Thursday, March 8, 2012

Is Environmentalism a Worthy Christian Cause?

    Once, in a church council meeting, we were attempting to reply to several questions the denomination was asking of our congregation. These questions might have been in place to help each congregation maintain some of the distinctives of the denomination. At any rate, the question came: what were we doing to promote environmental stewardship among our members? Certain people in the meeting were fairly upset that such a politically left ideology would be imposed on our congregation, and what did that have to do with being a good church?

    Most Christians I knew were American Evangelicals who were also politically conservative, which led me to believe conservative politics were closer to what American Jesus wanted for us. After I had been a believer for a few years, labeling environmentalism “creation care” sounded to me a lot like the baptism of a liberal cause. Never mind that free market conservatives were fairly certain the environment was something for Americans to dominate and use up. Christians told me that in Genesis we were told to subdue the earth; it’s here for our benefit! And it was a sign of the end times that people would worship the creation rather than the creator.

Friday, March 2, 2012

Questioning Salvation and Conversion

There are several faith related issues that I’ve found clumsy to explain as I try to span the difference between my current faith and worldview and that of Bible believing American evangelicals I have known and loved while living in the southwest.
The next few entries will be short summaries of my thinking and influential books regarding topics I have changed my mind about....


      John Wesley taught us that there is previenient grace, salvific grace, and sanctifying grace. God chases after us and loves us before we love Him. He forgives our sins and allows us unmediated audience with Him. And He prunes our bad habits and makes us holy day by day.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Reading the Bible: I'm Changing my Mind

There are several faith related issues that I’ve found clumsy to explain as I try to span the difference between my current faith and worldview and that of Bible believing American evangelicals I have known and loved while living in the southwest.
The next few entries will be short summaries of my thinking and influential books regarding topics I have changed my mind about.

Issue #1 Biblicism: as in interpreting the Bible literally, and allowing it total authority in living a Christian life.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

What have you been making lately?

Been thinking about shutting this web log down. I have not been regular at writing. I thought I was going to give some book reviews, but then we visited New Mexico, and that was just a tremendous event in our lives, so I haven't been thinking about book reviews.

But then today I had this idea to write about economy (not the first time). And if I didn't have a blog, where would I write it? So here goes:
Election years underscore the national fixation on making money - making our piles of stuff higher. People are losing their homes, true, but the "answer" to that problem is not necessarily a stronger Market and more industry. Frankly, the republicans / free market capitalists end up sounding more concerned with the Market than with people, culture or quality of life.
So, then: Economy - a little etymology. The word has to do with household management. Remember the class Home Economics, where we learned to sew a pillow case and bake brownies?
Next time you hear a candidate talk, tune in to his/ her use of the word "economy".  Is s/he thinking of people who grow their own food, build their own barns, cook their own meals and raise their own children? Is s/he thinking about oil domination? Why do some people think having a CEO in the oval office would make the country better, if not for the belief that the country is really a big and complicated business in competition with other business-countries?

I'll paraphrase Wendell Berry again: A country that cannot feed itself is not really free. So if a neighborhood is not able to sustain itself (local businesses as well as local food), or if a family doesn't have the skills to raise children and care for its elderly - are we really free? To me these national and local issues are fused.

Last thing: I've wished for a long time that I could think of a different cocktail party question than, "What do you do?" and now I think I have one. I've tested it out, and it's been fun: What have you been making lately? I think it gets to the root of the economy issue. We've lots the joy of making things, and doing stuff for ourselves. We think we need an expert with a masters degree to figure everything out. And that sort of thinking (in the short term) will bolster the Market by getting folks shopping.

Anyhow, I hope we can all learn to live without a super-promising government-run Market.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Hello 2012, hello blog readers

Sorry mom, I haven't written in a few months. Candace has been rolling on her blog with regular posts about our family life.
Soon I'll start logging about some of the books that I have read this past year.
First, a quick update:

Monday, October 17, 2011

Poverty, wealth in the Kingdom - look out!

This is a friend, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove talking.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Goodbye Reba Jeanne

Hi Friends,
This has been another week of highs and lows. Jedidiah has been five for about a month. We finally had the time to hold a small birthday party for him at the park. Not all of his friends were able to make it, but several did, and it was good.
My beloved grandmother passed away at the age of 87 after a five year battle with Alzheimer's disease. She remained kind, gentile, loving and relational though her memories were inaccessible. My parents cared for her with the help of Da's sister, and assistance providers. She died on Labor Day - I'm told there are a hundred pairs of white shoes in her closet. Fitting, indeed.

A last note: as we approach the September 11th anniversary, I think the nation is becoming increasingly suspicious of war and retaliation because it costs us a lot of money, young men and women, political energy, national status and reputation... I take non-violence as a serious mark of faith. I found this article to be really insightful. Please read the link!
Peace.