Knowing ...

I have been thinking about this recently and I guess its about time I wrote a blog about it. 

Have you ever wondered what it meant when the writers of Scripture used the term "knew" like in Genesis 4:1; 1 Samuel 1:19; or Matthew 1:25? In this context it is speaking to a sexual intimacy but I want to stretch this a little further and suggest that "knowing" another, sexual intercourse aside, is exactly what God wants for us and the communities that we inhabit. This vernacular of "knowing" is how I understand foreknowledge when it is spoken of in the NT- "God fore-loved us before the foundation of the earth." I think all of us can agree that there is a bond that happens between 2 individuals when they are honest and vulnerable with one another- within the context of these verses we could use the word naked. I think that there is something to all of this that we all may know but may not realize- I am walking into this realization myself- that is this: because of Jesus' death we have been reconciled back to God, we do not need a high priest to offer up a sacrifice for our sins now because Jesus was the high priest who became the spot less lamb that justified us despite our sin. We can know God directly because of Jesus. Most of the time when I read someone's religious views on facebook it says something to the effect of "its not a religion, its a relationship" and I agree. So if we use this relationship between God and man (which is the definition of theology) to model the rest of our relationships, how then should we model our relationships, which are intended to be a reflection of the triune love of God? I think most of my failed relationships have been the product of someone who isn't being honest. Please do not assume that because I write this blog that I am always forthcoming with my emotions and feelings. I try ...

The reason I pose the question is because I realize how scared we all are. We all have baggage and we are all scared of what people will think of us if that baggage is made known. This isn't intended to be directed at any certain type of person- it is intended for all people. If you are completely open with our hearts- great. But, if someone is open with you about their heart- guard it! It has been my growing conviction that when people expose their baggage to me it only amplifies the love and affection I previously had for them. Remember we are called to humble ourselves, serve others, and associate with the lowly! I want to love and be loved; I believe this is what God made us for. Sorry, Chris Tomlin! (not really) 

This is an encouragement to remember that God knows us and we are to know God. We are to bear his image. Maybe we can work towards being vulnerable with one another, thereby, bonding together! I just know that there is something to be learned from all of this. 

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’-Jesus (Matthew 7:21-23)

WARNING: You may not like what you find ... love them anyways. If you can't do it in love, don't do it! God, I need to hear that as much as anyone!

Seth

Pebbles and hot irons ...

I found my old video camera recently and decided to watch some of the old videos I had made over the years. There were videos of me in different studios, road trips, hiking adventures, and shows. I remember thinking a couple of things- First: damn I was a fat dude. Second: I look so carefree.

Its so hard for me to remember so much of who I was. It sounds sad but the way I utilize my time and my thought process are so completely different now. I know one thing was for certain- I was all about me and my goals. All I knew back then was that I wanted to play music. I didn't care so much about others- I only really cared when they got in my way. I was all about me- me, me, me! But, what really upset me was that as I thought about who I used to be I started to think of people I know now- older, same age, and younger.

Nowadays so much of who I am in centered on others. I observe people and im always looking for solutions for myself and the people I meet. I wont lie, or even pretend- life is as hard as hell now. I thank God for this change but at times I often wish for a reprise- a chance to come up for a fresh breath. Maybe I am some sort of glory whore in the sense that I wish I had more like-minded friends- to assume that my mind is the way a mind should be: no, not all together. It is such a bummer to know that the one thing you want to talk about is the one thing that others will barricade themselves from really talking about.

All of that to say this- this morning I found this video and it made me realize something about my video camera. The puddles that the author had thrown his rock into were actually me. It was my puddle, my rock, my toss. It just look a second take for me to feel it. Did I do this to myself?

Go to vimeo.com and search for "Reservoirs of Grief"

Perhaps I am fortunate to have had this camera and to have been able to document this stuff unknowingly ... right now it feels like I have a parking garage strapped to my back.

Gender bender ...

My hope for this blog is that it will become a vessel for conversation- by conversation I mean exactly that. What I am about to propose in this blog may hit people in an odd spot but for the most part it is a conviction of mine that I am only going to vaguely paint for you- and I will be using very broad strokes in so doing. There is faith and reason on the one hand and in the other we find imagination and emotion on the other ... the tricky part is find a bridge between the 2 so that they become coterminous, where it is appropriate, while retaining separate where is it necessary also.

*disclaimer* DO NOT assume that I am pointing a finger, rather, I am trying to become more clear on this topic and would love your involvement. Lets seek truth together.

It is my conviction that, for the most part, based off of what I know, the sort of theology that is being taught to young men and women, in relationship to the opposite sex, on either a cordial or an intimate level, is harmful because it seems to be dissonant on a pretty elementary level and its surprising to see the amount of passivity towards it.

Let me explain ...

I have heard many women portray both the "men and women are equal" and "men are the leaders" ideology in the same conversations. I will admit that when discussing this topic there is, to a degree, a bit of ambiguity. But, I am not so certain that this "cognitive dissonance" is without blemish and can remain innocent. And this isn't even my point ...

The cognitive dissonance within this topic takes yet another step in an unhealthy and ambiguous direction when it says that "the perfect man looks like Jesus" ...

Let me explain ...

The goal of submission to Jesus' Lordship is for us to bear God's image as Christ did- the Bible gives us multiple examples of this "divine image"- for by so doing we reflect the Kingdom of God and participate in the establishment of that Kingdom in the here and now.

1. I am uncomfortable knowing that women say "the perfect man looks like Jesus" as this seems to ignore the fact that we are all called, as followers of Christ, to deny ourselves and take up our cross daily, put off the old self, discern good from evil, etc. We are ALL called to reflect God's image.

2. From this standpoint, and from my interactions with multiple females on this topic, I am noticing that in our society we believe that women represent purity and by so assuming this we become enamored by the cultural assumption that women are pure and innocent. Is this true? ...

Given these 2 variables (foundational variables as they are so taught) I think the tension is becoming clear. Men are taught to be Christ-like (roughly) and women are taught to find Christ-like men. Two problems arise in my thought process immediately: 1. Men are taught to pursue Holiness (some form of pseudo morality leadership amplification program rather) while women, as it is the cultural assumption, are already there by default (enter the pure and innocent generalization towards women) ... I don't believe anyone is pure and innocent. 2. Men are finding value and life in the females acknowledgement to their "Christ-likeness" ... I think these ideals lack grace and humility too an unnerving degree and, by enforcing this theology, both men and women have both become, and made others into idols- this includes both genders. Example: I know of one female who will not marry a man who is not a virgin (???) We live in a society that chooses to pursue God through things rather than going directly to God- it sort of spits on the face of Christ sacrifice if you think about it. I don't like this model because it is way to easy for guys to get hurt and for girls to walk away unscathed and as pure as ever, it also eliminates the part of relationships that is co-labor-some- how do you serve someone when the focus on you being served? . How do we urge young women in that same direction if they are already under the assumption that they represent purity and innocence? In the context of Ephesians 5, Paul speaks of marriage as a means of sanctification- a means of holiness, a process. Are we actually hurting ourselves when we have been taught that this is how we are to protect ourselves?

"Sanctification- the state of being sanctified. The state of growing in divine grace as a result of Christian commitment after baptism or conversion."-Mirriam-Webster

My vision of leadership is not the same as the "flag-ship" or the "reconnaissance" model that so many men and women hold to. I envision the covenant of marriage working best from a side by side model ... not one in front of the other with one leading the way. We are called to participate in the establishment of the Kingdom together, as one!

Again, please remember that the strokes by which I am painting this much broader picture are very broad themselves ... if need be I can clarify things further. But, id enjoy hearing for you.

Thoughts?

The complexity & simplicity of love.

I feel like love is complex. It has been made more and more clear to me that the creation of man was an expression of love and that the redemption of that expression was in fact redeemed by yet another expression of love in Jesus. To say that love is complex probably isn't doing it justice but I wonder how much of love we complicate. How many unnecessary boundaries do we place around love and forgiveness? Even forgiveness is an expression of love. How many of the complexities of love do we over emphasize at the expense of side stepping the "less complex" aspects of being a community that is indeed a reflection of the triune love of the trinity? I am not trying to manufacture anything here or force anyone's hand but maybe our environment has become such that it has enamored us from being more. At this point, judging things from the biblical model in relation to the community I see around me, the communities I periodically come into contact with, and even the global community of God- I cant help but wonder "have we set the bar to low?"

When I was a kid I admired a few bands- from The Smashing Pumpkins, to Radiohead, to Deftones, I was completely enamored by them- especially the guitarist! I would get tablature books for whole albums and try my hand at mimicking the songs note for note. To me, this was the standard for being a great musician. The music they wrote was the only music that mattered, the way they dressed was how "good" musicians dressed, the gear they played was what anyone with a brain would obviously play. But, as I grew older I became increasingly aware that this was just one take of a broader picture within the framework of music and even spirituality. Early on I thought that spirituality and rock music were at odds with one another so depending on which of the 2 I was indulging in I had to suppress my "wild side" The older I got, and the more I got out, the more I became aware that their were people who were fusing both heavy music with spirituality and making great strides in doing so. At this point, and ever since, I have not been so great at separating the music I play from the Lord I have submitted my life to. At points there was music that was completely against my worldview and, as it was dragging me down, I got rid of it. However, with out continually growing in my understanding of music, the world, and people, I would not have ever broken that mindset ... who knows, it could have deeply shaped me in a way that would look totally different that the person I am today.

So what does this have to do with love and forgiveness? Quite a bit! It is important that we never think to ourselves that we have "got it" or that "we understand"or that we have found a more palatable standard by which to gauge these virtues. This all ties directly back into the complexities of love- if we water down aspects of being Christ-like we are neglecting to view Calvary in its proper respect. 

Maybe in our minds we envision love as "this" or "that" and we find the things we want in a person before we can love them with our whole heart. I submit to you that in doing this you are fashioning an idol. This idol may never make its way into your life (in the form of Mr. or Mrs. Perfect), and it may, but you will be diluting your love down to some sort of exclusive affection that, given Christ, does NOT exist. But, I don't want to dwindle love down into the vein of marriage as if it is the "end all be all". But, if that be the case it would be best to keep in mind that we are in a marital covenant with Christ- the body of Christ, his bride! IF marriage is the "complex" side of love to us now lets not forget that as Christians we are already married. Lets leave behind this model in light of Christ and seek to always love and serve one another. 

Love is as simple and complex as we could ever imagine ... no one needs to be reminded as this more than myself. I just want a healthy balance.

Love,

Seth

What's on the ole thinker as of late.

I have been thinking quite a bit about ... A LOT! Im gonna use this blog to just spew a few thoughts and if anyone has any dialogue to add I would love to hear it.

1. I have given quite a bit of thought to the polarization's between the Kingdom of God and our American government. I am at a lost as to how lop sided this argument is BUT, regardless, the people of America who associate themselves with the body of Christ are so easily compelled to neglect the teachings of Jesus and Paul to serve this country and join in some sort of Just war as if justice was ours to administer. I think by having this mindset we set ourselves up to neglect humility and servitude- 2 ethics that are central to Christendom. People often say that John Calvin was the most influential theologian of all time but im thinking that it was probably Constantine. He really set things in motion for the fusion of American values and Christian ethics- this is not to assume that they aligned themselves, this is to say that people often assume that American values are a reflection of Christianity. However, there are those who feel that they are not being biblical christians because they are not submitting to the "laws of the land" ... this is a conversation that the church really needs to have. Christians in general need to become more conditioned to asking questions.

2. Im seeing and hearing of more and more women making criticisms of males. I think this is backwards. I feel that in making these sort of assessments that we forget that we are called, both men and women to reflect God! Holiness and righteousness are the goal. I don't want to fall victim to the compartmentalizing of genders as to neglect in bearing the image of God. The first step in biblical leadership, either male or female, is submission to Jesus' lordship- his rule. Good leaders, from a Biblical standpoint, are lead! Jesus is the way to the Father- we lead people to him! amen.

3. I have come to the realization that despite my natural tendencies and inclinations I, being submitted to Christ' lordship, I find myself realizing that I am a pacifist. Does this mean that I am passive? No! This means that I will never resort to physical violence because it is what Jesus taught ... even as I say that I feel the tension and the weariness to uphold that creep in around me. MY vernacular will remain the same, but it will never manifest itself into a physical attack. Man, if all of my old buds new that I was a pacifist they would be so disappointed.

4. Still working out my thoughts concerning my previous blog- I think I am seeing a few loop holes. I will be addressing them shortly.

Love,
Seth

Here goes something ...

Been trying to think of ways to put this and I definitely want to do some more research concerning this topic but here goes ...

As I imagine it, if you were to draw a soteriological line and look down that line from say creation in the Old Testament towards the second coming you would not be able to see the future Eschaton without looking directly through Jesus. But when people stand, as New Testament believers, and look back towards the ontological end(Old Testament) of this line we see God in the Old Testament kicking ass and taking names. He is commanding armies to kill and He is using acts nature to judge sin. However, in order to apply that theology to the identity of God in Jesus I feel that most people are abandoning the same Jesus that they viewed the Eschaton through in there attempts to peer back into the Old Testament; as if God still uses weather and militaries to enact his judgement and wrath on mankind. It deeply saddens me that people hear of an earthquake, or a tsunami, and say "God is judging them for their sin!" Its hard to reconcile that within the person of Jesus, who died for all sin- past, present, and future.

I think Jesus changed things and when we move the interaction of God with His creation in the Old Testament and try to reconcile that to the present day, post-calvary, Kingdom come, etc. and say that God is STILL doing that I feel that we have abandoned Jesus in that assessment.

Jesus changed things ... don't you think?

Losing my mind?

Most of the time I feel like a madman. I see so many people walking around with a peace of mind that I can only envy. I can't help but view this world through the lens of the Gospel and as a side effect I often ponder everything ranging from a persons possible motives to the mindset that engenders their actions. I can't help but view myself most critically ... It just looks so nice to be able to set all of this aside and just watch a movie- some mindless task, enough to just let my mind rest and let my conscience surface long enough to catch a breath.

I have to pause every so often, take a look around, and wonder "what does it mean?" ... I can't help but consider the cost for everything that we have been offered. Its getting to the point that I can't function socially because I am constantly chewing on something; trying to figure it out or understand it (especially how to apply it to my life) Its an unending journey with obstacles around every corner.

So, I find myself wondering if I need some sort of aesthetic release? Do I need solitude? Do I need help- mentally? What will it take to set my mind at ease? After all, I just want enough time to hear my friends before their words and gestures become lost due to an overbearing conscience! Is this a problem all of my own? Are their others out their like me? It seems like the pursuit of God has stunted my relationships with other believers ... but why?

Maybe, at the end of the day I just want the same things for my friends that I want for myself. I want to know that this is achieving some sort of good within my community ...