Brandon's Blog

Two years later...

2009-05-17T22:21:00.002-04:00

and I thought it was time for another post. I quite positive that no one will now read this blog! That's quite alright with me. If I post much in the next days, I think I will write about my understanding of the Sabbath and why Christians are called to observe it. Anyway, I'm on now only to post some verses of Scripture that I found particularly meaningful. They're from Ecclesiastes and talk about the certain judgment of God on wickedness, even if that judgment is slow in coming.

Ecclesiastes 8:11-13, KJV

11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. 12 Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him: 13 But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.

"I will choose freewill!"

2007-03-16T13:48:00.000-04:00

Anyone who listens to '70s rock will immediately know that I'm quoting Neil Peart's classic song "Freewill", sung by Geddy Lee in his inimitable nasal wail. If you have stopped headbanging to that song and ever listened to the lyrics, you would realize that it's a song that decries those who believe in predestination and not in the freewill of man. (Yeah, Rush is one of those bands that rarely ever sings of having sex with many anonymous women.) Their lyrics are intellectual, as Peart, the main songwriter, is one. His biggest influence is Ayn Rand. Rand was a hard-core believer in the power of human freewill, besides promoting Objectivism, which is essentially capitalism extended to all aspects of one's life.

I, on the other hand, am Reformed, and so hold to the Scripture's testament to freewill. The Westminster Confession says it like this: "God from all eternity, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely, and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass". No matter what you think of Westminster divines, you have to give it to them that they pull no punches. Their beliefs are on the table right before you. They clearly state here and in other parts of the Confession that God has written the story already and what he has ordained will happen.

The thing that is interesting for me, though, is that while I certainly believe this, the doctrine of predestination is one that I cannot experience presently. I can truly see the hand of God working to bring out His will in my life in retrospect. Yet, as I live from day to day, I rarely feel that I experience the blessing of predestination. I normally feel like I'm living in a world determined by freewill.

Interesting? What do you think?

Well, I finally did it

2007-02-18T23:19:00.000-05:00

About one half-hour ago, I finally did that which I never thought I would do: I read the history of the One Ring being cast into the Crack of Mount Doom, thus ending the War of the Ring and the reign of Sauron. I have been trying to read the Lord of the Rings off and on for eleven years. I have now seen the Ring destroyed, and soon I shall finish the book. This is a very happy moment for me, indeed.

Driving at an insanely early hour

2007-01-15T18:54:00.000-05:00

This is a picture of yours truly, imbibing some coffee on the way from Bloomington to Pittsburgh to celebrate Thanksgiving with the in-laws. I had gotten Lauren up at 5:45 AM so we could make the most of our vacation. (In case you didn't know, that's a major feat. Her dad actually commended me on my ability to get her out of the bed that early!) At any rate, we stopped in Columbus, IN to get some breakfast, and Lauren took this picture as we traversed eastward. I had the same expression on my face until Columbus, OH. I was quite tired.

Christmas 2006, picture two

2007-01-15T18:50:00.000-05:00

Uncle Brandon (sans hat for some reason) and the niece and nephews (see previous post for names and ages)

Christmas 2006

2007-01-15T18:47:00.000-05:00

Auntie Lauren with Nolan (age 4), Evan (age 1 1/2), and Alli (age 11).

The optimistic reformer, according to Mr. G.K. Chesterton

2007-01-04T01:39:00.000-05:00

Mark these words, from my patron saint, Mr. G.K. Chesterton:

"Nor is the real reason of the triumph of the too-contented reformer particularly difficult to define. He triumphs because he keeps alive in the human soul an invincible sense of the thing being worth doing, of the war being worth winning, of the people being worth their deliverance. I remember that Mr. William Archer, some time ago, published in one of his interesting series of interviews, an interview with Mr. Thomas Hardy. That powerful writer was represented as saying, in the course of the conversation, that he did not wish at the particular moment to define his opinion with regard to the ultimate problem of whether life itself was worth living. There are, he said, hundreds of remediable evils in this world. When we have remedied all these (such was his argument), it will be time enough to ask whether existence itself under its best possible conditions is valuable or desirable. Here we have presented, with a considerable element of what can only be called unconscious humour, the plain reason of the failure of the pessimist as a reformer. Mr. Hardy is asking us, I will not say to buy a pig in a poke; he is asking us to buy a poke on the remote chance of there being a pig in it. When we have for some few frantic centuries tortured ourselves to save mankind, it will then be "time enough" to discuss whether they can possibly be saved. When, in the case of infant mortality, for example, we have exhausted ourselves with the earthshaking efforts required to save the life of every individual baby, it will then be time enough to consider whether every individual baby would not have been happier dead. We are to remove mountains and bring the millennium, because then we can have a quiet moment to discuss whether the millennium is at all desirable. Here we have the low-water mark of the impotence of the sad reformer. And here we have the reason of the paradoxical triumph of the happy one. His triumph is a religious triumph; it rests upon his perpetual assertion of the value of the human soul and of human daily life. It rests upon his assertion that human life is enjoyable because it is human. And he will never admit, like so many compassionate pessimists, that human life ever ceases to be human. He does not merely pity the lowness of men; he feels an insult to their elevation. Brute pity should be given only to brutes. Cruelty to animals is cruelty and a vile thing; but cruelty to a man is not cruelty, it is treason. Tyranny over a man is not tyranny, it is rebellion, for man is royal. Now, the practical weakness of the vast mass of modern pity for the poor and the oppressed is precisely that it is merely pity; the pity is pitiful, but not respectful. Men feel that the cruelty to the poor is a kind of cruelty to animals. They never feel that it is justice to equals; nay, it is treachery to comrades. This dark scientific pity, this brutal pity, has an elemental sincerity of its own; but it is entirely useless for all ends of social reform. Democracy swept Europe with the sabre when it was founded upon the Rights of Man. It has done literally nothing at all since it has been founded only upon the wrongs of man. Or, more strictly speaking, its recent failure has been due to its not admitting the existence of any rights, or wrongs, or indeed of any humanity. Evolution (the sinister enemy of revolution) does not especially deny the existence of God; what it does deny is the existence of man. And all the despair about the poor, and the cold and repugnant pity for them, has been largely due to the vague sense that they have literally relapsed into the state of the lower animals."

From "Charles Dickens", Chapter 11

As long as men live who write and believe like this, there is yet hope for humanity in Christ.

The wonder of coffee!

2006-12-29T12:33:00.000-05:00

I'm at my in-law's until Sunday afternoon. This means that every morning that I get up I am obliged to have a large cup of espresso. Yes, espresso with hot chocolate mixed in, a large dollop of whipped cream, and caramel topping on top of it all. It's all quite glorious. One of the best parts is smelling the rapture in the kitchen while the espresso is being made.

I truly think that coffee is one of the greatest things that God has created, and I fervently hope that coffee will be served with dessert at the Supper of the Lamb. You may wonder why I think that coffee is one of the best things we have here on earth, and I would like to enumerate why I love coffee so.

(n.b. When I say coffee, I mean coffee that has just been ground. Freeze-dried coffee is alright if you are on a budget (like me), but it can never beat the real thing.)

1. Coffee is usually served hot. It warms us up when we are cold and makes us sweat when it's hot out. Its warmth causes us to reflect on the warmth of fraternal and familial love.

2. Coffee is bitter. It helps to cut the sweetness of dessert. It adds spice to bacon and eggs. It reminds us that life can be bitter, but still good.

3. Coffee takes well to condiments. You can add sugar. You can add cream. You can add chocolate. You can add whiskey... Even if it is bitter, it can still be sweetened. It can become more than it is, if you want it to be. Just like life, bitterness can become sweetness with the flick of the wrist.

4. Coffee can be made in mass quantities. You hear the knock at the door. Friends are behind it. In your rush, you wonder what you can offer to them to extend a token of fellowship. You need not worry. A little coffee can go a long way. A poor man can sit with his friends with a cup of friendship.

5. Coffee is strong. Good coffee that is. It puts hair on your chest.* It reminds us of the strength of the God who created coffee.

6. Coffee stimulates.** It wakes you up and helps you concentrate. It comes inside and causes you to work. Just like the grace of God in a sinner.

So, there you have it. My list of why I think coffee is one of the greatest things ever created. You can honor the God who made it by having a cup today or tomorrow. Drink it for his glory!

*When I was younger, I actually thought that coffee put hair on your chest. This lead to me drinking a lot of coffee. Thankfully that saying is only a figure of speech. Otherwise I'd look like George "the Animal" Steele.
** Coffee actually stimulates my body too much. I once drank five or six cups one morning and by eight o'clock that evening I took myself to the ER with a heartrate of 120 beats/minute. I thought I was having a heart attack. Even now too much caffeine will cause me to have heart palpitations and cause me to become angry. Seriously. Some people are angry drunks. I'm an angry caffeine imbiber.

Christmas Loot

2006-12-27T23:52:00.000-05:00

I had a very wonderful Christmas with Lauren and my parents and family this year. The haul this Christmas was a great one. I indulged my country music fetish with four C&W titles: The Essential George Jones, Hank Williams: Hillbilly Hero (a four disc set), Johnny Cash at San Quentin, and Van Morrison: Pay the Devil (a great covers album). My in-laws got me a very nice jacket, a welcome addition to my (small) wardrobe. My parents also showered me with some nice clothes and a Kohl's gift card. Perhaps the most unexpected thing that I received was from my brother: a $5 bill from the Confederate States of America, printed in 1864. The tastiest gift that I got this Christmas was from Dr. S. Trager: two cases of great beer.

It was a great Christmas. I got many things I needed and some things I've wanted to have for a long while. However, the best part of Christmas is worshiping the triune God who, in His everlasting mercy, power, justice, and wisdom, brought about our salvation through His Incarnation in the manger of Bethlehem.

I was going to write a long post on something else...

2006-12-15T00:42:00.000-05:00

But I thought a good quote from Chesterton would be just as good.

"These are the days when the Christian is expected to praise every creed except his own."

And he wrote those words in 1928!

I'm done with my classes and in-school observation. I have three weeks until I start my student teaching. One more week of work at CBH. After that, it's two weeks of pure, unadulterated freedom. I won't know what to do with myself.

(Thanks to Chesterton.org for the quote.)

Thanksgiving 2006

2006-11-23T23:13:00.000-05:00

Here are some things that I am thankful for this year:

1. God has graciously gotten me and all my family through this year.
2. My mother is much healthier than last year.
3. My mother-in-law is recovering well from her eye surgery.
4. My wife and I are doing well in school.
5. My wife and I have not suffered one moment of want.
6. My wife and I are both continuing to walk in the Christian faith.
7. Varuni Edirisinghe confessed faith in Jesus Christ and was baptized into our most holy religion.
8. My wife loves me so much that she's lived with me for a year and three months!
9. The Steelers won the Super Bowl!
10. Yuengling beer.
11. My wife got a scholarship for the Music School.
12. I started listening to George Jones.
13. My Spanish is improving.
14. My wife and I became great friends with the Tragers.
15. I was able to read every Calvin and Hobbes comic strip ever written.
16. My righteousness is still found in Jesus Christ.
17. Josephine Grace Moxey, Thomas Jackson Nugent, Julia Louise Hogue, and Micah Rong-En Gelok were born, all four of them healthy and beautiful.
18. I got to see my good friend Charles Cutrera after four years.
19. Ryan Schnitzer got to come out to Indiana for a while.
20. CGS is actually moving land on its property.

Thanksgiving was very good here in Pittsburgh. I watched football, spent time with Lauren, ate great food with the family, and drank some Yuengling! We're going to attend a Pittsburgh Panthers basketball game tomorrow night. It's going to be fun. At least I'm not at work!

PSALM 111 (NASB)

Praise the LORD!
I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart,
In the company of the upright and in the assembly.

Great are the works of the LORD;
They are studied by all who delight in them.

Splendid and majestic is His work,
And His righteousness endures forever.

He has made His wonders to be remembered;
The LORD is gracious and compassionate.

He has given food to those who fear Him;
He will remember His covenant forever.

He has made known to His people the power of His works,
In giving them the heritage of the nations.

The works of His hands are truth and justice;
All His precepts are sure.

They are upheld forever and ever;
They are performed in truth and uprightness.

He has sent redemption to His people;
He has ordained His covenant forever;
Holy and awesome is His name.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
A good understanding have all those who do His commandments;
His praise endures forever.

On All Hallow's Eve

2006-10-31T21:28:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is All Saints' Day, when we celebrate that great cloud of witnesses of all those saints who have gone on before, especially those who died as witnesses of our Lord Jesus Christ. Tonight, however, while we contemplate all the nasty stuff of life at Halloween (including cats), let us remember that the point of Halloween is not to glorify the bad or make evil seem attractive. The point of tonight is to render praise and thanks to God who has conquered sin, death, and the devil through Jesus Christ and has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

A prayer for Hallowe'en:

Heavenly Father, we give you thanks and praise that in Jesus Christ death has lost its sting and that the grave no longer has the victory. As we live in this life, may we never fear the grave, knowing that in death we shall cross the threshold into true and everlasting life, where we shall worship Father, Son, and Holy Ghost for all eternity . In Jesus Christ's name. Amen.

A good preacher as described by Chaucer

2006-10-20T19:42:00.000-04:00

A good man was ther of religioun
And was a povre Persoun of a toun;
But riche he was of holy thoght and werk.
He was also a lerned man, a clerk,
That Cristes gospel trewely wolde preche;
His parisshens devoutly wolde he teche.
He wayted after no pompe and reverence,
Ne maked him a spyced conscience,
But Cristes lore, and his apostles twelve,
He taught, but first he folwed it himselve.

(Note the spelling. I think Chaucer had something going. Maybe we can go back to it. At any rate, that's a first rate description of a good pastor.)

A short prayer in honor of Bishop Ryle

2006-10-20T16:52:00.000-04:00

Our Father in Heaven,

We thank you for the example you have given us in Bishop Ryle.
May we be like him in our commitment to evangelical doctrine
And his zeal for lives lived in Christian holiness.
Help us, Lord, to also follow his example of one
Who was ever bold yet ever gracious.
Grant, Father, that we may worship alongside
Bishop Ryle in your Heavenly kingdom,
where you are forever worshiped in the company of angels and saints,
With Your Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

J.C. Ryle

2006-10-19T20:47:00.000-04:00

John Charles (J.C.) Ryle, 1816-1900

Here's a good little paper on the life and work of Bishop John Charles Ryle. I've read some of his work and always found it invigorating and helpful.

DID YOU EVER NOTICE...

2006-09-13T21:09:00.000-04:00

THAT DAVID TALCOTT NEVER POSTS ANYMORE??? :)

My momma's been praying for me

2006-06-20T22:16:00.000-04:00

On Saturday evening, Lauren and I came home from Pittsburgh. We had been on vacation for two weeks and were coming home a day early so that we could get the house in order before going back to the grind of work and school. Lauren was driving (she had asked to!), and we were heading west on I-74 towards Greensburg. There was only one lane open due to construction, though no one had slowed down. Suddenly, for no apparent reason, the cars in front of us stopped on the highway. (There were a few cars on our right where there was an opening in the cones for an exit, I believe, but neither Lauren nor I know if this was the cause for the stop.) At any rate, these cars suddenly stop on the highway, and Lauren has to slam on the brakes as hard as she can. The moment went by slowly. I can remember seeing how the headlights played off the lead car's bumper. We were rapidly slowing down, but would we stop in time? I thought we were certainly headed for a rear-end collision, one that would have certainly put our heads into the airbags. Thankfully, we stopped with but a foot or so to spare, the car jarring us back as the brakes took full hold.

Now, I can write all this and say, "Boy, I'm glad I had the brakes replaced a few weeks ago!" (I had and I did say so.) However, after we sped back up and when we got home safely, I led Lauren in a prayer of thanks to our God that He had sovereignly spared us from that collision. I have no doubt that those angels that are sent to be ministering spirits of our salvation protected us from injury and a dented hood.

God was sovereign over this incident and his foreordained plan was carried out. Yet, He not only ordained the end, he also ordained the means. And, for this, I thank God that both our parents and some good friends had prayed and were praying for our safety. Our Father which is Heaven was pleased to grant their request. Amen.

Van the Man!

2006-04-04T19:26:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I purchased my third Van Morrison album. Over the past eight months, I have come to love Van's music. The album I just bought, entitled "His band and the street choir", is amazing. Lots of muscular R&B as well as moody folk music. The only word that I can use to describe it is a word that I can't say. Oh well. It's good. Give Van a chance...there's a lot more to his music that "Brown Eyed Girl". (I'd say that's more of a throwaway track!)

It's been almost eight months...

2006-03-28T22:47:00.000-05:00

So I suppose I'll actually post something. My initial reason for posting was so that I had the newest post among some friends of mine who rarely post (CGS men bloggers rule!). Since I'm here, though, I might as well talk about something quasi-interesting.

A couple of minutes ago, I was reading articles online about the safety of flying in airplanes. If you know me, you know that I absolutely HATE flying. If given the choice between flying somewhere and driving, I'll pick driving, even if that means spending hours more on the road than I would in a plane. In fact, thinking about flying almost sets me into a panic attack. No, I'm not kidding; I hate flying that much.

I have no idea why I have such a profound fear of flying either. I have had no problems when I have been in the air. I have experienced turbulence, but it hardly moved the plane at all. I have flown all the way to Ecuador and spent several hours on an Ecuadorian airline with no problems. The worst thing that ever happened to me on an airplane was when a friend I was traveling with puked. Even then, he puked into his vomit-bag.

The odd thing is that when I was a youngster, I thought flying was great. My dad said he'd take me on an airplane ride (I was about five), thinking I'd back out when I was getting in the plane. I did no such thing. I enjoyed my ride thoroughly, my dad didn't... I was always telling dad that we should fly to Tennessee instead of driving (10 hours in a car is an eternity for a 7-year old.) We never did, and I wish we had. Maybe I would have more positive experiences of flying.

Even when I flew to South Carolina after my freshman year of college, I was apprehensive about flying, but I wasn't as fearful as I am now. It is only within the last two or three years that my fear of flying has increased dramatically. On my honeymoon, Lauren and I flew to North Carolina, and she can tell you how pleasant that was! I spent the entire trip back with my knuckles grasping the arm rests, frantically asking Lauren if we were okay whenever the plane moved a millimeter. I actually had a panic attack on the takeoff of that flight.

Now, I know that you (if anyone reads this post) will bombard me with all the facts about airline safety, how rigorous the standards are for US jets, how much training the pilots endure...don't bother. I know all that. Despite all the data, I am still afraid of flying.

The basic reason that I am afraid of flying is that I am afraid of death. That's it. End of story. Even though I am a Christian, and I know that upon my death, I will, by God's grace, enter into the pleasures of Christ's kingdom, I am filled with fear about death. I can read 1 Corinthians 15 thousands of times, and still, I am afraid of that chasm.

Even more so, I am afraid of Heaven. I am afraid of eternity. The concept of eternity has caused me more panic attacks than I care to think about, and the fact of eternity is compounded by the fact that I am alive, I will soon die, and I have no way to avoid eternity. Many times I have wished that God would have spared me this pain and not brought me into existence. (Don't worry - I do not mean I was thinking of killing myself! Just that I had never been born. Suicide would be quite counterintuitive in this case!)

So, I am left quite afraid and quite broken, asking God to help me not to be afraid. And I desperately do not want to be afraid. I've grown into man that is prideful, that lusts, that hates, but I've always known fear.

Thus, I pray that God will be for me my stronghold and my hiding place, and even though I am afraid, I pray that he will keep me despite myself. I pray that he will never let me go and that he will calm my soul so that I may swim in the sea of His incomparable eternity and rejoice in the Victor over death, Jesus Christ.

Love and Marriage?

2005-07-05T11:04:00.000-05:00

Y'know, it just occured to me on Friday whilst eating at Moe's Southwest Grill that Frank Sinatra's song "Love and Marriage" could be a smidge tongue in cheek. The guys' chorus in the background, lyrics like "it's an institution you can't disparage", etc. With all we know about Frank, I'd say my guess is right. What do you think?

He's a good guy alright...AHHH!

2005-05-20T19:02:00.000-05:00

Have you ever been talking with a friend and said, in reference to another friend, "Yeah, he's a good guy". For most of you out there, that comment goes in and out of the ear of the listener, giving him no reason for pause or surprise. If you live in my world though, that comment can get you a strange look or even a rebuke.

I'm a Reformed Christian. If you like it, I'm a TULIP Christian (a Calvinist). That "T" on the tulip means "Total depravity". That doctrine states that man has a complete inability to work his own way to God. Salvation cannot be attained by our hands; it is only the gift of God as He grants us faith and repentance, which inevitably cause us to walk down the not-so-primrose path of sanctification. The doctrine is very Biblical and even practical. Total depravity's emphasis on the sinfulness of our hearts and minds rings true of the Biblical text and our human experience.

Yet I feel that Reformed people take this doctrine so far that I cannot even say that someone is a good guy. Am I not allowed to use the parlance of our times to express that a fellow (Christian or not) is a decent human being? Is my language to be so couched in theological terms that if I want to express someone's generally good morals, I have to say "Yeah, he's a good guy, but he's not good enough to earn his salvation!"?

You might ask "How do you know that he's a good guy?" or "What makes a good guy?", and I'll respond: a good guy is a guy who is generally good. A moral fellow. A man of decency, even chivalry. Y'know, Jimmy Stewart in "It's A Wonderful Life". True, I know this man is getting hard to find in this day and age, and I know that even though he's moral, he's still a sinner. Yet, I'd very much like my colloquialism back. It's been hijacked by John Calvin's kids.

I'm Posting ?!?

2005-05-07T14:51:00.000-05:00

Well, after a two month hiatus, I'm going to post a bit today since I have some time to do so. Let me update on some things that have happened since my last post.

1. Lauren and I have only three months until we get married. I think it's going to be both the longest and shortest three months of our lives. I hope we can enjoy this summer before we get married. Bloomington summers are great.
We have are apartment leased, plane tickets booked, honeymoon planned and taken care of, so we don't have that much to worry about. Lauren is really good at getting things done and helping me remember to get things done. She is going to a great "help-meet"!

2. Lauren had her senior voice recital. She sang magnificently, even though she was coming down with a cold at the time. She performed pieces in Italian, French, German, Latin, and English. My favorite was "Balm in Gilead", although I have to say that some of the German and French pieces were in the running for my favorite. She has copies of her recital, so if you know her and want one, send her an email.

3. I passed my black belt test. I am now a black belt in Ji Do Kwon Tae Kwon Do. Ji Do Kwon is the school of TKD thought that my school adheres to. It was a hard test, but it was worth it. My club's website.

4. In some of the saddest news this year, I found out that my beloved Upland brewery is having personnel problems. If worse comes to worse, there may be no delicious Upland Wheat ale soon. What a travesty!

More blogging to come :)

Libertarians

2005-02-22T21:16:00.000-05:00

I'm reading material on the Libertarian party, and so far, I like what I see. The main selling points of the LP for me are:

Major reduction in government
Emphasis on personal responsibility
Open immigration
Anti-gun control
No welfare statism

Some of the LP's positions make me nervous, like those on censorship, but overall I think that the LP more accurately reflects the attitude and will of our Founding Fathers. That attitude can be summed up in this sentence: "If I am not hurting another, then leave me alone." That's a maxim that I can live with.

I've requested information, but I can tell you that the big sticking point for me joining is the $25 membership fee.

GREAT, MAGNIFICENT, WONDERFUL NEWS!

2005-01-10T17:16:00.000-05:00

Sorry I haven't been writing at all in the last couple of days, but I do have good reason! On Friday night, Lauren Michele Greer said that she would marry me. :)

I went to Pittsburgh on Friday (1-7) to visit Lauren and her family. I also planned on proposing to her on Saturday night after dinner. Then I was going to ask her while we were on top of Mount Washington, getting a panorama view of the city of her birth. But, I threw all that out and asked her Friday night while we were sitting in her living room. True, I was an impatient little devil, but it all went down in Brandon-style.

I am very excited as I begin this time in my life. My 'prometida' (I prefer the Spanish term instead of the French 'fiancee'-yes, I am against French :) is a wonderful girl. She is my age and is a voice major at IU. Her voice is beautiful, and she works very hard at singing well. Lauren is a stunningly beautiful young woman, with the beautiful brown hair that betrays her Italian heritage. She is intelligent, funny, and very caring. Children are a joy to Lauren, and she will be a wonderful mother. Most importantly, though, she loves Jesus Christ and the Holy Scriptures. She seeks to become more like Jesus every day, and she wants to live as God as commanded. Nor does she abandon the church local. Lauren regularly gives her energy to singing in the choir.

Somehow, this woman loves me. All praise be to God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost! I am overjoyed that, be it God's will, we will be man and wife in several months. God's mercy and love in providing a man a prospective wife is very great!

I also gain a bigger family. Already I feel a part of her family, and I can't wait until I can become a permanent member of the Greer family. Larry, Mommy (her name is Michele, but I've decided to call her what her daughter does), and Michael are wonderful people and brothers in Christ as well.

So, thank the Lord with me and pray that the engagement goes well.

The Golden Rule's Problem

2005-01-06T17:58:00.000-05:00

I wanted to respond to a comment from my last post. The pertinent part of the comment follows:

"What would happen if you remove the religious connotations and incentives, and did "good works" and "right actions" simply because they are the right things to be done.

Then, if you do a "wrong thing" you should appeal first to those wronged for forgiveness, before forgiving yourself.

It happens too that if someone should "wrong" you, then you should be forgiving in your turn.

But that sounds too much like religious teaching. No?

Now, in those terms how does one define "right" and "wrong"? Again very simple -

If an act is one that I would consider a "wrong" when it is done to me, then it must be "wrong" when inflicted upon any other person.

If an act is one that I would consider "right" when it is done to me, then it must be "right" when done to another person.

Are there shades of grey and "excuses"? Not, I think, if one is honest with oneself. "

The first line is the most interesting. To be truthful, men do not do something simply because it is the right thing to do. Always in the heart of man there resides evil. Jeremiah 17:9 states,
"The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately sick;
who can understand it?" In other words, I can be sure that in most every decision a man makes from day to day, sin will be involved. That's because men are sinners. I mean that most mathematically. Man=sinner.

So, when you take away true goodness from men's hearts (as happened in the fall), the rest of my commentator's comments fall away. I won't forgive. I won't ask for forgiveness. I will not abide by my own moral code of the golden rule. I won't. Read world history to see this.

Moreover, to make that which is good "that which I would like done to me" and that which is bad "that which I would not like done to me" is completely hopeless outside Christ. Christ gave that command to the faithful, those who have the Holy Spirit of God within them, and they have a hard enough time doing it! To make good and bad so relativistic is dangerous.

You, Me & the Real Presence

2005-01-04T16:44:00.000-05:00

My next couple of posts are bound to get me in trouble, but I'm blogging anyway...

Even though I am in a Reformed church, I must confess that Lutheran theology attracts me like a moth to the flame. First off, Martin Luther is a personal hero of mine. Second, the whole emphasis of Lutheran theology is on God, not us. God in the Word, in Baptism, in our vocations, and specific to this post, in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper.

The Lutheran doctrine of the Real Presence is quite misunderstood. I do not know why this is so because their catechism is quite clear.
Q.287 What does Christ give us in this sacrament?
A. "In this sacrament Christ gives us His own true body and blood for the forgiveness of sins."
Matt. 26:26,28 "This is My body.... This is My blood."
So, Christ's body and blood are really in the Sacrament, or as Luther famously put it, "in, with, and under the bread and the wine".

Now, I am not here to debate whether or not this doctrine is correct, and I am most certainly not saying I hold to it. But, let me explain why I think this doctrine makes a lot of sense to me.

At church on Sunday, we had a lesson in Sunday school on the unforgiving servant (Matt. 18:23-35). The main focus of the lesson was that we were the ones who have been forgiven much. Our debt of "ten thousand talents", which we all have, has been erased completely. Gone! Our sin is taken away in Jesus' cross. This idea, then, should lead us to be forgiving to others as God would have us do. It is exactly at this point that the Real Presence seems attractive.

I have felt for a while that all the talk that evangelicals give about the seroiusness of our sins is all theoretical and abstract. The idea of our sins forgiven seems even more abstract to me. I know I am forgiven, but all this knowledge is in my brain. But when we start talking about the Real Presence, of Christ's body and blood in the Lord's Supper, then our sense of how bad sin is and how wonderful forgiveness is grow exponentially.

Think with me in an "inner monologue" of sorts...

"You are a sinner! You have lied, cheated, stolen, committed adultery, dishonored your parents and worshipped false idols. You constantly make a mockery of Christ and His gospel. Yet, worry not! For Christ is here, here in the bread and the wine, the common meal of Christians. He calls you to repent and then he tells you that your sins are forgiven. He is here. Really. He is here. You are really a sinner but you are really forgiven. See, He died for you, and even though you sin, He still loves you and calls you to a more fervent love of God and your neighbors. As Christ has done for you, go and do likewise."

The doctrine of the Real Presence really seems to give life to our sinner-ness and God's forgiveness. It adds so much, and I wonder, "Am I missing this?" For, there is nothing better to here at the end of a service, having known all your sins and known God's forgiveness and tasted the goodness of God, to hear from God, through the minister, "Go in peace."

God's forgiveness is then no longer abstract, but real, and I am again spurred on to good works by this forgiveness.

What are your thoughts?

Homosexuals & The Church

2004-12-16T18:30:00.000-05:00

Last week I heard Bishop Gene Robinson on NPR. I just finished watching a program on PBS which featured a "black, gay, and Christian" man. I found some interesting similarities that I'd like to share with the blogging public.

1. Homosexual Christians focus on their spirituality. Robinson mentioned how the bishops who ordained him were Christians of a deep prayer life. The man on the television (Herndon Davis) said that he came to embrace his homosexuality by way of communicating with God (prayer).
This is a smart move on the part of homosexuals. The man who argues with another who claims to be really spiritual can be made to look like a real jerk.
Yet, what credence does "deep spirituality" make for a position that is wrong? It does not validate it. That is what those who would use their prayer life as a ticket to do wrong must realize.

2. The biblical texts that condemn homosexuality are "put in context" by homosexuals and made to say anything but what they actually say. So, the prohibition of men being with men found in Leviticus 18 is about men not treating men like men treat women when they have sex. "It all refers back to how the conquerers treated the conquered back in those days. The conquered were horribly raped, and that's not how God wants us to treat each other." Did you see that? That's the "Exegetical Gymnast" (TM) doing cartwheels around the text. If they claim that the Scriptures are inspired by God (and I have heard that sort of language), why would God put this kind of language in Scripture for His church to have and obey if He actually did not mean a word of it? We should always smell a rat when we see the "Exegetical Gymnast" (TM).

3. The homosexual community takes offense at being told that they need to change. As they see it, they are homosexual. That's just how they are. Yet, I don't think that they understand that everybody is being told to change by the Spirit's power. Pastors just don't get up and say, "All you ho-mo-sex-u-als need to stop having relations with men and start having relations with women". Pastors are called to bring us to repentance. My pastor is called to tell me to repent of my lust, my arrogance, my greed, my laziness, my covetousness...all my sins. He calls all of us to repent and believe in the Gospel. "But I'm born this way!" Okay! You're a sinner. Welcome aboard. We all are, and we are all on this journey. We beg God to be merciful because of Jesus' death and then we beg Him to help us change. It's not easy, but I personally know people who have repented of their homosexuality and strive to live a life pleasing to God. And I struggle with a lot of sins that are heinous. I'm called to renounce them and believe in Jesus. The playing field is level.

Don't get me wrong, reading public, I love homosexuals. I know them, and I find them to be just like everybody else. I don't want to lynch them, and I don't want to single them out. All I am asking is that the part of the church who says that "it's okay to be gay" would stop. Let God be the righteous Judge. Let God be the merciful Savior. That's the only hope that they have. They have no hope in trying to call that which is sin no sin. There only hope is in Jesus.

Thankful to who?

2004-11-24T13:57:00.000-05:00

A quick post: I am dumbstruck this year wondering who on earth non-Christians (and especially non-religious people) give thanks to on Thanksgiving. Without the Giver of all good gifts to be thankful to, it becomes a really meaningless holiday that is just about eating a lot and watching football. Oh wait...

How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb

2004-11-23T23:08:00.000-05:00

I bought U2's new CD today. The album is excellent. I love most of the songs and find the whole album to be enjoyable. I will need a few more listens to get a better grip on what Bono is saying, but the basic theme of the album is "Love". The title comes from a question that Bono asked Michael W. Smith. Bono asked, "How do you dismantle an atomic bomb?" Smith said he didn't know. Bono said, "Love. With love."

The whole album is about love. The love between father and son, of husband and wife, and of God and man dominates this album. In fact, this album has extremely strong Christian overtones. The last song is named "Yahweh", and yes, Bono is singing to God.

The music is wonderful and varied. The vocals good. Bono is ragged in some places, but perhaps that makes the album even better. The singer of these songs is discussing love, real love, not synthethic "Sex in the City" love. Love is ragged and sometimes hurts. But it's beautiful.

And that's this album. I give it 4.5 stars out of 5. Go buy it today.

Mosque Visit

2004-11-10T16:34:00.000-05:00

I visited a mosque a few days ago with a Muslim friend. Here are a few thoughts.

The mosque was plain but nice. Since everyone takes of their shoes at the entrance, it stays fairly tidy. No pictures but many writings from the koran on plates, plaques, etc.

The prayer service was short and quiet. No sermon. We ate dates beforehand. They are really good but you have to watch out for the seeds.

After prayer (I didn't pray with them), we ate. It was good food. The men and women are separated, so if you go to the mosque every day during Ramadan, you could have thirty days of "Guys Night Out".

The people were nice and from all walks of life. It was nice to meet friendly Muslims. They're not all out to get you, Mr. Average American, though I don't think that I impressed a couple of them when I told them I voted for Bush.

There were ways that the visit reminded me of church. One, kids were everywhere, running around and carousing. A couple of kids were sticking their rears in the other's face and laughing. (Oddly enough, the adults did nothing really. It seems to me that Muslims have a different approach to child-rearing.) Two, religion is learned young. Three boys came in at the end of the service. I saw them mouth the prayers and then bow. Of course, it was in a childish way. One boy seemed to smash his head on the ground each time. Quite humorous. Three, food is very important to the fellowship. What Christian can disagree with that?

Overall, it was an interesting experience. I was glad to see a faith in action, done peacefully. All the Muslims I have met here have been nice people. The media gives us too much of the terrorist side! Most, I'd say, are normal people trying to get through life in the best manner possible. Still, Islam is without Christ, the glue that binds Christianity together, the center of truly spiritual worship. And for that, it must be rejected.

Enjoy the violence

2004-11-10T16:32:00.000-05:00

[I wrote this piece for my church newsletter. Hope you like it. ~ BP]

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handiwork.”
Psalm 19:1, AV

G.K. Chesterton taught me to love violence. God’s violence. That fat, joy-filled British author taught me to glory in the violence of God in creation.

Concerning the Creation he writes that “there was something personal in the world, as in a piece of art; whatever it meant it meant violently”[1]. What Chesterton means here in context is that when God created the world, He created something magnificent and beautiful, even magical. God meant to create something, and He meant it violently. Our Father went about creating with the energy of a child.

Think of the leaves on the trees. In summer, they are splendidly green, the same color as Robin Hood’s hat! In the fall, they are red, orange, and yellow. They are bold, brash, glorious colors that stand out and scream of God’s glory. God could have made leaves ashen-colored, but He made them like fire. In fall, our trees burn, but they are not consumed!

Think of the trees themselves. How queer are they! Out of the ground come these monolithic creations that tower over us. They are blades that come out of the ground, pointing to their Creator, yet these blades dance for Him in the wind.

Again, think of pumpkins. They are big, fat, and jolly. They are exuberant: they wear orange! Pumpkins are so joyous that we feel the need to give them smiles. They’re so happy that even their seeds taste good. So, when you go outside the next few weeks, look around and praise God for giving us a violent, peculiarly wonderful creation! Revel in it. Do so while raking those leaves of fire! And afterwards, snack on some pumpkins seeds with friends.
[1] Chesterton, G.K., Orthodoxy. (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1995), p. 70.

Abstinence Education Has Failed!?!

2004-09-29T16:28:00.000-05:00

NPR reported today that abstinence education is not keeping teens from engaging in "risky business". Sexual behavior has reportedly grown in the last several years, and it doesn't surprise me. The major emphasis of sex ed. in school, according to my memory, is completely selfish and materialistic. "Do you want a baby?" and "You could get AIDS!" are the big scare tactics used in sex ed. classes. These things are really self-centered, I think, and they don't get down to a deeper problem with pre-marital sex: it's dishonoring to God, your family, and your future spouse. Perhaps a less egocentric view to purity would lead to better morality among teens, but since God has been forsaken in the public school system, it's unlikely that we'll find out. Oh, but I can talk to my own children about sex? Okay. I'll do that and not let Mr. Kinsey pervert them.

La Boheme

2004-09-29T16:20:00.000-05:00

A blogger asked me to report on seeing "La Boheme", and so I will. To tell you the truth, I didn't like it that much especially since I saw another of Giacomo Puccini's masterpieces, Tosca, during the summer. La Boheme's story is flat and not that surprising. I didn't find the music particularly thrilling either.

Basically, Rodolfo and Mimi, both bohemians in Paris, fall in love after five minutes of conversation. They have a rocky relationship, and then, someone dies! That's not for me. There was no meat. There was no jumping off parapets or bassist/assassins to liven up the show.

Perhaps the slight nature of the plot is reflective of the bohemian lifestyle, ie, no direction or meaning. That could be. Or, the story might just suck. I think that's better.

So, overall, go see a more thrilling opera, like Rigoletto or Tosca. You definitely get your money's worth with those shows. Skip La Boheme and go bowling or something.

Tired

2004-09-25T01:38:00.000-05:00

I definitely get more irritated when I'm tired.

Going to see "La Boheme" with the lady and some friends. Should be fun.

OKTOBERFEST tomorrow. In September, oddly enough.

Nicholas Nickleby

2004-09-14T23:08:00.000-05:00

I watched "Nicholas Nickleby" (2002) tonight with my girlfriend, and it was a pleasant time. I love Dickens' films. I don't know how right they are with the books, but if they are anything like the books, they must be fantastic. (In my defense, I've read the first several chapters of Great Expectations, and I liked it.) The stories are true to life: lots of chance happenings, tragedies, happiness, love, and good endings. Not that every story ends happily, but the Final Chapter of the human story will.

Good night!

Adam, Christ, Paul, and Theistic Evolution

2004-09-13T22:51:00.000-05:00

I have been wondering about how Christians should interpret the first few chapters of Genesis. How do we reconcile faith and science? Can we assume that the first chapters of Genesis are the explanation of a prescientific people? Did God create in the manner that scientists say the universe came into existence and then put a different spin on it for the Hebrews? Or, is the Creationist standpoint correct?

I'm not a scientist. I'm more of a Christian thinker, and with my view of Scripture and, thus, of Christ's work, I cannot see how Man was not created separately from the animals. I cannot accept the evolution of man.

Two reasons. One, we bear the image of God. Animals don't. Creating man separately props this doctrine up better than theistic evolution. We sit at the top, not the culmination. I don't accept the view that man became the image bearer when he first reflected on his situation and became homo sapiens. Now, note, I haven't said that other things didn't evolve or how old the earth is, but that man must be created separately. Two, Christ died for the sin of Adam. Paul is very explicit about this. Death came through one man. Salvation through one man. Death came to me through one man's sin. Salvation through another's work.

I can't give up the creation of man. If I do, I have no way to reconcile Paul's passages in Romans (and others, I'm sure). They just sit there, some of God's most wonderful words, doing nothing.

Christ - From the seed of a woman

2004-09-07T21:17:00.000-05:00

I was reading Luther tonight, and he made an amazing point. When God tells of the Redeemer to come in Genesis 3, he says that he will come from the seed of a woman, but not of a man. "And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel." (NKJV). Point? The Seed came not through Adam, which would have submitted him to the curse of sin, but only through the woman. The curse comes through the man, not the woman. So, Christ came through the woman, not the man, so therefore, the Man may be without sin and may conquer death and hell. Gotta run. Put up a comment if this makes no sense and I'll explain further.