The Journey Ahead
The plans of the mind belong to mortals, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. All one’s ways may be pure in one’s own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit. Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established. The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble. All those who are arrogant are an abomination to the Lord; be assured, they will not go unpunished. By loyalty and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the Lord one avoids evil. When the ways of people please the Lord, he causes even their enemies to be at peace with them. Better is a little with righteousness than large income with injustice. The human mind plans the way, but the Lord directs the steps. Inspired decisions are on the lips of a king; his mouth does not sin in judgment. Honest balances and scales are the Lord’s; all the weights in the bag are his work.
Proverbs 16:1-11 (NRSV)
In two weeks, my journey at Ashland Theological Seminary will be complete. I’ve enjoyed my time studying the Scriptures, but I look forward to the next step-whatever it may be. I know it has been quite awhile since I’ve blogged, but preparing for this next step has been nothing quite short of interesting.
Some thoughts on Women’s History Month
Today in one of my Seminary classes, I participated in an exercise of creating a timeline of those who had a significant role in my spiritual formation. We were encouraged to look for patterns or correlations between those who have impacted our lives. Growing up in the church and coming to faith at the age of nine, I was immersed in the common activities for children- Christian school, children’s church/Sunday school, and later youth group. As I listed the people who most impacted my spiritual formation prior to my coming to Christ as well as through my formative teenage years, I noticed that nearly every one of these individuals were women!
Wide and with just the right amount of depth: A Review of The Hunger Games
Spoilers Throughout!
The Books
My wife first introduced me to Suzanne Collins epic post-apocalyptic trilogy The Hunger Games late last year. From her initial description, I knew the books would be of interest to me. But as good as my favorite cultural critique 1984 (they were a “young adult” book after all)? No way…or so I thought.
Is art useless?
Above is a beautiful geometric work by Andy Gilmore. I am struck by the geometry and the interaction of vibrant and warm colors. Gilmore’s geometrical works take me to a place somewhere in the future, somewhere in the imagination. But what does it mean? What role does art serve in my life? To what end does Art (big A) lead? And does Art have anything to do with the church?
Is the Contemporary Church a Crackhouse?
- Are you suffering?
- Does life just plain suck?
- How do you deal with the issues and pressures of life?
- Where do you turn?
- Drugs? Alcohol? Food? Music? Movies? Video games? Facebook? The Church?
- What gives you your “fix”?
- Or do you do nothing?
In his recent blog post, Peter Rollins argues that there are two primary ways people deal with the real pains that are life.
Justin McRoberts, singer/songwriter and speaker/storyteller speaks about the nature of Justice as relational, communal, and regenerative. Thanks Joel for sharing this!
Pacifists, Video Games, and Ron Paul
Tech site The Verge posted an interesting article today detailing how some gamers are actually playing with non-violence in mind.
As many today remember the life and message of Doctor and Reverend Martin Luther King, take 20 minutes today and listen to this message delivered at Ebenezer Baptist Church in November of 1967. Dr. King reminds us of why we should do what is right from Daniel 3:18-But if not.
The Homeless Guy Gets It
Do we I even get it? I mean to say-do we get what this thing we call life, the world, EVERYTHING is about-what following God is all about.
Welcome to ChurchinCulture.com
A many-sided debate about the relations of Christianity and civilization is being carried on in our time. Historians and theologians, statesmen and churchmen, Catholics and Protestants, Christians and anti-Christians participate in it. It is carried on publicly by opposing parties and privately in the conflicts of conscience. Sometimes it is concentrated on special issues, such as those of the place of Christian faith in general education or of Christian ethics in economic life. Sometimes it deals with broad questions of the church’s responsibility for social order or of the need for a new separation of Christ’s followers from the world.
-H. Richard Niebuhr, Christ & Culture, 1951.
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