searching for God knows what

Searching For God Knows What is an amazing book. the biggest compliment i can give it is the fact that i wish i had written it. ninety-nine percent of people reading this have read something by Donald Miller, or at least know someone who has. if you haven't, read his work. his honesty, openness, insights, thoughts, and comments will make you smile, laugh, think, and want to follow Jesus closer. i loved Blue Like Jazz, and yet i'm feeling a tension here. when i read Jazz a few years ago i thought it was the new Mere Christianity, a classic by all definitions of the word. however, Searching might be a better written and more insightful book. either way, Donald Miller can straight up write.

it's not a glitch

deja vu; it's not a glitch in the matrix. it's the new film by Tony Scott starring Denzel Washington, Val "The ICEMAN" Kilmer, Jim "THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST" Caviezel, Bruce "JFK" Greenwood, and Elle Fanning. it's a trip. this is an action film that delivers the action and the funny, with heart, romance, thrills, some science fiction and a pinch of spirituality. the reviews are mixed, but i loved it. it was awesome! great acting, well written, and amazingly directed. deja vu; it's not a glitch in the matrix.

"...persecuted, but not abandoned"

today at CFOT Cadet Karen Holland lead us in a chapel service for the persecuted church around the world. it was an awesome service. it was a great time of quiet and reflective moments with God in our community here at college. there were prayers offered up in five different languages, which was amazing. we watched three video clips from around the world and saw the persecution that was happening in each context. scary and upsetting stuff. pray for the persecuted church.

check this out: www.persecution.net

red and blue God, black and blue church

Red and Blue God, Black and Blue Church: Eyewitness Accounts of How American Churches are Hijacking Jesus, Bagging the Beatitudes, and Worshipping The Almighty Dollar is a book written by Becky Garrison. Garrison is an editor and writer for The Wittenburg Door, America's "...oldest, largest, and pretty much only religious satire magazine." think The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Colbert Report, or This Hour Has 22 Minutes, only with a religious spin. in her book, Red and Blue God, Balck and Blue Church, Garrison "...leaves no sacred cow untipped." it is an insightful, hilarious, and thought-provoking read. i don't agree with everything she's written. i'm not informed on some of what she's written about. but i do reccomend reading it. she also refers to some great web sites that have added to her spiritual journey. the web sites and the book are definitely worth checking out.

the mountain manifesto

the gage Canadian dictionary defines the word manifesto as "a public declaration of intentions, purposes, or motives by an important person; proclamation." working with this definition The Sermon on the Mount comes to mind. "When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying..." (Matthew 5:1-2 NRSV, the rest can be read in Matthew 5-7). in these chapters are some of the most radical and innovative words ever recorded. through His teaching here, Jesus comments on ethics, community, matters of faith and religion, and life in general. people listening to these words at the time must have been turned on their heads. i read them now and find them challenging and thought-provoking. how can i live out these words? how can i add these insights, thoughts, and commands to my Christian journey? this is difficult material to read/hear/live. John Stott wrote: "To my mind no two words sum up its intention better, or indicate more clearly its challenge to the modern world, than the expression 'Christian counter-culture'." (John Stott, The Message of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), page 15). he wrote this in 1978 and the thought rings true today. turning the other cheek, loving enemies and praying for those who persecute you, not making a big deal of your faith expressions, and being non-judgmental goes totally against the grain of our humanity. we want to point out that speck. we want people to know how great we are at praying or fasting. we want to judge. we don't want to love our enemies. we don't want to pray for those who persecute us. we don't want to turn the other cheek. the Sermon on the Mount is about our relationship with God and with others. a children's chorus comes to mind: "J - O - Y, J - O - Y, Surely that must mean. Jesus first, yourself last and others in between." the Sermon on the Mount is like this. Jesus taught His disciples, and is teaching us, about others and the Kingdom of God.