Thoughts on Eden

That would be "thoughts on the Garden of Eden." Yeah, just a random thought that popped up in Theology class last week that I've been meaning to get on here to see what you (my wonderful readers) think about it. The basic idea is whether there was death in the Garden before the Fall (you know, Eve and Adam and their apple binge). Now don't get bent out of shape. What I am speaking of is death specifically for plants. Since one of Adam's prescribed roles in the Garden was to "tend and keep", would that not have included working with the plants? And would there have been plants that died (as they do in season and out) - or would they have grown and grown and grown and never died?

And that question begs a second - would the animals that are carnivores now have been carnivores then? Could there have been animal hunters?

The reason I've been wondering this is because the text of scripture is largely silent on this point. The main thing we know is that the wages of sin are death (Romans 6:23) - but the context (in Romans) seems to emphasize more spiritual death (and life in Christ) than physical.

I love seeing people's initial reaction to these two questions (about plant and animal death in the garden), just because it shows how much they might have actually been leaning on an assumed "fact" of no death at all in the Garden. More importantly, I would say, is how there being death in the Garden effects your perspective of salvation and God. If there were (plant and animal) death in the Garden, would that affect your relationship with God or how you perceived him?

Simon Cowell and the American Psyche

So I finally got a chance to watch a little of "American Idol" the other night. Though I only watched a little (less than an hour's worth), a few thoughts stuck out in my head. First and foremost among them was that I found that I really did not have any argument with the judgment of the group choosing those who would go on or not (Simon included). The only reason this surprised me was because of the national uproar over Simon Cowell's comments over so many auditions in the past.

And even though his comments (as I watched) were a little less biting than others which I have heard attributed him, I began to wonder about America's ability to recieve criticism. Simon Cowell may use harsher words than others when confronting someone about their lack of talent, but that doesn't mean he's completely incorrect. I'll admit, there are probably many who get rejected from the show which have huge potential as vocalists, but their potential needs to be developed and shaped. But in the context of the show, he and the other judges must choose the best. But American's do not like to be told that they can't do something.

It's the great American concept of freedom (I won't even go into the problems with that!). But many of the contestants have the attitude of, "You can't tell me that I can't sing!" When, in fact, maybe that is just what that person needs to hear. It brings to mind a story I heard of a music minister who, when taking over a choir at a church he had just joined, warned the pastor that the choir was soon going to shrink a little because he was going to wean the choir of all those who really should not be in it. In the process of this weaning, he came across a woman who had a very great desire to sing in the choir, but who had no musical talent or ability. When confronting her about this, he not only showed her how she had misunderstood her talents in this area, but also brought to her many other ways she could serve her church (specifically in the children's ministries). In the end she ended up being more happy and serving better there than in the choir.

But America doesn't want to be confronted about those things which it lacks or about those areas in which it is incompetent. Why? Because we're the great America! And as individuals, it is unkind (and stifling to our personalities!) to tell us that we are incompetent in an area, or that we are not talented in some way.

That's what makes American Idol such a phenomenon. Here are individuals willing to raise up a standard and hold to it (albeit slightly overly aggressively). They do this in the midst of a postmodern culture which promotes relative standards subjective to the individual. That creates the conflict within the show (the contestants constantly butting heads with this standard they don't think really applies to them) and outside it (America hates being told what is good and is not good, but then again loves it because that's really the way we were made, to live within boundaries and standards).

Baby Construction Mania

Yeah, in the last week I've put together a changing table, a bookshelf, and a crib - all for our expected 'lil one! If you're wondering about the bookshelf for the baby, well my wife and I deced that since she could not find an acceptable dresser in our price range, we would just get a bookshelf of the correct color (that would be black ;-) and then use baskets to keep all the clothes and stuff in. Great idea, and it looks great as well.

So yeah, I am a baby construction maverick, having survived the construction mania, my wife and I are now ready to bring our little Keaton home! Now all we gotta do is wait another 10 weeks for that...

Hopefully, after my wife makes the final call on the layout of the baby's room, I will be allowed to take a few pictures of the room and post 'em on here for all of earth to admire.

Yeah, I know that'll keep ya on the edge of yer seat!

What?! School Starts on Monday?!

Yeah, um, I'm totally not ready for the next semester - which starts next week. Bugger (in the words of Captain Jack Sparrow). Yeah, Terra and I are barely getting ready for 'lil Keaton to come - but we did get a car seat yesterday! That was fun. And the crib my parents are giving us should come in early next week. With those two things we can bring Keaton home from the hospital and have a place for him to sleep. That's major, in my book! So a big thanks to my parents, Grandma Connie, and to Terra's mom for making that happen.

Yeah, but about school. I can't wait to start, and I'm kinda wondering what books I need. That's right, I haven't really checked on that either...guess I'm not so much Johnny on the spot this semester. And since I'm going to be having a child soon, I don't seem much hope for the near future...

So here's a shout out to all those who have started or are starting up the Spring semester: Let the chaos begin!

In response to Christian Science (comments)

First off, let me say I love a good debate. A 'good debate' being one in which all participants act with maturity and do not overstep from the initial setting of the subject matter into personal attacks. Though none of my comments yesterday were intentioned as personal attacks on any who believe in Christian Science - though I guess any time you discuss something which comprises one's personal beliefs, the very nature of the discussion makes it personal. If I offended you, I'm sorry. But if my comments irritated you enough to make you think more - can't say that I am sorry, because one of my goals is to make people think. It is a fool who accepts anything without thinking it through and challenging it.

Yesterday I did use the term 'cult' to refer to Christian Science. Though derogatory, I didn't necessarily mean it as such. Ironically, the term 'cult' also applies to Christianity as well, for a cult is primarily a "particular system of religious worship" (to quote Dictionary.com).

I would like to note that my observations were based on one service I attended, and not based out of any personal study I have done. But I think all Christian Scientists should take note of my observations, because whether or not my observations were accurate, they were what I derived from the service I attended. In the same sense, if a non-Christian (or even a Christian Scientist) were to attend my church on Sunday morning and not walk away with the basic understanding that we believe that all have sinned and that the only way to reconcile ourselves to God is through Christ, then the service was a failure. I would put that challenge out to every church - if a visitor cannot walk away at least with that, then you have failed.

In the same sense, what I walked away with from the Christian Science service was partly my responsibility (how well I was paying attention), but also that of those who structured the service. I was attempting to pay attention as best I could and to also absorb as much as I could so I could later hash it all out. I'm not perfect, so I know I missed some. But one of the main overarching themes that I walked away with was that physical healing is a primary goal of Christian Science. You can also note my other other observations from yesterday, which are those things which stuck out most to me.

As far as my statement about Science and Health interpreting scripture, I stand by it. In the service which I was in, it was stated that the bible would be read with it's "correlative" passages from Science and Health, but all "correlative" means is "related to". And in the setting of reading scripture and then passages from S&H, the latter interprets the scripture reading or at leasts focuses the meaning derived for the listener.

This next statement may be offensive, but it isn't intended to be so. But if came about from only a 3 three year study, what separates it from many modern (or classical) biblical commentaries? Why is Mary Baker Eddie's work so special? I am working on a Masters in Advanced Biblical Studies, and one of the overarching themes of the bible that I see emerging more and more from the Old Testament through the new testament is God trying to reconcile man to himself. Mary Baker Eddie seems to have missed that entirely. Her emphasis of spirituality (if I am beginning to understand it correctly) which subjugates the physical realm to something lesser seems more Platonic than biblical. The Incarnation (God becoming man) itself seems to indicate that God places high value on the physical. Why would God choose to use physicality if it was so pointless or useless? For man? But then wouldn't that point to some desire on God's part for man? Isn't that indicative of a primacy of value on relationship for God?

I know my perspectives are biased (but aren't all perspectives biased?), but the logical inconsistencies flow to easily to be cast aside for me. I welcome your thoughts/responses, but please understand I am not trying to deride your beliefs, only work through them to try and understand them correctly.

First Church of Christ, Scientist

Well, I had an interesting experience yesterday. A close friend of mine had to attend a "cult" service for a class (guess what he was studying in the class...). So Terra and I said we'd go with him for "moral" support, so he wouldn't have to do it alone - and yeah, we were both curious and wanted to see what it was like.

For various reasons we decided to attend a Christian Science service (The First Church of Christ, Science of Raleigh). In our massive amount of luck, we hit one of two communion services they have per year. What're the odds of that?

It was very interesting. They do seem to have a belief (at least stated) that supports the inerrancy and divine inspiration of the Bible. Unfortunately, they also firmly believe that the bible cannot be properly interpreted without using the works of Mary Baker Eddy. So the service consisted of "readings" of scripture and then the "proper interpretation" being read. There were no pastors, but there are elected 'readers' who lead the service.

A few themes emerged over the course of the service. They largely viewed Christ's coming, sacrifice, and resurrection as the enactment/example of living out science in its truest form. Their concept of science seems to have no correlation to what I learned in school (I learned it to be basically the study of the physical universe). Christ's actions, according to Mary Baker Eddy, freed us from sin and thusly sin is nonexistent, though apparently if you believe in sin then God will still punish you for it (I think the internal contradictions of that understanding should be self-aparent, as well as how such a belief might impinge upon God's impassibility, among other attributes).

They also believed the material world (all matter) was nonexistent. This, to me, was contradicted by a primary belief/thrust of their service upon the use of prayer for healing. The members of the church seemed to genuinely desire healing for themselves and to be able to effect that healing in the world at large. As good as this desire is, how can any physical form of healing be consistent with a belief that matter doesn't really exist?

Finally, one other belief that stuck out to me was their emphasis upon love and truth. These also, according to their 'interpretive readings' enable and effect healing in one's life. Though they used the term "Christian" over and over again, this understanding is quite contrary to scripture. Take the story of blind Bartemaeus, for when healing his blindness, Jesus proclaimed that his faith had healed him - though Jesus was acting in love, the healing was linked by Christ to faith not love. Interesting. The huge "word of faith" movement and others have played this concept way out of proportion, but faith remains central to true Christianity.

In retrospect, I find it interesting that they didn't seem to mention faith at all. But Christianity hinges on faith. Check out these words from Paul:
This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:22-24)

To me, it seems quite obvious that God wants us to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled from our sinful state to him through Christ. I'm sure Mary Baker Eddy has some "spiritual" and "scientific" understanding for this passage, but in the words of some character whom I can't remember, her interpretations are "hogwash." The bible itself excludes other works as divine and presents only one way to know God: through Christ. And that, my friends, is something you can bet your life on.

Getting ready for baby

Yeah, Terra and I have been spending a lot of time trying to get ready for 'lil Keaton. I realized the other week that Terra was in her last trimester, so feasibly she could go into labor at any time, though we definitely want her to try to go as close to full-term as possible.

So we've been packing up even more stuff. My fiction library is now completely in storage - everything I've read and/or own fiction-wise, except for my "to read" pile is now boxed up. Next I get to tear down my most awesome sound system and box away around 275 CDs (did I mention that I like music?). Saturday is beginning to look like a fun day at the storage unit. I think I'm going to have to pull most everything out and repack it all just to try and fit all the boxes in.

The funny thing is, a year ago I think I would have fought tooth and nail to keep my sound system up and running and for me to have "my" little office space. But now 'lil Keaton has come along and I care less and less about what I want. It's almost scary to see the change - but it's good, and I embrace it.

I know I have no idea the changes this baby will bring in my life, but I can't wait to engage and embrace them. Children are a blessing from God - even though sometimes I know they make it seem like a mixed blessing. But God uses them to challenge and shape us more in his image. And I am looking forward to enabling my children to be all that God has called them to be, to equipping them to be eaven greater men (and women!) of God than I am. That's my truest challenge and one of the few that I truly desire and will consumingly pursue to fulfill.

Need a piano teacher?

Well, I've officially signed the contract and mailed it in. I'm a piano teacher with Keyboard for Kids and More. It's a cool little school of music here in Wake Forest, NC. So if ya know anyone who's interested in piano lessons, send 'em my way or to the website. I really need to drum up about...say...14 or 15 students. Yeah, that would be great!

In other news...I'm sick of my job. Not my new one (which I will be doing in addition to the one I have right now), my job at CarQuest as a loader. Yeah, the pay is decent and they've been really flexible with my hours and schedule. But I'm still sick of it. So maybe this piano teaching gig will help me some with tolerating my loading job. I hope so...because I'm sick of it!

Finally thinking again

Yeah, just wanted to drop a note and say that I am finally starting to write on my thinking blog again. Today I pulled a quote from a book I've begun reading called, The Doors of the Sea: Where was God in the Tsunami? The book mainly deals with the conflict between the idea of a morally righteous, benevolent, and omnipotent God and the reality of such massive (and natural) tragedies as the Tsunami of a few years ago which had a death toll reaching near a quarter of a million. Really good book, and I think I'm going to be processing much of it on my thinking blog in the weeks to come.

Thr3e Movie

Random note, but a close friend of mine mentioned to me yesterday that he thought that there was a movie of a book we both enjoyed coming out soon. And there is. The book "Thr3e" by Ted Dekker has been made into a movie and will be released soon - haven't figured out when exactly......yet. But here's the website:

http://www.foxfaithmovies.com/thr3e/

The book was great - but since it was more a psychological thriller than an action book, I'm still a little unsure of how it has translated to the silver screen. But the preview seems to be pretty solid.

Another video!

Alrighty folks, I've been meaning to do this for about a year now. I've put Terra and my lil wedding video in my MySpace videos so's all you'ns out thar who want to check it out can. (yes, I think I have been watching Pirate's of the Caribbean way too much...). So here she be!

Zach and Terra Wedding Slideshow