Friday, May 23, 2003
Wednesday, May 21, 2003
Monday, May 19, 2003
ONE: Well, the dust cleared by Friday here at Biola. Here’s the short version. The Genocide Awareness Project was invited to bring their display to the Biola campus—I think around two weeks ago (?). Due to various circumstances like location, counseling arrangements, an uproar, and the refusal of GAP to compromise on location, the display was postponed. GAP did not accept the postponement, so they brought their posters and their airplane (yes, an airplane carrying a banner) to the sidewalks outside Biola. Realize that Biola remains firmly in the pro-life camp. GAP was not coming to convince Biola that abortion is wrong. Biola agrees. GAP was not protesting Biola’s position on abortion. As I said, Biola agrees that abortion is wrong. They were simply protesting a postponement. So that’s the skinny. By the time I went to class at 4:30 pm, it was all over. There was an article in the Chimes (the Biola student newspaper), but I haven't read it yet. More may pop up later. Who knows. [By the way, if you read this and I have the facts tweaked, please keep in mind that I am recapping this from memory, that it is finals week, and that I am only one person with one perspective. If you want other perspectives, feel free to Google away.]
TWO: There is an interesting discussion about Christian marketing over at http://waterbrain.blogspot.com/ (Vintage rant, 5/17/03) so I decided to join the fray. Here’s the comment:
How about taking all this marketing "creativity" into the world--you know where Christians can live life in front of the lost, where they can use their skill to make good products for people who need them. We don't need "Holy Spirit Bath Soap," but we do need bath soap--so go make good bath soap.
Let's stop marketing Jesus. Let's stop lying to ourselves, telling ourselves that this helps spread a Christian worldview, or some such drivel. Bah! Want to spread a Christian worldview? Strike up a conversation with the person waiting with you in the checkout stand at the grocery store--while buying that well made bath soap. Nuff said.
THREE: There’s also a good discussion on sacraments as neglected spiritual nourishment on Brad Boydston’s blog. I just had to jump in. Here’s the comment:
Though I choke a bit on the term "sacrament" (being a good Baptist and all :), I whole-heartedly agree. I find it sad that we spend so much time, effort, and money on propositional, intellectual elements, and so little on experiential, affective elements. Mind you, I say this as a seminarian intending to go clear through Ph.D. But the most nourishing experiences in my life have had little to do with intellect and much to do with encounter. I am beginning to think that it is about time for a pendulum swing--of course with the goal of finding balance. Frankly, I don’t find that Purpose Driven Life finds that intellectual balance either, but then I’m picky. Anyway, how this all changes, I don’t know. Maybe it starts with a few of us stirring stuff up, designing encounters, writing about “sacraments,” including them in places where they might not normally be—board meetings, Sunday School, church business meetings. Thanks for giving me something to chew on. (Sacraments, 5/18/03)
TWO: There is an interesting discussion about Christian marketing over at http://waterbrain.blogspot.com/ (Vintage rant, 5/17/03) so I decided to join the fray. Here’s the comment:
How about taking all this marketing "creativity" into the world--you know where Christians can live life in front of the lost, where they can use their skill to make good products for people who need them. We don't need "Holy Spirit Bath Soap," but we do need bath soap--so go make good bath soap.
Let's stop marketing Jesus. Let's stop lying to ourselves, telling ourselves that this helps spread a Christian worldview, or some such drivel. Bah! Want to spread a Christian worldview? Strike up a conversation with the person waiting with you in the checkout stand at the grocery store--while buying that well made bath soap. Nuff said.
THREE: There’s also a good discussion on sacraments as neglected spiritual nourishment on Brad Boydston’s blog. I just had to jump in. Here’s the comment:
Though I choke a bit on the term "sacrament" (being a good Baptist and all :), I whole-heartedly agree. I find it sad that we spend so much time, effort, and money on propositional, intellectual elements, and so little on experiential, affective elements. Mind you, I say this as a seminarian intending to go clear through Ph.D. But the most nourishing experiences in my life have had little to do with intellect and much to do with encounter. I am beginning to think that it is about time for a pendulum swing--of course with the goal of finding balance. Frankly, I don’t find that Purpose Driven Life finds that intellectual balance either, but then I’m picky. Anyway, how this all changes, I don’t know. Maybe it starts with a few of us stirring stuff up, designing encounters, writing about “sacraments,” including them in places where they might not normally be—board meetings, Sunday School, church business meetings. Thanks for giving me something to chew on. (Sacraments, 5/18/03)
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