FoolishYetWise's Xanga

the end

Tue, 02 Jan 2007 14:32:17 GMT

for a number of reasons, i have decided to move from xanga to blogspot. from now on you will be able to find me there. or at least the most recent version of me i've chosen to disclose to the world, which will hopefully be a slightly less emo version than you've been finding lately.

"I see men like trees, walking."

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Wed, 27 Dec 2006 17:42:35 GMT

currently listening: "Endless Entertainment," off the upcoming Bright Eyes album "Cassadega"

so... I'm here at Urbana... I got to see all my IV friends again, which was sweet... and I'll be seeing Nick soon, which is even sweeter.

wait 'cause in His time so shall this night soon end in joy

Sun, 24 Dec 2006 20:01:25 GMT

i don't think i've ever been this happy to be home with my family, my church community, and my friends.

now my heart needs a polygraph. always so eager to pack my bags. when i really wanna stay.

Thu, 21 Dec 2006 21:18:16 GMT

why does it feel like every time i really start to connect with people and watch love begun to bud, i have to leave?

the world's got me dizzy again

Tue, 19 Dec 2006 22:01:38 GMT

um, i'm not entirely sure i'm ready to be 20 yet.

however, thanks anyway to everyone who sent me notes or e-mails or let me crash at their apartment or crashed someone else's apartment to make my birthday special!

"you keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, becasue he trusts in You."

Wed, 13 Dec 2006 17:27:25 GMT

Sara asked a really good question, so I'm going to repost it here:
----------------
quote from article on the Urbana site:
"Women in Naomi’s situation have it particularly hard. She cannot openly convert to Christianity without risking the loss of her family, children and even her life. The director of Faith Alive no longer encourages Muslim converts to Christianity to proclaim their new faith openly, having witnessed too many tragedies."

What do you think about this?; My initial reaction would be that new
converts should be open about their faith and count the cost of
following Christ, but that's pretty trite coming from me as someone who
can't even imagine that kind of persecution. I'm curious to know what
you think.
----------------
I think that we have to (like most things in our Christian walk) look at the paradox between preserving ourselves so that we can reach as many people with God's truth and being open enough about that truth even when it could cause us suffering, rejection, shame, pain, or death. The key to navigating this tension and paradox (like all the others) is to look carefully at God's Word and to pray earnestly about God's direction in our life.

On the first part: I could easily become a martyr tomorrow if I walked into a mosque and started preaching (actually, come to think of it, my Arabic is bad enough that I would probably only get shushed away :-p) Most of my readers, should they use their class presentation time, their lunch conversations, or their roles at work to preach sermons, could be fired or flunked out-- and they would be indeed receving shame and suffering for the cause of Christ. However, I don't think that anyone would advocate this kind of living for Christ, especially in a day and age where evangelism often needs to be far more than just a sermon (listen to Tim Keller espouse such a view here.) The prevailing thought seems to be: pray hard, use the opportunities you can to proclaim your faith, don't be afraid of shame or persecution if that's what happens, and pray harder.

If we apply this is a setting like the one you quoted, clearly it's a lot messier than in our situation but I think that prayer is still our strongest guide and things will differ from situation to situation.

However, we must also recognize the genuine value that the Bible (especially the NT) seems to put on embracing suffering and death for the sake of Christ. Paul especially seems to be a glutton for punishment; there are quite a few places where he preaches in a crowd probably knowing full well that he's going to end up running for his life or lying facedown in a pool of his blood, barely conscious after his third or fourth lashing. We cannot deny that this is the calling some of may have on our lives; indeed, those of us who do have it ought to embrace it with joy at being counted worthy of such a call (2 Thessalonians 1:2-12). There is also that bit in Revelation about how there are still more martyrs to be made before Christ comes again. If we firmly hear God directing us to be open with our faith even if it will cost us our lives or our jobs (and I think that He could use factors like the probable efficacy of our sharing or the other benefits of martyrdom to help us determine that), then we should be unafraid to proclaim the life-saving truth.

That doesn't really answer your question, but I guess I'd like to open the debate here. Responses, readers? Anybody who read this week's 850 would have another example of what I'd consider embracing danger and suffering for the cause of Christ and remaining open to what God would choose to do in terms of martyrdom.

--edit--
okay, so for those of you who seemed to the think the answer was less nuanced; is it wrong for the organization to counsel their converts to be a little more covert?

what feels like torture is a time to rejoice

Sat, 09 Dec 2006 20:18:22 GMT

what happens when embracing Christ means getting so close that His crown of thorns digs into your skin?

"God's plan is that this gospel-spreading, church-planting purpose triumph through the suffering of his people, especially his ministers and missionaries.

I don't just mean that suffering is the consequence of obedient missions. I mean that suffering is one of Christ's strategies for the success of his mission." -John Piper (from How Few There Are Who Die So Hard!)

"You do know, of course, that Christ chose to suffer... will you choose it?" -Richard Wurmbrand

"And Jesus answered them, 'The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.'" -John 12:23-26

"And whoever does not take his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me." -Matthew 10:38

"But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith-- that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead." -Colossians 3:7-11

"Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body (which is the church) in filling up that which is lacking in Christ's afflictions."- Colossians 1:24

"But notice how Paul says this in verse 24: He says that it is in his sufferings and in his flesh--that is, his actual, suffering body that he does his share in filling up the afflictions of Christ. So Paul sees a very close connection between his sufferings and Christ's afflictions. What this means, I think, is that God intends for the afflictions of Christ to be presented to the world through the afflictions of his people. God really means for the body of Christ, the church, to experience some of the suffering he experienced so that when we offer the Christ of the cross to people, they see the Christ of the cross in us. We are to make the afflictions of Christ real for people by the afflictions we experience in offering him to them, and living the life of love he lived." -John Piper, from this sermon on Colossians 1:24-29.

"As the branch to become the arrow had to lose its leaves and flowers, so I perhaps the pleasant home, fixed salary and married joys. (Nothing wrong in leaves and flowers - essential to the life of the branch - but a hindrance, a weight, to the balanced arrow). So also the side branches, roughnesses and knots - my temperament, my sensitivities, my habits the sin that does so easily beset us, of bad temper, of being hurt, of throwing my weight about. And even to the bark, the final individuality of the branch - my personality, my right to be myself - that I may be crucified that Christ may live wholly in me: so will we be able to run the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, who has paid the cost and offers us only the privilege." -Helen Roseveare at Urbana 76, delivering the message The Cost of Declaring His Glory.

Thursday, December 07, 2006

Thu, 07 Dec 2006 17:37:16 GMT

& then every now and again my heart breaks for something that's actually worth getting upset over.

maranatha

it's not much different in my own heart, i don't think

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 13:14:22 GMT

why is it that i will gladly lend my fellow study abroad student several hundred dollars that i won't see again for at least a month, but when one of my Sudanese friends asks me for 50LE to pay his rent i recoil and have to really think about it?

is this right?

from John M. Perkins' book Beyond Charity: The Call to Christian Community Development.:

Today Christians study the science of withdrawing from others and then use it to attract converts. This so-called church growth or homogenous principle should make us question the church the same way we should question dehumanizing ghettos. It sugarcoats racial separation with a veneer of spirituality and in practice continues the legacy of segregation that divided whites and blacks into separate churches, relationships, and agendas.

Homogeneity does not mirror the image of God. It cheapens the people who proclaim it and mocks God's call for us to be agents of reconciliation. What makes it even more harmful is how it is justified: If we are segregated, more people will come and hear the gospel, which in turn, advances the kingdom of God. This logic spits in the face of a holy God by playing to our human weaknesses and sin nature. At the same time that it increases the size of our churches' membership, it retards their spiritual growth.

i will be grateful for this day. i will be grateful for each day to come.

Tue, 28 Nov 2006 15:36:17 GMT

The sermon went very well! It was the first time (and quite possibly the last) that a message I delivered was followed by a rap group. Yes, this is how the Sudanese church here is contextualizing. I may talk about it in a Retriever article if I get the time this week... Thank you very much, everyone who was praying... and a special thanks to Joel and Susan who went all the way down to Hadayek El Maadi to support me!

but seriously, the best part was digging into the Word and having to preach it to myself first...

bonus: iMonk's perspective on why Chinese students might embrace Jesus in China, but not in the U.S. Even more interesting are the comments, which add an interesting level of critique. The comment about how true and authentic Christianity is particularized in every context, even in white American ones (which someone get assumed to be supracultural or acultural somewhow) is especially interesting to me, as I've been listening to Covenant Theological Seminary's missions course lately.

Also, read an somewhat unique (unfortunately) perspective on a recent Rick Warren gaffe.