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!

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

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!

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