Perspective

As some of you may know, the company I am working for is going under. For many complex reasons, I will be effectively unemployed as of Oct. 15th. On the one hand, it’s nice to have so much notice. On the other hand, it’s bad news no matter how you slice it. On top of that our lease expires at the end of October. If we stay, our rent goes up. We’re already at the cap of what we’re willing to pay for a 2 bedroom so we’ve got to move. And finally our car is acting up and all indications are that the transmission is going out.

So what next? How does one wade through such waters? Of course there are the “Christian” answers “Everything works out for the best.” “Just trust God and you’ll be okay.” “Maybe this is God trying to tell you something.” Makes you want to scream.

But the reality is that perspective can be gained through such trying circumstances. The truth is that God is always teaching us something. And the fact is that following God means things will work out okay. So what have I learned so far?

First things first. My situation does not in any way diminish the glory of God. My purpose is still to worship and bring Him honor. My next responsibility is to the spiritual, emotional, and physical health of my family. Nearly all of which is accomplished without a job. Secondly this situation is nothing compared to the day-to-day struggles of so many others. No matter what happens, we will not go hungry, we will not go without a place to live, we will not go long without a job – if at all. We will somehow find transportation to and from work. Millions of others are not so fortunate. All the same I finally mean it when I thank God for my dinner.

God has been the one providing for us all this time. He has chosen to do so through this job and now He is choosing to do so through other means. Not much has changed really. I’m just worrying about it more.

Funny how that happens.

IRS vs MLB

I'm not much for complaining about the government. Too overdone/doesn't get results. But I have to say that this bit of lunacy deserves a blog post.

So have you heard about the guy who caught Barry Bonds' historic home run? Turns out he's a Mets fan and just happened to be in SF for the game. So anyway, this lucky baseball fan gets to take home a little piece of baseball history. Good for him. But now he's going to owe a ton of money in taxes and can't keep the ball. (See the Yahoo news story here)

My question is this: What claim does the IRS have to this ball? Why does the guy owe money for catching a fly ball? Let the guy alone. This must be one of the most ludicrous tax laws I've ever heard of. If he sells the ball for thousands of dollars, then I think he owes a portion of that as taxes; but just keeping the home run ball shouldn't cost him a dime. He didn't purchase the ball. He has no money invested in earning the ball. He didn't start up his own company in an effort to catch historic baseball memorabilia. He just caught it for crying out loud. It's his free and clear and nobody should charge him a single penny for it.

Now Presenting...

I am honored to have inspired a new member of the blogging community. My good friend Josh Kansiewicz (can-SEV-itch) has just published his first of many worthwhile posts. I encourage all bloggers at large to check out his new site at http://rambling.e4god.com/blogs/.

You are sure to find relevant thoughts on church, spirituality, marriage, literature, and of course children. (His first is due in a matter of months).

And so without further ado, I present the man of the hour: Mr. Joshua Kansiewicz.

Caught in the Webb

Derek Webb may be one of the greatest Christian songwriters of our day. He is never afraid to say it like it is and let his lyrics hit home. Many of you know that he was once a member of the band Caedmon’s Call. Though he did cut a few solo albums, he has recently returned to the band for their new album/tour. The following is an excerpt from the song “A King A Kingdom” on his 2005 album Mockingbird:

There are two great lies that I’ve heard
The day you eat the fruit of that tree you will not surely die
And that Jesus Christ was a white, middle-class Republican
And if you want to be saved you have to learn to be like Him
So my first allegiance is not to a flag, a country, or a man
No my first allegiance is not to democracy or blood
It’s to a King and a Kingdom.

It’s the white, middle-class Republican part that rocks my world. For any of you who have ever lived in the Bible Belt, you know this mentality quite well. I once encountered this thinking in Missouri during the last Presidential election. A Pastor actually said to me with sadness in his voice, “You know some people in this church actually vote Democrat. Can you believe that?” The tone in his voice seemed to indicate that this was a declaration of the church’s spiritual collapse – that no God-fearing man could ever vote for the Democratic Party.

I am becoming more and more convinced that no God-fearing man can in good conscience support either party. As the bumper sticker says “God is not a Republican (or a Democrat)” AMEN. Despite all of this, I do believe we have a responsibility to exercise our vote and play a part in democracy. The key is that our civic duties should always be dictated by our faith. But by no means does this mean voting for one party or another. After all, the main question when standing at the pearly gates is not going to be “What was your stance on healthcare?” It’s going to be “What did you do with the gift of my Son?” Everything else is secondary.

King of the Jews

Warning: The following content can and will be misquoted should I ever run for public office. Reader discretion is advised.

Pascal’s Penses has been a very enjoyable read thus far . Some thoughts I agree with, others I do not, and still others are indiscernible without the proper context. However, the quote below is quite clear with or without context. Comment number 759 (102 in the Penguin Classic) reads, “Either Jews or Christians must be wicked.”

Wow. The statement hits you like a bucket of cold water. How could anyone be so misguided as to have made such a bold statement? Though I believe that most Christians this side of Mel Gibson would balk at such a statement, I do believe we still have some growing to do in this area.

Though the New Testament makes it abundantly clear that no one comes to the Father but through Christ (Jn 14:6); we must never forget that it is WE who are being grafted in to THEIR inheritance (Rom. 11:24) – not the other way around. God began his redemptive work through Abraham and his descendants and brought it to fulfillment in Christ. We are a part of THEIR story. They are God’s chosen people and through Christ (a Jew – even King of the Jews) we are adopted into that family.

Rather unfortunately, we as a church have largely forgotten our family of origin. And without these forefathers and cloud of witnesses (Heb. 12:1) to teach us, we have lost much of our understanding of our Heavenly Father. The respect and awe of an untamable God is nearly nonexistent today. The respect for the rhythms of life: the seasons, the festivals, and the times of remembrance are all but gone. Using symbolism, tradition, and holy days to intentionally train your child in the ways of the Lord has faded into the shadows.

What a high price we are paying in the name of being “Christian.” It seems to me that Pascal needs revision. BOTH Jews and Christians are wicked. We stand together in dire need of God’s grace.

The Inaugural Post

So for a number of reasons, I've been thinking about this Blogging thing for quite some time. My college roommate has used his blog as an opportunity to refine his philosophical and theological thoughts. A few members of my care group use their blogs as an opportunity to post pictures about family and share humorous stories from their lives. Others such as my pastor use it as a chance to communicate important key learnings. Since Ecclesiastes has convinced me that there is nothing new under the sun, I would like to borrow all of these elements for the creation of this blog. :) I've never been much for journaling, but yet again, an influential friend has convinced me of it's importance. So here goes. Hopefully this will help me stay in touch with many of you and share a bit more of my life than usual. I look forward to your replies, thoughts, and anecdotes in reply. Happy Blogging!