Divergence

Well, I'm done with the MDiv. The time went by really fast which was definitely a good thing. As with anything, some things could have been better, others worse. I'm glad to have it out of the way and now it's time for the real world after 18+ years of school. The two things I'm most proud of from my time at Seminary: 1. Not losing a toe to frostbite (Click here for picture. I was going to put one in but it's really gross and not for everyone). 2. Not getting a ticket from Campus Safefty (aka Veggie Cops) As I said before, I'll be an Associate Pastor in Richmond at the Patterson Ave SDA Church and their church plant, Far West End SDA Church . We are in the process of buying a house and if everything goes according to plan, we'll close on January 2. So, life is coming together very nicely for us. Shari will begin the always stressful job hunt but it seems like Richmond has a thriving job market. In the meantime we'll get settled into our new...

You're probably ready for a blistering attack on a church or church member. Sorry, it's all about my own hypocrisy. I'm reading The Art and Craft of Biblical Preaching for a class. It's a compilation of articles on preaching from people such as Haddon Robinson, Bill Hybels, Rob Bell, etc. It's a good resource. Well, I came across an article by none other than Ted Haggard. My first reaction? Skip over this, whatever he wrote has been discredited by his recent behavior, no need to waste time. As I thought about it, that initial reaction really disgusts me. If we are going to talk about being discredited by sin, no one is worthy of listening to. I would hope people wouldn't tune me out because of the selfishness, judgmentalism, and pride that I oftentimes exhibit. Why shouldn't I extend the same grace to Haggard that I hope to receive for myself?

For the last week I've been suffering from a disease called "PESD" which stands for "Post Evangelism Stress Disorder". Every night since I left California, I've woken up scared because there is someone in my bed and I think it's my roommate from the evangelistic series. I got so used to sleeping in my own bed that Shari's body next to mine gives me a jolt of confusion. I'm not exaggerating when I say it's happened every single night since I left. Shari even told me that last night she leaned over to hug me and I got upset and initally told her to get off in my confusion. When Shari gave me a kiss goodbye this morning while I was still in bed (Ah, the good life of living off your wife's paycheck), I started asking her when we were heading back to Michigan and others were leaving California. Even though I am kind of joking about it, I have a greater understanding about PTSD . My confusion and nightmares are quite silly but it's really a...

Augustine is considered one of the greatest theologians of all time. One of his most famous books is a biography of his life in which he tells his story of conversion and confesses many of his sins growing up. It has recently been republished in a modern translation called, "You Converted Me" which I read bits and pieces of recently. So, I've decided to confess a sin. I have seen on a fairly regular basis an older man who lives by himself in our apartment complex. He gets out a lot and is very independent. A month ago, he was in a fairly serious car accident just a few blocks from our place. We drove by and the police were there and were taking care of everything. The next day, I saw some people bringing him into his apartment in a wheelchair and a brace on his leg. I told Shari that if we see him out we should talk to him and see if he needed any help around his apartment or going to the store. A few weeks after the accident I was walking to my car to go to my class on ...