Bible Discussion — Ephesians 5-6

02/26/2009, 12:00 pm -- by Bweinh | 3 Comments

This week, Bweinh.com discusses the last two chapters of Ephesians, in our final Bible discussion!

Joining us for the last time are our special guests from both parts of Romans 8 — Capt. Steve Carroll, Rev. Dave Maxon, and Maj. Doug Jones!

Read it all here!

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 | 6-7 | 8 | 9-10 | 11-12 | 13-14
15-16 | 17-18 | 19-20 | 21-22 | 23-24 | 25-26 | 27-28
Jonah: 1-2 | 3-4
Ephesians: 1-2 | 3-4

INTRODUCTION:
Tom:
Paul closes with a primer on living a Godly life, quickly hitting the major areas of most people\’s experience.

Capt. Steve:
Jesus railed so hard against the empty legalism of the Pharisees, because He was not offering a new system of rules but rather a relationship with the Creator through Himself.

These two chapters contain two sets of ‘rules’ — both are intended to show an example of the loving relationship that we can and should have with our God. But both sets are often misused: to further unloving and sometimes hateful agendas; to pursue a Pharasaical religion of accomplishment; and even to follow a lazy religion, because it is easier to attempt to follow rules with the safety net of forgiveness, than to develop an authentic relationship.

Maj. Jones:
It is my privilege to participate in this final Bible discussion in this forum. God has been glorified in these discussions.

David:
The final two chapters of Ephesians offer a great resource for Christian living — they speak to men, women, and children and their various roles within families and the community. The teaching on “slaves and masters” is also very relevant if you simply replace those words with “employees and employers.”

Pastor Dave:
These chapters are a reminder of how Christians should act and think. Above all, we must stand against the wiles of the devil, those compromises the world would have us make to “fit in.”

Job:
As the Church took root in places like Ephesus, I’m sure many of the early Fathers must have desired — at times — for a return to the laws of the old covenant. Immorality of all kinds must have seemed so incongruous with the recent teachings of Christ, yet perhaps ran relatively rampant. Paul had to remind the early believers of their greater moral heritage without stealing any of Liberty’s thunder.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Connie:
Chapter five was a great follow-up to our church’s sermon on Sunday, which was on light. We need to set our hearts to walk as children of light, and this chapter admonishes us to walk in love, light and wisdom. I believe that when we walk in the light, we’ll be in position to pick the rest of that up as we go.

Job:
Paul tells us in 5:1 to imitate God. I guess I’d always read that, for one reason or another, as imitating Jesus. One could make a convincing argument, though, that Paul meant it interchangeably — but if we were given the charge to imitate God without knowing the narrative of Jesus, the results would be dramatically different.

Capt. Steve:
Whenever you find a list of rules for righteous living in the New Testament, you invariably find a verse pointing to the heart of the law.

Pastor Dave:
When we die to ourselves, we are a “sweet-smelling aroma” to God.

Steve:
Paul urges the Ephesians to specifically pray for him — of all people — for boldness in preaching the Gospel. He didn’t take anything for granted, even after years of faithful witness under persecution.

Tom:
In verses 31 and 32 of chapter 5, was Paul saying a husband and wife becoming one was a mystery to all of us, or just to him as a bachelor?

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Job: Leads to Debauchery
Josh: Talk of Fools
Pastor Dave: Shod Your Feet
Connie: Girded With Truth
Steve: Alert
David: Ambassador In Bonds (better than Alice in Chains)
Capt. Steve: Divine Imitations

STORY IT REMINDS YOU OF:
Job:
I spent a season of my life in basic military training, feeling very much like the island. My father, however, wrote me nearly every day with encouragement and instruction that was similar to Paul’s. The experience drew me closer to my father, Paul, the Ephesians, my fellow recruits, and, of course, God. The food wasn’t so bad either.

Pastor Dave:
A pastor once came out of a rather difficult marriage counseling session and said to me, “Well, at least they saved two other marriages.”

David:
Ephesians 6:1 (“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right”) was memorized by Mrs. Wright\’s kindergarten class one year at our Christian school. But one boy recited it: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for Mrs. Wright.”

Capt. Steve:
I was leading a Bible study at a drug rehab program with Josh. Before we started, an older Russian man asked us about the verse that commands slaves to obey their masters. In an extremely thick Russian accent he said: “Sounds good for masters, for slaves not so good.”

Steve:
After some argument with my father as a teenager, I was told to write out and reflect on Ephesians 6:1-3. But after doing the research, I included verse 4 (“Fathers, do not exasperate your children”) in my exegesis. Ho ho! I really showed him!

Tom:
It reminds me of every wedding I\’ve ever been to (submit to your husbands, die for your wives), and vacation Bible school (“Does everyone here have their sword?”).

Maj. Jones:
When David fought Goliath (I Samuel 17), he refused Saul\’s armor because it didn\’t fit him. Not only does God\’s armor fit us, but we should never enter the spiritual battlefield without His armor to protect us. While David could not win his battle with armor, we cannot win ours without it.

WHERE IS JESUS IN THIS PASSAGE:
Capt. Steve:
Loving His bride, the church.

Tom:
The living Example for children, parents, husbands, wives, servants, and masters.

Pastor Dave:
In 5:25—33. Jesus should be seen by the wife in the way her husband treats her, how he is willing to “die” so she might succeed in the Kingdom.

David:
In 6:24, He is receiving our love in sincerity.

DEEP THEOLOGICAL MEANING:
Josh:
The imagery of darkness and light is so important because darkness is not more powerful than light — it is merely the absence of light. Where the light shines, there can be no darkness.

And darkness cannot keep a light from being seen. In fact, where it is darkest, a single light shines quite distinctly.

Capt. Steve:
Christ loves us. We should love Him.

Pastor Dave:
Too often Christians beat themselves up. The devil entices us to sin and condemns us when we do, yet we don’t understand this battle in the spirit realm. We wrestle against principalities and powers, wickedness that can\’t be seen, yet all too often, Christians ignore this influence on our lives.

This oversight causes Christians to view themselves as defeated and evil, to believe that Christianity works only for others, not for them. Stop beating yourself up and turn the battle toward the enemy of your soul. Put on the armor of God, take every thought captive, and take the world for Christ!

RANDOM THOUGHT:
Josh:
The armor of God is one of the most enduring object lessons of all time. I expect it will stay that way, since I don\’t think kids will ever get tired of dressing up and having sword fights.

Pastor Dave:
“Awake those who sleep” — the preceding verses refer to the saved, so he is talking to Christians lulled to sleep by compromise. WAKE UP!

David:
Because of the evidence mentioned earlier in this study, some believe that this letter was not written to the Ephesians directly, but that the title and greeting were written later.

If so, then this could in fact be the “lost epistle to the Laodiceans” mentioned in Colossians 4:16. I love a good mystery.

Steve:
The alternative to coarse jesting and obscenity is thanksgiving, the proper response to being delivered out of the darkness into the light of Christ.

Tom:
“Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them.”

This sounds to me like a New Testament “caveat emptor” — buyer beware. Claiming to have been led astray by another didn\’t exonerate Adam, and it won\’t work for us.

Capt. Steve:
If anyone refers to that stupid line from “My Big Dumb Greek Wedding,” about the wife being the neck, I’m gonna puke.

Job:
As Paul sat down to write his “armor of God” section in chapter 6, I wonder how long he labored over which armor item to assign to which aspect of faith — and whether verse 15 was written when he hit the wall. I mean, what do you assign to the foot?

VERSE TO REMEMBER:
David; Pastor Dave:
6:13-14 — “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness.”

Steve:
6:19-20 — “[Pray] for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”

Josh:
5:15-16 — “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”

Job:
6:7 — “…with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men.”

Maj. Jones:
6:10 — “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.”

Connie:
6:12 — “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

Tom, Capt. Steve:
5:1-2 — “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.”

PORTION YOU’D MOST LIKE EXPLAINED IN HEAVEN:
Connie:
God knew the struggles different nations would go through with the issue of slavery. I wonder why there isn’t some sort of Scripture that more strongly addresses the notion of all men being created equally. Or if I just haven’t found it yet.

Josh:
Which parts are descriptive and which are prescriptive?

Capt. Steve:
6:12 — “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

Pastor Dave:
It’s not in this passage, but what’s with the duckbilled platypus? Was it just God’s leftovers?

GENERAL RESPONSE TO THE PASSAGE:
Connie:
I can’t imagine not having Ephesians in my arsenal. I go to it so often in ministry or for personal encouragement.

Where’s that scripture about not letting the sun go down on anger? Ephesians! The armor of God? Ephesians! Honoring your parents? Ephesians! Husbands loving their wives like Christ loved the Church? Yep, it’s in there. A short book, but a gem.

Capt. Steve:
I used to literally despise chapter 5 and I would only refer to it sarcastically. If I wanted my wife to do what I wanted, I would holler “Ephesians 5, Woman!” (not a good idea, even when you’re joking). But I have recently found it to be a beautiful chapter that can read like a beautiful love story, if we will only let it.

Pastor Dave:
Having “done all to stand” is not just putting on the armor; it’s applying all the truth of Scripture, from the promises to the things that we must do (e.g., taking every thought captive).

Too often Christians would rather “take a pill,” stand in a prayer line, or read the latest fad book hoping it will solve all their problems. Prayer and miracles work, but there’s still a place for engaging in the battle, believing the truth of the Word of God, and doing ALL to stand.

Steve:
These chapters can be twisted and misinterpreted these days to make Christianity look like a misogynist, child abusing sect of slaveowners. But in reality the message Paul delivered here was not only significant historically in its recognition of the unique value of those generally considered “lesser” (women, children, slaves), but it also gave specific instructions to the “superiors” not to abuse their positions or take advantage. It remains valid, not only in reference to its own time, but also normatively.

LESSON TO TAKE AWAY:
Tom:
Live love in all things, and be prepared at all times.

Pastor Dave:
Don\’t compromise. Live above the world as children of light.

Capt. Steve:
Our love for Christ must be active. We should strive to give our best to Him, just as He did for us in His death. Love is dynamic.

Job:
Don’t ever bring up 5:24 with a woman you’re trying to woo. Take my word on this, brethren. Yea, even if you think it wise in your own eyes, refrain. A battle better fought by a romantic layperson, trust me.

Josh:
“Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.” (5:1)

I think of when I was a child, and how much I loved and admired my parents (as I still do, of course). I wanted to walk like them, to talk like them, to act like them. This is how I want my relationship with the Lord to be defined.

Maj. Jones:
We were once darkness (not just IN darkness), but now we are LIGHT. As Henry Blackaby wrote in his daily devotional for February 21, “If the world is becoming darker, the problem is not with the darkness. The problem is with the light. When God\’s light is allowed to shine unhindered through your life, the darkness around you will be dispelled.”

We need to live as children of Light, for Light shines in the darkness.

CONCLUSION:
Pastor Dave:
Love the Lord your God with all your heart.

Steve, Maj. Jones, Capt. Steve:
“Peace to the brothers, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.”

Bible Discussion — Ephesians 3-4

02/21/2009, 12:00 am -- by Bweinh | No Comments

This week, Bweinh.com discusses the next two chapters of Ephesians.

Read it all here!

INTRODUCTION:
David:
British statesman Benjamin Disraeli once responded to anti-Semitic remarks made by an Irishman by pointing out that while his ancestors were “priests in Solomon\’s temple,” the other man’s forefathers were still “brutal savages on an unknown island.”

There is a truth there, often forgotten, that Paul illustrates in the early chapters of Ephesians. God had taken great pains to reveal the truth to one group of people (Jews), establishing down through the ages a witness to the rest of the world (Gentiles), that there is one true and living God with holy standards. But now, in Christ, He has fused the two together to create one new man — the Christian — and Paul was utterly amazed to find that he was given the privilege of announcing that good news to the Gentiles!

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Josh:
In 3:18, Paul says he wants us to understand Christ\’s love: the width, the length, the depth, the height, pretty precise stuff. Then he turns around in verse 19 and lets us know that, never mind, it surpasses all knowledge.

Steve:
Paul refers to the pagan Gentiles as those who have “given themselves over to lewdness,” which he identifies as a combination of “uncleanness” and “greediness.” That’s the problem, isn’t it? It’s not just that people want to do wrong — it’s that so often, they just can’t get enough.

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Josh: Less Than The Least; One
Steve: Clamor

Continued here!

One Hundred Words (47)

02/20/2009, 3:54 pm -- by David | 1 Comment

There’s a difference between good conversation that involves humorous banter — or even deep spiritual truths — and oneupsmanship.

They’re about as similar as volleyball and that game that erupts at birthday parties when someone bats a balloon across the room and another person bats it back. In one, the point is to keep things going and involve everyone in the room (even the killjoy who shouts, “You’re going to break something!”). In the other, the goal is to hit some unreturnable shot to score a point.

In conversation, as in the party game, no one is impressed by the person who spikes the balloon.

–DFS

Fortune and Judgment

02/19/2009, 10:00 am -- by David | No Comments

“They said among themselves, ‘No doubt this man is a murderer…,’ but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.” –Acts 28:4-6

How often are our opinions of others based on the outward circumstances of their lives? Paul was a prisoner; he escaped a shipwreck, washed up on a strange shore, and was bitten by a poisonous snake. For these people, that was enough evidence to issue a judgment: “Surely he is a murderer whom, although he has escaped the sea, yet justice will not allow to live.” Case closed.

But wait! After further review — when a long time passes and he doesn’t keel over dead — the same crowd decides he is obviously a god! And all based on the external appearance of his life.

I wish this were confined to 1st-century Malta, but this kind of thinking was an integral part of Old Testament theology too. Why else would Job’s comforters be unable to believe that he wasn’t hiding some secret sins to account for his misfortunes. This explains why Isaiah’s prophesies described Jesus as “a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief,” whose contemporaries would “esteem him stricken of God.” And it continued: when Jesus told the disciples it would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, he found them “astonished beyond measure.” It completely flipped their theology. After all, riches were blessings from God, while the poor were clearly cursed.

Matthew Henry has written that the sign of God\’s blessing in the Old Testament was prosperity, but in the New Testament, it was adversity. Why has our thinking not transformed to line up? Why do we still judge people, and ministries, by the whims of fortune rather than by their Biblical fruit?

We see TV ministries or megachurches that abandon the Bible or embrace what Rich Mullins called “trendy religion that makes cheap clichÃ©s out of timeless truths” and we say, “God can\’t bless that!” But then they grow a church of thousands, and we buy their book, touting them as the men of the hour! Theirs is the new plan of God for the church! Question that and you hear, “They’re reaching millions of people for Jesus every Sunday — what are you doing?”

Well, what I am doing is trying to live my life in obedience to the Holy Spirit, which is all the success there is in the Kingdom of God. To figure out which church, or man, or woman, is doing it “right,” may require us to read our Bibles and pray, rather than watching the outward circumstances to level judgments about what is or isn\’t of God.

But — if anything — I\’d bet on those facing adversity. It\’s a new testament and a new theology that demands a vigilance to see the truth.

Bad Marketing

02/13/2009, 2:16 pm -- by David | 2 Comments

I have seen two new businesses around town that have not inspired my confidence. Against all Odds Hair Salon is the first. I figure, what are the chances of getting a good haircut there?

The second is One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning.

“Hey, your guy was here and fixed our air conditioner. It worked for about an hour — and now it’s down again.”

“Yeah, so what’s the problem?”

Bible Discussion — Ephesians 1-2

02/12/2009, 12:00 am -- by Bweinh | No Comments

This week, Bweinh.com starts discussing the first two chapters of Ephesians.

Read it all here!

INTRODUCTION:
David:
In this book, Paul sends no personal greetings, although he and the elders were dear friends, who wept at their parting in Acts 20, and he deals with no personal issues in the church. These unusual clues lead some to believe that Ephesians was not intended solely for Ephesus, but was designed to serve as a circular epistle for the Gentiles, to enumerate and expound on the riches and responsibility of holy living, which we inherited from Christ Jesus. If that’s true, this is the only epistle written particularly for you and me — to welcome us to the kingdom and lay down the ground rules.

Connie:
Paul, speaking “through” the Ephesians, wants each of us to know that we, as Christians, are all members of the Body of Christ — the Church. He then goes on to expand on how we grow into that role.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Josh:
1:14, depending on your translation, describes the Holy Spirit as either a deposit (NIV), an earnest (KJV), or the guarantee (NKJV) of our inheritance. I find this to be a very interesting way to view not just the Holy Spirit, but how we, as believers, experience the Kingdom of God here on earth.

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Josh: Children of Wrath; Aliens of the Commonwealth
David: ALIENS-NO-MORE
Connie: Cornerstone
Steve: Boast

Continued here!

How Should We Then Live? — Part Two

02/8/2009, 10:00 pm -- by David | No Comments

Click here for part one, the introduction of how Romans 12 is an excellent source of information on how a Christian should live.

Its first point is more relational than directional: it’s in the exhortation to “present your bodies a living sacrifice.” Right relationship with God rests on this “presentation.” We are independent, free-thinking humans, and God will not exercise lordship over us without our consent. Being born again, being saved, becoming a Christian — whatever language you are comfortable with — it all begins when we surrender our lives to God through Jesus Christ. We accept His sacrifice for our sins, and in return, we sacrifice ourselves to Him. But we are not like the sacrifices of old that died on the altar — we continue to live for him. Believing in God and belonging to God are not the same thing.

The second and third lessons from the chapter are in the words “conform” and “transform” (KJV). We are told not to conform to the world, but rather to allow ourselves to be transformed, by the renewing of our minds.

There\’s a great cartoon in January\’s Reader’s Digest: a psychiatrist is advising his patient to visualize an Applications folder in his mind. “Okay, do you see the file labeled Suicidal Thoughts?” he asks. “Just click on that and drag it over to the trash icon…”

It really is similar to that. We live in a fallen world, a fallen system, and it must be purged from our minds and replaced with the Gospel. We have to learn to tell the difference between what God values and what the world values — and realize why they aren’t the same. Why do we have to do this? The first reason, of course, is to place us in right relationship with God, but the text goes on to describe a secondary reason: “so that we might prove what is that good and acceptable will of God.”

Prove to whom? The rest of the world; we are to be examples of what God expects from people. My whole life belongs to Him and He wants to use me as an example. This is the root of Paul’s teaching that we must live not by our own conscience, but by another\’s. What I do in my life is always examined by its effect on others. How well does it reflect God\’s will?

Once this “presentation” is done and we have begun to actively reject the world, replacing it with God\’s plan, we can move on to more specific things. In verse three, we are told to cultivate humility, then Paul begins to teach on what is perhaps the most important aspect of how to live: the Body of Christ.

When Paul looked for the best analogy to explain a Christian’s place in this world, he found the human body. Christianity was never meant to be a solitary experience, and when you become a Christian, you must come into contact with other believers to fulfill the purposes of your life. In the same way that a human body could not function with a torso in Georgia, a head somewhere in California, and the arms and legs scattered around the Midwest, neither can the Body — nor its individual parts — function properly when detached from each other. They soon wither and die. So your first task as a Christian is to seek fellowship with other Christians. After that, the things Paul taught in the next few verses will largely happen by themselves.

Are you called to preach? Then you will begin to develop a desire and an ability to preach. Are you called to administrate? You will. Are you called to teach? You will. Are you called to serve? Serve. Called to give? Give.

Let the Holy Spirit work to develop the gifts God has placed within you, so that you can function in His Body. You need to do this, not only for yourself, but for others, as they too are drawn into the body to receive and give. You have what they need. You need what they have.

Bible Discussion — Jonah 3-4

02/3/2009, 10:00 pm -- by Bweinh | 1 Comment

This week, Bweinh.com finishes Jonah, discussing the last two chapters!

Read it all here!

INTRODUCTION:
David:
“And the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time…” Can you imagine a God — so patient with sinners and saints — that He would accept having to speak twice to a child to get something done? It blows my mind.

Steve:
So Jonah walks into Nineveh, and his wildest dreams come true: complete repentance, from the top on down. Only then we find out that this dream was really his nightmare — and the man whose own life had just been spared was resentful of God’s abundant mercy to others.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Josh:
The first verse: the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time. After all that, did he really need a reminder?

Steve:
The king of Nineveh meant business — no one was even allowed to drink water until they heard whether God would relent. And what were they really going to do if a bull broke loose and went for the stream?

Connie:
From the text, it looks like Nineveh was so large it took Jonah three days to walk through it — thus his message had to be repeated several times over those three days. I\’d always thought of Jonah as a short little story, reinforced by the short-tempered ending.

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Josh: Better Off Dead
David: Withered Gourd
Connie: Pity on the Plant
Steve: Relent

Continued here!

Super Bowl Haiku Prediction 4

01/30/2009, 4:36 pm -- by David | No Comments

Big Ben strikes the hour
A loud and terrible sound
Kurt pockets the ring!

How Should We Then Live?

01/30/2009, 11:30 am -- by David | No Comments

Several years ago there was a lot of buzz about a must-read book by Francis Schaeffer, entitled How Should We Then Live? People seemed captivated by the prospect of getting an answer on how a Christian should live and they used the book — or at least its title — as a springboard for their own thoughts and sermons on the subject. Charles Colson even followed up with a book, which I have not read, called How Should We Now Live?

After I finished the book, I had the distinct impression that someone — either them or me — had misunderstood the book. The Bible verse it referenced (Ezekiel 33:10) actually translates, “How can we hope to survive?,” after the Jews had turned their backs on God. It had nothing to do with the very important question, “How should a Christian live?,” but rather, “How can we hope to survive if we turn our backs on God?” The book seemed to pursue the textual question, as Schaeffer examines “the rise and decline of Western thought and culture,” so I imagine there were some disappointed purchasers who had expected some kind of Walking With God for Dummies.

It was a thick book, filled with a very long and intricate examination of Western culture; I remember it chiefly for two things. The first thing is the assertion that the Renaissance and the Reformation were two arms of the same movement, carried out by people who reacted differently to the repression of the Catholic Church in the realms of art, literature, music, and other fields. The men and women of the Reformation rejected the authority of the church and turned to the Bible instead. Those in the world did the same, but looked to classical learning for a replacement.

(The second was the art, including a drawing of Leonardo da Vinci\’s “David.” Our grandkids were visiting while I was reading it, and I heard my grandson yell from behind my back to his parents: “Grandpa\’s reading a book with naked men in it!”)

Then and now, there remains a tremendous hunger to have the Christian life simplified for us. We know we are Christians. We have learned the doctrines and idiosyncrasies of our religious traditions. We know where we\’re going when it\’s all over. But don\’t we all, at times, grope blindly in the dark, doubting not the facts of the Christian life, but whether our interpretations of those facts are valid? Life is filled with victories and defeats; we sometimes consider victories an affirmation of our path, and defeats as a sure sign of our error. In fact, neither one is necessarily true.

So the hunger remains. I think that is why The Purpose-Driven Life was so successful. People want to know the point: enough guessing! What is my life supposed to look like? What am I supposed to do? What is God\’s will?

But of course the only book that explains that has already been written. It’s funny how so many people will read a shelf full of books to figure out Christianity, while leaving untouched the one book given to us directly from heaven. This was quite a long introduction, but over the next two weeks, I want to share some things from Romans chapter 12, which I think answer the question “How should I live?” better than anything else I have ever found.

George the Criminal

01/23/2009, 11:30 am -- by David | No Comments

Shafts of late afternoon sunlight fall upon the winter forest, bringing a dazzling glow to the fresh snow scattered on the ground, ringing the shaggy heads of ancient trees. At a crossroads near an inn, surrounded by a few squalid hovels, a messenger appears, riding a white horse. He blows a silver trumpet, and as the wretched inhabitants warily assemble, he unravels a parchment and begins to read.

“Hear ye! Hear ye! Good Sir Obama, that fearless knight and champion of the people, hath deposed the great and evil foe of mankind and nature! George W. Bush — killer of polar bears; destroyer of dolphins; slaughterer of seals; torturer of both terrorists and tortoises — hath fallen! This is that same evil man who descended into the deep places of the earth and brought forth the plague of oil wherewith he enslaved and exploited his fellow citizens for filthy lucre\’s sake; this is he who delved too deeply, awakening the fires of the dark place, warming the planet and melting the polar caps of ice! He who hath been known to rob from the poor and give to the rich!”

“Yes, citizens, this is that same George W. Bush who strode upon the fields of nations, killing, devouring, and pillaging among not just our enemies but our friends; it is he who hath caused a stench to arise, filling the nostrils of even our staunchest allies. He it was also who brought upon us the wrath of nature, stirring up that race of hardy water-borne malevolent sprites, known as the Hurricane-beasts. How many times in recent years have they invaded with impunity these hallowed shores, decimating the ranks of the poor and downtrodden, leaving the rich and privileged to their life of ease?”

“This same George Bush hath, in fact, estranged us from our allies in the animal kingdom, and senselessly slaughtered our brothers and sisters, the trees! Red oaks, white oaks, majestic sequoias, all hath been slain in their sleep, and in the presence of those dear saplings that were being raised up at their feet! But hark now! For this same vile beast, bane of all existence, hath been vanquished, and Good Sir Obama hath ascended to the throne and now inhabits the White Citadel!”

“How often would his people, the Democrats, have ridden to your succor with wagons of food and bags of gold, only to be thwarted time and time again by the vile Republican army of George W. Bush. ‘Tis these same Democrats which have spent eight years groveling at the foot of the White Citadel, dressed in rags, subsisting on dry beans and moldy bread, while the Republicans feasted inside, on the fat of the land! Obama and these Democratic heroes refused to partake in the feasting until they could reign with you: the poor, the downtrodden, and the broken!”

“So now today, Good Sir Obama, bids you — rejoice! And join him to reign in prosperity and justice!”

To be continued…

Bible Discussion — Jonah 1-2

01/22/2009, 10:31 am -- by Bweinh | No Comments

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

Read it all here!

INTRODUCTION:
Connie:
I think nearly everyone knows the story of Jonah and the whale — although technically this fish was never named, kind of like the wise men were never counted.

Jonah is a man plucked from obscurity, drafted into service one day, perhaps after praying, “What am I here for?” If so, he didn’t really like the answer.

David:
The book of Jonah is a great study in divine-human relations. Jonah is a man of God, entrusted with a call on his life; yet he has an “attitude.” It\’s an inescapable fact that such men (present company not excluded) still exist today, complicating God\’s plans to reach the world.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Josh:
In the NIV, 1:17 says that “the Lord provided a great fish to swallow Jonah.” It takes a certain perspective to see getting swallowed by a fish as providence.

Connie:
In 1:5, every man cried out “to his own god,” but when that didn\’t work, they found Jonah and made sure he was doing the same thing. Why didn\’t they start with that?

Steve:
They sure peppered Jonah with questions after the lots identified him as the source of the trouble, including about his occupation. What if no one had been to blame? Would they have just thrown the nearest lawyer or car salesman overboard?

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Josh: Overboard
David: Innocent Blood
Connie: Casting Lots
Steve: Mean Sleeper

Continued here!

The Rising Sun

01/14/2009, 9:30 am -- by David | 4 Comments

GodÊ¼s provision is as faithful as the sunrise, and just as predictable. We know so well that the sun will rise each day, that we actually print the time in the newspaper the day before. We know that seedtime and harvest will continue; we’re so sure of just when they will happen that the Farmer’s Almanac lists the dates for each region of the country — exactly when spring will arrive, and when we can plan on a harvest. GodÊ¼s provision is just as measurable and visible in our lives.

Last week, out of the blue, my boss paid me on Thursday, instead of Friday. I suspected something must be up. What happened next? An unexpected expense that had to be paid Friday morning. After paying that, writing a tithe check, and putting a tank of gas in our car, I informed my wife that we had $60 left for the whole week. Groceries alone run $225. Gasoline is $75.

God’s provision is so constant that I actually enjoyed sitting back to see what would happen next. A $10 check in my wallet that I had forgotten about. A $10 check in the mail. A $70 rebate for a Christmas phone arrives on Saturday. $150 in cash set aside last week by my wife. A $58 check we did not expect.

IÊ¼m not saying that I never worry — itÊ¼s hard not to. But some days itÊ¼s like reading the paper, knowing when the sun will rise so you can sit out on the hill and watch it happen.

The New Year?

01/7/2009, 1:00 pm -- by David | 1 Comment

New Year’s Day has never been a very cheerful time for me. I still remember New Year’s Day 1980. I was at a skating party with my college friends while a song played on the radio: “Are You Ready for The ’80s?” A flirtatious girl was skating with me; she batted her eyes and asked, coyly, “Are you ready for the ’80s?”

“No,” I said. “I wasn\’t done with the 70\’s yet.”

And I meant it: there were too many unresolved issues and disappointments. I wasn\’t ready to move on.

“Is this the new year, or just another night?
Is this the new fear, or just another fright?
Is this the new tear, or just another desperation?”

But I can\’t remember a New Year quite like this one. Everywhere I look I see despair. The headlines are dominated by economic collapse, here and around the world. At home my wife has received word that her school’s paychecks are safe only through May, while the company I work for is suffering through the worst time I have seen in my 15 years there. The last two weeks of the year I literally sold nothing; everything we sell is financed, but we have no one to do the financing.

Short-term, this means a 60% drop in pay. Long-term, it means no job.

Everyone hopes things will change with the New Year, but I can\’t see the difference between 11:59:59 on December 31, 2008 and 12:00:00 on January 1, 2009. Maybe I\’m just a pessimist.

“It\’ll be a day like this one when the world caves in,
when the world caves in,
when the world caves in.”

There has never been another time in my life when we were fighting simultaneous wars on two fronts. At least being hated by half the world for being who we are is familiar. Sadly, so is seeing our troops die for far-off people who don\’t always seem to appreciate it. And then there\’s the Middle East erupting in violence again.

“Is this the Kingdom or just a hit and miss?
I miss direction most in all this desperation.”

After all these years, I still obsess over these disappointments, these unresolved issues. I feel like a man who can\’t run anymore, so I\’ve slowed to a crawl — too burdened down; too encumbered; too confused about which way to go, even on spiritual issues, including church.

We have a daughter, our older one, who has always been a master at twisting words. I remember catching her in a lie once as a teen, and she told us it was “faith” — she was simply “speaking things that were not as though they were.”

Sometimes I struggle with which is faith and which is the lie. Is it faith to pretend things are not the way they are? Or is that the lie?

“Does justice ever find you? Do the wicked never lose?
Is there any honest song to sing besides these blues?”

I\’ve had many good pastors over the years. I remember one of them, Pastor Larkin, preaching that David didn\’t close his eyes and pretend Goliath was a dwarf. He looked him up and down — took his full measure — then said, “Who are you to defy the armies of the Living God?”

So I have no fear of the future, just a dislike for the depressing atmosphere of the present. And I will always prefer the honest song — even if it is the blues.

(All lyrics from “The Blues” by Switchfoot, from Nothing is Sound)

The Year in Review (Part Four)

12/29/2008, 11:00 am -- by David | No Comments

Read part one, part two, and part three!

October:
October brought the worst stock market crash since the Great Depression, as the Dow plummeted 1,874 points while the S&P 500 fell 20%, plunging world markets into turmoil. The only solace I had during this dark time were the cherished resurfacing memories of the August wedding of my favorite niece (Rose) and her wonderful husband (MCB). This ceremony, performed in the same church where my wife and I were married 27 years before, was so touching that it took me a full two months to overcome the emotions and begin writing about it.

Bweinh! was caught up in the financial turmoil when it was revealed that the corporate retirement account was invested in a subprime baseball card collection belonging to Djere, which was mistakenly thrown out by his mother back in April. Djere was also forced to admit he was operating a “Fonzi Scheme,” which involved dressing up like the Happy Days character and hoodwinking people into making contributions to a nonexistent charity, the Free and Genial Society of Walrus Keepers.

In entertainment news, the A-Rod/Madonna story took a tragic turn when Madonna left her husband for her new beau, only to learn what Yankee fans already knew: A-Rod always disappears at the beginning of October. In sports, Joe Torre took the Dodgers to the NLCS, while the Yankees missed the playoffs. The Syracuse football team started 1-6, with the win coming against the Radcliffe School for the Blind, whose mascot, a middle-aged man in a bat costume, still managed to rack up 108 yards on 7 carries, with 2 touchdowns.

November:
In politics, the nation celebrated as Barack Obama won the presidency, inspiring millions of other Americans born with Silly Ear Syndrome with hope that they too coiuld aspire to the nation\’s highest office. Meanwhile, the Big Three automakers made an urgent appeal to Congress for bailout money, but were rebuked for flying to the meeting in three corporate jets. The legislators advised them to take taxis home and leave the corporate jets in Washington, so they can be used to fly congressmen to a fact-finding mission at a resort in Fiji.

On a positive note, gasoline prices began dropping around the nation, eventually bottoming out here at about $1.399 per gallon. This was especially helpful to all those people who lost their jobs when the stinking oil companies raised gas prices to outrageous price-gouging levels for the second straight year, almost singlehandedly destroying the US (and eventually the world’s) economy, because now they were all driving around, looking for new jobs that don’t exist.

The only personal note worth mentioning from November was our disastrous decision to ruin yet another holiday break by gutting our master bathroom, in a “quick remodeling job” that dragged into 2009.

Syracuse started 8-0 in basketball, with upset wins against Florida and defending national champion Kansas to win the CBE Classic — and after a win against Virginia, they could boast wins over teams from the ACC, Big 12, and SEC. Even better, football coach Greg Robinson was finally fired after winning a total of 3 Big East games in 4 seasons.

December:
In the economic world, the bad news continued to fall like a winter storm as Santa Claus announced that he was laying off 14,000 elves — 26% of his total work force — and selling off the naming rights to Christmas in a sealed bid. When the process was completed, Christmas 2008 was officially renamed the Poulin Weed Eater Christmas, and “I\’m Dreaming of a White Poulin Weed Eater Christmas” became the theme song for the ad campaign rolling out the change.

In national politics, Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich was suspected of wrongdoing when his PayPal account was linked to a vacant Senate seat being offered at auction on eBay. He later elicited some sympathy when he revealed his only motivation was to raise enough money for a hair transplant. In international politics, the Somali Pirate crisis — which began in August, although no pirate commented on the lack of coverage here on Bweinh! — took a turn for the worst when it was confirmed that their numbers were bolstered by unemployed elves, vowing to “paint the skies red with the blood of ”˜The Great Santa,\’” should he attempt to deliver toys in the Middle East.

In sports, SU named a new football coach, and the basketball squad lost its first game of the year on a 60-foot buzzer-beating jumper. After a big win against Memphis on the road, they achieved a promising 12-1 start — but then junior guard Eric Devendorf was suspended for apparently slapping a female student on campus during a late-night argument. “Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio? A nation turns its lonely eyes to you.”

In personal news, Bweinh! finally received some good news — included in the government bailout plan, the site obtained some Borders gift cards and merchandise, which were liberally distributed among the remaining employees at a scaled-down Christmas party at Trump Tower in NYC. Due to Congressional restrictions, we were not allowed to use the corporate jet to ferry Bweinh!tributors to the party, but a deal was worked out with Poulin to reimburse our airfare as long as we agreed to make the appropriate changes to any greetings extended during the holiday season.

So in that case, may I be the first to say: “Merry Poulin Weed Eater Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”

The Year in Review (Part Three)

12/19/2008, 10:00 am -- by David | 6 Comments

Read part one and part two!

July:
In politics, the fireworks got started when Jesse Jackson was caught articulating his desire to emasculate Barack Obama for “speaking down to black people,” after Obama espoused personal responsibility in raising children. Perhaps Rev. Jackson’s desire for sterilization was just misplaced?

With the Democratic primary finally resolved, Obama began his heads-up match with John McCain by touring Europe, speaking to 200,000+ in Germany and wowing the various characters inhabiting the nation of France. Meanwhile, John McCain responded with lunch at a German restaurant in Berlin, Pennsylvania. A good indicator of things to come.

In entertainment news, the summer movie hits were Wall-E, a dark cartoon exploring the forbidden world of robot love, and the latest Batman movie (The Dark Knight), hyped to an epic level of anticipation after the accidental death of star Heath Ledger from a drug overdose. In the wrold of celebrities, baseball star Alex Rodriguez split with his wife after being romantically linked to himself — as well as rapidly fading pop diva Madonna — and star blogger Tom was involved in a late-night scuffle at an Arby\’s in Ithaca, New York, the first of many troubles during his sophomore season with Bweinh!

In personal news, Bweinh! CEO Steve Maxon and his entourage visited the Opelika office, as part of his whirlwind tour of all his U.S. facilities. Our grandkids came for two weeks and our kids all visited for the 4th — giving us a record 14 visitors in the month of July. Good times.

In sports news, Brett Favre un-retired again, and signed a sponsorship deal to promote The Mummy III. In baseball, Tampa Bay\’s Evan Longoria became the first rookie to be named All-Star MVP while starring in a TV series (Desperate Housewives) — and the WNBA has its first brawl, when Lisa Leslie of the L.A. Sparks shows up wearing the same earrings as an opposing player.

August:
As the dog days of August rolled in, the Republican party saw its first glimmer of hope in a dismal presidential race when Joe Biden was announced as Obama\’s running mate. He raised fresh questions about plagiarism when he began his nomination acceptance speech: “I am honored that Senator Kerry would choose me to be his running mate.”

In a further display of Russia\’s new friendliness, they invaded Georgia. Prime Minister Putin appeared at a press conference with President Dmitry “Winky” Medvedev, declaring that the rapid move to democracy has now progressed beyond the Russian border. In other news, John Edwards confessed to an affair, giving me yet another reason to dislike a man I never liked anyway.

At the movies, we watched The Mummy III and Indiana Jones IV on the same day — I am still confused about which special effects, lame dialogue, and ridiculous plot twists go with which one. The prospect that I may have watched National Treasure III just adds to the confusion. These types of movies are attractive for only one reason: as an excuse to consume an entire tub of popcorn and a barrel of Coke for the low, low price of $55.

Hurricane season got off to a roaring start in Alabama, as our neighbors boarded up their windows and stocked up on emergency supplies three times in a month — once for Eduardo, once for Faye, and once when they heard Russia had invaded Georgia.

In sports, Michael Phelps won a record eight gold medals in Olympic competition, the Yankees faded from contention, and three Syracuse Orangemen finally get the team in the news — for sexual assault charges.

September:
Hurricanes Gustav and Ike wrought devastation on the Southeast and Gulf Coast, but paled in comparison to Hurricane Sarah from Alaska, who stormed onto the national scene: annihilating the Democratic convention, reviving the floundering McCain campaign, and single-handedly turning around the dying SNL franchise.

A financial meltdown began, as Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, Lehmann Bros., AIG, and Washington Mutual Bank all began to fail, while economists continued to debate whether we were in a recession. In a sign of the times, Canadian currency actually surpassed the U,S. dollar in value for the first time, and Americans are caught sneaking over the border into Mexico.

In entertainment news, Bweinh! blogger Tom injured his finger and became addicted to painkillers; he was caught at 2 AM in a bad section of Rochester trying to buy prescription-strength ibuprofen from an undercover DEA agent. The Syracuse football team started its season 0-2, including a home loss to the mighty Akron Zips. Clearly it\’s going to be a long season.

Goosing the Economy?

12/17/2008, 5:46 pm -- by David | No Comments

The USA Today has the headline today: “Fed GetsÂ Creative to Goose Economy.”

Are you kidding me? Who approved that headline?

Goosing a person involves — to my knowledge — sneaking up behind them and initiating physical contact in a way that only a doctor should perform. The dictionary defines goose (verb) as: Slang, to poke (a person) between the buttocks to startle.

The economy is bad enough as is — leave it alone!

The Year in Review (Part Two)

12/12/2008, 12:00 pm -- by David | 2 Comments

Read part one here!

April:
In politics, one of the largest April Fool’s Day hoaxes in history is pulled off, when an American negotiator suggests beginning a trial placement of Patriot missiles in Poland, then ships a half-dozen missiles with instructions to place them in a corner of each round silo. Chaos ensues as teams work around the clock for several days to accomplish the impossible. President Bush later apologizes, admitting privately that he completely understood the confusion.

In other news, the international space station was rocked by a gust of wind from Earth after Britney Spears’ 16-year-old sister Jamie Lynn is found to be pregnant, and the entire population of the United States screams, “SHE HAS A SISTER?!?!?”

In more entertainment news, world-renowned artist Robert Indiana, famous for his LOVE sculpture that first appeared in 1966, returned to the public eye. His original sculpture — described at the time as groundbreaking — consisted of the letter L, followed by an O canted to the right, standing over a VE. In April 2008 he followed up that success with a HOPE sculpture, consisting of an H, followed by an O canted to the right, standing over the letters PE.

It only took him 22 years to come up with this brilliant follow-up. I hope he had a part-time job or something. Meanwhile, “Hannah Montana” caused a stir when she appeared in a photo shoot, wearing only a blanket, canted to the right, standing over nothing at all.

In the world of sports, the NHL playoffs got underway; the Philadelphia Flyers beat Washington in the first round on the strength of Danny BriÃ¨re’s offense and the stellar goaltending of Marty Biron. Go Flyers!

May:
The Presidential primaries continued to drag on, and Barack Obama\’s campaign took another hit when his pastor, Jeremiah Wright, released a new book: The Racially Tinged Rantings of Jabez. Obama vowed to stick by him. Only a few days later, however, Pastor Wright referred to Obama as a “politician” in a TV interview, causing Obama to denounce him and completely disassociate himself from the church. Hillary Clinton won Pennsylvania and lost North Carolina, but stayed in the race, claiming that she could “galvanize the white vote.”

In personal news, my family attends our nephew’s wedding in New York in a beautiful stone church built in the 1800s, with a reception at the historic Carriage House restaurant. It is a beautiful ceremony with the groom and all his groomsmen wearing tuxedos and flip-flops. For me, the highpoint was still when several of us discovered the letters on the sign outside the reception hall could be rearranged to read “Pirate Lion & Oxen Camp.” And they were.

In sports it was disclosed that Roger Clemens apparently carried on a decade-long affair with country singer Mindy McCready, starting when she was still in her teens. I detest this guy more and more every time I hear his name. Meanwhile, my beloved Flyers closed out their second-round series against the Montreal Canadiens on the strength of eight goals from forward R.J. Umberger. Every long-time fan knows what this means: Umberger will be the first player traded in the offseason.

Meanwhile, in the NBA, Carmelo Anthony was arrested for DUI and the Nuggets flamed out in their series against the Los Angeles Lakers. In baseball, the Yankees’ first season in a dozen years without Joe Torre at the helm began with a slump, while Torre’s new team, the Dodgers, stood five games over .500.

June:
Summer 2008 began with a nationwide scare reminiscent of Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!, as people all over the country were sickened by salmonella poisoning purported to be from fast-food tomatoes. The outbreak was later traced to Mexican jalapeno peppers, but somehow Attack of the Killer Jalapenos! doesn\’t roll off the tongue as well, and never got the press coverage it rightly deserved.

Other than that, it was business as usual across the nation; gasoline climbed to over $4 per gallon, the big auto companies suffered devastating losses, the West Coast raged with wildfires, and the Midwest dealt with massive flooding again — all of which, of course, was President Bush\’s fault. Meanwhile, Obama captured enough delegates to claim victory in the Democratic primary, but Hilary Clinton refused to concede until a deal was worked out to include delegates from Michigan and Florida. Eventually, she still lost and had to go home — to Bill Clinton.

In entertainment news, the nation mourned the passing of Tim Russert and George Carlin. Carlin\’s death reminded me of one of his early routines, where he talked about what a great thing the two-minute warning is in football. He went on to say how nice it would be if life worked that way. In his fantasy, an angel would come down just before you die, blow a whistle, and give you two minutes to get everything right. I guess he knows now that it doesn\’t work that way. In sports, the Flyers were eliminated in the conference finals by Pittsburgh, who then lost to Detroit in the Stanley Cup finals. The Boston Celtics won the NBA Championship.

The Year In Review

12/5/2008, 4:00 pm -- by David | No Comments

Note: Dave Barry again refused to write a year in review article for us, so I am once again filling in.

January:
The new year opened with a bang politically, as Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee opened their presidential primary campaigns with big wins in Iowa. Hillary Clinton climbed back into the race with a win in New Hampshire, based mainly on the strength of a tearful moment captured on camera and televised nationwide. Terrell Owens teared up after the Dallas Cowboys’ playoff loss and quickly became the favorite in the upcoming South Carolina primary. In international politics, Iran attempted to attack the US Navy in the Persian Gulf with five rowboats, providing an apt analogy for Ron Paul\’s assault on the Republican front-runners.

In entertainment news, Britney Spears dominated the headlines by suffering a breakdown, losing her children, and facing criticism from Dr. Phil, who told the nation, “She needs help.” She attempted a comeback in a much-panned live appearance at the Grammys. Not only was she fiercely criticized for her physical appearance, but she was further humiliated when a Sea World spokesman noted that much of her routine was eerily similar to their killer whale show. “Other than eating live fish and splashing the crowd, everything she did can be seen every day at the 10:20, 2:20, or 4:20 shows.”

In sports, the unsinkable Jose Canseco floated to the surface again with new charges against Roger Clemens, Alex Rodriguez, and Sen. Henry Waxman of California. The confusing charges involved an alleged Clemens appearance at a Canseco cookout, and a confirmed Clemens appearance at a congressional hearing — where he brought in his nanny, who later confirmed, under oath, that Waxman, chairman of the hearing, was in fact the ugliest man she had ever seen.

February:
In politics, the primary season was in full swing, and John McCain solidified his place at the head of the Republican pack, while Mitt Romney ducked out to allow the administration to focus on the wars in Iraq & Afghanistan. Huckabee vowed to stay in until the bitter end, running on a shoestring budget. Although the decision was initially praised, his campaign soon suffered bad press when, at a rally in Texas, a man holding a “We Need Change” sign turned out to be his budget director, panhandling for the campaign.

In entertainment news, the writers’ strike finally came to an end, and no one noticed the difference.

In sports news, baseball’s spring training began, with 63-year-old Roger Clemens bench-pressing a Greyhound bus while denying that he ever took any performance-enhancing substances. In football, Eli Manning led the New York Giants to a Super Bowl win, marking the first time in league history that back-to-back Super Bowls were won by goofy-looking guys with big ears.

March:
In the world of politics, Gov. Eliot Spitzer of New York was caught by a wiretap (which he approved) ordering and consorting with prostitutes. It is reported that he spent more than $80,000 on the service, suggesting “multiple occurrences.” If not, the sum would certainly explain his trouble balancing the state’s budget. He was immediately replaced by the lieutenant governor, who is legally blind — explaining why he made such a good sidekick for Spitzer in the first place.

In a further sign of Russia\’s rapid democratization, Russia’s Vladimir Putin appeared at a press conference wearing a sock puppet named “Winky,” and nominated him to replace Putin as president. The sock puppet accepted (while Putin drank a glass of water, spilling much of it on his shirt) under one condition: that Putin assume the title of prime minister. Winky was then shifted to Putin\’s right hand, where he quickly signed a bill giving the prime minister all powers formerly assigned to the president.

In election news, Hilary Clinton angered Barack Obama by offering him a part-time job stuffing envelopes for her campaign, though she still trailed him in the delegate count. She quickly changed the offer to the role of vice-president, however, calling it the “dream ticket.” Obama quickly told her to dream on. Meanwhile, Obama\’s campaign took a hit when his pastor released a series of motivational videos, including: “Death to White America,” “The Nation You\’ve Always Hated in Flames in 15 Days,” and “Your Best Revolution Now.”

In sports, the baseball season opened with games between Boston and Oakland in Japan. The series nearly ended in disaster when David Ortiz visited a beach and became the center of Greenpeace protests over whether he should be left alone or returned to sea. In the entertainment world, Al Gore admitted that he was originally cast in the title role for Brokeback Mountain. The deal fell through when he could not lose weight fast enough to meet production schedules, leaving the role of the mountain for America’s sweetheart, William Shatner.

Bible Discussion — Acts 27-28

12/3/2008, 12:30 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

This week, Bweinh.com moves on to the final two chapters of Acts!

INTRODUCTION:
Connie:
Paul’s voyage and arrival at Rome are chronicled in these final two chapters: it’s exciting stuff.

David:
The life of Paul, as recorded in the Bible, ends with the book of Acts — but his doctrine fills the rest of the New Testament.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Josh:
The ships of the time were big enough to hold 276 men, plus provisions.

Connie:
Even then, they named the differnt weather phenomena. One of the winds that gave them trouble on the voyage was called Euroclydon.

David:
When the angel appears to Paul during the storm, he specifically mentions the need for Paul to testify to Caesar. How important was this one mission? Everything in the last half-dozen chapters has pointed to it as inevitable and inescapable.

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
David: Publius
Josh: Twenty Fathoms; The Shipwreck
Connie: Euroclydon
Steve: To the Lee

Continued here!

The Second Thanksgiving

11/25/2008, 10:30 am -- by David | No Comments

So much has been written about the First Thanksgiving in 1621 that the follow-up celebration in 1622 has been all but forgotten, by historians and citizens alike. At this time of year, I think it would be helpful to look back at that second celebration, to glean what we can from the complex Pilgrim-Indian interplay that helped found this great institution.

Everyone knows that Thanksgiving originated with the feast held in the autumn of 1621 by the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag to celebrate the colony’s first successful harvest. It was well-attended by over 90 Wampanoag braves, the great Indian king Massasoit, and his daughter, Princess Pocahontas, who had recently married Cpt. John Smith, precipitating her invitation by Gov. Miles Standish.

The second year was a little different. To begin with, when John Smith informed Pocahontas of the upcoming celebration — and the expected attendance of her relatives — he was rebuffed by her argument that they had “spent every Thanksgiving with his people,” so this year they would spend it with her parents in the Wampanoag encampment. Miles Standish was informed of the change, and after much discussion, he decided that the colonists would make the trek to the Wampanoag Casino Resort Hotel (located near present-day Piscataway, New Jersey) and celebrate by partaking in ancient American rituals including blackjack, roulette and three-card Monte.

Although many colonists were skeptical, they soon took to the ceremonial tents with fervor. Especially intriguing were the “One-Armed Totems,” which allowed a user to deposit a small coin for a chance to receive a small measure of parched corn; the amount varied depending on the alignment of certain mystical figures that spun on three sticks. The bar, the cherry, and the lemon, among other powerful symbols, could produce anywhere from 5 to 500 kernels of corn on a single turn. Many colonists soon found that a simple sack of coins could win them several pockets full of meal. Consider that the “All-You Can-Eat Buffet” was complimentary for anyone who spent the equivalent of five gold sovereigns, and you can see why this should have been the ideal celebration.

But, as everyone knows, the original celebration was three days long, and that’s where the real trouble started. On day two of the second feast, while some of the men were still deeply engaged in ritual wagering, some others had assembled on a green to watch the Redskins play the Pilgrims in a friendly game of touch football (this game, of course, took place before the Pilgrims moved to Dallas and became the Cowboys under Tom Landry). Many female colonists — including Pocahontas — rebelled, announcing that they would not spend the first shopping day of the Christmas season watching football. The women stormed off, in search of a mall rumored to be under development by the Massapequa Indian tribe to the north.

In the fourth quarter, with the Redskins trailing by 2 points, the Pilgrims were expecting an upset. They appeared to hold the home team to a three-and-out with under three minutes remaining, but the Redskins elected to go for it on fourth down. The ensuing play-action pass resulted in an incompletion to the left side, but an Iroquois official threw a late flag and whistled pass interference on the Pilgrims. This put the Indians in field goal range and they nailed a 43-yard kick to win the game.

Needless to say, the colonists were not happy. They had lost their money to the gaming tables, their wives to the mall, and now a shot at the playoffs to what was obviously a “homer job” by a biased official. So that, my friends, is why there was no third Thanksgiving celebration with the Native Americans — and why today we still celebrate separately.

The Wisdom of Ecclesiastes

11/20/2008, 10:30 am -- by David | No Comments

I saw a car yesterday in traffic, a mid-’80s compact model, and it reminded me of something that I hadn\’t thought of in years. Two decades ago, I was working as a salesman — like I am now, only with far less success — and I wandered into a car dealership to make a sales call. It was yet another rejection when I desperately needed a sale.

The salesman noticed me eyeing a brand-new compact car and began giving me his pitch on the way out. He opened the door and made me slide in; I experienced that “new car smell” and took in the spotlessly clean interior. It was mesmerizing, and as far out of reach as the constellations in the sky. I thanked him, turned down a test drive, and slogged through the snow back to my old junker, which I drove off into the gathering gloom of a wintry evening.

I thought about that car forever, struggling to make ends meet raising a family on my income while my wife stayed home to raise our children. I marveled at a world that seemed so far beyond my reach: a world where people could buy a house, not rent; where people bought their children new clothes whenever they needed them; where people could walk into a dealership and buy a new car if the mood struck. All I could see was my poverty, and I was convinced that this other world would be a happy one indeed.

When I saw that same model, dented and rusted, smoking its way through traffic the other day, I was amazed at how small and unspectacular it really was. I\’m 47 now, almost 48. My wife went back to school after the kids were grown, and now she teaches. We certainly aren\’t rich, but we have bought and discarded a half-dozen new vehicles that all put that low-end GM product to shame. The poverty that shamed me and left me feeling so helpless at times is just a distant memory. Like all young couples, we struggled. but God was always faithful to provide what we needed — we never went without.

We’re reading through Ecclesiastes in our Bible study, and someone asked what value the book holds for a Christian. Well, when you understand it was written by a man of unlimited wealth, who sought to test the limits of the happiness it could buy, always coming up empty, then you see the wisdom of Ecclesiastes.

There is no “other world,” where material wealth brings forth a joyous existence of unbounded peace and contentment. Test if you must, but my experience with automobiles shows me that Solomon knew what he was talking about: “Vanity, vanity! All is vanity!”

Music by Bweinh! — Incorruptible

11/14/2008, 3:00 pm -- by David | No Comments

Listen to or download the song here (for a limited time)!

The voice said, “Cry out!”
And he said, “What shall I cry?”
“All flesh is grass,
And all its loveliness is like the flower of the field.
The grass withers, the flower fades,
Because the breath of the LORD blows upon it;
Surely the people are grass.
The grass withers, the flower fades,
But the word of our God stands forever.”
Isaiah 40:6-8 (NKJV)

This is the section of Scripture I had been meditating on when I wrote the words for the poem that became “Incorruptible.” It was so different from anything else I had ever read. Isaiah relates it abruptly, in the third person, with no introduction — just an announcement about what the voice had said.

And “he” (whoever he is: Isaiah, John the Baptist…) answers, “What shall I cry?” and it struck me that the burden to preach preceded any thought of what might be said. I have preached like that many times and it has been the absolute best preaching I have ever done. I have no idea what I will say when I open my mouth, but suddenly the message appears, fresh and relevant.

The message given here is one of hopelessness. It uses images of grass and flowers to explore the frailty and transience of man, and his complete lack of hope to stand before an almighty God whose standards of holiness are inescapable. This theme is also explored in the New Testament, where it expands on the hope expressed in the last verse here. For all our frailty, as Peter says, we can be “born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever.”

Bible Discussion — Acts 23-24

11/12/2008, 11:00 am -- by Bweinh | 1 Comment

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

INTRODUCTION:
Connie:
Paul’s day in court dawned — but if he thought that meant his ordeal would soon be over, he didn’t know Felix’s nickname was “The Procrastinator.”

David:
In Isaiah 58:4, God rebuked Israel, saying, “Indeed you fast for strife and debate, and to strike with the fist of wickedness.” Here is perfect example of what God was talking about — fasting to kill Paul.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Steve:
The sheer volume of Roman might that accompanied Paul to Caesarea (23:23). It was 38 miles to Antipatris and another 26 to Caesarea — those were significant distances 2000 years ago. Were those soldiers headed up there anyway, or was it all for Paul?

Connie:
Paul’s reaction when he was first struck by Ananias. He was beaten many times, but this is the first time I can remember reading that he lost his temper and yelled back. And after he recovers, he says he was wrong; God’s word compels us not to react that way to those over us. Oy, such composure. He’s no Glenn Beck.

David:
I like how the chief captain lied in his letter to Felix, claiming he rescued Paul because he knew Paul was a Roman. He actually found that out after he was getting ready to scourge him.

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Josh: House Divided; Bribing the Governor
Connie: Herod’s Praetorium
David: Judgment Hall
Steve: Drinking Oath

Continued here!

Today’s Economic Forecast

11/10/2008, 12:00 pm -- by David | 1 Comment

More bad news out of the financial sector today, as Goldman Sachs reported that although orders of durable goods were up 3% over the last quarter, those orders, due to a filing error, were placed in a back room under a bag containing Pork Belly Futures — ruining the orders and causing a downturn in the short-term manufacturing market.

This news was especially troubling on the heels of an announcement that Sweet Light Crude Oil had risen $8.75 per barrel to close at $182.50 for spring delivery. Medium, Dark and Extra-Roast Sweet Crude have fallen in late trading today while Mocha Latte No-Foam Skinny-Boy Crude remained steady at $167 per barrel.

In other Wall Street news, Fed chairman Ben Bernanke found himself in an uncomfortable position today, when he announced another Â¼ point drop in the Fed’s major interest rate today, only to have reporters point out that the rate was at 3.25% in February and has been cut a total of 8.75 points since. An embarrassed Bernanke admitted that since the rate is used to determine the interest banks charge each other, and no bank is currently “stupid enough” to loan money to another bank, the rate is “at best, a theoretical exercise.”

When pressed to identify the actual status of the rate, Bernanke said, in effect, that since the average person in America has no idea what the heck happens on Wall Street, he simply makes sporadic announcements in the hope that they will somehow stimulate the economy.

Finally, Alan Greenspan appeared before Congress today and admitted that his policies over the past two decades were fatally flawed in ways that he is just now realizing.

“We thought that banks would police themselves when it came to subprime lending practices,” Greenspan said. “We never dreamed they would bow to federal regulations that required them to make bad loans, in bad neighborhoods, to people with no visible means to repay the debts.”

When asked about the wisdom of assuming that people could buy a house with no money down and no regular paycheck, then somehow pay the money back in a timely fashion, he quoted a line from the classic sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati: “As God is my witness — I thought turkeys could fly!”

Let Freedom Ring!

11/6/2008, 9:30 am -- by David | No Comments

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ”˜We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.\’ ”
Martin Luther King, Jr.

Whatever Barack Obama was on Monday, today he is my president. I know that many of us — and by “us,” I mean conservatives and Republicans — watched the results of the election with a sense of dread, borne either by the fear of what a liberal president might do to the “right to life” cause, or the terrifying shadows of campaign rhetoric that somehow Obama will turn out to be a Muslim extremist or an agent for socialist change in America. But I think America is bigger than the sum of all those fears, real and imagined.

We must not let our short-term political disappointments cloud our senses and rob us of what should be a time of great rejoicing. I read through the text of King’s “Dream” speech this morning, and I have to say it gave me cold chills. In a way, it set my heart rejoicing. He noted that he had been asked, “When will you (the devotees of civil rights) be satisfied?” His answer was to quote the book of Amos: when “justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

It reminded me of Lincoln’s second inaugural address, when he wondered aloud if the horrible war they were fighting was God\’s judgment on slavery, and noted: “Fondly do we hope — fervently do we pray — that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue, until all the wealth piled by the bondsman’s 250 years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said 3000 years ago, so still it must be said: “the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.”

I cannot help but rejoice at the setting to rights of this nation’s past history of injustice. Perhaps it is because I live in the South, where the wound still aches in the sneers and smart remarks of my fellow white companions. Perhaps it is because I still remember the day I used the “N-word” — a word I had heard from my father many times — on the lone black girl at State Street School in Watertown, NY.

I remember how she followed me all over the school yard, smoldering anger in her eyes as I ran away. She never caught me, but the janitor, Mr. Allen, did. And when he found out what I had said, he slammed me against the wall and told me to never use that word again.

He was a white man. It was the first time I had ever seen a white man stand up for a terrified and helpless black child. It was the first time I saw that what I was learning at home from my father might not be right.

I rejoice that hopefully today 250 years of slavery is answered — every lash, every drop of blood — and that indeed “justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Why Hillary Clinton — no, Barack Obama — Will Be Our Next President

11/5/2008, 8:00 am -- by David | No Comments

Originally published November 2007, and resubmitted October 31, 2008.

No, I don’t like ~~her~~ him. No, I would never support ~~her~~ him. Yes, I really believe she will be our next president.

Why do I think this?

First, it’s the Democrats’ turn. One of the best practical jokes I was ever a part of involved a camper trailer, me, a massive former football star, a small musician/ladies’ man, and several children. I put the kids in the trailer and worked out signals, so that when Henry (the small guy) lifted the tongue of the camper while I moved the stump to level it, the kids scurried to the back, making it easy for him to lift. But when Tim (the big guy) tried, I had them scurry to the front, making it impossible to lift. With the wheels as a fulcrum, 5 or 6 small kids made the job either easy or impossible — tricking Tim was great fun.

The weight, I believe, is shifting back to the Democrats. The strongest candidate we can muster won’t be able to overcome even the feeble challenge of a liberal ~~female~~ inexperienced candidate.

People in this nation seem to love the underdog, and they get tired of the same people being in power — especially when those people promised they would “remember you” when they got there, but quickly forgot, amid their newfound life of luxury. Remember the right-wing revolution? The Contract with America? People gave conservatives the presidency and both houses of Congress for the first time in a bazillion years, and we were going to reform lobbying and campaign finance, set term limits, and fix every other advantage held by the inside-the-Beltway boys? Yeah, they slacked off on those promises and never did get around to reforming all that’s wrong with our national government.

*loud whistle* “TIME! DEMOCRATS! YOU’RE UP NEXT!”

But it’s not just that, it’s also the economy again. It’s kind of like having only two grocery stores in town — when you get sick of the one you shop at now, you go back to the one you left eight years ago. It’s bound to happen. Prices go up everywhere, but you still go back to the old store.

I know no one is saying we’re in a recession, but the man on the street can sense these things long before the big shots admit it’s happening. Gasoline affects every other sector of the economy. Everybody needs transportation to get back and forth to work; everyone has to get their product from point A to point B. Everyone I know is struggling paycheck to paycheck. Every business owner I know is looking at a bad year. Our business did $1.2 million last year, but we won’t come close to a million this year. Like it or not, people are ready for change.

Then there’s the war. It was the right thing to do; it’s still the right thing to do, but it’s draining away revenue we don’t have, and creating a huge deficit again. Right or wrong, people vote with their wallets, and right now, those wallets are leaning to the left. There’s no one out there I can see who will turn them back.

And that’s the last reason. There is no conservative Republican candidate generating the type of interest needed to energize the Christian vote. You may think I’m crazy, but I know Christians who voted for Bill Clinton when he ran for re-election. Four years of his shenanigans, and still they voted for him.

When I hear people here in Alabama, a solidly conservative Republican stronghold, entertaining the possibility of an~~other Clinton~~ Obama administration — and hinting that it might not be so bad, I think the tide has turned.

Presidential Haiku Prediction 4

11/3/2008, 2:50 pm -- by David | No Comments

Obama rises
Victorious with Biden
Dorks have won the day

Bible Discussion — Acts 21-22

10/29/2008, 11:26 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

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

INTRODUCTION:
David:
Paul is the epitome of “all things to all people” in this section. He bows to pressure from James and the elders to partake in some sort of Nazarite vow; he speaks Greek to the captain who rescues him and Hebrew to the crowd of Jews who demand his head; he throws around his Roman citizenship and knowledge of Roman law when they bind him and try to scourge him, uncondemned. He could be quite the diplomat in a pinch.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Steve:
Paul’s defense was a reiteration of his testimony, and unsurprisingly, he didn’t get much farther than telling the Jews how he always knew the Jews wouldn’t listen to him.

Connie:
The comment from the guard leading Paul to prison, asking him if he was the Egyptian who led a rebellion and escaped to the desert with 4,000 assassins. Really? How did I miss that?

David:
Paul publicly confesses his complicity in the murder of Stephen in 22:20 — and he was bound with “thongs” in 22:25 (NKJV).

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Connie: 4000 Assassins
Josh: Mob Justice
Steve: Mnason; A Citizen
David: The Elders

Continued here!

Meka Has Fallen!

10/23/2008, 12:00 pm -- by David | 1 Comment

Meka has fallen. For those of you unfamiliar with Meka, she is the minor deity of considerable girth who reigns over the convenience store where I buy my coffee and newspaper everyday. She sits behind the counter, on a high throne that, to the uninitiated, appears to be a simple barstool. She rules the coffee maker and the racks of honey buns; she dispenses alcohol and tobacco products to the throngs of adoring devotees. All things considered, her reign has been a good one.

She arrived about a year ago, and her time has been marked by a magnanimous beneficence that had been greatly lacking in her predecessor. When I buy the USA Today and a cup of coffee each day, my total comes to 75 cents. If you know anything about the world of convenience stores, you know that the paper alone costs 75 cents. I’m not sure whether I get the coffee or the newspaper free, but I like the arrangement.

When Meka is not there, the owner charges me $1.25 for the same combo. On the rare day when they are both there, Meka charges me $1.50. I never flinch when this happens, not wanting to bring any ill fortune on her. Meka giveth and Meka taketh away. Blessed is Meka.

Her predecessor was known as the Elephant Woman, not because of her size, but because of her short, compact stature, and the general grayness that seemed to infuse her entire appearance. She reminded me of a character from Babar. Before her, there was a red-haired girl of gothic bent, whose name I don\’t recall, but who loved to talk about her pet squirrel Ralphie. At the time, oddly enough, we had a pet squirrel named Billy, and so there was common ground.

There was never a doubt about who was in charge during Meka’s reign. There is a license plate-sized placard behind the counter with the words “PERSON IN CHARGE,” and every day, “Meka” was written there in large red letters. And although I cannot prove it scientifically, things have been better under her rule. Slothman Cabdriver has not blocked my coffee access in months, his slow stirs costing me precious minutes so I pull into work at 8:02, not 7:59. I also have not been accosted by panhandlers lately. I like Meka.

All good things must come to an end, though. When I entered the store Monday morning, the sign loudly proclaimed: “PERSON IN CHARGE — Jesus, honey!”

So Meka was gone, but how could I be dismayed? I was shocked and elated; all I could do was ask the owner (to his utter confusion) if Jesus would still be selling beer and alcohol. I didn\’t mention the wine because I hate taking a nearly indefensible position in a debate.

To my great delight, Meka was back today, but the sign remained. She explained that she was tired of Jehovah\’s Witnesses coming into the store, “readin\’ they scriptures to folks and stuff,” so she made the change herself. Things can only get better now that Meka has yielded control of her small kingdom to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Bible Discussion — Acts 19-20

10/22/2008, 2:24 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

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

INTRODUCTION:
David:
Paul brings the word of God to Ephesus, then hurries off to a feast. In the interim, Apollos comes to Ephesus and teaches with eloquence — but lacks the power of the Holy Ghost. Paul returns, bringing the baptism of the Holy Ghost, and spends two full years with the Ephesians.

Some surmise that in Revelation, when the Ephesian church is commended for exposing false apostles, that Apollos is meant. I don\’t think so. Paul followed up on Apollos in Corinth too, telling them: “I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.”

Steve:
GREAT IS ARTEMIS OF THE EPHESIANS!
GREAT IS ARTEMIS OF THE EPHESIANS!
GREAT IS ARTEMIS OF THE EPHESIANS!

Connie:
Paul’s ministry tour is coming to an end. Our chapters this week deal with the riot at Ephesus and a study in diplomacy, and the final goodbyes before Paul heads to Jerusalem, which (the Holy Spirit has told him) holds “chains and tribulations.” But he doesn’t let up at all, promising to “finish the race with joy.”

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Steve:
It’s amazing to me that the same televangelist hucksters who use 19:12 to defend their practice of praying over cloths and sending them to their sick and needy donors completely ignore the lesson of the next four verses — by accepting praise and elevating their own names above that of their Creator.

Connie:
20:2 isn’t complete. It ends with “he came to Greece,” but verse three begins, “and stayed three months.” How absolutely odd. The OCD person inside me needs an explanation or a rewrite.

My commentary says it was because of the winter. So maybe verse three should read: “Because of the wintry weather, Paul stayed in Greece for three months,” then proceed on with the narrative. Much better, eh?

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Connie: Sopater
Josh: Take No Prisoners
Steve: Uproar; The Plots
David: Tyrannus

Continued here!

Bible Discussion — Acts 17-18

10/16/2008, 12:30 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

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

INTRODUCTION:
David:
We get to meet a man named Apollos, Paul’s chief rival for the claim of authorship of the book of Hebrews.

Connie:
As Paul evangelizes his way through the countryside, we get a fascinating look at early 1st-century life and philosophy. It sounds a lot like our country today. Substitute making the rounds on The View (NYC), Leno (LA), and Oprah (Chicago) for Athens, Berea, and Corinth, and you have a similiar situation.

Some receive him, listen patiently, and gain eternal life. Others mock and ignore, even going so far as to try to prevent others from hearing. Sounds a lot like the talk show circuit to me.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Steve:
When Paul was persecuted in Corinth, the story ended very differently than many other places — the ruling Greeks let him off scot-free and instead beat the troublemaking synagogue leader!

Connie:
Paul gets a haircut! Fulfilling a vow, Paul has his hair cut off (18:18). Matthew Henry says the reason was to celebrate God’s protection as he fulfills his mission from vv. 9-10.

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Josh: Jason’s House
Steve: Strange Ears
Connie: Apollos
David: O Ye Jews. Also, I don’t know about a title, but it would be hard to have a band without “fellows of the baser sort”…

Continued here!

Behind the Scenes

10/16/2008, 10:00 am -- by David | 2 Comments

–ITHACA, N.Y.

It\’s the kind of thing that drives a coach crazy; the sort that has him sitting at a bar drinking free Salvation Army Cokes, reminiscing about what might have been. Last year, Bweinh! had a strong season, nearly winning several major awards — and then, during the offseason, busted the salary cap by re-signing several free agents, among them Tom.

“We originally signed Tom out of college; his numbers in the combine were incredible, off the charts really,” said Steve, coach, general manager, and owner of the fledgling website. “He had a great rookie year and signed at the league minimum, but we knew arbitration would nail us, so we signed him to a big contract over the offseason.”

Tom had a strong training camp and started the season with a bang — but then he was injured in a freak accident. Said Steve: “He did some great clashes for us last season, and we were going to move him to left guard, taking over some of the more liberal clash positions from MCB — but then he wrote that little blurb for the new ‘bwog’ feature . . . and the rest was history.”

The blurb, of course, was the subtle, yet uproariously humorous PT Cruiser quote, by far one of the funniest items in the two-week period. But disaster struck when Tom dislocated the tip of his index finger polishing the sentence; a relief writer was called in to finish the last few letters. The next day, he was flown to Sloan-Kettering to be examined by nationally renowned finger experts, and the news wasn\’t good.

“There was more trauma than anyone realized at the time, actually some damage to the nail, causing it to discolor as it has grown out,” Steve noted. “Not only that, but it was extremely painful, which was, uh, the real problem.”

By “the real problem,” of course he means the rumor that in treating his injury, Tom has become addicted to the painkiller Advil, complicating his return to the site. When reached for comment, Tom spoke of needing to “return to the lab,” refusing to answer any questions about ibuprofen dependency.

They say it’s lonely at the top, and no one knows that better than the coach: juggling lines, redrawing plays on the fly, and wondering who will next land on injured reserve. Next week, we’ll look at center MCB — who recently changed his name to MB, but has yet to get league permission to wear it on his jersey. Last year he got off to a quick start, but his offseason marriage has forced him to be placed on the “physically unable to perform” list.

Toyota Pre Runner

10/10/2008, 3:51 pm -- by David | No Comments

I got behind a Toyota Pre Runner today in traffic. Is that like a Four Runner that hasn’t hit puberty yet?

Where Do They Come From?

10/9/2008, 5:08 pm -- by David | No Comments

I saw a guy today walking at an angle, employing aÂ quick and purposeful stride that brought him off the shoulder of the road and out into the path of my car. Seconds before I got there, he looked up at me with shock and horror — as though he had never before encountered an automobile in any of his previous forays out into the world.

He stepped back and watched in utter amazement as my car and a pickup truck sped by; he stood and watched us for the longest time as we drove on. Where did he come from? Was he raised by wolves? How could he not be expecting traffic on a busy road in the middle of the day?

People like that puzzle me.

One More Song

10/9/2008, 9:30 am -- by David | No Comments

I\’ve had a song stuck in my head for a long time now. It\’s an old song — I don\’t know how old, maybe 4,000 years or so. It\’s from the Bible, Psalm 137, and it was written by a Jew carried away captive by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. I’ve never heard the tune and I don\’t even know all the words, but every time I read the Psalms, it catches me again, like a burning bush, an enigma I cannot turn away from.

It’s about a musician among the captives who sat down by the river and wept when he reached Babylon. The Babylonian soldiers taunted him, asking for a song about his homeland Zion, but he flung his harp into a willow tree along the bank of the river and refused to sing. All he could think about was his devastated life and revenge toward the ones who had hurt him. He was in no mood to sing.

But somehow, with it all so fresh in his mind, he managed to write one more song.

In that song, he simply poured out his anguish and anger, with one bright spot: “If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill! If I do not remember you, let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth ”” if I do not exalt Jerusalem above my chief joy.” In the midst of his anger and bitterness, his complete brokenness, he reaffirmed his destiny. His purpose — his whole reason to exist — was bound up in Jerusalem, and he could never forget that.

I read that in 1948, when Israel won its independence, Jewish refugees streamed into the new nation by the thousands, fleeing the horrors of the Holocaust and the persecution that had followed them throughout Europe. They came by train, by boat, by plane; when they arrived at the coast, they took whatever transport they could find to get to Jerusalem. One convoy of rusty trucks rolled into Jerusalem with that verse on the front bumper of the lead vehicle: “If I forget you, O Jerusalem…” If that man’s words, written some 4,000 years before, could still inspire the hopeless in those times, it’s no wonder that they can still reach me on this dark, rainy Alabama day in early October, 2008.

How can we read that psalm and fail to understand that what we do matters? Every time we pick up a pen to write, or post to a blog or a journal, or pick up a guitar to play and sing, we must surely know that whatever we do for God’s kingdom is eternal! Even if all you can do is recount the grief of your last setback, and affirm that nothing will keep you from God\’s plan for your life — do it! Whatever it is that you do in the Kingdom, it matters for eternity.

Pick up your pen; write another post. Pick up your guitar. Sing one more song.

Bible Discussion — Acts 15-16

10/8/2008, 2:30 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

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

INTRODUCTION:
David:
In Chapter 15, the church tackles the Gentile question, but in chapter 16, Paul still feels compelled to have Timothy (of mixed race) circumcised to avoid Jewish criticism. Then Paul visits Troas and the narrative changes to first-person, giving us a clue as to when Luke physically joined the group.

Connie:
In this corner, Peter, the leader of the Jews, overpressured by the masses over silly doctrinal annoyances. And in the white trunks, Paul coming out to fight for the Gentiles. We all know who’s going to win; we just wonder what all the fuss was to begin with. Peter should’ve been able to handle this in his sleep.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Josh:
Luke slips into the first-person plural perspective. I wonder how much he experienced firsthand, how much he witnessed, and how much was passed on to him. In chapter 16, “we” were met by the slave girl, but after Paul drives out the spirit, “they” were arrested and flogged. That\’s the way to do it, I suppose.

Steve:
Some men from the Jerusalem area set out on a long journey for the express purpose of trying to convince the new Gentile churches that their circumcision was required by the Law of Moses. Seems like a pretty clear-cut case of misery loving company.

Connie:
Paul wasn’t afraid of a fight. Once he got into it with Peter and won, it was all gravy after that. The next chapter begins with another argument, this time with Barnabas. It must’ve been a lonely time.

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Steve: Thyatira
Connie: Council at Jerusalem
Josh: Things Strangled
David: The Residue of Men

Continued here!

Playing Chicken with God

10/5/2008, 8:30 pm -- by David | No Comments

I don\’t know how if this is true today, but when I was younger, we played “chicken” a lot. Two people would hurtle toward each other on bikes (or cars) to see who would swerve at the last second to avoid the crash. I played the bike version — and another type, where two of us pushed our forearms together and dropped a lit cigarette between them, to see who pulled away first.

I\’m 47 now, and when I play chicken these days, I play with God. I never start the game; He does. And to be honest with you, I hate to play — it’s nerve-wracking.

It always starts the same way. I have bills due, and I am either owed a commission or I have a large sale that I can close. But then the deal or the check, whatever it is I need, gets hung up somehow, but I find I can still do something shady to get my money. Maybe it’s telling a white lie, maybe it’s fudging — or forging — some paperwork. Either way I get the money now instead of next week.

No one gets hurt; I get my money; I lose my soul.

I\’d like to say I’ve never given in to the temptation, but at times I have. A few years ago, God started to deal with me about it when a young girl confronted me about some paperwork that had to be undone because I had lied. I was horrified, I apologized, and I repented. She was a backslidden Christian who eventually came back to the Lord and even credited the way I handled the situation for helping to turn her around. Yeah, what a great guy I am.

We’re playing chicken again this week, God and me. My boss offered to give me a commission check today if I would agree that he should forge a document we could correct on Monday. Seeing the consternation on my face, he said, “We could do it another way if it would make you feel more comfortable.”

I said, “No. I\’m not comfortable with any of this. I don\’t want anything to do with any of it,” and walked away.

So come on, God, do your best! You could have provided this on time, but instead You chose to get in your car and head right toward me, to see if I’ll swerve off the road into sin. I\’ve been here before, though, and like David said: “Let me fall into the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is very great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men.” I\’ll take my chances in a head-on crash with God, rather than swerving off the path of righteousness.

P.S. — My boss just came in and told me he had decided to wait and do things right on Monday.

P.P.S. — He called me in and paid me anyway. I win again! Praise God!

Clash of the Titans LXI: China

10/3/2008, 2:00 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

Originally published in November 2007.

In this corner, arguing that China is an enemy, is David!

And in this corner, arguing that China is our friend, is MC-B!

If the question is “Should we view China as an enemy?,” my answer is yes. Should we be marching in the streets burning Chinese flags, boycotting Chinese restaurants and dry cleaners? No. But make no mistake: the Chinese government views the US as its chief rival for military and economic dominance in Asia, and ultimately throughout the world, and that makes us enemies.

China is experiencing an economic boom that has pushed it into the top 6 in both GNP and GDP, and it’s using that windfall to increase military spending, even though it already possesses the largest standing army in the world and the 5th-largest military budget. It’s also using that money to upgrade its technical capabilities, acquiring sophisticated guidance systems and other improvements (legally or illegally), with a stated purpose of developing capabilities to interdict US expeditionary forces and US carrier battle groups in the Western Pacific.

China boasts 20% of the world’s population and aspires to be the dominant force in Asia, which contains 61% of the world’s population and 3 top economic powerhouses, including Japan and South Korea. Anyone remember why Japan bombed Pearl Harbor? America was flexing its economic and military muscles in Asia, and Japan felt they had one choice — expand or die. They gambled on confronting the dominant power in Asia rather than settling for playing second fiddle for the next few hundred years, and they lost. China has the sense to know they will face that same choice one day. It is no secret that they are preparing for it, and so are we.

But where is the danger zone? Aside from general tensions arising from our projection of power across the ocean to remain the dominant force in Asia, there are two major flashpoints:

North Korea — we fought the Chinese face to face in North Korea at the Chosin Reservoir, and by proxy all over Asia from the 1950s through the 1970’s. Has North Korea been in the news lately? Is Afghanistan part of Asia? Think they feel threatened by the only superpower fighting in their backyard and threatening to start another war in their side yard?

How about their front yard? Taiwan. They currently have 790 ballistic missiles aimed at Taiwan, and are not at all secretive about the fact that invading the island is the primary focus of their short-term military planning. We are pledged to defend Taiwan in case of invasion, and in fact have already intervened twice when China has amassed amphibious assault groups across the strait.

Don’t get me wrong; I do not mean to say that we as Christians are their enemy — but as I said before, they know that our country is ultimately their enemy, and our military planners know the same thing.

Knowing the feelings of many Bweinh!tributors on this issue, I am under no delusion that I will win this Clash. I also do not take issue with my opponent’s claim that China might see the USA as a potential military threat. However, I would like to point out that defining our enemies to include all nations that would consider taking up arms against us if their regional interests were threatened could characterize almost every nation in the world as a potential enemy.

Remember the stink that certain Europeans raised when the US intervened through a legitimate organization (NATO) in the Balkan region? Even our closest allies, those with whom we have a history of cooperation, were highly mistrustful of our intentions. Since our history with China has been considerably more spotty, it is quite likely that the present situation is simply the same phenomenon exacerbated by past interactions.

In other words, in the military arena China and the USA certainly have differences, but the differences aren’t large or deep-seated enough to net China a special “enemy” status.

In any case, friendliness among nations isn’t measured by alliances and military agreements as much as it used to be. Rather, it is measured in dollars, and in economic terms we have seen over and over again that in the era of globalization, ostracizing any one large nation hurts everyone involved far more than cooperation does.

An example: our dollar is currently in a free fall (thanks, Ben Bernanke!). Even though we’ve sunk past the pound, the Euro, and now even the Canadian dollar, the Chinese government and other “unfriendly” governments around the world continue to hold reserves in US dollars, which helps to stave off the inflation of our dollar — even though switching to a different reserve currency could provide far more stability and credibility to foreign investment than staying with a weakening currency.

Being friendly with China also provides more opportunities for trade, which could open one of the largest single markets in the world (aside from India, I suppose) and lead to further harmony between our two nations. True, the Kantian peace thesis of democracies not warring does not hold when one nation involved is not democratic. However, in China’s case, the other two legs of the Kantian Triangle (involvement in international institutions and involvement in trade) are increasing by the day.

China cannot afford to treat us as an enemy because its economy would slow to a crawl, and we cannot afford to treat China as an enemy, due to the vast potential of its economy to shape the way the world operates. We must continue to engage China with the wariness that we would afford to an engagement with any nation, but the end goal should be to bring China into a closer, friendlier relationship with the United States.

{democracy:171}

Bible Discussion — Acts 13-14

10/1/2008, 1:30 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

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

INTRODUCTION:
David:
These two chapters contain the first missionary journey of Paul and Barnabas. John Mark, author of the Gospel that bears his (second) name, began that journey with them, but left abruptly after a confrontation with a sorcerer. This would later cause much contention between his uncle Barnabas and Paul.

Connie:
The Gospel has been preached faithfully by the Jerusalem church across many cultures, in all Judea and Samaria. Now, through Paul and Barnabas, it will begin to fulfill the “ends of the earth” phase of the Great Commission.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Connie:
Paul’s amazing recovery after being stoned, dragged out, and left for dead. The account says that the disciples gathered around him and he rose up, walked into the city, and — the very next day — left on another long trip.

I don’t know the recovery rate after being stoned and left for dead, but it sure isn’t normal to jump up and go on your merry way as soon as the mob leaves. This was real life, not TV. There was healing here.

Steve:
After healing a crippled man, Paul and Barnabas had to keep the crowd from sacrificing bulls to them. Sounds like a slapstick scene: two men running around, mobbed by frenzied admirers, grabbing sword-wielding arms and setting cattle free.

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Steve: Proconsul; A Plot Afoot
Josh: Not Quite Dead; Marvel and Perish
Connie: Derbe Dudes
David: Devout & Honorable Women

Continued here!

A Faithful Witness

09/26/2008, 4:52 pm -- by David | 1 Comment

“Poetry too is a little incarnation . . .”
C.S. Lewis

Anything that I have ever written, if it was written well, seemed to me not something I created, but rather something I uncovered. Anything possessing real beauty or wisdom is surely an absolute, which existed long before I penned the words or captured the thoughts to put on display. So it is imperative when I write to be faithful to recreate what I feel or see in my mind. It can\’t be written to appeal to a certain person or demographic. I can\’t alter what I see or feel: I can only write and re-write until it comes as close as possible to what I saw or felt.

To illustrate this point, I have always intended to write a short story, about a boy who lives by the sea and discovers a shipwreck, filled with immeasurable treasures, too heavy to bring to the surface. At first all he can do is dive down and glimpse them, but in time, he trains himself to hold his breath for a longer time, until he can stay long enough to memorize their appearance. Eventually he is able to reproduce the wondrous treasures in pictures to show the village.

The crisis would come when people begin to buy the pictures, and he is tempted to listen to suggestions for improving the appeal of the picturesÂ for others. Through the struggle, he would ultimately come to understand that he must stay faithful to what he sees — although no one else had developed their lungs and braved the depths to view the treasures, at some point they might, and he would be found to be a liar. He would be found to have been false to what he saw; false to himself.

And that is why and how I write.

Bible Discussion — Acts 11-12

09/24/2008, 12:00 pm -- by Bweinh | 1 Comment

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

INTRODUCTION:
David:
One important thing here is the evolution of church leadership. It changes from “the Apostles” or “the 11,” and becomes “the apostles and brethren,” drawing in the other mature church members. This group emerges as an entity and has no problem asking Peter to explain his actions in Joppa. Peter was not at all offended, and seemed perfectly willing to have his authority questioned. Some first Pope.

Connie:
The church continues to grow. Peter successfully defended his Gentile tour, and Barnabas and Saul continued theirs, but Herod thought it was time to put a stop to all this nonsense.

Who will win? Never bet against God’s House.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Connie:
God waited until the night before to save Peter from James’s fate: death. That’s what the guards got for letting him escape.

And Peter was so confident in whatever the next day held for him that he was sound asleep. The angel practically had to dress him verbally: “Tie your belt, lace your shoes. Come on, get your coat, for Pete’s sake!” Peter didn’t fully wake up until he was in the streets and the angel was gone; now that’s the peace that passes understanding.

David:
The last verse of chapter 12 tells us that Paul was in Jerusalem during the murder of James and the imprisonment of Peter.

Steve:
It must have been Peter’s “angel” at the door? What was that supposed to mean?

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Connie: Four Squads
Steve: Blastus
Josh: Herod and the Worms

Continued here!

Tension and Balance

09/22/2008, 10:00 am -- by David | 7 Comments

“It is the sea that shapes the sailor, and the land that shapes the sea . . .”
Rich Mullins, “The Breaks”

While we were checking out of Wal-Mart on Saturday, the subject of Sarah Palin came up, and I was astounded to find out that my son-in-law had no idea who she was. He had not even heard of her yet. I guess all that really means is that ”” as pervasive as coverage of her has been ”” it has not yet filtered down into the virtual environment of World of Warcraft.

Perhaps it\’s not so astounding. It started a good discussion about politics and presidential candidates, though, and eventually he asked me to explain the difference between liberals and conservatives. After considering and discarding various statements, I decided to fall back on the standard explanation that liberals basically favor more government involvement in our lives, while conservatives seek less.

I know that is an oversimplified statement of the opposing views, but in our country it is pretty accurate. Both views are necessary. Obviously no one wants to live without government oversight and regulation of society. I like to know that the bridge I\’m driving over has been engineered and built to some kind of safety standards, and I actually welcome government interference when my neighbors are partying in their driveway till the wee hours of the morning and I can ask a policeman to go by and have them turn the music down.

On the other hand, while some people are talking about the government hitting the oil companies with outrageous windfall profit taxes, I ask myself, “Would I want the government to step in when I have a good month at work and take another 30% of my profits ”” in addition to what I already paid?”

No, I wouldn\’t. I don\’t want them to have so much control over things that they stifle productivity and initiative by removing the rewards that come with hard work. That thinking has always led to failure in communist or socialist societies.

The chief impetus for civilization is the ability to pool our resources and create a system that gives us access to services and benefits that we could never afford on our own: libraries, courts, police, military. To accomplish that, we surrender some of our wealth by paying taxes. It also makes it possible to care for the poor among us. Our nation functions best by maintaining a good balance between the two opposing views; the tension keeps us from going off the deep end in either direction.

Liberals force conservatives like me to do a better job of helping the poor, protecting the environment, and being proactive on health care and other social issues. We force them to understand how a free market system works to generate the wealth necessary to perform the costly services that they want society to provide. In this country, we also serve to remind them that there is a God who has standards. We are committed to seeing those standards reflected in our national psyche, even when they run afoul of the liberal ideas on abortion, homosexuality, and other social issues.

We ended up having a good conversation, and I feel confident that my son-in-law at least has an inkling of who Sarah Palin is. And who knows: maybe now the Republicans have a shot at the 17 World of Warcraft electoral votes in November.

Bible Discussion — Acts 9-10

09/17/2008, 12:00 pm -- by Bweinh | 4 Comments

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

INTRODUCTION:
David:
In chapter 9, we see the conversion of Paul, and catch a glimpse of his struggle to be accepted by the early believers. In chapter 10, we get a glimpse of the “First Pope” acting very un-Popelike by refusing to allow Cornelius to show him any reverential deference.

Steve:
Here is the most pivotal moment in the life of the most influential man in history. The chief of sinners met the sinners’ Friend, and nothing would ever be the same.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Steve:
Saul didn’t eat or drink anything for the entire three days he was blind in Damascus. What a time that must have been for him and those he was staying with.

Also, when Peter came to pray for then-late Dorcas, the crying widows crowded around him, to show him the clothes she had made. “You’ve gotta bring her back, Pete! Look at how flattering this line is!”

Tom:
Ananias saw fit to remind Jesus of who Saul is. “Um, I don’t know if you heard, but he’s kind of a bad dude.” Have we tried to explain things like that when prompted to witness to or pray for leaders/bosses/neighbors?

Connie:
Barnabas brought Paul into the group (9:27). Since we mostly focus on Paul’s writings, we tend to think of Barnabas as Robin in this little duo. He didn’t start out that way — he was probably more of a mentor and protector at first, and they may have ended up equals eventually, for a while anyway.

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
David: The Italian Band
Connie: Caesarean Summons
Steve: Eat the Reptiles
Tom: Lydda
Josh: The Way

Continued here!

Statistics and Lives

09/11/2008, 11:30 am -- by David | No Comments

I read an article that noted a surprising consequence of high gasoline prices: a drop in US traffic deaths, producing the lowest figure in nearly a decade. 42,708 people died in traffic accidents in 2006; the total dropped to 41,059 in 2007. 1,649 fewer people died last year, in part because gas prices rose, people drove less, and fatal accidents occurred at a diminished rate. Statistics can be so cold and calculated.

It isnÊ¼t a crisis of faith that prompts me to think about this. I know God holds us in His hands — I’m the first to agree that we enter and leave this world on His timetable — but something about the thought of whimsical economic forces defining the boundaries of my existence baffles me. After all, you or me — either of us — could be one of those 1,649, now still free to touch and affect others in myriad untraceable ways. I guess it gets all mixed in with chaos theory, the “butterfly effect.” A dictator flaps his mouth, and on the other side of the world, 1,649 more people stay alive.

Why do I care so much about this? 43,510 people died on the highway in 2005; that’s another statistic. But one of them was more than a statistic to us. His name was Bobby, and he lived in Florida. He was 78; he had a wife; he died in an accident because my wife didnÊ¼t see his car and pulled out in front of him.

I got to pray for him and tell him, through tears of grief, how sorry she was. We shared an emergency room together — Bobby with internal injuries, my wife with a fractured neck.

ItÊ¼s been almost three years now, but sometimes the shadow of that grief passes over my wife again, and I can see it. A scene from some movie, or an offhand comment, can bring the whole thing back, and I try to comfort her. I remind her that there were extenuating circumstances. The intersection was under construction: barrels, equipment, confusing signs. Her accident was the second that day at the intersection, the sixth in two weeks. Someone was rushing her, vigorously motioning from the far side of the intersection for her to hurry up. She looked twice, both ways, and saw no one. The gentleman was speeding.

I remind her that there was an investigation, and no negligence was found. She was not speeding, talking on her cell phone, or using drugs or alcohol; in fact, in over 30 years of driving, she never had so much as a single speeding ticket on her record.

I remind her that it was an accident.

It passes eventually, and sheÊ¼s okay again. ItÊ¼s just life, and if IÊ¼ve learned anything in life, IÊ¼ve learned that everyone has to learn to live with pain. Every family has a statistic or a skeleton that can jump out of the closet at any moment and reopen old wounds.

It just seems so capricious; so arbitrary. Gas hits $4 a gallon and 1,649 people live who would have died.

But 2005 is history; unchangeable.

Make Par While the Sun Shines

09/11/2008, 10:24 am -- by David | No Comments

What is it with golfers? I can’t tell you how many times I have been watching the ESPN ticker thing and see stuff like BELLSOUTH PGA INVITATIONAL….Singh (-3)…Leonard (-1)…suspendedÂ on account of darkness… Like it was a surprise that the sun went down! They didn’t know it was going to get dark when they started?

Bible Discussion — Acts 8

09/10/2008, 1:00 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

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

INTRODUCTION:
David:
An expanded translation of Saul\’s participation in the martyrdom of Stephen says, “And Saul was together with the others approving of his death, taking pleasure in his death, and applauding it.” This chapter gives us a glimpse of the rest of his short career persecuting the church of God.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Steve:
Advertising was kind of lame ’round the turn of the AD, no? Simon says he’s “someone great,” fires off a few magic tricks, and suddenly the crowd is all, “This man is the divine power known as the Great Power!” Imagine how scruffy old David Blaine could have done back then.

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
David: Make Havoc
Steve: Someone Great
Josh: Havoc

Continued here!

The Christian Stoic

09/5/2008, 3:00 pm -- by David | No Comments

Acts 17:18 — “Then certain. . . Stoic philosophers. . . “

Once while studying the text above, I found that the Stoics believed in something called “suspended judgment.” They did not believe in responding to things immediately, and saw no value in forming opinions about, or reacting to, everything that happened around them — hence, our concept of the stoic, unemotional person.

I like that idea. I think people have too many opinions. Maybe it\’s just my natural laziness, but I have no interest in pursuing things outside my realm of concern. It\’s a waste of time and energy. Forming an opinion is hard work — or at least it should be — and doing so about a subject that doesn’t concern me is like voluntarily writing a 50,000-word essay for a class I’m not in, just to get in on the discussion.

Several years ago in New York, our senior pastor suddenly left the church, taking about one-tenth of the people with him to start another church in the same town. It was a painful and confusing time for all of us. Around that time, one of the young men from the church came to our house for lunch; as we sat around talking, he asked me my opinion of the man who had left.

I said, “I don\’t have one.” He said, “What? Are you sure?”

I remember searching my heart for a few seconds, then responding, slightly embarrassed, that I honestly had no opinion of the man and his recent actions.

After a pause, he said, “You\’re the youth pastor…you\’re part of the leadership! How can you not have an opinion?” After thinking again, I remember shrugging my shoulders. “Because I don\’t have to?”

The truth is that God had called me to that church, and while that man was there, he was my pastor. But after he left, he was no longer my pastor, and ceased to hold any interest for me in that regard. I loved him, I prayed for him, but I didn\’t feel any need to judge him, examine his actions, or form an opinion about him. Other people in positions of authority might have had to form opinions and deal with him on a disciplinary level but — thank God — I was not one of them.

Ten years after this, while I re-read The Pilgrim’s Regress by C.S. Lewis, I ran across a passage (reprinted below) that I first read around that same time. I guess it must have sunk down deep, because although I had no specific recollection of reading it before, it perfectly summarized a chief foundation stone in my personal philosophy: I refuse to force myself to have an opinion on everything that crosses my line of sight.

I read once that worry is a “bevy of inefficient thoughts whirling around a point of fear.” I wonder how much of our examination of people and events springs from worry. How many of our opinions are produced by inefficient thoughts that surround the fear in our lives? How much sweeter it is to find that point of fear and remove it, so that your thoughts can work on something that does require your attention. I hope you take a minute to read this passage below, and that you find it as liberating as I have.

The main character, John, is speaking with a character named Reason, trying to determine if the island he seeks is real or imagined. This passage begins with a question from Reason.

Who told you that the island was an imagination of yours?
Well, you would not assure me that it was anything real.
Nor that it was not.
But I must think that it is one or the other.
By my father’s soul, you must not — until you have some evidence. Can you not remain in doubt?
I don\’t know that I have ever tried.
You must learn to if you are to come far with me. It is not hard to do it. In Eschropolis, indeed, it is impossible, for the people who live there have to give an opinion once a week, or once a day, or else Mr. Mammon would soon cut off their food. But out here in the country you can walk all day, and all the next day, with an unanswered question in your head; you need never speak until you have made up your mind.
But if a man wanted to know so badly that he would die unless the question was decided — and no more evidence turned up?
Then he would die, that would be all.

Sarah Palin or Plain Sarah

09/4/2008, 10:34 am -- by David | 1 Comment

Do you know what I love about Sarah Palin (among many other things)?Â All those liberals who like to paint right-wing Christians as knuckle-dragging barbarians who think women belong barefoot, pregnant, and in the kitchen should all be eating their words about now. I have not been so excited about a candidate since Reagan — and every Christian man I know down here in Alabama feels the same way.

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.

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!

Best of David: The Two Wells

09/2/2008, 1:00 pm -- by David | No Comments

Originally published on June 28, 2007.

As long as I’ve been a Christian, I’ve always loved the balance between the Old and New Testament, and I’ve always found a fullness in reading both on a regular basis. One of the best examples of what comes from this dual exposure is found in the stories of Genesis 24 and John 4.

Genesis 24 recounts the story of Isaac and Rebekah. I have heard it preached as the ultimate love story between God and His beloved — father Abraham (God) sending his servant to bring a bride for his only son Isaac (Jesus). The criteria are set and the woman must pass the test. She must, at Abraham’s request, be pure, of the right lineage and race. She must, to fulfill Eliezer’s prayer, be kind and have the heart of a servant, to not only give him water when asked, but also offer it for all his camels. She must be a virgin and fair to look upon.

It’s a lot to ask, but God leads Eliezer to the perfect choice, and she returns with him. Isaac is meditating out in the field and when he sees her, he takes her as his wife. Moreover, we are told that he loves her. It is truly a beautiful story.

If you’re like me, though, your story was a little different. Perhaps it’s a bit more like John 4, in the New Testament. In this love story, everything has gone wrong. God the Father has sent His servants repeatedly to draw His beloved, but they have been stoned, sawn asunder, persecuted and killed. At last He sends His only Son.

He finds the woman at the well, but she is not pure at all. She is not even Jewish. She’s a Samaritan, of mixed race and idolatrous religion, despised by the Jews. But Jesus uses the same test of character anyway, asking her for a drink. She answers with sarcasm and smart remarks, questioning His motives and arguing about religion. And not only is she not a virgin, she’s had five husbands and is currently living in sin with yet another man. There is no mention of physical beauty.

But she is the one — and He loves her! She receives the fullness of all He has reserved for His beloved. Jesus told the Pharisees, when they questioned His penchant for hanging around publicans and sinners: “I have not come for the whole, but for the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

This is the true love story. The Old Testament story was the way God wanted it to be. The New Testament story is the way it is. For all of us.

How can pride exist under such circumstances? Not one of us can meet the criteria of the Rebekah story. And how can any of us deny the love of a God who sees us as we are, chooses to love us, and then makes us worthy of that love?

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!

Road Armor Under Investigation

08/22/2008, 12:00 pm -- by David | No Comments

–WASHINGTON, D.C.

The Office of the Attorney General announced today that a Texas company is being investigated after their products failed another series of federal safety testing. San Antonio’s ROAD ARMOR, which specializes in marketing protective armor to “at-risk” animals like opossums, once again received the lowest safety rating available.

“This company has repeatedly preyed on these poor animals, promising them a level of protection on today\’s highways that, frankly, they do not and cannot attain,” said spokesman Ronald Fletcher. “It\’s high time someone stood up for these animals, and we are the ones to do it.”

Studies have shown that the use of “armor” by opossums may actually increase fatalities, as many become careless and prone to high-risk behavior such as crossing an interstate at rush hour.

ROAD ARMOR spokesman Lilly Matthews disagreed, pointing to the company’s disclaimer warning animals of the risks and limitations of their product. “Everything that we do is designed to make these little critters safer and happier, and we succeed at that. End of story.”

Bible Discussion — Acts 3-4

08/21/2008, 9:30 am -- by Bweinh | No Comments

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

INTRODUCTION:
David:
God pours out His Holy Spirit, and a “notable miracle” happens. By the end of chapter 4, the disciples were asking for miracles to continue to accompany the preaching of the Gospel to the unsaved world as signs and wonders.

Too many Christians today doubt that miracles occur — because they want to use them to entertain the church. That is not what signs and wonders were designed for. Go out and preach to the lost, begin to pray for miracles, and I guarantee you will see them.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Steve:
It was after Peter’s sermon that the rulers, elders, and teachers came to realize that he and John were “unschooled, ordinary men.” Guess they didn’t like the message.

Connie:
Either the 5000 conversions came as Peter and John were being arrested, or the passage mentions that they were arrested, and then throws in the 5000 conversions as an afterthought. The Sadducees and government officials were lucky those 5000 didn’t turn on them when they took Peter and John away.

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Josh: Unschooled
David: Manifest
Steve: Annas and the Sanhedrin
Connie: Nation’s Rage

Continued here!

Response to an Atheist

08/15/2008, 2:00 pm -- by David | No Comments

From a letter to my newspaper’s editor this week.

Listening to an atheist comment on the Bible is like having an illiterate man read you the evening newspaper; there may be some imagery he can grasp through the photographs, but the mass of content and nuance is certainly lost on him, and will only lead him into erroneous inferences about the meaning. The Bible is a spiritual book, and makes the case itself that it can only be rightly understood by those who have received God’s Spirit through their faith in Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice.

The latest atheist to comment on the Bible here in the newspaper argued that the Bible is not a fit source for morality because so many Bible characters exhibited immoral behavior in their lives. The erroneous assumption here is that Bible characters were superhuman beings, designed to model perfection for the human race. They were not. They were human beings who, like any Christian today, were meant to model grace, mercy and redemption to the world.

If God had seen fit to whitewash the lives of the saints depicted in Scripture, He could have done so, but where would our hope be? Our hope is in the fact that a sinful person can be reconciled to God through his Son, then participate with Him in the great work of redeeming lost souls. The Bible is the right source of morality for the human race because God has deigned it to be so, not because we, as human beings, have found that it fits our idea of morality.

Clash of the Titans LXXXVII: Unions

08/15/2008, 11:30 am -- by Bweinh | No Comments

In this corner, defending unions, is Erin!

And in this corner, opposing them, is David!

Unions are not the answer to everything, this I readily concede. Often, the face of a union is its representative to the union members, and the encounters with such representatives go something like this:

Enter a discontent, overweight (and overpaid) union representative to Place of Work. She has come to announce a change in appeals policy to union members at said Place of Work.

Lights come up, fluorescent and harsh.

Union rep: Blah blah blah, blah blah, change change, blah blah blah.

Narrator: What she\’s basically saying is, “Work, you poor saps, because by paying your dues, you get security you can\’t get on your own.”

Yes, many would say that unions do little more than whine for better pay, better conditions, and (often in my area) for the political casting-out-to-where-there-will-be-weeping-and-gnashing-of-teeth of any and all Republicans.

I ask only that the reader would consider for the moment the things that unions still do. They offer an alternative to an expensive (and truthfully, often wasted) college education, instead providing marketable skills, the model of a good work ethic, and a group of people who not only lobby for their needs, but also form a community.

I have seen teachers\’ unions work to get better books for their students and keep their jobs (taking pay cuts to do it); I have seen electricians’ unions work to ensure higher safety standards on industrial and residential jobs (would you like to have someone electrocuted while they install the power lines for your future plasma TV?); I have seen pipefitters’ unions work against the flow of dying industry to keep jobs within an 800-mile radius of their homes, in an effort not to have to resort to taking jobs in California, Alaska, or Iraq.

This summer I attended a union picnic, where I was introduced to at least two dozen men and women I probably will not meet again nor remember very long. But what stuck with me was the overwhelming sense that these people were there for each other: on the worksite and in each other\’s lives. And if that means nothing, yes, I guess unions are out of date.

“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.” — Ecclesiastes 3:1

There was a time when this nation needed unions, when they served an important purpose, protecting the poor. Women, children and immigrants were all exploited by employers with no compassion and virtually no government oversight. Children as young as eight or nine slaved away in factories, 16 hours at a time, for poor pay in unsafe conditions. Immigrants were forced to live in ramshackle housing, with exorbitant charges deducted from their meager pay to cover the cost of their food and housing — rendering them little more than slaves.

Those days are gone, yet the unions remain.

It reminds me of the story of the Chinese emperor who invited Mongols into his country to help vanquish foes from the South — only to find that when the war ended, the Mongols chose to settle down and stay, exacting their own methods of exploitation to lighten the purses of the Chinese people. Sometimes the cure brings with it the seeds of the next disease.

I don\’t know many people who would argue the US government does not do enough to micromanage small and large business owners these days. There are 30 different agencies listed on the US Department of Labor website that monitor the various employment practices and environments of American businesses, using nearly 18,000 employees to accomplish this noble task. We are well-regulated.

So what purpose do unions serve now? They are parasites. Unions have become bloated, self-serving political organizations used to control the actions, assets, and politics of the poor schmucks unlucky enough to trapped by them. That\’s all. They hold wages at an artificially high level and stifle productivity, while often protecting workers who are unmotivated, yet militantly committed to protecting their own livelihood.

[poll id=”5″]

The Tortoise and the Hare

08/8/2008, 10:30 am -- by David | No Comments

Once upon a time the animals of the forest decided to hold an election to see who would be their president. After a grueling primary season, the two sides nominated their candidates: Tortoise McCain and Hare Obama.

The news spread like wildfire through the forest, and all the news reporters showed up to watch Obama train.

“Mr. Obama,” said the CNN correspondent, “how fast can you run to Washington?”

“Washington!” scoffed Obama. “Watch this!!”

And with that, he disappeared in a blaze over the horizon. Before the reporters could even take a breath, he reappeared with souvenirs from Europe.

“I got this for you in Berlin,” he said to one reporter. “This came from Paris for you.”

“McCain,” said the NBC reporter, “where can you go to show us your speed?”

“Um, uh… does anyone want some French fries from Burger King or a bratwurst from German Town?” he replied.

The reporters broke out into hysterical laughter, and silly old Mr. McCain retreated to his house to train for the big day.

To be continued — this could actually end well for McCain, if you believe in fairy tales…

Bible Discussion — Acts 1

08/6/2008, 9:00 pm -- by Bweinh | 1 Comment

This week, Bweinh.com begins discussing a new book: the first chapter of Acts!

INTRODUCTION:
David:
Matthew, Mark and John offer valuable Gospel narratives, but only Luke follows it up with a second volume that goes beyond what “Jesus began both to do and teach,” recording the Acts of the Apostles who founded the Christian church.

Connie:
Background and preparation is what this chapter is all about. And just in case you thought we were done with gambling, we have another round of casting lots in order to determine the new 12th disciple.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
David:
I saw anew the naivetÃ© of the disciples who wanted to jump to the conclusion immediately — thinking the conclusion was restoration of the kingdom to Israel (v. 6). They didn\’t have a clue what was coming.

Steve:
Already the disciples had expanded tenfold — with another drastic expansion on the horizon.

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Josh: Vacancy
Connie: Akel Dama
David: The Promise
Steve: By the Mouth

Continued here!

My Own Terms

08/1/2008, 10:00 am -- by David | No Comments

I have been called a cynic. I have been called a pessimist. I have been called a skeptic. And I don\’t mind being called these things, as long as I can define the terms myself.

If by “cynic,” you mean Oscar Wilde’s definition — “someone who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing” — then I am not that man. I know the value of things, but I also know there is a vast difference between gross and net value. Even something good is never quite as good as it seems to be. A man never gets a thousand dollars from life, no matter what he does; he gets $677.50 after taxes, and lives with the disappointing list of deductions accompanying the payout — if the check is even good.

When I say that I am a cynic, I mean that I am old enough to know I don’t have to order before midnight. The commercial will be on again tomorrow. And what they”˜re advertising today as “Not Available in Stores!” will be on the rack at Wal*Mart tomorrow, under the banner “As Seen on TV!”

When I say I am a pessimist, I mean that I have resolved the age-old question to my satisfaction, and believe that the glass is definitely half-empty. Any moron can tell you that a glass, left to its own devices, never again fills up. It’s constantly emptied, by consumption or evaporation, and indeed could only have been filled to be emptied. The natural state of the glass is dissipation: the occasional break during a trip to the dishwasher, storage in the cupboard, and eventually another foray into emptiness.

Pessimism gives me the greatest chance at happiness. If you always expect things to go poorly, you will either get what you expected or be pleasantly surprised. But if you expect good things to happen all the time, what then? Either life turns out the way you thought it would (no big deal), or you\’re disappointed, because it didn\’t.

And a skeptic? All that means is that I subscribe to the ancient philosophy of “suspended judgment.” I like to think about things before I put my weight on them. This world could use a little more of that — with the way we jump on the latest bandwagons, use the freshest buzzwords, and buy the newest fashions, all to make us feel hip and wise.

So, yes: cynic, pessimist, and skeptic I am. But on my own terms.

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!

The Broken World

07/22/2008, 10:00 am -- by David | No Comments

One consistent observation I draw from my contact with atheists is that they inevitably base their disbelief in God, partly or entirely, on the fact that the world is a wicked and hurtful place, filled with inequity and injustice — something (in their opinion) that no loving God could ever allow.

It never ceases to amaze me that their hostility toward God is neither abandoned nor abated by their decision not to believe in Him. It doesnÊ¼t seem logical to me to be so hostile toward someone that you donÊ¼t believe in. IÊ¼ve never had a salient thought concerning Santa Claus, good or bad, since I stopped believing in him, and I canÊ¼t imagine spending one ounce of energy defaming him or attacking his followers.

I started thinking about this again after reading a wonderful opinion piece by Michael Novak in USA Today. I believe that when a person suspends belief in God and attacks Christianity over the wicked condition of this world, it is due to ignorance of what the Bible actually teaches about Creation. When a tree limb succumbs to disease or age and falls from the tree, it is certainly no proof that the Creator is cruel or indifferent — or worse yet, nonexistent — even if the limb falls on someone, causing death or injury.

It is simply part and parcel of living in a broken world.

This world does not exist in the state in which it was created. That fact should be no mystery because sin and the fall of man are basic Christian doctrine, known by the entire world. Perhaps it is not widely believed by non-Christians, but by now, it should be well-known enough that we don’t have to explain it over and over.

The world is broken. Argue all you want about GodÊ¼s motives in allowing it to happen, but this world has fallen, and we fell with it (actually vice versa). What we see now is the result of that fall; what the Gospel offers is the solution.

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!

What I Really Wanted

07/15/2008, 10:00 am -- by David | 1 Comment

In the semi-autobiographical allegory The Pilgrim’s Regress, C.S. Lewis traces the life of John, a man raised in a nominally Christian culture who becomes separated from his hypocritical religious faith, then rediscovers it after a long spiritual journey. Drawing from a theme also addressed in The Problem of Pain, Lewis’s character finds that God has placed him into the world with a desire and capacity for something that cannot be found in that world. As Billy Graham said, each of us is born into this world with a God-shaped void in our hearts — and until we meet Jesus, we spend our lives trying to fill it with anything else.

In the book, John stumbles onto several carnal pleasures that he thinks are the fulfillment of his longings, only to find that when the infatuation wears off, he remains unsatisfied. He finds himself repeating, over and over: “That\’s not really what I wanted.”

After thirty years as a Christian, I still find myself experiencing this feeling. The objects vary, but the swirling infatuations remain. The distraction may be a new relationship, a new friend, or a new job — perhaps a new car or house. With me, it was most recently holidays and family.

On Memorial Day weekend I started planning for the 4th of July; my grandkids were coming for two weeks, my nephews were visiting from New York; I was going to build a fabulous multi-level deck with hanging plants and a fire pit; we would grill out and play guitars and sing and laugh and shoot off fireworks. In the end, it was even better than I hoped for, as my son and daughter-in-law made a last-minute trip from New York, with another friend.

It was perfection.

Yet when it was all over, I found myself saying again, “That wasn\’t really what I wanted.” As sweet as it was, it was just a shadow of the realty that I long for. I long for heaven, the fellowship where there is no parting, where there will be no sad goodbyes, no returning to work exhausted and empty, no constant grasping for the elusive need that first drew me to the Cross.

One Hundred Words (23)

07/8/2008, 9:00 am -- by David | No Comments

“Will ye steal, murder and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; and come and stand before me in this house, which is called by My name, and say, ‘We are delivered to do all these abominations?’ Behold, even I have seen it, saith the LORD. But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel.”

There is no free pass.

–DFS

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!

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!

When They Were Eighteen

06/20/2008, 12:00 pm -- by David | No Comments

I grew up in the 1960s, watching movies about World War II. It settled into my psyche as just another piece in the giant puzzle of life here in America. It meant nothing more or less to me than the death of JFK or the rise and fall of Richard Nixon; it was less important than the Oakland A\’s or the New York Yankees; it was certainly no more relevant than the Revolutionary or Civil Wars. It was all just history, until I met my father-in-law.

He passed away a few years ago, but I have a picture of him hanging in my hallway: a young man in his army uniform, leaning against a stump in some woods near where he grew up in the Adirondacks. He served in the Army and participated in the retaking of the Philippines, among other things, and I had 20 years to listen to his stories about those days.

He looks so young in that picture.

Now, when I look back at World War II and hear those men and women called “The Greatest Generation,” I think of him — and I am dumbfounded at their accomplishments. When I was 18, it was an adventure to have my own license and car; it was scary going off to college, even a little community college in my own hometown. When they were 18, they were sent halfway across the world, to kill or be killed. I can\’t get my mind around it.

When my son was 18, I was worried sick when he was 30 minutes late getting home from his job at the grocery store two blocks from our house. I can\’t imagine the horror of a father sending his children off to war, never seeing them alive again.

When I was 18, I had dreams like anyone. I wanted to be a newspaper reporter. I wanted to meet a woman who would be my best friend and lover for the rest of my life. I wanted to have children and grandchildren, and watch them grow up.

When they were 18, I\’m sure they had all those same dreams: college, marriage, children. I can\’t imagine teenagers surrendering all that to die in the fields and forests of Europe; to find their final resting place on the blood-soaked beaches of France, the jungles of the South Pacific.

When they were 18, they saved the world.

How do we ever thank them?

217 Words on Marriage

06/13/2008, 4:00 pm -- by David | No Comments

I have heard marriage described as agreeing to spend your life in a room that is too warm with a person who thinks it is too cold. It\’s also agreeing to drink weak coffee with someone who thinks it\’s too strong; spending a third of your life in a bed that’s too soft with someone who thinks it\’s too hard; having to be too hard on your children while she is being too soft — or vice versa.

Marriage is compromise — but the good kind, not the bad. When Paul wrote, “He who is unmarried cares for the things of the Lord ”” how he may please the Lord. But he who is married cares about the things of the world ”” how he may please his wife,” he wasn\’t being critical. He was just being honest.

After 26 years of successful marriage I think I can safely say: “He who is married and cares not for how he may please his wife, will soon enough be spending his days fishing, drowning his sorrows alongside other unmarried saps, whining about how impossible women are to live with.” The most ridiculous advice I have ever received about how to be a “real man around my house” consistently came from men whose wives fled long ago.

Viva le wimp!

Sabbath Musings

06/6/2008, 2:00 pm -- by David | 2 Comments

What do we know about the Sabbath? There was a Sabbath for Jews in the Old Covenant — it was the seventh day of the week, what we now call Saturday. It was ordained of God as a day of rest, so work and travel were forbidden. After the return of the Babylonian captives, Nehemiah and Ezra founded the synagogue and developed the tradition of calling all of Israel together on the Sabbath to be taught their own language and Scripture. All of those facts are still true and in effect in the Jewish religion today.

Now, in the New Covenant, what do we have? The “Lord’s Day,” as John called it in Revelation, the first day of the week, on what we now call Sunday. This was the day Jesus rose from the dead, the day when the early church met to celebrate his Resurrection. It was never called “the Sabbath” in Scripture and the early church did not view it as the Sabbath.

In fact, according to Pliny\’s letter to Emperor Trajan in 110 A.D., the early church met early on Sunday morning, went off to their jobs and livelihoods, then came back together in the evening to share a simple meal together. And these were slaves and poor tradesmen — none of whom had the ability, or the moral compunction, to tell their masters, “I have to be off on Sunday. It\’s the Sabbath.”

So where does the confusion come from over a Christian Sabbath? As with most Christian corruptions, the idea of the Sabbath was introduced into the church when it succumbed to the gentle nurturing of a well-meaning but unspiritual Roman emperor named Constantine.

To quote Henry C. Sheldon’s History of the Christian Church:

“The law of Constantine issued in 321, relative to the observance of Sunday, contains the following prescription: ‘On the venerable day of the Sun, let the magistrates and the people residing in the cities rest, and let all workshops be closed’ ” (Vol. 1, at 487).

To be fair, Constantine did not originate the idea; it\’s something that happened logically in Christianity. The early church felt that their Lord’s Day was emblematic of the Jewish Sabbath, and should carry with it the concept of “not thinking your own thoughts” or “doing your own deeds.” It was to be a day dedicated to the worship of Jesus Christ — but it was only a manner of time until the blundering emperor would cast it into stone as a Sabbath, plunging us back under the law.

Why did the church leadership accept it? The concept of a Sabbath, combined with mandatory tithing, gave them great control over the populace, and access to great wealth. If these things were mandatory, people had to come to church, and they had to bring 10% of their money.

Why did the common man accept it? Because then, as now, it was much easier to conform to a law than to walk with God. Who wouldn’t want to give God one day a week and 10% of their money and be done with it? It\’s a great deal if you can get it. The problem is that he owns every day of your life, and every penny you have. He can ask for any — or all — of it, whenever he likes.

Why should we care? Because you cannot — please listen — you cannot take portions of the Law, drop them into the New Covenant, and expect them to work. The Law, according to Paul, came to produce frustration, ungodliness, and eventually death, to show us our need for Christ. When you apply it to a Christian now, it does the same thing! Preaching the Sabbath or tithing as mandatory obligations for Christians only puts people in bondage and hinders their walk with God.

When should Christians meet? I lean toward Sunday, out of tradition, and because that is when most of my fellow Christians meet. Is it a sin to meet on Saturday? No, no more than meeting on any other day or night. Paul makes it clear that under grace, such things are no longer used to judge us.

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!

One Hundred Words (10)

05/29/2008, 9:00 am -- by David | 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!

My heart was broken on some forgotten yesterday
when there wasn’t time to stop and fix it
So the part of me that sees is here today
but the part that feels is not

If I had faith like Joshua
I could stop the sun,
make the world stop spinning,
freeze time,
let the scattered fragments catch up,

and I’d be whole again.

But I doubt that such a selfish act
could ever pass for faith with God.

–DFS

Four Myths

05/22/2008, 9:00 am -- by David | 6 Comments

1. Racism

Racism — the idea that people hate other people for the color of their skin — is a myth.

How do I know? I grew up in Watertown, N.Y., a city so far north that we only had four black families in the whole city when I was a kid. So what did we do? We hated other white people, and it worked out just fine.

We hated each other for being rich or poor, fat or skinny, tall or short, Northsiders or Southsiders. We hated each other for living in the different projects: Maywood Terrace, East Hills, Cloverdale, Empire Flats. We hated people for being from Canada or Carthage, Adams or Alex Bay.

What people call racism is simply hatred and it has nothing to do with the color of your skin, but rather the color of your heart. If we were all the same color, ate the same food, listened to the same music, and even went to the same churches, we would still find a million reasons to hate and despise each other that had nothing to do with race.

2. The birth of a child is a miracle

A miracle occurs when God suspends the natural operation of this world and interferes with the outcome of a particular action or set of actions. As mind-boggling and incredible as the birth of my children was to me, it was still simply the most likely outcome of my union with my wife.

If producing a child is miraculous, then some of the sorriest examples of humanity ever to live have also been prodigious miracle workers, and should be able to avoid beatification and be immediately named as Catholic saints.

3. The tie goes to the runner

Anyone who has watched any baseball has to admit that this isn\’t the case.

I am too young, or perhaps too unobservant, to comment on whether it was ever true in the past, but surely today it is not. The tie goes to the infielder who makes a spectacular play. If a shortstop or third baseman makes a spectacular grab, wheels, and throws an off-balance strike that skips off the dirt and right into the glove of the first baseman, there ain\’t no way — if it’s at all close — that the runner will be called safe.

4. Southern Hospitality

I know I have said this before, but experiencing “Southern hospitality” for the first time is like drinking a Diet Coke: an initial sensation of sweetness that quickly dissipates, leaving an aftertaste that tells you it\’s not quite genuine.

Adults end every encounter with “Come see us!” (an updated version of “Ya\’ll come back now, ya heah?”) while secretly wishing you would never actually cross the threshold of their house. Children sweetly say “Yes, ma\’am,” “No, ma\’am,” “Yes, sir,” and “No, sir,” while lying to your face about the obscene gesture they made while your head was turned — and will make again as soon as you turn away again.

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 (3)

05/17/2008, 10:00 am -- by David | 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!

They say every dog has his day and mine has been a good one; I have drunk from the porcelain bowl. I have chased squirrels and terrified the elderly. I\’ve escaped from the backyard more times than I can count, and fathered more children than anyone could count. I have left my mark all over this neighborhood, the only world I have ever known, and I am ready for the next one. Throw the ball (or bone) through the veil, and I will follow fearlessly, be it a treat or rolled-up newspaper that awaits me on the other side.

–DFS, for Wallace P. MacSweet

Tag, You’re It!

05/15/2008, 11:00 am -- by David | 1 Comment

If you are reading this message, it is because I have put you on a list of my very best friends! This message brings with it financial blessings, happiness, and the chance to help those less fortunate than you. If you feel the same way about me, find ten of your best friends and send it to them, to continue this wonderful blessing and financial opportunity.

If, however, I am not one of the ten people that you send it back to, I will know that you do not love me, you are not really a Christian, and (in fact) you have always hated me, your mother and God (not necessarily in that order).

What is more, Proctor & Gamble has agreed that if you forward this message to ten people, they will stop tithing to the Satanic Church, and instead use that money to send food and medicine to needy children overseas. Also, Bill Gates and Microsoft have agreed that if you forward the message to the ten people, and they, in turn, forward it to ten more people too, the company will donate to an offshore account in Nigeria, $1,000 for every 100 forwarded emails.

That money will then be tied up in litigation, once the Barrister handling the funds dies in a plane crash, but don’t fear! His assistant, the Right Honorable M\’bai\’ D\’undooloo Kinsha-Shazz will contact you about how to retrieve your portion (possibly as high as $2,000,000.00) by simply sending him your bank account number, your debit card with PIN, all your blank checks, and any jewelry you have lying around the house.

Remember! You must forward this message to ten people before you shut down your browser, or even use the rest room! Starving children, Nigerian diplomats, and me — your best friend — are all hanging in the balance, and we could be hurt terribly by your indecision.

God bless!

Bible Discussion — Luke 21

05/14/2008, 12:30 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next chapter of Luke, Luke 21.

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

INTRODUCTION:
David:
Starting in 20:46 and carrying through to verse 6 here, Jesus dealt with the wrong attitudes people had about ‘mammon,’ and the things of this world. Pharisees playing at religion for profit, a widow’s gift of a penny worth more than the overflowing bags of the wealthy, and his disciples’ inordinate affection for the beauty of the Temple building. None of it mattered — especially in the face of what is coming to pass, God\’s judgment on the earth.

Mike:
Jesus encourages His disciples to be ready for the inbreaking of the Kingdom of God.

Steve:
This passage seems to me to be directed not only to the disciples, but also to those who would read it throughout the ages, wondering about the signs that would foretell the return of Christ. The advice Jesus gave is just as valuable now as it was then. Do not be frightened when you hear of wars and revolutions, destruction and pestilence, for it will come in God’s time, just as it did on a smaller scale in the years following His ascension. And meanwhile, Jerusalem will be “trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.”

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Josh:
“. . . and they will put some of you to death . . . but not a hair of your head shall be lost.”

I assume the second statement refers to spiritual salvation, since a cure for baldness would offer little comfort after hearing that your own mother was going to kill you.

Connie:
v.19 — “By your patience possess your souls.”

Mike:
How Jesus leads into the coming-of-the-Kingdom story with the jarring image of the Temple being destroyed ”” how powerful and unsettling that must have been to the original hearers!

Steve:
Jesus compared the day of His return to a closing trap, but not just toward the unrighteous — toward those who believed, yet let their hearts become “weighed down” with the things of the world.

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Mike: Flee to the Mountains
Josh: Another Fig Tree
David: onestone
Steve: Delayed End
Connie: Trampled by Gentiles

Continued here!

I’ve Got A Mansion?

05/9/2008, 10:00 am -- by David | No Comments

One of the much ballyhooed aspects of Christianity that perplexes me is this notion that when I get to heaven, I will have a mansion waiting for me. Don\’t get me wrong — I know that Jesus Himself said that in his Father’s house were many mansions, and that He was going there to prepare one for me — I just don\’t know what I\’m going to do with it.

If you’re like me (and you\’ll admit it), you have daydreamed at some point abut being rich. You know, winning the lottery, inheriting millions of dollars, inventing some great product or service that makes you a millionaire or billionaire. And part of that, of course, is planning out your mansion. Have you ever had these two trains of thought collide? Have you ever dreamt of what your mansion would be like in heaven? I have, and it\’s perplexing.

I love books, so my earthly mansion is always centered around a great library. Something huge, two floors high, dark wood paneled, and stocked with volume after volume of leather-bound Bible commentaries, exegetics, and first editions by all my favorite authors. If you saw the movie Meet Joe Black, Anthony Hopkins has a similar library. So what\’s the problem? Well, what could I possibly need books for in heaven? I suspect I\’ll know everything I need, or want, to know. Why would I still be interested in the affairs of a sin-sick fallen race? Like Paul said, “Now I know in part; then I shall know, even as I am known.” So, anyway, the library is out.

What about a kitchen? I like to cook. But will I have to cook there? If I have to cook, I\’ll make a mess, and since we aren\’t given in marriage there, abiding like the angels, I\’ll have no wife to help clean! I usually do a lot of that myself anyway, but how would it be heaven if I still have to empty the trash? Wash dishes? Sweep and mop the floor? Wipe down the counters?

And if I need a kitchen, will I need a bathroom? I hope not.

You see where this is going. A game room: you gonna shoot pool in heaven, or play ping-pong? A home theatre: what are you gonna watch in heaven? Certainly not Charlie\’s Angels. How many bedrooms? What would I do with one anyway? Will I even sleep in heaven? It\’s mind-boggling.

As grateful as I am, I just can\’t think of one thing that I would need a mansion for in heaven. I plan on worshipping the Lord, and maybe, if it\’s possible, slipping out for a ride through the cosmos once in a while, to check out the planets, nebulae, comets and asteroid belts. I can\’t think of anything that would compel me to hang around a mansion, washing windows, mowing lawns, waxing floors…

Best of Bweinh! — Women In Ministry

05/6/2008, 11:30 am -- by Bweinh | 2 Comments

In this corner, arguing for different ministry roles for men and women, is David!

And in this corner, supporting the ordination and public ministry of women, is Steve!

“I don’t hate women. . . my mother was a woman!” — Mike Tyson

It would be wrong to suppose, just because I am on the opposing side of this issue, that I favor a ban on women in ministry. My first two pastors were women and I have nothing but the utmost respect for the role they played in my early development as a Christian.

I simply think there are unavoidable Biblical statements that must be incorporated into our understanding of what is and isn’t appropriate for how women function in the body of Christ.

In 1 Timothy 2:11-15 we find, to me, the most formidable barrier to a carte blanche approach to women in ministry. Paul mentions subjection, authority and Eve’s role in the Fall of man as all playing a role here. Unless we reject Paul’s words as Scripture, which Peter specifically warned us not to do in 2 Peter 3:15-16, calling them Scripture, I don’t see how we can ignore his statements.

He uses the word subjection (hupostassas), which is also noted in the relationship of men and women in Ephesians, 1 Peter and Colossians, and mainly connotes order as opposed to chaos within an organization. Any attempt to define the separate roles of men and women in the church and family has to take these Scriptures into account.

Is the woman less of a Christian? No. Does she have a different role to play in the church and family? Yes. A role that carries with it submission to male authority? Yes.

In this section Paul says, “I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over a man.” In the Greek the phrase “to teach” is not constructed as a one-time action; it refers to holding the position of “teacher.” The word “teacher” is interpreted elsewhere as “master” (rabboni), and refers to the person who ruled on doctrinal matters in the synagogue and was recognized as its final authority. Paul was not forbidding a women to preach or teach in his assemblies, in my opinion, but rather forbade them from holding that place of authority.

He links this, however uncomfortable it makes us, with the Fall, Adam being “first formed” and Eve being “deceived.” If we need further proof Paul believed there was a lingering judgment on Eve’s descendants, we need only read through verse 15, where he makes the statement, “Nevertheless she shall be saved in childbearing.” What was the punishment bestowed upon Eve for her place in the fall? Pain in childbirth. Paul notes that though there is a lingering judgment that has placed her in subjection to man, judgment will not overcome her. But the judgment still remains.

Paul also told the Galatians, “In Christ there is no male and female,” and this statement is not a contradiction. Man has no favor with God that woman does not have, no special gifts or perks. We just serve in different roles. My boss is not inherently better than me, but he is over me in authority, and I must respect that.

What should a woman do if she is called to preach? Preach with all her heart! Teach? Teach with all her heart! Sing? Sing with all her heart!

But should she be ordained? I do not believe so — but I willingly acknowledge another thread that runs through the Bible. God rejects those who reject him, and uses whomever is faithful, whether or not they meet the requirements of His own scriptural statements.

The culture of Christ’s day treated women as second-class citizens. Jews of that time were known to thank God for not making them “a dog, a Gentile, or a woman,” and almost all ancient men treated their wives, daughters and sisters as mere possessions. The famous trick question of the Sadducees, meant to attack the resurrection, was built on the concept that a woman’s existence — even in Heaven — was primarily defined by which man owned her.

And into that world came Jesus Christ, the living Word of God, who never treated women this way. He spoke, alone, to the Samaritan woman at the well (Jn 4), He visited Mary and Martha at their home, He allowed women to support Him financially (Lk 8), He was lavishly anointed by a woman at dinner (Lk 7). He did not allow a woman caught in adultery to be condemned while her male compatriot got off scot-free (Jn 8); when His disciples fled, the women in His life anointed Him for burial (Lk 23) and first witnessed His resurrection (Mt 28).

Similarly, throughout the Bible, women served in leadership and ministry roles. Deborah led the nation of Israel (Jdg 4-5). Miriam, for all her faults, was a prophetess (Ex 15:20). Priscilla taught and preached with her husband (Ac 18:26), and in Romans 16, Paul sent greetings to many women in the ministry, including deaconess Phoebe and apostle Junia.

Against this powerful model of Christ’s behavior and the normative example of Biblical ministry by women, we have — what? A passage in I Corinthians that, on its face, seems to demand absolute silence from the same women who were just given instructions on proper public prayer, and a passage in I Timothy written to those in Ephesus, a city known for false teachers and the female-dominated Artemis cult.

It is not that these passages are unscriptural, or somehow less important than any of the rest of the Bible. It’s precisely because none of these texts can be ignored that, one way or the other, we must reconcile the contradiction between the repeated use of women in public ministry throughout the Old and New Testaments, and the apparent stark prohibition of such behavior here.

Is it simply that God used women when men were not available? Not so of Miriam, who served with her brother, or Deborah, who ruled Israel alone, while married. It’s not true of the women Paul greeted in Romans, and there’s no suggestion of a divine or universal command in those churches to limit their ministry to certain roles, or to avoid making women the ultimate ‘teacher.’ The only places this is mentioned are Corinth and Ephesus.

Let’s look at those churches. Much of I Corinthians was devoted to order during worship, which (from context) likely had to do with largely uneducated women dressing provocatively and blabbing during church. And like I said, in Ephesus, local women were quite ‘liberated’ in their form of worship. Weighing the evidence from other churches against the history of these two, doesn’t it make more sense that Paul’s words were guidelines for specific situations, rather than universal, normative commands?

I do believe that in general, men and women are called to different roles in the family and church. But God has made us all unique, with different gifts. Not all women have the gift to encourage; not every man can teach. It would be improvident to suggest, based on two passages and the Fall, that we should limit the use — or even the context of the use — of some of God’s gifts to half of His people.

{democracy:44}

A Wedding Blessing

05/2/2008, 12:00 pm -- by David | No Comments

What does it mean to you?
When you find a friend that is true?
Will you count all your treasures less precious than this?
I know two people who do. . .
— Honeytree

I\’m leaving for New York today to see my nephew Djere get married to his sweetheart Karen. It\’s exciting. I have been thinking about it more and more, as the day approaches, and I keep remembering a similar wedding 26 years ago this month when my wife and I were joined together in holy matrimony.

The days leading up to the wedding will be hectic, the day itself crazy. There will be so many things to do, so many people to greet and thank, so many well-wishers extending hands and hugs and hurried words of wisdom or encouragement. So here is my word of wisdom and encouragement, to be taken at leisure when times slow down a little bit.

The quote above is from a song played at our wedding in May 1982. I remember a lot of things about the wedding, but this one song, and this one verse, has stayed with me longer than any other. When I heard the line “Will you count all your treasures less precious than this?,” I remembered a round red tin container, the former home of butter cookies or some such thing, which then held the few treasures I possessed in life.

It held:
(1) REGGIE candy bar wrapper from 1977, when the Yankees were the reigning world champs
(1) ESSO coin/keychain fob that I had found in my coin collecting days
(1) tattered white/gold tassel from my graduation from Jefferson Community College in 1981
(1) bundle of articles I had written while serving a journalism internship at the Watertown Daily Times in spring 1981
(1) bulletin from the retirement service for Pastor Polly, my first pastor after I became a Christian.

It\’s odd the things that make up a man\’s life and dreams at the age of 21. I loved Jesus, sports, antiques, and the dream of being a newspaper reporter. In my mind, the tin and its contents were what I saw when I felt those words bidding me to take all that I had, every dream that I had ever dreamed, every object that I had treasured, and lay them down as meaningless compared to this woman whom I loved — and still love — with all my heart.

Life will be filled with so many complications, disappointments and surprises that I\’m not sure anyone could ever give a newly married man a map to safely navigate it all. But do this: treasure your wife above everything you have; love God; and love your children when they come. As the bondservant said in Exodus 21:5: “I love my master, my wife, and my children. I will forswear my right to be free.”

Bible Discussion — Luke 20

04/30/2008, 4:00 pm -- by Bweinh | 1 Comment

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next chapter of Luke, Luke 20.

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

INTRODUCTION:
David:
Authority, and how we respond to it, is the main theme of this chapter. After the Jews ask Jesus where He got his authority, He traps them by promising an answer if they can answer a question of His: “Where did John\’s authority come from?”

Ah, but they could not answer because, in reality, they had no interest in whether Jesus — or John — had real authority; they just cared about how long they could avoid submission to it while not angering the crowds who believed. There is the crux in life: if you believe in God, live out that belief. If you don\’t, say so.

But not us; like hypocrites, we stay in the miserable middle ground, claiming to still search for an answer, waiting for the weather to change, while our opportunity to obey, or identify with God, disappears.

Connie:
These are a few different examples where Jesus was teaching the people and the religious teachers of the day threw Him questions to try to trip Him up and accuse Him of “crimes,” or perhaps make Him look foolish. It usually had the opposite effect.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Josh:
On at least one occasion, the chief priests and teachers of the law sent spies to ask Jesus one of their trick questions instead of doing it themselves (vv. 20-21). Good idea, guys! Make sure they preface the question with a compliment about His teaching to reel Him in. He\’ll never see through that one.

Connie:
In verse 39, after the seven brothers question (which I think the Broadway musical was based on), “some” of the scribes answered and said, “Teacher, You have spoken well.” And it says they stopped asking questions after that. Could it be that those “some” were won over, not just tired of the game?

Steve:
Jesus doesn’t just say that God is the God of the living — He says that, to Him, “all are alive.” What does this suggest about our conception of the afterlife?

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Josh: Enemy Footstool
David: Lord of the Vineyard
Connie: Cornerstone
Steve: Empty Hand

Continued here!

Clash of the Titans XVIII: Hockey Fights

04/29/2008, 12:00 pm -- by Bweinh | 2 Comments

Originally published May 1, 2007!

In this corner, arguing against fighting in hockey, is Mike!

And in this corner, arguing for fighting in hockey, is Dave!

Hey, I have an idea.

You know hockey? That sport with the small base of rabid fans?

What a sport it is! Such speed, as players fly down the ice; such grace, as the best players weave in and out and around defenders on their way to the net; such precision, as the best shooters pick their spot and put it in the one area the goalie can’t reach; such power, as the best shooters wind up for 100 MPH slapshots that nearly tear the back of the net.

Which brings me to my idea. Let’s clog the ice with goons!

Let’s take that sport, with such a unique combination of athleticism and grace, and let’s make sure every team has at least one guy whose job it is to go out and fight the other team’s one guy. Let’s make sure that the fast, exciting guys (many of whom are from another culture) cower in fear that they might get knocked in the head while Western fans nod appreciatively at the Russian getting his due at long last! Let’s be sure that head shots stay legal and that at least once every game there is a fight with at least one player caught in the flattering “jersey-stuck-over-my-face” pose!

Why would anyone want to watch Sergei Federov or Simon Gagne or Sidney Crosby or Daniel Briere, with their crisp passing and deadly accurate shooting, when we could watch Todd Fedoruk or Colton Orr mangle each other for a while?

Further, let’s make fighting part of an “unwritten code” so that it’s cloaked in romanticism! A near-apocalypse would happen if a dozen (coincidentally?) mostly black NBA players cleared the benches and brawled; lengthy suspensions would result and white America would cluck their tongues at how bad the NBA’s getting. But if we have a “code” for mostly white players to live by, with consequences like getting your teeth knocked out, then suddenly it’s quaint! We can say it’s just part of the game, always has been, and always should be. Hey — Hammurabi had a code! So should we.

What would hockey be without the fighting? Speed, agility, grace, precision, drama? Who would ever watch that?

I am here to defend the use of Goons in hockey. If you don’t know what a Goon is, let me explain. He’s the guy who lumbers off the bench and pulverizes the opponent who dares to initiate, or even attempt to initiate, some type of painful contact with a hockey team’s “skilled” players. A skilled player, of course, has a Russian, Swedish or Finnish name and the same size uniform and skates as the Goon wore in Pee Wee hockey.

I know that the usual tack would be for me to cite the Code, that unwritten (yet often written about) set of laws that serve as the rules of engagement for Goons. I would explain to you that skilled players are valuable assets who need protection and explain how deterrence necessitates fisticuffs — like a safety leveling a wide receiver who catches a pass across the middle, you do it so they think twice the next time they think about doing something they shouldn’t.

But I’m going in a different direction — economic concern. For the Goons.

Here’s the question to consider — what else can these guys do for a living? These are not, as one athlete has said, “the brightest tools in the shed.” These people have struggled to learn human speech and have even found a meaningful way to contribute to society that (usually) doesn’t involve violent crime. Why turn them out?

And Goons are entertaining! During a tense playoff game several years ago between the Flyers and Devils, noted Goon Claude Lemieux (my spell check offers lummox here) was trash talking Flyers captain Eric Desjardins. After a particular rush ended with a Desjardins shot rather than a pass, Lemieux taunted him with the remark, “You always think about yourself first! What does that ‘C’ on your shirt stand for? SELFISH?” And then we have Bernie “Boom-Boom” Geoffrion’s now-famous words of wisdom to his MontrÃ©al teammates before a big game: “Three things we must do tonight, and that is shoot and pass.”

Where else can the world use men like this? Burger King? Wal*Mart? Sure, but these places seem to have enough imbeciles already, and if they were also huge and muscular, I couldn’t make fun of them anymore. We need to keep fighting in the NHL — to keep Goons employed and off the streets.

{democracy:30}

Why You Show Up

04/24/2008, 10:00 am -- by David | No Comments

I read an article once, in a motivational booklet our company circulated each month, in which a boy was beaten up by a bully at his bus stop. The next day, the boy got to the bus stop early, and waited. As the bully approached, the boy set his books down, assumed a fighting stance, and said, “Let\’s go!” The bully, confused, asked, “What are you talking about?”

“We\’re going to fight again,” the boy said. “Today, tomorrow, every day until I beat you.”

The bully shook his head and walked away, mumbling, “I can\’t. I hurt my arm yesterday when we fought.”

And that is why you show up in life.

You never know what will happen tomorrow. Yesterday is dead and gone. Did you lose then? So what? That doesn\’t mean you’ll lose today. Some days, all you have to do is show up. In sports, it\’s called a forfeit, or a walkover. The person, or team, which was so unbeatable yesterday, may not even be able to perform today.

I know some of you are hockey fans, many of the Philadelphia Flyers, so you know just what I mean. The Flyers got off to a great start in their opening round series, going up 3-1 in games. Then what happened? The sleeping giant awoke in Washington, and the Capitals dominated for two straight games. They shut the Flyers down in Washington in game 5 (3-2), then came to Philly and shut them down again (4-2) to tie the series at 3 apiece.

Their superior skating and playmaking, and the explosive offense of Ovechkin, Backstrom and Semin simply overpowered the Flyers for two straight games — and game 7 was back on their home ice. No one would have blamed the Flyers for not showing up Tuesday in Washington.

A funny thing happened, though. When you play two straight nights, and three times in four nights, people become fatigued — and as Vince Lombardi was fond of saying, “Fatigue makes cowards of us all.” So what happened? Washington didn\’t show up. They had nothing left in the tank. After spending 2 straight games checking the Flyers into oblivion, dominating the boards and winning every loose puck, the Capitals had nothing left to give. And the Flyers won the game and the series.

And that is why you show up.

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.

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!

Clash of the Titans LXXIX — The Stanley Cup

04/18/2008, 12:00 pm -- by Bweinh | 6 Comments

In this corner, supporting the Philadelphia Flyers, is David!

And in this corner, rooting for the Philadelphia Flyers, is Djere!

The Flyers started their postseason with a loss this year, but it was this game, and the game that followed, that convinced me they had a legitimate shot at winning Lord Stanley\’s Cup this year.

In the opening game they lost 5-4 at Washington, before a sellout crowd that could only be called “manic.” They were so pumped! Alex Ovechkin had almost singlehandedly led them through a streak of 11 games without a loss to win the Southeast Division. He had also pretty much clinched the season MVP award, by scoring 65 goals and lifting his team into the playoffs. Winning game one was inevitable for the Caps.

So why was I so sure Philly would win the series and have a shot at winning it all? Because, while weathering the first game storm, they still scored four times — and each goal was effortless. Washington scored five goals in a frantic pace they could never sustain, but the Flyers sat back, played patient hockey, and netted four effortless goals.

It takes three things to win the Stanley Cup — solid defense, opportunistic offense and hot goaltending. The Flyers show all three.

Solid defense — The Flyers have a deep defensive core with a good mix of young guys and hardy veterans. Hatcher, Modry and Timonen are three solid veterans, while Coburn, Jones and Kukkonen are three young guys with size and speed. And the entire team is playing with a patience that dictates defense first, then offense.

Opportunistic offense: Solid defense produces turnovers, and a turnover in the hands of a sniper winds up in the back of the net. The Devils made a living, and won a couple Cups, with a lineup that featured no superstars but snipers on every line. The Flyers’ top seven forwards averaged nearly 28 goals each this year. That’s the kind of depth a team needs to take advantage of every opportunity to score, and the Flyers have it. So far, in this series, they have scored 16 goals from 8 different players, and they have done it effortlessly. It’s sustainable.

Hot goaltending: Marty Biron gave up five goals in game one, so you might question calling that hot goaltending — but let me explain. That loss was, as I said, inevitable. If the Flyers put ten men on the ice, it would not have kept the Capitals from doing whatever it took to win. Strike it from the record.

But Biron ended the season by shutting out Pittsburgh and New Jersey, the two best teams in the Atlantic Division. He came back in game 2 in Washington and pitched another shutout. His last six games, including that five-goal game, give him a GAA of 1.83 and a .933 save percentage with three shutouts. I call that hot goaltending!

Hello Lord Stanley!

As an amateur Chaotician and part-time Historian, I bring good tidings of great joy. The curse of William Penn will be lifted this spring, and the Broad Street Bullies shall win the Stanley Cup.

For those of you who aren’t familiar, William Penn founded the original British colony of Pennsylvania, or “Penn’s Woods.” Residing atop Philadelphia’s City Hall is a statue of Mr. Penn, complete with goofy colonial hat and shoe buckles. For years and years, the city maintained a gentlemen’s agreement (strictly enforced by the city planner) that no building in the City of Philadelphia would exceed the statue’s prominence of 548 feet.

The ’70s and ’80s saw a veritable hotbed of sporting-related successes in Philadelphia. Championships were won by the Flyers in ’74 and ’75 (with Stanley Cup Finals appearances in ’76, ’80, and ’85); the Phillies won the World Series in ’80 and the NL pennant in ’83; the Eagles won the ’81 NFC championship; and even the 76ers won the NBA Championship in ’83, making the finals in ’77, ’80, and ’82. Things were looking good in the City of Brotherly Love.

But then, disaster struck. Developers broke ground on One Liberty Place, the first skyscraper slated to supersede the statue in height. Since construction of the 945-foot behemoth began in 1985, Philadelphia has not seen a championship in baseball, football, basketball, hockey, college basketball — or (worst of all) even horse racing’s Triple Crown.

But today, things are changing. Eclipsing even the shadow of One Liberty Place is the new Comcast Center, the tallest building in all of Pennsylvania. How will this change the sporting atmosphere of Philadelphia?

Two reasons:
1. Comcast owns the Flyers and the 76ers.
2. Attached to the tallest beam on the skyscraper is a statue of William Penn.

From his new perch, high atop the Comcast Center, ol’ Billy Penn can finally stand at ease as the tallest man in his woods, lifting his curse with him.

Go Flyers and God bless America!

{democracy:235}

My Words

04/18/2008, 9:26 am -- by David | No Comments

Bweinh! celebrates National Poetry Month.

I write these words today and hope that they are true
true to the purpose
of living here for You

And I long for eloquence to break the gravity
breaking with tradition
to soar with levity

And somewhere in heaven perhaps they’ll find a home
mixed with the prayers of saints
who suffered here alone

But my words are limited in what they might become
a prayer, a song, a monologue,
a sonnet to the Son

While your words are powerful though ever so reserved
dropped from heaven sparingly
till all the earth is served

But my words are all I have, thoughts cast into stone
settled on a point of view
and lifted to your throne

I only hope they’re purified passing through the cloud
purged from their insolence
before they’re heard aloud

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!

Waxman In Trouble Again

04/11/2008, 10:00 am -- by David | No Comments

Sen. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) is in trouble again. You’ll recall that Waxman spent the last 18 months embroiled in an intellectual property lawsuit with New Line Cinema, who accused him of violating their trademark for the computer-generated King Kong image by wearing an identical mask on the floor of the Senate, terrifying visitors and amusing colleagues.

After months of legal wrangling and threats of financial penalty, it was determined Waxman was not indeed wearing a mask, and that any similarity between him and the mythical ape was purely coincidental. New Line apologized warily, but told Waxman off the record that they would be watching to see if his appearance changed down the road.

Now his colleagues are after him. After the televised baseball hearings, featuring Roger Clemens, put Waxman in the public eye for long periods of time, many senators were deluged with complaints from frightened members of their constituency.

Several have now sponsored a bill with wide bipartisan support, which would establish protocols for which senators would receive prominent coverage during televised hearings, based on standards of personal appearance. Although no one has specifically pointed to Sen. Waxman as the bill’s target, around the Senate, the bill has been unofficially dubbed the “Hideous Henry Act.”

“There should be a minimum level of attractiveness that we adhere to in our dealings with the public through mass communications,” said Fran Crouse (R-Iowa), chairman of the powerful Personal Beautification Standards committee. “We have not singled anyone out — obviously we would never do that — but there are, frankly, some politicians who should be heard and not seen.”

Bible Discussion — Luke 16 and 17

04/9/2008, 1:00 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next two chapters of Luke, Luke 16-17.

INTRODUCTION:
David:
Chapter 16 starts with one of the more difficult parables, so let\’s simplify it. Parable comes from two Greek words: para (alongside) and ballew (to throw). In a parable, God throws something beyond our experience from His kingdom alongside something we do understand, for perspective. It\’s like photographing the latest microchip next to a dime as a reference point.

What is being compared here? In v. 9: how the wicked know enough to use wealth to furnish themselves with a comfortable future, a lesson we need to learn. Jesus goes on to stress that dishonesty (vv. 10-12) is undesirable in a Christian and thus is not the point of the story. Instead, He illustrates it in vv. 19-30, where a rich man passes up an opportunity to use his wealth to assure himself a better place in eternity, and is punished for it.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Connie:
In v. 5, the apostles begin a request to Jesus with the words, “Increase our faith.”

Reaaalllly?

Oh no they di’in’t!

But they did. I wouldn’t have had the nerve. I just would’ve shut up and hoped to have increased my own faith.

David:
That the dishonest steward is called a “rascal” in the NLT.

Steve:
The Pharisees, described as lovers of money, “sneered” at Jesus after he spoke of its incompatibility as a dual master with God. What does He know?, they probably thought. What could a poor itinerant teaching carpenter understand of the blessings God has entrusted to us? And then, just as now, Christ put the lie to their implicit boast that wealth and success were signs of God’s favor.

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Steve: Roof
Josh: One or The Other
Connie: One Tittle
David: Rascal

Continued here!

The Heroes Series — Caedmon

04/3/2008, 11:30 am -- by David | 1 Comment

Read the first in the series!

Caedmon was a 7th-century cowherd in Saxon England. During gatherings at the abbey which employed him, it was a common form of merrymaking in the evening to pass around the lute and take turns making up frivolous songs in the easy, alliterative style of rhyming popular at the time. As the lute drew nearer and nearer to Caedmon, he became more and more distressed, and finally, as his turn arrived, he quickly left the house and retired to his bed in the stable, where he cast himself down in misery.

Suddenly there appeared to him a vision of Jesus saying, “Caedmon, sing.”

“I cannot sing,” was the melancholy reply. “That is why I came out here.”

“But you will sing to me,” Jesus replied.

“What shall I sing?”

“You will sing of all created things.”

The next day an amazing transformation took place as Caedmon went to the Abbey and had the abbess read to him from the Scriptures. He then began to sing the story of Creation. With all of Europe lying in spiritual darkness, Caedmon began to put the Bible into the language of the common English-speaking people.

Caedmon became a voice to his generation; his writings became seminal resources for the eventual English translations of Wycliffe and Tyndale. This was Caedmon\’s call, and although I have no confirmation, it must be the origin of the name for the Christian band, Caedmon’s Call.

I stumbled across this account in a book called How We Got Our English Bible, and I have been challenged ever since by thoughts like, “What can I do to be a voice for my generation, a voice to my culture? What excuses do I have? What deficiencies can He turn to His glory?”

We never know until we open our mouth — or pick up a pen — how God may use us.

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!

Clash of the Titans LXXVI: Cats and Dogs

03/28/2008, 12:00 pm -- by Bweinh | 9 Comments

In this corner, arguing for felines, is Connie!

And in this corner, backing canines, is David!

Ever since I taught my younger brother to play chess I have been avoiding this day — the day of face-to-face competition. Now you\’re going to see why I hid the chess pieces.

The first thing I noticed about my dear brother\’s piece is that except for our own canines, every other dog he mentioned was fictitious. Why is this pertinent? Well, I submit that my esteemed opponent lives in La-La Land with those fake doggies. Here\’s what happens in the real world, Dave.

Thanksgiving ’98: I run home for a stick of butter I left on my kitchen counter. As I enter, I encounter a strange smell that could only be described as “fouler than death,” and the butter is missing. When I call my dog, she slinks over to me. Suddenly, I see why: there is butter-induced dog puke all over my kitchen — and my living room. But we weren’t finished! To top it off, she left a cow liver in the hallway!

That’s not all! A year earlier, when she had puppies, she broke out of her carefully constructed kitchen kennel, and had a puppy in every room before we got home! So point 1 is this: cats make cat-sized messes. When a dog makes a mess, it can change your family vocabulary forever: “Life is rough, and then your dog eats butter.” Check.

Point 2: The worst thing a cat will do to a visitor is ignore her. But when visiting dog-occupied homes, I’ve experienced a number of horrific scenarios — the large dog that hates me and wants to kill me, the large dog that loves me and want to slobber all over me. Or the VEEERRRY large dog who thinks I smell reeeally greeeaat, and would love to smell me more, forcing me to push its huge face (where the teeth are) away, at risk of great physical harm. Finally, there’s the small dog who sees me as a threat and barks loudly and constantly, threatening to bite if I so much as move.

Yip yip yip, yip yip! Yip, yip, yip, yip yip! Yip yip!!

Yip!

Check.

Why do I like cats? Because they know how to shut up!! Plus, they\’re soft and cuddly, don\’t need a lot of attention, and can be left alone for a weekend with a bowl of Special Kitty and a dripping faucet. A cat is like a stuffed animal with a personality! We get ours fixed and train them to go to the bathroom outdoors, then sit back and enjoy the benefits — which include killing massive numbers of rodents (ridding the world of potential epidemics), with no thanks asked in return. A recent study says that cats can even prevent heart attacks! Maybe it’s the calming effect of not having to clean up butter puke and roadkill.

By the way, Dave, your rook\’s in the hall closet. Love you, bro — checkmate.

Wallace P. MacSweet. Liberty Diefenbaker Proton Fay. Lady and the Tramp. Rin-Tin-Tin, Lassie and Ol’ Yeller. Benji, Air Bud, Underdog, Chance, and Shadow, to mention but a few. Time fails me to tell of all the shining examples of dogs who have distinguished themselves in the annals of human history through their loyalty, bravery and undying devotion.

When the Phantom needs a sidekick, does he turn to anyone but Devil to watch his back? Where would Charlie Brown be without Snoopy? And speaking of Snoopy, does he content himself to lie around eating up the family food budget, producing nothing but fertilizer? No. He is a certified war hero and flying ace, an attorney, and a hockey player to boot.

What does the cat world have to set against this? A lazy, fat, lasagna-eating, hairball-hacking fleabag that takes every opportunity he can find to embarrass and humiliate his owner?

And which side was Catwoman on in the epic battle of good and evil in Gotham City?

The dog has always been regarded as man’s best friend. Whether it’s for companionship, protection, or a hot meal in a pinch, dogs have always been the one animal on this planet that man could turn to in a time of need.

Imagine running the Iditarod across the frozen tundra, temperatures hovering near 50 below, and your life depending on a pack of . . . felines. If you ever even got a cat into Alaska, you certainly could never get it to leave the house in those sub-zero temperatures.

Dogs are domesticated friends, fellow laborers in all our troubles. Cats are parasites, who somehow attached themselves to the human race long ago, finding a soft place to sleep and free food.

Dogs are working animals. Blind people use seeing-eye dogs to navigate the world, and policemen use specially trained dogs to search for drugs, firearms, and explosives. Dogs control crowds; they find escaped criminals and lost Boy Scouts. Ranchers use dogs to round up sheep and cattle — nursing homes use them to improve the mental and physical health of the elderly. What do cats do, again? Oh yes, nothing.

I read that the essential difference between cats and dogs is this: When you come home after work, feed your dog, and pet him, he looks at you with devotion and wonder, thinking, “Wow, he must be a god!”

But when you do the same to a cat, it looks at you with contempt and annoyance, and thinks, “I must be a god.”

{democracy:228}

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!

The Poison of Oppression

03/25/2008, 9:00 am -- by David | No Comments

“I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.”
–Luke 19:40

I read a commentary on this verse that interprets it to mean that, had the oppressed people in question been silenced, they would have picked up stones and rocks to voice their rage and displeasure. Anyone who watches CNN knows that this is still the preferred way to confront political oppression among the powerless inhabitants of Palestine. But even if this was Christ’s meaning, the manner of his life and death serves as swift assurance that he uttered it not as a veiled threat, but simply as a commentary on the desperation of the oppressed.

I remember an episode of Remington Steele, where Pierce Brosnan’s character was describing his early life as an urchin on the streets of London. He was homeless and hungry one Christmas Eve when he came upon a street-level window; there he watched a family, gathered around the tree, celebrating together. He described it beautifully, and then was asked how he responded to the scene. Shrugging his shoulders, he said, “I threw a brick through the window and ran away.”

When I watched that scene as a young adult, it was the first time that my previous life as a juvenile delinquent made any sense to me. I was part of an angry pack of youths — we stole from anyone we could, burglarized many businesses, and perpetrated all manner of indiscriminate acts of vandalism on the streets of my hometown. Although I never could have articulated it at the time, we felt oppressed. We hated anyone with nice clothes, or nice houses, or money. And we fought back with the only weapon we had: our rage.

I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior at age 17, but the years before are still stored in my memory, along with the dregs of feeling oppressed and powerless.

So when Barack Obama\’s pastor — as a black man — rails at the hostility and oppression that he perceives to be inherent in white culture, it neither confounds nor distresses me. I understand it.

When he speaks those things as a man of God, however, it deeply grieves me. It is one thing to drink from the chalice of bitterness, but another thing entirely to stand at the altar in the house of God, and offer it as a vessel, fit for the communion of God\’s holy saints.

He That Hath Ears to Hear, Part IV — Thorns and Weeds

03/24/2008, 9:00 am -- by David | No Comments

Don\’t close your eyes,
Don\’t close your eyes —
This is your life . . .
Is it everything you dreamed that it would be?
When the world was younger . . .
— Jon Foreman, Switchfoot

I have a friend named Chuck, and I remember a conversation we had seven or eight years ago about how our zeal for the things of God can diminish with time. We were reminiscing about when we first got saved — how we were going to change the world, how we witnessed to anything that moved, how we went on the streets, and handed out tracts, and preached in the jails. In fact, Chuck made a confession to me that we both found quite humorous at the time. He said that he was so on fire for God when he first got saved and started reading the Bible, that he became absolutely convinced he would be one of the “two witnesses” spoken of in Revelation; he could not conceive of his life ending any other way.

I don\’t really need to tell you the rest, do I? I saw Chuck\’s wife in Wal-Mart a while back on a Sunday afternoon, and she told me they are “out of church,” as they call it down here. Why? They are building a new house, and the weekends are the only time they have to oversee the work being done by subcontractors. When the house is finished, though, they are planning to look for another church.

In this last section of the parable, Jesus compares people who get consumed by “the cares and riches of this life” to the seed that falls among thorns and eventually gets choked out. I\’m a pure exegetic preacher, so I see no other way to deal with metaphors than to trust that Jesus was correct when he defined them as cares and riches. How could there be another application than what Jesus so clearly stated? Cares and riches — these choke the word of God in our life so that we bring no fruit to maturity.

Cares are unavoidable; we have to work, mow our lawns, raise our kids, file our taxes and pay our bills. But we cannot let these choke out the work of God in our life. That\’s what Luke 13 and Matthew 7 are all about. We cannot live like the unbelievers. We cannot worry about the things that the world worries about.

Riches, Paul told Timothy, are deceitful and hurtful, plunging men into all manner of evil. The pursuit of riches has left many a person “pierced through with many sorrows.” Any conception you have of Christianity that allows you to put Jesus on a back shelf while you deal with your life, or pursue riches, can only hurt you and bog you down. It will only kill the work of the word of God in your life, and it will keep you from accomplishing what you have already heard from God.

Human Hearts

03/20/2008, 4:30 pm -- by David | No Comments

To be a human being is to be a failure. To have been born of woman and lived among men is to have been spawned and nurtured by a fallen race; a race that could not abide in its original position of favor with the Almighty God of the universe, but rather, was overcome by sin and fleshly temptations.

In many respects it is an exercise in futility. Even as Christians we serve a God who commands us to be like him and supplies us with His Holy Spirit to accomplish such an end — sending His own Son to die on the cross to remove our sin, so as to make the whole thing possible! And yet it seems impossible, for we continue to sin after we are saved, we still fall short of his expectations.

God tells us in Peter\’s first epistle: “Be ye holy, even as I am holy.” Jesus tells His disciples that if they love one another, even as He loved them, then the world will know that they are His disciples. John repeated this, saying, “He that sayeth he believeth in Him ought also so to walk, even as He Himself walked.” Men, called to live like God; we can\’t even live like men.

There are days that I take comfort in the fact that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Sometimes it helps to know that my brothers and sisters deal with all the weight of sins that Paul said “so easily beset us” — but not today. Today it only increases my distress to know that there is no one beyond the siren call of sin and carnality. The only man who ever lived above the fray, and pleased His heavenly Father, was Jesus.

My only hope is to cling to Him — with all the desperation that the human heart can feel — and to trust that His blood will cover me, and bid the avenging angel to pass over this hovel, and let God be pleased to spare the miserable creature inside.

Bible Discussion — Luke 12

03/20/2008, 12:00 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next chapter of Luke, Luke 12.

INTRODUCTION:
Connie:
Luke 12 is a somewhat long discourse covering many of the pitfalls that we face as we walk out the journey of our faith as Christians. It provides encouragement — some of it from common sense, some from warnings of what’s to come.

David:
Luke uses the majority of this chapter to present some of Jesus’ teachings on priorities in a disciple’s life. Who should you fear? The one that can kill you and send you to hell. What should you be thinking about? His Kingdom, because He can take care of our business for us, if we are about his business for Him, and when He returns, He\’s going to be very interested in what we were doing for Him.

Erin:
This chapter is narrow in narration — it is mostly just Jesus talking — but broad in content. Warnings to be watchful, to be frugal, to share, to be peaceable, and not to worry, all vie for the readers attention.

It can be easy to get bogged down in all of these instructions in just the way that Jesus did not intend. The people to whom he spoke were familiar with Jewish legalism, and so this itemizing of ways to “live out the new Covenant” would have made sense to them. What is easy to ignore, however, is that these are simply outward expressions of a life lived with every thought captive to the large purpose of devotion and service to the Kingdom of God.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
MC-B:
These people are trampling on each other to hear what Jesus has to say. Devotion, selfishness, or both?

Steve:
In the parable about watchfulness, Jesus refers to “one who does not know and does things deserving punishment,” and says that such people will be “beaten with few blows.” What does this mean concerning those who die without hearing the Gospel?

Erin:
Peter asks whether or not the parable Jesus is telling was intended for more than just the 12. Seriously, Peter?

(Herein I show my own Christianese background — I already know Jesus\’ answer, and struggle to put myself in Peter\’s clueless, and very familiar, shoes).

Connie:
One of my favorite scriptures, Matthew 6:33, is also here as 12:31 — “But seek the kingdom of God, and all of these things shall be added to you.”

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Josh: Rich Fool
David: Girded Loins
Erin: This Very Night
MC-B: Many Sparrows
Steve: The Ravens; Last Penny

Continued here!

He That Hath Ears to Hear, Part III — Stony Ground

03/20/2008, 1:30 am -- by David | No Comments

Are you in a pattern in your life where you start well, but never finish? Is the cycle of your walk with God one of repentance, proclamation, and good intentions — but at the end of the day, no apparent progress? Does no work of God in your life last very long before you again backslide and run from God?

This is what Jesus addresses in the next section of our parable — “the seed that fell on stony ground,” those with no root who wither away when trouble or persecution comes.

What keeps the Word from sinking down and developing strong roots? The problem is what’s below the surface — the hidden rock, the obstacle that keeps us from doing business with God. The only reason for a root not to progress to a deeper place to nourishment and water is the interposition of something immovable and unyielding.

What are you hiding? What are you afraid of? Moving this object will not be as horrible as you think.

God loves you. Anything that He requires of you in exposing sin — your own or perhaps another’s — will only be a blessing. He has no desire to harm you, but some things cannot be healed until they are exposed to the light, so that they can be killed.

In the famous tract, My Heart, Christ’s Home, the writer compares salvation to literally turning his house over to Jesus. Jesus strolls through it, looking at the library, workshop and other rooms — and many changes have to be made. It turned into a horror story for me when Jesus found the hall closet and commented on the stench emanating from it. The writer was put off by the request to clean out that dark little closet, so Jesus turned around to leave, saying, “I’ll be out on the front porch. I can’t stay in a place that smells like this.” The writer relented, and he was finally freed from the secret sins he had buried in that small dark place.

I recently saw a news story about a 29-year-old youth pastor who came forward to confess that he had killed a man at 16, before he was saved. He had been hiding it for 13 years. I can’t imagine the courage this required, but I too have been in the place where I’ve said to God, “No! I can’t dig this up! It’s too deep! It’s too messy! Everyone will see it and the scar it leaves on the ground! You can’t ask this of me!”

He can ask, though, and He does. And if we refuse to yield, the growth — the relationship — is over, until we relent and let Him move the thing that lies hidden, below the surface.

But I promise you: it always brings joy and indescribable peace when it’s accomplished.

He That Hath Ears to Hear, Part II — The Wayside

03/14/2008, 10:30 am -- by David | No Comments

Read Part One here.

If you find yourself sleeping through church, please give me just five minutes! If you find yourself unable or unwilling to read your Bible or pray, because you believe that God has nothing to say to you anyway, please read this article!

In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus describes four types of soil that we offer God to work with in our life; the first He calls “the wayside.” This is where you are — but you don’t have to stay there.

The wayside is the ground that borders the fertile field — trampled by traffic, beaten, barren, and impenetrable. Listen to the explanation He gave His disciples about this ground. He said that when God speaks in your presence, it hits a hard and unbreakable surface. It lays there for but a moment before the devil swoops in like a bird and carries it away.

In this parable, God is always speaking, always casting out his word: to move and motivate you; to free you and heal you; to make you what you need to be. By tuning out, you have given the enemy the right to intercept and carry off anything God says to you. You think that the One who loves you most never calls, or writes, or visits, but in reality, you’ve let the devil take over the phone, check your mail and answer the door.

The first thing to do is realize what has happened. Take a stand by praying, “Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.” The next step is softening up the ground. But how did it get so hard and how can you soften it up again? In the parable it was hardened by a constant traffic of feet, carts and hooves. This constant barrage of objects and instruments beat the ground, making it hard and impenetrable. How do we change that? First, you must shut everything else down. Close the road to traffic. Turn off the television, the radio and the computer. Put away the hunting rifle, the fishing pole, the toolbox — whatever you distract yourself with. You have to eliminate distractions and get before the Lord.

Charles Finney wrote an excellent tract in the 1800s, called Breaking up the Fallow Ground. It was based on Hosea 10:12: “Break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till he comes and reigns righteousness upon you.” Your ground will not be barren unless you leave it barren. To be good for tilling, ground must be broken up and plowed. This only happens in your heart by an intentional act of your will.

You must take control and get your heart into the place where you can, and will, hear what the Spirit is saying to you.

He That Hath Ears to Hear

03/13/2008, 12:45 pm -- by David | No Comments

I believe that the most pressing problem in the body of Christ — the thing that most hinders growth in Christians, leaving them confused and frustrated in their walk — is hearing from God. This article is the first in a series on hearing from God, taken from the Parable of the Sower.

Part One: The Importance of Hearing

In this parable, Jesus talks about a man sowing seed; He lists the four types of soil where the seed lands, then compares them to those who hear the word of God. Telling His disciples that “the seed is the word of God,” He specifically connects each type of soil to people. It is also important to note that when He tells and explains the parable in Matthew 13, He uses the words “hear,” “perceive,” and “understand” over 20 times! Clearly His point is to instruct us on how to hear from God.

But how important is hearing from God? Is it optional? Is it something that preachers and other spiritually-minded people do for us? Isn’t that why we pay preachers anyway, to hear from God and bring it down from the mountain to us like Moses did? No, no, no and no.

The Bible says that we are saved by faith, but it also says that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” So a man cannot even be a Christian if he has not heard from God. Paul wrote to the Romans: “As many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.” A person must be in an active relationship with God’s Spirit — listening and obeying — to be considered a child of God.

Can you conceive of being married to someone with whom you never have any interaction? No talking, no listening, no times of intimacy? You are the bride of Christ; you must hear His voice! While Jesus is teaching this parable in Luke, someone tells Him that His family has come to see Him, and he says: “My mother and brothers are those who hear the Word of God and keep it!”

Hearing from God isn’t just important; it is everything to the Christian. In Deuteronomy 8, God tells the Israelites: “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” Hearing from God is the first step in faith. James teaches that the blessed of God are not hearers only, but are both hearers and doers. He goes on to teach that true faith is a process, which must begin with hearing, proceed to belief and culminate in action.

The next three articles in this series will deal with the types of soil that keep us from hearing, cutting us off from fellowship with God and short-circuiting the work of faith in our lives.

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!

Best of David — Blessed is He . . .

03/7/2008, 4:00 pm -- by David | No Comments

Originally published October 19, 2007.

These words appear in red, sent by Jesus in a message to John the Baptist as he lay in prison. John appeared to be faltering in his belief in Jesus as the Messiah. In their initial meeting, there were no doubts; in fact, he leapt for joy in the womb.

At the next meeting, he saw the Spirit descend on Jesus like a dove, and proclaimed, “Behold the lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world.” But after some time in prison, he sent a message saying, “Are you the one that should come, or do we look for another?”

Why would John doubt Jesus? Perhaps if you were in prison and the Great Deliverer, the Messiah, the Coming King — who happened to be your cousin — showed up, but you wound up in prison while His ministry grew so phenomenally that even there you hear reports about His fame, you might have some doubts yourself. You might expect a rescue or a pardon.

Have you truly never let your expectations about who Jesus is, and what He came to do, cloud your perceptions of life? I know I have. I want my bills paid on time. I want a clear path in life, with universally recognized milestones of achievement, so that anyone who looks at me can say, “Surely God is with him!” Instead I get the path that fits His plan, His timetable. His idea of success.

Can God waste your life the way He wasted John’s? Can He allow you to take a stand for righteousness that costs you everything? Your ministry? Your freedom? Your friends and family?

Can He leave you dangling at the cruel end of a young girl’s whims?

“What would you like, my little darling, for this dance that pleases a King?”

“The head of John the Baptist on a platter, thank you.”

Jesus died on the cross to save us from our sins, but why did John die again? To please an angry woman and a cruel child? I can’t think of a death more senseless, in all the annals of world history. Some have perhaps been as cruel and senseless, but certainly none were worse. He died because a woman was angry, because a young girl danced to please a king, too embarrassed to go back on his promise to give her whatever she asked for, up to half his kingdom. So capricious, so arbitrary.

Can God waste your life in such a seemingly senseless death? Or can He, perhaps, even waste it by the monotonous squandering of your time and energy on things that seem to have no bearing on the eternal? Things that don’t match your expectation of why He came, and what your part is in all this?

Be careful, and remember — “Blessed is he, whosoever is not offended in Me.”

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 Bweinh! — Is Hell Eternal?

03/4/2008, 5:30 pm -- by Bweinh | 2 Comments

In this corner, arguing that hell is finite, is Job!

And in this corner, arguing that hell is eternal, is Dave!

I hail from the Advent Christian denomination, the Millennium Falcon of Protestants — old and small. Two main tenets from our statement of faith create the most distance between us and the Empire.

First, we believe in “soul sleep” — a person doesn’t immediately ascend or descend to heaven or hell but remains, well, dead (1 Thessalonians 4:16) until Christ’s return and the subsequent judgment. Second, we don’t believe hell lasts forever, as some might imagine. We believe that when Matthew writes that “these (the wicked) will go away into eternal punishment,” he means eternal destruction (not necessarily torment) and separation from God.

Let me clarify that point. My opposition would seem to read that verse to mean the wicked will go away into an eternal life of punishment; I read it to say the end of their lives is the punishment. While neither of these Adventist points pertain to salvation and are best summed up as “splitting hairs,” they are, nevertheless, important for Christians to discuss because of the way the world has begun to paint our views. This point can lead to the larger and more relevant debate — how else is our faith colored by things other than Scripture?

Be it Gary Larson’s Far Side or the iconic film It’s a Wonderful Life, we — and the world — have begun to view both heaven and hell through the filter of modern fiction, lore and whimsy. The idea of the torment one might receive eternally in hell or the bliss awaiting in heaven is largely produced by our “Mind’s Eye.” Lava, steam, wailing, pitchforks? Clouds, togas, gold, pearly gates? With this as our tapestry of thought, our theology tends to coordinate itself with it. I don’t think anyone would argue accuracy has been the foremost concern of Christianity over the past few centuries.

But rather than deferring to Dante, I note instead the words of the Apostle Paul in his second letter to the Thessalonians (1:8-10) — “He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord, and from the majesty of His power on the day He comes to be glorified in His holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed.”

While I can find a duality of thought in some verses, this one is far too straightforward to be renegotiated per the notion that the damned are due the dÃ©jÃ Â vu of recurrent scorched skin. Paul infers nothing but a totality of dismissal from consciousness. I think the word “everlasting” is employed here and elsewhere concerning the afterlife because of the pagan religious thinking that Thessalonica and other locations were prone to. The idea of a soul as a cockroach, able to scurry under the fridge of malleable consequences, was one Paul was urgent to dispel. And it’s making a comeback.

While I have already noted that our main concern should be what happens here in the fourth quarter, not in the locker room after the game, take it from Chewbacca — things are not always as you’ve always thought them to be.

“There is no doctrine I would more willingly remove from Christianity than [hell], if it lay in my power…”
C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain

In 1793 William Blake published The Marriage of Heaven and Hell. Although he confessed ambiguity over Blake’s meaning, C.S. Lewis intended and entitled The Great Divorce as a response of sorts; in his view, the inhabitants of Heaven and hell could never be reconciled, for they are ever growing further apart, not closer. It’s a salient point in whether hell is eternal — if hell is temporary, we must assume that either its inhabitants are, in some fashion, being reformed, with an eye toward reuniting them with the inhabitants of Heaven — or their immortal soul has to be destroyed, allowing it to escape eternal damnation through annihilation. Is there some hint in the Bible of a place where such reconciliation could be accomplished? Is there evidence for annihilation to render Hell temporary?

First let me make clear that my belief in eternal hell is not based on Lewis’s work or personal preference, but the authority of the Bible. It is stated clearly in Matthew 25:46 that “these [the wicked] will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” The word eternal, used twice, is the same word in the Greek and carries the same meaning in both phrases. The punishments of hell are just as eternal for the wicked as eternal life is for the righteous, whether we consider purgatory or annihilation. Other references, including Mark 9:42-48, Luke 16:19-31, 2 Thess. 1:8,9, Jude 7-13, and Rev. 14:9-11, affirm that Hell and its attendant punishments are eternal.

The only Christian doctrine to support a temporary rehabilitation arrangement after death is purgatory. This is a doctrine of the Catholic Church whereby God takes people at death and holds them in torment until someone ransoms them. Originally this could be accomplished through prayers and good deeds on their behalf, but during fundraising for St. Peter’s Basilica, the church shifted its preference to cash.

Any attempt to make hell less than permanent on the basis of reforming the wicked completely removes the belief in hell, leaving us with Heaven and purgatory. But this would be purgatory even the Catholic Church does not believe in, for in their doctrine, purgatory is purification the believer undergoes in preparation for Heaven. It’s never portrayed as a place the wicked can go. In Catholic doctrine, no one escapes Hell; only the Christian sees purgatory, then Heaven.

Annihilation is a more modern achievement that rests on two arguments. The first is that God can’t punish finite sins with an infinite Hell, for this would be unfair and disproportionate. But how then can we expect God to reward finite obedience to the Gospel with an infinite Heaven? Each position is taught in equality in Matthew 25; what applies to one certainly would apply to the other.

The second argument is that the Bible doesn’t say all men possess immortality, only God and the righteous. This would mean men would eventually perish and hell would cease to exist. There is more evidence for this, as Scripture does not seem to make any explicit statement that all men possess an immortal soul. But the enormous weight of passages presenting hell as eternal gives sufficient reason to believe it is taught by inference.

{democracy:36}

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}

Does She Still Pray?

02/28/2008, 12:00 pm -- by David | 2 Comments

I can’t remember her name — it was 10 years ago — but I still see her face clearly. She was terrified and shaking, chased by terrors in a way that I sometimes forget can happen to people on the outside of these massive walls with which God secures his Kingdom. She was on the outside, plagued by real demons — not metaphors — which ruled her desires, leaving her helpless, looking like she would bolt at any second if she had anywhere else to run. I only met her because I had to drop some paperwork off at a co-worker’s house. She was standing in his living room. My heart broke to see her; I could not leave without sharing the Gospel with her.

She was my co-worker’s mother, a lesbian caught in drugs, alcohol and a cycle of violence perpetrated by her truck-driving partner. She had been estranged from her son, but knew nowhere else to run, and so showed up on his doorstep that day seeking shelter. In the next few days, my wife and I talked with her a lot and led her to Jesus. The angels rejoiced with us at her deliverance and she was free. That Sunday, she came to church, along with her son and his family.

At the time we attended a large AG church that believed in having nationally-known speakers visit, and one was scheduled for that morning. After over 2 hours of “Pentecostal preaching,” they excused themselves and left before the service was over. I don’t know why, thinking back, we didn’t go with them to eat lunch and talk. It was the last time I ever saw her. I guess we still believed it was a sign of weakness to leave church before the service was over.

Looking back now, I feel like I was grasping for her hand as she was drowning, and I let her slip away. Her son told me she had plunged back into her old life, criss-crossing the country with her abusive partner.

It’s the kind of thing I think about when I can’t sleep, and the fiend (as Luther called him) haunts me with all my past failures, into the wee hours of the morning. It happened last night, and then an encouraging thought occurred to me — I wonder if she still prays?

I wonder if perhaps she is not lost, but a sheep gone astray.

I wonder if she hates her life as much as always, and is gathering the strength to come back to some altar, somewhere — to find that His promises are forever.

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!

Confounding Conservatives and Christians

02/21/2008, 12:30 pm -- by David | 6 Comments

Michael Hiestand has a column in Monday’s USA Today that offers commentary on what happened in TV sports over the weekend. It’s broken down into various little blurbs, and Charles Barkley was the subject of one snippet this week.

Commenting on his plan to run for Alabama governor in 2014, Barkley said, “Every time I hear the word ‘conservative,’ it makes me sick to my stomach, because they’re really just fake Christians.” After comparing Barkley’s comments with the recent blatantly anti-Christian remarks made by Dana Jacobson — and noting her two week suspension — Hiestand observes that Barkley “doesn’t seem to be saddled with any limits” regarding his on-air comments. Hiestand seems to note an incongruity, but the real incongruity is actually created by his comments.

Barkley made comments about conservatives, not Christians; Jacobson insulted Christians, Barkley insulted conservatives. If I call a man a fat pig, I am insulting the man, not the pig. The fact that people view these two terms as interchangeable — confounding the two to our detriment — is one of my chief concerns with the conservative movement.

We Christians are in danger of allowing ourselves to be defined by a political movement. We are no longer known for our steadfast adherence to the Apostles’ Creed so much as to the Conservative Party line. We must hate immigrants and love firearms; we must view every increased function of government as intrusive and unnecessary; we are sworn to demand that taxes always be lowered and never raised — even in the face of a costly war and a burgeoning military that we are sworn to hold fast as an inalienable right.

Suddenly we are not conservatives, and thereby not really Christians, if we think that healthcare has become so outrageously expensive that it is impossible to afford — and so perhaps a national healthcare plan is needed. Apparently, a man cannot possibly be a Christian while supporting amnesty for illegal immigrants, or tighter controls on firearms, like those used in at least four school shootings over the last ten days across America.

It seems a man can’t be conservative, and thereby Christian, unless he supports an amendment to the Constitution banning gay marriage. But one can oppose homosexuality without being in favor of altering the Constitution every time someone burns a flag or marries a — homosexual.

Rather than insulting Christians, perhaps Barkley was actually serving as an apologist, a defender of the faith, helping the world to see that the two things are not so interchangeable as they seem.

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!

Back to the Future

02/12/2008, 1:30 pm -- by David | 2 Comments

August 15th, 2008. Somewhere outside Hilldale, California, a man frantically dials a number into his cell phone, while sitting in a smoking DeLorean in a mall parking lot. Back to the Future

“Doc!!”

“Marty? Is that you?”

“Doc! Doc! Listen, you gotta help me…”

“Great Scott!! Where are you, Marty?? I can barely hear you!”

“Not ‘Where?,’ Doc — ‘When?’ I’m in 1996! You gotta help me get back to 2008 . . . back to the future!”

“Marty, Marty, calm down! What you’re saying is impossible! I destroyed the time machine and that car you have now has no flux capacitor. What makes you think you’re in 1996?”

“Doc, Clinton’s running for president, right?”

“Yeah, but it’s Hillary, not Bill –”

“Conservatives have tuned out, even though a true conservative had some great early success — Pat Buchanan, right?”

“Yes, but it’s Romney or Huckabee this time…”

“And there’s a weird guy from Texas with big ears and the initials R.P. acting all crazy, and some people are afraid he will run with a third party, right?”

“Well, yes, but it’s not Ross Perot, it’s Ron Paul.”

“And the Republican nominee is a moderate who moved to the right — what Reagan would have called a ‘cross-dressing conservative’…”

“But his name is McCain, not Dole –”

“And he’s a war hero…”

“Yeah…”

“In his seventies…”

“Yeah…”

“And Republicans have decided the way to win is to abandon the Christian right and reach for moderates and independents…”

“Yeah…”

“It’s 1996, Doc!! You gotta help me!!”

“Great Scott!! You’re right!! I’m on my way!”

Election Update

02/8/2008, 2:30 pm -- by David | 2 Comments

–Harrisburg, Pa., February 7
David has been traveling around the country with the Huckabee campaign, reporting on election events as they unfold.

Figure One The race for the Democratic nomination for president was all but secured on Super Tuesday, after Clinton and Obama both suffered a series of victories, tempered by uplifting defeats. When properly analyzed, these show that a clear winner has emerged and a clear loser has been uncovered.

According to the latest data from the Zaxbys-Chicken Interactive poll (see Figure 1), Clinton made great strides in her bid to corral the liberal-leaning conservative Democrats who registered Republican in the past, supported her husband in 1992 (although not in 1996), and listed immigration, economics and terrorism as their least favorite words to spell.

At the same time, Obama was able to garner the support of the much-coveted single-income soccer moms, listed as Democrats between 115 and 145 lbs. on their driver’s licenses, but identifying themselves this year as conservative liberals “looking for change” in their car seats and couch cushions. The importance of this development is especially troubling here in the Huckabee camp, as he was counting on that change to invigorate his campaign.

Much of the battleground will become clearer as the battle shifts to upcoming primaries in American Samoa, Disneyland and Canada, being held on “Monster Monday,” February 11th. One thing that has already become clear after Super Tuesday (see figure 2) is the edge Obama has picked up among independent white males who registered as Republicans in the 60s, refused to support Barry Goldwater at that time, but inexplicably admitted to buying Barry Manilow records in the 80s. This is a demographic no one is talking about, and one that will affect the outcome of this election in a way that will shock and dismay the Clinton camp, while at the same time depressing and deflating Obama and his supporters.

On the Republican side, John McCain suffered his first setback on Wednesday when a secret list of prospective running mates was leaked to the press, and found to include two fictional characters, Hannah Montana and Kim Possible. The Romney camp responded by releasing documents proving that Montana is not only fictional, but is also played by Miley Cyrus, daughter of Billy Ray Cyrus — author of “Achy Breaky Heart,” a 90s-era radio scourge which single-handedly spawned the Macarena dance craze. McCain weathered the storm, however, and seemed to maintain his dominance within his demographic fortress (see figure 3): octogenarians who identify health care, social security and “finding their car keys” as their top three concerns.

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 LXVII: Illegal Immigration

02/5/2008, 10:15 am -- by Bweinh | 2 Comments

In this corner, supporting stricter immigration laws, is Steve!

And in this corner, opposing a strict immigration policy, is David!

Misplaced compassion is a dangerous force. On this earth, we must all reconcile justice and mercy, because an excess of either produces similar harm. This is why I tell you that if you care about the people of Mexico — if you really care about them — you should support stricter enforcement of our immigration laws.

First, my opponent’s opening argument, carried to a logical conclusion, would entirely eliminate the right to own real property and the sovereignty of nations. None of us deserve anything before we’re born, do we? And our country, bordered as it is by those pesky “invisible lines” drawn before any of our births, apparently has no right or claim to its territory, and should have no ability to enforce the laws its people make. Really?

Fortunately, that’s not the way things work. Governments derive their powers — as Don Shula and Peyton Manning reminded us so wonderfully before the Super Bowl — from the consent of the governed, and owe no duty to provide for those they do not govern. National boundaries mean something, and always will. I’m on the north side of that “invisible line” because my ancestors worked hard and made choices that benefit me. I dang well do have a right to be here, because those folks built “here” — meaning my country, which has passed laws to control who gets to enter it and live. That is our right. Period.

I can’t believe someone could actually believe a country has no right to control entry through its borders. The well-known tragedy of the commons should be enough to dispel this argument; bringing in hordes of people with no connection to this country, simply because they might find a better life here than at home, is a recipe for utter disaster. Our government is not responsible to give the whole world jobs. The church has the largest role to play in helping the less fortunate, not the state.

All that is to say that the choice is not between (a) opening our borders to all and (b) allowing children to starve. That’s emotional blackmail with little basis in fact. And I’m not complaining that “them durn forners” are “taking all our jobs,” either — I like free trade and outsourcing, which make up the other half of my opponent’s argument, with which I totally agree. Moving factories to Mexico does much more to help its people than immigration ever will.

Cultural issues, although they matter, do not compel me to make this argument. There are clearly differences among the peoples of the world, but no race or nation is uniquely blessed. After all, our country is the richest and most advanced for many reasons — most due to ingenuity, technology and hard work, but some due to our shameful exploitation of this continent’s natives and the African slaves.

And that’s my main point. Illegal immigration continues that pattern of shameful exploitation, success on the backs of the poor and powerless. We rightly deplore it when we read about it in our history books, but ignore it when it hides in the guise of mercy. The farm lobby lies through its greedy, manure-specked teeth when it says enforcement of our laws would drive lettuce to $35 a head. What big business truly wants is a permanent underclass of simple-minded drones, human machines who can be replaced at will, paid a pittance, and discarded when necessary. Modern-day slaves, battling not only the scourge of poverty, but also the greed and deceit of those who pretend to help them escape it.

Tough love is the answer when your teenage son crashes your car, or when your underage daughter comes home drunk. As a nation, we must reject a sloppy sentimentality that misdirects our admirable compassion for the needy by both encouraging a culture of lawlessness and creating a new slave class for modern-day robber barons to rape and pillage afresh. They come here illegally, so they will not turn to the law for help. Their own nation shamefully casts them off on us, and so they sacrifice in search of a better life — one that ends with them literally worked to death.

I really don’t care what some poem says on a French statue — our founding document is the Declaration of Independence. It recognizes that all men and women were created equal, and all were endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights. That sure as heck doesn’t mean they all get to live here — we can do what we like with our borders, and frankly, I’m all for drastically limiting immigration of unskilled workers who aren’t fleeing torture or persecution. Go to the mall — we’ve got plenty of dumb folks already.

But if and when we do let anyone in, the Declaration compels us to treat them like we would our brother. That includes both a responsibility to obey ALL our laws, and the right to be treated like a human being. The current policy treats both of those as optional.

“Thou shalt not oppress the stranger that is among you.”
Exodus 22:21

One of the funniest shows I can remember watching in the 70s was All in the Family with Archie Bunker. He was the hero of a generation of white men who sat in their easy chairs complaining about the encroachment of foreigners and minorities, who were ruining our way of life.

It was great comedy, but I’m a Christian now, and I resent the fact that the residual effects of that humor still color our conception of what it means to be an American. We think that somehow, because we were born north of some invisible line, we deserve to be here, while those born south of that line do not. I can’t accept that. It’s one thing to be born on third base and another thing entirely to have hit a triple. You did nothing to deserve to be here.

“But these people are criminals! They broke the rules to get here. Let them go through the proper steps to become citizens like my ancestors did.” That would be nice, I agree, but it’s never been that way. We have always taken in a large number of illegal immigrants. Could you really tell a man whose child is starving, “Fill out this form and leave it at the desk, we’ll call you if something comes up”? I couldn’t.

I wonder what you would do if your family was living in poverty, while 50 miles to the north, there was enough money to lift them out of despair and sickness — all you had to do was get there and work for it. Would you not do everything in your power to help them, regardless of the rules?

“But they’re taking our jobs!” Yeah, they are. What do you want to do — send them home? Let Americans pick produce working for some union that gets them health benefits, decent wages and a good pension plan, while we end up paying $35 for a head of lettuce? Does that fit into your budget?

I get so tired of people whining about losing jobs to foreigners. Our last large textile mill here closed down in 2006; two guys from my church worked there. One ended up as a supervisor at the new Wal-Mart distribution Center, and the other collected unemployment for a few months while working construction under the table.

When a plant closes here, it’s an inconvenience — somebody’s daughter has to settle for a less expensive dress than she wanted for the prom; some guy has to buy his son a used Mustang for graduation instead of a brand new model. Cry me a river.

When the plant opens up in some Third World nation, suddenly people who would have died live! Kids who were begging on the street, or being exploited by perverts for sexual gratification can earn money and change their living conditions. And some poor woman raising her kids alone in the good old USA can afford to buy them new jeans.

The truth is, when we think we’ve hit bottom here, there are still another seven layers of hell we’ll never experience — because we live in the wealthiest nation on the face of the earth, with the most extensive welfare network on the planet.

If you starve here, it’s because you want to. You have to work hard to fall through the cracks. And yet we begrudge help to those who have come here in response to this invitation:

Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!

Maybe we need to rework that old poem:

Send your wealthy to our scheming shore,
the ones with jobs from across the sea,
the rich investor who can help us more,
the learned man with the Ph.D.,
we’ll leave the light on for you.

{democracy:209}

The Heroes Series — Socrates

02/1/2008, 10:00 am -- by David | No Comments

Everyone has heroes. One of mine is a slovenly dressed, ill-mannered war veteran who returned home, married a beautiful, wealthy wife — whom he completely neglected — and spent his days developing a potbelly while haunting his city’s downtown, arguing with any passers-by who would listen. He had been known as a distinguished officer, destined for a powerful career in politics, but his friends and family were soon appalled by his lack of hygiene, idle lifestyle, and penchant for baiting anyone who would listen into an argument. His name was Socrates.

When he bothered to work, he won some acclaim as a good teacher, tutoring the children of wealthy acquaintances, but his life really took shape when someone asked the Oracle at Delphi who the wisest man in Greece was — and the Oracle replied, “Socrates.”

Now don’t get me wrong, this wasn’t like Oprah’s book-of-the-month club; it didn’t send millions of dollars and world wide acclaim his way. In fact, it had the opposite effect. It made him angry. He thought it ludicrous and set about the task of disproving it. He believed that the nobles, poets and artisans would hold many men wiser than he, and so he set out to interview them to disprove the Oracle.

He found that the nobles ruled by power and coercion, the poets possessed inspiration but did not grasp the truths they were revealing, and the artisans — although greatly skilled –assumed that their skills gave them a wisdom in every other area of life, a wisdom they did not possess. Some things never change, and if you don’t believe me, just watch how quickly any new celebrity writes a book to tell you how to raise your kids or run your life. Or listen to a Tom Cruise interview.

He never tried to prove anything; in fact his life’s work was to disprove things. He would ask a question like, “What is truth? Or beauty? Or loyalty?” Then when some unsuspecting young intellect would answer, he used logic and cross-examination to ridicule their answers.

In the end he had to admit that the Oracle was right, though. He deduced that although he knew nothing, he knew that he knew nothing. All the others knew nothing too, but they had deluded themselves into thinking that they knew things.

Why do I admire such a man? He lived before Christ came, and he’s the perfect example of an honest man, laboring with all the light available, to find a truth that had not yet been revealed. Yet still he refused to settle for lies in the absence of revealed truth, as we do so often.

He was put to death for being an atheist, corrupting the youth of Athens by destroying their faith in idols and false gods, and still he never waivered in his convictions — even to save his life! The early Christians were accused of the same thing in Rome. They rejected all the pagan deities and worshipped an “unseen God,” and the Romans, at first, took this as atheism. Paul stood at Mars Hill in Athens and preached a sermon on the “Unknown God” in the book of Acts, affirming everything Socrates taught, and bringing the now-revealed truth to the seat of ancient philosophy.

In the years following his death, the term “philosopher” (which meant lover of the higher wisdom) actually began to fall out of use in Athens, and such men were simply called “sophists,” mere peddlers of wisdom.

In a discourse recorded by Plato shortly before Socrates’ death, a disciple asked about the afterlife — a sort of “How should we live?” question. The response from Socrates was that all we could do is search out the best ideas and tie them together like a raft to make it through life until we get some more sure or certain word (logos).

That Word came and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father. His name is Jesus. If I understand the Bible, Jesus descended first to hell (the world of the dead) to preach the gospel, and then ascended to heaven to lead the captives out.

If so, then I would expect to find this character on the streets of gold when I get there — perhaps not so slovenly and disheveled, with nothing left to argue about, but a happy and honest man.

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!

Blessed Are Those Who Mourn

01/25/2008, 10:00 am -- by David | No Comments

I once heard a preacher say that for every atheist who dies from cancer, a Christian dies too — so the world can see how a Christian faces death. That is an obvious overstatement, but the fact remains “that the rain falls on the just as well as the unjust” for just such a purpose — so the world can see what it means to place your faith in Jesus and to live for the next world, not this one.

Rick Burgess, half of the popular Rick & Bubba Show here in the South, lost his 3-year-old son William Bronner Burgess, in a tragic drowning accident this week. I have to admit I had never listened to the show, assuming that it would be funny, but laced with off-color redneck humor like Larry the Cable Guy or even Jeff Foxworthy’s material. After hearing what happened, a co-worker turned the show on in the company truck for me, and I listened, amazed and dumbfounded, to the latest proof of my hidden prejudice.

When we turned it on, Bubba and a pastor friend were counseling a caller, leading him to Christ over the air. What would have overwhelmed some men with grief, spawning bitterness against a God who could allow such tragedy, has been embraced by the family as an unknowable mystery that must be walked through, while giving glory to God and reaching out to as many people as they can.

Their web page is here; I encourage everyone to listen to Rick’s address at his son’s memorial service. As the Bible says, “We don’t mourn as those who have no hope” — but please keep this family in your prayers.

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!

Here’s Another Story About The Invisible Mice

01/17/2008, 10:30 am -- by David | 5 Comments

My daughter loaned me The Ringing Bell a while back, the new Derek Webb CD, and after listening to it 30 times or so, I’m ready to review it.

It has everything that makes me both love and hate his newer music — great messages when you can decipher them, but lacking the fantastic vocals and rich varied musical sound that I used to love when he was with Caedmon’s Call. For starters, ever since he was criticized for using language that some find offensive in Christian music on a previous CD, Derek no longer prints his lyrics with his CDs, so it’s a bit of a guessing game.

The lead song, The End, starts out something like:

Here’s another story about the invisible mice
The elephant in the room jumping in the light
I so hate hesitating voices in the night
Here’s another story about the invisible wives

I know elephants are afraid of mice, and I have seen an elephant jump into a chandelier to escape a mouse on a cartoon once, but I don’t understand the invisible thing, or why possibly the farmer’s wives from 3 Blind Mice would get involved, and be invisible, unless it has to do with the fact that the mice are blind and can’t see the wives.

It’s pretty confusing.

After a dozen more times through, I thought it might say this instead:

Here’s another story about the invisible knights (KKK?)
The elephant in the room (taboo subject?) jumping in these lights (making headlines?)
Slow hate, hesitating voices in the night
Here’s another story about the invisible whites

If so, perhaps the song is about racism, but I guess we’ll never know until the song is deciphered.

What I do love about his music is the political stands:

Savior on Capital Hill is a biting commentary on our delusion that somehow selecting the right politician in an election is going to make things right for the Church. I love it. It ends with the line:

So don’t hold your breath or your vote until
you think you’ve finally found a savior up on Capital Hill.

I like Huckabee, but God doesn’t need him to win an election to further the Kingdom. They are two separate things.

Name is another great one.

They call you right
they call you left
they call you names of all your friends:
Baby don’t let ’em
don’t let ’em put a name on you!

My sentiments exactly.

There’s no categories just long stories waiting to be told
Don’t be satisfied when people sum you up with just one word.

I belong to no one but Christ and my allegiance answers only to Him.

This Too Shall Be Made Right is another song that explores some of the inequities that will be set right eventually when Jesus returns, as well as looking at our guilt on some of those issues.

Most of the rest of the CD was bland and unattractive to me, but the way the first song (The End) dovetails into the second (The Very End), switching to a beautiful orchestral piece featuring violins is beautiful and worth listening to.

Yeah, so there you have it.

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!

Bramble for President!

01/11/2008, 2:30 pm -- by David | No Comments

I know it doesn’t show but I’m a cynic at heart. It wasn’t always that way; I came into the world wide-eyed, trusting and naÃ¯ve. When my older brother took me out behind our garage on Olive Street at the tender age of 6, handed me a lit cigar, and said, “Inhale this as deep as you can,” I truly believed he had only my best interests at heart — and surely was not doing something just to amuse him and his best friend.

So whether I can blame him, or the first used car salesman I ever met, I don’t know, but I am what I am. Maybe it’s just an accumulation of impressions formed over the 46 years of fun I’ve had on this big, warm and fuzzy blue playground of a planet we call home.

Anyway, my favorite parable in the Old Testament appears in Judges chapter 9, and I always think about it during election years:

The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, “Reign thou over us,” but the olive tree said unto them, “Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honor God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?”

And the trees said to the fig tree, “Come thou, and reign over us,” but the fig tree said unto them, “Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees?”

Then said the trees unto the vine, “Come thou, and reign over us,” and the vine said unto them, “Should I leave my wine, which cheers God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?”

Then said all the trees unto the bramble, “Come thou, and reign over us,” and the bramble said unto the trees, “If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow:”

They chose the tree that had nothing else going on in its life, the tree that would be useless and avoided at all costs, if not for their desire to have someone rule over them. They want a leader in the worst way — and that’s exactly what they get.

I’m no theologian, but the implication seems clear enough to me. The choice, for the trees, seemed to come down to being fruitful, productive citizens who refreshed their fellows with their rich and varied natural gifts — or becoming “public servants” who did none of those things. I hear all the rhetoric about “public service” and “civic duty,” but yeah, right. I don’t buy it.

My feeling has always been that the various hoops we make people jump through to get into high office almost invariably produce brambles. It has always saddened me to see how many young men and women are willing to give up a chance at good, honest employment for bramblehood.

It reminds me of Rich Mullins, who mentioned an ancestor of his who was elected to public office, but added something like: “We were able to overcome that as a family, and lead honest, productive lives.”

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!

My Year in Review (Part Four)

12/29/2007, 4:30 pm -- by David | 8 Comments

Read Part One, Part Two, and Part Three!

October arrives, but the weather stays hot in Alabama. The Yankees have played their way into the postseason with a superb September and now face the Cleveland Indians in the ALDS. They get blown out in the first game but Andy Pettite pitches a gem in game 2 to keep them in contention. Yankee phenom Joba Chamberlain is brought in to wrap up the game and even up the series, but he suffers a meltdown when he is swarmed on the mound by specially trained flying ants called Canadian Soldiers, kept for just such circumstances by the Indians staff. The Yankees lose the game and go back to New York down 2 games.

Wanting to inspire his team for game 3, George Steinbrenner takes a page out of Oral Roberts’ motivational playbook, drafting a press release saying that if the Yankees don’t win the next game, “God will take me home!” After leaking this to the clubhouse as a trial balloon, the front office urges George to reconsider, as it seems to have the opposite effect. Instead, he tells the media that if the Yankees lose the next game, Joe Torre will not be brought back as manager next year. They win that game, but not the next, and end up losing the series. Goodbye Joe — sorry it had to be you.

In the NHL, the Flyers pick up the pieces of a disastrous season by adding many character players and gritty veterans, and start the year 6-1, living up to their new motto — “BACK WITH A VENGEANCE!” A taste of what’s to come is seen in the preseason when 2 players are suspended for 20 and 25 games after hard hits. The Syracuse football squad continues its miserable string of gridiron failures, excepting a miracle in Louisville, and the basketball team prepares for its next season by adding the 2nd-ranked recruiting class in the nation, as rated by Athlon Sports. True freshmen Donte Green, Johnny Flynn and “Scoop” Jardine hold the promise of bringing the Orange back to the NCAA Tournament.

On a personal note, I spend the month exchanging emails and photos of my Sir Walter Scott books with a trio of rare book stores in Atlanta, only to find that although they are indeed a rare collectible, their physical condition does not meet the prevailing standards for collectors, and my best bet would be to sell them on eBay for “a few hundred bucks.” I’m actually relieved because I purchased them because I liked them, not for profit, and now I am free to keep them.

November arrives and brings with it the sternest test yet for the fledgling Bweinh! On November 5th, the Writers Guild of America East (WGAE) and Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) agree to strike, and both Hollywood and all of America are plunged into turmoil. Every Bweinh!tributor is faced with the same gut-wrenching decision — stand by their comrades in solidarity, or cross the picket line and risk ruining their careers down the road.

Everyone plays it close to the vest and no one actually refuses to write, but suddenly emails are not returned, deadlines are missed, people have “finals,” “jobs,” and “personal issues,” and the Clash of The Titans and music review features grind to a halt, as Steve Maxon struggles to round up replacement writers like “Hoss” to fill in.

The biggest blow comes when star blogger Job Tate marches into the executive suite and announces his intention to honor the strike. Suddenly the only Job Tate articles on the site are old material labeled as “The Best of Job,” and a ridiculous cover story circulates that Job has run off and joined the military. Writers When that story does not suffice, another story circulates that he is seriously ill and confined to a hospital, recovering from surgery. Readership flags, interest wanes, and a nation turns its lonely eyes to Vermont for an answer…

In my personal life my wife has been smitten by Koopa, my daughter’s husky puppy, and she wants one of her own. We find one in the Thrifty Nickel for $200 and she names her Miranda, a nod to the Firefly sci-fi movie Serenity. Our house is now the romping ground for two old dogs, a harried and anorexic cat, and two husky pups.

December finally arrives and brings with it the much-anticipated Mitchell Report on performance-enhancing drugs in baseball. Although much has been speculated, no one is prepared for the shocking revelations in the document, which reaches far beyond big-name superstars and encompasses even the previously unmentioned news media.

Former ESPN intern Lawrence Wallace reveals that Stuart Scott, Kenny Mayne, John Buccigross, and others have been using the performance-enhancing drugs Ambien, Ritalin and Baclofen for years, to create the false sense of hilarity needed to make their shows appear entertaining and relevant. Their incessant obsession with hip catch phrases has been produced by a drug-induced stupor more associated with crackheads than journalists, explaining their bizarre behavior over the past few years.

Bweinh! holds its first Christmas party in the South conference room, but the mood is less than jolly. Steve and Tom flew to Vermont in the company jet earlier in the day to plead with Job to return, and brought him back, but no one is quite sure what the outcome will be. Connie, Erin and Chloe all stand around distractedly discussing the tepid catered food, while Djere, Mike, Josh and Tom clear one end of the enormous conference table and set up ping-pong to pass the time. Everyone seems to be waiting for an announcement about Job so they can collect their Christmas bonus checks and head home for the holidays.

Eventually MC-B has a little too much to drink and begins entertaining the group with a Japanese version of Here Comes Santa Claus learned while he served overseas in Okinawa during his Navy days. It is performed using origami figures made from the festive Wal*Mart Christmas napkins adorning the table, and it manages to lighten the mood a little. The ice really breaks though when Djere and Tom perform their rendition of the Wumpus and Sean Connery singing Silver Bells, and soon everyone is mingling, shaking hands and wishing each other a very merry Christmas.

Eventually Steve gives a speech about love, joy, peace on earth, goodwill toward men, and other stuff like that, and hands out the checks, but Job is still silent about his future with Bweinh! As Steve urges everyone to bury the hatchet, I find myself standing next to the Pope, and am overcome with an urge to shake his hand and make up. I find myself unable to do it, though, due to circumstances beyond my control that have still not allowed Hell to freeze over. Instead I hug him while surreptitiously placing a piece of paper on his back that reads “Kick me — I am the abomination that causes desolation.”

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!

My Year in Review (Part Three)

12/21/2007, 10:00 am -- by David | 5 Comments

Read Part One and Part Two!

July finally arrives and while The Bronx is Burning on national television, Alabama is burning too. After a long drought, many counties have banned certain types of fireworks, disappointing because we are traveling four hours to spend the 4th with our grandchildren.

Although my grandson had a hushed phone conversation with me (“Grandpa! Bring lots of fireworks! A big bag! You know the stuff!”), I check the list and find their county was on the ‘banned list.’ I am a little dispirited, but upon arriving, I find all the fireworks stores open, and only bottle rockets and a few other things on the “banned” list. I have always suspected that some type of work-release agreement exists between Alabama’s mental health facilities and the fireworks industry, since all the fireworks stands bear names like “Crazy Ken’s” or “Wild Bill’s,” and advertise “insane prices.” Five minutes into my visit to this particular store confirms that suspicion beyond all doubt.

While sitting around the living room, waiting for it to get dark enough for fireworks, I tell my daughter about the great books I found in June, and she asks me how much I think the Sir Walter Scott set is worth. “Who knows?,” I said. “Probably at least $600.”

I type in the publishing date (1903), size (48 volumes), and a few other criteria. We are all a bit amazed when the only match is selling for $6500. Not bad for a $60 investment. I am still staring at the screen in disbelief when I hear my daughter Teresa yell, “Dibs! I get those when Dad dies!” We are a practical family and, as the oldest, Teresa has always been good at outmaneuvering the other two. Fireworks

The fireworks go off with just one small hitch (involving the neighbors’ porch and our daughters carport), and we return the next day with our grandkids. We decide to spend one entire evening inflicting as much damage as possible on a Cruella DeVille action figure using the leftover fireworks. We are dog lovers, and after what she tried to do to the puppies in 101 Dalmatians, she will be shown no mercy. After repeatedly assaulting her with Roman candles, sparklers, M-80s, flaming spinning things, exploding smoke bombs, and firecrackers, all we can find in the morning is a charred lump of melted plastic and two small yellow feet.

If only Michael Vick had been here.

The only other thing of note was a visit to Community Fellowship Church. The first hour was pretty good, but the next 90 minutes dragged a bit. It is a nondenominational church struggling to find itself, with the unfortunate combination of Pentecostal length and Baptist dryness (no offense, Mike). At least we eliminate one more possibility.

Ian and Rachel also get a full-blooded Siberian/Malamute husky from the Humane Society, and name him Koopa. King Koopa arrives and takes over the house…

In August, the incessant noise of swarming presidential candidates finally becomes unbearable, and I am forced to take notice. Democrats John Edwards and Dennis Kucinich actually announced last December, and in January, they were joined by Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden and Chris Dodd, as well as Republicans Duncan Hunter and Sam Brownback. All this a full two years before we will be swearing in — or swearing at — our next president.

In the months that follow, Rudy “the Red-Nosed” Giuliani, Mitt Romney, John McCain, Jim Gilmore, Tommy Thompson and Ron Paul throw their hats into the ring for the Republican nomination, while Mike Gravel, Barack Hussein Obama and Bill Richardson join the Democratic fray. Mike Huckabee comes aboard in August, and Fred Thompson, after looking good and ducking all the hard questions for several months, announces that he will be announcing something formally . . . maybe as soon as next month. Bud Selig

In sports news, Barry Bonds breaks the all-time home run record as the San Francisco Giants and all of baseball breathe a sigh of relief. Bud Selig reluctantly attends the ceremony, and Hank Aaron participates via pre-taped remarks played on the scoreboard, explaining he could not attend in person due to unforeseen circumstances that prevented hell from freezing over.

Our son Philip and his wife Katherine are coming to visit, so we purchase a new set of living room furniture to have a pull-out sofa to sleep on in the living room. We are tactfully informed that they are still newlyweds and will not sleep in the living room for a week. Either way, the furniture is here and has to be paid for in 90 days. We decide to borrow a queen-size bed to put in the library, and I begin reluctantly eyeing Sir Walter Scott as a potential source of income.

I also begin paying the devil his due at work. Earlier in the year my son-in-law, a die-hard Alabama fan, asked if I could get him into the Auburn-Alabama game, one of the most storied rivalries in college football. My company supplies copiers for the press box for all Auburn home games, so whoever works the game, clearing jams and such, gets a free press pass and parking tag. These are VIP accommodations, and although technically extra passes are given to our company, since tickets to this game go for $500, these are not made available to me. I make a deal with my boss, though, agreeing to work all eight home games free — in return for two press passes for the Iron Bowl. He usually pays $100 per game, so I save him $800, with which he can easily buy a replacement ticket. The season starts on Labor Day weekend…

September. All year long, a crisis with China has been growing. In May, the deaths and illnesses of thousands of pets were linked to Chinese pet food manufacturers; in July, it was discovered that personal care products from China, like toothpaste, vitamins and painkillers, were also tainted and subject to recall. Finally, in August, Mattel announced a massive recall of Chinese toys, after testing finds they were tainted with toxic levels of lead. This leads to two immediate backlashes in September, with China announcing a ban on all US meat products in retaliation, and the Federal Detention Center in Atlanta announcing a halt on incoming packages for inmates, due to a flood of Chinese products being mailed to Michael Vick.

Philip and Katherine come from New York, the Hodges and Hodglings come down from Huntsville, and we are all together as a family, for the first time since last Christmas at Phil’s wedding. In the midst of the revelry, though, I have to leave to go work the first football game, and it saddens me. I am struck with the irony of doing things for your family out of love, that actually end up keeping you from them at important times. It is an evening game, and I leave reluctantly but happy, knowing they are all together in one house, eating, laughing, playing with Koopa, and watching movies together.

I have to be at the game 2 hours early, I can’t leave until 2 hours after it ends, and I have to battle the remnants of 85,000 people when I do leave. I finally get back home about 1:30 AM, and I don’t think I can describe the joy I feel as I get out of the car to see light and laughter still spilling from the front windows of the house. Everyone has agreed to suspend bedtimes for the grandkids and stay up just for me. Gazing into the living room and seeing them all stretched out on the couch, chairs, hassocks and pillows, eating pizza, playing video games, and laughing, is one of the moments I will cherish until I die.

I grab some pizza and a game controller, and join the crowd playing Monkey Ball into the early morning hours.

My Year in Review (Part Two)

12/17/2007, 2:00 pm -- by David | 2 Comments

Read Part One here!

In April, the 2007 MLB season starts, finding Barry Bonds just 21 home runs shy of Hank Aaron’s all-time record — and less than a week from matching Al Capone’s record of 187 days thwarting a grand jury investigation by refusing to cooperate with federal agents.

In Philadelphia, following a series of minor of run-ins with local police, including charges of drunk driving, drug use, carjacking and abusing elderly residents of a nursing home, Britt and Garrett Reid, sons of NFL coach Andy Reid, were caught invading a small Central American nation, deposing the president, seizing control of the three major drug cartels, and murdering dozens of innocent citizens. In a hastily called press conference, Coach Reid asked for “privacy” while dealing with unspecified “family issues.” “This stuff happens in every family,” he told reporters. “We’ll get it fixed.”

In my personal life, somehow, against all odds, our accountant got us a $2100 tax refund. Even more amazing, my wife turned down taking a trip to Scotland for our 25th wedding anniversary, electing instead to invest the money in a 42″ Plasma HDTV for the living room. Pope and Palpatine Not only that, but since the TV was technically for her, there was still enough money left over to buy me a new Martin guitar for my anniversary present. I confess, I need a new guitar like my dog needs a new pen and stationery, but I didn’t argue.

Steve extended an invitation to me to join Bweinh! and I began writing and commenting on articles. This quickly caused a controversy when I bumped into the Pope (a frequent guest contributor) in the break room, winding up in a fistfight after I called him the “Anti-Christ” and pointed out a website where Tom pointed out his suspicious resemblance to Emperor Palpatine from Star Wars. Eventually, after a review by my peers, I was placed on 90 days’ probation and instructed to keep away from the Pope and stop referring to him as “the abomination that causes desolation” during staff meetings.

May came and ESPN broke a shocking story about Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, where an unnamed informant fingered him as a major player in the Internet campaign to return Buffy The Vampire Slayer to the airwaves. This was later found to be erroneous, but he was eventually accused of running a dogfighting operation in which he identified himself online as puppyslayer1@aol.com His new coach Bobby Petrino amends his earlier statement of “I’m looking forward to spending time with Vick” to exclude any possible prison time that may be forthcoming. Vick

In our personal life we celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary with our daughter and son-in-law who are celebrating their 1st. We dine at Olive Garden with this memorable exchange between the waitress and my son-in-law:

“Soup or salad with that?”
“Yeah, that sounds great.”
“What?”
“The Super Salad! That sounds good! I’ll have that.”

We spend the next day at Surfside Water Park floating along the lazy river on inner tubes for several hours; then we go home and grill steaks out on the front porch. It was by far the best wedding anniversary in recent memory.

June arrived and with it the high winds and balmy weather so perfect for setting the West Coast of our great nation ablaze. As California burned out of control Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger pledged to personally descend from a helicopter in true action hero fashion to battle the blaze if 100,000 people requested that option within one week’s time. His effort fails, however, when 70% of the ballots turn out to be write-in requests to dangle Michael Vick instead.

In entertainment, the Discovery Channel follows up its wildly popular show Dog Whisperer with a companion program called Cat Shouter. Books In this show, starring Sean Penn, feline discipline problems are solved by grabbing the offending creature, shaking it violently, and screaming at it until it runs away and hides. Problem solved. The show lasts only three weeks before complaints by PETA cause it to be replaced by Hamster Healer , where rodentia are treated for psychological issues using aromatherapy and deep muscle massage.

On a personal note, I find a complete 48-volume set of Sir Walter Scott’s Waverley Novels (Thistle Edition) in quarter-bound leather, published in 1903, for $60 at an estate sale. They are possibly the most beautiful set of books I have ever owned and I spend an entire day rearranging my library to accommodate them along with Plutarch’s Lives of Illustrious Men in thee volumes, a Latin edition of Julius Caesar’s account of the Gallic War (which I cannot yet read), and a book on Latin grammar to help me with Julius Caesar’s book.

My Year in Review (Part One)

12/14/2007, 10:00 am -- by David | No Comments

After spending 10 days in picturesque Sackets Harbor, celebrating Christmas with my family and watching my son get married, we packed up our stuff and left for Alabama on New Year’s Eve, so…

January 1st of 2007 found us in Winchester, Virginia, groggy and road weary, threatening a Burger King drive-thru speaker with Klingon curses in an attempt to get some breakfast for the road. After a 15-minute wait behind a dozen cars, and 5 minutes with no response to our hails, we eventually gave up and drove off in frustration. Rounding the corner of the building, we found a hand-lettered sign announcing they would not be open on New Year’s Day. Looking back at the dozen cars that had lined up behind us, we considered trying to tell them, but then laughed an evil laugh and got back on the highway.

In order to get my family up and on the road early, I had started singing about “The Platypus” (our massive luggage carrier). I learned this trick when my kids were younger — sing a silly song about what you have to do, and it gets them laughing and keeps them from falling back asleep. It works even better when they’re adults; we continued all the way home, eventually writing a rock opera, based on Bohemian Rhapsody, centered around the Platypi (as he came to be known):

I’m just a Platypi looking for a family!
He’s just a Platypi looking for a family!

We arrived home, reintegrated ourselves into society, and spent the rest of the month digging out from Christmas debt. I ended “The Great Rodent Wars,” vanquishing the last two diabetic rats who had terrorized our house by attacking the water lines, then turned 46 (outliving my father by 7 years and counting). We were named Associate Pastors of the church we were attending, then watched the Pastor and his wife get ambushed at a board meeting a week later, forced to resign. We were also no longer welcome and thus began our next search for a new church.

February came and Peyton Manning won his first Super Bowl, against the mighty Chicago Bears, led by Rex “One-Year Wonder” Grossman. It was not a close game, and afterward Peyton thanked everyone, especially Rex, for making such a wonderful year possible. The Philadelphia Flyers continued their worst year in recent memory, driving hard to finish dead last in the NHL — no easy task.

I personally spent the month battling The Columbus Ledger-Enquirer in an attempt to accomplish the almost-impossible feat of having my daily newspaper delivered daily. In an exchange of emails, they blamed me for living in a bad neighborhood where people apparently stole newspapers; then the director of circulation accidentally forwarded me an email from the local carrier: “You should see his newspaper box! It’s right on the street, practically screaming, ‘STEAL MY PAPER!’ ”

I emailed them back, pointing out that I could move the newspaper box off the street, but then I would be the only house without a newspaper tube on the mailbox post — plus she would have to get out of her car to deliver my newspaper on foot. I also mentioned that the thief must be quite prolific because, being OCD, when my paper doesn’t show up, I methodically drive to every coin box and convenience store in my neighborhood looking for a replacement — and every time, not one box, not one store in my entire neighborhood had any papers! That seemed to turn the tide, and my carrier stopped skipping my neighborhood on busy days.

March made my wife and I fondly remember a trip we had taken the year before, to Pine Mountain, Georgia. We stayed on a mountaintop where we (or at least I) could watch the sunrise over the mountain every morning from our balcony. It was such a wonderful trip that, even though money was still tight, we planned a return trip for March ’07. Everything was fine until we actually went on the trip. My wife did not want the nice hotel on the mountaintop this time; she wanted a rustic lodge she had spotted the year before, which advertised cabins with jacuzzis. But the cabins were $200/night, so we took a lodge room.

We drove up Friday night, but my wife had forgotten her dramamine, and the winding roads left her quite ill. We went to bed early and later discovered “rustic lodge” means “no insulation in the walls.” We were awakened by people in the next room at 10 p.m., arriving for what appeared to be some type of party/screaming contest. The next day we shelled out the $200 so we could spend the entire day and night stretched out on luxurious couches in a beautiful cabin, suffering from stomach viruses and watching lame movies on the Hallmark Channel.

The Flyers finished dead last in the NHL; Syracuse got snubbed by the NCAA Tournament, even though they won 24 games (10-6 in the Big East); and a close friend died of cancer after a 2-year battle that brought him back to the Lord.

But on March 30th an email arrived that rewarded a lifetime of hard work — and negotiations began with media mogul Steve Maxon regarding a position opening up at Bweinh!

Maybe my life was working out…

Bible Discussion — Luke 1:1-38

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

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the beginning of a brand new book for us, Luke 1:1-38.

INTRODUCTION:
David:
Luke always lets you know exactly what he’s doing at the beginning of each passage, and here he states in clear and beautiful language the purpose for this epistle. He has attained a clear spiritual and chronological understanding of the Gospel that Theophilus has staked his life on, and he wants to be sure his friend has that same clarity as a sure foundation.

Mike:
Two godly women set an example for their husbands — and us — as they agree to play challenging parts in the coming of God’s Kingdom. For one, a pregnancy was beyond hope and for the other, it was beyond imagination.

Connie:
An account of the ministry of Jesus, as written by Dr. Luke to his friend Theo. If I’m not mistaken, it’s the most-quoted for the Christmas season and by the Peanuts Christmas special.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Connie:
Both Zacharias and Mary asked Gabriel “How?” types of questions in response to his declarations, but only Zach was punished… Hmmm.

Mike:
1:29: “[Mary] wondered what sort of greeting this might be.” She wondered if the angel’s greeting — “The Lord is with you” — was really good news, or whether it might just be terribly inconvenient to her life plans.

Steve:
Elizabeth was also from the lineage of Aaron, which made John the Baptist a priest from both sides.

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Mike: No Business Being Pregnant
David: Zachariah
Connie: Theophilus
MC-B: Zechariah’s Division
Steve: Struck Mute

Continued here!

Excerpt from the Real Journal

12/7/2007, 9:30 am -- by David | No Comments

Monday, December 3rd, 2007 — lunch in the library at home

December, almost another year gone. I read Mark 1 through 4 today; in Mark 4:39-40, Jesus is awakened by His disciples and rebukes the wind and sea. He then rebukes them, saying, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” Jesus Calms the Storm

The result?

“And they feared exceedingly and said one to another, ‘What manner of man is this, that even the wind and sea obey Him?’ ”

We go from fear to fear. We’re afraid, when God leaves, that the world will crush us. Then when He returns, and we see the extent of His amazing power, we stop fearing the world and fear Him instead. Puny, frightened creatures we are.

We fear both the absence of God and the presence of God. We fear what will happen while He’s gone and what He will do to us upon His return. We are afraid to be away from Him and terrified of walking with Him. We long for His presence, assured that His coming will set all things right — and then run like scared rabbits when He tries to move in our churches, or our lives.

We can’t live without Him, and we can’t live with Him.

What is this safe distance we seek in ritual, tradition, the priesthood, the hierarchy, but a manifestation of our fears? John said, that in Him there is no fear, for perfect love casts out fear. We are like the Israelites, who said to Moses, “Speak thou with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us — lest we die.”

We cling to the Old Testament types of the Sabbath and the tithe because they limit our obligations — and our contact — with God almighty. We embrace the priesthood and the ritual for the same reason.

Derek Webb has a song called A New Law that expresses it quite well.

Don’t teach me about politics and government; just tell me who to vote for
Don’t teach me about truth and beauty; just label my music
Don’t teach me how to live like a free man
Just give me a new law

I don’t wanna know if the answers aren’t easy
So just bring it down from the mountain to me

I want a new law . . .

Don’t teach me about moderation and liberty; I prefer a shot of grape juice
Don’t teach me about loving my enemies
Don’t teach me how to listen to the Spirit
Just give me a new law . . .

What’s the use in trading a law you can never keep
For one you can — that cannot get you anything

Do not be afraid
Do not be afraid

Do not be afraid . . .

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!

Clash of the Titans LXI: China

11/30/2007, 8:41 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

In this corner, arguing that China is an enemy, is David!

And in this corner, arguing that China is our friend, is MC-B!

But where is the danger zone? Aside from general tensions arising from our projection of power across the ocean to remain the dominant force in Asia, there are two major flashpoints:

In other words, in the military arena China and the USA certainly have differences, but the differences aren’t large or deep-seated enough to net China a special “enemy” status.

{democracy:171}

Abraham

11/30/2007, 10:00 am -- by David | No Comments

Of all the saints whose lives are recounted for us in the Bible, my favorite character has always been Abraham. I know, I know, it should be Jesus, but Jesus is God. My attempts to learn from His life have not always been as fruitful as one might imagine.

The first time I read the book In His Steps, I was in college during the late ’70s and, although I don’t remember the exact circumstances, when I tried to stop and ask myself, “What would Jesus do?,” the answer was obvious — “He never would have been stupid enough to get into this situation in the first place.”

That’s why I like Abraham. He’s human. I love Jesus and worship Him. I look to Abraham for a good role model.

There’s something about him standing in the door of his tent, looking up at a brilliant sky lit with innumerable stars, telling God, “Yes, I know you are my God and everything is cool, but . . . I still don’t have any children, and you promised me children…” and God saying, “Can you count these stars? If you can count these stars, then that’s how many children you will have.”

His life is such a draw to me. There are no churches to be disappointed with, no law to come short of, no religion to fail at, no synagogue or temple. There’s just an enormous expanse of territory, of which God says, “Journey in the land, wherever your foot touches I’ll give it to you and your descendants.”

I long for that. No plan or purpose. Just wandering in the desert, raising a family and watching sheep. Every once in a while God shows up and makes a new covenant and promises more stuff. Almost none of it happens in his lifetime but he doesn’t care.

He becomes the father of the notion that there is only one true and living God, and that He has holy standards. He passes that onto his descendants and becomes the father of all three of the major faiths in the earth — Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The prototype, the plan and the imitation. It all blossoms out of one man’s personal relationship with God.

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!

My Last Day As A Big Game Hunter

11/22/2007, 10:00 am -- by David | 1 Comment

For three years I hunted with my in-laws, using a borrowed rifle to trudge through the woods of Northern New York and the Adirondacks in search of the elusive whitetail deer. Much of my failure to notch a “kill” may be due to the differences between my criteria for selecting a hunting spot and the criteria of my fellow hunters.

My father-in-law and brothers-in-law based their selection on things like the presence of a “deer run” (a brownish line left when deer kick up the edges of fallen leaves, exposing the darker, older leaves underneath). They looked for “rubs,” saplings damaged when deer rubbed their antlers against them to scratch an itch or sharpen their antlers, depending on whose mythology you believe. They looked for “deer scrapes,” patches of forest floor scraped clean of leaves by a buck, then soaked with urine to attract does. (This is not something I recommend; in fact I would personally be terrified of a woman this would attract, but “deer are queer folk,” as they say.)

I personally looked for a large tree with a generous portion of soft leaves deposited beneath its boughs. From this vantage point, I would carefully set my gun aside, lean back against the base of the tree, and happily munch sandwiches and drink hot coffee from my red-capped thermos bottle while enjoying the beauty of an autumn day. My jaunts into the woods were less a hunting expedition and more a sort of armed picnic; I imagine the local deer population, after some initial wariness, came to view me with a mix of relief and amusement. I was obviously not out to kill any of them, intent only on defending my own food in the case of any aggressive move on their part.

My last day of hunting came in 1985. I was informed by the clan that a hunt was scheduled for Thanksgiving Day. We would gather at the Watertown homestead, the children would play games, the men would hunt, and the women would prepare a feast for our return. I have to admit it sounded very enticing. Also, I still had a small bit of hope that one day, an extremely stupid deer would stumble upon my position and wait patiently for me to get my rifle, remove the safety, and shoot it down, fulfilling the prophecies of our patriarch and making me an instant hero. This could be a banner day for me.

The day came, bringing with it 4 inches of snow, ruining any chance of a comfortable seat on the ground enjoying my usual picnic lunch. But so what? Only an imbecile would ruin his appetite on Thanksgiving morning anyway. We kissed our wives, piled into the car and drove to the woods for the hunt. After several hours of standing around in the wet snow, I heard the triple retort of a rifle (the universal hunting signal for SOS) and made my way back to the car to find Paul Sr. and Paul Jr. lounging around, without Craig.

“Are we leaving?,” I said hopefully.

“Nah, I think Craig got lost,” said Paul Jr.

“He’s not lost. He just got turned around in them tamaracks,” my father-in-law quickly added, waving his arm to the west in the direction of the shots. “He’ll work his way out.”

So we waited. And waited. An hour passed, then two. There were more signal shots, more dismissals about the tamaracks, and no one did anything. I am no hero, don’t get me wrong, but I was cold and hungry and knew that only a 30-minute ride and a missing brother-in-law stood between us, a blazing woodstove, and a feast of enormous proportions. Something had to be done.

Then it all came together for me. We were hunting in a patch of woods bordered by roads on two sides. We had parked on the E-W road, walked a short distance up the N-S road, and entered the woods on the left side of the road. Craig was firing his rifle from amongst the tamaracks on the right side of the road, so he would have had to cross 4 inches of freshly fallen snow to get there. Not only that, but he had showed me the heel of his new boots that morning, taking childish pride in the fact that they left a kangaroo imprint on the ground wherever he walked.

I easily found where he had crossed the road and followed his tracks to the tamaracks, surveying the muddled mess as he had obviously confused his tracks by crossing and re-crossing them. I fired my rifle off and immediately Craig cried out, a few dozen yards away. He emerged, looking scared and relieved all at once, and thanked me profusely all the way back to the car. I was a hero. For thirty minutes.

By the time we reached town, my father-in-law’s insistence that he knew Craig was “just turned around in them tamaracks” and would eventually work his own way out, plus the calming effects of being “found” and safely headed for home, had a profound effect on Craig. By the time he told the story at the house, it ended, “…and then I ran into Dave, and we walked back out together.”

No deer. No credit for clear thinking and rescuing the lost. And I was two hours late for Dinner on Thanksgiving Day. My hunting days were over.

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!

My First Day as a Big Game Hunter

11/16/2007, 10:00 am -- by David | No Comments

My wife was born in Tupper Lake, NY, which should tell you, if you know anything about Northern New York, that she’s from the mountains — the Adirondack Mountains, to be exact. That means that when we married in 1982, I gained a father-in-law and some brothers-in-law, well versed in the ways of the woods. They were deer hunters. My dream to finally attain manhood was now in reach.

For the first few months of our marriage, all I heard about were the pastexploits and foibles of the Ferry clan. How Craig and John had once shot a deer five times between them, blowing off an antler and a hoof in the process, while still not bringing any venison home to the table. How Paul Jr. had spotted a buck, jumped up onto a stump and emptied every cartridge from his gun — cocking and expelling shells with frenetic fury — without ever actually firing a shot at the fortunate deer. Buck fever, they called it, the condition of being so excited you can’t even get a shot off. Times had been rough, kills few and far between, but according to my father-in-law, those times were changing.

“Dave is our good luck charm,” he would tell anyone who would listen. “I’ve just got a feeling he’s gonna get us a buck this year.”

Hunting season finally arrived, and we packed into a car in the dark hours before morning, so we could be at our spots by daybreak. There were promises of a large breakfast at some roadside diner, but apparently the restauranteurs in our neck of the woods were smarter than the average hunter, and none of them were open at such an ungodly hour. This was my first tactical error; I didn’t make coffee before I left the house, planning on getting some at the diner. Groggy, hungry and feeling the beginnings of a caffeine headache coming on, I stumbled into the woods of Belfort on the Stillwater Reservoir.

My father-in-law gathered us together and started pouring out marching orders in a nearly unintelligible language, directing people to ridges and ravines, while making wide sweeping motions with his arms.

When he finished I said, “What do I do again?”

He pointed to a tree a short distance way and said “Just sit there, we’re gonna drive the deer right to you.”

He handed me a Winchester 30-30 lever-action carbine rifle and a fist full of bullets, and then they started to scatter. I looked at the bullets, then the gun, and realized I now had my second problem of the day. They were getting away and I had no idea how to load the gun! Me, the hero, the avenger of past defeats at the hand of the Deer clan! How could I play this without dashing their hopes?

“Uh… Wait! What do I do with these?,” I called out. “Where do they go? I mean, in the gun — how do they get in the gun? The bullets…”

I’ve never seen a more confused and scared bunch of men in my life.

“Didn’t you take the 6-hour hunters’ safety course required to get your license?,” one of my brothers-in-law asked.

“I did,” I said, “I took it in about a half hour. The guy teaching the course had a football game to get to. He’s an official. He gave me a bunch of stuff to read, but I haven’t read it all yet… haven’t read any of it yet actually. I will, though!”

After helping me load the gun, they left quickly and quietly. That was the last I saw or heard of them that day until we left for home several hours later. They all scattered, hunted, and presumably stayed as far away from me as possible. I sat under the tree with a growing headache and dozed fitfully.

At one point, as I slept with my back against the tree, my hands in my pockets for warmth, the loaded gun in the crook of my arm, I jerked awake causing the gun to fire very close to my left ear.

When everyone re-assembled, the conversation went kind of like this:

“Craig, did you shoot at something?”

“No, wasn’t me.”

“Paul? Did you get a shot at one?”

“Nope, never saw a thing.”

All eyes turned to me. “Did you shoot at something?”

“Uh…yes and no… It’s kind of a funny story. Let me turn this way, I can’t really hear anything out of this side right now… See, I was sitting where you told me to sit, and . . .”

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!

Sparrow

11/9/2007, 12:00 pm -- by David | No Comments

So I plummeted to earth,
Rushing,
Headlong to meet the ground.
Wondering where this world ends,
And where the Heavens begin.

Unsure,
If I had even flown,
Or just postponed,
The inevitable fall,
Reserved for all,
Enslaved in this corrupted flesh.

Confused,
About the nature of this flight.
About gravity and other things,
Like human hearts and angel wings,
And if the two could mesh.

Saying,
To myself and You,
What must I do?
What must I do?
What must I do?
To live above like You.

And can we fly?
Or is it just a treat,
Held high,
To coax me to my feet?
To rush headlong,
Where angels have not trod.
A man,
Called to live like God.

Soaring high,
Against his nature’s grain.
Breathlessly awaiting
His chance to fall again.
Wondering aloud,
Where this world ends,
So Heaven can begin.
To take its shape outside of him,
Instead of just within.

And I watch,
And am alone,
Like a sparrow,
Atop of this, my house.

I dare not brave the sky,
With these two wings,
More broken now than I.
Too shattered,
To ever be repaired,
Assuming that I cared.

For my heart is broken too,
I guess like You
Were broken in the bread.
Poured out like wine,
For the free among the dead.

And where does this world end,
And the next one start?
And where does flight take place?
In Heaven?
On Earth?
Or somewhere in the heart?

And if it is not Heaven,
Nor Earth this freedom brings,
Then maybe you could heal my heart,
And forget about these wings.

For men are not angels,
Were never meant to be,
And who knows, Lord, but You,
What likeness we shall be?

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!

Why Hillary Clinton Will Be Our Next President

11/2/2007, 9:30 am -- by David | 4 Comments

No, I don’t like her. No, I would never support her. Yes, I really believe she will be our next president.

Why do I think this?

The weight, I believe, is shifting back to the Democrats. The strongest candidate we can muster won’t be able to overcome even the feeble challenge of a liberal female candidate.

*loud whistle* “TIME! DEMOCRATS! YOU’RE UP NEXT!”

When I hear people here in Alabama, a solidly conservative Republican stronghold, entertaining the possibility of another Clinton administration — and hinting that it might not be so bad, I think the tide has turned.

Bible Discussion — Romans 10

10/31/2007, 12:00 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next chapter in the book of Romans, Romans 10.

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

INTRODUCTION:
David:
Paul continues his dissertation on the Law, explaining that his brethren have to stop trying to fulfill it and realize that Christ has fulfilled it for them. He then declares faith in Christ to be the real goal they should seek.

Connie:
Paul discusses the fruitless ways Israel has tried to achieve the righteousness they so desperately need on their own through the law.

Steve:
Having already addressed the constant sinfulness of man and the universal providence of God, Paul now moves to the logical next step — spreading the news to everyone!

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Erin:
This passage isn’t just about what the message of salvation is, but also about a call to share it.

Steve:
Paul describes Isaiah’s prophecy that God would make appear to those who did not seek Him as “bold.”

Connie:
The requirement of confessing with your mouth precedes believing in your heart. It reminds me of the verse in Luke 9:26 that says we need to not be ashamed of Him before men — then He won’t be ashamed of us before God.

BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Steve: Provoke
David: Glad Tidings
Josh: Untrained Zeal; End of Law
Connie: Contrary People
Erin: Confess

Continued here!

Clash of the Titans LVI: Is Baseball Boring?

10/26/2007, 11:30 am -- by Bweinh | No Comments

In this corner, calling baseball boring, is David!

And in this corner, disagreeing, is Erin!

Baseball revolves around 18 players, guaranteed a minimum of 3 “at-bats”. These “at-bats” comprise all of the “action” in the game. Upon leaving the “on-deck circle,” the player initiates an “at-bat” by performing a series of rituals, which include spitting, scratching, adjusting his athletic supporter, clearing his nasal passages using either digital extraction or single nostril compression, adjusting the Velcro straps on his batting gloves, rubbing dirt on his gloves, inspecting his bat, and swinging the bat several times to assure it is operating properly (no one wants to get “caught looking” at a third strike because their bat jammed).

The manager of the team then uses a series of hand gestures and body contortions to relay his “score” for the rituals to the third base coach. Once at the plate, the player has only seconds to read the score as it is relayed by the third base coach. He can then either accept the score, or call time, step out of the “batter’s box,” and begin the rituals over again in the hope of getting a better score. These ratings can account for up to 65% of his “slugging percentage,” so they are extremely helpful during “arbitration hearings.”

Once the score is settled, the “catcher” then calls for the “pitch,” using a combination of hand signals and Morse code. Due to the noise of the snoring crowd, this information is sometimes garbled, requiring a conference where the “catcher” jogs to the “mound,” while the “pitcher” stares in confusion.

“What’s a fart ball?”
“What?”
“A fart ball? I’ve never heard of that!”
“It was FAST ball! FAST ball!”
“No, dude, that was an R. An S is dot DOT dot!”

Boring as this is to watch, it often leads to the most exciting play in baseball — “the brawl.” This is not to be confused with a hockey brawl, in which people actually fight — but sometimes while the catcher and pitcher are getting their signals right, the batter falls asleep, and the catcher calls for a “brushback pitch” to wake him. He usually awakens angry and confused, and lurches onto the field, yelling unintelligibly. This awakens the crowd, which in turn awakens the players on the bench, who stumble around, groggy and puzzled, shouting and gesturing in an attempt to find out whether the game is over and, if so, who won.

Once order is restored, the batter takes a mandatory 17 pitches, is declared either out or safe, and leaves. The broadcast crew, a team of sociopaths skilled in torture, replay all 17 pitches with a computer, to show the audience what they missed while they were fixing a sandwich.

All of us have been to a basketball game. They are fast-paced, whirling dervishes of action: high scoring, adrenaline-carried affairs that, wouldn’t you know, capture the attention of millions upon millions of ADHD-leaning Americans. Much of the time, when thinking of baseball, people look instead to a sport such as basketball, and they expect baseball to be roughly the same, except with a square field, a stick and a smaller spherical projectile.

But baseball is different. It is slower, more careful, but at the same time, it contains all the enthralling moments that make sport so very addicting. It takes concentration and precision to play, and (horror of horrors!) attention and patience to watch, but these just make it even more enjoyable.

I remember the first home run I ever saw. It was at a West Michigan Whitecaps game in their old stadium outside of Grand Rapids, and I think they were playing Ludington. No, I can’t recall the player or the inning or even the final score, but knowing that one person sent the ball flying that far had a magical quality about it that demanded respect for the players and the game.

And who can deny the tee-ball culture in which so many of our youths take part — often “encouraged” by a slightly overzealous parent — which keeps them active and out of trouble, teaches them to work and play as a team, shows them to listen to worthy authority, and coaches them to improvise. All of these are parts of baseball. Though calling it “the American pastime” may be a clichÃ©, to some degree it is quite true.

So say the children who played tee-ball in their community leagues, their city parks, or their sandlots eventually grow up and become adult baseball fans. They know the calls and the punishments, and they can shout (righteously angered) at an ump who is clearly calling the game in favor of the other team (crooked cheaters!). They can tell when a pitcher is tiring or a shortstop is oblivious or a runner without fail is going to steal third base. In short: the fans love the game. They aren’t fair-weather; they aren’t in it for the adrenaline: they are in it for the team.

Baseball is skill. Baseball is style. Baseball is patience. And as long as there are people who eat Cracker Jack, buy nosebleed seats, and take their kids to buy their first real baseball glove, when you flip through the radio channels on hot summer evenings, you will hear:

“Steeeeeeeee — rike three! And he’s outta there!“

{democracy:156}

Open Letter to George W. Bush

10/26/2007, 10:00 am -- by David | 11 Comments

Dear Mr. President:

You do not know me, and chances are you will never read these words, but there are things that need to be said for posterity’s sake, and now is as good a time as any to say them. Perhaps, as the elderly gentleman who had lost both his sight and his hearing said, when asked why he still attended church, “I just want to make sure everyone knows which side I’m on.”

Thank you.

First of all, thank you for standing up for yourself when the media and liberal forces in this nation attempted to bully you into forfeiting an election you had rightfully won. All of us remember where we were when 9/11 happened, and many of us can recall our first salient thought — “What if George Bush had not taken office?!” Your courage and leadership were indispensable during those days, and I believe now, as I did then, that God had raised you up for “such a time as this” in our nation’s history.

Secondly, thank you for serving, though you knew you would willingly expose yourself and your family to the ridicule and disrespect with which this nation treats its elected officials. I am embarrassed for my nation. To whatever extent I can, I truly apologize. From being fodder for late-night comics and the main target of the liberal media, to being the scapegoat for every natural disaster that hit our shores during your terms in office, you have borne it all with dignity. You have never lashed out at your enemies and have always carried yourself with class. You’ve done nothing to sully the name of Jesus Christ, whom you have publicly acknowledged as your Lord and Savior.

Thirdly, thank you for having the courage of your convictions. I believed you when you said that this war on terrorism was not a war that could be won in a year, or even a decade, but that it was nonetheless a war that must be fought. You never tried to deceive us when you talked about the road ahead and the necessity of fighting terrorism in the breeding grounds of the Middle East and Asia Minor — it’s just that too many have forgotten why we went to war. It’s easy to do in the peaceful surroundings of a secure homeland. I do not believe that it is a coincidence that we have not suffered another 9/11 type event during your watch.

Finally, thank you for allowing yourself to be wounded for the betterment of a nation. I can only imagine the heart-rending decisions you have faced in committing our troops overseas, knowing that not all of them would return. You made painful decisions in the best interests of our country, knowing they would be detrimental to you personally. That is a sacrifice that can only be made by a true statesman; something a mere politician knows nothing about.

Thank you.

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!

Blessed Is He, Whosoever Is Not Offended In Me

10/19/2007, 12:00 pm -- by David | No Comments

Why would John doubt Jesus? Perhaps if you were in prison and the Great Deliverer, the Messiah, the Coming King — who happens to be your cousin — showed up, but you wound up in prison while His ministry grew so phenomenally that even there you hear reports about His fame, you might have some doubts yourself. You might expect a rescue or a pardon.

Continued here!

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!

The Glass Ceiling

10/12/2007, 9:30 am -- by David | 1 Comment

I was sitting alone at a ministers’ luncheon some decades ago, watching my brothers interact with each other, when an important personal word came for me from the Lord. We had recently endured a meeting where one brother had spent 40 minutes proclaiming the KJV to be the only God-sanctioned text, and another where a well-respected man repeatedly said, “The Bible has more to say about finances than salvation.” Both things had grieved me, but being the youngest, newest member of this elite group, I didn’t challenge either statement. What grieved me more was that no one else did either.

As I watched them mill around before this next meeting, I could see the obvious deference they afforded one another — the “giving of honor where honor is due,” if you will — and I became conscious for the first time of the glass ceiling that inevitably comes with unity. God spoke to me at that moment: “Remain fiercely independent.”

I knew what he meant. They weren’t bad. They weren’t in grievous error. They just respected one another too much to challenge each other, and visibly hovering over the sanctuary, I saw this glass ceiling, beyond which they would not allow each other to grow.

I had just read a newspaper article commending the benefit of an independent nuclear France, and I have to admit it had become part of my thinking. The US and USSR were in a standoff for control of the world, and all the treaties we were signing, to the chagrin of the USSR, did not limit France at all. They were doing their own thing, an intangible the enemy could not control. They could rail all they wanted at the US and NATO, bully us into all manner of lopsided treaties, but they could not control the one other nuclear power who had hacked out an independent path, proclaiming, “Make all the treaties you want with what you believe to be the entire free world — we speak for ourselves!”

I purpose always, and only, to speak for myself in matters of faith. I hope, and pray, that when it’s all over, and I stand before God on judgment day, that I am not found to be a rebel. I just can’t say amen to things I don’t agree with, or don’t comprehend.

At a men’s advance (our church did not believe in retreating) in 1982, a bunch of us had stayed up late joking, and we fell into a speculative conversation where people threw out statements about God that all began with, “I think that God is…” At about 3 am, after several of these, Tom Altman said — in a very wise and solemn manner — “I believe God is oblong, ubiquitous, omnipotent and has no knees.”

Before we could even laugh, before the last syllable had fully died out, a dazed-looking brother across the table said loudly, “Amen, brother!,” as he had to everything else that night. Tom stared at him for a moment, then shook his head and said, “It’s time to go to bed.” And we all did.

I have to admit, I’ve been running from that conversation ever since. God, never, ever, let me say amen to something I don’t believe, or even comprehend, simply because I am among beloved brethren.

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!

Why We Believe: Vol. 1

10/6/2007, 12:30 pm -- by David | 3 Comments

This and following weekends, we will share the brief salvation testimony of each Bweinh!tributor. First in line is David.

As a typical bad kid growing up in Watertown, NY in the 1970’s, I found my way into alcohol and drugs at an early age, which led to petty crime to buy cigarettes, pot, beer and wine. Dad was Catholic and gone most of the time, and Mom was Baptist, working hard to raise 4 kids by herself. She sent us to the Baptist church for a while, but that stopped when she found out we were going to the bus station and spending the offering money in the vending machines on the way to church.

When I was 17, I found myself in jail (the city lockup) for the fourth time that summer. During that night, God spoke to me for the first time in my life, saying, “You’ve seen what the world has to offer — now watch what I can do for you.” Two weeks later while I was home alone, God showed up again and said, “He (the devil) has had you for your entire life, but if you want to, you can give your heart to me and belong to me.”

The rest of the conversation went like this:

“Who are you?”

“Jesus.”

“Send my sister to pray with me, because I don’t know who you are or what you want.”

“No, when you stand before Me to be judged, there will be no one else there but you and Me. This is your decision.”

“Come into my heart and be my personal Lord and savior.” (a prayer Dave Maxon had told me about)

Instantly I went from being a skinny, long-haired punk who was lost and going to hell, to being a skinny, long-haired punk who was saved and going to Heaven. I’m still headed for Heaven, because of what Jesus did in dying for my sins on the Cross, and revealing Himself to me that day.

True Legends of the Fall

10/5/2007, 9:30 am -- by David | No Comments

I have to admit I was disappointed when I found out that the movie Legends of the Fall was not about Reggie Jackson, or as we called him in the day, Mr. October. There, my friends, was a true legend of the Fall. This is the first week of October and, as you can tell, my thoughts have turned to baseball.

I became a fan in October 1972, when my mother bought 4 chances in a World Series baseball pool at work. She gave me a scrap of paper with the word Oakland and the number 2 scribbled on it in pencil. She explained that if the most runs were scored by Oakland in the 2nd inning, I would win money. I watched the opening game of the World Series that night for the first time in my young life and Gene Tenace hit a 2-run shot in the 2nd inning — giving me, and Oakland, the win. Four dollars and fifty cents! I was hooked. I didn’t win any more money after that first game, but I watched the rest of the series and rooted for Oakland.

They were playing Cincinnati, the Big Red Machine, with guys like Johnny Bench, Pete Rose, George Foster, Joe Morgan and Dave Concepcion. Oakland fielded a team with the likes of Dick Green, Joe Rudi, Gene Tenace and Sal Bando, but their pitchers were the real story: Rollie Fingers, Vida Blue and John “Blue Moon” Odom. Reggie was injured and didn’t play, so I didn’t become a Reggie Jackson fan until years later — just an A’s fan, and a baseball fan.

I lost interest in baseball eventually, but then in 1977 I turned on the TV and saw that Oakland was playing New York. I decided to watch the game for old times’ sake, and started out rooting for Oakland, but soon realized I didn’t know anyone on their team anymore. I did remember Reggie Jackson and Catfish Hunter, but they were playing for the Yankees — so, just like that, I became a Yankees fan. And wow! What a time to start following the Yankees! Willie Randolph, Chris Chambliss, Graig Nettles, Thurman Munson and, of course, Reggie. And 2 World Series wins!

If you saw any of The Bronx is Burning recently, I have to say it was a wonderful depiction of those days; especially the day Reggie hit 3 home runs on 3 straight pitches to win it all. Good memories. After Reggie left New York, I lost track of baseball again, and it took Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams and Paul O’Neill to bring me back again.

So far I have stayed for a decade or more and I’m looking forward to what this month will bring. Can they win again? Who will be the hero if they do? I’ve never seen anything to compare to Reggie’s performance in 1977 (I still have a REGGIE BAR candy wrapper stashed away in a safe place), but perhaps this could be the year a new Legend of the Fall is born.

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!

Transition

09/28/2007, 9:45 am -- by David | 2 Comments

How so like warfare,
my life has now become,
We pause but to bury the dead,
and speak of peace to come.
Age of War, D. Sweet

I’m getting older. Among the myriad ways this creeping thought has insinuated itself into my mind is the fact that the only time I get together with my oldest friends here now is for funerals — to bury our dead. It’s a sad thought and it makes me pensive.

When I was young my mother sang:

Those were the days my friend
We thought they’d never end
We’d sing and dance forever and a day
We’d live the life we choose
We’d fight and never lose
For we were young and sure to have our way.
La la la la la la la la la la la la
Those were the days, oh yes, those were the days!

The song brings to mind the invincibility we felt when we were young, my friends and me. We really did think that we were the generation destined to change the world. We thought revival would spring forth from the fervent prayers and tears with which we carpeted the altar of our church on Sunday evenings; but the world, it would seem, has stayed the same, still awaiting that glorious appearing of the sons of God. We streamed forward at nearly every service singing…though none go with me, still I will follow, no turning back, no turning back…and yet so many have turned back. I remember their names, each one, and I lift them up before You, Lord.

Back then we thought that the strong young men who stood beside us, and the blazing hearts of the young handmaidens set for battle, would never know defeat. The world was ours, victory assured, yet where did they go? Perhaps, as Jeremiah says, “…those appointed to death, to death; those appointed to war, to war; those appointed to famine, to famine; those appointed to captivity, to captivity.”

Those appointed to jobs, to jobs; those appointed to heartbreak, to heartbreak; those appointed to divorce, to divorce; those appointed to the battle, perhaps to the battle still.

And so young man, young woman, we leave you the Kingdom. May your prayers be more fervent, your tears burn hotter, than ours ever did. May you never grow weary in well doing, knowing that in due time, we shall reap, if we faint not. May you always realize that unto you are given the keys of the Kingdom, and that which you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven, and that which you bind on earth will be bound in heaven. Bind up the brokenhearted, loose the bands of affliction, and know that you are strong, for the word of God abides within you.

And know that it is your time.

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!

The Fig Tree

09/21/2007, 1:30 pm -- by David | No Comments

One of the benefits of living in the South is that I have a fig tree outside my window at work. It’s boxed in on all four sides by the building, fences and a dock so it’s not easily accessible for neighborhood freeloaders. I usually can get a fig or two when they ripen before someone mysteriously cleans it out at night. They’re both sweet and delicious.

Lately I have taken to checking the tree for fruit and it has none yet. Not even small unripe figs. You wouldn’t believe how disappointing it is. I have never noted “the right time” for figs to be on the tree, so maybe I’m just early this year in my desires, but my disappointment has left me thinking about the parable where the man keeps checking a tree for figs, but eventually says, “Cut it down! Why let it take up space in the ground any longer?”

I noticed the last time I read that parable that the gardener admits he has not done everything in his power to produce fruit on the tree. He pleads for patience, saying, “Let me dig around it and fertilize it,” and allowing that if it still fails to produce fruit next year, he would cut it down himself. I don’t know why I had never noticed that admission of guilt before.

I have always seen it as a lesson in patience, not an indictment of leadership. It’s not just a Christian pleading for patience, but it acknowledges a failure to put forth every effort to see that a person, a ministry, a marriage or a job succeeds. It’s someone stepping up to the plate and saying, “Listen, this failure may be as much mine as his.”

It’s not just saying, “Give the tree another chance,” it’s saying, “Give me another chance.”

Rich Mullins

09/21/2007, 10:30 am -- by David | No Comments

Dreamer
Phil Sweet

He was a dreamer
He would look up at the sky
Believe there was more beyond
Just another mile down

He was a stranger
Always lonely for his home
And all of these things gathered him
To the country he called his own

He spoke of You often
As he cried out Your name

He said You would hold us
He said we could be with You
He said You had made us
We did not make You
He said you were everyman
So You could understand
The trouble that’s bound to come

He was a preacher
Disturbin’ everybody’s peace
Believed that the just would live
The strong should care for the weak

He was a lover
But he always had a broken heart
For we could never return the love
He’d learned how to give

He said it came from You
When he cried out Your name

He said You would hold us
He said we could be with You
He said You had made us
We did not make You
He said you were everyman
So You could understand
The trouble that’s bound to come

And when you picked up
Pieces pure and true
I know he heard
Music that was higher
And did it surpass
The sound that he once heard
I know he went home
In a chariot of fire

He was a dreamer
Now he looks down at the sky
He was a stranger
Who finally found his home
He was a preacher
Now he lives in perfect peace
He was a lover
He ain’t lonely anymore

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!

Clash of the Titans L: Gas v. Charcoal

09/18/2007, 12:00 pm -- by Steve | 5 Comments

In this corner, on the side of gas, is David!

And in this corner, backing charcoal, is Josh!

Meet the Gutierrez family. After suffering catastrophic health issues in Mexico, they left their native land to emigrate to the United States. Settling (illegally) in an affluent Hispanic community in the lush suburbs of Macon, GA, they received free health care, food stamps and supplemental income from various welfare agencies, allowing them to heal from their several maladies and settle into an ideal American existence.

They moved to the suburb, initially, because of the many jobs open to undocumented aliens at area chicken processing plants. But they stayed because they became hooked on fresh chicken and the outdoor BBQ experience — and they don’t use charcoal. See, back in Mexico they suffered a series of disturbing ailments thought to be byproducts of American manufacturing practices, but in reality were caused by the manufacture of charcoal.

As with most countries in South and Central America, there is a burgeoning illegal charcoal industry in Mexico, destroying the environment ways impossible to calculate. I know, because I tried with my calculator and I could not find a way to input words like “greenhouse gases” and “smog.” Charcoal is made by cutting down trees and burning the wood in a furnace (without oxygen), creating coals for consumption by fat, lazy, rich Americans. The immediate effect of the process is the release of carbon monoxide, a major contributor to both global warming and the long, drawn-out twilight of William Shatner’s acting career (speaking of rich, fat Americans). In addition, removing the trees strips hillsides of vegetation, leaving the land prone to erosion, which kills by starvation, and flooding, which kills — well… pretty much by flooding. Oh, and also mudslides.

I stand with the Gutierrez family in my resolve to use only gas when I grill my loco pollo from nearby chicken plants. If it’s good enough for them, it’s good enough for me. Besides, I like to make my own sauce from mustard, soy sauce and Italian dressing, and soy sauce tastes funky when it’s grilled over charcoal.

Not that I have ever personally used charcoal.

There are few things finer in all the world than a cookout on a warm summer day — the smell, the camaraderie around the grill, the way everything just tastes better when you eat outside. You feel alive. The only way to put a damper on such a tasty scene would be to cheat.

I’m talking to you, gas grill guy.

First off, it’s undeniable that food cooked over a real, charcoal fire tastes better. Since quality of taste is the most important factor when discussing food preparation — particularly if you’re going to go to all the trouble of a cookout to begin with — the debate really begins and ends there. But I will continue, because there’s more to love about charcoal.

For one thing, the grills are less expensive. This leaves more money available for quality cuts of meat. Also, studies have shown that when it comes to expensive cooking gadgets, there is an inverse correlation between how much money people spend and how much they actually cook for themselves. In other words, gas is for posers.

Throw in the fact that charcoal offers an infinitely lower chance of an explosion, and much greater ease and safety of storage and purchase. When I go to Lowe’s (let’s build something — together), I don’t need someone to unlock an outdoor cage to get me a bag of charcoal.

Proponents of gas will say that charcoal takes too long to heat up, and that gas offers more even control of heat. Well, you know what? My microwave heats up quickly and provides even heat. Maybe I’ll just go nuke some hot dogs and call it a day. Give me a break!

The whole point of cooking out is to master that open flame, to connect with nature. For a genuine cookout experience, charcoal just can’t be beat.

{democracy:134}

Dateline: 2112, Washington, DC

09/14/2007, 9:45 am -- by David | 2 Comments

President James Dobson IV today addressed a group of reporters about his ascension to the Presidency as the first Executor in the New Christian Era. Below are a few excerpts from his remarks.

How does this feel and did you ever imagine yourself being in this position?

Honestly, it feels great. Getting the Constitutional amendment passed to actually have the United States declared a Christian nation was a hard fought battle. We Christians in America have a lot to thank God for.

What will your first 100 days look like?

Our main focus will be giving the “Blue Laws Bill” more teeth. Right now Tithe Evasion, Sabbath Breaking and Unregistered Church Attendance are all still misdemeanors. It’s clear we need to make those things felonies to get the attention of some folks. Make no mistake — we’re not going after the guy who misses Sunday School with a cold or something — but we have people out there who haven’t been to Church in years, yet they get a 10-day jail sentence and they’re right back walking the streets again on Sunday morning. That has to stop.”

Will there be allowances for unregistered church attendance?

People have 12 registered denominational alliances representing 83,750 individual houses of worship scattered among the 52 states. They have plenty of choices without going underground.

Will you be taking on the NFL during your term?

Yes, the Sports-Entertainment Exemption Act is something we will examine closely. Everyone knows Sunday is the Sabbath. Letting big corporations skirt the issue is just hypocritical. When a kid can’t play a pick-up game in his yard on Sunday, why can rich owners flaunt the law and parade their teams around on national television?

What about the recent arrest of Senator Hagee in a Teleport restroom?

It’s disappointing. He is a direct descendant of one of the original signers of the Christian Manifesto II, and a Republican in good standing. I’m trying not to jump to conclusions, but if he wasn’t speaking in tongues in that stall, why did he plead guilty to Religious Misconduct? To make it go away? It looks bad.

Will you be reaching out to the Catholics?

Next question.

What about the “Seventh Day Question”?

*pausing, rustling of papers, whispered exchange with aide* Uh, most of the internment camps have been closed: *more hurried whispers* :.some of the camps have been closed: *confused noises* :it’s something we will have to look into and I’m not really prepared to answer that at this time. Let me say say this, they call themselves Christians, they live in a Christian nation, yet they are persistent in their opposition to observing the Sabbath on the right day. What more can I say?

Thank you gentlemen!

Note: I started writing this article on Tuesday, then on Wednesday I saw in USA TODAY that 55% of US citizens think the Constitution establishes a Christian nation. The percentage soars to 75% among those who identify themselves as evangelicals or Republicans. A Christian nation? Based on whose brand of Christianity? And what of dissenters? Hmmm:.

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!

Clash of the Titans XLVIII: Public Broadcasting

09/7/2007, 12:30 pm -- by Bweinh | 9 Comments

In this corner, opposing PBS, is David!

And in this corner, supporting it, is Tom!

Public broadcasting is part of an evil plot to subvert our country’s youth by filling their minds with liberal politics, designed to turn them all into leftist car-burning radicals.

That being said though, it isn’t really the main reason I am so opposed to public broadcasting. The main reason is that we tossed all these topics into a hat a while back and I drew this side of the argument.

However, the best reason for opposing PBS or NPR (the nefarious radio arm of the cabal) is the obvious safety concern, highlighted in a study fabricated by the University of Wisconsin during the late 1990’s. Test subjects drove across the country while listening to the soothing sounds of either R&B music or hard rock, in an effort to gauge the effect of the two formats on driver alertness. As you probably have guessed, NPR was used as the placebo. After 33 deaths from NPR listeners falling asleep at the wheel, the study was cancelled. The university is still in litigation over the psychological damage suffered by the test subjects who were not fortunate enough to perish.

The second reason to hate public broadcasting is their TV presence. The problem is actually twofold. One is their programming. Who hasn’t grown tired of watching frumpy people with British accents make their way through intricate plots based on books written 200 years ago? “The sun never sets on the British Empire,” they used to be fond of saying. I guess all that daylight adversely affected the mental composition of the British author, and somehow the British managed to win a rigged bid process, requiring us to watch their endless prattle for the next 3 centuries.

The second, more dangerous, aspect of their TV presence is the dreaded pledge drive. During the pledge drive, whatever “good” movies they have in their back room are dusted off and advertised heavily. Casual TV patrons are drawn in by this ploy, so after they have enjoyed the first half of the classic movie they have been dying to watch for years, the movie is brought to a screeching halt, so a pleasant little fellow in an easy chair can lay on the guilt trip.

“Have you been enjoying this wonderful trip down memory lane? Did you know that the only way we can stay on the air is thanks to contributors like you? Blah-blah-blah-blah-blah — and if you ever want to see the end of this movie, you freakin’ freeloader, get off your lazy butt, open that wallet, and PAY US!!!”

This, by itself, has led to many nervous breakdowns among the viewing public.

Commercial broadcasting is part of an evil plot to subvert our country’s youth by filling their minds with consumerist politics, designed to turn them all into mindless SUV-buying mouth-breathers.

That being said though, it isn’t really the main reason I am so in favor of public broadcasting. The main reason is that we tossed all these topics into a hat a while back and I drew this side of the argument.

Public television has long been a part of my life. Although I’m an outspoken critic of most television, very little of the programming I’ve come across on WPBS (my local affiliate) offended my admittedly delicate sensibilities. Big Bird and the rest of his crew on Sesame Street taught me colors, letters, numbers, and how to take a punch. Mr. Rogers taught me how crayons are made, and the all-encompassing importance of coordinating sweater and sneakers. Even up through college, my roommates would return from their classes on days my schedule lightened to find me transfixed, my entire being a beam of concentration leveled intensely at Simply Ming.

Whether I was appearing on Whiz Quiz with local celebrity Glen Gough, or relentlessly mocking Rod and Reel, public television was always there for me. Would lack of exposure to the brilliance that is Rowan Atkinson in Mr. Bean have made me less of a person? Would having to put up solely with the depravity, inanity, and banality that is a commercial television station have harmed me irrevocably? At this point it’s impossible to tell, but I’d err on the side of caution and give PBS its due in the amalgamation that is Tom.

However, public radio is the medium of the people that lies closest to my cold little heart. Our local National Public Radio affiliate has kept alive the tradition of real radio programming that laid the foundation for all of our media sources today. The landscape of commercial radio today is a barren wasteland of Top-40 nonsense, jaded partisan babblings, and the warbly, self-pitying strains of country stations just aching to get that truck back. NPR fires back with news featuring in-depth reporting, quiz-shows that simply assume their audience is smarter than a fifth-grader, and entertainment programs in which people read (gasp) actual short stories. Oh, the humanity!

Finally, to defend the lowly pledge drive. Without the sale of commercials, public broadcasting is able to keep itself pure, an ivory tower of news, entertainment and information unsullied by the dirtying effects of the almighty dollar. If the price I have to pay for my cooking shows is watching a pledge drive once a quarter, is that too much? I humbly submit that it is not.

{democracy:126}

My Shakespearean Evening (A Tragedy in 3 Parts)

09/7/2007, 10:15 am -- by David | 6 Comments

Act 1
Ian, the son-in-law, emerges from the basement hovel he and his wife Rachel call home. David, the cruel father-in-law, is engrossed in online euchre while the matron Debbie watches Sci-Fi on TV.

Ian: “Father-in-law, if a moment can be spared, methinks perhaps thou shouldst descend with me the carpeted stair, and read in mine eyes the gathering despair.”

David: “Forsooth! Say not despair my son!” (Aside to audience) “Unless thou speakest of the disruption of my card game with some trinket of trouble, such as thou art always quick to bring!” (To Ian) “What aileth thee, boy?”

Ian: “Water once again, through yonder wall of pine, doth break with vehemence upon our humble goods.”

David: “What new mischief is this? Have we not patched the very foundations of the house? Have we not vanquished the rats and mice that chewed through the water lines on the dishwasher and refrigerator? Hath not Roto Rooter valiantly unstopped the drains for the accursed washing machine that plagued us sorely?” (Aside to audience) “Perhaps it is but a tale told by an idiot!”

Act 2
The two descend into the basement to move furniture and soaked boxes of household goods, finally uncovering the trouble spot. David knowingly explains that although the water is on the opposite side of the room from all the previous trouble, it is most likely because the floor is not level, and the water has come through the foundation again at the same spot, but has run down to the other corner.

Ian: “Good father, thou knowest all, and loathe am I to question such a venerable gray head as thine, but what meaneth then the tepid quality of this dastardly deluge?”

David: (stooping to feel the water) “Indeed it is of a higher temperature than shouldst be met in such circumstances. Almost hot it is! What vile perplexion hath now bedeviled me in what should be the twilight of my evening?”

Act 3
David and Ian make their way through a junk-filled dirt floor basement abutting the finished plot that has fallen to Ian and Rachel as their humble abode. Flashlights cut through the darkness and clouds of dust kicked up by their traversal of the dread domain. Presently a hot water heater is seen, spewing steam and liquid from its top, to run down the wall and soak the young lover’s lair.

Ian: “Father, trustest thou the judgment of a true son?”

David: “Aye.”

Ian: “It seemeth to me that yon heater hath burst its bounds and liketh the confines of its course no more than a river doth her banks in April. If thou wilt receive instruction from an idiot…” (Aside to audience) “The quality of thine own reasoning is the only thing strained in these parts, cur!” (To David) “:thou wilt not now abide long ere the sun rise before visiting Lowe’s and parting thyself from loads of cash.”

David: “Aye, good son.”

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!

Sin No More

08/31/2007, 9:30 am -- by David | No Comments

Jeremiah 9:1 — “O, that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people.”

Sin looks most despicable on the heels of a perfect day, and Tuesday was a perfect day. Driving to Atlanta to pick up our son and his wife for a visit, the sky was a brilliant blue with towering pillars of white on the horizon, looking, as my wife noted, “like some futuristic city in the clouds.” A whole week with them began with a family meal of fajitas, shared with our daughter and son-in-law, then was supposed to culminate in a late evening of catching up over pizza. When I went to order the food, I found a desperate voice mail I had missed by forgetting to take my cell phone to Atlanta.

I made the call back, apologizing for being out of reach, then excused myself to visit a home in turmoil. The contrast was striking, leaving a long-awaited joyful reunion to arrive in a place of unspeakable despair and unfathomable anger. A wife has fallen, a husband is so angry he can’t speak. She cannot even look up, her eyes filled with tears, while he can’t even bring himself to look her way.

She looks so lost, and he looks so shattered; in love, yet separated by an impossible gulf of sin.

Outside on the porch he described the confrontation that confirmed his worst fears. “That’s when I lost it. I mean, I really lost it! But I never touched her. I wasn’t raised that way.” Of course I knew before he spoke that he never touched her; I know how his father, a pastor, raised him. He’s a good friend.

But I know her even better, ever since she knocked a cup of hot coffee onto my lap, just 5 years old at a Bible study I was teaching. Her parents were horrified and she — like now — was terrified. This will be a lot harder to fix than that was. All I could do was listen, let them know that there was hope even though they couldn’t see it now, and offer our help.

As I was leaving he said, “I did something really mean to her, but I don’t regret it.”

“I took her Bible, laid it on the coffee table in front of her, and told her to look up all the verses on adultery and read them.”

It’s not until I was back home that I wondered if she actually did read them. If so, she found Jesus saying to the crowd around the adulterous woman, “Let he that is without sin among you cast the first stone.” Then she read that after they all left, He directed his gaze at her and said, “Hath no man condemned you? Then neither do I, go and sin no more.”

Oh Lord, if it were only that simple.

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!

A Short History of Violence in America (Pt. 2)

08/24/2007, 10:15 am -- by David | No Comments

Read part one here.

Being a baby boomer (born in ’61), I have had ample time to study the development of macho stereotypes in our culture through the various mediums of the past 4.6 decades. I have learned this about the ideal American man — he is quiet, strong, honest and hard-working, a loving husband and a tender father — and a homicidal maniac when pushed beyond a reasonable point of provocation. It’s been a common theme in movies, TV shows, comic books, novels; even popular music at times. I grew up fully expecting that one day I might have to kill to defend myself or my family. Then I got saved.

A pivotal moment arrived in my new Christian life when, as a 20-year-old college student living in the country, I found myself stranded and had to walk a couple miles back home on a winter day. When I turned down my road, I heard the barking and howling of a pack of dogs that I knew ran up and down our road tearing up garbage and terrorizing people. I grabbed a large stick and headed off for my house, only to hear God say distinctly, “My rod and My staff will comfort you.” I was young enough as a Christian that when God spoke I simply obeyed, so when he said, “Throw down the stick,” I threw down the stick. I heard the dogs the entire way home, but I never saw them, and I learned a lesson about where my protection comes from.

Oddly enough, over 20 years later I had a dream that my son Philip and I were walking down a back road, and became surrounded by dogs. I picked up a stick in the dream and was warding off the dogs when I noticed that my son was not obeying my yells to stay close, but rather moving ahead, trusting God for protection. I was ashamed of myself. It was a significant dream in that I had picked up the stick again in my life — not for me, but for my family — and yet God’s answer was the same. If you can’t trust me to defend your family, what good will your little stick do? Or your gun?

Don’t get me wrong. Like anyone, I have lain awake at night imagining all the worst things that can happen to my family, invariably drifting into some Clint Eastwood, go-ahead-make-my-day fantasy, where I either gun the perpetrators down or search them out afterwards to get revenge. Then I repent.

Don’t think, though, that I wouldn’t go to war for my family — I’ve done it every day since we’ve been a family. I just know that we “war not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” If you have a gun that kills that type of stuff, I’ll buy one. Until then, I’m sticking with what works: His rod and His staff.

Read Ezra 8:21-23. Ezra was ashamed to ask for protection from the king for his journey back to Jerusalem, because he had told the king, “Our God protects all those who worship Him, but His fierce anger rages against those who abandon Him.”

I’m not speaking this about anyone but myself, but I would be ashamed if I ever broke down and purchased a handgun to defend my family. I know where my protection comes from.

A Short History of Violence in America (Pt. 1)

08/17/2007, 10:15 am -- by David | 6 Comments

Sometime in the late 70s, while reading a Bible commentary on Isaiah, I found a section that interpreted chapter 18 as an end time prophecy about the United States. We are described as a “land shadowing with wings (the eagle)… that sendeth ambassadors… people scattered and peeled… a land the rivers have spoiled.” It goes on: “…a people terrible from their beginning hitherto.” It interpreted that last phrase to mean a nation plagued with violence during its entire existence.

In the 1770s we rebelled against a European monarch who believed in the divine right to rule, and fought a bloody guerrilla war for our freedom in the 1770s; then we fought them again in 1812. We fought each other over states’ rights and slavery in the 1860s and fought Spain in Cuba during the 1890s. We fought a German coalition in 1918 and again in the 1940s in Europe; Korea and China in the 50s; Vietnam in the 60s and 70s. We invaded Grenada and Panama in the 80s, Iraq in the 90s, and we are now fighting wars in Iraq & Afghanistan simultaneously.

I’m not judging any of these uses of force as bad or good, just making the point that no generation has seen a cessation of hostilities in our entire existence — and I’m only counting major wars, neglecting the subjugation of Native Americans and other uses of force.

“A nation terrible from its beginning hitherto.”

It’s in our blood. We have the right to bear arms, form militias, and carry weapons in public, and we don’t want to give up those rights for anything. After all, we may need to take out our own government again. Okay, fine. But from what I hear on the right, when it comes to gun control, the best thing for society would be to return to the days of the Wild West. Every man with a six-gun strapped to his thigh, a shotgun slung across his back, and a 30-30 Winchester lever-action carbine rifle tucked under the seat of his buckboard, or in his saddle. “I ain’t fixin’ to start nothin’, Sheriff, but if trouble breaks out, I’ll finish it — sure enough.”

I’m sorry. I’m not buying it. I can’t believe the only way to deal with a killer is to become one, to kill or be killed. There has to be another way. When our soldiers survive combat overseas, only to be gunned down in the streets of their own hometowns (I know of two cases that made the national news and a few here at Ft. Benning), something is wrong.

“A people terrible from their beginning hitherto.”

All I ask is this. As conservatives, when we embrace this idea of gunning down the bad guys ourselves, are we drawing from our Christian heritage or our secular American heritage?

When the two conflict, I would hope our devotion to Jesus Christ would inspire us to look to the Lord for our answers, not to the conservative platform.

To be continued…

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!

Clash of the Titans XLII: Meat

08/14/2007, 9:15 pm -- by Steve | 3 Comments

In this corner, backing beef, is David!

And in this corner, arguing for bacon, is Djere!

Last year Americans consumed 28 billion pounds of beef, a new high of 70 lbs. per person. If turned into 1/4-pound patties and laid end to end, that’d be enough hamburger to keep a dork with no life busy with a calculator for a lot longer than I care to imagine.

To put it into perspective, it could create a hamburger the size of Rhode Island (I guess… I don’t really know how big Rhode Island is), requiring fries the size of Vermont, a milkshake the size of California, a bun the size of the Great Lakes, and a slice of cheese the size of, well, Rhode Island.

To match the hamburger.

Anyway, my point is that we eat a lot of beef. Beef is as large a part of our heritage as our waistline, and as much as I admire bacon, particularly on a cheeseburger, it can’t be compared with beef for the following reasons, which I’ll enumerate by numbering them with letters, if such a thing is possible.

A.) Versatility
Bacon is, well, bacon. Beef, on the other hand, is cheeseburgers with pickles and ketchup, beef short ribs slow cooked over open flame, filet mignon, beef stew with biscuits on a cold winter night, and ribeyes sizzling in the backyard on a hot summer afternoon. It’s beef brats with sauerkraut, a bottom round roast with mashed potatoes and gravy, a Philly cheesesteak with onions and peppers, prime rib with sauteed mushrooms and baked potato, and a porterhouse served with eggs and home fries.

B.) Bible Sanctioning
When the children of Israel wandered for 40 years and God needed to keep them safe, what was the first thing he did? Gave them a menu. That menu was big on beef, but banned bacon. Why? Trichinosis. Pork must be properly handled and prepared, or bad things happen to the people who eat it. Beef, on the other hand, can be eaten raw. I know — I ordered it raw once at a fancy French restaurant in Canada. I didn’t know what I was ordering, since the menu was in French, but it worked.

C.) Culture
Who can forget the famous Wendy’s commercial from the early 80’s? It starred a small elderly woman, who peered at a measly burger before confronting a fast food worker with, “Where’s the beef?” For months you couldn’t go anywhere without someone muttering the phrase. I remember entering a loaded elevator in Hartford, and as the doors slid shut, someone in back said, “Where’s the beef?” in a dead-on impression of the feisty lady. It made no sense, but we all laughed ourselves silly. It defined an era.

You have the right to choose whatever you want to eat. After all, you bring home the bacon. But remember the slogan — beef…it’s what’s for dinner.

Leviticus 11:7-8:

“And the pig, though it has a split hoof completely divided, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you. You must not eat their meat or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you.”

I’ve often wondered about the Levitical dietary laws of the Old Testament and Islam and wondered why. I know that God kept the Jews from eating pork, but until recently I didn’t fully understand His reasoning.

We all know that for “health reasons,” God restricted pigs as unclean meat. Trichinosis, and all that. But pigs are actually quite friendly, personable, cleanly, intelligent, and most imporantly, delicious.

One afternoon as I was meditating on my roof, I received insight from the Lord that I feel I must share with you:

1. The only true and lasting plan for world peace is bacon.

Ever since the days of Isaac and Ishmael, Judaism and Islam have been at war. I mean, you try living in the sun-beaten desert for 6,000 years and you tell me how much you like your illegitimate half-brother who’s always out to get you, and who’s living right on top of you.

The bacon-free diets of our Jewish and Muslim friends have clouded their judgments. But just one bacon-wrapped hors d’Ã…“uvre and you’d see those suicide bombers finally find something to live for.

2. Bacon is a New Testament blessing.

Much like the visitation of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, when God said to Peter, “Arise, kill and eat,” lifting the dietary restrictions, Heaven opened over earth.

God, in His wisdom, not only knew that if the Jews ate pork, they’d get Trichinosis and die, but also that they’d gladly do it for just a taste of the tastiest of all meats — bacon.

When Noah saved two of every animal on the ark, even the unclean, it was for the New Testament church to harvest his bounty.

Hamburger is good, cheeseburger is better, bacon cheeseburger is best.

Praise the Lord and pass the bacon.

{democracy:97}

What Lies Behind

08/10/2007, 10:15 am -- by David | No Comments

Time unfolds much like an automobile rolling slowly along a back road after nightfall, its headlights sweeping the road and illuminating the passing scenes. The future lies ahead, dark and impenetrable, and that which can be seen in the small patch of light we call the present is insignificant, compared with the entire length of the highway.

As this car inches forward, illuminating the road, new things are revealed and we bask in the light of that revealed knowledge — perhaps even speculating about the future based on what we see — but at the same time, what lies behind falls into darkness once again. It is inevitable. If time is linear, we can only occupy one spot at a time; we can’t be everywhere at once. It is the written word and the ability to record and reference history that allows us to retain what lies behind.

When Paul wrote to the Galatians, chastising them for abandoning Christian faith to fall under the bondage of the Jewish law again, he said, “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that you should not obey the truth?,” He added: “before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?” I remember reading this once and thinking, “Wait. Jesus wasn’t crucified among the Galatians. He was crucified in Jerusalem. What is Paul talking about?”

When Paul brought the Gospel to Galatia he was able, in his preaching, to reach back into the past and make it a part of the present. Thus the Galatians were as responsible for their knowledge of what had transpired on the cross as anyone who stood in the crowd that day. He made the past come to life, and that made them accountable.

God help me to be that kind of person! Whether in the Gospel narratives, the letters to the churches, or the non-canonical history of the Christian church, I have always hoped to be as effective as Paul in keeping the Church from forgetting what lies behind. The Cross; the testimony of those who “loved not their lives unto the end”; the various times of refreshing sent from the presence of the LORD that have always rescued the Church from its failures and distractions; these are all things we need to cherish and fight for. As Jude says, we must “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”

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!

Where Do We Go From Here?

08/3/2007, 10:30 am -- by David | 1 Comment

What some Pentecostals term the “Latter Rain Movement” began on January 1, 1901 at a small Bible college in Topeka, Kansas. It was not “unlooked for,” as the school’s leader, Charles Parham, had become convinced that the baptism of The Holy Spirit (as described in the 2nd chapter of Acts) was still available and would appear again in the “last days,” accompanied by the initial physical evidence of speaking in tongues. Tongues would not be the point — that was evangelism. Tongues would simply serve as the initial physical evidence, just as it had in the early church.

Following a Watch Night service on New Year’s Eve in 1900, the Holy Spirit fell, and over the following weeks, several of the students experienced this baptism of the Holy Spirit, accompanied by what the Greek New Testament terms glossolalia, or tongues. The movement slowly spread to Texas, then on to San Francisco, where it burst onto the world scene during the Azusa Street revival of 1906. This was the birth of the Pentecostal movement. Pentecost is not a new thing, and it’s certainly not the only thing; it’s just the latest thing. It wasn’t people looking for a new fad, but rather people striving to recapture what the early church took for granted.

Between 1901 and 1988, the Pentecostal/Charismatic movement grew from a handful of students in Topeka, Kansas to 10 million adherents in the US — 51 million worldwide. The 2nd-largest Pentecostal denomination (Assemblies of God) was recognized as the fastest-growing denomination in America in 1983, and while mainline denominations were steadily losing ground through the 90’s (when measured as a total percentage of the US population), the AG church continued to grow (figures from Fields White Unto Harvest, by James R. Goff, Jr.).

So after 100 years of Pentecost, where are we now? According to statistics released by the Alabama District, Assembly of God, in 2005, membership in Pentecostal churches in America declined by 9% between 1995-2004, while the US population increased by 11%. In fact, in 2004, 85% of Pentecostal churches in the US were experiencing a plateau, or had declined in attendance. In Alabama, membership in AG churches decreased by 46 people at Sunday morning attendance from 2003 to 2004, and the Pentecostal movement’s 2nd-largest denomination only managed a net gain of 24 members statewide over the previous 5 years.

Why? What happened? Is the Pentecostal movement dead? Has it ground to a halt? Another study I read made the point that even the growth Pentecostal churches saw through the 90’s was a bit deceptive, because people weren’t being converted to Christianity, but rather shifting from mainline denominations. Why has the movement lost momentum?

Maybe because it’s been mixed with the American Dream and sold as “Faith and Prosperity” on the television? Maybe because it’s been exploited as fundraising material by unscrupulous men building earthly kingdoms, replete with mansions and luxury cars? Maybe because we’ve let TV evangelists become our theologians, robbing us of traditional Bible-based faith? For a large section of Christians in America, what we now believe is no longer decided by scholars but charlatans. Maybe we’ve taken what was once the answer from heaven for a group of hungry souls seeking the experience and power of the early church and packaged it in slick one-hour segments mass-marketed for high profit? And maybe it’s killing Pentecost.

I’m not alarmed that the Pentecostal Movement is apparently over, because I know the experience itself is here to stay. And it’s an experience that we need to cling to with a furious passion. I hope we will. But I’m a Christian and nothing more, so the demise of a particular sect or demographic within the Christian church doesn’t trouble me much. They’re only labels anyway. God moves, and when He’s done, men cast that move into stone and call it a denomination. I’m not sure God cares much for that process at all, but He’s always faithful to send us what Acts calls “times of refreshing from the presence of the LORD.”

But for some reason, every time I think about all this I hear the lines from that old 70’s rock standard: “And where do we go from here? Which is the way that’s clear?”

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!

Best of Bweinh! — The Wisdom of Peter

07/27/2007, 2:00 pm -- by David | No Comments

Originally published on May 4, 2007.

St. Peter If I have learned anything in my sojourn among the Christians of southern Alabama, it is that these folks are proud of their ignorance. They live for any chance to show they know absolutely nothing about the Bible but what comes from sudden inspiration or TBN. I’ve endured the apologetics that accompany this ignorance in many sermons during my time here, and I’ve begun to believe Peter, the ‘ignorant fisherman,’ is their patron saint.

“I don’t need to go to seminary,” they proclaim, “God called me to preach!” (“Seminary” is usually unintentionally mispronounced as ‘seminar’ or intentionally mispronounced as ‘cemetery.’) Another favorite — “I don’t need no master’s degree, I got (pointing heavenward) the Master’s degree!” They make many declarations like these, invariably invoking Peter as the final proof that God places a premium on ignorance. “If God can take an ignorant fisherman like Peter and use him, I reckon (yes, they still use that word here) he can use me.”

Don’t misunderstand me. I understand God takes people the way they are, calls them into his kingdom, and, as we used to say at Faith Fellowship, the calling is the enablement. My contention, though, is that God never lets anyone stay ignorant — and I doubt Peter would fall under anyone’s definition of ignorance anyway.

Peter may have been a fisherman but he was raised as a Jewish boy, trained in the scriptures from a young age. He lived in a region of Judea governed by Rome and Hellenized by the Greeks under Alexander the Great, so he would have spoken Aramaic, Hebrew and Greek at least. He was able to read and write those three languages and also had a passing knowledge of Latin, the legal language of the Roman Empire.

In his first sermon in the book of Acts, Peter quoted Joel and the Psalms. In his second sermon, he references Deuteronomy, Genesis and Psalms, and at the prayer meeting after his release from prison, he quotes from Exodus and Psalms again. In his first epistle he quotes Deuteronomy, Leviticus, Genesis, Daniel, Exodus and Isaiah — in the first chapter. By the end of his second epistle he has shown a grasp of all five books of the Pentateuch, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Isaiah, Daniel, Ezekiel, Hosea, Jeremiah and Micah. Along the way he demonstrates a working knowledge of baptism, repentance, faith, judgment and many more doctrines than I can enumerate.

If he was ignorant when God called him, which I find doubtful, he sure didn’t stay that way. When I find people who have been saved for 5, 10, 20, or 30 years who still have not read the Bible through and in some way applied themselves to understand it, I find it inexcusable.

The Pantheon of Saints

07/20/2007, 9:30 am -- by David | 1 Comment

Perhaps I’m a bit prickly but I can live with that. After all, I’m 46 years old, I’ve lived probably a good two-thirds of my life, and time is too short to mince words. So I’ll just ask the question and get it over with: am I the only one who gets annoyed when people throw the title “saint” around? You know what I mean — Saint Ambrose, Saint Francis, Saint Patrick. What exactly are we talking about?

Vine’s Concise Dictionary of the Bible defines “saint,” in its entirety, as: hagios (40), used as a noun in the singular in Phil. 4:21, where pas (“every”) is used with it. In the plural as used of believers, it designates all such, and is not applied merely to persons of exceptional holiness, or to those who, having died, were characterized by certain acts of “saintliness.” See especially 2 Thess. 1:10, where “His saints” are also described as “them that believed,” i.e., the whole number of the redeemed.

The Bible defines saints as believers. That’s pretty simple. It’s talking about you and me.

If the word in the Bible simply refers to us, the believers, the whole company of the redeemed, then why does Christendom have these super-sized idols we call saints? Where did the concept come from, to take men after their death and elevate them to the status of demi-gods, worshiped and venerated by the masses? Ah, it hearkens back (again) to that dark time when paganism began to creep into the church in 4th Century Rome.

Ever heard of emperor worship? The Romans had a temple called the Pantheon, containing all the gods of the state. Any Caesar could ascend to the Pantheon after death if he was found worthy. If he made it, he entered a vast consortium of gods and idols, any of whom the citizens of Rome could beseech by prayer and supplication, for benefits and blessings. They weren’t wholly divine but they weren’t quite human either. Half-gods perhaps, the perfect vehicle for the church to adopt as a model, to multiply the idolatrous options offered to the illiterate pagan populace and slowly supplant the true saints of the early church.

After all, even with their pagan leanings, how could they allow Christians to drink and brawl in the streets in the name of Jove or Dionysus? So let them drink and brawl to the Christian saints! Have you ever seen Public Square in Watertown, NY, at closing time on St. Patrick’s Day, the drunken celebrants flooding into the streets? The 1976 St. Patrick’s Day brawl was what led my hometown’s police to begin carrying pepper spray. Patrick would be appalled!

In the same way, we couldn’t have Christians asking Ceres or Athena for wisdom or help with a good harvest. So let them pray to the Christian saints! And so we have developed our own Pantheon, populated with gross distortions of truly godly men and women, who served their Savior well, only to be used after death by unscrupulous leaders to ensnare the Christian world in idolatry.

If you use the word “saint” around me, don’t be put off if I think you are referring to me — or you.

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!

Under Warranty

07/13/2007, 10:00 am -- by David | No Comments

Heavenly Technologies
Gateway Drive
Beulah, HE 77777

Attention: IT Department

Dear Sir:

I received one of your New Creation packages in November 1978, I’m having some trouble, and I was hoping to get some assistance. I opted for the New Heart and New Mind, initially, then in the spring of 1980, I added the Holy Spirit Baptism. It should all be on file.

The first issue I’m having is with virus protection. The Prayer Life process turns itself on automatically every morning when I log in and tries to scan the entire hard drive sector by sector. Usually I don’t have time to watch it scan thousands of files, so I end up shutting it down before it finishes. I think that may be causing some of my problems with locking up and crashing. Is there a way to change the settings? I have no problem with the Anti-Spyware Bible Reading module. It works fine and has turned up a lot of malicious code.

Another problem is with my communication protocols. When I first received the package it took me some time to establish the proper default settings for things like traffic, neighbors, co-workers, etc., but eventually I got everything working right. But in most cases now the default setting seems to have returned to frustration instead of patience; shortness instead of meekness; anger instead of joy. You know, stuff like that. Is there any kind of fix that could come in a download, or do I need an altar ca — I mean, service call?

The last thing I wanted to ask about was a complete reboot. At times my mind and heart have locked up during critical times and I’ve had to shut things down in the middle of a major operation. I know that when that happens, sometimes strings of code get omitted on the hard drive, which can cause problems. Is that why I sometimes still feel ghost images of things I know I’ve been forgiven for? Is that what makes all my responses to you so slow? After all, the system has been running continuously since 1978, but I’ve heard there may be a way to restart it all, a complete reboot.

Any help you could give me would be most appreciated.

David F. Sweet
1005 Blind Blvd
Opelika, Imnumber 11111

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!

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}

What Kind of Animal is a Salmon (and other mysteries)?

07/6/2007, 1:00 pm -- by David | 2 Comments

Life is filled with the unknown. There are literally vast reservoirs of untapped knowledge lapping noisily at the corners of our minds, slowly leeching into our world, tantalizing us with glimpses of unrevealed wisdom — available, but slightly out of reach. Here are a few questions that have plagued me of late.

What’s so special about Wisconsin?
Every time I get a new credit card offer in the mail and read the fine print, I run across some statement like: “Residents of Wisconsin may also have other rights not specifically mentioned in this agreement.” I can’t help but wonder — why?

I confess my knowledge of Wisconsin is somewhat limited. I know the capital is Madison because my older sister made me play the Capitals Game for hours as a kid. I know they launched a short-lived tourism campaign with the slogan “SMELL OUR DAIRY AIR!” If you know any French, you know why it was short-lived. I’m pretty sure they had a pro wrestler as a governor, and I know they possess both an upper and lower peninsula, making them one of only two Canadian provinces with a bicameral legislature (the other is Oregon). All interesting stuff, but nothing that warrants special arrangements for their residents!

Does trans fat exist?
A panel of experts, including my wife, daughter, son-in-law, me, and Boots & Wally (our dogs), have examined every package of food bought and consumed in this household since December, and we have yet to find a package that does not say “0 Grams of trans fat” in big letters across the top.

Is there really such a thing as trans fat, or is it just a marketing ploy designed to encourage us to buy otherwise unhealthy products? “Look honey, these Twinkies have no trans fat! Let’s get some!” When I see my doctor again in two weeks, and he wants to talk about my A1C1 being high, my cholesterol being way out of whack, and my triglyceride count skyrocketing, I plan to tell him, “Yeah. That may be true — but I have not had one gram of trans fat since our last appointment, pal! That should count for something!”

And last, but not least, what kind of an animal is a salmon?
I think it’s a trick question. According to experts, every animal can be placed in one of two genuses: Imbecilus Caninus (meaning dog-like thing) or Felinum Treacherousus (meaning cat-like thing).

Canines are known for their friendliness to humans, attributed mostly to their poor memory. This allows them to constantly greet you with great enthusiasm, as though youve been gone for years, while in fact you just chastised them with a rolled-up newspaper 5 minutes ago for getting in the trash and peeing on your favorite house plant. Felines, on the other hand, are known for their cold, aloof personality and a penchant for leaving dead rodents at the back door. I have never seen a salmon exhibit any of these behaviors.

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!

The Two Wells

06/28/2007, 2:15 pm -- by David | No Comments

Genesis 24 recounts the story of Isaac and Rebekah. I have heard it preached as the ultimate love story between God and his beloved — the father (Abraham) sending his servant to bring a bride for his only son Isaac (Jesus). The criteria are set and the woman must pass the test. She must, at Abraham’s request, be pure, of the right lineage and race. She must, to fulfill Eliezer’s prayer, be kind and have the heart of a servant, to not only give him water when asked, but also offer it for all his camels. She must be a virgin and fair to look upon.

It’s a lot to ask but God leads Eliezer to the perfect choice, and she returns with him. Isaac is meditating out in the field and when he sees her, he takes her as his wife. Moreover, we are told that he loves her. It is truly a beautiful story.

If you’re like me, your story was a little different than that, though. Perhaps it’s a bit more like John 4, in the New Testament. In this love story, everything has gone wrong. God the Father has sent His servants repeatedly to draw his beloved, but they have been stoned, sawn asunder, persecuted and killed. At last He sends His only Son.

He finds the woman at the well, but she is not pure at all. She is not even Jewish. She’s a Samaritan, of mixed race and idolatrous religion, despised by the Jews. But Jesus uses the same test of character anyway, asking her for a drink. She answers with sarcasm and smart remarks, questioning his motives and arguing about religion. And not only is she not a virgin, she’s had five husbands and is currently living in sin with yet another man. There is no mention of physical beauty.

But she is the one and he loves her! She receives the fullness of all He has reserved for His beloved. Jesus told the Pharisees, when they questioned his penchant for hanging around publicans and sinners, “I have not come for the whole, but for the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

This is the true love story. The Old Testament story was the way God wanted it to be. The New Testament story is the way it is. For all of us.

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!

A New Hope For Gordo

06/21/2007, 11:00 am -- by David | No Comments

Life is hard on the plains of Central Africa. The savannah is a dry, arid wasteland, rain is scarce, and the sun is relentless. The people who live here struggle to eke out a living growing local crops like barley, guava, potatoes, and baby carrots, to sell at the flea markets that sprout up every Thursday afternoon through sundown Saturday. They compete with an eclectic mix of gun dealers, antique sellers and baseball card vendors for the dwindling crowds, hoping to make enough cash to feed their families for another day.

One stall stands out from the others, though. Behind the withered crops and stunted vegetables, hoping to help his adopted family earn a living, is a 3 year-old juvenile African elephant who represents an attempt by the local Zamboni tribe to reach out across racial and genus barriers and help a troubled young elephant escape a life of alcohol and violence.

His name is Gordo — and his tale is one that is much too common these days in Central Africa.

Gordo’s mother was killed by poachers and he was raised by his father, a rogue elephant addicted to the fermented berries of the Poco-Poco tree. Like his father, Gordo also began experimenting with alcohol at a young age, and was soon raiding small villages and terrorizing local tribes. This is how he was captured and found himself facing relocation in the local court system. But thanks to an innovative local magistrate, Gordo was offered an opportunity to accept placement with a local family, designed to break the cycle of addiction and violence.

His days are now spent working the family plot, manning the flea market booth, and entertaining the local children with his basketball skills. He is also trying to learn English, so one day he can attend school and earn a high school diploma. If he is successful, he will be the first member of his species to accomplish this — and the audacious plan to reform rogue elephants through family placement may move from a compassionate experiment to a full-fledged pork-barrel project for the federal government.

You can help by sending donations* to:

Juvenile Elephant Placement Fund (JEPF)
PO Box 101A
Opelika, Alabama 36801

* — Donations are not tax deductible unless listed under “losses due to theft” on your tax return.

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!

Clash of the Titans XXXI: Gun Control

06/19/2007, 12:30 pm -- by Steve | No Comments

In this corner, opposing gun control, is MC-B!

And in this corner, supporting gun control, is David!

Hopefully, with every Clash I submit, it becomes increasingly obvious that I’m a staunch moderate on most issues. Gun control is no exception.

First of all, many who oppose gun control would cite the “liberty” argument: our Constitution is special tells the government things it may not do, then reserves further rights to the people. Among the rights protected by the Constitution is the right to bear arms, presumably with the goal of protecting our ability to rise up and throw off the chains of oppression if the government evolves into a second reign of King George III. This is certainly an important point, but I harbor no illusions about my ability to protect myself with any amount of personal firepower if the officers of the United States military decide they want to turn the country into their own private hunting grounds.

My primary disagreement with gun control stems from my practicality and my willingness to accept the assumption that criminals can get guns if they want them. As the world becomes more globalized (which is not redundant, if you think about it), I believe that this assumption becomes increasingly true. The short version of my line of thought goes a little something like this: we can’t stop criminals from getting guns and bringing them to a variety of places, but criminals don’t generally want to die (or be injured) in the process of committing a crime.

Therefore, we should increase risks to criminals to the point at which, even though guns can be obtained quickly and easily, there is not an incredible amount of benefit to obtaining them. We can do this by increasing the police force, which is ideal for certain types of people (generally the people who could wind up on either side of the criminal-victim equation), but carries inefficiently high costs for stable people who are very, very unlikely to become criminals. For these, guns are a low-cost protection solution.

Of course, tests are needed to determine who should carry guns; it is here that my moderate side shines through and forces me to concede that there should be standards about who can carry guns. If the requirements start getting too strict and Orwellian, I suspect an average citizen would be more likely to buy an illicit gun anyway, and a revolutionary scenario would play out.

However, once a person meets these standards, most types of non-military weapon should be available to him or her, and they should be able to carry guns virtually anywhere. Think about it: where do massacres happen? The ones that have captured media attention in recent years have happened mostly in schools, where students, teachers and faculty have no means by which to defend themselves, so one gun sneaking in can be deadly.

Young people shouldn’t be allowed to have guns until they prove themselves responsible, but imagine the number of school massacres that might have played out differently if just one principal or faculty member had carried a gun to school on the day of the massacre.

Are mutually assured destruction scenarios like this unnerving? You bet. Unfortunately, for the moment it appears that the “no guns” and “no guns of a certain type” options are not available to us, and in a world of limited choices, the next-best option is for many generally rational people to have guns wherever it could potentially save lives.

Past School Shootings

Feb. 2, 1996, Moses Lake, WA — 2 students and 1 teacher killed, 1 wounded.

Feb. 19, 1997, Bethel, AK — Principal and 1 student killed, 2 wounded

Oct. 1, 1997, Pearl, MS — 2 students killed, 7 wounded

Dec. 1, 1997, West Paducah, KY — 3 students killed, 5 wounded

Dec. 15, 1997, Stamps, AR — 2 students wounded.

March 24, 1998, Jonesboro, AR — 4 students and 1 teacher killed, 10 wounded

April 24, 1998, Edinboro, PA — 1 teacher killed, 2 students wounded

May 19, 1998, Fayetteville, TN — 1 student killed

May 21, 1998, Springfield, OR — 2 students killed, 22 wounded

June 15, 1998, Richmond, VA — 1 teacher and 1 guidance counselor wounded

April 20, 1999, Littleton, CO — 14 students and 1 teacher killed, 23 wounded

May 20, 1999, Conyers, GA — 6 students injured

Nov. 19, 1999, Deming, NM — 1 student killed

Dec. 6, 1999, Fort Gibson, Okla. — 4 students wounded

Feb. 29, 2000, Mount Morris Township, MI — 1 killed (shooter and victim both 6 years old)

March 10, 2000, Savannah, GA — 2 students killed

May 26, 2000, Lake Worth, FL — 1 teacher killed

Sept. 26, 2000, New Orleans, LA — 2 students wounded

Jan. 17, 2001, Baltimore, MD — 1 student killed

March 5, 2001, Santee, CA — 2 killed, 13 wounded

March 7, 2001, Williamsport, PA — 1 wounded

March 22, 2001, Granite Hills, CA — 1 teacher and 3 students wounded.

March 30, 2001, Gary, IN — 1 student killed

Nov. 12, 2001, Caro, MI — 1 student killed

Jan. 15, 2002, New York, NY — 2 students wounded

October 28, 2002, Tucson, AZ — 4 killed

April 14, 2003, New Orleans, LA — 1 killed, 3 wounded

April 24, 2003, Red Lion, PA — 2 killed

Sept. 24, 2003, Cold Spring, MN — 2 students killed

March 21, 2005, Red Lake, MN — 10 killed

Nov. 8, 2005, Jacksboro, TN — 1 killed, 2 wounded

Aug. 24, 2006, Essex, VT — 3 killed

Sept. 26, 2006, Bailey, CO — 2 killed

Sept. 29, 2006, Cazenovia, WI — 1 killed

Oct. 3, 2006, Nickel Mines, PA — 6 killed, 5 wounded

Jan. 3, 2007, Tacoma, WA — 1 killed

April 16, 2007, Blacksburg, VA — 33 killed, 15 wounded

This list came from here and was amended to eliminate all but the number of casualties, and to remove all incidents outside the United States.

{democracy:64}

The Two Seas

06/15/2007, 10:00 am -- by David | 3 Comments

“And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmovable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves” (Acts 27:41).

This verse from Paul’s voyage to Rome has always seemed a fitting analogy of my walk with God. I’m caught in this place where two great oceans crash and rage against each other for the mastery of my life, with one ocean representing the Kingdom of God and the other the world.

At times, certainly, I break free from the pull of worldly pursuits and go off and have great adventures in the Kingdom of God. I’m bi-vocational, so ministry comes and goes for me. I have preached in churches, jails, state parks, houses, streets, trailers, convenience stores and (in one case) a Laundromat. I’ve pastored, co-pastored, youth pastored and assistant pastored, serving as a part-time prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher, as need has served. But when it’s over, no matter how I promise myself it won’t happen, I end up drifting back to this place where these two seas rage and batter me.

In these in-between times I fall back to secular pursuits, reading two to three newspapers a day, reading history, poetry, literature, and anything else I can find. I give into my passions for hockey, basketball, football and baseball. I write bad poetry and whiny songs and try again to master the guitar; I languish here in this place between two seas, feeling stuck and broken with the violence of the waves.

I know too much, and love Jesus way too much, to ever sail off into the world again. It has nothing for me. But I read their newspapers, I watch their movies and sporting events, and I fill my head and my heart with the trivialities and useless nuance of secular life. And I wait for the next assignment, not ever fully knowing whether I failed the last time, or if it just ran its course. And slowly, inexorably, inevitably, I drift back into this place between the two great oceans and become stuck, being broken by the violence of the waves. And all I can find to do is “cast out anchors from the stern, and wish for the day” (Acts 27:29).

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!

Rulon vs. The Rock

06/8/2007, 10:00 am -- by David | No Comments

“TV evangelists are the pro wrestlers of religion.”

Someone emailed me a list of humorous quotes, and this was one of them. After my initial laughter, this particular quote just kept hitting me with wave after wave of meaning. Wrestling It’s not just funny, it’s actually profound.

If you were to ask a group of ordinary people, “Who is Rulon Gardner?,” I’m not sure anyone would answer correctly. They never have the few times I’ve tried. He is the US wrestler who defeated the Russian giant, Alexander Karelin, in the 2000 Summer Olympics, winning a gold medal. Karelin had never lost a match in his entire career and had not even yielded a point in six years. It was an amazing feat and a huge upset.

But how many of those same people could correctly answer, “Who is The Rock?” Ah, many — because he wrestles on TV and has starred in movies. But he’s also a fake. Back in the 80’s, the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) had to admit they were not a real sport, but rather “entertainment.” Why did they have to admit this? Real sports are taxed more heavily than entertainment, so it was either fess up or pay more in taxes. They did fess up, and now they’re known as World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).

But Rulon is, in fact, a real wrestler. See, aside from the charade that is “Pro Wrestling,” there is a real sport called wrestling, played out before small crowds in high school gyms across America. These people don’t get the bright lights. They can’t employ chairs, carefully written plots or fake blood to draw large crowds. It is what it is, wrestling. It’s hard work, and it’s boring to watch. But these people are the real thing.

Christianity, real Christianity, is not played out before bright lights with carefully scripted plots and predictable results. We all know what will happen on TV — the lady will get up from her wheelchair and dance across the stage, the man will throw down his crutches and walk. It’s JEVO, God on demand, and it works every time. God never fails to show up and move, in slick one-hour segments designed to show us the Christian need never taste defeat. Too bad the real thing doesn’t work that way.

The real thing happens away from the bright lights. No crowds, no applause, no guarantee it will work out the way you want. I heard one man say, “For every Christian healed of cancer another one is not . . . because the world needs to see how Christians face death as well as life.” I don’t know how accurate that is, but the point is well taken. Adversity, disappointment, the death of a loved one, it’s all part of life and our walk with God. They do need to see how we face adversity. How do we react when we fail? Do we get up or do we give up?

I’ll yield my soapbox now . . . but I can’t help but wonder what would happen if Rulon wrestled The Rock. I would pay to see that.

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!

Clash of the Titans XXVI: Women in Ministry

06/1/2007, 12:00 pm -- by Steve | 7 Comments

In this corner, arguing for different ministry roles for men and women, is David!

And in this corner, supporting the ordination and public ministry of women, is Steve!

“I don’t hate women. . . my mother was a woman!” — Mike Tyson

I simply think there are unavoidable Biblical statements that must be incorporated into our understanding of what is and isn’t appropriate for how women function in the body of Christ.

He uses the word subjection (hupostassas), which is also noted in the relationship of men and women in Ephesians, 1 Peter and Colossians, and mainly connotes order as opposed to chaos within an organization. Any attempt to define the separate roles of men and women in the church and family has to take these Scriptures into account.

Is the woman less of a Christian? No. Does she have a different role to play in the church and family? Yes. A role that carries with it submission to male authority? Yes.

What should a woman do if she is called to preach? Preach with all her heart! Teach? Teach with all her heart! Sing? Sing with all her heart!

{democracy:44}

Roadside Crosses

06/1/2007, 10:30 am -- by David | 2 Comments

Somewhere in the dim ages of my past life, I remember an article from the 1950’s that posed an interesting question.

The question was this — if a space ship landed in Washington, DC, and a greatly advanced race of aliens emerged and offered us an exchange, would we take it? They would give us a new technology to improve every aspect of our lives, making everything easier, faster and more efficient. In return, we would simply have to sacrifice 50,000 human lives to them on an altar every year. Would we take it? Of course not. And yet, the article went on to say, that is exactly the exchange we were making at the time to employ the automobile in our society. The toll is almost the same now; slightly over 40,000 are killed per year.

I think about that article often as I see the ubiquitous white crosses that seem to spring up along the highway like mushrooms after a rainstorm. I see them all along the major highways around Opelika — state highways 280, 431, 29, and 14, and Interstate 85. Crosses There is one 11-mile stretch of road near here that contains, at last count, 42 crosses. Nicknamed the “Highway to Hell,” the road was ranked by Readers’ Digest as one of the six deadliest highways in America.

There are solitary crosses, pairs, trios, even groups as high as seven, standing together amid the waving grass of medians and hillsides. They are sheltered under mimosa trees, nestled among honeysuckle bushes, dogwoods and pine trees. One particularly sad display has two large crosses ringed by five smaller ones. Some have names and dates, and sport faded flowers and ribbons. But most are just small, white, anonymous reminders of the tragedy that ended a life, or lives, on a lonely stretch of road.

I’m a practical man. I don’t believe there is any way to put Pandora back in the box. When I see the crosses, I don’t feel compelled to rail against society or technology; I just slow down. When another car, especially one driven by a young person, flies by and cuts me off, I’m learning to let it pass and not take it personally — which is harder for me than you might think. Now I spend more time praying for them then grumbling at them.

And I wonder what new bargains we will make in the future.

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!

“Hey Dave!”

05/25/2007, 10:00 am -- by David | No Comments

Today I’ve taken over the Dear Abby advice column and I’m going to answer a little of her mail.

~~Dear Abby~~ Hey Dave:
I am a 27-year-old stay-at-home mom with three kids and I need help. I’m a very depressed person and have been for many years. I shop excessively and spend way too much, and I don’t know how to stop. Shopping makes me feel happy, so when I’m depressed (which is often), I go shopping for stuff I don’t even need. I feel horrible! My husband and I have tried separate bank accounts, but when I run low, I just tap right into his. Please help me! I don’t know what to do.
Spend-a-holic in Ventura

Dear Spend-a-holic:
Wow…where were you when I was selling cars for a living?

~~Dear Abby~~ Hey Dave:
I have a 4-year-old who tends to act up from time to time. I’ve tried “timeouts,” soft spanking and have taken his privileges away, but nothing seems to work. I have found that smashing one of his small toys with a hammer works well. Do you see any damage in this sort of punishment?
Young Mom in Oklahoma

Dear Thor:
You make quite a leap there in your punitive responses. “Time out… a soft spanking… NOW I’M SMASHING YOUR TOYS WITH A HAMMER!!! DO YOU LIKE THAT??”

Have you thought of running for president? “I sent a protest letter to Iran, then I tried some economic sanctions… NOW I’M NUKING SMALL CITIES!!! HA HA HA HA HA!!! AND IT SEEMS TO BE WORKING!!!”

~~Dear Abby~~ Hey Dave:
My husband and I feel terrible. Our dog just killed our neighbor’s young turkey. We saw “Tuffy” running away, dragging the bird in his mouth. Needless to say, Tuffy will never be allowed off his leash outside anymore, but what is the proper way to make this up to the farmer?
Embarrassed in Liberty

Dear Embarrassed:
Simply invite them over for Thanksgiving and serve Tuffy. That should even things up a little!

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!

The Mixed Multitude

05/17/2007, 1:00 pm -- by David | No Comments

Exodus 12:38 — “And a mixed multitude went up also with them…”
Numbers 11:4 — “And the mixed multitude that was among them fell a lusting…”

When God called his people out of Egypt they were accompanied by a “mixed multitude.” But who were they? Why would they throw their lot in with a band of slaves who had been living under the oppression of the Pharaohs? Why, if they were so enamored with the foods and other comforts of Egypt, would they accompany the Hebrews out into the desert to worship a God they did not know? And how was it that they come to be such a catalyst for discontent? They were the opportunists, the hangers-on, those who wait to see which way the wind will blow, then choose to side with the group winning at that moment. And they will always plague God’s people during times of ease by fomenting rebellion.

During the days of the Exodus the land had been destroyed by plagues. Crops were gone, cattle decimated, and the manhood of Egypt lay dead in cradle and field. A mammoth battle had raged and God had showed himself mighty by delivering his people, leaving a ruined empire behind. For this mixed multitude the only choice was to throw in their lot with the “scum of the earth,” former slaves they would not have shared a meal with before.

And so we see the same thing in 4th-century Rome. Christianity has raged like a wildfire across the landscape. Its early adherents lived as slaves, owning no property, with no rights under the law — yet it conquered. They fed the lions in the Colosseum and served as human torches for the garden parties of the Emperor. Once again God shows his might, but before long, the mixed multitude slunk back to take the coattails of the Christian church and ride out the shift in fortunes. Constantine began to show favoritism to Christians and suddenly it was advantageous to follow Jesus. John Lord’s Beacon Lights of History quotes one pagan general as saying, “If the Emperor would make me Bishop of Rome, I too would become a Christian.” With this the prevalent attitude, the church was soon filled with scoundrels and fortune seekers.

Constantine also issued decrees exempting the clergy from taxes and military service. What a wonderful profession the ministry had now become — no taxes, and other saps must fight the Goths and Vandals. The mixed multitude was among us again, lusting after the flesh, fomenting rebellion and discontent. And how similar! Rome was soon a shell of its former power, sacked by barbarians thrice the next century, abandoned even by the Emperor.

The mixed multitude was then absorbed, changing the church completely, until finally Leo the Great ascended to the bishopric of Rome in the 5th century, filling the void of power by forging the Catholic Church from this half pagan-half Christian multitude. It became a world power modeled after — sitting on the foundation of — the fallen empire.

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!

Clash of the Titans XXII: Is Hell Eternal?

05/15/2007, 11:00 am -- by Steve | 5 Comments

In this corner, arguing that hell is finite, is Job!

And in this corner, arguing that hell is eternal, is Dave!

I hail from the Advent Christian denomination, the Millennium Falcon of Protestants — old and small. Two main tenets from our statement of faith create the most distance between us and the Empire.

“There is no doctrine I would more willingly remove from Christianity than [hell], if it lay in my power…”
C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain

{democracy:36}

Mother’s Day

05/10/2007, 12:30 pm -- by David | 3 Comments

“Momma, I’ve got two strong hands,
They’re fine as far as hands go.
I can shoulder the future, I can face the wind,
For the dream that I must follow…”

“…but I’m only afraid that my dreams may betray me,
and I’ll never get home again…”

When I first discovered this song, I had been gone from New York and separated from my mom for several years. I found myself in Alabama pursuing the call of God on my life, but feeling like I might never get home again; the song expressed so much of what I longed to tell her if I could only find the words. “I’m fine, Mom, because you made strong. You taught me to stand and fight, to not give up — and to love my children with a fathomless love.”

“But I’ll carry the songs I learned when we were kids…”

My dad was a singer in a band but it’s Mom I always remember as the singer. He sang in bars and honky-tonks, places I never saw, but she sang at the kitchen sink and in the living room. She sang everywhere, all the time. She sang about little coconuts and little boxes made from ticky-tacky. She sang about cellar doors and rain barrels and Judas selling Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. She sang sad songs about a girl named Patches and unrequited love. She sang about a man’s dying words — “Tell Laura I love her.” She sang one song called “Beer, Wine and Whiskey,” but it was no drinking song; it was about someone advertising alcohol on a billboard. I remember somebody drank, somebody drove and somebody died. It taught me at an early age that we’re responsible for our own actions.

“I’ll carry the scars of generations gone by…”

I learned so much about love, hard work and how to laugh in the face of adversity through the scars we bore together. See, we were betrayed. Betrayed and abandoned by a husband and father who could not conquer the demons of alcohol and wanderlust that haunted him; yet she never stopped loving him. I know, because when I thought we had every reason to hate him she still spoke well of him. She wept, heartbroken, at his funeral. And never remarried.

What taught me to laugh at adversity, though, was a time when we were broke and living in a housing project, and all the food ran out. I was terrified at this glimpse of the grown-up world, but she saw my fear, took me by the shoulder and said, “Come on. We’re going to the store.” We drove the battered car to the IGA and loaded the cart with good things to eat. Fried chicken, ice cream, cookies, rolls, Pepsi in glass bottles. She didn’t know where the money would come from to cover the check, but she wrote it anyway. Back in the car she said, “If we’re going under, we’re going under, but we are going to live high on the hog tonight!” And she laughed. And my fear fled.

I have never loved my mother more than I did that day. I knew no matter what happened, things would be okay, and I knew she would do anything for her children. I’ve shared that story with my own children and even lived out similar moments. Let tomorrow bring what it will, today we party!

“I’ll pray for you always, and I promise you this,
I’ll carry on, I’ll carry on…”

I wish I could be there with you, Mom, but wherever I am, you can be sure I’ll be okay, because you made me okay. When I became a Christian at 17, I was already familiar with His endless love and the gentle meekness of His touch, because I had seen the Spirit of Jesus in you long before that day.

I’ll remember the songs we sang when we were kids; I’ll remember the scars of generations gone by; I’ll pray for you always and I promise you this . . . I’ll carry on.

I love you, Mom.

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!

Bweinh! Soundtrack — Rich Mullins

05/5/2007, 12:30 pm -- by David | 9 Comments

Every weekend, a different Bweinh!tributor will discuss a song or songwriter that inspires or interests them. Read the first five soundtrack entries here.

The Day The Music Came Alive Again
It was the mid-’90s. Michael W. Smith had wimped out on national TV, doing everything he could to avoid being seen as a Christian artist. Amy Grant whined in a Good Housekeeping interview about missing all the good parties in college because she was a Christian (this was before she dumped her husband for a country singer). Dion DiMucci followed Bob Dylan’s lead and returned to secular music, Michael English had an affair with the girl from First Call, and Sandy Patty took up with her backup singer. I wasn’t yet mature enough to view these as fallen soldiers on the front lines, so I just despised them all, and called them “Temporary Christian Artists.”

So I turned off the radio, I put away the tapes, and the music died.

All that survived was my wife’s music, which consisted mainly of a whiny guy named Rich Mullins whose tapes droned on endlessly whenever we got in the car. She played it too low for me to hear well, so I just endured it — until one day when I heard the end of Jacob and Two Women and asked my daughter, “What the heck is he talking about? Who stole the moon and must be made to pay for it?”

“I don’t know,” she replied.

“And her friends say ‘My, that’s tragic,’ and she says…’Especially for him…’?”

“Especially for the moon…” My 8-year-old daughter corrected me.

“Oh… especially for the moon. And that’s the world as best as I can remember it? What is with this music your mom lets you listen to?”

She just stared back at me.

She didn’t have any answers either, but together Rachel, Philip and I set out to figure out what that song was about. We never did find out, but we found Rich Mullins, and music meant something to me again. At first it was the beauty of The River, by far the loveliest piece of music I had ever heard. Then it was Jacob and Two Women and Boy Like Me/Man Like You. I was hooked.

And the more I read, the more I found out about Rich himself. He lived what he preached and sang. He never saw his large royalty checks; they went to an independent ministry that paid him only what the average guy in America was making. He sang barefoot in work shirts and blue jeans. He started a group called Kid Brothers of St. Frank, named after Francis of Assisi, where they took an oath of poverty, chastity and the third thing that always goes with those — they lived their faith.

He singlehandedly ended my self-imposed exile from music and gave me back something I had loved and lost.

The Wisdom of Peter

05/4/2007, 9:30 am -- by David | 2 Comments

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!

Clash of the Titans XVIII: Fighting in Hockey

05/1/2007, 11:45 am -- by Steve | No Comments

In this corner, arguing against fighting in hockey, is Mike!

And in this corner, arguing for fighting in hockey, is Dave!

Hey, I have an idea.

You know hockey? That sport with the small base of rabid fans?

Which brings me to my idea. Let’s clog the ice with goons!

What would hockey be without the fighting? Speed, agility, grace, precision, drama? Who would ever watch that?

But I’m going in a different direction — economic concern. For the Goons.

{democracy:30}

Life On Other Planets?

04/27/2007, 10:30 am -- by David | 4 Comments

According to USA Today, an observatory in Europe has discovered a new Earthlike planet that holds the promise of life. Because of its position circling a red dwarf star in the Libra constellation, it is thought to stay at a temperature between 32 and 104 degrees Fahrenheit, thus making water, and life, possible.

Is this “discovery” accurate? Just a few weeks ago I was perusing a textbook from 1901 that stated the “fact” that Mars was the only earthlike planet in our solar system, showing “pictures” of rivers and continents, clearly visible on its surface. Maybe they have or maybe they haven’t seen what they think they have — the star is over 121 TRILLION miles away and appears only as a wobble crossing starlight, with all the rest just an extrapolation — but if it’s true, we have the latest hope yet for life on another planet. So does life on other planets threaten the veracity of Christian truth?

I read an essay by C.S. Lewis several years ago on these issues, called “Religion and Rocketry.” He laid out a list of certain things that would have to be incumbent in this “life” before it would in any way discomfit Christian truth. The life would have to be like us, of course; it would have to be sentient and show the ability for rational thought. But his best point (I thought) was that the race would have to be fallen.

In other words, our special claim to God’s attention here on this planet, above all else He created, is the fact that we fell from our original place and needed redemption. Christianity is all about that. That’s the whole point — he created us, we fell, and he is reconciling us through his Son, Jesus Christ. If there are other races out there like us, who never tasted sin and fell, then perhaps for them the Gospel would be irrelevant.

So under those conditions, is there room in our theology for life on other planets? Could there be un-fallen races? Is it possible that there is more to the vast physical universe than cold emptiness and scattered stars?

I remember addressing this with my spiritual mentor (David, the Maxon patriarch, father of three Bweinh!tributors) when I was newly saved. I showed him the Scripture where Jesus said, “other sheep I have which are not of this fold,” and asked, “Could that mean UFOs and aliens are real?”

No words were necessary; his expression was enough to momentarily daunt me. Still I ventured further. “What about this scripture in Luke, where it says plainly that Jesus went ‘UP INTO THE SHIP’?”

The look I received was enough to make me drop the subject for the next 29 years . . . but now, after all these years, is it possible?

Bible Discussion: Genesis 30-32

04/25/2007, 11:00 am -- by Bweinh | 8 Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next three chapters of the Bible, Genesis 30-32.

Previous discussions from Genesis: 1-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-18 | 19-22 | 23-26 | 27-29

INTRODUCTION:
Rev. Joel:
Hi, I’m Rev. Joel Tom Tate, former RD of Shenawana Hall. Since I’m the pastor of the North Chittenden WESLEYAN church in North Chittenden, Vermont, you can consider yourself strangely informed.

The only profitable way to read this passage is with humility. If you read it as though it was written by and for primitive people you will find yourself resisting the obvious meaning and implications of the text.

Steve:
It’s hard for me to understand the female characters of Genesis, because I can’t possibly grasp how vitally important it was — for status and survival — for them to bear male children. Cattiness, competition, fighting over a man — all that I can grasp without any problem. But Rachel’s rage and desperation, not just at being outdone by her sister, but at failing at what was then the primary task of a woman, is very foreign.

Mike:
Jacob wrestles with those who would deceive him and those who would bless him.

SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Job:
The Scripture says, “And Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was fleeing.” Jacob had made deceit his own little Canaanite cottage industry, and while credit needs to be given to Moses for never painting any of the patriarchs in too good a light, it is interesting that in this verse (and this verse alone) the writer of Genesis gently reminds us that, hey, it was just an Aramean getting deceived, not a member of the chosen tribe.

David:
“And God remembered Rachel…” I have memories of myself spying the clock at work and realizing, “Agh! I forgot to pick Rachel (my daughter) up from school!” I’m sure it really wasn’t like that for God here, although it may have felt that way to Rachel.

Mike:
Bilhah bore a son as a surrogate for Rachel, and it was referred to as “bearing upon [Rachel’s] knees.” Apparently, the adoptive mother caught the baby so that from moment one, the child would imprint with the adoptive mother. How beautiful for Rachel — how difficult for Bilhah!

Josh:
I’m somewhat surprised it took Laban an entire week to catch Jacob. Jacob only had a 2-3 day head start, and all his possessions, women, children, and animals to keep track of. Jacob must have really been pushing his crew to get away.

Rev. Joel:
Jacob was the first gigolo, his sexual services being purchased with a bunch of roots.

Tom:
Rachel used her “moon time” to get away with something. It might have been the first time, but it would not be the last.

Steve:
Jacob refers to God as the “God of [his] father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac.” The “Fear of Isaac” is an interesting way to identify God, especially if we remember that little story about Abraham, Isaac and the sacrifice.

Continued here!

Introducing David — Porous Borders

04/20/2007, 9:00 am -- by David | 7 Comments

Please read the biographies of MC-B, David, and the rest of our Bweinh!tributors here!

My annoyance, which has been growing for several years, has finally reached the stage of outrage. I live in this country, I pay my taxes, and I expect in return to be “protected against all foes, foreign and domestic.” This is, I think, a reasonable expectation. But the deplorable and porous state of our borders has finally been brought home to me resulting in what I can only term, again, as utter outrage!

I recently read that a colony of Brahminy Blind Snakes has been discovered in Georgia, and in fact, they have been there for at least two winters.

What? Blind snakes? Forget the obvious question of how the heck they even found their way here — WHY COULDN’T WE STOP THEM?

As an astute student of the history of our invasive species, I have known for years about the Brazilian fire ants that first arrived in cargo holds during the 1930s. I have seen for myself the spread of armadillos, which first escaped from a traveling circus in Florida in 1936. I have watched in terror as Africanized “killer bees” have slowly worked their way north from the jungles of Central America, I have noted with alarm the Japanese invasion of kudzu and wisteria vines that strangle native trees, consuming barns and farmhouses, and I have followed the inroads of the Asian carp, described as “super-sized cousins of the common carp . . . threatening to forever change life in the Great Lakes region.” I have read with horror the chronicled deeds of the fighting eels that are decimating populations of bass and crappy in the southeast. Even the cogon and zebra mussel invasions I have borne with grace and fortitude.

But blind snakes? For the love of all that’s good! Have we become such a weak and decadent society that a snake the size of an earthworm — WITHOUT WORKING EYES — can easily penetrate our vaunted Homeland Security? Something has to be done. I’m no hero, just a copier salesman, but I am willing — if the support is there — to seek the GOP nomination for President, with noted biologist Thomas Maxon as my running mate, and a strong anti-invasive species plank in my platform.

That is, if my platform hasn’t already been consumed by Formosan termites…