Clever words on pages turn to fragments...

"Oh, but clever words on pages turn to fragments, circles, points and lines,
And they cover them like carpets with graceful, meaningless, ornamental designs"

I'm tired of talking.

I'm ready to start doing.

No more talking without doing.

Action + Words = 1

Church contextualization

There is a really interesting series on the resurgence (www.theresurgence.com) about the sociological/economic changes the industrial revolution caused and stuff. I think it's fascinating stuff and wanted to share it with you all.

Part1: http://theresurgence.com/Church-Contextualization-In-Light-Of-The-Ages-Preface

Part2: http://theresurgence.com/Church-Contextualization-In-Light-Of-The-Ages-Part-1

A lot of the reasons that I think sociology is important are expressed in these articles too. It's important to know what is going on in the culture around you in order to know how to effectively meet the needs of people and things. Anyway, I thought an opportunity for a good discussion was revealing itself; I hope I am right!

It's been a while.

So, I know I haven't written anything in a while, but that doesn't mean I haven't been thinking anything. Anyone who knows me will tell you that is never a problem. I've been thinking a lot about society, and christianity. Mostly about how they are supposed to go together. Reading that book by Martin Luther is really helping too, I don't have it on me, but I've already highlighted several things from it. He said something that really grabbed me because it was something I'd been thinking about a lot which is the fact that everything of substance has a direct association with God. In otherwords, for something to really exist God had to create it. If God didn't create sin then sin doesn't really exist. When I was listening to the Advance 09 conference there was a running theme about idols and how they skew and misdirect our relationship with God and with things. For idoloatry to occur faith must be misplaced and redirected from God to a thing. I think that once this happens whatever that thing happens to be it ceases to be a created thing in the mind of the idolater and somehow takes on the aseity of God. But if you consider that if God didn't create it, then it doesn't exist that means however the idol looks in the persons mind, it ceases to be real. So, if I idolize women and think that they are going to solve all of my problems, ect, I cease to know anything about real women. I don't know anything about their true nature because they only have a true nature under the created framework that God has given them; a framework that I do not see because I don't aknowledge God in them. Another example would be money, if I am greedy and only care about money that means I have no idea what the true function of money is in the grand scheme of the created order of things.

Anyway, that was probably confusing. I think it confused me too, but I don't have time to fix it right now. I will probably edit/add more to this later.

Exciting things.

For those of you who are interested, the audio from the Advance 09 conference is up on John Piper's website. here is the link. I highly recommend listening to it. I love how all of the pastors who spoke at the conference kept pointing it all back to Jesus. http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/ConferenceMessages/ByConference/45/

Listening to that conference really helped me see how much I've lost sight of things this past week. I don't know how it happend, but I really got selfish. Anyway, I feel like I have a renewed vigor for the Glories of Christ and I think I'm starting to see what he wants me to do with my life, even if they are just shadows and glimpses of clarity that come and go. I can't define it or express it, but I think I'm starting to see a little bit, and that excites me. I want to write more about these things soon. Go listen to the conference, it was great.

The new crucified album is out now, "The Crucified Collection" go check it out/ pick it up!
New Project 86 album is comming out soon as well.
Also, if you are interested check out this band alled Eso-Charis, it was a Living Sacrifice side project that only put out one album, but it was BRUTAL!!!

Pure Awesome!

I found a copy of "The Bondage of the Will" by Martin Luther at Borders. Need I say more?

Poem!

something I've been working on, I know the end doesn't fit with it very well right now, but that's just because I just wrote down kind of where I'd like it to go and didn't worry about finishing it.


gone are the days of trepidition,

I've given in to this new volition.

Out with the old in with the new.

Dead is the flesh and Jesus is the sinew,

the rock that holds me steady and firm,

the blood that keeps at bay the flame and the worm.

what more could I want than the one who is whole?

what more could I need? Who else can purify the soul?

Nothing more is desired than to lay at your feet

and to weep with joy and sorrow at the holes found sweet.

I'll beg for the forgiveness give into this with my all.

Bend over backwards so the You-in-me can stand tall.

bloodied savior, the one some call "the God who failed"

In the end shall be hailed as King Jesus, the Son of Glory,

sitting at the right hand of God the Father, due all honor and praise.

A few of my favorite things...

Things are going to change around here, I've decided. I don't like the way my thoughts are all jumbled and I think if I actually took a little time to polish them in a notebook or something before posting they might turn out better, so I won't be posting on here as much as I have been, but thats beacuse all of the little blurbs of thought will probably turn into one big blurb. In the meantime...

a few of my favorite things:

Ember- by Zao
"My sight finally returns
Only to see my hands covered with the innocent blood
Of those I stand before as an example
And I hold this ember in my heart
It reminds me of who I once was
It's the only warmth that I know

Ember of Your faithfulness
Ember of Your still small voice
Ember of embracing arms
Ember of rebirth to You my King

To You my King I offer up this ember
For the wind of Your Spirit to consume
Consumed by fire, consumed [2x]
Consumed to purge their blood from my hands"


I thank God that He is so much more faithful than we are.


Thus from my lips, by yours, my sin is purged - by As Cities Burn
"well, I've got a will but I want yours
I've got a growing heap of crosses and burdens
I've simply lost heart to shouldersimply no strength to lift
I've always been a man in need
'cause I keep stepping in and out of the shadow
caught by the drift and pitch of whatever it is
that keeps me coming back
I want out'cause i'm getting sick
sick from all this swerving
driver, sick from turning on you
someone show me a hole in this cycle
show me the way away and I'm coming back
the way I came? no! I've seen this place before
surely this is no place for the light of this world
oh how sweet the sound
I know it saved but is it changing a wretch like me
oh my God how sweet is the sound
I once was blind but now I just look away
my bride, i don't want to know what I'd be without
forgiveness brushing these adulterous lips"


and what would we be? where would we be?


Seven Sisters by mewithoutYou
"He made the world a grassy road before our bare, wandering feet...
(He made the world a grassy road before our bare, wandering feet)
Then crushed the stones into the softest sand between our toes...
(Then crushed the stones into the softest sand between our toes)
But we're wondering where to sleep,
Oh, but clever words on pages turn to fragments, circles, points and lines,
And they cover them like carpets with graceful, meaningless, ornamental designs.
Come quick, You Light that knows no evening... come, alone to the alone!
There are a thousand half-smiles well worth leaving for to take your madness home,
And You dance inside my chest where no one sees You,
But sometimes I see You.
(Come quick, You Light that knows no evening... come, alone to the alone.
There's a thousand half-loves well worth leaving for to take your madness home,
And You dance inside my chest, etcetera... etcetera... ETCETERA!!)
Oh, rejoice, the Cleansing of my lips... rejoice, Salvation of my soul!
I still have a thousand half-loves... oh, my God!
I want to shoot myself just thinking about it!
And you think I don't mean what I say?
WELL, I MEAN EVERY WORD I SAY!!
I threw a small stone down at the reflection of my image in the water...
(I threw the stones down at the reflection of my image in the water)
And it altogether disappeared.
I burst as it shattered through me like a bullet through a bottle...
And I'm expected to believe that any of this is real?"


What is real outside of God?