Two Sides to the Same Coin

It's amazing how a simple song can get you thinking on some heavy subjects. It may be because I was bouncing off of the Scripture heavy bloggers, with the emphasis on the written Word and understanding its Truth and Veracity. This song jumped off the radio at me. And this is one of those things that sounds so cool, but must be balanced, just like the Scripture-only-Faith-not-Feelings set:

However, it's important that we know Who and What we believe in, and for some personalities, this intellectual pursuit of faith is what will reach them and bring them into the Kingdom. Others need to be reached by seeing the Relationship that will develop with God--the unconditional love that God has that caused Him to send His Son to the Earth, to live, suffer and die like a ordinary man. The thing is, once you are in the Kingdom, you have to seek the other side to be a fully developed believer. The Bible is clear about this.

I don't think it is an accident that the metaphor of Church as Bride shows up in the Bible. Think about it. Marriages don't stay in that goofy googly eye stage very long--the vicissitudes of daily living won't permit it--but they progress to something deeper, where the love is not just an emotion, but more like a position. So for the Church and its individual pieces--you and me, dear believer. We start out as Christians like all new relationships--kind of starry eyed-- and the relationship changes as we grow to know each other (actually, this is one sided--God already knows all about us--and loves us anyway) and grow into something way bigger, perhaps bigger than we ever intended.

Maybe this Nazarene/Methodist is just biased, but I do think that our tradition does it better than a lot of others. Of course, it's dependent on the individual community of believers--the local church--but I think our tradition tries to balance the "warmed heart" with the curious intellect and frequently succeeds. In fact it's the points of tension--like the controversy in the Church of the Nazarene over plenary inspiration/inerrancy with regard to the Bible--that we sometimes fight over. We can definitely become too subjective, too enamored of the warmed heart and forget that squishy overly open minded belief won't get us into Heaven either. Thus the "liberal/mainline" vs. "conservative/evangelical" fights--and the caution signs thrown up by those who don't want to get too loosey-goosey with biblical interpretation. All this is a reflection of our finite human understandings--"we see as in a mirror..."--and is almost inevitable. And as I've said before in this space, because the stakes are so very high, such disagreements can get mighty strong.

Balance and moderation, as it is in so many things, is the key.

Grace Like Rain...

Todd Agnew has the most interesting voice. This is one of his best pieces--his voice just gives that grit to the idea of a "such as wretch as me"...



"and hallelujah, all my stains are washed away"

Things Are Happening

I meet with Jennifer of COR tomorrow at 1030. Get those utility bills squared up. Hopefully a gas card. I'll take a grocery gift card too.

So DOUG calls. He has WORK. Offered it this coming weekend, but the hours are not good, and Saturday will probably be used up with car shows. Sunday would have extended too far and hit the 1700 worship service, in which I am CART/Medi-call. But he has work Monday and Tuesday. Orientation Friday 0800. Do need my TB test he thinks. (Administrative stuff: not his strength) Now, if this is the temper of the times, it's time for me to get on my horse and start banging the job stuff. Only fly in that ointment: I have not had replies from ANY of my references yet and it's been almost 3 weeks (I think). To forge ahead anyway??

Oh, and the comment section of Blogger is completely fouled up. Those who moderate are finding that freshly moderated comments are not posting. On sites like TKC, comment counts are way off. Even for me, comments are not showing in the count. Can't take it for granted that there are no comments. Dr. Grumpy noted it earlier today--it must be behaving itself for him now, because he pulled the post down.

And how is your day?

Moving Nazarene HQ Was Wrong

These are pictures of two out of four buildings that belonged/belong to the Church of the Nazarene at 63rd and the Paseo. The Church decided to move to Lenexa and in 2008 made the move.

I still think it was wrong. Yes, its tougher to live on the east side. Yes, the neighborhood is kind of rough. But what kind of witness is it to leave an area that needs Jesus Christ so much?

Yes, I've heard all the arguments. I spend half a year discussing it in the context of Kansas City First Church of the Nazarene moving with Gordon Wetmore (who was the pastor of First Church at that time--the late 1970s) during various shleppings back and forth from KCI. But moving HQ is different than a church congregation.

An anony commenter on TKC--the topic was MNU hosting Kris Kobach and his work on immigration--but this commenter had his memory working:

Anonymous said...

When the Nazarene decided to move to Kansas from their location east of Troost, I always wondered if it was racially motivated.

I think I have my answer now.

7/3/10 11:21 AM

As I said, the witness is wounded. Now, I understand it could be a matter of stewardship. But the money savings would have to be pretty good for me to think that moving from an area that so needs to be revived (in sooo many ways--Cidital Plaza is not far from 6401 The Paseo) is a good witness and testimony to the Gospel of Christ. To many, like this TKC commenter, it smells like White Fear.

As it did to me. Sorry, guys.

List Yourself

1. Times I have been knocked in the head that I can remember.

Note: I have never lost consciousness, or even had signs and symptoms of a concussion. I was just thinking in light of the Chris Henry deal. Maybe I'm goofy because my brain is damaged? Not an inspiring thought!

1. January 1994: MVC. (The world's stupidest MVC I might add.)
2. Sometime in the very early 1960s: Fell out of my crib. (Have a scar over one eye to prove it)
3. Surgery in 1982. Not strictly trauma, but not the same brain afterwards.

2. Losses since 2000

• Job--March 2001
• Car--August 2001 (idiot looking at his pager instead of the road!)
• September 11, 2001 (Nuff said)
• Job--October 2001. On my birthday, the insensitive turds.
• Nov 2001--stabbed in back by TJ
• Cat--2003
• Father--March 2004
• Cats--4, within a just a few years (2005-2008) of each other. Not quite sure who when any more. The S-ness first and the Be last.
• DNRs--2003, 2008 (found out), 2003 (the MMC fiasco--policy, not my bad), 2004,(HMW/HCA--again, policy, not my bad), 2008 (VA , ouch, my bad).

Not Feeling Very Bloggy Today

I wrote a nice blog comment to a terrific post by Radioman, and the WiFi had expired here at McD's and my comment floated off into the ether.

I wrote an epic comment to an amazing Ann T offering. Blogger gave me an error message that it was too long, then it appeared on Ann T's blog. Why an error message if it's going to publish?

I have lot and nothing to say at the same time.

Jennifer Creager called from COR and she sounded really sweet. I discovered whilst talking to her that KCP &L sent a disconnect dated 6/21. Last I was home I still had light. Go figure. I mentioned gas cards and she was like, "Are you OK for the weekend?" I have a quarter tank so no I did not push it.

Maxim called, and has wellness clinics and flu clinics (?!?) but something is out of date in my file. Doug was out--it'll have to wait til Monday.

The yard is legitimately 1/2 done, but what's left is the densest vegetation. And there's poison ivy and prickly things. And we have to figure out how to get rid of our debris.

So, this is life at this time.

Happy Fourth!

Someone Explain to Me What the %@$& I Was Doing During Most of the 2000s

Fuckin' strangle these fuckin' vines!

Well, we had our first step study meeting Wednesday. During the meeting one of the participants described her money situation over the past couple years since she had been drinking out of control. Sounded just like mine.

I'm like WTF, I did the same stuff, I've done the same stuff, and I'm freaking sober. I never drank and I never took illicit drugs. (I was on antidepressants--that makes me go HMMMM...)

What the Hell?!?

It's like I was living on two planets--the competent ER RN who loved her job (and I did too) and the person who could not maintain the simple tasks of the household.

Crazy, just freaking crazy.

And, as she related, cleaning up the MESS that has come about because of all this, well, it's the PITS of the PITS

My backyard is such a picture of all this, soon I'll put together a post on the saga of the backyard. One picture with this post will do for now.

ME verses the MESS!