Excuses Excuses…
So I figured I’d log on and tell both of my readers that I am still breathing and will be continuing the current Ezekiel 36 series in the next couple of days, as soon as I get a free moment. I have officially started as the summer youth intern at Sandhills Presbyterian Church in Southern Pines, NC and am loving it.
I taught on Ruth 1:1-18 this wednesday morning with one of our summer youth fellowship groups and although it was only a 30 minute lesson to cover that much material, I think it went fairly well. We are taking the middle and high schoolers to see Wall-E tomorrow night at the drive in – should be a great time!
So I guess this is just a lame excuse for why I have been not blogging more recently. Between getting back to the states and starting my new job, I’ve been swamped. While you wait, may I suggest the Philosopher’s World Cup? See below:
-Mark
New Blog!
Well I have finally ported the blog over to a dedicated server, so please update your links!
I will probably be messing with the design for a couple more days, so don’t get too upset if the site looks completely different next time you visit. Enjoy!
-Mark
I am a Materialist
I am a materialist. This may come as somewhat of a surprise to you, but I promise it does not come as more of a surprise than it did to me. Here I will submit a little background to substantiate my claim.
Today I arrived in Riga, Latvia, to continue my studies of Old Testament Pre-Exilic Prophets at Baltic Reformed Theological Seminary. I have been living on the ‘wrong side of the tracks’ in Tranås since last September, and have since learned to live with much less than I have been used to with my privileged upbringing in the United States. I am not saying that my family has always had abundant money, but I can safely say that we never went without the basics and have always been content with what we had. Moving to Stoeryd was a shock to my system in a sense, but not in any huge way that made me re-evaluate how my money is spent and where my heart finds its comfort.
Fast forward nine months to today. I flew the normal discount carrier over the Baltic sea, a fifty minute flight from Stockholm, and landed in what I thought was going to be a similar place to what I have become accustomed to in Sweden – an assumption that turned out to be terribly wrong.
As I drove into Riga with my gracious host Marsh, I was struck with a very distinct impression – “This is a post soviet country.” Not just in the sense of the political climate or the cultural nuances, but in the sense that everything around screams of the Iron Curtain. From the architecture, to the cobblestone streets, to the very apartment I am sitting in at this moment – the economic disparity between here and even the small, struggling industrial town of Tranås is stunning.
The buildings are old and dilapidated, the stairwell lights flicker, the doors creak and squeal, and everywhere you look you see the depressed past screaming out from within. The walls here seem to speak, and they tell eye-opening tales of this city’s past. I cannot properly describe the feeling of this city, other than to say that it is affected, and has left me in a similar state.
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” – Matthew 6:21 (ESV)
So here I sit – in a faded old couch underneath a bare light-bulb, surrounded by concrete walls and looking out the crooked window, watching the sun set slowly over Riga. I cannot help but be saddened by the life of materialism I have led – constantly giving in to this yearning within me for more. But what has it brought me? More joy? Not at all – my host is one of the most joyful people I have met. More comfort? Maybe, but this earth is not my home, I am a foreigner longing to go home to my Father’s house. Am I happier because I have six pairs of shoes? Am I better off with a surround sound system in my apartment?
Could it be that these things are only distractions from my one true source of satisfaction and joy, that which I find in Jesus of Nazareth?
I do not know what my final conclusions as to the life I live will be, but the Lord has convicted me today of my materialism. So today I resolve to be content with the things I have, to examine the things I desire in the light of Christ’s total sufficiency, and to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. It is only by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit that I am able to live a life of holiness, and I resolve to seek not my own comfort but the sanctification found in Him that one day I may kneel before the Father and claim nothing but the blood of Christ as my basis for justification.
Heavenly Father I am a miserable sinner. My heart is wretched, but you are good. I invite you in this moment to change me and conform me to be more like your Son, because He is all I desire. Holy Spirit help me to resist the lie of the deceiver that true, lasting happiness is found in things of this earth, and renew a right spirit of gratitude and contentment in my heart. I seek only you, Jesus. Draw near to me, and make me more like you. Amen.
-Mark
So I was ruminating today…
Disclaimer: If you are easily made uncomfortable by questions that challenge the normal consensus, may I suggest some lighter entertainment. Maybe a Dilbert comic, or a sermon by Rob Bell.
Please read the whole post before commenting, but please comment. I would love to hear what you think. This is something I have been thinking about recently and have not yet come to a conclusion on, and am looking to you the body of Christ for some guidance.
…on the doctrine of the Church, and the implications thereof.
After family worship my co-interns and I started talking about fraternities/sororities (as they are both in one at their respective colleges) and the reasons for joining one. They commented that those who have never been one would say such naïve things as ‘its a way to make sure you have friends’, or ‘its a way to meet girls/guys’, but these are not true. They said that the reason for membership and the most important part of it is the ‘brotherhood’ that you form with other members through the hard times of pledging and the fellowship of living together.
Thinking about this, I started to ask questions and quickly they became very uncomfortable – not wanting to talk anymore about the subject. I moved on at their request and they soon left to go back to work, leaving me again with my thoughts. So here is the question which I would like to hear your thoughts on. This is not a statement, just a question. I have not made any judgments, I am just questioning, and in so doing attempting to ‘work out my salvation with fear and trembling’.
Being that the ultimate aim of joining a fraternity is for fellowship, and as christians we are called to ultimately look for fellowship with the Body of Christ first and foremost and knowing that no relationships in this world with unbelievers are neutral, is it biblical for a christian to join a fraternity looking for the fellowship that he should be persuing with God’s people in the church?
Let me briefly define what I mean by ‘fellowship’. It is not just friendship, and if that was the meaning of the term used then the question would have an obvious answer that would fall in line with general consensus – that fraternities are ok for christians. But what I mean by fellowship is what I see frat guys looking for and finding in their chapter – that being a brotherhood to lean on through hard times and to bear their soul to. Which leads to the followup question:
Isn’t that the role that the Body of Christ (the church) is supposed to fulfill?
Now notice that this does not extend to non believers. They are not a part of the covenant community and as Solomon says “this is their lot in life”, meaning that a fraternity can be good for them and lead to much temporary happiness and perceived stability.
However, for those in the covenant community – where we look for true fellowship and where we bear our souls is important, so where do we draw the line? Is it ok for us to pursue fellowship in the context of a fraternity? Should we persue these deep intimate relationships with non believers if the relationship is not ultimately about leading that person to Christ?
In Christ we know that we are in this world but not of this world – so how does that work itself out practically? Do not get me wrong – I am not saying that we should not pursue relationships with unbelievers at all – far from it. I believe that the Lord has called us to be the means by which he calls unbelievers to himself, and we are to go out and be a light to all nations, proclaiming the atoning death of Jesus on the cross! The question is not related to outreach, but to the bride of Christ, the church, and how we are to relate to it. If it is the place we are supposed to go exclusively to be built up and re-energized, if it is the stable rock from which we are to go out and preach the Gospel, then what of other fellowships? The question obviously has much more vast implications than just relating to fraternities and sororities, but I use them as an example from which to draw conclusions.
Ultimately the question is are we as Christians to have fellowship with unbelievers, or only friendship? Can we have both?
What do you think?
Ok – let the comments begin! Do not simply agree or disagree – because I am making no statements here about the answer to the question, but simply posing it. What do you think the answer is and what are the implications of it?
To Christ be the glory!
MD Letteney
