Monday, February 9, 2009
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Cynical thought of the day
Watching the news last night, this occured to me: Does anyone else think that maybe the reason congress has no problem raising our taxes is that they never pay theirs?
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
On mildew, skin diseases, and other important stuff
So, it's February, so I must be reading Leviticus.
One of the parts of the bible that can be very difficult for young believers is all the rules and regulations regarding the seemingly mundane and unimportant- how to deal with a skin disease, what to do if you find mildew in your house, what happens if you have a wet dream, etc. Leviticus covers this in great detail.
While it's really hard to understand the cultural relevance all this stuff had at the time, we can learn a few things by reading this part of the bible: (1) This stuff mattered to people. Skin diseases, mildew, bleeding, could be a matter of life and death, or at least very serious discomfort. Therefore, (2) It mattered to God, because he cares about us and what happens in our lives. Since these rules about sacrifices to atone for diseases and such are very clear, precise, and involved, then we can (3) thank God for grace, that he loves us enough to take the burdens off us and put them on His son, who died so we don't have to atone for this stuff anymore.
It may seem archaic reading about these early rituals, but it sure makes me appreciate the sacrifice Jesus made for me. How about you?
One of the parts of the bible that can be very difficult for young believers is all the rules and regulations regarding the seemingly mundane and unimportant- how to deal with a skin disease, what to do if you find mildew in your house, what happens if you have a wet dream, etc. Leviticus covers this in great detail.
While it's really hard to understand the cultural relevance all this stuff had at the time, we can learn a few things by reading this part of the bible: (1) This stuff mattered to people. Skin diseases, mildew, bleeding, could be a matter of life and death, or at least very serious discomfort. Therefore, (2) It mattered to God, because he cares about us and what happens in our lives. Since these rules about sacrifices to atone for diseases and such are very clear, precise, and involved, then we can (3) thank God for grace, that he loves us enough to take the burdens off us and put them on His son, who died so we don't have to atone for this stuff anymore.
It may seem archaic reading about these early rituals, but it sure makes me appreciate the sacrifice Jesus made for me. How about you?
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
And the snow comes down...
We got about 8 inches at my house last night. I woke up early to clear the drive and shovel the walk and make sure the plow guy came to clear the neighborhood streets (oh, the joys of being HOA president). The streets were sloppy and hard to drive this morning. I actually got stuck trying to leave the gas station where I get my morning Diet Coke fix.
But, there's something magical about the snow. In a world where we're always running from meeting to meeting, event to event, always thinking about the next place we have to be, heavy snow seems to give people a respite- an excuse not to worry about getting somewhere. People who wouldn't think about missing a day of work otherwise throw up their hands as if there's no other option. Meetings that seemed important are suddenly pushed back, and we understand, more than most times, how the insignificant details of our life here on earth can easily overtake us.
So, enjoy today. If you live in Central Indiana, enjoy the snow. Go play like when you were a kid. Take time to take time. Look at the beauty of God's creation in awe of Him, and remember not to sweat the details. Maybe I'll see you on the sledding hill.
Peace.
But, there's something magical about the snow. In a world where we're always running from meeting to meeting, event to event, always thinking about the next place we have to be, heavy snow seems to give people a respite- an excuse not to worry about getting somewhere. People who wouldn't think about missing a day of work otherwise throw up their hands as if there's no other option. Meetings that seemed important are suddenly pushed back, and we understand, more than most times, how the insignificant details of our life here on earth can easily overtake us.
So, enjoy today. If you live in Central Indiana, enjoy the snow. Go play like when you were a kid. Take time to take time. Look at the beauty of God's creation in awe of Him, and remember not to sweat the details. Maybe I'll see you on the sledding hill.
Peace.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Breaking the silence
So, here's the problem with blogging. Let's say, hypothetically of course, that you go a week or so with no new post. When you break the silence, you feel like it needs to be something big- a soul searching, earth shaking, thought-provoking post. The longer you wait, the bigger the silence breaker must be.
That's the reason for this post. I didn't want it to get to ten days or more. Stay tuned.
Steve
That's the reason for this post. I didn't want it to get to ten days or more. Stay tuned.
Steve
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Best. Ending. Ever.
"The Bible ends with a flourish..." begins Eugene Peterson's introduction to the book of Revelation, and boy, is he right. Heroes and villians, death and resurrection, sinners and saints, dragons and horses and creatures covered with eyes- all are present in the last book of the Bible. And what we see, in the end, is that everyone is worshipping the one true sovereign God.
When I read about angels and elders and creatures that are indescribeable and completely frightening, and they are all worshipping Him, it gives me a great feeling that I'm doing the right thing by starting worshipping Him now. But the best part of the book of Revelation (not Revelations, by the way) is this: in the end, Love Wins. God's love for His people defeats the hatred of this world, good triumphs over evil just like any good Western or Sci-Fi or Hollywood script. Only this one is real- a foretaste of what's to come. It truly is the best ending ever.
When I read about angels and elders and creatures that are indescribeable and completely frightening, and they are all worshipping Him, it gives me a great feeling that I'm doing the right thing by starting worshipping Him now. But the best part of the book of Revelation (not Revelations, by the way) is this: in the end, Love Wins. God's love for His people defeats the hatred of this world, good triumphs over evil just like any good Western or Sci-Fi or Hollywood script. Only this one is real- a foretaste of what's to come. It truly is the best ending ever.
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