Recant

So I meant every word that I said from my Screw Tape Letters post. I really did.

However, I feel like some probably got the wrong idea from this. I'm not saying watching tv is inherently evil, or that you can't enjoy playing video games.

Screwtape

I picked up an audio version of The Screwtape Letters (CS Lewis) at the library today. It is part of my sorta pilgrimage for the next month to couple of months. Trying to learn more about this God I have a renewed sense of faith in.

Except that's where my pilgrimage stopped. I started the frying pan, whipped up some healthy oat pancakes and.... began to watch The Walking Dead (zombie show).

Man, I watched 3 or 4 episodes already, then hygiene won out and I went off to take a shower.

They say your mind works overtime in the shower, that you are more creative, deep, thoughtful than normal.... and they are right.

When i was in the shower I thought about how long I'd watch the show. I mean I'd only watch it till the end of the season I am on (2nd out of 2), then I'd go back to pursuing the Lord through reading. Then I realized, even after that show I would be drawn to something else. A new show, maybe Revolution (show coming out about the power going down worldwide).

Then I began to wonder, where does it stop?

Sabbatical

So I took a sort of Sabbatical this week, working only 2 hours on Thurs and 2 more on Friday. During this Friday I decided to read as much as I could of Lee Strobel's "The Case for Christ".

I don't know what it is. I'm not sure if it was just being immersed in a great work on Christ for hours.

I'm not sure if it was that the Lord is starting to show me the pride in my life through allowing me to see how corrupted my flesh really is.

I'm not sure if the world and media have just been beating at my heart inserting doubts of God's existence, constantly hearing the message that Christians are blindly following a myth.

I don't know what it is, but for some lovely reason the Lord has been showing Himself ever the more to me.

As some of you know a business which I have been laboring at for about a year has been extended/put on hold until January. This sorta devastated me more than it probably should have. I just felt like I was spinning my wheels if I wasn't moving forward. With a job at Compassion which is very tedious, manual, and very unchallenging. Living in a place where I have very few friends, and fewer that I can be real with. And living in a house where I rarely see my roommates.

I was beaten down. But I truly believe the Lord of the UNIVERSE gave me this time as an opportunity. I really want to use this time as a pilgrimage, trying to learn more about God. Meditating on Him trying to get my head knowledge into a heart knowledge.

I am finishing up Lee Strobel's "The Case for Christ" soon, and I'm trying to decide what book to read next. Any suggestions?

TEKEL - to be found wanting

TEKEL - You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting

This word is one of the words the fingers/hand write on the wall during the reign of Belshazzar of Babylon (Danile 5).

I don't know why this hit me so hard, probably because of a recent run-in with my besetting sin. But for some reason I find this word one of the most comforting and convicting words in scripture.

Each one of us is weighed on the scales and found wanting. Every one of us. But think about yourself. By yourself you stand on the scales, stepping on timidly hoping in what good you've done. But the scales begin to tip and you realize that you are the farthest from sufficient there is. You look out and see the Father, knowing His wrath will be upon you.

But instead, Jesus, takes a step onto the scales and they quickly rush in the opposite direction, His grace covering you insufficiency.

Again, I don't know why this hits me the way it does but it is freeing in a couple of ways.

Do as the College Students Do

Note: Please read the previous blog (American Silos) before reading this one.

Ok, so last week I promised you some sort of explanation after revealing the problem of American self-sufficiency. I will try to do that in this post.

You know what college students are great at? Not just great, but world class. No, it's not downing energy drinks, no it's not becoming night owls, no it's not even anything to do with alcohol. I'm talking about leaning on one another.

Sometime, take a look through facebook posts set of college students. You will see people asking to borrow books, people asking if someone has notes from class, asking if a student has time for a study session. College students understand it! They lean on each other as a community. The students know what everyone else is going through and they LOVE to help out. They are some of the most selfless people I've met. As an example, I still give out biology exam notes (over 21 pages worth of terms) when people ask, and believe me, there are WAY more generous people than me out there.

So why do I bring this up? Why do we all of a sudden STOP living like this once we are older! Why, once we leave college, do we have to own everything! If I ever needed a movie to watch while at college, i'd borrow it from a friend. The same goes with books, movies, a place to crash for the night when the dorm... (clears throat) residence hall is closed, pretty much anything I needed. In college we completely took care of our own.

Why is it not like this for the Christian community? Why do we have to feel as though, in whatever whim overcomes us, we are able to have the necessary things at hand? This causes us to each live at a way more expensive level than necessary. Think about it, if we all shared, leaned, and helped out one another, we could live at the same standard of living as we do now (ok i'll take a point for SLIGHTLY lower as it will take some effort etc.) for WAY cheaper! You know what this money could be spent on (and remember, every dollar can do GREAT things)? If not please see my post called "How I Got to Be..."

I've been thinking about this for a while now. Please follow my logic with this.

We want to be able to help out more needy people with our incredible gifts as Americans

A) we only make so much money so we can't just up our income (though fundraisers are awesome and definitely should be done for raising funds for the needy)
             -thus, we only have a set amount of money to work with

B) we still need to pay the necessary money to live in America. I understand that you need a car to get to work, a roof over our heads, food to stay alive, and things like that nature
            -thus, we only have our discretionary (I know big word... look it up :P ) to do with as we choose
                            -side note, I think we as American Christians spend WAY too much on houses but that's another topic for another time

C) We still want to live at the same standard of living for the most part, I doubt I'm going to convince any of you to completely give up spending money on yourself, but if we could spread around the items, luxuries, etc that we would otherwise buy with our discretionary income (and not find other "needs" through window shopping), this would free up much of the only money we truly are able to give to the needy
            -thus if we want to help to the best of our abilities and yet still have a decent time in life (sports hobbies etc) we should spread out our discretionary income and lean on each other as Christians

Do you follow my reasoning? In Acts it talks about people SELLING THEIR PROPERTIES to help the poor. I wish we were this committed today, but I just don't believe I'm going to reach many with this philosophy.

So here is what I'm proposing. People who feel called to give. GIVE, trust God to provide good Christians in your life who are willing to allow you to lean on them. I do this all the time (and this is a shoutout to these people whom I love).

1. in jr high my Science teacher (and church friend) would take my siblings and I out on his boat for water skiing (skiis too long for my little body and it never quite worked lol) and tubing (which I dominated at he he he). It was some of the best moments in my life, provided by another Christian buying into true Christian community
2. I am going snowshoeing on the 4th (provided there's snow, it's been a weird winter in the Springs) and my great friends ela and josh trude are allowing me to use their snowshoes, saving me $15 in rental costs (which can now provide three families with food food for a month, see how this works?)
3. My friend Gary took me rock climbing yesterday and allowed me to use his gear. He this out of the goodness of his heart. (I also scratched that same friend's back by letting him use my PSP which I don't play at this point just fyi)
4. My friend Justin lent me his snowboard goggles so I did not have to buy any when I went the other week.

These are just four examples but you get the idea. Why does EVERY Christian in the area need their own rock climbing ropes, or snowboard (please feel free to borrow mine), or PS3 games, etc etc.

Now, this whole philosophy does hinge on whether or not people feel comfortable (a) allowing you to borrow their stuff (b) asking to borrow the stuff. I understand there is some stuff that one must own. I can't just lend out my laptop for a couple of days because there are many file's on here I need on a daily basis. However, for everything else, why should we hold out on a brother or sister in Christ, think of where the money is going. As for asking, if they truly care for you, and if there is no problem with lending you the stuff, why should you be hesitant to ask them out of love, not forcing or judging, but merely asking. Why should our stuff go unused or underused in our garages while our brothers and sisters in Christ go out and buy new ones?

Can we create this kind of culture among American Christians? Can we create a true culture of co-dependency? What if, instead of it being a occasional occurrence, it became the norm to lean on each other so we could better help the world?

There are many other layers you could add to this, such as Compassion International's classified ads where you can buy things from fellow Christians at a reduced price etc. You could even go as far as having community housing for Christians going through hard times, or just moving into the area. But this is still the body of believers LEANING on one another. Let us not be silos. Let us not constantly have to stand on our own two feet. Otherwise, my guess is most if not all of our available/discretionary income will only be spent on self.

Let us stand as one, our possessions (and even talents) free for others to use. Please think about this and pray about this.

I will take the first step. The following is a list of things ANY Christian can use within the Colorado Springs area:

snowboard, bindings, size 12 boots

snowboard helmet

ski gloves

snow pants (the big bib kind)

warm jacket

snow hat

portable grill

PS3 controller, games, or even system for a week or so

books (a lot of marketing books, jerry bridges books, and philip yancey books)

acoustic guitar

PSP and games (once my other friend is done)

XBOX 360 controllers (I even have a harddrive if you want to have it for free)

3 person tent

tools (hammer, pry bar, etc)

tennis racket (wilson walmart brand)

NEXT brand mountain bike (once I get it out here)

football

soccer ball

fan

digital recorder

webcam

... I think that's pretty much all I have that someone would want to borrow lol

I can also use Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop with decent ability so if you need help, let me know.

Please think this concept over, and if the Lord leads you, list things you'd be willing to lend (as well as your location) so that people would be free'd up to give more to the poor.

Thanks for reading

-Just Some Thoughts