I Just Don't Know

There has been a raging flame recently about Rob Bell's new book "Love Wins". I haven't had a chance to read it my self so I will not comment yet. However, does anyone wonder why this kind of stuff comes up? Why do we seem to constantly have to deal with people who would rock the boat? In Islam, if you shake things up, they kill you. You don't even have to be a follower of Mohammad, just write a joke about him or draw a picture, or burn the Koran and they come after you with knife, gun, and bomb. Good way to stop debate! Perhaps that's why we have "ark rockers", a living faith needs to be challenged. We will stagnate and die if we don't look at what we believe and ask ourselves if we really agree with what we have been taught. Personally, when it comes to the basics of the Christian faith, the orthodoxy if you will, I believe. However, do I need to be ordained to have a positive effect on people's lives and preach the gospel? NO, I don't. Does drinking a beer send me to hell? No, it doesn't (however we do have to be careful for many non-believers are taken aback when a "Christian" has a drink, and we are called not to cause anyone to fall). Look to Christ, follow His teachings. The answers are there, somewhere.

Union Whine

I come from a union household. I was a union steward for the Communication Workers of America, yet I am sick of hearing the whining from the unions, esp those serving public employees. For years they had their way as tax revenues were able to keep up with their wage and benefit demands, now however with tax revenues down, the money is drying up. But the unions don't want to pay more for their healthcare or their retirement. Wah wah wah. Private sector employees have been historically paying more for years. Get over it, budget better and plan on paying more for some of your benefits. Remember, our taxes as well as your own pay your wages, and when tax moneys go down, your income can't go up. In many cases, it can't stay the same. Sucks, but its true.

A new islamic republic?

I have to wonder if all the unrest in the middle east and africa doesn't portend the beginning of a large islamic republic. With the current governments in Lybia, Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen and Bharain under attack is it possible that the vacuum left by the departing governments could lead to the islamic republic that so many followers of Mohammad want? Just wondering.

I am not the problem, but....

Recently a blurb started coming around stating that "I am not the problem"... and then started the usual whining about police, firefighters, teachers, etc, not being the enemy and that state legislatures should not attack their rights to bargain. Interestingly enough the first one I got was from a paramedic who works for a private service that gives little or nothing to its employees. They stopped the 401k, cut back on insurance and vacations, and fired employees with benefits that began before new management started cutting things to make ends meet. Many of the employees weren't happy with the cuts, but at least they kept their jobs.
Perhaps some of the public whiners should take a look at what they stand to loose and realize that there are plenty of people who would love their wage and benefit package, even if it was reduced.
In Michigan the legislature wants to remove the third party bargaining from the equation, to keep the talks between the union and the state. Wisconsin on the other hand wants to end collective bargaining all together. MI I can agree with, WI, maybe not. There is no God or Constitutionally given right to collective bargaining, but it has kept wages at a livable level. All parties concerned must understand that you can't pay out when the bank is empty.
I worked for a company that took some severe financial hits, we were due to close at a specific date, a week prior to that our bank account went to zero, we closed our doors. NO money, no pay, no work. Easy enough concept.

You shouldn't advertise

While motoring down a busy street today, I wound up at a traffic light. As I waited for the left turn lane to move, the west bound lane to my right got the signal to proceed. There was a quick "beep" from the car next to me as he advertised his impatience to the car in front of him. As he drove off I saw a "BigGod" bumper sticker. I thought, "Big God, impatient Christian. This is exactly why I don't advertise my beliefs on my bumper; eventually you will do something stupid and your icthus fish or your God is my Co-pilot bumper sticker will give you away. You don't mind advertiseing that you are a christian, you just don't want to act like one.

Well now, where to begin. Pastor made a couple of comments in Last Wednesdays evening service that pulled my chain. He doesn't believe that the church has a responsibility to bring people into a frame of worship. He says that we are supposed to come to church ready to worship. I told him he is a utopian. That many people need time to quiet their minds and hearts before worship can really begin, he says no. He is wrong.Period.
On another note, he is preaching from Mark, using one part of a parable of Jesus for a sermon and the second half of the parable for the second sermon. I'm sure that he got the stuff from a book. He says that we need to put on new clothes, that you can't put a new patch on old clothes. He is right, however, before we put the clothes on, we must be careful that we arn't simply putting on faddish clothes. It seems that the church today, much like education, is driven by fads. What ever the latest large church/emerging church guru says is the way to go. "out with the old, in with the fad". Worship is not meant to go the way of the Nehru shirt and fur vest.

Off He Goes!

Summertime is when the camp meetings start, business is conducted and people get ordained. This year one of our own was ordained to elder. He's a likeable guy who came onto the scene several years ago and has availed himself to be used in many situations. With no religious background he enrolled in one of our colleges on line programs and received his masters. Good job Daniel! Now he is off to seek his fortune as pastor of a church in Grand Rapids. We wish him the best.