does anyone know how to post mp3's onto a blog? is it possible in blogger?
11.27.2005
11.24.2005
ode to employment
dishes lay waiting while the laundry dried
useless at housework compared to my wife
who does in one hour what i did in five
at last prayers were answered, an offer was mine
and now upon rooftops i carry and climb
my body is sore; my muscles are weak
my feet want to lay on their backs for a week
but i wait for tomorrow, for it will bring pay
the reason i labour and toil all day
although there is one more reason i find
doing dishes and laundry all day bites
that was a terrible poem, my apologies for wasting the past three minutes of your life. but it was fun to write. anyway, it's good to have work, but i'm tired out. supposedly after a couple weeks my body will get used to it. and maybe it will help me get into better shape. it's a temporary job, so i'll be looking again in january or february, depending on how the winter weather is. i have an idea for then that karen and i have been praying about...more on that another time.
Posted by b.rando at 16:09 4 comments
11.17.2005
i need help
i have been thinking lately (and for those of you who know me well, take cover) about the church tradition of sunday morning services.
here's my question: why do we do church the way we do? that is, why do we have "church" on sunday mornings as a gathering of a small to large number of people with singing and praying and teaching and all that? what is it's purpose? now i don't mean why is it on sunday's rather than saturdays or whatever...i know the church history about that. i mean why do we have this gathering of people in this way that we call church?
here's my reason: i don't always enjoy church on sunday mornings. oh there is the occasional truth that sticks out at me, and there is the connecting with friends that i haven't seen for a week, and i like the music, but really all that can be accomplished more effectively in a small group that i attend on thursday evenings.
here's my problem: i've been taught sunday mornings "aren't about me" so according to that line of thinking my attitude of not getting much out of it is essentially self-centered and wrong. ok, i can see and accept that. so sunday mornings are about gathering to worship God together. about what i can give, not what i can get. how i can serve, not how i can be served. that makes sense, and after all, doesn't the bible say something about not giving up meeting together? however, don't i worship God most effectively by doing what he says to do ("you love me when you do what i say") throughout every day of the week? and can't i worship corporately (meeting together with other believers) in a small group on thursday evening, or by giving and serving in other practical ways? indeed, if i connect better with other believers, learn more effectively, and am able to express my love toward God and people more thoroughly in small group on thursday evening, then what reason is there for me to go to church on sunday?
i'm not wanting to give up going to church on sundays. i may not always enjoy it, but sometimes i do. i am wanting to find a good reason for going. am i doing it merely because tradition and a lifetime of training dictate that all good christians go to church on sunday mornings? or is there a better reason? honestly i hope there is a better reason, because otherwise i'm going to have some serious decisions to make and issues to work through.
i also recognize the possibility that if i actually stopped going to church on sunday mornings that i might feel a lack of something in my life and would realize that i really do need that time with people and God. maybe i should try it.
this is an honest question. i really want to know. ap, sic your theological training on me. other readers, lend me your thoughts. i need help with this one; i'm stumped. why do we "do church" the way we do?
Posted by b.rando at 08:30 9 comments
11.07.2005
God help me...
i read some postings by scott williams that i came across via caleb. wow. he is an ex-pastor commenting on some observations about pastors. i only have three years experience working as a pastor, but four years of bible college on top of that, and a lifetime of being a pk church rat to throw in as well. most of what he said hit home with me. and it hurt...in an exposing, healing kind of way.
part 1
part 2
part 3
part 4
part 5
part 6
part 7
finale
God help me to learn these lessons now while i have the opportunity to live in the real world.
Posted by b.rando at 09:12 3 comments
11.04.2005
saved
ok, on the recommendation of a friend i finally watched the movie saved. it's received a lot of criticism in many christian circles. i thought it was a great satire. well done for a teen flick and in many ways, eerily accurate. made me think...
what did you think about it? (this should be obvious, but keep your trap shut if you haven't watched it)
Posted by b.rando at 16:06 6 comments