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Baptist Theology: A Critical Look
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Baptist Theology: A Critical Look
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| God, Please Don't Let Me Become A Damned Yankee |
| 03.31.05 (6:16 am) [edit] |
I have a friend who is a damned Yankee. (The difference between a Yankee and a damned Yankee is that the damned Yankee comes south and stays). He often complains to me about how much time is wasted in the south with having to greet everyone and acknowledge they exist. Once, we were talking to a student and the conversation took a turn that my friend wasn’t interested in. He promptly told the student “You know, I’m really not interested in talking about this. I’m going to leave now.” He said this right in the middle of the student’s conversation. I thought this was terribly rude.
Last night I went with my wife to buy glasses for her. The ladies at the eyewear place were extremely talkative. My wife was having to get bifocals for the first time so one of the ladies told as a long story (well, it seemed long to me) about her father and how he knew when he was old. It was a cute story and the lady smiled as she spoke and really got into the story. I was trying to be polite and smile while she talked, but I really wished my damned Yankee friend would have been there to shut down the conversation so we could have ordered the glasses and gotten the hell out of there. I had to pick up my daughter and the “extra” conversation was making me late. In fact, I had to leave my wife there and leave to pick up my daughter. Guess what? My daughter wasn’t ready to leave when I got there! So. I had to wait on her and then make the 15 minute trip back to get my wife at the eyeglass place. I was ticked. Not kick the dog when I get home ticked, but I was bothered.
As I thought about this incident this morning I wondered why the woman took the time to tell that long-*ss story. Did she just enjoy the exchange between my wife and I? Did she think it would make my wife feel better about having to get bifocals? Was she just trying to bring a little joy into her boring day? I really don’t know. But having read http://conyerscraft.tblog.com... this blog over the last several weeks I have become aware that I have become too much like my damned Yankee friend and have failed to enjoy my life and see the work of God around me. Of course, if I were a monk with no familial responsibilities, I’d have time to reflect more too! Ok, bad excuse.':D'
Disclaimer: I did recently go on a trip with my damned Yankee friend. We spent about 18 hours in my van. It went better than last year’s trip. I didn’t hate him when we got home this time! Anyway, he made us stop and eat at locally owned non-fast food type restaurants. He hates big businesses, especially Walmart and large corporations. I must say that we enjoyed ourselves more. I took my wife and kids on a Vacation last week and we did the same thing. It’s surprising how much more fun it was to stop at these mom and pop type places. The waitresses were usually very friendly and we had time to make fun of each other and enjoy each others company. My kids even learned how to shoot each other with the wrappers from their straws at the prompting of one waitress! How did they not know how to do that?
****Note to self-try to enjoy those around me more. Life will be much more fulfilling.':lol:'
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| Seeing God's Yes |
| 03.18.05 (4:44 am) [edit] |
Much of what passes for Christianity repulses me. James 1:27-“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” How can Christians not be outraged by Bush’s attempt to cut Medicaid by $40? http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7... Isn't Medicaid a way of taking care of "the least of these"?
The problem with so much hypocrisy is that it distracts me from authentic Christianity. I feel that I’ve been so absorbed by critiquing others that I’ve failed to see the grace of God that surrounds me. My non-Christian friend seems to be more aware of the important issues in life than me. http://b.rox.com/archives/200... Read the whole entry. It's really very interesting.
Theologian Sally McFague speaks of God's Yes and God's No. Wherever there is love and grace--God's Yes is present. Whenever there is pain and oppression--God's No is present. I think I've been focusing on God's "No" too much and it's really weighed me down. Observing God's No and failing to witness God's Yes is unacceptable.
When I used to go to the chemotherapy room at the hospital I witnessed a lot of God's No. But as I saw the nurses' care and the patients' conversations and words of encouragement, I saw God's Yes. I guess that's why going there wasn't totally awfull.
Thanks to a trappist monk from Georgia http://conyerscraft.tblog.com... whose writings have inspired me to open my eyes to the presence of God’s grace, I experienced God’s love in a powerful way this morning. As I dropped my daughter off at the bus stop this morning I asked for a kiss. She blew me a kiss as she exited the car. Then she stopped, smiled the most beautiful smile, leaned in and gave me a wonderful kiss on the cheek. As she left, she turned and said, “I love you daddy!” and I saw the face of God.
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| Early Christian Communism |
| 03.01.05 (10:29 am) [edit] |
Acts 2:44-47 44All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
As you can see from the above text, early Christians believed in sharing their goods and lived more like communists than capitalists. Unfortunately, American Christians have capitulated to the rampant consumerism in our capitalistic society. Maybe that's why the church has lost its power?
Throughout the history of the church, Christians have seen the lifestyle of the church outlined in Acts as the ideal. I heard an incredible sermon this past Sunday about stewardship and giving. I intend to seek ways to be more giving and less selfish in the future.
Aquinas-If you possess superfluities while your brethren lack necessities, you are possessing the goods of others and are therefore stealing.
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