Mercifully, election season all comes to an end in just under a week. And then, we have to live with the consequences for 2 years. Of course, we have "nothing to fear but fear itself."
To all the undecided voters, I urge you to ask yourselves "not what your country can do for you," but rather "what you can do for your country." Government simply cannot solve all of our problems, and in some cases, it can make them worse.
Questions of all sorts keep cropping up. Is McCain too old? Is Barack Obama really ready to lead the country? Are voters going to vote on the basis of policies or on personality? I guess "it all depends on what your definition of 'is' is." I mean, we could be facing a "nu-cue-lar" stand off with Iran, and I would hate to see that part of the "axis of evil" triumph because we chose the wrong guy.
For those of you who have reached the point of apathy long ago, let me say, "Read my lips: I feel your pain." The good news is that in 2 years, we'll have mid-term elections, which will allow us to make changes to our government if we don't like the way things are going. The only question, then, is whether any group can destroy a country in two years. Let's hope not. May God have mercy on America!
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Exhausted
Wow, this past week took more out of me than I expected. I was going to try to post about 1 Corinthians 7, a passage that is quite hard for me to understand, but I simply don't have the mental energy right now to process anything that complex or deep. I guess it's one passage where I often find myself wishing it said something different than what it says. But that is human nature, is it not, to wish for things to be our way instead of God's?
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Rain, Rain, and More Rain
As often is the case in Kansas, it's the weather that's making the biggest story around. It's been raining nearly non-stop for the past 24 hours, and I would guess that we must be near 1.5 inches in the past 24 hours. That's a lot of rain in a short time. It's been a cool, wet year overall, and that's made for a welcome change after several hot, dry years. For now, I'm going to go enjoy being inside where it's warm and dry.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Singleness
Some rambling thoughts on singleness in a rough draft form. Critiques, disagreements, suggestions, and notifications of typos are always appreciated.
It's amazing to me how often at church, the pastor feels it necessary to mention marriage and romantic relationships in sermons. It seems that a Sunday doesn't go by that the whole idea of marriage isn't brought into a sermon, whether it validly fits or not. And each time he asks, "Do you remember when you first started dating your spouse," I catch myself thinking, "No, and I have no idea what that was like." And more than once, I've caught myself, to quote Caedmon's Call, wondering if "Maybe I have the gift that everyone speaks so highly of / Funny how nobody wants it."
The gift that everyone speaks so highly of is singleness (or celibacy), and it amazes me how we (myself included) react with such dislike to the idea of such a state being a gift. It's almost like we treat singleness not as a gift but as a curse. I know that I often react with disdain to the idea that somehow, I may be single the rest of my life. I want to scream to God that it's not fair. Men who see women as objects wind up married, while men who would make excellent husbands (perhaps I'm in that group; I'm hardly an objective judge of myself) are bachelors. It makes no sense. Most people in the Church react similarly, and prefer not to think about the issue since they can't make it reconcile with all of the "marriage language" in Scripture.
Jesus, however, addresses this very issue in commenting on marriage. He says, "For some For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have renounced marriage [or made themselves eunuchs] because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it" (Matthew 9:12, NIV). (I think that, based on the context, it seems safe to say that Jesus is thinking about marital status when he uses the word "eunuch" here, which is probably why the NIV renders the last of the three phrases "renounced marriage" instead of "made themselves eunuchs.")
Based on this passage, there seem to be at least three classes of people who never marry. One is those who were born with some sort of physical condition (severe mental retardation, e.g.) that prevents them from functioning in a marital relationship. A second are those who because of something done to them, never marry, and the third group are those who forgo marrying in order to devote themselves fully to God.
The vast majority of single people in churches today fall into the second class. They are unmarried because of something done to them, whether by others or by themselves. The key here is that these people often do not want to be where they are. The Church, I'm afraid, has not handled this group very well. They too often try to treat them as if they belonged in the first or third classes, instead. Some unintentionally treat those who are single as if there is something wrong with them, and shuffle them off into singles' groups, where their "needs" can be addressed. The thinking seems to be a sort of "put the mutants all at table 9" attitude. This sort of approach does nothing to help a person with the gift of singleness learn to treat singleness as a gift. Instead, it simply devalues the person by telling him, "You're anathema because you're not married. Get away from us, you freak!" The result is a feeling of being worthless not only in the eyes of others but also in the eyes of God.
At the same time, other people try to treat everyone who is single as if they are single because they are on some sort of "mission from God." The most frequent refrain of these people is "just remember that Jesus was single and that Paul was single." This attempted encouragement, while well-meaning, tells the single person that his singleness is God's way of making the single person more spiritual. It ignores, however, that Paul and Jesus both chose singleness "for the kingdom of God." Most people who are single, however, did not choose their state. It was forced upon them in some way, meaning that they don't want to be in the condition that they are in. Thus, when someone tells a single person that his singleness makes him more spiritual because he is like Paul or Jesus, the single person invariably feels inferior because he isn't super-spiritual the way people say they should be. The end result of this sort of counsel is a feeling of inferiority.
I've talked a little about how not to treat those who are in the second classification of those who have the gift of singleness. I want to take a moment, as one who may well be a part of the second group (even though I pray daily that I am not), to suggest some ways that the Church might better handle those who are single. First, remember that they are human beings just like anyone else. They are no more broken than any married person, and need friendships with others who share their interests, not just their marital status. Second, remember that just because a person is single, do not automatically assume that he doesn't understand the time pressures that families face. Single people face time pressures far worse than any family because if a chore has to be done, the only person to do it is the single person. Third, be careful how marriage is held up in services and teaching. Discuss it, treat it with honor, and use it sometimes as an analogy, but don't refer to it constantly. Constantly talking about marriage will only accentuate the pain a single person feels and make them feel inferior. Lastly, while singles-only small groups are great, all single people to be part of small groups with married people if their natural inclinations so lead. This will allow the single person to feel less isolated from the rest of the Body of Christ.
Again, these ideas are my first attempt to delve into this issue in a logical fashion. I'm sure that they overstate (or understate) certain aspects. I welcome any thoughts or corrections. And I hope and pray daily that God, in His mercy, will see fit to bring into my life a woman of God with whom I can happily share many years of worshiping and enjoying Him and the life He has given us. Yet, I also know that at my age and in my circumstances, I may well be one of those who has "the gift that everyone speaks so highly of." If I do indeed have this gift, then it's getting to the point where I need to stare the facts square in the face and begin to try to be a member of class three: those who renounce marriage for the glory of God.
It's amazing to me how often at church, the pastor feels it necessary to mention marriage and romantic relationships in sermons. It seems that a Sunday doesn't go by that the whole idea of marriage isn't brought into a sermon, whether it validly fits or not. And each time he asks, "Do you remember when you first started dating your spouse," I catch myself thinking, "No, and I have no idea what that was like." And more than once, I've caught myself, to quote Caedmon's Call, wondering if "Maybe I have the gift that everyone speaks so highly of / Funny how nobody wants it."
The gift that everyone speaks so highly of is singleness (or celibacy), and it amazes me how we (myself included) react with such dislike to the idea of such a state being a gift. It's almost like we treat singleness not as a gift but as a curse. I know that I often react with disdain to the idea that somehow, I may be single the rest of my life. I want to scream to God that it's not fair. Men who see women as objects wind up married, while men who would make excellent husbands (perhaps I'm in that group; I'm hardly an objective judge of myself) are bachelors. It makes no sense. Most people in the Church react similarly, and prefer not to think about the issue since they can't make it reconcile with all of the "marriage language" in Scripture.
Jesus, however, addresses this very issue in commenting on marriage. He says, "For some For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have renounced marriage [or made themselves eunuchs] because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it" (Matthew 9:12, NIV). (I think that, based on the context, it seems safe to say that Jesus is thinking about marital status when he uses the word "eunuch" here, which is probably why the NIV renders the last of the three phrases "renounced marriage" instead of "made themselves eunuchs.")
Based on this passage, there seem to be at least three classes of people who never marry. One is those who were born with some sort of physical condition (severe mental retardation, e.g.) that prevents them from functioning in a marital relationship. A second are those who because of something done to them, never marry, and the third group are those who forgo marrying in order to devote themselves fully to God.
The vast majority of single people in churches today fall into the second class. They are unmarried because of something done to them, whether by others or by themselves. The key here is that these people often do not want to be where they are. The Church, I'm afraid, has not handled this group very well. They too often try to treat them as if they belonged in the first or third classes, instead. Some unintentionally treat those who are single as if there is something wrong with them, and shuffle them off into singles' groups, where their "needs" can be addressed. The thinking seems to be a sort of "put the mutants all at table 9" attitude. This sort of approach does nothing to help a person with the gift of singleness learn to treat singleness as a gift. Instead, it simply devalues the person by telling him, "You're anathema because you're not married. Get away from us, you freak!" The result is a feeling of being worthless not only in the eyes of others but also in the eyes of God.
At the same time, other people try to treat everyone who is single as if they are single because they are on some sort of "mission from God." The most frequent refrain of these people is "just remember that Jesus was single and that Paul was single." This attempted encouragement, while well-meaning, tells the single person that his singleness is God's way of making the single person more spiritual. It ignores, however, that Paul and Jesus both chose singleness "for the kingdom of God." Most people who are single, however, did not choose their state. It was forced upon them in some way, meaning that they don't want to be in the condition that they are in. Thus, when someone tells a single person that his singleness makes him more spiritual because he is like Paul or Jesus, the single person invariably feels inferior because he isn't super-spiritual the way people say they should be. The end result of this sort of counsel is a feeling of inferiority.
I've talked a little about how not to treat those who are in the second classification of those who have the gift of singleness. I want to take a moment, as one who may well be a part of the second group (even though I pray daily that I am not), to suggest some ways that the Church might better handle those who are single. First, remember that they are human beings just like anyone else. They are no more broken than any married person, and need friendships with others who share their interests, not just their marital status. Second, remember that just because a person is single, do not automatically assume that he doesn't understand the time pressures that families face. Single people face time pressures far worse than any family because if a chore has to be done, the only person to do it is the single person. Third, be careful how marriage is held up in services and teaching. Discuss it, treat it with honor, and use it sometimes as an analogy, but don't refer to it constantly. Constantly talking about marriage will only accentuate the pain a single person feels and make them feel inferior. Lastly, while singles-only small groups are great, all single people to be part of small groups with married people if their natural inclinations so lead. This will allow the single person to feel less isolated from the rest of the Body of Christ.
Again, these ideas are my first attempt to delve into this issue in a logical fashion. I'm sure that they overstate (or understate) certain aspects. I welcome any thoughts or corrections. And I hope and pray daily that God, in His mercy, will see fit to bring into my life a woman of God with whom I can happily share many years of worshiping and enjoying Him and the life He has given us. Yet, I also know that at my age and in my circumstances, I may well be one of those who has "the gift that everyone speaks so highly of." If I do indeed have this gift, then it's getting to the point where I need to stare the facts square in the face and begin to try to be a member of class three: those who renounce marriage for the glory of God.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Soccer and Cool Weather
I just got home from refereeing 2 soccer games at Hummer Park. With the cool weather setting in, I was definitely cold by the time I got done with game #2. I'm glad that soccer season is starting to wind down. I'm ready for a break.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Weird Writer's Block
I'm suffering from an odd form of writer's block: I have about 5 half-formed ideas and nothing yet worthy of posting. So, here's a picture of a beautiful sunset. Maybe my thoughts will get reset by Wednesday.
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Post-Debate Thoughts
Some random thoughts after watching the debates last night:
Senator Obama's claim that most small business make less than $250,000 is a bit of a stretch to my mind. Yes, there are a few business that don't have a gross income of over $250,000, but I'd be surprised if 95% of small business gross less than $250,000. As far as profits go, of course, most small business have a net profit far less than $250,000.
Senator McCain just looks old.
Senator Obama is all about style. Whenever he talks, I feel like he's speaking a lie but is doing it eloquently so that he hopes no one will notice.
Senator Obama's "Oh, yeah, me, too" moment on Russia was pretty amusing. After Senator McCain had said what he thought we ought to do about Russia's aggression in Georgia, Obama's first statement was that he agreed with McCain. I wonder what Obama would have said if he went first...
At the end of the debate, Tom Brokaw had an embarrassing moment. When he couldn't see the teleprompter, he didn't know how to end the debate and had to ask the candidates to move by saying, "You guys are blocking my script." It played to every stereotype of news anchors as being incapable of thought because all they do is read off teleprompters. I'm sure that Mr. Brokaw is not that dense, but it was amusing.
And the most sickening part was the post-debate analysis by one columnist from the New York Times. He said that he thought Obama won. When pressed as to why, he gave an answer that was so fawning, I will paraphrase it this way: "Obama's so smooth, so personable, and so likeable, that if I were a woman and he weren't married, I'd want to marry him." It sickens me how much the media seem to obsess over Obama. Listening to the media talk about Obama is a bit like listening to a bunch of groupies at a rock concert.
This election, more than any other, has served to increase my cynicism for the entire political process and for any hope for this country. Like a lot of voters, I really would like a legitimate third option, one that isn't so old he looks like he'll die 2 years into office and one that also doesn't come across as so arrogant that you have to wonder if he's running for President because he loves his country or because he's enjoying the ego boost. Sigh. Oh, well. It's what we've got. It's a good thing that in the end, it is God who is ultimately in control of it all.
Senator Obama's claim that most small business make less than $250,000 is a bit of a stretch to my mind. Yes, there are a few business that don't have a gross income of over $250,000, but I'd be surprised if 95% of small business gross less than $250,000. As far as profits go, of course, most small business have a net profit far less than $250,000.
Senator McCain just looks old.
Senator Obama is all about style. Whenever he talks, I feel like he's speaking a lie but is doing it eloquently so that he hopes no one will notice.
Senator Obama's "Oh, yeah, me, too" moment on Russia was pretty amusing. After Senator McCain had said what he thought we ought to do about Russia's aggression in Georgia, Obama's first statement was that he agreed with McCain. I wonder what Obama would have said if he went first...
At the end of the debate, Tom Brokaw had an embarrassing moment. When he couldn't see the teleprompter, he didn't know how to end the debate and had to ask the candidates to move by saying, "You guys are blocking my script." It played to every stereotype of news anchors as being incapable of thought because all they do is read off teleprompters. I'm sure that Mr. Brokaw is not that dense, but it was amusing.
And the most sickening part was the post-debate analysis by one columnist from the New York Times. He said that he thought Obama won. When pressed as to why, he gave an answer that was so fawning, I will paraphrase it this way: "Obama's so smooth, so personable, and so likeable, that if I were a woman and he weren't married, I'd want to marry him." It sickens me how much the media seem to obsess over Obama. Listening to the media talk about Obama is a bit like listening to a bunch of groupies at a rock concert.
This election, more than any other, has served to increase my cynicism for the entire political process and for any hope for this country. Like a lot of voters, I really would like a legitimate third option, one that isn't so old he looks like he'll die 2 years into office and one that also doesn't come across as so arrogant that you have to wonder if he's running for President because he loves his country or because he's enjoying the ego boost. Sigh. Oh, well. It's what we've got. It's a good thing that in the end, it is God who is ultimately in control of it all.
Sunday, October 05, 2008
More Twists
The twists and turns that make up this year keep coming, both good and bad. This year has been full of more unexpected occurrences than I have ever encountered in one year. From misplaced computer files to leaky water heaters, from unusual soccer senior nights to the unstable economy, and from unexpected affirmations and encouragements from parents at the school to the rare moments of unplanned time off, this year has been full of challenges and blessings that I never could have predicted. In the midst of all of this uncertainty, the hardest part is staying focused on allowing God to be the Lord of my circumstances, trusting Him to work out the details that I am powerless to affect. If I can find a way, by His grace, to rest in Him more and enjoy the ride, this year, like a roller coaster, promises to be an exciting and enjoyable year. Now, the challenge becomes enjoying the "roller coaster."
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Good Expectations
Last time, I wrote about expectations and how they can detrimentally affect our perception of reality. Expectations do not always, however, serve such a negative purpose. Indeed, without expectations, we easily sink into apathy and failure (like '90s grunge rockers). Expectations serve the legitimate purpose of motivating us (or someone else) to achieve more than we would otherwise accomplish.
Consider the case of a soccer team. If a coach sets low expectations for his team, the end result will be a team that accomplishes little. If, however, the coach sets high (yet realistic) expectations for his team, the team will perform well. Likewise, in our own lives, if we expect nothing from ourselves, nothing is precisely what we will get. If, however, we expect ourselves to live to a certain standard, we will try to live up to that standard. (Obviously, some of us set the standard too high, but that's another story.) Therefore, expectations function as a driving force, urging us onward to become something more than we otherwise would become.
As a side note, just as unmet expectations are a source of anger and conflict in relationships, so exceeded expectations are a source of joy and wonder. To eliminate expectations in order to avoid the anger of unmet expectations means that we often would have to live without the joy of exceeded expectations. While I know first-hand the pain of unmet expectations, I also know that I would not trade the joy of having people around me surpass my expectations.
Consider the case of a soccer team. If a coach sets low expectations for his team, the end result will be a team that accomplishes little. If, however, the coach sets high (yet realistic) expectations for his team, the team will perform well. Likewise, in our own lives, if we expect nothing from ourselves, nothing is precisely what we will get. If, however, we expect ourselves to live to a certain standard, we will try to live up to that standard. (Obviously, some of us set the standard too high, but that's another story.) Therefore, expectations function as a driving force, urging us onward to become something more than we otherwise would become.
As a side note, just as unmet expectations are a source of anger and conflict in relationships, so exceeded expectations are a source of joy and wonder. To eliminate expectations in order to avoid the anger of unmet expectations means that we often would have to live without the joy of exceeded expectations. While I know first-hand the pain of unmet expectations, I also know that I would not trade the joy of having people around me surpass my expectations.
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