References:
• Psalm 102:8-28
• Isaiah 55:1-13
• John 15:1-17
I can’t remember if I have mentioned this or not, but the Bible Study that I have been leading has been going through the Heidelberg Catechism for the last several months. It has been a very interesting journey together, studying this catechism in order to better understand our own faith. Not only do these questions and answers, with their Scripture references, challenge us with our own relationship with Christ, they also give us tools to better articulate what we believe and why.
While we were going through the several pages of Scripture references for Question and Answer #31, I was struck with how appropriate three of them were for this Season of Lent. One is a Psalm, one is a passage from Isaiah, and the third is from the Gospel of John. Let’s take a short look at each of them.
Psalm 102 is a psalm of distress where everything feels helpless. It is almost like that author has hit rock bottom in his/her life, that he/she has to “look up to see the bottom of the well.” Not only does the author feel like his/her enemies have surrounded them and closing in, but the author also feels like God Himself has “lifted me up and cast me away.” Deeply troubling, wouldn’t you say?
In all honesty, how often do we feel like evil people are closing in on us and that we have no hope? How often does it feel like no amount of praying is solving the problem? How often does the darkness that we are currently walking through feel like it is all consuming? Once in a while? Often? Daily?
We all go through seasons like this, where there seems like there is absolutely no home left. We often wonder why God is so ‘quiet’ in our lives, all the while we go through darkness and pain. There are, unfortunately, no easy answer. Although we all endure times like this in our lives, we often don’t understand why. For me, it is so very frustrating to be experiencing these things, know that God loves me and will take care of me, but yet the “valley of the shadow of death” is all too consuming.
All we can prayerfully do is keep our focus on Christ and remind ourselves that He has a purpose for us. In the Psalm 102:12-28, the author reminds him/herself of this. That since God has founded the heavens and the earth, that though they all will perish, He will still endure. And, since God is a loving and faithful to those who call on Him.
Along this line of thought, let’s turn to the Isaiah passage. Here Isaiah dictates as God speaks, come to Him for free grace. God contrasts our need for physical food and drink, that is only temporary, to the free spiritual nourishment that He gives those who will receive it.
When Isaiah writes, “everlasting covenant,” he is referring to the kind of one-sided covenant that God made with Abram in Genesis. During ancient times, people would make a blood covenant with each other by walking through the blood of animals much like what Abram (later Abraham). The idea was, whom ever would break the covenant (like a peace treaty) with the other, then the person who broke the covenant should be killed like the beasts that they walked between. Both people making the covenant would walk through after agreeing what each had to do in order to uphold their part of the bargain. However, in verses 12-21, God makes the covenant with Abram, as a ‘flaming torch (v. 17) and God alone walks through the blood covenant. It is understood that the ‘flaming torch’ then consumes everything as He goes through it so that Abram cannot go through. The meaning? It is all dependent on God, not us. All we are required is to ‘trust and obey’ within our ability. God will take care of everything else.
One other thing that really stood out to me are verses 8-11. For me, these are very comforting in that, though I do not understand all that God calls me to do or why I experience all that I do, God has a plan. God calls me to obedience and to trust Him with the results. Since I do not have the “eternal perspective” that He has, I do not understand all that He is doing through me. But, God’s promise to me is that what I do in faith, He will honor and bless. If He calls me to do something, there is a reason and that God will accomplish something through it.
Fast forward several hundred years from Isaiah to when John wrote his Gospel…. Starting in John 13, we see that Jesus is celebrating the Last Supper with His Disciples. In John 13:31-38, Jesus predicts Peter’s denial. Then in John 14:1-15, Jesus states that He is the only way to come onto God (receive salvation). After this, Jesus promises the Holy Spirit to all believers in verses 16-31. Then in John 15:1-17, Jesus teaches them about Him being the Vine and everyone else being the branches. When we are connected/grafted into Him, we receive our spiritual nourishment and grow, even thrive. Cut off from Him, we wither and die.
But, what I want to focus on most is John 15:15-16. During this last, intimate meal between Jesus and His Disciples, Jesus now calls the Disciples (and us as well) His friends. Though Jesus is Lord of all creation, He calls each and everyone of us who believe in Him and His grace, His friend. Not only are we chosen by God to be His friend, but we are also chosen by Him to “bear fruit.”
This Season of Lent and Easter, let us choose to remember that God has called each of us out of our deepest pain and despair to receive His free grace. Not just that, but even more! Through the finished work of Jesus Christ, God calls us to be His friend and to ‘bear much fruit!’ Though we may understand little of what we go through, God has a purpose for each and everyone of us. Though Jesus is our Lord and Savior, our Holy and Righteous Creator, He also wants to be our close and trusted friend. How awesome is that?!
Tuesday, March 28, 2017
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
Love Waiting
Well, I am trying to do some on-line training. However, the site that I am trying to do my training does not want to cooperate. So, I am doing a quick blog entry while I am waiting for tech support.
I don't know about you, but there are some things that I am very good at waiting for. It drives my wife bananas that I can patiently wait for Christmas or my birthday and not need to know what I am getting. She will occasionally ask me if I want any 'hints,' and I politely tell her, "nah... No thanks." Believe it or not, this sometimes starts over a month out. Needless to say, she isn't very patient when it comes to wanting to know what her gifts are.
I believe that all of us can be very patient with some things and very impatient with other things. Some people can exercise great patience in almost every area of their life, while others are very impulsive with most areas of their lives. Don't you wish you could have "the patience of Job" in all areas of your life? I know that I do, sometimes. The thing is, patience is a learned skill, and one that is very perishable (can be easily lost), in my opinion.
The thing is, if you ask a large number of people how they became patient, many of them (dare I say almost all of them) would confess that they learned patience out of necessity with dealing with adversity. Instead of God just 'granting them patience' in a miraculous way, God challenged them to learn patience through trial. I know, not fun, huh?
One of the ancient words used in the Old Testament for God's love is 'hassad.' It means 'steadfast or long-suffering love.' It means that God's love endures, is exceptionally patient with us as we mess up and rebel against Him. He continues to call to us, in spite of the fact that we willfully walk away. In fact, God's 'hassad' is so great, not only did He stoop to our level, He also took our sins upon Himself so that we could be redeemed. I encourage you to reflect on that this Lent.
I don't know about you, but there are some things that I am very good at waiting for. It drives my wife bananas that I can patiently wait for Christmas or my birthday and not need to know what I am getting. She will occasionally ask me if I want any 'hints,' and I politely tell her, "nah... No thanks." Believe it or not, this sometimes starts over a month out. Needless to say, she isn't very patient when it comes to wanting to know what her gifts are.
I believe that all of us can be very patient with some things and very impatient with other things. Some people can exercise great patience in almost every area of their life, while others are very impulsive with most areas of their lives. Don't you wish you could have "the patience of Job" in all areas of your life? I know that I do, sometimes. The thing is, patience is a learned skill, and one that is very perishable (can be easily lost), in my opinion.
The thing is, if you ask a large number of people how they became patient, many of them (dare I say almost all of them) would confess that they learned patience out of necessity with dealing with adversity. Instead of God just 'granting them patience' in a miraculous way, God challenged them to learn patience through trial. I know, not fun, huh?
One of the ancient words used in the Old Testament for God's love is 'hassad.' It means 'steadfast or long-suffering love.' It means that God's love endures, is exceptionally patient with us as we mess up and rebel against Him. He continues to call to us, in spite of the fact that we willfully walk away. In fact, God's 'hassad' is so great, not only did He stoop to our level, He also took our sins upon Himself so that we could be redeemed. I encourage you to reflect on that this Lent.
Friday, March 10, 2017
Spring Cleaning and Memories
Over the last several months, my wife and I have been going through some of our many boxes and crates of things that we have collected over the years. We have been slowly going through things, trying to figure out what we still need and what we can get rid off. It's amazing how much 'stuff' can accumulate in just a few years time!
For some things, it is easy to determine if we want to keep it or not. Other things require a bit of thought. We often have to ask ourselves, "Do I really want to keep this? How important is it to me?"
As I have been going through things, many memories have been triggered. I came across some correspondence between my ex-wife and her family several weeks ago. A bit of a painful time in my life, so I did not keep it. I also have come across several different sets of things from when I was going through the ordination process with the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the United Methodist Church. Some of the things were important documents of schooling and evaluations that definitely needed to be kept. Some other things were not nearly that important. But all had to be evaluated.
I have also come across quite at bit from the different vacations that our family has been on together. Some of the brochures no longer needed to be kept. But, some of them did for when we can put a scrapbook together. Again, many different memories came to my mind.
Isn't it interesting how seeing something will trigger one or many different memories? An old letter from a close friend, a special gift from someone who has passed away, a certificate from something that was a major achievement, or an evaluation that was not very positive but still a growing experience? I have had many such experiences these last few months as I have been doing this. There have been a few times where I took a short break to contemplate the memories that an item brought back, even if they were not very pleasant.
One of the more pleasant memories surrounded a couple pages of a note that my "church grandma" had written me many years ago. Because my dad was a pastor and my mom sang in the choir, I had to sit with other people in the congregation during worship. I probably sat with three or four different couples or families on a regular basis, but one couple, the McCleods, were the ones that I sat with the most. In fact, Charles and Ethel McCleod became my 'church grandparents.' On many different occasions I would spend time with them while I was growing up in Kansas. Needless to say, a real flood of memories came back to me when I came across just one letter from them!
We all have memories that we deeply cherish, as well as ones that we would rather forget. But, all of those memories help to create who we are today. It has been my experience that God can use each of those memories in His plan for us. I know that this may come as a shock to some of you. But, God can, and often does, bring beauty out of our ashes. In fact, we may never know how He may use the different experiences that we have had. Nor may we fully realize what God does through us on this side of heaven.
At different points of our lives, we will have to go through the things that have accumulated in our lives. they are physical things or just emotions and memories themselves. How will we sort through them? What kind of criteria will we sue for what we want to keep and what we want to get rid of? At least with the physical things we can get rid of. The emotions and memories, especially the negative ones, not so easy. It is a challenge, is it not? For me, the hope is that God will take all of my experiences, from the wonderful to the extremely painful, and use them for His glory. As we prepare for Easter this Lenten season, perhaps that is something we all should prayerfully considering, how God might made beauty out of our ashes.
For some things, it is easy to determine if we want to keep it or not. Other things require a bit of thought. We often have to ask ourselves, "Do I really want to keep this? How important is it to me?"
As I have been going through things, many memories have been triggered. I came across some correspondence between my ex-wife and her family several weeks ago. A bit of a painful time in my life, so I did not keep it. I also have come across several different sets of things from when I was going through the ordination process with the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the United Methodist Church. Some of the things were important documents of schooling and evaluations that definitely needed to be kept. Some other things were not nearly that important. But all had to be evaluated.
I have also come across quite at bit from the different vacations that our family has been on together. Some of the brochures no longer needed to be kept. But, some of them did for when we can put a scrapbook together. Again, many different memories came to my mind.
Isn't it interesting how seeing something will trigger one or many different memories? An old letter from a close friend, a special gift from someone who has passed away, a certificate from something that was a major achievement, or an evaluation that was not very positive but still a growing experience? I have had many such experiences these last few months as I have been doing this. There have been a few times where I took a short break to contemplate the memories that an item brought back, even if they were not very pleasant.
One of the more pleasant memories surrounded a couple pages of a note that my "church grandma" had written me many years ago. Because my dad was a pastor and my mom sang in the choir, I had to sit with other people in the congregation during worship. I probably sat with three or four different couples or families on a regular basis, but one couple, the McCleods, were the ones that I sat with the most. In fact, Charles and Ethel McCleod became my 'church grandparents.' On many different occasions I would spend time with them while I was growing up in Kansas. Needless to say, a real flood of memories came back to me when I came across just one letter from them!
We all have memories that we deeply cherish, as well as ones that we would rather forget. But, all of those memories help to create who we are today. It has been my experience that God can use each of those memories in His plan for us. I know that this may come as a shock to some of you. But, God can, and often does, bring beauty out of our ashes. In fact, we may never know how He may use the different experiences that we have had. Nor may we fully realize what God does through us on this side of heaven.
At different points of our lives, we will have to go through the things that have accumulated in our lives. they are physical things or just emotions and memories themselves. How will we sort through them? What kind of criteria will we sue for what we want to keep and what we want to get rid of? At least with the physical things we can get rid of. The emotions and memories, especially the negative ones, not so easy. It is a challenge, is it not? For me, the hope is that God will take all of my experiences, from the wonderful to the extremely painful, and use them for His glory. As we prepare for Easter this Lenten season, perhaps that is something we all should prayerfully considering, how God might made beauty out of our ashes.
Wednesday, March 8, 2017
Just Some Thoughts
Yes, I know that it has been quite a while since I've written an entry. Most days have been fairly busy. Eben though I started this blog entry several weeks ago, I wanted to try and fish it.
For those who know me, I have been dealling with lower back and knee pain for the last year plus. Although some issues with my back seem to be improving, other things have been staying the same or getting worse. Some days I do well. Other days are much more difficult. I praise God for mow much my National Guard unit and the prison have worked with me so much. That has helped during the more painful days. Because all of my issues are related to my last deployment (service related), I have been working on VA Disability claim and getting a permanent profile with the Army. One thing after another seemed to get in the way. However, as of a week ago, things seem to now be moving forward with both. Your prayers for these things would be greatly appreciated.
A meme was shared by someone I know concerning pastors, the poor, and taxing churches. The top picture was of a 'mega church' with the phrase "If a church looks like this...;" the second picture was of a huge mansion, with the text of "And the pastor lives in this...;" and the third picture was of a woman (crying) with a sad looking girl, and the caption was "And we still have homeless families..." The last sentence in the meme had to do with 'Maybe we should tax churches.'
I have to admit, I was pretty angry when I saw that meme. I grew up a pastor's kid and have worked as a pastor on several occasions. I also have several close friends who are pastors. The fact of the matter is, very few pastors have a high income. We are both employed and self-employed, so we have to save money every month for paying taxes. For a 'full-time' pastor, one typically works 60+ hours each week because of all the planning, meetings, visitations, emergencies, etc. Most pastors are 'middle income.' Only a very small percentage make extreme amounts of money.
Such a meme is tasteless, or even down right insulting. I am saddened that people post such non-sense. Especially when you consider the fact that people like Osteen, who 'claims' to be Christian, is more of a 'touchie-feelie" self-help guru. His 'positive thinking' is only loosely based on Scripture and mostly 'feel-good' pop-psychology. Please, think about things before posting them.
Life goes on for me. I will try to post more later. May God bless you richly!
For those who know me, I have been dealling with lower back and knee pain for the last year plus. Although some issues with my back seem to be improving, other things have been staying the same or getting worse. Some days I do well. Other days are much more difficult. I praise God for mow much my National Guard unit and the prison have worked with me so much. That has helped during the more painful days. Because all of my issues are related to my last deployment (service related), I have been working on VA Disability claim and getting a permanent profile with the Army. One thing after another seemed to get in the way. However, as of a week ago, things seem to now be moving forward with both. Your prayers for these things would be greatly appreciated.
A meme was shared by someone I know concerning pastors, the poor, and taxing churches. The top picture was of a 'mega church' with the phrase "If a church looks like this...;" the second picture was of a huge mansion, with the text of "And the pastor lives in this...;" and the third picture was of a woman (crying) with a sad looking girl, and the caption was "And we still have homeless families..." The last sentence in the meme had to do with 'Maybe we should tax churches.'
I have to admit, I was pretty angry when I saw that meme. I grew up a pastor's kid and have worked as a pastor on several occasions. I also have several close friends who are pastors. The fact of the matter is, very few pastors have a high income. We are both employed and self-employed, so we have to save money every month for paying taxes. For a 'full-time' pastor, one typically works 60+ hours each week because of all the planning, meetings, visitations, emergencies, etc. Most pastors are 'middle income.' Only a very small percentage make extreme amounts of money.
Such a meme is tasteless, or even down right insulting. I am saddened that people post such non-sense. Especially when you consider the fact that people like Osteen, who 'claims' to be Christian, is more of a 'touchie-feelie" self-help guru. His 'positive thinking' is only loosely based on Scripture and mostly 'feel-good' pop-psychology. Please, think about things before posting them.
Life goes on for me. I will try to post more later. May God bless you richly!
Wednesday, February 15, 2017
When God Speaks
References:
• Blog Entry written by Josh Buice
• Mark 13:11 NKJV
• John 14:26 NKJV
• Philippians 3:15 NKJV
• James 4:14-17 NKJV
Someone I know on Facebook asked what other thought about the above article, so I read it. Well, honestly, I tried to read it. It’s not very often that I come across articles that I cannot finish reading. This was one of them.
I am sure that Josh Buice meant well. However, I read the article with more than a little discomfort. This is because a young Christian could easily come away after reading the article and think, “God does not speak to me, so therefore God does not care about me.” Nothing can be further from the truth!
Now, there is a difference between people saying, “God told me..” because He inspired him or her to do something and someone saying, “God told me…” because they are trying to justify their own agenda. If what a person is saying or writing clearly clearly contradicts God’s Word, then they are teaching/speaking from their own human (sinful) spirit or it is demonically inspired. However, if it is something that is not clearly contradict Scripture but honors it, is edifying, points people back to God, etc., then it is probably Divinely inspired.
Now, there will be no more ‘inspiration’ of Scripture. What we have as Scripture is complete, from Genesis through Revelation. That much is very, very true. However, God will still ‘speak to us’ via the Holy Spirit. We are given God’s Spirit (Holy Spirit) for our guidance, encouragement, correct, etc. If God gives us to encourage and guide us and ‘instruct us,’ this it is a given that God will ‘speak to us.’
Although I grew up a pastor’s kid, it wasn’t until I was 20 that I gave my life to Christ. That was back in January of 1994. Over the decades, God has spoken to me on numerous occasions. Very rarely has it been an ‘audible voice.’ More often than not, it will be a nudge in my spirit, my conscience, highlight something in my thoughts (so that it really stands out), etc. Very rarely has it been in ‘distinct words.’
On many occasions while being a pastor in a church (while going through an ordination process), doing a Bible study, or something else, where I will clearly feel God directing me to do something, focus on something, etc. This is especially the case when God is directing me to confront something that is wrong (like a wrong belief that a local church wants to believe). On several occasions I have felt God directing me to confront something and will not let me ‘have peace’ until I obey.
One example that comes to mind… Many years ago, I had the opportunity to give a sermon at the church that my dad had once pastored and that I had grown up in. When my dad first shared this opportunity with me, I felt a very, very unusual sense of excitement to doing it, as if God was not just giving me ‘permission’ to do so, but very much wanted me to do so. Along with this, I felt ‘inspired’ to preach about my conversion. It wasn’t a ‘got knocked off my horse’ kind of conversation like Saul had, but more of a ‘quiet one.’ When I shared this with my dad, he ‘reminded me’ that the church used the liturgy and I was expected to follow it. Ironically (and hilariously to me), the passage was Luke 24:13-33, which perfectly described how I went from ‘just head knowledge’ to ‘saving heart knowledge.’
If Josh Buice’s goal was to speak against people saying, “God told me…” so that they could ‘add to Scripture’ or support their own agenda, I would whole heartily agree. However, the tone and words of the article spoke very differently to me. It spoke of a cold god who did not care about how we lived our lives. Think of it this way… Because of our sinful nature, there is no way we could live in obedience to God based on the Bible. We are absolutely incapable of doing so. It is when God gives us the Holy Spirit to dwell within us that God can guide us. If God guides us to live according to His Will (and His Word), then He is, in fact, ‘speaking to us.’ And, there will be times where God will very clearly instruct us to talk with a certain person, go to a certain place, maybe even some of the courses or college major to focus on. How God does that will be just as varied as there are people on this earth. But, because our God is a loving God who cares about how we live and what we do, He will ‘speak to us.’
Final thought… Prayer is how we communicate with God, is it not? What is communication, but the sharing of ideas, right? Because God calls us to cast all of our cares unto Him, does that not imply that there is going to be a response from Him? Again, how God will respond to us about different things will vary greatly on the person and the situation. God will never add to or take away from Scripture. But, how God wants you to apply things in your life, that He will let you know. Are you willing to listen?
• Blog Entry written by Josh Buice
• Mark 13:11 NKJV
• John 14:26 NKJV
• Philippians 3:15 NKJV
• James 4:14-17 NKJV
Someone I know on Facebook asked what other thought about the above article, so I read it. Well, honestly, I tried to read it. It’s not very often that I come across articles that I cannot finish reading. This was one of them.
I am sure that Josh Buice meant well. However, I read the article with more than a little discomfort. This is because a young Christian could easily come away after reading the article and think, “God does not speak to me, so therefore God does not care about me.” Nothing can be further from the truth!
Now, there is a difference between people saying, “God told me..” because He inspired him or her to do something and someone saying, “God told me…” because they are trying to justify their own agenda. If what a person is saying or writing clearly clearly contradicts God’s Word, then they are teaching/speaking from their own human (sinful) spirit or it is demonically inspired. However, if it is something that is not clearly contradict Scripture but honors it, is edifying, points people back to God, etc., then it is probably Divinely inspired.
Now, there will be no more ‘inspiration’ of Scripture. What we have as Scripture is complete, from Genesis through Revelation. That much is very, very true. However, God will still ‘speak to us’ via the Holy Spirit. We are given God’s Spirit (Holy Spirit) for our guidance, encouragement, correct, etc. If God gives us to encourage and guide us and ‘instruct us,’ this it is a given that God will ‘speak to us.’
Although I grew up a pastor’s kid, it wasn’t until I was 20 that I gave my life to Christ. That was back in January of 1994. Over the decades, God has spoken to me on numerous occasions. Very rarely has it been an ‘audible voice.’ More often than not, it will be a nudge in my spirit, my conscience, highlight something in my thoughts (so that it really stands out), etc. Very rarely has it been in ‘distinct words.’
On many occasions while being a pastor in a church (while going through an ordination process), doing a Bible study, or something else, where I will clearly feel God directing me to do something, focus on something, etc. This is especially the case when God is directing me to confront something that is wrong (like a wrong belief that a local church wants to believe). On several occasions I have felt God directing me to confront something and will not let me ‘have peace’ until I obey.
One example that comes to mind… Many years ago, I had the opportunity to give a sermon at the church that my dad had once pastored and that I had grown up in. When my dad first shared this opportunity with me, I felt a very, very unusual sense of excitement to doing it, as if God was not just giving me ‘permission’ to do so, but very much wanted me to do so. Along with this, I felt ‘inspired’ to preach about my conversion. It wasn’t a ‘got knocked off my horse’ kind of conversation like Saul had, but more of a ‘quiet one.’ When I shared this with my dad, he ‘reminded me’ that the church used the liturgy and I was expected to follow it. Ironically (and hilariously to me), the passage was Luke 24:13-33, which perfectly described how I went from ‘just head knowledge’ to ‘saving heart knowledge.’
If Josh Buice’s goal was to speak against people saying, “God told me…” so that they could ‘add to Scripture’ or support their own agenda, I would whole heartily agree. However, the tone and words of the article spoke very differently to me. It spoke of a cold god who did not care about how we lived our lives. Think of it this way… Because of our sinful nature, there is no way we could live in obedience to God based on the Bible. We are absolutely incapable of doing so. It is when God gives us the Holy Spirit to dwell within us that God can guide us. If God guides us to live according to His Will (and His Word), then He is, in fact, ‘speaking to us.’ And, there will be times where God will very clearly instruct us to talk with a certain person, go to a certain place, maybe even some of the courses or college major to focus on. How God does that will be just as varied as there are people on this earth. But, because our God is a loving God who cares about how we live and what we do, He will ‘speak to us.’
Final thought… Prayer is how we communicate with God, is it not? What is communication, but the sharing of ideas, right? Because God calls us to cast all of our cares unto Him, does that not imply that there is going to be a response from Him? Again, how God will respond to us about different things will vary greatly on the person and the situation. God will never add to or take away from Scripture. But, how God wants you to apply things in your life, that He will let you know. Are you willing to listen?
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Never Stop Learning
I have to admit, I love watching movies and documentaries on Netflix. Depending on my mood, I will watching anything from a foreign suspense or foreign action movie to a documentary on the Middle East, to documentaries on different types of animals. And, of course, I will watch various cartoons with my kids.
I am the kind of person who loves to learn new things. Whether it is reading a book, watching a movie based on actual events, reading articles about something on the Internet, etc., I seek to learn more about the world that I live in. And, as I learn more, I seek to pass it on to others.
I have found some fascinating programs on Netflix over the last few years to learn more about the world in which we live. In the last year, I have watched several documentaries on ancient Egypt and WWII Europe, just to name a couple. Each of these programs have brought to me different pieces to the puzzles of "what really happened" at that time. Some of the 'pieces' were familiar, some not so much. And there were some that I seriously questioned as to whether they were true or not. But, they were still an interesting piece to examine.
I can't remember if I have share this in a previous blog or not. But, my ancestors on my biological mother's side were ethnic Germans who had originally emigrated to what was Southern Russia (now the Ukraine) in the 1700-1800's. This mass migration of (mostly Polish and Germans) was initiated under Catherine the Great (One map can be found here, and my ancestors came from the Odessa region), but was ended during the 're-Russification' during the late 1800's. (Another brief article, in English, can be found here and another one can be found here.) This particular documentary was called 'Empire of the Tzars' and done in three parts. I was a little disappointed in the fact that there was not more mentioned about Czarina Catherine the Great inviting Germans to settle in southern Russia. But, at least it was mentioned, though in passing. The series did give me a better understanding as to all of the issues going on at the time.
Growing up, I was an avid reader. Though I would often prefer fiction action/adventure or Sci-Fi, I would also spend lots of time reading encyclopedias and various books to learn more about things. These easily ranged from biology, ancient history, information on various religious, to the supernatural, etc. Because of the different things that I learned over the years, my friends would jokingly saw that "I had memorized the who encyclopedia!" While that wasn't quite the fact, the broad knowledge that I had, people would often come to me with questions. Yes, I considered all of that a compliment.
Thankfully, I have not lost that love for learning. In the last few years, I have extended my interest from theology, ancient history, WW II era, etc., to also include genealogy. Although I am interested in both sides of my biological family, so far I have focused most on my biological mother's side. Unfortunately, though, I have not had much time this past year in order to work on this. Working long hours at the prison, having work on the side for the Guard, and taking care of a family definitely does eat up a lot of my time. Oh, well, as some things settle down, I hope to do some more.
I encourage each of you out there to develop and nurture a love for learning. It helps you to grow as a person. Even if it's something that you don't agree with, learning more from another person's perspective can help you in many ways. And, the more you learn about other beliefs and histories, the better you can understand your person beliefs and experiences. The more you learn, the healthier you will keep your brain.
I am the kind of person who loves to learn new things. Whether it is reading a book, watching a movie based on actual events, reading articles about something on the Internet, etc., I seek to learn more about the world that I live in. And, as I learn more, I seek to pass it on to others.
I have found some fascinating programs on Netflix over the last few years to learn more about the world in which we live. In the last year, I have watched several documentaries on ancient Egypt and WWII Europe, just to name a couple. Each of these programs have brought to me different pieces to the puzzles of "what really happened" at that time. Some of the 'pieces' were familiar, some not so much. And there were some that I seriously questioned as to whether they were true or not. But, they were still an interesting piece to examine.
I can't remember if I have share this in a previous blog or not. But, my ancestors on my biological mother's side were ethnic Germans who had originally emigrated to what was Southern Russia (now the Ukraine) in the 1700-1800's. This mass migration of (mostly Polish and Germans) was initiated under Catherine the Great (One map can be found here, and my ancestors came from the Odessa region), but was ended during the 're-Russification' during the late 1800's. (Another brief article, in English, can be found here and another one can be found here.) This particular documentary was called 'Empire of the Tzars' and done in three parts. I was a little disappointed in the fact that there was not more mentioned about Czarina Catherine the Great inviting Germans to settle in southern Russia. But, at least it was mentioned, though in passing. The series did give me a better understanding as to all of the issues going on at the time.
Growing up, I was an avid reader. Though I would often prefer fiction action/adventure or Sci-Fi, I would also spend lots of time reading encyclopedias and various books to learn more about things. These easily ranged from biology, ancient history, information on various religious, to the supernatural, etc. Because of the different things that I learned over the years, my friends would jokingly saw that "I had memorized the who encyclopedia!" While that wasn't quite the fact, the broad knowledge that I had, people would often come to me with questions. Yes, I considered all of that a compliment.
Thankfully, I have not lost that love for learning. In the last few years, I have extended my interest from theology, ancient history, WW II era, etc., to also include genealogy. Although I am interested in both sides of my biological family, so far I have focused most on my biological mother's side. Unfortunately, though, I have not had much time this past year in order to work on this. Working long hours at the prison, having work on the side for the Guard, and taking care of a family definitely does eat up a lot of my time. Oh, well, as some things settle down, I hope to do some more.
I encourage each of you out there to develop and nurture a love for learning. It helps you to grow as a person. Even if it's something that you don't agree with, learning more from another person's perspective can help you in many ways. And, the more you learn about other beliefs and histories, the better you can understand your person beliefs and experiences. The more you learn, the healthier you will keep your brain.
Monday, January 16, 2017
Just Some Thoughts
Well, it has bwen a while sine I have been able to sit down and write something. Actually, that isn't totally tru. There have been several occassions where I felt like writing something. But, either did not have the time or the energy to do so. Been frustrating, really.
life goes on, though. I noticed that over the last few weeks, several people have checked out my blog. That was definitely encouraging. Helped to inspire me to sit down and write some thoughts during my weekend.
Christmas with the family was very enjoyable. My Mother-in-Law stayed with us for a few weeks. The kids got lots of interesting toys. My wife, who is Irish, got several Irish themed gifts from me. I got a NCIS t-shirt and mug with Gibb's rules, a lot of coffee, and a compass that one can wear on your wrist that had been my Grandfather's when he was in Germany during World War II.
Life goes on... For those who don't know, our church building (Syracuse United Methodist Church) burned down several years ago. This past Sunday, they voted to approve the plans for a new church and to move forward with its construction. I am not convinced that it is the wisest thing to do right now, for a variety of reasons. But, it is their choice so I will prayerfully help them as much as I can.
Work goes on. Recently, they had an opening as Religious Coordinator at the prison that I work at. Needless to say, I applied for it. Although I did pretty good in the interview, I did not get it. Yeah, I am disappointed. Being a Religious Coordinator is a much better fit for me then being Custody Staff. But, evidently I am where God wants me to be. At least for now.
Because of the weather, I will not be leading a Bible Study tonight. A little disappointing to me because it is something that I really look forward to each week. But, because the rain/freezing rain has made driving dangerous, it is the right decision. In case I forgot to mention, we have switch from studying the 'Minor Letters' (shorter letters in the New Testament), to studying the Heidelberg Catechism (You can look at it here, here, or here.) One of the marked differences between the Methodist Church and many of the Reformed denominations (like Presbyterian) is that Methodists rarely use church historical documents like the Westminster Catechism, Heidelberg Catechism, Bremen Declaration, etc. Where as, growing up Presbyterian and having go to seminary, I am familiar with them. Like many people, I am more familiar with some church historical documents than others. But, they are all important.
From a Christian standpoint, Scripture alone tells us who God is, what His requirements are for us, etc. (Sola Scriptura). However, things like the Westminster Catechism, Heidelberg Catechism, etc., show us how to apply Scripture to our lives. Such church documents (written to address an issue of some sort in history) explains not just what a Christian believes, but explains why it is important, how Scripture supports it, and how to challenge other (unbiblical/heretical) beliefs. It is always to be tempered with love and gentleness. But, such church documents help us to better understand our beliefs. That, in turn, helps us to explain what we believe and why.
Well, I will try to write more either later today or tomorrow. Like usual, I do have a lot of things that I need to do. While writing blog entries are important to me, it is not as high of a priority as other things.
life goes on, though. I noticed that over the last few weeks, several people have checked out my blog. That was definitely encouraging. Helped to inspire me to sit down and write some thoughts during my weekend.
Christmas with the family was very enjoyable. My Mother-in-Law stayed with us for a few weeks. The kids got lots of interesting toys. My wife, who is Irish, got several Irish themed gifts from me. I got a NCIS t-shirt and mug with Gibb's rules, a lot of coffee, and a compass that one can wear on your wrist that had been my Grandfather's when he was in Germany during World War II.
Life goes on... For those who don't know, our church building (Syracuse United Methodist Church) burned down several years ago. This past Sunday, they voted to approve the plans for a new church and to move forward with its construction. I am not convinced that it is the wisest thing to do right now, for a variety of reasons. But, it is their choice so I will prayerfully help them as much as I can.
Work goes on. Recently, they had an opening as Religious Coordinator at the prison that I work at. Needless to say, I applied for it. Although I did pretty good in the interview, I did not get it. Yeah, I am disappointed. Being a Religious Coordinator is a much better fit for me then being Custody Staff. But, evidently I am where God wants me to be. At least for now.
Because of the weather, I will not be leading a Bible Study tonight. A little disappointing to me because it is something that I really look forward to each week. But, because the rain/freezing rain has made driving dangerous, it is the right decision. In case I forgot to mention, we have switch from studying the 'Minor Letters' (shorter letters in the New Testament), to studying the Heidelberg Catechism (You can look at it here, here, or here.) One of the marked differences between the Methodist Church and many of the Reformed denominations (like Presbyterian) is that Methodists rarely use church historical documents like the Westminster Catechism, Heidelberg Catechism, Bremen Declaration, etc. Where as, growing up Presbyterian and having go to seminary, I am familiar with them. Like many people, I am more familiar with some church historical documents than others. But, they are all important.
From a Christian standpoint, Scripture alone tells us who God is, what His requirements are for us, etc. (Sola Scriptura). However, things like the Westminster Catechism, Heidelberg Catechism, etc., show us how to apply Scripture to our lives. Such church documents (written to address an issue of some sort in history) explains not just what a Christian believes, but explains why it is important, how Scripture supports it, and how to challenge other (unbiblical/heretical) beliefs. It is always to be tempered with love and gentleness. But, such church documents help us to better understand our beliefs. That, in turn, helps us to explain what we believe and why.
Well, I will try to write more either later today or tomorrow. Like usual, I do have a lot of things that I need to do. While writing blog entries are important to me, it is not as high of a priority as other things.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)