Gradumication

So, I got a letter today from the University informing me of my ability to graduate in December and that if I wanted to walk in the ceremony, I needed to sign up soon. Anyway, that is just one more thing making this whole graduating thing quite the reality. OH, and why does it cost an arm and a leg to rent a gown? I could buy a blue sheet for a lot cheaper...

Other News

Watched the presidential debate. I feel pretty confident that with either man in the White House, that I will still wake up the next day and hope that God is working in my life. I can't speak completely as to who was better in the debate though...I guess I'm more of a political outsider (LOL), because I thought it was close, but polls suggest Obama easily won. How do you win a debate? It shouldn't be based upon eloquence, but issues...right?....right??

In the Summers Home Fellowship (my church small group) we are reading a Psalm a day for the next 14 days. The first Psalm was read today. I'll try to at least comment on them so I have some practice thinking about them and writing about them over the course of these two weeks.

The Cultural Christian

I started to re-read Romans today, as the last time I read it through was quite a while ago. It really is a fantastic book, laden with different facts, ideas, etc. As I read today, this passage really stuck out to me...

For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the Jewish ceremony of circumcision. No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not a cutting of the body but a change of heart produced by God's Spirit. Whoever has this kind of change seeks praise from God, not from people.

-Romans 2:28-29, NLT

Now, I'd be willing to guess, if Paul were alive today, and writing his Epistle to the Americans, it might go something like this

For you are not a true Christian just because you were born of Christian parents or because you have gone through the Christian ceremony of baptism. No, a true Christian is one whose heart is right with God. And true baptism is not an immersion in water, but a change of heart produced by immersion in God's Spirit. Whoever has this kind of change seeks praise from God, not from people.

-American 2:28-29, speculative

I know I can be guilty of just assuming that if I call myself a Christian, that it works as a cover all for me and my life sometimes. Perhaps I need to check and make sure that my life, as well as my heart, are in line with God. I think this is good advice for a nation that calls itself Christian and goes to church because it is 'what we do.' Let us change our hearts...

Shawn McDonald - Roots

New music dropped today. Finally, the long awaited (at least for me) album "Roots" by Shawn McDonald has hit shelves and digital libraries. I've listened to it a couple times through by now and I thought I'd clue you in on something. It is good.

Laced within the album are sections of funk, inspiration, challenging thought, chill, and plenty of Scripture turned to song. In the song Shadowlands, Psalm 23 speaks in a way I've never felt it, and in Hallelujah, the Beatitudes of Matthew 5 shine through. I understand there are even more references, but I've yet to pick them out completely. They are definitely there.

My loving sister introduced me to Shawn McDonald and I thank her for that moment. He ranks right up there with my favorites (Christian or not) and he is a great song writer and musician. A very gifted and passionate soul.

Roots is titled in such a way to point to his return to his own roots musically and this album definitely does sound more like Simply Nothing than it does Ripen. I'd encourage you to check it out. And I say that because typically I don't play up Christian music, but this is that good.

Disclaimer: I really hope that in a few months, I will like this album as much as I do now. I can tend to get hyped up on stuff and then feel it slip away.

Good or Evil...

Photo Credit: Milky Toast on Flickr (Mike Bordlemay)

I was doing a little studying of the Bible with some friends yesterday and we were in the book of Mark. I don't think I've ever been so struck by the following passage as I was last night

Mark 3

Doing Good on the Sabbath

Then he went back in the meeting place where he found a man with a crippled hand. The Pharisees had their eyes on Jesus to see if he would heal him, hoping to catch him in a Sabbath infraction. He said to the man with the crippled hand, "Stand here where we can see you." Then he spoke to the people: "What kind of action suits the Sabbath best? Doing good or doing evil? Helping people or leaving them helpless?" No one said a word. He looked them in the eye, one after another, angry now, furious at their hard-nosed religion. He said to the man, "Hold out your hand." He held it out—it was as good as new! The Pharisees got out as fast as they could, sputtering about how they would join forces with Herod's followers and ruin him. (Message)

The think that gets me about it is the quote, "What kind of action suits the Sabbath best? Doing good or doing evil? Helping people or leaving them helpless?" This kind of talk leaves no room for a middle ground. Either you are helping or you are hurting. Now I don't believe that means that in every situation we are only helping or hurting, but when we are presented with a situation, it is "doing evil" to leave them alone. This really struck. I've been convicted a lot lately about people asking for help or things. I know in the Christian realm, this idea comes up a lot. But still, what do we do? Does stewardship trump service, or does service trump stewardship? Or should we who are meant to live apart make more time in our schedules free so we are able to be there in these situations, so we may do good or evil.

Jesus highlights this service multiple times, another of which is the story of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25

The Sheep and the Goats

"When he finally arrives, blazing in beauty and all his angels with him, the Son of Man will take his place on his glorious throne. Then all the nations will be arranged before him and he will sort the people out, much as a shepherd sorts out sheep and goats, putting sheep to his right and goats to his left.

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what's coming to you in this kingdom. It's been ready for you since the world's foundation. And here's why:
I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.'
"Then those 'sheep' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?' Then the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.'
"Then he will turn to the 'goats,' the ones on his left, and say, 'Get out, worthless goats! You're good for nothing but the fires of hell. And why? Because—
I was hungry and you gave me no meal,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
I was homeless and you gave me no bed,
I was shivering and you gave me no clothes,
Sick and in prison, and you never visited me.
"Then those 'goats' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering or sick or in prison and didn't help?'
"He will answer them, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me—you failed to do it to me.'
"Then those 'goats' will be herded to their eternal doom, but the 'sheep' to their eternal reward."

This concept has his me as well in the epistles of scripture, specifically the book of James, which I will leave you with (4:17)...

Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.