Caution: Hazardous Area.

2006-04-13T02:52:00.000-06:00

Unreal...

http://www.tracebundy.com/music.html

This guy is nuts. Check out some of the video clips in the "Disc 2 Live DVD". I recommend "Hot Capo Stew", and "Canon"

2006-04-01T18:27:00.000-06:00

My Struggles.

This is a previous post I made at my old blog. I didn't want to lose this in the proccess of deleting my old blog, so im posting it here.

While these were things I wrote down in a time of deep struggle, and I do not always feel these things weighing on me, I realize that these are probably things which most Christians feel in the lulls of their Christian walk. I read this for the first time since I posted it in October, and I realized I'm never going to stop asking these questions. Instead I have to put my faith in this incomprehensible entity, and pray that it can be gracious to a failure like me.

If I am your child, why do you leave me?

If I am your child, why do I struggle with the same things for so long....when you can do anything - can't you fix them?

If your love is so great, why dont I feel loved?

If you sent your son to die for my sins, why does my sin haunt me - even when I when I want it to stop?

If you are the god of peace, why am I in constant unrest - do you not have the power to give me rest?

If your love is constant why can i feel it fall away?

If this life I chose is the better way, why is it so hard to make it through a single day?

2006-03-30T19:39:00.000-06:00

How human structures impede further development.

While you may be wondering what on earth I mean by this opening statement, let me explain that I am not speaking of building structures impeding further development of more building structures; but rather, I am speaking of the structures we place on very simple ideas in order to clarify them. Where the impediment of these ideas occurs, is when we structurize a thought, idea, or a belief, we confine it to those boundaries and cannot allow it to escape or grow.

I find myself regularly becoming frustrated as a Christian, with certain aspects of our development in our theology and ecclesiology as Christians. While i realize that most of the developments in Christian thought since the time of Christ could not be without boundaries and structures, and that the very nature of theology, for example, requires boundaries; I write this only to make an attempt at bringing to light the implications of what we do when we create things such as Doctrines, or even Religions.

While I realize that the nature of a Doctrine is harmless in that it only attempts to express a widely held belief, or, that the Church is a result of many people sharing similar beliefs expressed through these doctrines, a certain level of caution must be exerted when these structures are formed. I will use Doctrines as an example to prove my point.

To begin with, when a Doctrine is announced to express a certain widely held belief, the intended nature of this is seemingly positive. The group, in this case the church, is attempting to solidify common ground; but for what purpose? While this may seem like a logical step to take in order to have stability in a large group, the results can be detrimental to the larger goal. While there may be solidarity, there is also much exclusion from differing points of view.

The reason this formation of structure in something such as Christianity can be negative, is that in creating Doctrines we oppose the very first step to Evangelism. When one reads the Gospel accounts in the Bible, it is undeniable to note that when Jesus encountered people living opposed to what he viewed as 'right' he first included them into his fellowship, while later he excludes their way of living. Therefore, while forming a Doctrine is a seemingly innocent attempt at the latter act of Jesus, it makes the mistake of excluding before including. It creates a rift between the churched and the un-churched, the self-righteous and those seeking righteousness.

As Christians we should rethink our openness to exploring issues, especially issues constructed under such strong material as a Doctrine. Of course, these things are attempted at the academic level, and many Doctrines are openly debated on a regular basis; however, this still leaves a large problem for our churches. Doctrines are argued and established by the academics, but the general public is excluded from taking part in this. Thus we have splits in the church denominationally, as well as rifts between other religions over issues the Doctrines greatly oppose on the forefront; for example, homosexuality issues, ethnical issues, textual issues, etc etc...

Now, let me restate that I do not believe this is the intent of Doctrines or religion, rather it is a natural occurence which takes place, when a vast number of people believe similar ideas. And then as a result of having similar ideas, we are naturally formed into what we call a religion. I only hope to bring light of the truth that when these structures are formed, there is a certain level of exclusion which takes place. This, furthermore, impedes development, on the grand scale, of the "Kingdom of God" (peace on earth); or, on the smaller scale, impedes the re-integration and peace between different religions, Church denominations, and individuals who hold opposing points of view.

2006-03-29T16:16:00.000-06:00

Confused Much?

I figure it's better to post the sources of my latest confusion and let you hear firsthand what I've been diving into. I'm a little over my head as usual, and it's alot to work through, but here are some links to various mp3/podcasts that I have been listening to.

The 2004 Theological conversation at the top of the page (I think theres 6 podcasts) are with the Old Testament Scholar and Theologian Walter Brueggemann. The ones below it are just as good and feature various topics with New Testament Scholar and Theologian N.T. Wright. Both of these guys have been very influential for me, so check them out.

http://emergentvillage.com/Site/Resource/Downloads/index.htm

Next is the 2006 Emergent Theological conversation with Miroslav Volf. After just recently learning of him, I have found one of his books (Exclusion and Embrace) to be outstanding so far. Anyways this page has his six part series with the Emergent Theological community. The first three are a good warmup to his thinking, but were not incredibly thought provoking. The fourth however was amazing. Theres 2 more to be released still, they are put out every monday.

http://emergent-us.typepad.com/podcasts/

2006-03-29T01:08:00.001-06:00

Emotions and Insight

Well...Im gunna kick off my blog here with a discussion I had with a friend of mine Eric. We usually have good discussion on various topics..tonight's was semi-productive for me. I hope it can be for you all as well. Note that this is not edited in the least, other than for third party names. There may be some cussing throughout. Also, this is an MSN conversations so the flow is a little incoherent at times. Read at your own discretion.

With that said, enjoy.

eric says:
have you listened to the talks
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
volf?
eric says:
ya
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
yea..man that last one was intense
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
its been swirling in my mind
eric says:
ya its real good
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
those damned atonement theories now..asldfhgsdfl
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
its never going to end
eric says:
thats right
eric says:
you were quite the wrestler in small group today
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
yea..that was dumb of me. i wish i kept my mouth shut now
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
always gotta speak up
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
its a damn curse
eric says:
ya
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
its hard coming out of a conservative background..and find myself moving in a more liberal direction only to find out that theres till ultra conservative views out there
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
still*
eric says:
ya. its funny how we made eye contact right after you said had started with the big words
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
yea..i knew at that moment it was a bad idea
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
i always open my mouth and say something i regret
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
always pushin the limits lol
eric says:
ha
eric says:
ya. i was not in any sort of mood to go in that direction this morning so i left at the first chance
eric says:
but whatever
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
yea. i wasnt either to begin with. but i guess i just got angry for no good reason at the things being said
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
im having a hard time with ultra exclusive views these days
eric says:
ya.. i usually just let that shit slide
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
it seems like so much of what we believe is exclusive
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
yeah..i try to most of the time
eric says:
its too touchy a subject and too emotional and it can become frighteningly illogical when emotion gets the best of things
eric says:
do you know what i mean
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
yeah
eric says:
and it usually just makes .anonymous. mad
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
heh... yeah
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
I dunno..I dont really feel like I have all that much of a right to say this, since I'm not exactly a great disciple of Jesus myself. But when people interpret his teachings the way .anonymous. and .anonymous. were today..it just kills me. Pisses me off like no other.
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
to misrepresent what he was all about
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
i dunno
eric says:
how do you think they misrepresented Jesus
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
well
eric says:
its funny watching your typing thing
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
I made a comment that Jesus was accepting of people despite their horrible lives, and their issues with immorality and what not...and that I thought Jesus would maybe handle the situation a little bit differently than our conservative views have dictated in past years
eric says:
on........ off..on
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
and .anonymous. turned around and rebuked me on that using the whole incident with jesus in the temple flipping tables over. which in itself is a completely different issue.
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
and .anonymous. wasnt too happy with my comment to say the least
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
i dont remember exactly what she/he said now
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
but it was pretty standard fundamental stance
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
i dunno...its not good to argue over it..and I know that.
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
but like you said..its hard when emotions get involved. Unfortunately emotions seem to get involved whenever Christianity is involved
eric says:
well... let me say one thing
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
whenever its our "fate" on the line you know....which I dont care what anyone says...our eternal souls dictate alot of how we believe and what we believe..let alone how some interpret scripture
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
that last bit might not have made sense.
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
i just read it and it wasnt the point i was trying to make..so scratch that one
eric says:
you seem to be controllod a whole lot with this idea of the hippie Jesus... anything goes... I love everything no matter... kind of thing, and its all good... in fact you said that Jesus didn't come to change people, but to accept them, well thats not right. Jesus did come to change people, he entered their lives for that sole purpose, to help them stop in their sinful self-defeating ways, and...
eric says:
start living his way
eric says:
He accepted them then he said..... 'go and sin no more'
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
yes
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
right. but how does he go about that is what im getting at
eric says:
christianity is not about compromis
eric says:
e
eric says:
its not about becoming indifferent
eric says:
its about transformation
eric says:
he goes about it by entering peoples lives... invading on their space
eric says:
judging them
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
ok..point taken. But my point isnt that jesus is Universal fromt the beginning to the end..of course he wants us change from our ways. It would be absurd of me to think otherwise. But Jesus first let people in. First made contact and showed that theres room for them in his kingdom. The transformation comes AFTER. he tells them the rules to the kingdom AFTER he lets them know that there is
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
a place for them there
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
thats all im trying to say
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
the idea that we need to speak out against it straight away..and not accept people into our fellowship who are living lives of sin is completely anti-jesus the way i see it
eric says:
well thats always been the way i have seen it as well
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
transformation takes time..especially when we are not Jesus..we are in fact sinners ourselves...theres a certain level of caution that needs to be taken and a certain level of acceptance that "hey im the same as you are", before we work on the changes
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
thats how I see it at least
eric says:
for sure
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
now im prone to changing my opinion if that so happens
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
but i dunno.
eric says:
people used to say believe... belong... behave
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
right now im not buying into the introductory-exclusive attitude of conservative christianity
eric says:
but it should be belong.... believe... behave
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
yea exactly
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
is that not how jesus did it
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
thats how i see it
eric says:
thats right
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
good then im not crazy
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
lol
eric says:
oh no
eric says:
this is really not that 'radical'
eric says:
at all
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
i guess i come accross as pounding in the super accepting aspect of jesus sometimes and leave out the rest
eric says:
its just practicing that is the hard part
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
which is bad..and I dont mean to..but i think its a reaction to our conservative background
eric says:
well your language about 'Jesus didn't come to change people' was heresy!
eric says:
i knew thats not really what you thought
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
yea.
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
did i really say it like that?
eric says:
thats what i hate about that kind of angry, restless and explosive bickering
eric says:
ya
eric says:
i don't think those kinds of conversations come from the most humble of places... not at all to say im humble,
eric says:
im a bitch
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
hm. i need to watch what i say...see I dont even remember saying that. I remember emphasizing the accepting aspect of jesus and I guess I didnt take it any further
eric says:
but you know what i mean
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
yea
eric says:
oh whatever
eric says:
see we get it wrong some times but xian theology says that God comes as a humble baby and gives himself to the world to bring the world to himself... but then he comes as judge
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
i guess maybe i was provoked into the opposite extreme that they were taking. its probably worse of me to say belong, and leave it at that then it is for them to say; behave, believe, belong
eric says:
acceptance.... then transformation
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
theyre both missing the point
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
yea
eric says:
ya... behave believe belong
eric says:
i get the order messed cause its so f'd up
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
no...thats what conservatives do sometimes
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
u had it right before
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
belong, believe, behave
eric says:
ya i know
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
k
eric says:
u said behave believe belong
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
yea i was representing what they were doing.
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
i was saying
eric says:
ya ya yay...
eric says:
im getting all messed up
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
what are u sasking then
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
lol
eric says:
nothing

eric says:
i worry about getting prideful
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
yea me too...
eric says:
like i know some secret that those shit heads on the outside like .anonymous. don't
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
i am prideful...i dont worry about getting there
eric says:
i so good
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
i worry about controlling it and suppresing it
eric says:
when really that sucks
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
lol
eric says:
ya me too...
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
yea i see what u mean
eric says:
but like later in life becoming a crust prick
eric says:
with good theology
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
yea
eric says:
that would suck
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
thats horrible
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
that misses the point completely too
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
how accepting is that then
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
lol
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
right?
eric says:
vote for Bush
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
not accepting that people arent there yet or whatever
eric says:
ya for sure
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
or even more importantly I guess..accepting that WE arent there yet
eric says:
its not about the head but about the heart... however cliche that is... .anonymous. is a way better follower of jesus and learner of his kingdom way than me even though she/he believes in hell and gay people going there
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
yea. thats true. And I know ive been sliding the wrong way recently too.
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
when I didnt know anything it was way easier you know
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
u cant be prideful if you're ignorant and you recognize your ignorance
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
its much harder when you become learned and and not so ignorant
Josh @ WCC - Original Moonlighter says:
i know inside of me my heart wants to break free from all of my pride. and just let the pride or whatever else go. but its hard to do.