ron clyde

The People Demand a King

2005-10-03T07:06:00.000-07:00

But when they said, "Give us a king to lead us," this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. And the LORD told him: "Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. -1 Samuel 8:6-8

And so Samuel warned them... (v10-18)

"This is what the king who will reign over you will do: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. Your menservants and maidservants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day."

Sounds like a bad deal for the Israelites, doesn't it. Surely that will give up this notion of a king and turn again to the Lord for leadership... (v19-20)

"But the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles."

So...(v 21-22)

When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the LORD. The LORD answered, "Listen to them and give them a king."

And so it goes with human nature. We demand to be controlled by the created and reject the Creator. We choose bondage over freedom. Fear overcomes faith. And God respectfully fulfills His plan in spite of our resistance.

Still here?

2005-08-28T11:02:00.000-07:00

Really, I don't blame you. I am a little upset with myself as well. Forgive me, Blog-Father, for I have sinned...It's been several months since I have entered this confessional booth.

Some news:
*I have a new job working for a startup software company, Perfectstop.
*My friend, Bruce Warren, and I are working on a new site, tkog. We are working with a new technology that is taking longer than expected. In other words, it's not ready.
*August has been something for a sabatical for the family and me. The only group we are meeting with is ourselves at our house church on Sunday morning. Everything will start-up again after Labor Day.

Here is a passage from 1 Corinthians 5:
"Our true identity is flat and plain, not puffed up with the wrong type of ingredients. The Messiah, our Passover Lamb, has already been sacrificed for the Passover Meal, and we are the Unraised Bread part of the Feast. So let's live out out part of the Feast, not as raised bread swollen with the yeast of evil, but as flat bread -- simple, genuine, unpretentious." (from the Message , Eugene H. Peterson)

Lead a life of love

2005-06-15T10:33:00.000-07:00

Ephesians 5:2 says,

"Lead a life of love, just as Christ did."

Lead a life of love. That needs to be on my bathroom mirror.

I hope this is on my tombstone.

"He led a life of love."

Signs in the sky

2005-05-16T07:43:00.000-07:00

Post-tsunami rhetoric was intense. "tossing of the seas" is specifically mentioned in Jesus' prophecies of end times activity (Luke 21:25). A well known televangelist gave his two cents, "The end of the world will probably be a comet or something coming from the sky." His refered to "There will be miraculous signs in the sun, moon and stars." (Luke 21:25)

So anyway...this kind of stuff is catching my eye....

May 15, 2005 — Forecasters at the NOAA Space Environment Center in Boulder, Colo., observed a geomagnetic storm on Sunday, May 15, which they classified as an extreme event, measuring G-5—the highest level—on the NOAA Space Weather Scales. (Click image for larger view of the sun from the SOHO spacecraft of the intense solar activity taken May 15, 2005, at 7:50 a.m. EDT. Click here to view high resolution version, which is a large file. Click here to view latest images. Please credit “SOHO.”)

"This event registered a 9 on the K-Index, which measures the maximum deviation of the Earth's magnetic field in a given three-hour period," said Gayle Nelson, lead operations specialist at NOAA Space Environment Center. "The scale ranges from 0 to 9, with 9 being the highest. This was a significant event."

Possible impacts from such a geomagnetic storm include widespread power system voltage control problems; some grid systems may experience complete collapse or blackouts. Transformers may experience damage. Spacecraft operations may experience extensive surface charging; problems with orientation; uplink/downlink and tracking satellites. Satellite navigation may be degraded for days, and low-frequency radio navigation can be out for hours. Reports received by the NOAA Space Environment Center indicate that such impacts have been observed in the United States.

Looking for peace in all the wrong places

2005-05-12T12:34:00.000-07:00

"My soul finds rest in God alone;
my salvation comes from him."

-Psalm 62:1

Today I am anxious. I am looking at waves instead of the face of Jesus. Help me focus on the face of Christ. The only source of peace.

Wait!

Anxiety is a spiritual fever. It, alone, is only a symptom of an underlying problem. Western medicine tells us to treat the symptom...take an asprin to lower the fever. The same approach is given us by Western theology. When you feel anxious...pray to rid yourself of anxiety.

Shouldn't we be looking at our anxiety and asking for the underlying cause, not relief from the symptom?

Here is the attitude that I wish for...

"Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting."

-Psalm 139:23-24

Change my heart, O God!

2005-05-11T08:28:00.000-07:00

Jeremiah Chapter 6:13-15...

"Everyone wants to get richer and richer, from the least important of them to the most important.

Prophets and priests alike try to fool everyone they can. They bandage the wounds of my people as if they were not very deep. 'Peace, peace,' they say. But there isn't any peace.

Are they ashamed of their hateful actions? No. They do not feel any shame at all. They do not even know how to blush."

Forgive me, Lord. I do feel the shame of living casually, without intent. Let me take seriously the relationships with which you have blessed me. Let me be willing to get so involved in the infection and disease of my friends that they can be completely healed. Allow me to be an instrument of your Spirit. An instrument of peace.

Expose my own wounds to those who you have called to heal me. Let me be open to Your scapel, to Your cleansing, to Your healing.

"The Lord disciplines those He loves." Thank you, Sir.

Campfire Songs

2005-05-09T11:46:00.000-07:00

We spent 14 hours on the road this weekend traveling to Abiliene with our good friends, Norm and Beth Voss. We sang some old camp songs that I had not thought about in years:

Sippin' Cider (the cutest girl, I ever saw...)
Let me call you Sweetheart
There's a hole in the bottom of the sea
Found a peanut, found a peanut
I know an old lady who swallowed a fly

All brought back great memories and much laughter.

I was filled with warmth when we sang. Not just because we were singing...but because I was passing on a joy filled tradition. Hours of car time pass so much faster when the family sings. A discipline my parents practiced and one I was able to share with my children.

Thanks Mom and Dad for giving us the joy of singing.

All together now, "Found a peanut, found a peanut, found a peanut just now."

Being Broken

2005-05-05T16:09:00.000-07:00

"Being broken is both God's work and ours. He brings His pressure to bear, but we have to make the choice."

-Roy Hession, The Calvery Road, 1950

We have to make the choice...

God is a master potter. As we spin on the potter's wheel He is putting pressure in just the right places to mold us into a beautiful testament to the Creator.

Unlike a lump of clay, however, the Master Potter has given me the ability to react to the pressure. Often I flex my muscles, bow my neck and refuse to yield. Often I whine..."ouch...ohh...make it stop hurting." Rarely do I accept God's pressure with the gratitude and softness that it deserves.

But I know that in the hands of the potter, my life is being shaped in a way that is loving, kind, and good.

"Some people will suffer because God has planned it that way. They [I] should commit themselves [myself] to their [my] Faithful Creator. And they [I] should continue to do good."
-1 Peter 4:19

-selah-

Is dreaming Godly?

2005-05-03T19:04:00.000-07:00

Dietrich Bonhoeffer (Life Together, 1954) pontificates,

"God hates visionary dreaming; it makes the dreamer proud and pretentious."

Agree?

Disagree?

Human Chimera's

2005-05-01T18:42:00.000-07:00

I've talked about this topic in earlier blog entries.

Scientist are injecting human cells into animals, producing "human chimeras". Animals with human organs.

MSNBC is reporting that a flock of 50 sheep in Nevada are being grown by scientist who have injected the "lab animals" with human cells. The resulting chimeras have "partially human livers, hearts, brains and other organs."

Now, I'm a graduate of Baylor University and I heard back in the early 80's that the boys from Texas A&M were attempting this experiment. I guess there's nothing new under the sun.

Would you still be interested?

2005-04-30T06:42:00.000-07:00

If you haven't followed the story, our friends Joe and Laura Hays have given birth to a baby who has severe medical problems (please pray for Baby Ira, more info here). During one of his recent blog entries Joe asked an incredibly insightful question...

"What if you bought two or three footlong sandwiches at Subway with chips and drinks and brought them to the NICU waiting room during lunchtime and said, 'these are for anyone who needs a bite and break'? Would you mind if they didn't come to your church the following Sunday or weren't really interested in a Bible study? What if the parents, grandparents, etc were too tired to engage you in meaningful conversation and maybe even forgot to say 'thanks'? Would you still be interested?"

Landon Saunders, described as a "CIA agent for Jesus", talks about the "power of no agenda." He teaches that Christian motives to control and manipulate come across much louder than the motives of the cross to save and set free. He argues that most Christian service comes with an implied cost. Many non-Christians aren't willing to pay the cover charge to receive the services and get in the church building.

We have instances where Jesus said, "Follow me." We have many many more instances where Jesus healed without requirements.

How do we love without condition? How do we evangelize (I am beginning to dislike that word) without controlling?

Mindless Wastes of Time

2005-04-28T16:28:00.000-07:00

I have added a new section in the lower right hand corner of this blog, "mindless wastes of time."

Silly internet games, quizzes or videos.

All are intended for a laugh or that much needed break from reality.

Have fun.

The Greek word for amen

2005-04-28T09:43:00.000-07:00

"Religious etymology for $200, Alex."
"The answer is...The Greek word for the religious phrase, 'amen'."
"What is 'amen'?"
"Correct!"

"Religious etymology for $400, Alex."
"The answer is...The Hebrew word for the religious phrase, 'amen'."
"What is 'amen'?"
"Correct!"

"Religious etymology for $800, Alex."
"The answer is...The greek word translated, 'Verily' in the King James version of the Bible, as in 'Verily, verily I say unto you."
"What is 'amen'?"
"Correct!"

"Religious etymology for $1000, Alex."
"Get this right, and you'll sweep the catagory...
The answer is...The word used to finish the following statement from the Apostle Peter (1 Peter 4:11), 'To HIM be the glory and the power for ever and ever."
"What is 'amen'?"
"Correct! and Amen!"

Favorite Old Songs

2005-04-20T09:56:00.000-07:00

Kathryn Scott, Michael W. Smith, Third Day, Matt Redmon, Michael Card...

Practically all my favortite artists have recorded their own versions of hymnal classics. They give a fresh tune to comforting lyrics providing a deeply satisfying result.

Hymn remakes I'd like to see:

Just As I Am
Fairest Lord Jesus
When the Roll is Called Up Yonder
Get Right Church and Let's Go Home

What are yours?

Another earthquake in South East Asia

2005-04-10T13:56:00.000-07:00

Sunday, April 10.

(CNN) -- An earthquake has struck near Indonesia's northern island of Sumatra, triggering fears of new tsunamis, but none were reported.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake, just before 5:30p.m. local time (1030 GMT) had a magnitude of 6.8. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said it was a 6.7.

He is no fool

2005-04-07T19:52:00.000-07:00

You may have heard this quote. I thought it would be good to give you a solid source so that you can be sure that it is not internet myth.

"He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose."

-Jim Elliot

October 28, 1949 entry on page 174 (Chapter 4) of The Journals of Jim Elliot, edited by Elisabeth Elliot and published by Fleming H. Revell in 1978 and on page 108 (Chapter 11) of his biography by his wife Elisabeth Elliot, In The Shadow of the Almighty, published by Harper and Row in 1958.

Here is a picture of the actual journal entry.

8.2 Earthquake in Sumatra

2005-03-28T09:51:00.000-08:00

A great earthquake occurred at 16:09:37 (UTC), 10:09AM Central, US, on Monday, March 28, 2005. The magnitude 8.2 event has been located in NORTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA. (This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.)

Shuffle

2005-03-12T21:31:00.000-08:00

I'm back

2005-03-10T16:51:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the long vacation. Thank you if you came back and found nothing of value.

Lots of topics are building up:

My friend, Clayton, is teaching me about global warming and a Christian call to stewardship.
My friend, Bruce, is teaching me about glorifying God by "casting crowns".
My friend, Kelley's, mother is dying.
My friend, Mary Beth, is getting married in April.
My friend and my wife, Penny, is making us clean out all our closets...yikes!

Shalom,

Iwo Jima

2005-02-22T07:35:00.000-08:00

Warning: This is a long post. However, I am moved by the cost of freedom after visiting many of the memorials in Washington, D.C. and seeing Ground Zero in NYC. Please, take the time to read to the bottom of the article.

My favorite quote from the article: "The lesson of Iwo Jima is in fact an ancient one, going back to Machiavelli: that sometimes free societies must be as tough and unrelenting as their enemies."

Iwo Jima
The famous battle offers lessons for us 60 years later.

BY ARTHUR HERMAN WSJ, Saturday, February 19, 2005 12:01 a.m. EST

Sixty years ago today, more than 110,000 Americans and 880 ships began their assault on a small volcanic island in the Pacific, in the climactic battle of the last year of World War II. For the next 36 days Iwo Jima would become the most populous 7 1/2 square miles on the planet, as U.S. Marines and Japanese soldiers fought a battle that would test American resolve even more than D-Day or the Battle of the Bulge had, and that still symbolizes a free society's willingness to make the sacrifice necessary to prevail over evil--a sacrifice as relevant today as it was 60 years ago.

The attack on Iwo Jima capped a two-year island-hopping campaign that was as controversial with politicians and the press as any Rumsfeld strategy. Each amphibious assault had been bloodier than the last: at Tarawa, where 3,000 ill-prepared Marines fell taking an island of just three square miles; at Saipan, where Army troops performed so poorly two of their generals had to be fired; and Peleliu, where it took 10 weeks of fighting in 115-degree heat to root out the last Japanese defenders, at the cost of 6,000 soldiers and Marines.

Iwo Jima would be the first island of the Japanese homeland to be attacked. The Japanese had put in miles of tunnels and bunkers, with 361 artillery pieces, 65 heavy mortars, 33 large naval guns, and 21,000 defenders determined to fight to the death. Their motto was, "kill 10 of the enemy before dying." American commanders expected 40% casualties on the first assault. "We have taken such losses before," remarked the Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Holland M. Smith, "and if we have to, we can do it again."

Even before the attack, the Navy's bombardment of Iwo Jima cost more ships and men than it lost on D-Day, without making a significant dent in the Japanese defenses. Then, beginning at 9 a.m. on the 19th, Marines loaded down with 70 to 100 pounds of equipment each hit the beach, and immediately sank into the thick volcanic ash. They found themselves on a barren moonscape stripped of any cover or vegetation, where Japanese artillery could pound them with unrelenting fury. Scores of wounded Marines helplessly waiting to be evacuated off the beach were killed "with the greatest possible violence," as veteran war reporter Robert Sherrod put it. Shells tore bodies in half and scattered arms and legs in all directions, while so much underground steam rose from the churned up soil the survivors broke up C-ration crates to sit on in order to keep from being scalded. Some 2,300 Marines were killed or wounded in the first 18 hours. It was, Sherrod said, "a nightmare in hell."

And overlooking it all, rising 556 feet above the carnage, stood Mount Suribachi, where the Japanese could direct their fire along the entire beach. Taking Suribachi became the key to victory. It took four days of bloody fighting to reach the summit, and when Marines did, they planted an American flag. When it was replaced with a larger one, photographer Joe Rosenthal recorded the scene--the most famous photograph of World War II and the most enduring symbol of a modern democracy at war.

Yet, in the end, a symbol of what? Certainly not victory. The capture of Suribachi only marked the beginning of the battle for Iwo Jima, which dragged on for another month and cost nearly 26,000 men--all for an island whose future as a major air base never materialized. Forty men were in the platoon which raised the flag on Suribachi. Only four would survive the battle unhurt. Their company, E Company, Second Battalion, 28th Regiment, Fifth Marine Division, would suffer 75% casualties. Of the seven officers who led it into battle, only one was left when it was over.

But the Marines pushed on. Over the next agonizing weeks, they took the rest of the island yard by yard, bunker by bunker, cave by cave. They fought through places with names like "Bloody Gorge" and "The Meat Grinder." They learned to take no prisoners in fighting a skilled and fanatical enemy who gave no quarter and expected none. Twenty out of every 21 Japanese defenders would die where they stood. One in three Marines on Iwo Jima would either be killed or wounded, including 19 of 24 battalion commanders. Twenty-seven Marines and naval medical corpsmen would win Medals of Honor--more than in any other battle in history--and 13 of them posthumously. As Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, commander in chief of the U.S. Pacific Command, said, "Among the Americans who served on Iwo Island, uncommon valor was a common virtue."

Yet even this valor and sacrifice is not the full story of what Iwo Jima means, or what Rosenthal's immortal photograph truly symbolizes. The lesson of Iwo Jima is in fact an ancient one, going back to Machiavelli: that sometimes free societies must be as tough and unrelenting as their enemies. Totalitarians test their opponents by generating extreme conditions of brutality and violence; in those conditions--in the streets and beheadings of Fallujah or on the beach and in the bunkers of Iwo Jima--they believe weak democratic nerves will crack. This in turn demonstrates their moral superiority: that by giving up their own decency and humanity they have become stronger than those who have not.

Free societies can afford only one response. There were no complicated legal issues or questions of "moral equivalence" on Iwo Jima: It was kill or be killed. That remains the nature of war even for democratic societies. The real question is, who outlasts whom. In 1945 on Iwo Jima, it was the Americans, as the monument at Arlington Cemetery, based on Rosenthal's photograph, proudly attests. In the jungles of Vietnam and Cambodia in the 1970s, it was the totalitarians--with terrible consequences.

Today, some in this country think the totalitarians may still win in Iraq and elsewhere. A few even hope so. Only one thing is certain: As long as Americans cherish the memory of those who served at Iwo Jima, and grasp the crucial lesson they offer all free societies, the totalitarians will never win.

(Mr. Herman, a historian, is the author, most recently, of "To Rule the Waves: How the British Navy Shaped the Modern World" (HarperCollins, 2004).)

Gettysburg Address

2005-02-13T16:47:00.000-08:00

We visited the Lincoln Memorial today. We then went to the Vietnam Memorial. (I honestly do not know anyone who was killed in Vietnam. Maybe one of my relatives who reads this blog will set me straight.) After these two reminders of war, we paused and had church on a park bench looking over the reflecting pool. We prayed for those who sacrificed for our liberty, both presidents and foot soldiers. We are thankful for the blood that has been spilled for our freedom. Especially the blood of Jesus Christ, so that we might know freedom for all of eternity.

Against one wall of the Lincoln Memorial is a transcript of the Gettysburg Address. I was moved to tears as I read the words of Abraham Lincoln on the site of the Battle of Gettysburg, the deadliest battle in US history on North American soil. (More on the battle)

"Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that 'all men are created equal.'

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived, and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of it, as a final resting place for those who died here, that the nation might live. This we may, in all propriety do. But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow, this ground -- The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have hallowed it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here; while it can never forget what they did here.

It is rather for us, the living, we here be dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that, from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here, gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve these dead shall not have died in vain; that the nation, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people by the people for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

Update on Dad

2005-02-09T09:02:00.000-08:00

Thank you for your prayers. Dad came through the surgery just fine. He is hoping to go home from the hospital as soon as this afternoon. The surgeon said that Dad had 85-90% blockage in the carotid artery on which he operated. This made the surgery both necessary and very timely.

My Dad

2005-02-05T05:29:00.000-08:00

My Dad has an 80% blockage in both carotid arteries. He is having surgery Tuesday to clear up the blockage. The Clyde family will be traveling to San Antonio on Sunday to have lunch and spend the afternoon with him. I will be returning for the surgery on Tuesday. Thanks in advance for your prayers.
-----------------------------------
My Dad was president of EVERYTHING in my small hometown of Van Vleck. (see here for more exciting information about Van Vleck). We didn't have Cub Scouts, so my dad became the first Pack Master of the new Van Vleck Cub Scout Pack. This pack lasted 4 years until my youngest brother turned 11 and then the pack mysteriously lost energy and folded. My Dad was a volunteer fireman who was first on the scene of a horrible and deadly train accident. My Dad was an officer (can't remember which) in Kiwanas. My Dad never ran for public office, never accepted a dime for his work, but was the go-to guy for the town. Especially when it came to his kids' activities.

The nearby town of Bay City drew boundry lines excluding the citizens of Van Vleck from playing in their Little League when I was in the second year of my prodigious baseball career. Guess what...my Dad was the first President of the newly formed Van Vleck Little League Baseball Association.

I remember the first meetings in our living room. He would take his place in his easy chair and "The President" would begin his session. He found a way...I still don't know how...he found a way to organize this mostly blue-collar, agricultural town and garner the resources to kick off the season on-time so that my career would not miss a beat.

We played for a couple of years behind the fire station in a vacant lot where a single backstop was left over from past years school activities. The league prospered and my Dad determined that it was time for the Little League to have it's own ball field. That's when the magic happened!

A little background information...Van Vleck was 50% Black, 40% White, and 10% Hispanic. Our school system did not racially integrate until I was in 3rd grade (1969). This was also the first year of our Little League. One of the initial battles my Dad won was the Officer's Board decision to also integrate the Little League.

Frankly, I was totally oblivious to the issue. All I knew was that there were enough boys to field 4 teams and we were the Astros. We lost the league championship to the Braves that year because they had an unbelievable pitcher named Ernest. I guess I didn't see that the fact that Ernest was Black was important to the game of baseball or to the town of Van Vleck.

So, back to the new field.

Van Vleck had a "white town" and a "black town". The towns were divided by a cow pasture that went the entire length of the town. This DMZ had existed since cows were cows and barbed wire fence had been invented as far as I could tell. The only thing that occupied the cow pasture was, of course, cows. I didn't know if they were white cows or black cows, but I knew what was on each side of the pasture and who lived where.

So where does my Dad build his new Little League baseball park? You got it--right in the middle of the pasture dividing whites and blacks. The whole town rallied around the effort. Tony Kuchera (his son played baseball with me and when he grew up ran and won a seat on the Van Vleck School Board) was a welder. He and Dad spent night after night lugging pipe and making sparks as the backstop became real. Mr. O'Brien's company donated an electronic scoreboard which even Bay City didn't have. Both sides of the pasture came together on opening day when Larry Dierker, then a star Astros pitcher, tossed out the first pitch of the inaugural game.

I don't remember a more exciting day for the citizens of Van Vleck. And there was my Dad, making it all happen. Only years later did I realize the impact of his strategic and purposeful placement of the field. How brave he was. How a social revolutionary sat in that easy chair. How he changed my future and the future of Van Vleck by picking up a baseball and tossing it down the middle of a pasture.

My Dad is my hero.

Search Me Know Me

2005-01-30T18:49:00.000-08:00

Search me, know me.
Try me and see,
Every worthless affection,
Hidden in me.
All I'm asking for,
Is that you cleanse me, Lord.

Create in me a heart that's clean.
Conquer the power of secret shame.
Come wash away the guilty stain,
Of all my sin.

Clothe me in robes of righteousness.
Cover my nakedness with grace.
All of my life before you now,
I humbly bring.

- Midred Rainey and Kathryn Scott, Integrity Music, Nov. 2003

Human Chimeras

2005-01-27T06:31:00.000-08:00

Chimera - 1. a fire-breathing she-monster in Greek mythology having a lion's head, a goat's body, and a serpent's tail 2. an imaginary monster compounded of incongruous parts (Merriam-Webster)

Now this is wierd science.

According to an article in National Geographic (story here and another article on the subject is here), scientist in China and the United States are experimenting with labratory animals that are part animal, part human. Chinese scientist are producing a rabbit fused with human cells and at Stanford University in California plans are underway to produce a mouse with a human brain. (Isn't that a cartoon?)

The article paints the efforts this way, "Scientists feel that, the more humanlike the animal, the better research model it makes for testing drugs or possibly growing "spare parts," such as livers, to transplant into humans."

There are no ethical guidelines in the U.S. to address this situation. Canada has begun the effort by preventing the creation of these "human chimeras".

My mom and dad did not have to deal with these issues when I was growing up. I don't remember them sitting around the dinner table and discussing the ethics of creating new species. The clash of science and religion is not new, however.

During the middle ages an enterprising lawyer turned farmer, Jethro Tull, (before the band, there was a man), had the audacity to cross-breed various breeds of cattle and sheep to produce stronger, meatier and bigger livestock which led to a major increase in the food supply. He was criticized by church leaders for "playing God" and fellow farmers for changing their way of life.

Today we look back on his critics and laugh at their short-sighted and dogmatic views. We point out the enhancements to the quality of life that were achieved and we compliment ourselves on the progress that has been made. Then along comes stem cell research, cloning, human chimeras (for goodness sake). I must confess that I am starting to symphathize with those poor-boy farmers.

I am not sure what to think of all of this tinkering with the humans species that we see today. Does anyone have perspective or guidelines?

Human Chimeras; Tower of Babel or promise of science?

Famine follows earthquake, Is pestilence next?

2005-01-23T20:13:00.000-08:00

The exact text of Luke 21:10-11

"Then he [Jesus] said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven."

The death count from the earthquake and tsunami in South-East Asia and India is expected to go to 240,000 soon. This is not the greatest natural disaster know to man (an earthquake in Tangshan, China occured in1976 where between 255,000 and 655,000 people were killed), but it has certainly been among the most publized.

I read today (yahoo news) that malnutrition is the next big concern for the survivors of the earthquake and tsumani. I expect disease to follow. Earthquake, famine, pestilence.

Is this a pattern prophecized by Jesus? Is the end near?

I am not sure yet. (I hear a groan from the crowd.) But if someone reports a comet headed for Earth....

This event has helped me wake-up. Jesus says in Luke 21:36,

"Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”

Let us watch and pray.

Napoleon Dynamite Quiz

2005-01-19T07:32:00.000-08:00

If you've seen the movie, you know that this is a bunch of over the top characters trying to get by with what they've been given. I watched it on my way to a ski trip (where I got some sick air on the slopes, whadja think!). I watched it on the way home from my ski trip. And, oh yea, I watched one night while on my ski trip. That's right...3 times in 4 days.

If you haven't seen the movie...this isn't funny. If you have... I am Kip. :)

Kip Dynamite
(Please rate my quiz)

Which Napoleon Dynamite character are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

A Magnum Opus by Ben Stein

2005-01-18T07:34:00.000-08:00

Here is a copy of an email I received. I am investigating the source and hopefully can provide added value to the email. Frankly, no added value is needed. Even if it proves to be a hoax (If you're interested I will tell the story of Chief Seattle.) I think the sentiment and thoughtfulness of the article is worth it... (By the way, many of you who read this blog qualify as a Ben Stein star. See yourself in the following words and accept with humility his aclaim.)

Ben Stein's Last Column... For many years Ben Stein has written a biweekly column for the onlinewebsite called "Monday Night At Morton's." (Morton's is a famous chain ofSteakhouses known to be frequented by movie stars and famous people from around the globe.) Now, Ben is terminating the column to move on to other things in his life. Reading his final column is worth a few minutes of your time.
============================================
How Can Someone Who Lives in Insane Luxury Be a Star in Today's World?

As I begin to write this, I "slug" it, as we writers say, which means I put a heading on top of the document to identify it. This heading is "eonline FINAL," and it gives me a shiver to write it. I have been doing this column for so long that I cannot even recall when I started. I loved writing this column so much for so long I came to believe it would never end.

It worked well for a long time, but gradually, my changing as a person and the world's change have overtaken it. On a small scale, Morton's, while better than ever, no longer attracts as many stars as it used to. It still brings in the rich people in droves and definitely some stars. I saw Samuel L. Jackson there a few days ago, and we had a nice visit, and right before that, I saw and had a splendid talk with Warren Beatty in an elevator, in which we agreed that Splendor in the Grass was a super movie. But Morton's is not the star galaxy it once was, though it probably will be again.

Beyond that, a bigger change has happened. I no longer think Hollywood stars are terribly important. They are uniformly pleasant, friendly people, and they treat me better than I deserve to be treated. But a man or woman who makes a huge wage for memorizing lines and reciting them in front of a camera is no longer my idea of a shining star we should all look up to. How can a man or woman who makes an eight-figure wage and lives in insane luxury really be a star in today's world, if by a "star" we mean someone bright and powerful and attractive as a role model?

Real stars are not riding around in the backs of limousines or in Porsches or getting trained in yoga or Pilates and eating only raw fruit while they have Vietnamese girls do their nails. They can be interesting, nice people, but they are not heroes to me any longer.

A real star is the soldier of the 4th Infantry Division who poked his head into a hole on a farm near Tikrit, Iraq. He could have been met by a bomb or a hail of AK-47 bullets. Instead, he faced an abject Saddam Hussein and the gratitude of all of the decent people of the world. A real star is the U.S. soldier who was sent to disarm a bomb next to a road north of Baghdad. He approached it, and the bomb went off and killed him. A real star, the kind who haunts my memory night and day, is theU.S. soldier in Baghdad who saw a little girl playing with a piece of unexploded ordnance on a street near where he was guarding a station. He pushed her aside and threw himself on it just as it exploded. He left a family desolate in California and a little girl alive in Baghdad.

The stars who deserve media attention are not the ones who have lavish weddings on TV but the ones who patrol the streets of Mosul even after two of their buddies were murdered and their bodies battered and stripped for the sin of trying to protect Iraqis from terrorists.

We put couples with incomes of $100 million a year on the covers of our magazines. The noncoms and officers who barely scrape by on military pay but stand on guard in Afghanistan and Iraq and on ships and in submarines and near the Arctic Circle are anonymous as they live and die.

I am no longer comfortable being a part of the system that has such poor values, and I do not want to perpetuate those values by pretending that who is eating at Morton's is a big subject.

There are plenty of other stars in the American firmament...the policemen and women who go off on patrol in South Central and have no idea if they will return alive; the orderlies and paramedics who bring in people who have been in terrible accidents and prepare them for surgery; the teachers and nurses who throw their whole spirits into caring for autistic children; the kind men and women who work in hospices and in cancer wards.

Think of each and every fireman who was running up the stairs at the World Trade Center as the towers began to collapse. Now you have my idea of a real hero. We are not responsible for the operation of the universe, and what happens to us is not terribly important. God is real, not a fiction; and when we turn over our lives to Him, He takes far better care of us than we could ever do for ourselves. In a word, we make ourselves sane when we fire ourselves as the directors of the movie of our lives and turn the power over to Him.

I came to realize that life lived to help others is the only one that matters. This is my highest and best use as a human.

I can put it another way. Years ago, I realized I could never be as great an actor as Olivier or as good a comic as Steve Martin...or Martin Mull or Fred Willard--or as good an economist as Samuelson or Friedman or as good a writer as Fitzgerald. Or even remotely close to any of them.

But I could be a devoted father to my son, husband to my wife and, above all, a good son to the parents who had done so much for me. This came to be my main task in life. I did it moderately well with my son, pretty well with my wife and well indeed with my parents (with my sister's help). I cared for and paid attention to them in their declining years. I stayed with my father as he got sick, went into extremis and then into a coma and then entered immortality with my sister and me reading him the Psalms.

This was the only point at which my life touched the lives of the soldiers in Iraq or the firefighters in New York. I came to realize that life lived to help others is the only one that matters and that it is my duty, in return for the lavish life God has devolved upon me, to help others He has placed in my path. This is my highest and best use as a human. Faith is not believing that God can. It is knowing that God will.

By Ben Stein

Hello World Again

2005-01-16T18:27:00.000-08:00

Just got back from a 3 day ski trip in Breckenridge, CO. I was unable to connect to the internet during this time. I was actually able to survive without checking my email or blogging or even reading a newspaper.

I'm operating on 2.5 hours sleep and a 13 hour car ride. Why don't I call it a night.

A Group by Any Other Name Would Still Smell As Sweet

2005-01-11T19:47:00.000-08:00

Our group is meeting in our home on Wed. nights. (We are not affiliated with an institutional church body or denomination.) I would like to come up with some electronic means of keeping in touch, i.e. a group blog, a group email address, etc. This necessitates a NAME for the group.

The very idea of naming this group is playing odd games with my mind.

1. Why must everything be labeled? Will people be more comfortable if there is a name?

2. Why am I seeking to establish "an identity"?

3. Was Seinfeld really about "nothing"? And if so, can there be a group whose name is nothing?

4. I went through the desert on a horse with no name, why can't I be a part of a group with no name?

5. Is this some weird thing like the Hebrews who wouldn't speak the name of God, nor would they write it completely. Maybe, we should be GR*P.

This is what I have so far...

3G2G - a Group Giving Glory 2 God

(I first thought G2G, but further investigation revealed it most often meant Girl 2 Girl and that's not quite what we're after.)

- Got a better idea?

Fission or Fusion

2005-01-09T09:14:00.000-08:00

There are two ways to produce nuclear energy; fission and fusion. Nuclear fission takes ONE atom and SPLITS it into TWO atoms with a resulting release of energy that fuels our nuclear electricity industry today. Fusion crushes atoms TOGETHER forcing TWO to become ONE with a release of energy that is a million times more powerful than a typical chemical reaction (more science ).

While fission is a powerful way to create energy, the holy grail of the energy sciences is fusion. Because of the potential for power, it is perhaps the single greatest advancement that can be made within our life time in this area.

Another distinction of the two approaches is the resulting condition of the fuel used to create the reation. Fission depletes the fuel leaving the ever popular toxic nuclear waste that takes tens of thousands of years to become safe. Fusion (with hints of alchemy) actually creates new forms of matter which is then used again as fuel for additional reactions.

Consider the physics of these two technologies as you read the following quote (my additions in parethesis)...

"...we are trying to give to others an answer which we have not truly and deeply found for ourselves. The tragedy is that much of the vast network of Christian activity and service is bent on propagating an answer for people's needs and problems which few of those propagating it find adequate in their own lives. We need to leave our lusting for ever-larger spheres of Christian service (fission) and concentrate on seeing God for ourselves and finding the deep answer for life in Him (fusion)." - Roy and Revel Hession, We Would See Jesus, 1958. p. 15

Shalom.

Home Group Update

2005-01-07T20:13:00.000-08:00

Our Home Group met this Wed. Great crowd and a beautiful spirit.

We decided to study 1 Peter: The Priorities of Aliens.

I'll try to keep the group informed through this site.

Please pray for our Home Group.

Connecting with the bad guys

2005-01-05T06:43:00.000-08:00

I am reading 1 Peter. Funny how God took an impetuous fisherman and turned him into a philosopher and world thought leader.

There are several excellent exhortations in 5 short chapters. I have been encouraged to be a good worker...regardless of my working environment, regardless of the competance or goodness of my boss, regardless of my success.

"Friends, this world is not your home, so don't make yourselves cozy in it. Don't indulge your ego at the expense of your soul. Live an exemplary life among the natives so that your actions will refute their prejudices. Then they'll be won over to God's side and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives." 1 Peter 2:11-12 (The Message)

The Tsunami Effect

2005-01-03T08:33:00.000-08:00

Let me preface this posting by a warning...I am not an "End Times" scholar. I am probably a 3rd grader when it comes to the subject. Please don't focus on the "prophecy fulfillment" aspect of the following, please work with me on the state of my heart.

I have had several discussions over the last weeks on the effects of the tsunami in the Indian Ocean. One interesting question was, "Do you think there was/will be more loss of life (in raw numbers) in this flood than in Noah's?"

Luke Chapter 21 has some very interesting phrases that really speak to this disaster...

"Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven." -Luke 21:10-11 (famines and pestilences are coming as a result of the earthquake)

“There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea." -Luke 21:25

So here I am, trying to see if there are any leaves on my fig tree (and I don't even have a fig tree) and getting all worried about the short time we may have left and contemplating what it means that "Jesus is at the gateway."

Suddenly, as a thief in the night, I am dumbstruke by Luke 21:35...

"Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap."

I repent of my anxiety. Not just for these fantastic "end times" but of anxiety for my job, my family, my church. Jesus told us...

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." -John 14:27

This is my desire

2005-01-01T06:02:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! The Clydes wish you peace, prosperity and joy in 2005.

Do not settle for SURVIVE, COME ALIVE in 2005! (Oh man, that is sooo bad.)
You will ARRIVE in 2005!
STRIVE to THRIVE in 2005! (Somebody stop me!!!!)
Connections do not DEPRIVE in 2005!
No JIVE in 2005!
May you have a big HARD DRIVE in 2005! (OK, buddy, you've stepped over the line)

"I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws." -Ezekiel 35:25-27

I want more of this promise to be real in my life. More Lord! Come quickly.

Manual of the Christian Knight

2004-12-30T19:14:00.000-08:00

I cut and pasted this entry from the blog of a friend of mine, Edward Norman. Thought it provoked thought as we go into the new year. Thanks, Edward. (http://teamusa911.blogspot.com)

(ENCHIRIDION MILITIS CHRISTIANI)
A Guide for the Righteous Protector, by Erasmus, 1503

First Rule - INCREASE YOUR FAITH
Even if the entire world appears mad.

Second Rule - ACT UPON YOUR FAITH
Even if you must undergo the loss of everything.

Third Rule - ANALYZE YOUR FEARS
You will find that things are not as bad as they appear.

Fourth Rule - MAKE VIRTUE THE ONLY GOALOF YOUR LIFE
Dedicate all your enthusiasm, all your effort, your leisure as well as your business.

Fifth Rule - TURN AWAY FROM MATERIAL THINGS
If you are greatly concerned with money you will be weak of spirit.

Sixth Rule - TRAIN YOUR MIND TO DISTINGUISH GOOD AND EVIL
Let your rule of government be determined by the common good.

Seventh Rule - NEVER LET ANY SETBACK STOP YOU IN YOUR QUEST
We are not perfect—this only means we should try harder.

Eighth Rule - IF YOU HAVE FREQUENT TEMPTATIONS, DO NOT WORRY
Begin to worry when you do not have temptation, because that is a sure sign that you cannot distinguish good from evil.

Ninth Rule - ALWAYS BE PREPARED FOR AN ATTACK
Careful generals set guards even in times of peace.

Tenth Rule - SPIT, AS IT WERE, IN THE FACE OF DANGER
Keep a stirring quotation with you for encouragement.

Eleventh Rule - THERE ARE TWO DANGERS: ONE IS GIVING UP, THE OTHER IS PRIDE
After you have performed some worthy task, give all the credit to someone else.

Twelfth Rule - TURN YOUR WEAKNESS INTO VIRTUE
If you are inclined to be selfish, make a deliberate effort to be giving.

Thirteenth Rule -TREAT EACH BATTLE AS THOUGH IT WERE YOUR LAST
And you will finish, in the end, victorious!

Fourteenth Rule - DON’T ASSUME THAT DOING GOOD ALLOWS YOU TO KEEP A FEW VICES
The enemy you ignore the most is the one who conquers you.

Fifteenth Rule - WEIGH YOUR ALTERNATIVES CAREFULLY
The wrong way will often seem easier than the right way.

Sixteenth Rule - NEVER ADMIT DEFEAT EVEN IF YOU HAVE BEEN WOUNDED
The good soldier’s painful wounds spur him to gather his strength.

Seventeenth Rule - ALWAYS HAVE A PLAN OF ACTION
So when the time comes for battle, you will knowwhat to do.

Eighteenth Rule - CALM YOUR PASSIONS BY SEEING HOW LITTLE THERE IS TO GAIN
We often worry and scheme about trifling matters of no real importance.

Nineteenth Rule - SPEAK WITH YOURSELFTHIS WAY:
If I do what I am considering, would I want my family to know about it?

Twentieth Rule - VIRTUE HAS ITS OWN REWARD
Once a person has it, they would not exchange it for anything.

Twenty-first Rule - LIFE CAN BE SAD, DIFFICULT,AND QUICK:MAKE IT COUNTFOR SOMETHING!
Since we do not knowwhen death will come, act honorably everyday.

Twenty-second Rule - REPENT YOUR WRONGS
Those who do not admit their faults have the most to fear.

The First Commandment

2004-12-29T08:20:00.000-08:00

I love my wife! I heard Roger Porter, a Harvard professor and advisor to 3 U.S. Presidents, talk about the role of the First Lady in shaping the nation.

At the end of the day, he said, there was one person on the face of the earth who only had the best interest of the President at heart, and that was the First Lady. Porter told us stories of how Pat Nixon, Nancy Reagan and Barbara Bush came to the "rabid" defense of their husbands. He told us that the First Lady has more influence on the President's thinking than anyone else. Roger Porter told us never to forget the power of the First Lady. (It just occured to me that I heard this speech during the Clinton administration. Maybe he was warning us.)

So...back to my wife. She'd make a great First Lady.

We had coffee this morning, thanks to a Christmas gift card from my daughter, and she initiated the conversation about CONNECTING. She told me that she agreed with the principal of connection, but that in my zeal for communicating the idea I had neglected the call for the First Commandment.

Please forgive me if I have overbalanced the idea that solutions come from peer to peer connecting without a prerequisit connection to God. A conversation Jesus had with a man comes to mind,

"One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, 'Of all the commandments, which is the most important?'

'The most important one,' answered Jesus, 'is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’There is no commandment greater than these.'”
-(Mark 12:28-31)

Please don't forget that the first connection must be with the one God in all three.

Blogging gets respect

2004-12-28T15:51:00.000-08:00

Here is an article in Fortune Magazine,
"Why There's No Escaping the Blog"
(Click Here to access article)

Southeast Asia Earthquake and Tsunami

2004-12-28T06:16:00.000-08:00

If you are looking for information on the tragedy and relief effort in Southeast Asia try:

http://tsunamihelp.blogspot.com/

This is a blog which lists relief efforts, ways you can help, and pieces of news.

BTW: This site lists the death count at 36,000 with estimates as high as 57,000.

May the peace of God comfort the world during this time of tragedy. May those who do not know Him come to know Him soon.

Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

2004-12-27T15:37:00.000-08:00

Following is my review of: Life Together
Author: Deitrich Bonnhoeffer
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0-06-060852-8
Genre: Religion & Spirituality
Pages: 122
Recommended: Yes
Score: ? out of 10
Summary: Don't know yet. Got the book today. However...it is very highly recommended by a dear and respected friend.
Link: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0060608528/qid=1104190416/sr=8-1/ref=pd_csp_1/002-9654075-5284856?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

Who is going to dis Bonhoeffer? Might as well call Bruce Springsteen a no-talent hack.

I got the book in today, so this is not a real review. My wife commented, "Aren't you supposed to review books that you have actually read?" She makes a good point. It's just that the first two paragraphs have already set me afire...

"'Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethern to dwell together in unity.' (Psalm 133:1)...
It is simply not to be taken for granted that the Christian has the privilege of living with other Christians. Jesus Christ lived in the midst of his enemies. At the end all his disciples deserted him. On the cross he was utterly alone, surrounded by evildoers and mockers. For this cause He has come, to bring peace to the enemies of God. So the Christian , too, belongs not in the seclusion of a cloistered life, but in the thick of foes. There is his commission, his work."

My Favorite Christmas Song

2004-12-25T08:39:00.000-08:00

O Holy Night

(you can skip the rest of this blog and go to this site: http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/o/h/oholynit.htm)

May this day be a blessing as you reflect on the love of Christ for you and every other person on this planet. That He would come to this world that we might be with Him forever.
We love you Jesus. Please come again, soon!

O holy night, the stars are brightly shining;
It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope, the weary soul rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees,
O hear the angel voices!
O night divine,
O night when Christ was born!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,
Here came the wise men from Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger,
In all our trials born to be our Friend!
He knows our need—to our weakness is no stranger.
Behold your King;
before Him lowly bend!
Behold your King; before Him lowly bend!

Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His Gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother
And in His Name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy Name!
Christ is the Lord! O praise His name forever!
His pow’r and glory evermore proclaim!
His pow’r and glory evermore proclaim!

Last night with the Father. What did they talk about?

2004-12-24T09:16:00.000-08:00

Today is Christmas Eve.

For the sake of discussion, let's just say that Christmas was the day on which Jesus was born. Today was the last day before the Son of God became flesh. I know that they were still one and that it was not until the cross that the perfect connection was broken for our sake. But the next day would be different. The next day a new experience would be brought to the team.

I wonder what God, The Spirit, and the Son talked about?

Was it like the Norman Rockwell picture of the young man with hope and expectation looking down the road while the father, hat in his hands, morned the seperation?

Did they laugh in the dance, the Perechorisis? Sucking up all the gusto of the moment?

Was the Son ready for the stench of sin?

Did the Son and the Spirit talk about the tag team approach they would take?

What does perfect connection do when disconnection is coming?

Immanuel: Our God Is With Us

2004-12-23T13:14:00.000-08:00

Immanuel
by Michael Card

A sign shall be given
A virgin will conceive
A human baby bearing
Undiminished deity

The glory of the nations
A light for all to see
That hope for all who will embrace
His warm reality

Immanuel
Our God is with us
And if God is with us
Who could stand against us
Our God is with us
Immanuel

For all those who live in the shadow of death
A glorious light has dawned
For all those who stumble in the darkness
Behold your light has come

Immanuel
Our God is with us
And if God is with us
Who could stand against us
Our God is with us
Immanuel

So what will be your answer?
Will you hear the call?
Of Him who did not spare His son
But gave him for us all

On earth there is no power
There is no depth or height
That could ever separate us
From the love of God in Christ

Immanuel
Our God is with us
And if God is with us
Who could stand against us
Our God is with us
Immanuel

Perichoresis

2004-12-21T12:08:00.000-08:00

OK, you theology snobs, what does this word mean?

Peri - around
Chorea - dance
Perichorea - to dance around
Perichoresis - The Divine Dance of the persons of the Trinity.

(source: http://www.onlinetrinity.com/TRIUNE/triune8.html )

"Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves." (John 14:10-11)

"Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance." (1 Pet 1:1-2)

The Divine Family of God is a perfectly integrated, connected community of three; God the Father, The Holy Spirit, and Jesus Christ the Son of God.

The fancy word, perichoresis, attempts to describe the interaction of the three. Interaction which is so perfect that THEY may be described as ONE.

The first objection to Christianity by the Islamic crowd is that we are polytheistic...we worship 3 gods, not the One True God. It is also a fundamental seperation of Christians and the Hebrew faith. So this topic is not one that should be taken lightly or glossed over. (For further investigation, here is a fairly plain language description, http://www.open.org/~mrdsnts/d01900.htm)

It is also a fundamental (uh, oh...he used the word fundamental) component of CONNECTING. We were created by and for a COMMUNITY of 3. If we can understand their dance, we can understand what being created in THEIR image means.

Perichoresis: The Divine Dance.

What are characteristics of the Trinity?
Can you illustrate these characteristics with stories from the Bible?
(e.g. The garden, Jesus' words in the Garden, His words on the cross)
Based on the concept of perichoresis, is our need for CONNECTING a part of His image?
How deep is this need?

Pray for Baby Ira

2004-12-18T18:53:00.000-08:00

Joe and Laura Hays were interns at a church we attended. They went back to school and have ended up in New York City where they are committed to a new work of God in Brooklyn.

You can learn more about them at http:\\brooklynchurchplant.blogspot.com .

They are experiencing personal tragedy and I am asking everyone to join in asking God for a miracle and testament of His goodness.

They are pregnant with their second child, Ira. They have found out the baby currently has severe developmental issues and may not live long after birth. Here is an excerpt from Joe's blog.

"Many have asked what we pray for when we pray about this. We pray first for a miracle. I want to show up at one of our doctor appointments and them say, "I'm not sure what happened but all the organs are in the right place now and the lungs look to be developing." We pray that Ira makes it through the pregnancy and then that he makes it through the surgery. We pray that we will hold on tight to our faith as it will be easy to lose it in a time like this. We pray for courage over the next few months of waiting along with patience. We pray for our role as parents of Sophia and that we will not overlook her during this time. We pray for our relationship and the communication in which we will need to partake now and in the future."

Will you help?

Penny and I have a saying hanging in our bedroom, "Prayer Changes Things."

Hear us, Father, heal baby Ira and make him whole.

The Search for Community

2004-12-17T05:58:00.000-08:00

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

Here is an excerpt from an earlier post,

Gen 1:26, 'Then God said, 'Let US make man is OUR likeness.'' We were formed by a God of Community for a life of community! It is not only in our DNA, it is the reflection of our creator. Is it surprising that seperation from someone with whom we have connected creates so much pain for us?

There was one correction to creation, (Gen. 2:18) "It is not good for the man to be ALONE. I will make a helper who is just right for him." God did not make an error. He wanted to puntuate the need for connection by a last minute addition. It was that "one last thought" moment when He delivered a most important message.Now feel the emotion when God is walking through the garden, ready to connect, and He asks, "Where are you?"

So CONNECTION, my friend, is my nominee for the purpose of "The Quest."

I don't know what you do on Wed. nights, but we have a group that meets at our home from 7:00 - 8:30. (Contact me if you want my address.)

Our topic beginning in January is "The Search for Community." I think you would find it very stimulating and I know the group would value your participation.

We are ready to allow the Holy Spirit to gather the great minds of greater Houston to discuss the world changing nature of Jesus in community.

Jesus set the standard, established the secret password, gave us the shibboleth for Christianity,

"By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” - John 13:35

So we will be looking at how "loving one another" can change the world...and we're not writing Beatle songs or smoking anything.

Let me know if you want more details.

With the love of Christ,

-ron

A little diversion

2004-12-16T05:42:00.000-08:00

I've been working from West Point, Georgia, 1 hour southwest of Atlanta, all week. A few local coloquialisms I've learned...

"Girl, you've done put your foot up in it!"
Translation: That food tastes very good, thank you.

"That fie!"
Translation: That is very nice

"That tastes so good it makes me want to smack my mama."
Translation: Girl, you've done put your foot up in it

:)

The Quest for The Quest

2004-12-14T16:43:00.000-08:00

Think Freshman English.
What are the great novels?

The Iliad and The Odyssey, the hunt for home
Huckleberry Finn, The Great American Novel, the hunt for freedom
Moby Dick, The Other Great American Novel, the hunt for revenge
The Legend of King Arthur, the hunt for the hunt

What about the most famous Bible stories?

Noah, the quest for dry land
Abraham, the quest for a home
The Exodus, the quest for the Promised Land
Jesus Christ, God's quest for reunification with man

Why do all the great stories include a quest? A hunt? A longing?

I almost forgot, "To go where no man has gone before. (intro weird music)" - Capt. James T. Kirk

There is something undeniable about this powerful force of humanity that searches...and searches...yet is never filled.

The poet in Ecclesiastes ponders,

"He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. " - Ecc. 3:11

Will we ever be filled? Is the greater value the quest? Is asking the question more important than finding the answer?

Do you think God created us with this "hole in the soul" or do you think it is created by our own sin when we are seperated from God?

Do you think I have asked enough questions for one posting?

OK, then, just two more questions.

What are we REALLY looking for? How can we find it?

Next posting I will offer my theory.

Connecting by Larry Crab

2004-12-12T19:52:00.000-08:00

Following is my review of:
Connecting
Author:
Larry Crabb
Publisher:
W Publishing Group / Thomas Nelson
ISBN:
0-8499-1413-2
Genre:
Religion & Spirituality
Pages:
212
Recommended:
Yes
Score:
9 out of 10
Summary:
Healing Communities for the soul wounds of life
Link:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0849914132/102-4823830-3712124?v=glance

"We have made a terrible mistake! For most of this century we have wrongly defined soul wounds as pyschological disorders and delegated their treatment to trained specialists. Damaged pysches aren't the problem. The problem is disconnected souls. What we need is connection! What we need is a healing community!" - back cover

"Relationships heal when they reflect the energy of Christ. We can impact others by:
letting people know we delight in them as Christ does; eagerly looking for the goodness in someone's heart and identifying the passions that are prompting loving, strong choices;
exposing the darkness in someone's heart, their sin and pain, in order to engage them more convincingly with the Savior's kindness; it's the kindness of God that leads to repentance.
These three ingredients of powerfully healing relationships are available to every Christian but practiced so little. However, when they are practiced...enormous good can result." p. 21

"Nothing is more fundamental to appreciating the essence of Christian living than to ponder the implications of a central but often neglected truth: We have all been created by an Eternal Community of three fully connected persons." - p. 53

Please let me add my own thought to this last passage.
Gen 1:26, "Then God said, 'Let US make man is OUR likeness.'"
We were formed by a God of Community for a life of community! It is not only in our DNA, it is the reflection of our creator. Is it surprising that seperation from someone with whom we have connected creates so much pain for us?

There was one correction to creation, (Gen. 2:18) "It is not good for the man to be ALONE. I will make a helper who is just right for him." God did not make an error. He wanted to puntuate the need for connection by a last minute addition. It was that "one last thought" moment when He delivered a most important message.

Now feel the emotion when God is walking through the garden, ready to connect, and He asks, "Where are you?"

Hello world

2004-12-10T21:24:00.000-08:00

Hello world