My Trip to the Balkans

More pictures from my trip to the Balkans in Eastern Europe:

Marketplace in Skopje, Macedonia
Congregational Church in Skopje, Macedonia
Host Family in Rahovec, Kosova

Papa John's 10 Miler

On March 31st, I ran the Papa John's 10 Miler in Louisville to prepare myself for the Country Music Half-Marathon on April 28th in Nashville. Here are my results:

Time: 1:33:06
Overall Ranking: 1757
Ranking for Male Age Group 25-29: 150/279
Time at 5 Mile Marker: 46:48
Pace: 9:19

I had a wonderful time, and I look forward to my race in Nashville.
dr

Pictures from My Trip

Here are some pictures from my trip to the Balkans in Greece:

Thessaloniki, Greece

Aegean Sea, Greece

Philipi, Greece

Traveling to Eastern Europe

Tomorrow afternoon, I will be traveling to Macedonia, Kosovo and Greece for a 10-day mission trip. I am very excited about my first experience outside the country (except for a short drive through Canada). I will tell you more about my trip than you want to know when I get back
dr

To Live Like You Were Dying

In Sunday School, we were asked how we would live if we knew that we would die soon (6 months, 1 year, etc). Each of us answered something to the effect of spending time with our family and friend and traveling to really exotic places. The answers were the typical answers that people would want to do one last time. Tim McGraw has a song that addresses this same issue. "Live Like You Were Dying" is an inspiring song to live your life to the fullest each day like it is your last.

But, Jesus did something different. During Jesus' last week before the crucifixion, he was not concerned about traveling to Egypt to see the beautiful Egyptian pyramids, nor was he concerned about traveling back to Galilee to visit with his family. Jesus continued his ministry until his very moment on the cross; he even reached out to the thief on the cross beside him during his death! If asked what we would do with our last moments on earth, we all answered very selfish answers as we only looked towards our own self. But Jesus always looked outward to the needs around him, even up to the time of his death. When Jesus knew he was going to die soon, he did not change what he was doing to live life to its fullest. Jesus realized that he was already living his life to the fullest by doing the will of the Father.

Maybe we can realize that living our life to the fullest has nothing to do with where we are or who we are with, but it is about doing the will of God each day with those around us. It is amazing how our ideas and answers that seem so innocent can be so contrary to the teachings and life of Jesus Christ, our Savior.
dr

A Christendom Mindset

In The Shaping of Things to Come, Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch are challenging Christians "to step out of the box of Christendom in order to take on the problems raised by Christendom," and in two paragraphs above, they say, "The issue of cultural context is essential because the missional church shapes itself to fit that context in order to transform it for the sake of the kingdom of God." [Frost and Hirsch, The Shaping of Things to Come (Peadbody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 2003), 7.] In Rethinking Christ and Culture, Craig Carter recognizes the problems raised by Christendom, but he says, "Asking the question of how the church can have influence on the culture is the wrong question to ask if one's goal is to be faithful to the gospel of Jesus Christ." [Carter, Rethink Christ and Culture (Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2006), 23.]

I am not surprised to see two authors in disagreement, but I am asking which approach to take in understanding if the church should be culturally relevant. Both authors recognize the development of the relationship between the church and the state in the Western context that has be characterized as Christendom, which has brought negative consequences on the church. Within a Christendom mindset, the church has lost its voice because she has given it to the state. But it seems that the church must become culturally relevant to regain her voice, but Carter sees that thinking only fueling the Christendom mindset.

The church can go to one extreme and try to be so culturally relevant that she only reflects what the culture is dictating, but she can also go to the other extreme by separating herself from culture that no one hears her voice.

Hopefully, I can continue reading these books as well as others in addition to scriptural reflection and prayer to understand my role as a Christian within the Western culture in which I live; I enjoy reading different perspectives to challenge me in articulating my ideas and beliefs.
dr

"Present Tense" by Jason Lehman

It was Spring.
But it was Summer I wanted,
The warm days,
And the great outdoors.

It was summer.
But it was fall I wanted,
The colorful leaves,
And the cool, dry air.

It was Fall.
But it was Winter I wanted,
The beautiful snow,
And the joy of the holiday season.

It was Winter.
But it was Spring I wanted,
The warmth,
And the blossoming of nature.

I was a child.
But it was adulthood I wanted,
The freedom,
And the respect.

I was twenty.
But it was thirty I wanted,
To be mature,
And sophisticated.

I was middle-aged.
But it was twenty I wanted,
The youth,
And the free spirit.

I was retired.
But it was middle-age I wanted,
The presence of mind,
Without limitations.

My life was over.

But I never got what I wanted.

Bible-based Explorations of Issues Facing Youth: How Do You Know?
Faith & Life Press and Brethren Press, 1996

(We need to learn how to live in the moment instead of for the moment; God has something great and special for each of us today, but we are too busy looking at tomorrow to recognize it.)
dr

An Amazing Quote

"I was hungry...and you discussed the problem of hunger. Thank you. I was in prison...and you quietly worshipped in your sanctuary and only prayed for me. I was dirty and ragged...you criticized me. I was homeless...and you only preached about the heavenly home. You appear so holy...very close to God. But I'm still hungry...homeless...and so lonely..."

--author unknown, translated by missionary Dora Harbin of Brazil--
dr

It is Official

On December 31, 2006, I officially registered for the Country Music Half-Marathon on April 28, 2007 in Nashville, Tennessee. I also officially start training for the run this week as I will begin running each day. Let me know if you would like to join me in Nashvillle.
dr

How rich are you?

Have you ever compared your income to that of the rest of the world? Here is a chance for you to do so. Go to this website and include your annual income: www.globalrichlist.com
dr

Here is Tony and me at an Indianapolis Colts game on December 26, 2004. This is the game where Peyton Manning broke Dan Marino's single-season touchdown pass record when he threw his 49th of the season against San Diego Chargers.

Here is the view of the game from our seats.

dr

Who wrote the Bible?

In Reading the Bible Again for the First Time, Marcus Borg argues that there are three options in understanding the authorship of the Bible (page 21ff). Either God wrote the Bible, Man wrote the Bible, or both God and Man wrote the Bible. God cannot be the sole author of the Bible because of the obvious influence of the personalities and contexts of different people writing the many books of the Bible. Both God and Man can not be held equally responsible for writing the Bible because then the person has the impossible task of determining which texts are from which author. So, Borg concludes that only Man can be understood as the author of the biblical texts.

Instead of seeing the biblical texts as how God sees things, Borg recognizes that the biblical texts is how the ancient communities and writers see God. I agree with Borg in his description of the authorship of the biblical texts, but I wonder if his argument could be taken too far in a place where I would be uncomfortable. I do know that the biblical texts are from man's perspectives of the character of God, but I also claim that they are accurate descriptions of the character of God. With Borg's argument could someone argue that they have a more complete understanding of who God is; that the communities and cultures who wrote the biblical texts are mistaken in their understanding of God? I do not want to constrain the revelation of God found in the biblical texts to my own assumptions and biases of who I think God is. I want to allow the Scriptures and the Christian tradition challenge me in seeing God outside the box I continually try to restrain God in. Because man is the sole authorship of the biblical texts, one should not argue that the way a person understands God is more complete or accurate than the biblical texts. People of the Christian faith must continually allow the biblical texts to read and challenge themselves instead of only reading the texts within the limited assumptions of the reader.
dr

got calvinism

I have a T-shirt that has on the front "got calvinism" and on the back a quote about Calvin (no mention of the TULIP accorynm). A friend of mine (who is calvinistic) was talking to me about the shirt. After the converstaion, I realized that he had no interest in my opinion against calvinism and I had no interest in his opinion in favor of calvinism, but we both were respectful of each other's opinion. I do not think it is that simplistic, but this experience made me question the idea of being open minded.

I have done some studying on both sides of the issue of calvinism and believe there is some merit to each side, but I describe myself more on the side of not being very calvinistic. I feel like I have been open minded to each side, but how do I continue to be open minded to a calvinistic mindset of the world when I have already concluded it is too legalistic? I feel like I understand the issue enough to make an informed opinion, but I do not feel I really need to be open minded to the possiblity of me be completely wrong about calvinistic thought. Does that mean I am too narrow minded?

I believe a calvinistic thought is too complex to base an opinion on a shirt or a short conversation. I hope to be in the middle between a Calvinist and Arminianist, but how do I do that through my interation with other people that might lean one way more than I do?
dr

A Parent's Protection

It seems that parents always want to protect their children, even when their problems are self-induced. Since I do not have children, I have no idea what it is like to watch a child struggle through a problem wanting to protect them from that problem, so my observations are very limited. I came to this realization by watching a show about addiction. One person, Daniel, was addicted to crystal meth. His mother would give him money to buy the drug, so he would not have to resort to stealing to provide for his habit. This mother also provided a roof over his head, food on his table and clothes on his back. Daniel was in his twenty's and with no job. He mooched of his mother to provide for his drug habit. The mother was trying to protect Daniel from the harsh realities of his drug addiction.

In the second half of the show the mother and the other siblings confronted him through an intervention to invite him to go to rehab. If Daniel was not willing to go to rehab, the mother was willing to stop providing for him and makes him bare the consequences of his drug addiction. Daniel was very thankful for his family's willingness to confront him on the issue. The show ended by an update that Daniel has been sober for six months, which is a great accomplishment that I can never fully realize as I am not addicted to meth.

The mother was trying to continue protecting her son, even from his own choice to smoke crystal meth, but that protection was the very thing that fueled his addiction. The viewer could see how difficult it was for the mother to provide the money for the drug, but she was scared of what would happen if she did not provide it. At the time of the intervention the very thing that the mother believed she could not do by no longer providing for her son was the very thing that he needed to force to make a choice of attending rehab.

It seems a parent may wish to protect a child from bad choices, but the complete consequences of those bad choices may be the only thing that truly helps the child see the full perspective of his or her harmful actions. I cannot criticize the parent for providing for a child because it probably is very difficult to watch a child go without, but many times the only way for a irresponsible person to learn the reality of life is through the inevitable hardships that can result from bad choices. The show demonstrates that the parents desire to protect a child will never disappear and there is a difficult fine line between protecting a child from evil and sustaining a child in that evil. While this line is difficult to define, it does not mean that it should be ignored either.

dr

Changing Communities

As people mature, they typically find themselves in new communities. One such change is going away to begin college. Another change is leaving college after graduation. At college, I talked to fellow Philosophy and Religion majors about the great things we were studying. My professors treated me as an equal in their classes or offices. Being able to relate my studies with other people was very exciting for me, but now it is different. I personally get just as excited while reading a good book, but not everyone around me is interested in the same things. My community has changed.

I have been applying for a job, and I assumed my "college degree" would help me get the job. But that is not necessarily true. My college degree on the wall does not help me during the oral interview. Just because I can talk about Kant's categorical imperative or Kierkegaard's teleological suspension of the ethical does not mean I can necessarily do well during the interview process. In college, each class was about giving me specific knowledge about a particular subject, but the overall goal of college goes beyond that. Hopefully, college gives us the skills and confidence to speak and reason effectively whether in an interview process or talking to our friends about where our lives seem to be taking us. We cannot allow ourselves to revel in the roles of our former communities; we must begin the search of understanding ourselves in our new communities. As our communities change, we must change as well.
dr

This Summer

I have been busy since my last post, which is why I have not posted in awhile. This summer I am a Youth Minister Interim at Midway Baptist Church in Midway, Kentucky. I am excited about this opportunity. This coming Sunday I will taking the youth to Passport in North Carolina. Here is just a little post to reveal what I am doing this summer.
dr

What role does charity have in our culture?

After visiting Camden, New Jersey for a week, I have realized that giving money to a charitable organization or church is not enough to assist those in poverty. It is very easy for me to give money to the starving and easy for those starving to accept it for a nice meal. It is easy to take a homeless man to a shelter for night as well. But my life cannot change by seeing a homeless man for a mere moment. I can live in the American society that continues to expand the gap between the rich and poor thinking that my charitable acts please God, but these acts only clear my own conscience away from making real sacrifices. I can feel sorry for the homeless but that feeling subsides in the comfort of my nice warm house. For some God calls them to live in places like Camden, New Jersey with those in poverty feeling their pain and sorrowing and seeking to show them hope in God. For others God calls us to recognize what impact we are actually able to accomplish through our actions. It is tragedy to believe that by going on a mission trip to the most dangerous city in America for a week I will be able to change the lives of those people living there from day to day. Our role was to assist Urban Promise Ministries in janitorial and repair work, so they may be better equipped to assist those living in the poverty stricken areas of Camden when no one else cares to even listen to them. So many times our charitable contributions are more about clearing our own conscience than actually helping those in need. To have a lasting impact on those in need around us, we must make our lives vulnerable to those, which is more difficult than writing a check. When we suffer as they suffer in the turmoil of our society, then we are able to show God's love to the world.
dr

Dogma and Praxis

As people lean towards a post-modern mindset, is there any room for dogma? It seems that people would rather believe in one extreme or the other, but must they be mutually exclusive? I derive my understanding of praxis first from my understanding of dogma, but then you may claim that the only way to express our dogma is through our praxis. So, our praxis must be first before our dogma. I wonder if we want to claim that praxis is more important than dogma, how do we know what the correct praxis is? Well you may claim that we live it out, but it seems best that dogma would be the most fitted to guide our praxis. In Mere Christianity, Lewis describes the Christian doctrine as a map of the ocean. Yes, the experience as we sit on the beach and hear the waves is more real and inspiring than reading a map, but we need the map to navigate ourselves through the ocean. Also, the map is a collection of people's own experiences of the ocean throughout time. As more people traveled the ocean, they outlined the land masses of the different continents. One would need a map (and compass) to travel from England to the Africa, or this person may end up in America as the ocean seems like a vast endless collection of water. We may be traveling around within the praxis of the world, but we also need dogma to help us get through it. Praxis and dogma is not mutually exclusive; our dogma is derived from the praxis of those before us; therefore, we cannot claim that our praxis is separate from the dogma of time that is before us. We cannot even claim that is is better but only a better continuation of the truth that has be given to us throughout history. I am not trying to replace the emphasis of our understanding of truth only through dogma instead of praxis, i am merely showing both must be a vital aspect as we seek to understand the world that is before us.
dr

Finding Our Vocation

As a recent graduate of Georgetown College, I have been blessed to be in an environment that challenges me to discover my vocation. I have learned that it is not something that I will find but something I do, which is never complete. As I live out my life, I live out my vocation. Finding our vocation is ordering our lives in a fashion that fosters an understanding in which the needs of the world and the desires of our heart and mind intersect. But I have come to another understanding about this quest. I am fortunate to be in a social class that allows me to seek my vocation. I can challenge every person I meet to begin thinking about what their vocation is, but many are not in the position to ask such questions. It is very unfortunate that many people cannot reflect upon their gifts and desires to pursue those. Some may be stuck in a job they do not like, but it pays the bills. Since I am on this side of beginning my career, I am able to direct my career and life towards my vocation. But it is very important to not limit our vocation to our career, but to our way of life. If my vocation is to inspire children but I am stuck behind a desk from day to day, I can still find many children's lives to connect mine with throughout my community. As I hope to always ask how my life reaches out to the needs of the world, I hope to remember how blessed I am even to ask this question. Maybe our vocations should seek to help others begin the quest of vocation in their own lives despite any job they many find themselves in.
dr

The Art of Comunication

Communication is one of the most essential components to any relationship, but it can also be the hardest. Many times we assume that the other person communicates the same way we do because it is so easy for us. Our own style of communication is beneficial and works for us, so we assume it would be beneficial and work for everyone else as well. The act of communication becomes complicated when the very way we think and talk about our ideas come against the way the one we are talking to expresses their own ideas. So many times our own choice of words may or may not represent what we are trying to express. When I become confused at what point the person is trying to get across, I try to scrutinize and analyze their words seeking the meaning of those words. But this may portray that someone must fully understand all the implications of the words one chooses to use before they speak them. Because we cannot fully know what our words may imply to another person this becomes an impossible task. My very act of analyzing a person's words may actually cause that person not to express them because I am not listening to their words to understand them but I may only be listening for a chance to prove them wrong. Even if this is not the goal of this type of communication, this is what this communication style may imply. Then my approach to communication does not enhance but hinder it. When I am not seeking to prove the person wrong but merely wanting to listen, my focus on the actual use of words may also distract me from what the person is actually saying. As we live our lives in many different relationships it is not necessarily important to merely understand the other person's perspective but also how our own perspective becomes translated within the other person's ideas and beliefs. The difficult task of constructive communication makes our relationships very complicated but also very rewarding, so it will always be very favorable towards the growth of our relationships.
dr