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Paying For Harvesters?

That's p-a-y-i-n-g, not praying (though praying isn't a bad idea).

For years now I've been on the fence with regard to what I think about missionaries living on support. Brandi and I have helped support several missionary families over the years, and I don't regret any of the money we've offered up, but I do have my reservations about the system.

My church, Antioch Community Church in Waco, Texas, is heavily into missions. We send out missionaries all over the world, and while I don't know what percentage of them live primarily off of support, I fear it's a large percentage.

I took a "how to handle your finances" class at my church about two years ago. The guy who taught the class was a local businessman. One thing about businessmen is they see the world, and the church, from a different perspective than your average clergyman. Generally speaking, business dudes work like crazy; work is what they know, and work is what they do ... constantly. One Sunday he mentioned how he and his wife host students participating in Antioch's missions training school. Here's some of what he had to say: "I know some students who really love JESUS. And I also know some students who love to sit around and watch TV and not help out around the house."

I'm not saying every missionary needs to work his or her tail off like they're running a small business, but I do think some appropriate tent making builds more character than sitting in front of the Boob Tube.

Even missionaries should work for their food.

What I'm Reading (And It's Not On My Sidebar)

The past month has been packed. So packed I haven't had much time to read. Never mind the fact that Brandi and I have been going through the series Jericho via Netflix.

Anyway, I picked up a copy of Khaled Hosseini's book, The Kite Runner, at Goodwill a month or so ago for like 50 cents, and I've been working through it the past couple of days.

So far, the book is unbelievable. Hosseini knows how to make you feel what he's writing. Reading his book is like watching a well-directed movie.

I'm off to eat cake now.

Two From Dew'

Here are a couple of shots from our annual post-Thanksgiving trip to Dewberry Farm.





I posted all the pics on Flickr.

A Rare Moment

For the first time, I think, in my 32 years of existence, we had both of my grandmothers together at Thanksgiving.

Imperfect Christians

Let as many bondservants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor . . . And those who have believing masters, let them not despise them because they are brethren . . .
-- 1 Timothy 6:1 & 2

From this passage it's obvious that Paul believed that someone who owned slaves could be a Christian. That's exactly the sort of thing that North American Evangelical Protestant Christianity can't wrap its mind around. I can't wrap my mind around it, and I fall into the aforementioned category.

Scriptures like that make it a little easier for me to at least try to understand other believers who make political and moral decisions that, to me, seem contrary to the nature and doctrine of inspired Scripture.

To paraphrase the great C. S. Lewis in Mere Christianity, we know that people who were called Christians (in Acts) were those who submitted to the Apostles' teachings, with no indication of who benefited most from those teachings.

Sanctification is a beautiful thing.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

I'm happy to get a holiday, and a few days off work. I plan to pass the time by hanging with family, reading, watching football, and, Lord willing, playing a little football on Saturday. Oh, I almost forgot to mention menudo; not the boy band from the 80s, but the Messican soup that's disgusting to think about but like heaven in your mouth.

I love Thanksgiving. It's like Christmas without the avarice.

2

We had a little gathering over at my place last night in order to watch 24: Redemption (I started calling it "2" because it took place in two hours of real time).

Andrew came over, and my bro and ex-Thinkling, Sha, came over. We had some of Brandi's famous queso (the secret is real cheese, not Velveeta) and some homemade pizza (pizza's even better when you control your toppings). I also had a couple of cans of the greatest soda ever invented -- Coke Zero.

We passed the commercial time talking about football, why The Happening was horrible, various movies, and a whole lot of 24.

It was good to see Jack Bauer back in action.

It's A Blessing, And A Curse

When it comes to people I've met, things I've done, and events I've participated in, I tend to have a very particular memory.

For example, when I first met this guy 16 years ago I remember he was wearing a T-shirt that had some silhouetted dudes throwing spears, and the shirt said, "The natives are restless." I have no idea what that shirt meant, but I know it was on his back when I met him.

I can sometimes freak people out with my particular memory. I remember seeing a local PR guy back in 2003 when I was doing some newspaper photography. I told the PR guy that I recognized him from High School, and I could name a couple of the classes that he had even though he had no idea who I was. (I never spoke to him in high school.) I'm sure he thought I was some sort of obsessed fanboy of his or something. The truth is I remember a lot of people from high school, and I remember detailed stuff like what they were wearing on a particular day. It's just the way my mind works I guess.

On the other hand my ability to recall dates and historical factoids is pretty crummy. I'm a fan of church history, but I couldn't begin to name the dates of the important ecumenical counsels. (I'm pretty sure Nicaea was in 325 or so, and I think Constantinople was in 380-something; other than that, I'd be doing good to get the century right.)

The truth is I like my memory. I'm a slow reader, but I usually remember motifs from books pretty well, and I even remember a decent amount of detailed information, although I don't ever remember anything with enough detail to quote from memory.

I forgot why I wanted post this, so I guess I'll end it now.

The Call

I read a literary blog recently where the topic of conversation was whether or not one was truly called (presumably by God) to be a writer, or whether or not the supposed calling was simply a delusion of grandeur.

The conversation got me thinking about what exactly is the nature of a calling, and why we never hear anything about people being "called" to be garbage collectors, ditch diggers, or used car salesmen.

[Read the rest of this post here.]

Who Decides?

And I thank Christ JESUS our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry ...
-- 1 Timothy 1:12

I've been wondering what makes one eligible for the ministry. I don't wonder about that because I aspire to ordination myself (because I don't), but I wonder because I see so many "apostles," "prophets," "bishops," et cetera, out there that it almost numbs the mind.

I asked a laymen who attends a Pentecostal-leaning fellowship this question the other day: "How do you know that your apostle is really an apostle?"

He responded, "Look at the fruit."

Honestly, you can argue that there are plenty of good Mormons and Muslims out there who exhibit "fruit," so making the case for apostolic authority based on seemingly good character doesn't do much for me.

The Roman Catholics have their bishops appointed via apostolic succession, and while that's superficially appealing, I don't see that as a biblical mandate.

I know the ultimate answer is God. He appoints authorities in our lives. The problem is the enemy likes to appoint authority as well. Then there's the issue of man's own ego and hunger for power (no matter what form that power may come in).

Anyway, I trust my leaders. It's not about that at all. I guess I just have a hard time trusting other people's leaders sometimes.

Abby's Curls

Abby's four-years-old, and we've actually had people ask us if she's gotten a perm. Nope. Those curls are all natural. :-)

Yummy

I just got back yesterday from shooting my 10th consecutive Annual Meeting of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. While I got some decent, newsy type stuff that they'll use for their publications, I was most enamored with this shot of Brandi reaching for a mini-cupcake. It must have been a preggy-related craving. :-)

If I have some time I'll post some more photos later, but I had to immortalize this photo asap. 

Number Four

Yep, she's pregnant! :-)

What Could Have Been

I think I added my banner about a year ago or so. This is what I was working with at first, a basic color shot. I much prefer the mood that surfaced after the photo was converted to black and white.

If you're ever near Trinity, Texas, it's worth it to check this place out. It's a nice, secluded sanctuary in the middle of the forest at Trinity Pines.

Obama Is President

Congratulations to Obama. 

I didn't vote for him. I probably won't agree with him very much. But as a Christian I'll pray God's blessing over him, his life, and his policy decisions. 

Piper On The Palin Nomination

Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.
-- Dr. Ian Malcom in Jurassic Park

It's refreshing to see a succinct -- and bold -- response to the Palin nomination by one of the evangelical world's most prominent leaders: John Piper.

I think that the Bible summons men to bear the burden of primary leadership, provision, and protection in the home (Ephesians 5:21-33) and in the church (1 Timothy 2:8-15). Add to this that these texts (and others, like Genesis 1-3) build their case not on the basis of culture (which changes) but on the basis of God’s design in creation (which does not change).

Therefore, I am not able to say that God only speaks to the role of men and women in home and church. If our roles are rooted in the way God created us as male and female, then these differences shape the way we live everywhere and all the time.

Add to this that the Bible does not encourage us to think of nations as blessed when women hold the reins of national authority (Isaiah 3:12). Nor in the Bible were women part of those conscripted to fight the battles for Israel (Numbers 1:20).

These and other teachings in Scripture incline me to believe that manhood and womanhood are not mere social constructs. They are rooted in God’s design for creation. They are meant to shape culture, not merely be shaped by culture.

Read the whole thing.

Morning Mass

Brandi and I joined our long time friends, Bob and Ruth Wehrer, for morning Mass at Sacred Heart Catholic Church here in Waco. Brandi and I met Bob and Ruth when we were college students, in the mid-to-late 90s, when they were leading a local after school program for at-risk kids in Waco's toughest neighborhoods. They're about 40 years older than us, and they're just great people to be around. Bob's a deacon at Sacred Heart. 

We both enjoyed the mass very much, although certain parts of it were definitely outside our comfort zone. (For example, the priest talked about praying for souls in purgatory.) I appreciated how so much of the service revolved around the Eucharist. While I don't believe that the elements are the literal Body and Blood of our Lord, I think they should be treated as such, and that's another point where I feel a certain connection with branches of the Faith (like Roman Catholics) who believe that the bread and wine are actually the Body and Blood of JESUS. Since we're not Catholics, we were not able to take Communion, and instead we approached Bob (who was serving Communion) and he blessed us. 

I was pleased with how ecumenical the actual service was. They sang "Amazing Grace"  and "Lord I Lift Your Name On High," both of which were written by Protestants. Of course, there was plenty of scripture reading, both from the New Testament and the Old Testament.  

Probably my favorite part of the service was when we quoted the Apostles' Creed. Like the Nicene Creed, the Apostles' Creed is one of those early church gems that, sadly, most Protestants have lost touch with. It's such a succinct crystallization of our shared Christian faith; I wish Protestant churches (at least my Protestant church) quoted it more often. 

Afterward Bob and Ruth treated us to lunch. Brandi talked to Ruth about marriage, and I talked to Bob about our shared faith in JESUS. Like many post-Vatican II Catholics, Bob is as ecumenical as they come, and he was pleased to answer any and all questions that I had. In the end, we had a friendly exchange about the nature of God's grace, salvation, and the church's role in the world today. 

It was a good Sunday.

One Hour With A Liberal Moderate

I spent about an hour last night talking to a liberal Christian seminary student about his theology and political beliefs. The truth is, by the world's standards, he'd probably be considered a moderate, but stacked next to my beliefs, he's definitely further left.

Naturally, he's a supporter of Obama, and I had been itching -- ITCHING -- to ask a believer how he can reconcile Christian beliefs with "a woman's right to choose." Here's some of what he said:

For me, it's all about the question of when life begins. Honestly, both theologically and morally -- I don't know. If I had to guess I'd say that it begins around the sixth week of pregnancy, but, then again, I don't know. I'm all for life. Once it's been determined that life is there, I'm all for protecting it all the way to the end. For example, I'm against the death penalty. 

He even said he wouldn't go so far as to call himself pro-choice. "Although I'm definitely pro-choice during, oh, perhaps the first trimester," he said.

Naturally, I was befuddled, but I was really enjoying the conversation. I leaned in a bit to ask him about the idea of conception being the beginning of life, but then I was interrupted by someone else and was never able to get back to the conversation. 

I hope to continue the conversation with him someday soon. The abortion/politics talk happened after almost an hour of talking theology. With regard to theology, he told me that I sounded like an Arminian. I told him I couldn't be an Arminian, because I believe in God's absolute sovereignty. So where does that leave me?