Bible Discussion: Esther 3-5

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

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

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

 
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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | No Comments

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

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

 
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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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, Eugène 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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

« Previous PageNext Page »