Zealous gentleness?

I don't really have a conclusion for this post, but I was reading Galatians today and noticed an interesting paradox of sorts. Zealous vs. gentle. Paul talks about zealousness being a great thing, and how the church at Galatia started out with a lot of it. But then he also talks about having a spirit of gentleness, and how we should use it to serve one another. In my mind, these two things don't really go together. You can't be zealous and gentle at the same time, can you? Can you be gently zealous? Zealously gentle? Now that I type it, it makes a modicum of sense, but it still seems rather challenging...

The Names We Ignore

Happy-New-Year-twelve-days-late-and-first-post-in-like-two-months

Winter break in a college town is not as sparkly and glamorous as one might think. It's actually rather dull and mundane and repetitive. Which isn't a horrible thing when one is able to sleep in until 11 every day. As a result of this boredom I've been doing some reading and stuff, and I figured the 2-7 people that read the things I randomly post would be thrilled to hear about it haha.

I've been hanging out in Romans this last week, and when I got to the end where Paul is listing all the people that he wants to give a shout out to, I was tempted to skip it, just like I'm tempted to skip every list of names in the Bible. I know, I know...but you do it too. Something about those lists just isn't appealing, unless you're trying to come up with the funniest possible name for someone's baby, then they're like a gold mine!

I digress.

I thought to myself, "Self, you are stuck here with nothing to do. You have no real reason not to read this list. Read the list." Yes, that is a summary of my basic thought pattern, except that I think it a lot faster. So I read the list. I don't know that every list is like this, but the list in Romans 16 is actually quite neat. Yes it's a bunch of names that I'll never be able to recite to you, but for every name Paul lists, he gives a reason, a characteristic of this person that made them worthy in his eyes. The following phrases are used:

"my fellow workers in Christ Jesus"

"who labored much for us"

"my beloved in the Lord"

"approved in Christ" (possibly my favorite)

"chosen in the Lord" (!!!)

I could be way off here, but if you only get one verse in the entire Bible, I think that's a pretty good way to go down. I know nothing else of Amplias, Tryphosa, or Patrobas, but that they loved and served the Lord in such a way that Paul gave them the shout out of a lifetime. Thousands of years later they are known only for the very best choice they made. We don't get anything about how they messed things up, their doubts, their insecurities, their weaknesses. They are known forever for the one important factor in their otherwise unknown lives.

Jesus Christ.

May we-and I-strive to be known for one thing only.

They followed Christ.

Selectively tolerant

Don't come after me wanting to argue and debate, because arguing and debating will change neither of our minds, it'll only make us angry with one another. This is simply my observation and you can do with it what you will.

Homosexuality is a sin. I'm never going to apologize for that statement. No, I am not "homophobic" and I don't hate gays, it's just a sin. Plain and simple. What I don't get is the Christian world's way of dealing with it. We go out of our way to make sure that everyone knows that we don't hate homosexuals (not a bad thing BTW). The part I don't understand is how, if we're so loving, we ignore and/or despise all the other "major sinners" around us. No one is making an effort to love shoplifters, rapists, gang members, or single parents. Why do we hurry to accept one type and not another? Please do not take away from this that I hate homosexuals, unwed moms, or anyone else. What I am trying to communicate is that in our culture of tolerance I think that we've lost sight of where we should be going. If we simply loved people that way Jesus did, would we have to protest or insist that we do? What if instead of debating or Facebook ranting we just loved people unconditionally, regardless of their choice sin? Maybe we should focus on our personal sins instead of those on the internet? I don't know, and I'm not claiming to know. I'm just wondering out loud. Out loud? On screen? Something on the interwebs..I dunno. Anyways, I just get tired of people yelling about how they love gays and please don't lump them in with those hateful Christians who don't like anyone but themselves...and on and on and on.

I don't know that this has really made any sense. I just think that if we are going to preach that God is a God of love, maybe we should act like it. Or maybe even actually believe it and learn to live it.

I don't understand at all how to love as Christ does. I used to think I had an idea, but then I was confronted with the hugeness and impossibility of it all. I don't get it at all. But someday I hope to. Just a little.

Jesus wasn't interested in being relevant.

Tis that wonderful time of the year when I decide to once again break out the ol' blog. We'll see how long it lasts this time. And in keeping with tradition, all following posts will quite possibly be rants and/or soap boxes. However, you may choose to read it or no, so I cannot be held responsible.

Why do we as Christians and the church care so much about being "relevant"? We bend over backwards with our music, our coffee shops, and our t-shirts, trying to prove to the world that we are indeed the in-thing. We try so hard to fit into the culture, but it doesn't seem to be working.

Before you yell at me, I will say that I definitely think that we need to be sensitive to those around us and to different situations and variables. We certainly should take into account the needs of the body as a whole.

I digress.

I could be mistaken, but Jesus seem pretty counter-cultural to me.

He turned the religious mindset of his followers upside down, healed on the Sabbath, and brought grace into the picture. He preached a message of love, joy, and turning the other cheek. He equated lust with adultery and hate with murder. He wasn't popular. He asked us to go the extra mile, to love our enemies, not to worry, and to do things for the Lord's eyes, not for men's. He changed their view of the law.

He asked us to be last.

Jesus Christ was love perfected.

This philosophy is not relevant. It never has been. We're human. We're selfish, we hate seeing others succeed, and heaven forbid we go out of our busy way to help someone in need.

Jesus wasn't relevant.

Jesus was radical.

What if we laid aside our clever slogans and our v-necks long enough to truly love one another? What if we lived this way of life that is so completely radical it has caused a plethora of people to lay down their lives for this crazy cause? What if we followed the beautiful example of Jesus, and showed the world the Father through this crazy love rather than our posters?

What if?

Life may be beautiful...

...but people are weird.

Harsh? Not really. I am absolutely justified in this statement. Why, do you ask?

I have turned into a telemarketer. Of sorts.

Ironic, considering how bad I was at selling Girl Scout cookies.

My average conversation goes something like this:
Random person: Hello?
Me: Hi, is this so-and-so?
Random person: WHO IS THIS?!?

...I would be afraid to be friends with someone who always answered the phone in such a way. They must be very suspicious people.

The other day I called an older lady, told her who I was, and she responded, "NO WAY! I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU TO CALL ME FOR YEARS!!!" ...and then hung up.

Then there's that awkward moment when the person you are trying to call happens to be dead. Which actually happens quite often.

And there's people who have their phone under their son's name, even though he hasn't lived there for 20 years.

I frequently have elderly people tell me that they aren't going to live long enough to make switching insurance worth it.



...I don't understand.

School Pride Scholarship

I am studying Commercial Art and Digital Imaging and Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Missouri. This school has and will continue to contribute to my career path in a number of ways. The faculty and staff at SBU are all very personal, and as a result I have been able to more effectively learn in my classes and through my projects. They go out of their way to explain to students what all their chosen field of study includes, and what one needs to do in order to accomplish what one needs to both graduate and find a job after. SBU requires students to have at least one internship in their chosen field, which provides valuable work experience. Required internships also demonstrate to future employers that students are not simply “fresh out of college,” but have already been at work in their field, and are ready to competently join the work force. Another benefit of attending SBU is the school’s Christian morals. We are taught to include the Lord in everything we do, whether it be dorm life, school, or the work field. This raises both our standards and our expectations. We learn to be unwilling to compromise in even the small things, work hard, and to always do everything to the best of our abilities. We are taught to honor our professors, our employers, and all others in authority. We treat fellow students, coworkers, and customers with respect and are willing and ready to serve them when needed. SBU places an emphasis on students being “servant leaders in a global society.” The school desires for students to be strong enough to lead in any situation, yet humble enough to serve at the same time. Race, gender, and social status have no bearing on our interactions with others, be it in a work environment, or otherwise. In all of these things and more, Southwest Baptist University is influencing me and my fellow students in our chosen careers. We are learning to deal with people, how to serve them, and how to succeed. I am grateful to be attending a school with high standards and with faculty that is unwilling to compromise.

This scholarship is sponsored by CenturyLinkQuote.com.

Uncertainty...

...it runs rampant on this college campus. On any college campus I'm sure. This is the time in our lives when we're supposed to figure out what we want to do, when we're supposed to have a plan. We're supposed to have an answer when we go home on weekends and holidays and people ask, "So, what are you going to do?" Whether it be for the rest of our lives, the summer, or even the rest of the semester, we just don't know! All feel the same, yet few are brave enough to admit it. Everyone envisions themselves graduating, getting a decent job (right after, if not before, graduation), and of course, getting the girl (or guy, as the case may be). Which is then followed by multiple years of babies, soccer games, and family trips to the Grand Canyon. We expect to live in nice houses with master bathrooms, drive the "Swagger Wagon," and be the house with the big TV and Tortino's Pizza Rolls that all the kids want to hang out in. We'll take our kids to Sunday School, pay our tithe, and help out with church dinners. We'll host dinner and Super Bowl parties, have a nice-smelling dog, and have well-behaved children. This, my friends, is success, is it not?

And if your life doesn't turn out like this? Well, you obviously did something wrong. You must have fallen asleep in class too often, or didn't purchase enough Toms. You certainly should have participated in TWIRP week. It's your own fault.

Right?

I actually can't say that I know a single person whose life plan has actually worked out for them. I do, however, know multiple seniors that, while they can't wait to get away from homework, community showers, and all-nighters, are scared to death. They don't know what comes next. Maybe that's why we have Super Seniors haha...

What is the point of all this rambling? Good question...I guess the main point is I don't know what to do. My college experience thus far has been a terrific rollercoaster of learning who I am in Christ and how to genuinely trust him. Do I always fully trust Him with everything? Ha. If I did then maybe I wouldn't be so stressed about the future. I shouldn't be so concerned that I've been trying to get another job since August and it hasn't happened yet. I shouldn't be wanting to immediately turn to student loans in despair. I shouldn't be freaking out about whether or not I'm hired as an R.A., and if I'm not, who I'll room with next year, or if my lack of finances with even allow me to return next year. Or if I'll even be able to pay off this semester. Why is my trust in Lord the dependent on my bank account? If He can handle creating the stars and keeping the universe on the right track, then why do I think He can't take care of one Kansas college kid?

I wish I could say that I fully trusted the Lord and mean it, but I guess for now all I can truthfully say is that I deeply desire to trust in the Lord and not in myself. I'm just not very good at it most of the time. I guess that's why we have the Spirit. Nothing's supposed to be in our own power.

Now to remember that...

Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather in the barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? -Matthew 6:26