-year-old Marie, 16-year-old Diego, and 19-year-old Manuel. Mr. and Mrs. Gutierrez work in the factories, called maquiladoras, making parts for American cars. Marie is in fifth grade. Diego and Manuel quit school at fifteen to work in the lead factory; ends weren’t meeting.

The Gutierrez family brings in 1650 pesos a week ($153), the mother making 100 pesos less than her husband and sons. This covers their housing, transportation to and from work, and usually food (the cost of living in Juarez is about 80% of El Paso). Their wages don’t always cover gas or water, and only covers new clothes every 18 months or so. The boys are forced to constantly wear clothes that have been exposed to lead.

The Gutierrez family lives in a 2-room hovel in a dump on the border, where most maquiladoras are. The family is lucky enough to have wooden walls and a tin roof. The rent is exorbitant on their wages and they sometimes have trouble keeping up. When they can’t afford to pay the gas bill, they light a fire. When they can’t afford water, they take it from the river and drink mercury, lead, and traces of arsenic, dumped in the river by the unregulated maquiladoras.

Mr. Gutierrez has had knee pain for several years now, and when it gets cold, he can barely walk. It won’t be long before he can’t work anymore. Mrs. Gutierrez found a lump in her breast a few months ago but hasn’t mentioned it to anyone because she can’t afford to go to the doctor and she doesn’t want anyone to worry. Though the boys aren’t aware of it yet, they are slowly dying of lead poisoning because there is no one to enforce the feeble laws on lead manufacture. Maria is malnourished and has trouble concentrating in school. In four years, she’ll give up on education and take to the streets, where she’ll earn her living until she too becomes a drone in the maquiladoras.

If you were to ask the Gutierrez family how they were doing, they would reply with a tired shrug that they were surviving. They wouldn’t tell you that their very livelihood, what is supposed to be the highest-paid job for an unskilled worker in Mexico, is killing them.

I know, outsourcing is great for our country’s economy. People want the lowest possible price and they don’t want to hear about the sacrifice someone is making to provide it. The fact is, the Gutierrez family is just a natural byproduct of the endeavor for a new and better low-price America. But dare I say it?

It isn’t worth it.

(The Gutierrez family is fictional, comprised of several reports on conditions in the maquiladoras and interviews with workers.)

{democracy:78}

Bible Discussion — Exodus 15-18

07/4/2007, 12:00 pm -- by Bweinh | 4 Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next four chapters of the Bible, Exodus 15-18.

Previously in Exodus: 1-4 | 5-8 | 9-11 | 12-14

The book of Genesis:
1-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-18-2 | 19-22 | 23-26 | 27-29
30-32 | 33-36 | 37-39 | 40-43 | 44-46 | 47-50

INTRODUCTION:
MC-B:
Those Israelites seem to have rather fond memories of slavery. If I were Moses I would have allowed them to try to return to Egypt, but then I’m a lesser man than he was.

David:
This a wonderful section of Scripture — the celebration of the Red Sea victory, the institution of manna falling from heaven, and the visit from Jethro that leads Moses to organize his people.

Connie:
There’s so much here! You start with a huge celebration of Israel’s victory in the Red Sea, immediately followed by the people’s murmuring over the lack of water. Then comes more murmuring and God’s presentation of manna and quails. And next, there’s still more murmuring about bitter water, a quick time out for a substantial battle, and it’s wrapped up by a visit from Moses’ in-laws, who first introduce judicial red tape.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Steve:
The Israelites waited till they got to the aptly named Wilderness of Sin to start wishing they were dead and talking about how slavery was preferable to hunger.

This passage also has Israel’s first battle, and it’s the Amalekites (descendants of Esau) who started the trouble. If only they’d stayed out of Rephidim, things would have been different…

Chloe:
Moses preserved a jar of manna so that people would not forget it. I wonder what happened to it.

Connie:
Ex. 17:6 spoke of the rock being struck to bring forth water, and it cross-referenced 1 Corinthians 10:4. I never saw that before — Christ is our rock, smitten for us to be our refreshing Water of Life, but those who drink of this Water will not perish!

David:
The first water crisis and its resolution became “a statute and an ordinance.” God wants it officially established that He’s going to be proving them. They can cry out to Him in times of need, and He will supply.

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Steve: Melting Mighty
Connie: Murmurings of the Children
Chloe: The Palm Trees
Josh: What Is It, Hurled Horse
David: Blast of Thy Nostrils
MC-B: Omer of Manna

Continued here!

Stupid Bull!

07/4/2007, 10:00 am -- by Chloe | No Comments

The first time I saw him was last week, on the dirt road up to my grandma’s house. His behemoth head was in the lane and I almost hit him with my Dodge. When he stood up to avoid the growling diesel, I realized he was bigger than my truck, and I thought he was going to pulverize the passenger side door. That was the beginning.

We called him Fernando. He left two-inch holes in the packed dirt and gravel of the walkway when he wandered into the yard. He drank half the water in the brimming sixty-gallon rain barrel. When I talked on the phone, the person on the other end could hear him braying from ten acres away. “Shut up, bull!,” I would yell. He didn’t know English.

The last straw was Sunday, when Grandma and I couldn’t walk the dogs because Fernando was only about fifty yards from the porch. We took a big stick with us and watched him carefully while the dogs did their business close to the house. Then it happened. Grandma passed by her flower bed, and her eyes fell on the remnants of what had started out as a bunch of beautiful sunflowers. They had been eaten.

“Get the shotgun and clear out the freezer, Chloe,” she ordered. Only a few flowers had been decapitated, but when you live off well water in New Mexico, your flower bed is meager at best, and a few lost flowers is a big empty space.

After dinner, Grandma and I went to the front yard and, protected by a chain link fence, yelled insults at the bull in a sort of vengeance for the fallen flowers. We encouraged the dogs, who had gotten used to Francisco’s presence and even started taking their tea with him in the afternoons, to bark at him. We also said a few things about his mother.

Then we called Alvin, a friend of Grandma’s who had already removed other wayward cattle from her property. He assured her he would send someone soon.

So how do you get a gigantic piece of armed beef out of a fenced-in area of land? Why, with a horse and a Stetson, of course.

In they rode, dressed in cowboy boots, button-down shirts and ten-gallon hats, looking as though they’d been born on their horses and never bothered to get off. The sun was just beginning to set behind the mountains as the men reached the fence, and I swear I heard a harmonica play somewhere as the older one tipped his hat to Grandma. “Evening, Ma’am. Where’s that bull?”

We watched them drive Fernando off into the distance as the harmonica swelled into a triumphant crescendo and the sun disappeared behind the mountains in a satisfyingly conclusive manner.

Well, no, that’s not true. The bull kept breaking the drive and running off. Plus, there was no harmonica. But the sun did disappear behind the mountains.

So it wasn’t directly out of a Western. Still, how cool is that?

Bible Discussion — Exodus 12-14

06/27/2007, 12:00 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next three chapters of the Bible, Exodus 12-14.

Previously in Exodus: 1-4 | 5-8 | 9-11

The book of Genesis:
1-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-18-2 | 19-22 | 23-26 | 27-29
30-32 | 33-36 | 37-39 | 40-43 | 44-46 | 47-50

This week, please welcome our guest pastor, Rev. Bob Mackmer of the Belfast (NY) Free Methodist Church!

INTRODUCTION:
David:
The Passover is established, giving the Jews the signal celebration of their faith and a foreshadowing of the redemption to come in Christ.

Rev. Bob:
God’s decisive blow against Egypt (Passover) and a faith-stretching encounter with the Red Sea.

Steve:
This section boasts arguably the two most incredible miracles of the Exodus account — the death of every firstborn in Egypt and the parting of the Red Sea. Yet probably the hardest thing to understand is why the nation who had just witnessed the first was so surprised by the second.

Chloe:
One of the most powerful sections of the Old Testament, an illustration both of God’s faithfulness and greatness, and exactly why we should fear Him.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Josh:
The Israelites might be a bunch of complainers, but give them points for sarcasm — “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die?”

Rev. Bob:
On leaving Egypt, God led them in an unusual path. He did not lead them on the shortest route. How many times do we look for the shortcut, while God leads us in a round-about way: God-inspired detours.

Chloe:
God got all the firstborn, whether by death or by consecration.

David:
Someone had kept good enough records that they knew it was exactly 430 years of enslavement (to the day) that was ending!

Steve:
The great anguish of Egypt was communicated so simply, even callously. Pharaoh and every other Egyptian “rose in the night,” and there was a “great cry” — for no house had been spared. From the peasant to the king, death leveled and obliterated the entire nation. What an understated verse.

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Josh, Rev. Bob: Carry My Bones
Steve: No More Forever
David: Token, Morning Watch
Chloe: Vigil, Baked Cakes

Continued here!

The Desert at Night

06/27/2007, 10:15 am -- by Chloe | No Comments

Have you ever heard a pack of coyotes howl and snarl so loudly that you could swear the next bark would be at your window? Or the soft pattering of something digging in a corner or burrowing in the closet?

I’ve become familiar with these and other noises the last few nights, now that I’m living with my grandmother in rural New Mexico. We’re mere yards from the national forest, so isolated that, as Grandma put it this afternoon, “If something should happen to us, who would hear us scream?”

Therefore I have decided that I hate the desert at night. In the daytime it’s fine — the temperature is high enough that all the dangerous things disappear and the sun bright enough that the beauty is impossible to miss. (Little known fact — you can actually touch the sun in some parts of New Mexico because it really is that close. You heard it here at Bweinh!)

But as evening simmers into night, that vast blue sky that so awes me during the day becomes my enemy, Eliot’s “patient etherized upon a table,” sprawling and lifeless. Looking outside makes me feel blind. The darkness can be felt in the hairs on the back of my neck as they tingle and rise. It is a darkness that nurtures paranoia, and the certainty that something with sharp teeth and quick venom lurks just beyond the window pane is what makes my grandmother cover every window in the house after twilight surrenders the sky.

The worst thing, though, is the noise. When the coyotes bark and yip in packs, I know a rabbit will soon be devoured. When I hear something like the desperate scream of a woman, I know it’s a cougar on the prowl. And when I hear that clicking on the roof, like an alien in the movies preparing to dispose of its prey, I know something is skittering around on the roof, and any minute now it will come crashing through the window to eat me. I don’t care how hot it is — I’m a firm believer in that age-old superstition that my thick down comforter will protect me from the monsters outside, and so I will bear the stuffy heat and burrow deeper until the sun rises again.

Clash of the Titans XXXIII: Hot and Cold

06/26/2007, 12:00 pm -- by Steve | 3 Comments

In this corner, preferring cooler weather, is Steve!

And in this corner, preferring hotter weather, is Chloe!

What a perfect time to extol the joys of cooler weather!

Hot weather is for individuals — sweaty, uncomfortable, and alone — but cool weather? Cool weather brings us together.

You run screaming down the hall, smack into your mother’s knees. “Not without these!,” she chirps, pointing to the mountain of snow gear she will soon inflict on your person.

Oh, yes, siestas. It’s a physical impossibility to work when it’s 105 degrees out, ladies and gentlemen. That means you quit at 1:00 and don’t start up again until 6:00, if at all!

Still not convinced? Let’s not forget these other important points:

Ã¢â‚¬Â¢ Ice will kill you on the road. Hot asphalt will not, unless you’re stupid and walk barefoot on it, and then it’s your own fault.

Ã¢â‚¬Â¢ Heat makes all the scary things go away, like snakes, big things with teeth, and children.

Ã¢â‚¬Â¢ Heat stroke is temporary, but another good reason not to work. Frostbite is forever, like diamonds, but without the jewel or the finger to put it on.

Ã¢â‚¬Â¢ Water parks, ice cream, barbecues, parades. Have you ever tried to have a parade in below-zero weather?

{democracy:70}

Bible Discussion — Exodus 9-11

06/20/2007, 12:30 pm -- by Bweinh | 3 Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next three chapters of the Bible, Exodus 9-11.

Previously in Exodus: 1-4 | 5-8

The book of Genesis:
1-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-18-2 | 19-22 | 23-26 | 27-29
30-32 | 33-36 | 37-39 | 40-43 | 44-46 | 47-50

INTRODUCTION:
David:
The last few plagues are leveled against a rebellious Pharaoh and his servants.

Steve:
More plagues and a constant dance between Moses and Pharaoh; the latter’s stubbornness and pretended confusion causing a world of harm to his nation and its people. A few thousand years later, the Jewish leaders thought it best that one man should die for the people; here in Egypt, it was one man who doomed his people to death.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Steve:
The conversation in chapter 11 must have occurred at the same time as the argument directly preceding, in order for the two men’s joint boasts to be accurate.

David:
Some of Pharaoh’s servants who feared the word of the Lord got their cattle out of the field before the hail fell.

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Josh: Tangible Darkness, Nothing Green
Steve: Shall A Dog
David: Grievous Murrain
Chloe: Not A Hoof

Continued here!

Visiting Juarez, Mexico

06/20/2007, 10:00 am -- by Chloe | No Comments

There are rules to visiting Juarez. Don’t drink the water. Don’t eat the food. Don’t put anything in your mouth unless you want a staph infection. Don’t make the Border Patrol mad, even if you are whiter than a bleached albino. And don’t be nice to the street vendors.

The street vendors are like piranhas. Stick one toe in the water and they’re biting up to your neck, showing wares, suggesting prices, and enticing the tourist with anything that might catch their attention. The worst thing a tourist can do (besides listening to every single vendor) is tell a vendor that he’ll come back. When the tourist does come back around that way, the vendor will remember him and say, “You said when you came back you would buy my hammock. Now you are back. You must come in and buy one!”

It’s very annoying.

Generally when I go to Mexico, the best policy is to say, “No, thank you,” in the coldest voice I can muster, paying mind to look straight ahead.

After being in Mexico for several hours in 100-degree weather on Saturday, Steve and I decided to rest outside a shop while my mother and godparents looked around. A man sat down beside us and said, “I have been told by a cab driver that you are looking for prescriptions. I have many medicines that are not available anywhere else in Juarez.” He handed me his card and continued to speak about all the prescriptions he could offer us.

We had no idea what he was talking about. I had a feeling that, “No, thank you,” wasn’t going to cut it. I needed something a little more potent. “Je ne parle pas anglais.” My French accent never rang so true.

“Oh, yes!” he exclaimed, and for a moment of terror I though he was fluent in French. I’ve only taken up to French II, after all, and while my accent is deceivingly natural, my vocabulary borders on abysmal. But then I noted the confusion knitted in his brow and realized he had no idea what had just happened. Nevertheless, he continued on pitching his sale like a good soldier.

So I said, “Je parle francais. Je regret. Tu parles francais?” I handed his card to Steve. Steve does not know much French, so he examined both sides of the card, sniffed it, shook his head and handed it back to me. I gave it back to the man, who was at this point resorting to “Percocet!! I have Percocet! You know Percocet? You get it from me!” — all the while waving his hands around in mock sign language.

I said, “Il fait chaud. Eu, hot?” Some frustrated waving of the hands. “Eu, rest? Tired. Je regret, non.”

“I was told there were four of you, and you want medicine. I have Percocet! No one else has Percocet!”

“Non. No, eh, sorry.” At that that moment my godparents and mother emerged from the store. “Ah, bon!” I exclaimed, rising. “Ma famille!” and we walked away, leaving the bewildered salesman sitting on the steps with his business card in hand.

Which, by the way, advertised his acupuncture business. Yikes.

Bible Discussion — Exodus 5-8

06/13/2007, 12:00 pm -- by Bweinh | 3 Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next four chapters of the Bible, Exodus 5-8.

Previously in Exodus: 1-4

The book of Genesis:
1-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-18-2 | 19-22 | 23-26 | 27-29
30-32 | 33-36 | 37-39 | 40-43 | 44-46 | 47-50

INTRODUCTION:
David:
Moses begins the work of freeing God’s people from Egypt. His list of abilities clearly marks him as one of the Two Witnesses that will return in Revelation 11:6, along with Elijah, who can withhold rain from the Earth.

Steve:
Here comes the showdown between Moses and Pharaoh, whom he may or may not have known from his childhood. Whether he did or not, the Israelites must not have been doing a great job of honoring the Lord, if Pharaoh had never heard of Him.

MC-B:
Only four plagues this time? Historical revisionists have their tendrils everywhere.

Or perhaps it’s yet another cliffhanger.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Josh:
It is not until the plague of flies that it is specifically mentioned that Goshen is not subject to the same treatment as the rest of Egypt.

Steve:
Moses invited Pharaoh to ‘accept the honor‘ of declaring when Moses would petition God to relieve Egypt of the plague of frogs. A nice touch, that.

Tom:
Sorcerers laugh at blood rivers and armies of frogs, but lice are serious business.

David:
Moses had not circumcised his lips either. Fortunately he confessed it here, avoiding another complication at some inn down the road.

Chloe:
God makes Moses as God to Pharaoh, and Aaron as Moses’ prophet. This makes Pharaoh’s actions that much more severe and heartless.

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Tom: Snake Stick
Steve: He Fall, Hanoch Pallu, Smitten With Frogs
David: Elzaphan
MC-B: Uncircumcised Lips
Chloe, Josh: Faltering Lips
Josh: Frogs in the Palace

Continued here!

New Mexico!

06/13/2007, 10:00 am -- by Chloe | 2 Comments

It’s been six months! I haven’t been home in six months, and as you read this — if it’s still Wednesday before 18:35 MST — I am on my way there.

I can’t wait to see the sky. You haven’t seen the sky until you’ve been out West.

In New York I can see maybe ten miles to the horizon, tops. At Houghton I see only patches because the trees and buildings block it all out. But in New Mexico the sky isn’t a blanket or a strip. It’s what I can only call “the adventure.” It seems like the earth’s curve is visible on that vast horizon, and every degree on the 360 is calling out for exploration, for someone to touch those places where the sky touches land. There’s a chance, too, that no one has been to that place before; there is that much wilderness in New Mexico.

I’m going to have my own set of adventures by the end of this summer. I’ll be living with my grandma, and all I’ll have to do is step off the porch and walk fifteen yards to get to the national forest.

From here on out my Bweinh! posts will be mostly occupied with New Mexico, and if you don’t want to go there now, you will by September.

Clash of the Titans XXVIII: Boys v. Girls

06/8/2007, 12:30 pm -- by Steve | 9 Comments

In this corner, arguing for girls, is Tom!

And in this corner, supporting boys, is Chloe!

Discussing the superiority of one gender is like cleaning your bathroom floor with a cup of store brand bleach and a drinking straw. It’s dangerous, you leave with a bad taste in your mouth, and it takes a long time to do it right. But out of a sense of obligation to my worthy opponent and our reader, I’ll stick to only three important areas of life where girls “stick it to the man.”

Aesthetically speaking, womankind could not be further ahead of men. As car designers know, the human eye is naturally drawn to smooth lines rather than blocks and angles. Simply examine the contrasting silhouettes of a man and a woman. The inherent beauty of a cascading series of smooth lines and subtle curves? Or the clunky, utilitarian kludge of stark lines and sharp angles? And aesthetics go beyond mere looks. Think about the last time the passing effluvium of a passing stranger made you gag, then remember the gender of that person. Ignoring every sense but smell, would you rather be in an elevator with a man or a woman? An exhaustive staff poll revealed a near-unanimous preference for the woman. In terms of sheer aesthetics, the foundation of personal interaction, women take the cake every time.

Nature too seems to have an innate sense of the superiority of women. Were it not so, surely we would all start off as male from conception, but in fact, the opposite is true. Until testosterone has time to work its corruption on a developing fetus, we’re all ladies. In fact, science itself has come to the point where, if all men were to drop off the face of the earth, humanity would go on. The dizzying concept of human cloning is even now a realistic mode of procreation. The miracle within a miracle that makes cloning possible? A female. Nature and science themselves heap the lioness’ share of their acclaim at the feet of woman.

The societal aspects of female superiority are difficult to perceive on the surface. After all, the direct, visceral impact of women at the reins of power has only been felt in the last few generations, after centuries of seemingly trifling forays into improving society. The true power of women is that, though men comprise the vast majority of decision makers and power brokers, almost every advance has been designed to impress women. Without women, men would have no reason to earn a lot of money, fix up their house, wear clean clothes, or even stop living in caves. “Eh, I’d build a house, or at least put some skins on the floor, but the game is on!” Women civilize society in general; in areas of former East Germany, men outnumber women 100 to 80, so now the men devoid of a reason to raise themselves are reforming into a fascist political element akin to the infamous Nazi party. Left to their own devices, without the muses of civility, men devolve into shiftless, warmongering malcontents.

Despite my having held the Bweinh.com Frederick Nietzsche Chair of Misogyny since its inception in June 1996, I cannot argue with aesthetics, nature, or society. You go, girls.

Allow me to present to you two situations, both entirely probable:

Situation One

Meet Joe. He plays football. In the last game, Joe dropped the ball five feet from the touchdown line and lost the game.

Meet Bill. He’s Joe’s teammate. After the game Bill complained to several other players that he had told Coach from the beginning that Joe shouldn’t be allowed on the team because he wasn’t a good enough player. He completely blames Joe for the loss and makes a few comments about Joe’s mother to prove his point.

Situation Two

Meet Jill. She plays volleyball. In the last game, Jill made a bad serve, losing the championship game.

Meet Brenda. She’s Jill’s teammate. After the game Jill complained to several other players that she had told everyone that Jill never should have been on the team because she didn’t care enough about volleyball. She completely blames Jill for the loss, and
makes a few comments about the size of Jill’s thighs to prove her point. She also calls her a whore.

Let us examine these two entirely probable situations. What do you think will happen?

Joe will push by Bill in the locker room the next day. Bill will say, “Watch where you’re going, butterfingers!” To which Joe will reply, “You watch it!” And then he will commence pounding Bill’s face in with his fist.

There will be a scuffle, a little blood, and a visit to the principal’s office. They will be threatened with expulsion from the team, but it won’t really matter anyway because they already lost the championship. They will later laugh about their shared peril and high-five each other in the halls.

Jill will talk to her friends about what Brenda said, and say a few things herself. Soon there will be a rumor that Brenda is a drug pusher and that Jill is sleeping with the gym teacher. They will hate each other with venom and never cease thinking up vicious lies about each other to spread around.

Before their ten-year reunion, they will join dieting programs, trade in their beer-bellied husbands for pool boys and buy extravagant diamond rings, to prove to the other that they were not any of the things the other called them. They will speak politely with each other at the reunion, then turn around and tell their old friends that the other is a terrible word that would be a disgrace to print on Bweinh.com.

That is why boys are so much better than girls.

{democracy:56}

Bible Discussion — Exodus 1-4

06/6/2007, 12:00 pm -- by Bweinh | 10 Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next four chapters of the Bible, Exodus 1-4.

The book of Genesis:
1-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-18-2 | 19-22 | 23-26 | 27-29
30-32 | 33-36 | 37-39 | 40-43 | 44-46 | 47-50

INTRODUCTION:
David:
Exodus means “to draw out,” and it appears to have a dual meaning here, referring both to God drawing his people out of Egypt and Moses being “drawn out” of the water by Pharaoh’s daughter.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Tom:
The miracles Moses as given to perform to prove he came from G-d were really kind of gross.

Djere:
The title in Hebrew, and the first line of the book, is “Now these are the names” which seems a particularly silly title or first line of any book. A silly title, that is, until you listen to Patrick Stewart read it in your head.

Chloe:
Moses wasn’t named until after he was weaned.

Josh:
When God turned Moses’ staff into a snake, Moses actually ran from it. Talk about an unlikely hero.

David:
That Moses asked his father-in-law for permission to leave and go back to Egypt.

Steve:
Moses was born to two Levites — before the tribe was given the mantle of priesthood, but still an interesting part of his calling and ancestry.

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
David: Bloody Husband
Josh: NoKnowJoe, Burning Bush
Tom: Flint Knife
Djere: Taskmasters
Steve: Asphalt Daub, Staff or Serpent?
Chloe: Tar and Pitch

Continued here!

The Drive-In

06/6/2007, 9:45 am -- by Chloe | 2 Comments

I went to the drive-in this past Saturday to see Pirates III. I hadn’t been to a drive-in since my dad passed away when I was seven, and the experience made me wonder why they’re slowly disappearing.

We got there about half an hour before sundown so we could get a good spot — not that we needed one, because my friend’s boyfriend has a huge truck that guaranteed a good spot no matter where we parked.

There were eight of us, and we ordered two pizzas for dinner, which we ate on the truck. I didn’t know most of the people who were with us, but the atmosphere made us all easy friends in minutes. It was like any other tailgating party, except something I was actually interested in was to follow!

Then the movie started. At the same time, a light breeze picked up, just cool enough to stir the warm evening air into what we all imagine a night at the drive-in should feel like. A stray fly or mosquito visited me every so often, and once a giant moth swooped down over the truck. I watched the sun set, the moon rise and the stars come out, all while the movie played in front of me. There was no whispering or people kicking my seat, no crying babies, chronic coughers or cell phones ringing. And if the movie got a little boring, I simply turned around and watched Shrek III, which was playing at the lot behind me. (Pirates III, however, did not get boring often.)

The movie ended at midnight and I went home, to dream of swashbuckling and keel-hauling, and to wonder why we don’t go to the drive-in more often.

Bible Discussion — Genesis 47-50

05/30/2007, 12:30 pm -- by Bweinh | 2 Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next four chapters of the Bible, Genesis 47-50.

Previously in Genesis:
1-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-18-2 | 19-22 | 23-26
27-29 | 30-32 | 33-36 | 37-39 | 40-43 | 44-46

INTRODUCTION:
David:
Jacob gathers his children to bless them and prophesy over them. He removes Reuben as firstborn, giving that right to Joseph and splitting the inheritance between Ephraim & Manasseh, and speaks God’s judgment over Simeon and Levi for the murder they had committed.

Mike:
The children of Israel are each given a blessing as Jacob nears death.

Tom:
I look at this passage — particularly Israel’s blessings on the 12 tribes to be — like a cruel fiction writer’s “happily ever after…” before he pulls the rug out from under the reader with another paragraph. In this case, the paragraph is the Israelites’ need for deliverance from their deliverance.

MC-B:
Joseph? Reducing the people to servitude?

And he was doing so well.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Steve:
For a nation that apparently hated shepherds, Egypt wasn’t afraid to use them. Someone had to watch the livestock, after all.

MC-B:
I think I always skipped this part when I read the Joseph story; after all, all the action was done with.

Chloe:
The language of these chapters strongly foreshadows the coming enslavement. People right and left are telling each other that they’ll be their servants or slaves, or telling their sons that they’ll end up as slaves.

Tom:
Beyond the whole “his people surviving the famine” thing, the Pharaoh was much, much better off economically after Joseph.

David:
Jacob instructs them to bury him in the cave of Machpelah with Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah and Leah. Rachel, his true love, ends up buried under a tree in the wilderness, and his final resting place is with Leah.

Mike:
How Jacob in the end is buried with Leah — his “least favorite” wife is the one whom he chooses to be buried near. I also never noticed that Jacob was embalmed in the manner of Egyptians.

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
David: Royal Dainties
MC-B: A Very Large Company
Mike: The Wrath of Levi
Steve: Darker Than Wine
Chloe: Desolate
Tom: Out of Canaan

Continued here!

The Whole Word of God

05/30/2007, 9:30 am -- by Chloe | No Comments

Bible Discussion — Genesis 44-46

05/23/2007, 12:30 pm -- by Bweinh | 6 Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next three chapters of the Bible, Genesis 44-46.

Previously in Genesis:
1-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-18-2 | 19-22 | 23-26
27-29 | 30-32 | 33-36 | 37-39 | 40-43

INTRODUCTION:
Steve:
One of my least favorite tactics in weekly sitcoms was the pivotal “To Be Continued” episode. Even in the most formulaic of comedies, when even a ten-year-old knew precisely how the dilemma would eventually be resolved, there was always that moment of regret and horror when it became clear you would have to wait SEVEN more days for the ending.

Well, here’s that ending, and this time, it was well worth the wait.

David:
In this section Joseph is reunited with his brethren and his father, and they move into Egypt to fulfill the prophecy that they would be enslaved for 400 years before a deliverer would arise.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Steve:
Judah didn’t lie to Joseph when he explained the family history — Joseph did go out from him, he really did SAY, “Surely he is torn to pieces,” and he truly believed he had never seen him since. Perhaps this technical truthfulness was connected to the role he believed God would play in the decision about the theft of the silver cup.

Josh:
When Jacob agreed to go down to Egypt, neither he nor anyone with him had any idea how exactly to get where they were actually going. Who says men won’t ask for directions?

MC-B:
I never realized how extensively detailed the list of the people who went to Egypt was.

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
MC-B: The Sons of Gad
Chloe: Closely Bound, Directions to Goshen
Steve, Josh: Loaded Donkey
Josh: Pharaoh’s Daddy
David: Muppim, Huppim and Ard
Job: Boyhood On

Continued here!

Francis Bacon

05/23/2007, 11:30 am -- by Chloe | No Comments

I read a few essays by Francis Bacon last year, and while revisiting some notes I took on them, I found some of my favorite quotes. I hope they convince you to read Bacon’s essays, since his brilliant philosophy and theology has influenced so much of how we think today.

They that deny a God, destroy man’s nobility; for certainly man is of kin to the beasts, by his body; and if he be not of kin to God, by his spirit, he is a base and ignoble creature.

God never wrought miracles, to convince atheism, because his ordinary works convince it. It is true, that a little philosophy inclineth man’s mind to atheism; but depth in philosophy bringeth men’s minds about to religion.

The first creature of God, in the works of the days, was the light of the senses, the last, was the light of reason; and his Sabbath work ever since, is the illumination of his Spirit. First he breathed light, upon the face of the matter or chaos; then he breathed light into the face of man; and still he breatheth an inspired light, into the faces of his chosen.

Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man.

Read not to contradict and refute; nor to believe and take for granted; nor to find talk and discourse; but to weigh and consider. Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested; that is, some books are to be read only in parts; others to be read, but not curiously [i.e., with great care]; and some few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention.

Clash of the Titans XXIV: Wal*Mart

05/22/2007, 12:00 pm -- by Steve | No Comments

In this corner, arguing for Wal*Mart, is MC-B!

And in this corner, arguing against Wal*Mart, is Chloe!

I’m not a huge fan of Wal*Mart. When I go there, it’s crowded, I often can’t find what I’m looking for, and customer service is subpar. Their business practices aren’t beyond reproach either. But for all their failings, Wal*Mart is a very good thing for America and many, many people. The arguments in favor of Wal*Mart are straightforward: the corporation makes a great deal of money for its shareholders, while employing many and providing consumer goods at rock-bottom prices to those who may not otherwise be able to afford them. But do these benefits offset Wal*Mart’s drawbacks?

The first common criticism is that Wal*Mart shuts down small businesses. Most of the evidence of this phenomenon is anecdotal at best, but even if it really is significant, I question its importance. Most people choose to buy at Wal*Mart because of the prices, and because they see (rightfully so!) that there is nothing inherently more valuable or moral about a local sole proprietorship compared to a global corporation.

But don’t Wal*Mart’s employees have a right to unionize or get health insurance through their employer? At most other firms, the answer is a resounding “No!” Most low-wage service jobs, regardless of source, are unlikely to merit affordable health insurance or company-blessed unionization. Wal*Mart provides employees and stockholders with a choice, and the fact that people keep choosing Wal*Mart proves it’s better than some of the alternatives.

Finally, what about global sweatshop labor? Even here a choice is involved. Globalized agribusiness has made traditional farming unprofitable for many, and after a community is thus devastated, Wal*Mart enters it with promises of a reliable wage. Who wouldn’t jump at the chance? It’s a terrible situation, but it’s hard to say Wal*Mart is morally reprehensible; at worst, they are opportunistic, profiting from the evil globalization has wrought for many indigenous farmers.

Wal*Mart is simply an organization that’s taken the rules they’ve been given and followed them well; they’re on top because they’ve got a good formula. They should not be penalized or demonized, but rewarded as the system demands — if we want to change the rules by which Wal*Mart plays, it must spring from us (consumers and workers), not from inside corporate administration itself.

Can you live on $6 an hour? In a 35-hour job (since most jobs that pay that much don’t allow for anything more than part-time), you would make just under $11,000 before taxes, FICA, Worker’s Comp and health insurance. Before rent, the electricity bill, gas prices or bus fare. Before daycare, the daughter’s new shoes, and the son’s asthma medicine.

One of the strongest arguments for Wal*Mart is that it creates jobs, thus boosting the economy of an area. It’s true, Wal*Mart boasts 1 million workers nationwide. However, Wal*Mart’s wages are only enough to sustain teenagers and college students.

The most pessimistic wage for a regular Wal*Mart employee is $8700 a year; the most optimistic is $15,600 net pay, with no vacation time whatsoever. The U.S. Census Bureau reported in 2004 that “the average poverty threshold for a family of four in 2003 was $18,810; for a family of three, $14,680; for a family of two, $12,015; and for unrelated individuals, $9,393.”

Let’s be realistic. Who needs the jobs in the economically depressed areas Wal*Mart is fabled to help? Not teenagers and college students, but those with families, or the people over 25 trying to support themselves. Have you, assuming you are a single twentysomething, tried to live on $12,000 (my own calculated mean Wal*Mart salary) before expenses?

Let’s say you have a child, since it’s safe to assume some percentage of twenty-somethings working at Wal*Mart have at least one. You’re at the poverty line. Let’s say you have a bum boyfriend or girlfriend. Now you’ve made it under by a good $2,500. So what are you going to do when you can’t pay the bills or feed the kids?

You’re going to go on welfare, and welfare is paid for by everyone else’s taxes. Since you can’t afford Wal*Mart’s health care plan, which is only catastrophic coverage (and you’d be paying 35% of it anyway), you won’t be covered. If you’re over 19 and under 65, you will not be on state-provided health insurance either. You’ll just have to get sick and get over it, or let creditors ruin your credit and the hospital absorb the loss. Your one or two previously mentioned children will receive the school’s insurance, which is once again paid for by taxes.

But let’s not forget the core of the argument. Wal*Mart ‘helps’ the economy.

{democracy:39}

Bweinh! Soundtrack — Aaron Sprinkle

05/19/2007, 12:00 pm -- by Chloe | No Comments

Every weekend, a different Bweinh!tributor will discuss a song or songwriter that inspires or interests them. Read the first seven soundtrack entries here.

I still remember the day during my freshman year that one of my roommates, Erin, burst into the room giggling with a CD in her hand. “Look, look at this guy’s name!” Robin (my other roommate) and I examined the CD. It was Lackluster by Aaron Sprinkle, and it had a big brown fish on its powder blue cover.

“Sprinkle?” I said. “That’s unfortunate. You would think he would change his name to sell more records.”

Erin giggled some more and nodded. “It was only five dollars at the Campus Store, so I had to get it.” She put the CD in, placing it in the annals of roomie history and forever cementing in our hearts a love for Aaron Sprinkle. This man with a ridiculous name was good. He reminded me of Elliott Smith, minus the emo lyrics and eventual suicide. Sprinkle is happy, and even “Colorblind” (a song to an ex-girlfriend who left him, took everything and ruined his reputation) features a friendly harmonica and an upbeat tempo.

My roommates and I fell in love with him. On the first night of snow, which both Robin and Erin considered my first real snow, Erin turned on “Sweeter than Me,” a soft, meandering song about an elderly woman losing her mind. It was a perfect first snow, staring out the window with two dear friends and listening to “You’re much sweeter than me by far:” Perhaps what was even better about Aaron Sprinkle was that he was the only artist we were aware of who would sing a song about someone suffering with Alzheimer’s.

We later learned that Sprinkle, currently employed with Tooth and Nail Records as a record producer, not only sang and played guitar for his album, but also did much of the bass, keyboards, programming, percussion, mixing and production.

Talented doesn’t quite seem to capture him.

Bible Discussion — Genesis 40-43

05/16/2007, 12:00 pm -- by Bweinh | 5 Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next four chapters of the Bible, Genesis 40-43.

Previously in Genesis:
1-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-18-2 | 19-22
23-26 | 27-29 | 30-32 | 33-36 | 37-39

INTRODUCTION:
Pastor Paul:
Rev. Paul Gmitter is senior pastor of Dexter Faith Fellowship, in Dexter, NY!

Joseph has kept his heart right through 13 years of trial. God has brought him through multiple betrayals and he has served others faithfully while seemingly not getting any closer to the dream and purpose in his own heart. God knows.

Chloe:
More histrionics from Jacob/Israel, promises from the many brothers, and glory for Joseph.

David:
Joseph goes from being a slave to being Prime Minister of Egypt, gaining a new family in the process.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Steve:
Joseph’s words should have surprised his brothers or given them a hint: “I fear God.” Also Joseph used the exact same phrase (“Pharaoh will lift your head:”) to introduce the fates of both the blessed butler and the doomed baker, like he was building suspense about who was going home on American Idol or something. More than a little bit mean!

Tom:
I didn’t understand how Joseph had fooled his brothers, until I noticed he had his name changed to the popular Zaphnathpaaneah, and used interpreters.

David:
Pharaoh was having a birthday party. I don’t know why I find that amusing but I do.

Chloe:
Reuben has this incredible eldest son complex. He believes it’s his responsibility to solve every problem the family encounters, just as he tries to do when he promises Jacob he can put both of Reuben’s sons to death if Benjamin isn’t returned to him.

Then again, Reuben’s need to please may have something do with how he slept with his father’s concubine.

Job:
It seems that Jacob and his tribe had sorta quit on Simeon, counting him as lost and wishing him the mummified best…

Continued here!

Do You Believe?

05/16/2007, 9:30 am -- by Chloe | 3 Comments

I will start with a precaution to the reader. No one to whom I have told this story has believed me, except for one person who doesn’t count because he has no choice. So I would like to know if this is really such an outlandish story.

My father was a security guard for the last few years of his life. He worked nights at a yard on the Rio Grande that stored the freights on the semi trucks. He took us there sometimes, usually when we were on our way to the City of Rocks in southwestern New Mexico. We would have with us powdered donuts (my sister’s favorite) and Yoo-hoo (my favorite), and we would go to see the guard goats.

Yes, the guard goats.

Not guard dogs, or guard rattlesnakes, or guard tarantulas. Guard goats. And they were mean! I was terrified of them: the big male one, all the vicious little nannies, and even the kid or two that would wander around. The full-grown ones were the same height as I was; they would stare me down and lower their heads, and I would run behind my 6′ father and cower while he laughed and insisted the goats would not hurt me because they knew him.

They never did actually attack me or my sister, though they may have menaced us often. But they were raised to protect expensive equipment from thieves, so wouldn’t you be nervous around them, too?

For those of you who don’t find guard goats completely ridiculous, I thank you for vindicating me. For those who do, here’s proof of their existence: here, here, and here!

If you still don’t believe me, come to New Mexico. I’ll prove it.

Clash of the Titans XXI: Europe v. the US

05/11/2007, 12:00 pm -- by Steve | 15 Comments

In this corner, supporting Europe, is Chloe!

And in this corner, arguing for the USA , is Djere!

I know what you’re thinking. “Europe? I’m not voting for Europe!” But please put aside your ethnocentrism — voting for Europe does not make you a bad American. In fact, many Americans prefer Europe, not because it’s better than the US, but because it’s older. Europe has millennia on us, which makes their history a lot more interesting. Starting with the Greeks and Romans and moving to the Goths and Visigoths, Picts and Celts, Germans and Gauls, you’ve got it all — intellectualism, art, ancient architecture, mysteries, magic, and intrigue. I’m not talking a couple hundred years, either; Europe goes all the way back to Julius Caesar. And speaking of Caesar, Europe also has Shakespeare. That’s about a thousand bonus points right there.

If that doesn’t convince you, I’m going to guess that you’re still sticking to your patriotism, and good for you! Patriotism is great, but like I said before, voting for Europe is not unpatriotic. You will not be arrested for treason, I think. I could be wrong. If I am, you can take it up with Steve. He’s a lawyer.

But if that doesn’t convince you, I’ll appeal to the higher good. Europe has the church fathers. Aquinas, Ignatius, Augustine, Tertullian, Francis, Claire, Catherine, Wesley, Teresa: Open any book of church teachings and you’ll find Europeans. America has Joseph Smith and the Westboro Baptist Church.

Plus, Djere is right. Europe invented America. In fact, Europe invented our democratic system! Locke and Smith were English, Hume was Scottish, and Tocqueville and Montesquieu were French. Without Europe, where would America be? Well, it wouldn’t.

Also, there’s the Beatles.

My last point is short and simple, and for the women. Have you ever tried European chocolate?

Europe versus the United States? Please. In this post-9/11 age, I don’t even have to write anything, just post a sparkly animated GIF of the American flag. But I’m a traditionalist, and since the founding of this country, we’ve been beating Europe, so why stop now?

First, as a gesture of good will, let’s go over some of what ol’ Europe has going for it. For starters, Europeans invented America.

Second…ummmm, second… Oh! Second, Swiss Army Knives. And third, Scotland.

Now that the niceties are out of the way, let’s get to business. Europe is an aging, decrepit, socialist cesspool full of arrogant, bigoted Europeans. But not for long. Soon it will be full of dead, arrogant, bigoted Europeans and angry, disaffected Muslim youth.

America is great because of Americans like Ronald Reagan. Europe is terrible because of Europeans like Stalin, Hitler, Chirac, the anti-Christ, and “Lord of the Dance” Michael Flatley.

Man, this is like batting practice. Europeans are godless, they invented communism, legalized drugs and prostitution, their athletes can’t get half as many Olympic medals as ours, and you know the North American All-Stars are *sooo* much better than the “World” All-Stars in the NHL.

Sure, we’ve made our mistakes, but there’s time for us to change. Europe? We’d be better off burning it down and rebuilding America II from scratch.

‘Boom!,’ goes London, ‘Boom!’ Paris! More room for you, and more room for me…

Cheers, mates.

{democracy:35}

Bible Discussion — Genesis 37-39

05/9/2007, 11:30 am -- by Bweinh | 5 Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next three chapters of the Bible, Genesis 37-39.

Previously in Genesis: 1-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-18 | 19-22 | 23-26 | 27-29 | 30-32 | 33-36

INTRODUCTION:
Rev. Tate:
The Rev. Barry Joe Tate is a graduate of Aurora University, proud father of five and the first to ever submit a Bweinh!tribution via fax. He makes his home in Benson, VT.

Jesus bore testimony to God’s ability to fix times and epochs by His own authority, and the Father declares, ‘Surely, just as I have intended so it has happened, and just as I have planned it, so it will stand . . . For the Lord of hosts has planned, and who can frustrate it? And as for His stretched-out hand, who can turn it back?” Our passage is an illustration of these truths and a commentary on them.

David:
In this section the story of Joseph, “him that was separate from his brethren,” and the story of Judah, Tamar and the scarlet thread of redemption are shared.

Job:
Finally a clear hero emerges. In Joseph we see a man not doomed to the actions or attitudes of his father, and not prone to the pervasive evil that surrounds him. Patient, wise, generous, forgiving but unrelenting, Joseph is a man who attracts an audience by performing for an audience of One.

MC-B:
Yes! I remember this one!

Of course, I’d always thought it was written in the form of a musical:

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Steve:
Joseph never would have found his brothers that fateful day if it hadn’t been for that “certain man” who found him wandering in the field. What was that guy doing? Why did he care about a wandering teenager with a colorful coat? And how were the brothers able to eat after tossing Joseph down in the pit?

Chloe:
I had noticed this before, but I wanted to point it out — Reuben, despite his previous sin against his father (sleeping with his concubine), has a good heart. He tries his best to rescue his brother, and when he fails, he takes the blame on himself. Good man.

Josh:
After Jacob’s sons misled him to believe Joseph was dead (without ever actually saying it — the family tradition of elaborate deception lives on!), they then came to comfort him during his mourning. This has to be one of the most hollow gestures recorded in Scripture.

Rev. Tate:
37:8 reveals that his brothers hated Joseph for his dreams as well as for his words. When they heard the dreams, their hearts witnessed to them that the words were from God, so mixed in with hatred for Joseph was a hatred for God’s will. This insight is underscored when they boast, “let us see what will become of his dreams.”

MC-B:
According to the version I’m using, Joseph’s brothers only started plotting to kill him when they saw him in the distance. Murder of a family member wouldn’t seem to be something you do on a whim (even if you can see for miles, it’s still a pretty quick decision), but then I’ve never done it so I really can’t say.

Tom:
Joseph went from a brother in Dothan to a slave in Egypt in one verse.

Job:
The writer notes Joseph was sold by the Midianites, then tells us he was sold to Potiphar by the Ishmaelites. Since both were sons of Abraham by women other than Sarah, perhaps the Israelites couldn’t effectively discern between the sons of Midian and Ishmael — or perhaps the caravan was so intertwined that either definition would do.

Continued here!

I Hate Packing

05/9/2007, 9:30 am -- by Chloe | 1 Comment

I hate packing. Today I packed for a weekend in Syracuse and Watertown, three weeks in Houghton for Mayterm, a few months of summer in New Mexico and a few months more in London. It was exhausting.

Packing is harder than saying goodbye to people for me. I’m shoving my whole life into two suitcases and two plastic bins. Everything I own fits in there. Saying goodbye is more like “See you later,” because I’ll talk to them soon, and I’ve cried enough at goodbyes that ended well, anyway. But packing is just hard.

I pack a lot. I pack to go to school and come back. I pack to leave the country. I pack to visit friends or attend writing conferences or do internships. I pack for weekends and weeks and months, all in two suitcases that I’ve come to love and cherish. I know exactly how big a bottle of shampoo I should get for how long I’ll be in a place, and I can tell you if a suitcase is under 50 pounds, even by a few ounces, just by picking it up. I fly often, and I wish my uncle (who buys my plane tickets) would invest in frequent-flyer miles because it would make me feel less indebted to him.

For the past two years, I’ve never been anywhere for more than four months. I’ve been to at least ten different states, spending a week or more in each, and I’ve learned a lot from my travels. I’m a better, more whole person for it. But I feel like I’ve lost something in this new adventurous life I lead. I go home and my room is not my own. I go home and my family doesn’t really know who I am. I go home and slip up, calling Houghton my home instead. I go home and I want to leave.

So I’m going home in a month, but not really. I’m going for two or three weeks, then I’m going to stay with my grandma until I go to London. I’ll have been in Las Cruces for a total of one month by the time the year is out. I’m remembering what everyone told me when I went to college, that I’ll feel like I don’t belong anywhere anymore and I’ll think I’ve lost my place in my family. “Don’t forget,” they said, “you can never lose your place in your family.” And I believe that. But they never said I’d feel like Houghton was my home.

Bible Discussion — Genesis 33-36

05/2/2007, 12:00 pm -- by Bweinh | 7 Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next three chapters of the Bible, Genesis 33-36.

Previously in Genesis: 1-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-18 | 19-22 | 23-26 | 27-29 | 30-32

INTRODUCTION:
Maj. Jones:
I’m Major Doug Jones. My claim to fame which allows me to post as a guest contributor is that I am Josh’s father. I have served Jesus as a Salvation Army officer (pastor) for almost 31 years. I enjoy reading this weekly Bible discussion and hope to share something that will bless others as these bright young minds have been blessing me.

MC-B:
Another Old Testament story, another tale of rapes and massacres but also of the blessings and plans of God.

Steve:
Ups and downs, highs and lows, the book of Genesis has them all, as we see a happy reunion between Jacob and Esau, followed by unnecessary genocide.

Mike:
Jacob has been called back to Bethel. On the way, he has a meeting with Esau that God in his grace makes far more peaceful than it ought to be on the surface. After this, he arrives at Shechem and is tempted to stay there — the land is good and he figures he’s close enough to Bethel. But after his daughter is raped, Simeon and Levi gain revenge, forcing Jacob to leave and go to Bethel, where he meets God again.

David:
This is quite a homecoming for Jacob. God reaffirmed his name change to Israel, he suffered the loss of his wife, the birth of his most precious son, the death of Rebekah’s nurse and the death of his father. Oh, and his daughter gets raped and his sons commit murder. Plus Reuben sleeps with one of his concubines.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Job:
With the feared coming of Esau, Jacob placed his wives and children in order of favoritism, with Rachel and Joseph in the safest position.

Tom:
Jacob starts off chapter 31 by hiding behind a bulwark of handmaids, wives, and children until Esau and his 400 men were close enough for Jacob to tell if his gifts of livestock had succeeded in pacifying the horde. What a little weasel.

Josh:
When Isaac called Esau in chapter 27 for his final blessing, it was largely because he felt his death would come soon. He certainly seemed pretty far gone — he couldn’t even recognize his own son. But in chapter 35 we learn Isaac survived the entire time Jacob was gone, a period spanning no less than twenty years.

Maj. Jones:
Running from Esau in chapter 28, Jacob ran into God at Bethel with his dream of the ladder. Now God has brought him back to Bethel to change his name to Israel.

Mike:
The random reference to Reuben sleeping with his father’s concubine, Bilhah.

MC-B:
Again, I only remember this story vaguely. How long until we get to Jonah and the whale?

Ouch. That long, huh?

Steve:
It’s quite clear that regardless of their bad decisions, Shechem loved Dinah very much. And interestingly, the author of Genesis refers to him as “more honorable than all the household of his father,” making Simeon and Levi’s behavior even worse.

David:
Rebekah’s nurse is travelling with Jacob, his mother’s nurse. She must have been of great age and great character to choose to sojourn with Jacob.

Continued here!

Displace Me

05/2/2007, 9:30 am -- by Chloe | No Comments

Last weekend I was displaced. I left my home in Houghton, NY, to live on the Mall in Washington, DC in a cardboard box covered by a tarp. I had nothing but a bottle of water, a package of saltines, a sleeping bag and the clothes on my back.

Fifty Houghton students went with me. We traveled by bus, Metro, and foot to get to the camp, which was supposed to house 5,000 people. Once there, we signed in, had our pictures taken and our food and water confiscated. The people in charge told us to claim a plot of land in the chaos of so many people setting up. They promised that at some point in the evening food and water would be allocated to us. We hadn’t eaten since mid-morning.

We found a place to build our huts on the outermost edge of the land. We were afraid of bandits, so we assigned guards to watch over our meager belongings while others built our shanty. We soon found that the cardboard we brought wasn’t nearly enough, but made do, knowing the night would be cold and we would want other people near us. We were given food and water at 10 pm, twelve hours after we had last had anything to eat or drink. But we knew better than to wolf our food down. It was all we would have until the afternoon of the next day.

I was displaced for only one night. I went home the next day and enjoyed a big lunch, a hot shower and a soft, warm bed. Not so for over one million people in Uganda.

“For the past 21 years, a war has been waged between the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and the Ugandan government . . . Ten years ago in a failed effort to protect its people, the Ugandan government forcibly evicted its Northern citizens from their homes–giving them 48 hours to relocate into camps that lack adequate security and insufficient provisions for survival. Today more than 1.5 million northern Ugandans remain far from secure, suffering nearly 1,000 deaths per week due to the inhumane living conditions.”

In Uganda, there seems to be no end to the starvation, disease, and entrapment that comes with being displaced. They are powerless, which is why I and 70,000 other people around the country chose to displace ourselves to let the United States and Ugandan governments know that we want change.

Will you help?

Rain in the Desert

04/25/2007, 3:00 pm -- by Chloe | 1 Comment

And we can live for a millennium like this. We already have.

Clash of the Titans XV: Starbucks

04/20/2007, 11:00 am -- by Bweinh | 3 Comments

In this corner, attacking Starbucks, is Steve!

And in this corner, defending Starbucks, is Chloe!

{democracy:24}

Bible Discussion: Genesis 27-29

04/18/2007, 11:30 am -- by Bweinh | 14 Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next three chapters of the Bible, Genesis 27-29.

Previous discussions from Genesis: 1-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-18 | 19-22 | 23-26

This week’s visiting pastor was unable to participate due to inclement weather, but he’ll be with us next week.

INTRODUCTION:
Job:
Some of our Scripture’s greatest heroes are capable of such villainy. From David’s nauseating sin concerning Uriah to Asa’s shocking refusal to remove the high places, we see a pattern of humanity in people we would like to be more than human. In this vein, this passage brings us the story of Jacob actively and premeditatedly deceiving Isaac, letting him steal Esau’s blessing. While Jacob would go on to father the Lord’s people, we see in him the humanity that made him incapable of saving them.

Steve:
Anyone who wasn’t paying close attention in Sunday School will probably be surprised this week, as we watch yet another hero of the flannelgraph lie and cheat his way to success. The constant spotlight on the personal flaws and errors of the patriarchs is a reassuring aspect of the Genesis account. Imagine if the George Washington/cherry tree story ended with him lying to blame it on his brother and gleefully laughing while he was whipped with a switch. Less inspiring? Certainly. But more accurate? Almost definitely.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Josh:
When Laban agreed to give Rachel to Jacob for seven years’ work, he probably did so assuming that in seven years’ time, he would have found a husband for Leah. And even though he demanded seven more years’ work to get the originally agreed-upon woman, he didn’t make Jacob wait the seven years, but gave her upfront.

Of course, it was still a dirty, dirty trick.

Chloe:
Isaac asks for “tasty food” in the NIV. That’s a great phrase.

Steve:
For not loving Leah (whose name, my Bible helpfully informs me, may have meant ‘Wild Cow’), Jacob sure didn’t have any problem getting her pregnant. Repeatedly.

Job:
In back to back chapters both brothers “lifted up” their “voice and wept.” Esau, out of severe sadness when realizing his blessing had been stolen, and Jacob when he met and, uh, stole a kiss from Rachel.

Tom:
I’d noticed it, but never really thought about it, but Esau was as hairy as a goat! A goat!

Continued here!

Grammar and Anticipation

04/17/2007, 3:45 pm -- by Chloe | 2 Comments

My grandfather took a final swig of beer and swiped his sleeve across his mouth, which earned a sour look from my grandmother, who did his laundry.

“Yes, you can.”

“Thank you!,” I yelled, already at the back door.

“M…may I…?” I trailed off, and he nodded encouragingly while my grandmother audibly rolled her eyes. “May I go play on the truck?”

He folded his newspaper and stood. “No, I have to go back to work. But you can give my plate to your grandmother and throw my can away.”

The Reluctant Saint

04/11/2007, 12:45 pm -- by Chloe | 3 Comments

St. Francis of Assisi lived in Italy from 1181 to 1226. He was born to a rich cloth merchant, but as he grew up, he found his father’s business held no interest for him. Instead he was taken with a life of revelry, until he went off to war in search of knighthood and glory. Captured and imprisoned during battle, Francis suffered for two years in filthy conditions, battling malaria. He returned home a shadow of the vice-ridden young man he had been, and lived the next few years aimlessly. One day he rode past a decrepit church and ventured inside; there the figure of a crucified Jesus commanded him to go and rebuild His church. Francis went out enthusiastically, rebuilding churches in and around Assisi, gathering followers and rejecting judgment of others and ownership of possessions.

(The following summaries and quotes are from Donald Spoto’s Reluctant Saint.)

“Francis recognized that without the Church there would have been no Mass that February day [leading to his conversion]. Sinful though it was, he was entirely devoted to it, for it was the guardian and repository of a tradition that had to be kept alive. Francis had none of the smug superiority with which some people consider themselves outside and above a sinful Church, for he was all too aware of his own frailty. [:] One might say that he took it seriously but not too seriously: it was the footsteps of Christ that he sought to follow, not the lead of any churchman, cleric or saint.”

Continued here!

Clash of the Titans XII: Bananas v. Plantains

04/10/2007, 11:00 am -- by Steve | 10 Comments

In this corner, arguing on behalf of plantains, is Josh J!

And in this corner, supporting the banana, is Chloe!

I’d like to start the case for plantains by getting my personal biases out of the way. When I was an infant, and my mother took me to the doctor for a checkup, he told her I was ready for bananas and cereal. He meant bananas as an example of the fruit I could eat, but I was her first child, so Mom was determined to follow the doctor’s orders precisely. This meant I got straight bananas until my next checkup.

So maybe I’m just a little bit tired of bananas, but I think it’s past time for a change.

It’s time for plantains.

A yes to plantains is a yes to diversity. Choosing plantains shows you’re open-minded, cultured, and maybe even a little exotic. What is a plantain, after all, but a banana’s more intriguing foreign cousin?

Plantains also bring the bonus that they are often served fried. Fried fruit is one of the most brilliant ideas I’ve ever heard of. It’s fruit, so it’s good for you — but it’s fried, so it tastes fantastic too. And we have plantains to thank for all this.

While we’re here, this seems like a good time to dock bananas for those stringy things that stick to the sides after you peel them, and then gag you. Plantains may have them too, for all I know, but I’ve never eaten one raw, so advantage: plantain.

Plantains have real range as a food. They can be prepared before they’re ripe if you want a starchy potato-like quality, or when they’re overripe for use in desserts. In addition to being fried, they can also be baked into chips, ground into flour, or even brewed into a stiff drink if you like that sort of thing.

But perhaps the strongest case for plantains — or rather against bananas — surfaced just last month. Chiquita, the international face of the banana, pled guilty to financially supporting a terrorist organization. Where is your fruit money going? And what is that Chiquita lady hiding under that crazy fruit basket of a hat?

Ladies and gentlemen, if you vote for bananas, the terrorists have already won.

One year ago, perhaps to this very day, a professor of mine opened my eyes to the banana’s significance in our culture and the world! What could make the banana so important?

One word — infrastructure.

The revered doctor of philosophy explained that the fruit, notorious for its short period of ripeness, must be picked, shipped, sold and eaten in a period of mere days — two weeks at most. The fact that a banana can endure this entire process in much less than two weeks while being distributed worldwide is, in a word, remarkable. This, ladies and gentlemen, is infrastructure, and whenever you look at a banana, I want you to see how it represents — even created! — a worldwide food market, where farmers can sell all their crops and one farm feeds thousands. It’s a beautiful thing, a network of simple yellow fruit that sustains millions.

But that’s not the only reason bananas are far superior to plantains —

1. Have you ever tasted a plantain, let alone a fried plantain? Imagine a potato. Subtract the good taste, double the starch, squish it into the least attractive stature on the face of the earth, then realize your taste buds are numb. That is a fried plantain. I know, I had one about two weeks ago.

2. Bananas can do all those neat little tricks plantains can do. They can be fried, baked, steamed, dried for chips, blended as smoothies, added to bread, cereal, and ice cream…

3. Banana leaves can be used for umbrellas, and juice from banana corms can be extracted to create a poultice used to combat jaundice.

4. Bananas have been used in various forms of art, including a Deep Purple album, a Woody Allen film, and Giorgio de Chirico’s stunning painting, The Uncertainty of the Poet.

5. The banana split. And plus, “banana” is just a great word. There’s no way around it.

Don’t be blinded by the shameless appeal to patriotism — the fruit must not be confused with the sin! Bananas aren’t used for terrorism. All they would ever harm is cancer, heart disease, and stroke!

Maybe it’s time to thank your mom, Josh.

{democracy:20}

Bible Discussion: Genesis 19-22

04/4/2007, 12:30 pm -- by Bweinh | 8 Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next four chapters of the Bible, Genesis 19-22.

Read our take on Genesis 1-4, 5-9, 10-14, and 15-18 here!

INTRODUCTION:
Capt. Steve:
Hi, my name is Captain Stephen Carroll. I’m the pastor of the Salvation Army church in the Stapleton neighborhood on Staten Island, and I’ll be joining the Bweinh!tributors in today’s Bible discussion.

Mike J:
There are many wildly disparate stories in this passage. Perhaps the one thing that draws them together is that we consistently see God doing disturbing things — things we really would rather he not do. Things like raining down sulfur and fire on people, things like closing fast the wombs of innocent women because of Abraham and Sarah’s trickery, things like telling Abraham to banish Hagar and Ishmael to the wilderness, things like telling Abraham to sacrifice his son.

Djere:
Overall, this seems to be one of those passages atheists love. Fire, brimstone, a woman miraculously turning into a pillar of salt, and incest — all in the first 30 verses.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Steve:
Abraham had an excuse for the whole ‘she’s my sister‘ story this time — maybe she was, in a roundabout sort of way, and maybe she promised she’d go along with it for safety’s sake. Didn’t help Abimelech any.

Also, Lot got paid back for the horrible thing he tried to do to his daughters. It usually seems to work out that way, doesn’t it?

Josh:
Abraham had to buy back his own well. It actually smacks a bit of “protection” money paid to mobsters.

Capt. Steve:
22:16 says, “‘I swear by myself,’ declares the LORD.”

Djere:
Lot whined to the angels destroying Sodom that he couldn’t possibly make it all the way to the mountains, so they let him settle in a small town. What did he do when he got there? Whined and headed to the mountains. Lot, seems like if the High King of Heaven sends you a message, you should shut up, buck up, and climb the mountain the first time.

Mike J:
Hagar and Ishmael are thoroughly sympathetic characters. As opposed to the recipients of the covenant (and other non-recipients of the covenant), who are frequently conniving and spiteful, Hagar and Ishmael do nothing wrong. As before, Hagar’s cries to the Almighty are deep and heartfelt and God responds to her again, this time with a well of water.

Job:
After Abimelech was corrected by God concerning Abraham and Sarah’s true relationship he still referred to Abraham as Sarah’s “brother” — perhaps ingratiating Abraham and garnishing his excuse that, technically, they were siblings.

Continued here!

Good Judgment and a Shiny Red Ford

04/4/2007, 9:30 am -- by Chloe | No Comments

Seven years old and stuck on the side of the highway. My mother’s lame old truck had finally collapsed halfway between where my mother, my eight-year-old sister and I had come from, and halfway to where we were going. My mother had suspected the truck would not make the two-hour journey again, and yet with two young children and nowhere to stay, she had had no choice.

The twenty-year-old Chevy broke down at twilight. Cell phones were not popular yet, and even if they had been, my hard-of-hearing and penniless mother would not have owned one. The dull green truck gave no indication as to why it had broken down, and my mom knew nothing about cars anyway. No one was expecting us. Who would stop for us? My sister and I began to cry. We had watched “911 Emergency,” and we knew what happened to people who broke down on highways at night. My mother tried to console us, but she was no less frightened, and all the more aware of just how hopeless our situation was.

But someone did stop for us. He was a big cowboy named Teddy or Tim, with a broad hat and a shiny red Ford. I’m pretty sure he wore all white. He took us to the nearest town, gave my mother a quarter for the phone, and waited until my grandparents came to pick us up. Then he went on his way.

Now I know what a risk that man took in stopping to help us. He didn’t know who was in the truck with the hazard lights flashing. It could have been a deranged killer, a thief, a few young men hyped up on anything and completely lacking in good judgment. And yet the cowboy took the risk and possibly saved the lives of a young woman and her two little girls.

I don’t help people like that. I don’t give the homeless money, I don’t stop to help a stranded person, and I don’t give to those women who knock on my door at 2 AM saying they need bus fare to get to Mexico because (fill in relative here) is dying. I think it’s bad judgment. I don’t know the whole situation. I don’t know how much money is going to substance abuse, gambling or who knows what else. I don’t know which person on the side of the highway would be the one to end my life. It’s good judgment to just keep moving. It’s self-preservation.

But…

Where would I be without what I label “bad judgment,” without the kindness and “stick your neck out” mentality of the cowboy and his Ford? How much of my “good judgment” is really a rejection of my calling as a Christian to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and visit the imprisoned? How often is “good judgment” just avoiding the simple sacrifices needed to be part of a community, to give as has been given to me?

Clash of the Titans IX: Nature v. Nurture

03/30/2007, 11:30 am -- by Steve | 4 Comments

In this corner, defending the primacy of nurture, is Chloe!

And in this corner, fighting for the power of nature, is Tom!

There are many good reasons to support the nurture theory, though I can only outline two here. The first reason is the Flynn Effect, named for the psychologist who pinpointed the phenomenon. The second has to do with individual socioeconomic status.

The Flynn Effect is the overwhelming worldwide IQ increase over the last several decades. In 1932, the average IQ was 100; 110 was considered intelligent. By 1997, however, the average IQ had climbed to 120, with 130 classified as intelligent. If we know anything about evolution, micro- or macro-, we know that it takes a very long time for such a drastic change to occur. It shouldn’t happen in 65 years.

What caused this jump in IQ, if not nature? Why, it must be nurture! In the past century, the boom of knowledge about healthy eating, child rights and education has revolutionized the way we treat children. No longer do our sons and daughters work in factories or fields instead of going to school. No longer do our tots go days without eating. And thank goodness, no longer do our spawn eat potatoes meal after meal after grueling meal. Today’s kids study till 18, eat all types of vegetables, and beg money from Mom and Dad rather than working. The environment in which today’s children are raised has improved drastically. They’ve been given the tools (green beans, a pencil and a law against working before 16) to go further than any child before them. And where does nature come into this? Well — it doesn’t.

The second reason nurture is the more vital developmental process is socioeconomic. I’ll focus on America, though this could be applied across the globe. There are three major classes — upper, middle, and lower. The majority of the upper class attends your Harvards, most of the middle class goes to your Houghtons, and the lower class is lucky to mix a GED in with the criminal records. A sweeping generalization, but bear with me.

Now look at the genetic makeup of each class. A large portion (81%) of the upper class is…you guessed it — white! The middle class has nearly the same percentage of all races as the population, but the lower class has higher percentages of blacks (21%) and Hispanics (13%). According to the nature argument, these groups are in their position because genes determined their intelligence. That stinks of eugenics to me. Not all proponents of nature are eugenicists, but the implications about race and intelligence are frightening.

How can the classes be explained by nurture? Many members of the lower classes have been oppressed in myriad ways, like being displaced into vastly different cultures, and their environment has done little to help them reach their greatest potential. The middle class has not faced such opposition; if individual members have, they’ve overcome it. Meanwhile, their environment allows the upper class to devote more time to studies, politics, the arts, etc. Their surroundings — nice homes, private schools, country clubs — make it remarkably easy to reach their full intellectual potential.

Silver spoons, ladies and gentlemen, have nothing to do with DNA.

Any and every human being is a complex, miraculous creation. As any dating-site spokesperson will tell you, there are innumerable aspects to any person’s personality, all of which can be adequately expressed by a picture and a short paragraph.

This complexity develops from a dizzying array of factors, both internal and external, the interaction of which eventually weaves the tapestry of a human life. While it would be absolute folly to ignore the input of external, artificial affects, the fact remains that the natural aspects of a person’s constitution are the more important.

In order to explore the dominance of nature over nurture, it’s vital to consider where to draw the line between the two. For the sake of this argument, nurture’s realm can only extend to the arena of the senses. In other words, we’ll consider a human being to be like a computer. In this example, the “nurture” component would be the programming. Education, beliefs, language, television, radio — these are what make up the realm of nurture. The hardware itself, and the electricity that causes it to run and function properly, is nature.

The human machine is admirable on a number of levels. However, which aspect of humanity has been most lauded in story and song historically? Our plasticity. Call it whatever you’d like — mastery over the elements, triumph in the face of adversity, what have you. Evolutionary theory has classically been based on the ability of an organism to adapt to its surroundings, but man has been the world’s only creation able to bend that rule back upon itself on a large scale, drastically changing his environment to suit himself.

Given the enormity of cultural differences among societies that have accomplished amazing feats individually and collectively, we clearly cannot consider mere cultural programming the key to unlocking the secrets of humanity’s greatest accomplishments. The Middle Eastern cultures that brought into being the Great Pyramids differed a great deal from those who constructed the equally Great Wall of China. The society which oversaw the manifest destiny of the United States resembled only in passing the same nation that first landed men on the moon.

All these people were different in culture, were different in color, and were different in education, beliefs, and values. The only concrete similarity shared among these vastly disparate peoples is the 1.2% of their genomes that differs from that of a chimpanzee.

The soul. The breath of G-d. Self-actualization. Whatever it is that makes us think, “What if?”

It is that aspect of humanity which has birthed the cultures, societies and ideas that have so radically changed the world over the past six millennia.

Not the other way around.

{democracy:15}

Bible Discussion — Genesis 15-18

03/28/2007, 10:00 am -- by Bweinh | No Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next four chapters of the Bible, Genesis 15-18.

Read our take on Genesis 1-4, Genesis 5-9, and Genesis 10-14 here!

INTRODUCTION:
Steve:
Contrary to what I heard a bohemian college boy tell two adoring Gothic lady friends in an all-night diner on Monday, the God of the Old Testament really is the same as the God of the New Testament. In these chapters, we see the same love and desire for fellowship that sent salvation in the form of Christ, expressed in an intensely personal covenant with Abraham and his tribe.

Mike, Josh J:
God here chose Isaac to bear the precious covenant, while at the same time blessing Ishmael, though he was outside the covenant.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Job:
Hagar was the Egyptian boomerang. From there, it was her descendants that would bring Isaac’s back to the Nile.

Chloe:
Abraham cut a ram in two pieces. What did that look like? How hard must it have been?

Mike:
God asked Hagar to return to a situation where she was being treated in a hostile fashion by her mistress and to “submit to her” — not that this is a prescription for people to return to abusive households, I just never noticed it before.

Steve:
Interestingly enough, God knows and tells Abraham precisely what’s going to happen to his as-yet unborn descendants, as well as the future iniquity of the current inhabitants of the land — not yet complete, but just give it about 400 years.

Tom:
Sure, it takes place before the Kosher laws were handed down, but I had to notice the meal Abram prepared for the three men (or angels, or G-d), was decidedly NOT kosher. “So he took butter and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree as they ate.” Maybe that law got thrown in there because G-d didn’t like the pairing when Abram served it?

Continued here!

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