The Comforts of Home

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One of the promises in the Scriptures that most brings tears to my eyes is the promise of Christ to his followers that if they experience upheaval in their family relationships they will be recompensed abundantly.

I must admit that my family relationships have only improved since I was baptized into the Body of Christ. Nevertheless, I have repeatedly found doors opened to me. I have gathered in family rooms, sipped coffee, stayed up late laughing, eaten delicious food and experienced the kingdom of God. I have thought on numerous occasions as I sat on a friend's couch, "I am home."

Sometimes these moments have occured in locations outside the home. I have enjoyed more than a few road trips in my day. I love them. I have definitely felt "at home" on the road. I am a pilgrim, you know. I am a traveler, a vagabond, a stranger looking for a city that has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Home is very much tied to people for me. These people are pretty spread out. I like to visit. I guess you could say I live in a mobile home.

So as I look forward to a week of visiting homes in Texas and a road trip to Oklahoma I anticipate a foretaste of that final homecoming when all my family from every clime and time gathers for one heck of a marriage.


Hack away.

PS. I included the "Wedding at Cana" image because of the obvious connection. I also wanted to use it because I saw it in June 2004 with my father. I believe it is the largest painting in the Louvre and was done by Jacopo Bassano. It reaches from floor to ceiling and dominates a large room. I was in awe.

An Open Letter to the Tragically Hip

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“All flesh is like grass and the glory of man is like the flower of grass. The grass withers and the flower fades away, but the word of the Lord endures forever.”

You are found everywhere, but often among models, actors, artists and teenagers. I am writing this to inform you that the rest of us want you to shut up. Your poutiness is obnoxious. Your sense of entitlement makes us nauseous. You are not a victim. You are a vapor, a waif, a whiff dog feces.

You don’t have to be. You can be a person of substance. Something weighty could pass from your mind, through your throat, over your teeth, into the air and rest upon the minds of those around you. The rapt attention people seem to give you is simply a very temporary offering to your quickly fleeting, skin-deep beauty.

Consider an insight from Anselm:

“Oh painful dilemma!
If I look into myself, I cannot endure myself.
If I look not into myself, I cannot face myself.
If I consider myself, my own face appalls me.
If I consider not myself my damnation deceives me.
If I see myself, the horror is intolerable.
If I see not myself death is unavoidable.”

If we allow God to reveal us to ourselves, rather than listening to the “I’m OK, you’re OK” baloney, then we have a chance to become better people through redemption and rebirth. God will not leave us to wallow in the mire of ourselves but will reveal himself to us. We may then learn to live in the glory of being-constituting relationships, divine and human.

Hack away.

"Fredo, You Broke My Heart!"

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I do not identify with the morality of mafiosos.
(I'm sure you are glad to hear it.)

What exactly is the summum bonum for a mafia boss? It's not the well-being of his nuclear family. It's not loyalty to his extended family. It appears to be the prosperity and perpetuity of "The Family," the mafia organization. I suppose such a priority is comparable to that which drives other people. I just don't jibe with it.

I have to say Marlon Brando is hilarious in Part 1.

OK, why am I talking about "The Godfather?"

There is a scene in Part 2 that I like. The youngest son of "The Godfather," Micheal, is now head of The Family and has been betrayed by his older brother, Fredo. During a New Years Eve party he walks over, grabs his head, kisses him square on the mouth and exclaims "Fredo, you broke my heart! You broke my heart!"

Unlike Christ, Don Corleone did not wait for his betrayer to draw near to kiss him. Fredo did not have the guts for such a move. Why did Jesus wait for Judas to come kiss him? Why did he not confront him as he entered the garden as he confronted him at the last supper? Could there have been a hope in our Lord's heart that Judas might repent even at that late hour? The Gospel reading for the 22nd Sunday after Trinity features Jesus' words about forgiving another person 70 X 7 times. Does God offer less?

My friend Gary Tebbe offered some excellent thoughts about criticism and its prevalence in his own writings on his blog recently. Bloggers often use their sites to express frustrations. Sometimes we are feeling disappointed/betrayed with the Church and its people. There are times that I want to grab some people by the head and yell in their face that they have broken my heart.

What I need to realize is that others feel disappointed with me much of the time. How many hearts have I broken by not living up to my potential? How many people have I disappointed by falling short of the glory of God? How many minds have been perplexed at my lack of grace and mercy? I name the name of Christ. Where is the bountiful harvest of Spirit-fruit?

I am sorry if Christians have hurt you. I am sorry if we have disappointed you. We never have an excuse to give up on God, no matter how we think the Church has failed us. Also, we do not have the option of giving up on the Church. She may be a mess but she is God's mess. I hate it when I see superficiality in the people of God. What is embarrassing is when I am so arrogant as to think that I am not very superficial at times. I have no right to be impatient with anyone.

I, for one, have decided that I will not retire to the outer fringes of Christianity. I have decided that I am a Churchman. For better and for worse, for richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health. I refuse to sit outside the sanctuary of the Lord and have a pity party. God certainly has no intention of joining me at that party. He invites us all to a much better celebration, based in the incarnation and atonement of his son, Jesus. The Holy Spirit is seeking to gather us all. Let's party.

Hack away.

Awards This Blog Has Won

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axegrinder has not won any awards.

Update:

April 20, 2006

After one year of blogging, axegrinder has still not won any awards.

Hack away.

Taking Pictures

The other night I saw a full moon. I was walking around my neighborhood at around 3am The moon shone above me. I happened to look up and saw it: big, bright, perfectly framed by some oak trees. I had to get my camera and give it a shot (bad pun intended).

I could not get the picture to come out right. I blamed my little digital camera. The flash obscured the picture. When I turn the flash off I have to hold the camera impossibly still or the image will be blurry. Is the camera capable of capturing the image as I wanted? In theory. Was I able to use the tool to get the job done? See for yourself.



Our perceptions of life are so fickle. We see something beautiful. We attempt to capture it, describe it, explain it. It comes out all wrong. Who’s to blame?

Sometimes it’s out equipment. We are saddled with a worldview that obscures rather than illuminates or accurately perceives what’s in front of us. That can be remedied.

It may be that we are struggling with the limits of finitude. Sorry, no help is available to fix that problem. Some have suggested that the frustrations of finitude were the chords the serpent played in order to pied piper Eve into the river.

Sometimes our inability to use the equipment we have is the culprit. “Hey, batter, don’t blame that stick of wood in your hands for not going yard with that vicious breaking ball. It’s all you, baby.”

Sometimes it’s our vantage point. We are looking from the wrong place, the wrong angle. We are looking at the wrong time of day to see what we are looking at clearly. We don’t have the experience to see.

I think there was a little bit of all those problems at play when I was trying to capture the moon the other night.

Lord, open my eyes, illuminate my mind and point me in the right direction. Allow me to see you and live.

"Thou Shalt Be Nice"

be nice
Originally uploaded by holysanchez.

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Oh, I am the wrong person to be blogging about this subject. I am rarely ... No, let me correct that ... I am never accused of being too nice. No one ever tells me that I have sacrificed the truth for someone's feelings. Friend, I'm honestly trying to be a nicer person. I am really striving to not be a "Christian jerk."

OK, that being said, some things still continue to get on my nerves.

It seems to me that the greatest commandment for postmoderns is "Thou shalt be nice." This is a translation of the 2nd greatest commandment, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."

Let me reiterate. I am not an advocate of being obnoxious for Jesus. I tried to say something to that effect a few posts ago (here). If we are talking and I get too intense, if you tell me to chill a bit, I will. If I am making you uncomfortable, tell me what's wrong, and I will try to adjust the way I am interacting so that you feel more comfortable. I'm not looking for a fight, an argument or a debate. That being said, you'll be interested in my forthcoming book, "How to Lose Friends and Alienate People."

It seems that it is becoming increasingly difficult for conversations to take place between people who have contrasting opinions on important topics such as ethics, religion, politics, etc. Have you ever had a lengthy dialogue with someone who differed from you on the issue of abortion? Often attempts to do so quickly degenerate into an emotion-driven accusation fest. Debate, criticism and argument are becoming dirty words. They are not dirty words.

Also, when did it become a sin to try and convince someone who disagrees with you of your beliefs, whether they be political, religious or otherwise. I think one problem with that realm of activity is often the person trying to do the convincing leaves the other with the impression that he is not important as a person but is seen as a project or solely as a potential convert for the team. This tendency to depersonlization is unfortunate but is not an inherent evil in that chief of all "sins," proselytizing. It is possible to both try to convince someone of your opinion and have his best interests in mind.

That brings me to another area. What is the goal of education? I believe the Book of Proverbs can offer us some insight into the educational process. The triune emphasis of the Proverbs is wisdom, knowledge and understanding. Contrast that with the holy trinity of postmodernism: self-actualization, marketability and amusement. Therein you will find some of the differences between a substantive education and what passes for education in much of the liberal arts world.

Conversation should, at some point, assist the goals of education. Such interaction can have sharp edges and offers the potential of hurt feelings. Many have been the times that I have felt dumb, ignorant or incapable when listening to others talk. Do I grow bitter when I am brought up short? I'd better not. I have an opportunity to learn, become a better person, perceive reality more accurately and fully.

A friend of mine recently quoted a professor at the seminary as saying, "I'm not here to make you feel good." I think that what the prof was attempting to communicate was that there is a side of instruction that includes critique and assessment of the students shortcomings. It's not fun or comfortable. It is necessary if we are to be educated.

Hack away.

Huh?

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I have to mention something that happened yesterday.

Someone ended up here by searching "funny sugardaddy poems" using MSN.

I had modest expectations when I started blogging. It's nice to know I'm reaching the multitudes.

Hack away!

Beautiful Holiness

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“O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.”

Is holiness an end in itself? If not, what is the goal of being holy?

What is it about our pursuit of holiness that is beautiful? Doubtless, people who do not seek to know the Lord with all their hearts will many times not recognize any of God’s shared holiness as beautiful. Therefore, we should not expect applause from the world as we discard those things from our lives that would hinder our knowing the Trinity.

But, holiness is not simply a negative quality. There is a positive side to this high virtue. When God’s holiness is on display in our lives it will be attractive to some who live estranged from God. There will be those who will feel that their questing after God has been assisted by our witness of his grace.

Let us strive to know the holiness that is not simply stiffness and austerity. Let us shun that so called spirituality that is so at home in the world that it is ignores or is unaware of the leprous effects of sin upon our lives. May whatever abstinences we embrace be coupled with exhibitions of kindness toward all around us. It is good to avoid those things which would harm our souls. Let us also be zealous for those good works that would make others’ lives better in body and soul.

The Talent Show

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The Talent Show - A Parable About God’s Gifts

A neighborhood activities association decided to end the summer with a cookout. They thought it would be fun to have a talent show instead of the typical softball, volleyball and horseshoes. All the neighbors were invited to participate and asked to bring refreshments.

On the night of the modest gala there were a surprising number of acts. People had really taken to the idea of showcasing their hidden talents. Some were more impressive than others, but everyone appreciated the various contributions. On that evening people enjoyed one another’s uniqueness and recognized that it is not the easiest thing in the world to stand on a stage in front of the whole neighborhood accompanying your six year old on the kazoo while he sings “Puff the Magic Dragon.”

One particular entry stood out that evening. The performer was an especially skilled musical. A regular one-man band, but not cheesy like they usually are. He did a medley of “You’ve Got a Friend” by James Taylor, “Everybody Have Fun Tonight” by Wang Chung, and “Oops, I Did It Again” by Britney Spears. The act ended to generous applause.

As the clapping subsided the performer began to speak slightingly of the other acts. He berated them for their lack of skill. Worse than that, he criticized the choice of medium of some of the other performers, notably the juggler, the mime, the clown and the magician.

While some people nodded when he mentioned the mime, there was general consternation at his remarks. To everyone’s astonishment, he then singled out a young, handicapped girl who had sung the theme song from her favorite TV show, “The Jeffersons.” “All of you should have done musical performances, and done them well.” This last phrase he spat out while glaring at the little girl.

The gathering was silent. People began getting up and leaving. One by one, in small groups, couples, individuals, all left with heavy hearts.

The handicapped girl, confused, but not oblivious, made her way over to the man. “Clack, clack … clack, clack … clack, clack” was the sound of her crutches as she approached.

“I liked your songs.”

And then she left.

The Audacity of Preaching

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I was sitting with three friends in a United Methodist Church in Pearl, MS this past Sunday night when the following thought occured to me.

It is audacious to ask a group of people to shut up and sit still while you talk to them without interruption or intermission for 30 minutes.

It may not be that much of a revelation to you, but think about it for a minute. Maybe it will sink in. Or maybe I'm simply being obtuse.

How many people ever get such an opportunity in their entire lives? Only on special occasions does the average person get to even address a group of people that numbers higher than 5: wedding toasts, memorial services, high school speech classes. Sure, bank robbers and airline pilots get to address gatherings, but those people are not on the plane or in the First National to hear the ones giving the remarks. They are there for other reasons. People in churches show up, in part, to hear what the dude up front has to say. They even give money so he can keep talking every week.

The subject being talked about by these men in the churches, I assert, is the most important subject that can be talked about. They get to do it for 20-30 minutes every Sunday morning (if they're smart). The subject warrants at least this much talk. I hope the preaching you hear (that is, if you hear any) will inspire discussions, inquiries, prayers and actions throughout your week and even your life. I hope the same for myself.

While I still think there is some audacity in preachers asking people to give them their undivided attention for 30 minutes every week, I also think the worthiness of the Subject calls for this exercise. May it be to us the word of the Lord.

The Unusual Christian Concept of Indwelling

To say that God lives inside me can sound many different ways to many different people.

It can be rather cultish. There are certainly people, and I have met some of them, who have a fanatical view of indwelling. They claim God tells them stuff on a regular basis.

"What's that? Oh, yes, Lord. I will have another piece of pizza if it's your will." (while gazing wistfully up at the ceiling/heavens)

That's not what I mean.

Indwelling can be blandly universal. Something along the lines of there being "a spark of the divine in all of us." {snore}

It can be pantheistic. "God IS everything." [There goes transcendence.]

Or panentheistic. "God is IN everything." [There go particulars and individuality.]

Or it can be Christian. Exclusive AND Universal. Intimate, but not creepy. Being "led," but not being "controlled."

I will have more to say on this subject soon.