I was reading a post on Abraham Piper’s website 22 words on my lunch break. A commenter Ed over at Sincere Ignorance and Conscientious Stupidity said a great line in Abraham’s comments. Ed said make sure you define why you are writing and who you are writing to. I’m going to be praying over that one. I want to start blogging regularly. He gave a list of hot button issues. So let me go ahead and get them out of my system. Warning if you get offended, got a “at a boy,” or something else to say then say it in the comments.
evolution: It happened, it happens, it is happening. It doesn’t disprove the Bible, God, or anything else. * EDIT: My wife noted that some may take that as a endorsement for macro-evolution. I do not believe that any animal on this planet came from some simpler life and then evolved in to a more complex life form. I actually think biology follows the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics. END EDIT* The extent by which it occurs or has occurred is still up for debate. We are like little children with telescopes boldly proclaiming that we have not only discovered the heavens but have also figured them out! How arrogant. People who argue about it are generally not very charitable. Pity is that includes Christians. I think Christians have the blessing that we are told who created, why, and to a degree how.
homosexuality: It is a sin. It separates people from God. Guess what all sin does. If we love our sin more than God that is what we worship. We choose to either accept it, make it compatible with God even when he doesn’t, struggle and/or reject it. One of my cousins is gay. He and his partner adopted a boy. I wish that kid would be raised not just in a two parent home but in a biblical home with a mom and dad. I pray for them. My sister is a lesbian. I like her partner. I pray they will abandon their sin aka lifestyle. I want them to discover the beauty and healing of Jesus. I will love them regardless.
blogging: It is neither good nor bad. It can be both and neither. I think it is ridiculous that people make a profession out of it and get a cult following. I prefer stuff that points to Jesus.
language snobbery: I love to think. I love to talk. Sometime to much. I am at times blunt, candid, and open. I sound like a hick unless I speak without the accent. Then I sound like Al Gore. I prefer the thick accent. Language snobbery is just ridiculous. If you can’t look past the imperfections (be they real or otherwise) then you are a twit.
abortion: It is murder and it is a sin. God can save and redeem people from it. I use to support it. I watched a abortion once on a video documentary. I still can’t get it out of my head. It is one of the three greatest sins in our world today.
elections: I really get annoyed when ideological parties and their advocates take our attention off of Jesus or worse yet co-opt him for their political agenda. Jim Wallis and Jerry Falwell have been just as guilt in co-opting God for political policies. God is sovereign over all. He often gives us the leaders we deserve either for admonishment, leadership, judgment, and/or punishment. I think elections prove how much we really need Jesus to instruct us how to live with our neighbor and to love our neighbor as ourselves.
ministry styles: I am still so green in this I won’t really write on it other than to say that men and women need mentors. I don’t pray enough for one. I need one. I would be a better leader if I had someone to follow and that would invest in me. I often look in virtual community (books, blogs, and twitter in particular) to find men to follow from afar. It is imperfect. You can pray for me in this. I try to minister in a style of openness, truthfulness, and humility. It isn’t easy. I can be pretty petty, rude, and unlovingly blunt. I’m in process.
gender roles: Seriously, if God is even remotely sovereign then he knew if you were suppose to get a penis or vagina and a XX or XY chromosome set. He set the estrogen or testosterone in your system. Deal with it and worship God by being who you are. I get freaked out when men act like women and vice versa. I always get the stupid objection what about the person that is born abnormal. Guess what, abnormal means that they don’t fit the normal model. It is a biological issue not a social issue. As for that poor minority that are genetic abnormalities, don’t let society dictate who you are. Let God. The Church needs to minister to this people too.
the best kind of worship music: This is the easiest of all questions. That which glorifies God, makes you worship him and not yourself or your preferences. That is the best kind of worship music. It can and is done in a variety of styles through a variety of people because God is a creator that enjoys variety. Just look at creation. Worship music can easily be corrupted and lead us into idolatry of self in the name of the worship of God. This is a serious problem and has been throughout the ages. Go read Leviticus for the warning and Psalms for those that headed the warning and show us how to worship God. Worship is so much more than music yet it certainly can have a tune set to it, be that tune instrumental, singers, rappers, or some mix thereof.
how to parent:In the fear of the Lord, through the power of the Spirit, and in the hope that Christ will make himself known well through you. I’ve been a parent for over 2 years now. We have a 18 month old daughter and our son will be here in Nov/Dec. The first nine months were easy then my daughter was born. My greatest challenge at home next to loving my wife like Christ did the Church is to show my kids the love of God. I fail, practice, repent, repeat, and hopefully succeed by grace at parenting right more often than not. Ask me again in 3, 5, 8, 13, 18, 23, and 25 years and I may have a more nuanced answer on this question.
race: Second easiest question. There is only one race of humans. All are made in God’s image. How we treat each other depends on the circumstances. We should treat all as God’s creation be they elect or otherwise.
etc etc. Well since I got all the big topic issues I suppose that leaves me to write in future blog post on stuff that isn’t such hot topic ideas. I reserve the right in the etc, etc to return to these topics. I will work at not pontificating on any of them though.