The One

So I was talking to a dear friend last night, Aubrey, about a situation dealing with the people of female persuasion. I was worrying heavily about messing up what I would be saying to a girl I was talking to online. I did not want to mess up anything. I did not want to be something dumb or too goofy or too sarcastic, etc. I was checking everything I was going to say with Aubrey before I would email the girl I was talking to. I made a comment (which was slightly sarcastic) to Aubrey that I wished she could just write out the perfect phrases and words to make me appear like this perfect guy with witty and pithy things to say. All of a sudden she said to me.. "I don't write your story... God does...and He is so much better of a writer than even I am. because He knows you even better than I do. and I know (believe me, I know) that it sucks because you want the One so badly, but for some reason they're just never there...but you have, HAVE, to depend on the fact that Gods writing your love story, and that when He brings that someone along, they're going to be perfect, and you'll be perfect for them. The hard part is the waiting. That's the part that sucks, and that we suck at." After she said those words it took me a second to respond and when it did I said something like... "If a girl is "the one" then I have nothing to worry about. I can not screw this up. I can not say something too goofy or too dumb to mess up losing 'the one'." This realization was so freeing to me. I do understand that I can mess up a good thing by saying something really asinine, but there should be a comfort to me to know that if I act like the real me, and the girl is "the one" then I have nothing to worry about. Just a thought.

A Clearer Picture

This weekend I was given a clearer picture of what I believe God is calling my ministry to be. I have known for a while that it was to be outside the box... outside the walls of a church, non-traditional ministry. While at Student Life (for the second time) a series of words in Song of the Redeemed by Charlie Hall just took over my thoughts for the weekend... " We adore You... and before You... forgiven and redeemed; and all races... from all places... around the cross we sing". That last section really became a vision, another purpose in my calling. I do not believe I am called to be stuck in some white-suburban-church that has the same amount of traditions, if not more, than the Catholic church. I want to see the beauty of God's creation... His colors, His imagination-that became reality, coming together to live and serve and glorify king Jesus. Uninhibited. Free. Pro-active. Relevant. Frontline. Dangerous. Minority. Those are a few characteristics of the ministry that I believe I am called to be a part of.

Umm excuse me... I ordered a salad, not chili.

Sometimes with our self-centered, American consumeristic mentality we forget that sometimes people really do expect to receive what they ordered. I was sitting in my Worship Perspectives class and the comment came up regarding different forms of worship, specifically prophetic worship. Dr. Steele made a remark that really struck me and it went something like this, "When God orders a salad and we give Him a bowl of chili, He is not pleased. Worship is not about what we give Him that is close to being what He ordered, worship occurs when we know what God has prescribed for us and we do it." I guess sometimes we think we are accomplishing worship without really ever considering the biblical concept of worship.

Another Day.

So today is February 14th and all I have to say for today is...
- it is 24 hours long
- the previous day was February 13th
- tomorrow will be February 15th

Texas Honesty.

The past few days have been entertaining... to say the least. I am in Waco, TX right now looking at Truett Seminary which is part of Baylor University. It is always interesting to attend a seminary and listen to each of their speels about why they are the best and why other schools can not compete with their ability to train students to be effective ministers. Today, however I did not hear a great deal of why other schools are wrong or unable to train students; instead I heard only how Truett was a capable school to train the mind and the spirit of the students. I was shocked that this time there was no real "trash talking" of other seminaries.

To me, Truett seemed like a nice mix between a liberal seminary and a conservative seminary, which is the kind of education I am hoping to attain. An education that is not so liberal you doubt core "absolute truths" and not so conservative that you are never challenged to question what is most widely accepted.

The only problems with Truett are that:
1. It is at least 600 miles from Biloxi.
2. It is in Waco (not exactly the biggest metropolis in Texas).
3. Their application for the full scholarship is due in 9 days from now.

Positives about going to Truett:
1. It is about the same price as NOBTS
2. It is 1 1/2 hours to Dallas and Austin, not much farther to San Antonio.
3. It seems to be a school, as previously stated, that's neither liberal nor conservative.

Women... Part 2

Yesterday we looked at numerous verses that showed or dealt with women preaching. Hopefully you were able to formulate your own opinion after you got to read those verses. Today will hopefully give you a conclusion to my understanding of this topic.

It could seem as though, with those verses given, that the Bible may contradict itself. However, I think after a clear understanding of some key distinction in words used, the Bible leads us to a clear conclusion. In some of the verses listed we see that the word overseer is used (such as 1 Tim 3:1-7). This word "overseer" is what we would think of today as a pastor.

We have forgotten that there is a clear distinction between "pastor" and "preacher". Pastoring is a role. Preaching is a function. Pastoring does not mean preaching, just as preaching does not necessarily entail pastoring. Their is a key difference, pastoring is leading the local congregation... Preaching is proclaiming the Truth. We just assume that the two are inseparable. Many people do not agree with women preachers because they are confused of the distinct difference between the two words.

Other reasons for people disagreeing with women preaching:
- inherited theology
- insecurities
- misuse of females who tried to take it to the opposite extreme (feminists)

Today in our churches we play a semantics game. If there is a woman who comes to speak she is not called a preacher, she is called a speaker. It makes us feel better (insecurities). I will admit that before I read these verses I had a negative view of women preachers (inherited theology), however after listening to a seminary professor and then reasearching these verses I was able to formulate my own understanding of this issue.

It is clear through scripture that God used women to reveal God's glory through the function of preaching/proclaiming/prophesying. I put the verse in 2 Chronicles to show us that God can use anything to speak through. To think otherwise would be ignorant and heretical. Trying to bound God into this neat little box is a dangerous position for us. Besides... people who read verses that say that women are not to speak in church forget that they then need to use that same literal interpretation on all of scripture. I think they would be very sad to see that the same book tells men that we should not get married or ever "touch a woman".

To claim that women should not speak in church, or that women should not preach would have multiple levels of implications for us. What do you do with the Samaritan woman, Deborah, Phillips daughters who prophesied, and maybe most forthtelling... Mary Magdalene who in John 20 is the first to run back to the disciples (who, by the way, were questioning who this man Jesus truly was; thinking he was only a prophet) and told them (proclaiming, preaching) that the tomb was empty! Look in the next chapter to see who John mentions Jesus appearing to first...Mary Magdalene.

To take a stand against women preachers not only places a man-made limitation on God, it limits everyday occurrences in churches. If women are not to speak in church... women should not sing. Women should not teach Sunday School (no matter the age). Women should not be sent out as missionaries. Women should never counsel a female (ministering in ways that men should and could not ever do). Women should never evangelize.

In conclusion, we need to teach our church that there is a fundamental difference between a preacher and a pastor; we need to realize that semantics only leads to our pride being able to stay intact, and we need to realize that limiting God will only bring heartache and pain when we force God to teach our stubborn hearts.

Women... Part 1

I am going to try to write out some thoughts on women preachers. This, if nothing less, should be entertaining. Today will be some verses that talk or may give us insight into a biblical understanding of this topic.

1 Tim 3:1-7:
The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.

1 Corinthians 14: 33b-37:
As in all the churches of the saints, the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church. Or was it from you that the word of God came? Or are you the only ones it has reached? If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord.

1 Timothy 2:12:
I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.

Galatians 3:28:
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

2 Chronicles 34:22:
So Hilkiah and those whom the king had sent went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tokhath, son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter) and spoke to her to that effect.

1 Corinthians 11:4-7:
Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, but every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head--it is the same as if her head were shaven. For if a wife will not cover her head, then she should cut her hair short. But since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut off her hair or shave her head, let her cover her head. For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man.

Acts 21:7-10:
When we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais, and we greeted the brothers and sisters and stayed with them for one day. On the next day we departed and came to Caesarea, and we entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. He had four unmarried daughters, who prophesied. While we were staying for many days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.

Numbers 22:28-31:
Then the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, "What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?" And Balaam said to the donkey, "Because you have made a fool of me. I wish I had a sword in my hand, for then I would kill you." And the donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden all your life long to this day? Is it my habit to treat you this way?" And he said, "No." Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, with his drawn sword in his hand. And he bowed down and fell on his face.

Life!

We are surrounded by a world that is looking for a real, "purposeful" life. The problem is that they are not finding it. Even inside our churches, members and visitors alike are searching for a life worth living. People are bored in our churches! In John 10:10 it says, "The thief does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come so that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly!" We are called to have abundant life! We are not called to sit in a pew on a Sunday morning, Sunday night and maybe (if we are good little Christians) Wednesday nights. Jesus did not call us to come and sit... to be bored to our spiritual death. He called us to come to LIFE, and not just any life, abundant life! Abundant life does not include spiritual boredom or monotonous programs. When we, the body of the Church, can come to grips with this passage... there will no longer be any need for books that hold in it "40 days of purpose". As G.K. Chesterton so eloquently said, "Jesus promised his disciples three things – that they would be completely fearless, absurdly happy, and in constant trouble". If you are a believer, you are a disciple. Do not look at that quote as a great quote about just people who physically walked with Jesus. This, I believe, is also a summary of what Jesus promised us, Christians, in the 21st century.

Two Thoughts For Today.

First thought:
Last night as I was watching the State of the Union address I thought of how so many people question the intelligence of our president. I got to think of how amusing it would be for SNL or some comedy show to do a segment on President Bush doing his State of the Union address and it going something like this, "My fellow Americans, welcome. We are gathered here today to participate in the State of the Union address. As the president I get to chooose the State of the Union, and for this week I would like to pick Texas. That's right folks... Texas is this weeks State of the Union. Oh.. and one more things folks, this is going to be a weekly event and I will go through all 50 stated of the union in a year, we can even throw in D.C. and that little island we call Puerto Rico."

Second thought:
Some have asked if I would enjoy The Blues Brothers as much if the movie were not to be based in Chicago. I really think that I would still enjoy this movie if it were to be in New York or Los Angeles (or any other city for that matter). I will admit that some scenes would not be as... let's say... Chicagoish. However, the movie stands for itself as a great movie, the city of Chicago just adds another level of greatness for me.

Quote of the day: You don't need to be humble, you're not that great.
~ Hooters sign in Gulfport.

Irony in my dislikes...

I visited an elderly man who is dying in the hospital today. I have a hard time with visiting hospitals for some reason. I have always had that discomfort when visiting a hospital for any reason. The irony of the situation is that I am pretty comfortable going to funeral homes. I was thinking about that today and the only reason I can find for my comfort in a funeral home is because as a child my parents would take me to a lot of wakes and funerals of church members. However, as a child I did not visit hospitals all too often, if at all.