Yes, I do like Damien Rice.

Thank you Kathleen for giving me that CD. I really love this chorus:

"So why do you fill my sorrow
With the words you've borrowed
From the only place that you've known
And why do you sing Hallelujah
If it means nothing to you
Why do you sing with me at all?"

Amazing.

I'm considering having entries on here that are basically like writing whatever comes to mind in lyrical/poetic form. It might be good to just have a place to vent those types of thoughts. Disclaimer: they might be complete and utter garbage due to their unedited, freestyled (wut up?) form. Whatever. Call it plogging. Or llogging (eh - that brings to mind llamas at computers).

For example, this came to my head yesterday along with a melody (which I guess you can't hear):

She is summer framed by soft brown hair
And her eyes ignite passion
Like the lives of saints
Or the deaths of sinners
Spark the revolutionary heart.
But can the death of a
Saint do the same
In the life of a sinner?

Something something blah blah blah.

Hope you're all doing well.

Peace,
Sam
P.S. What dreams lay sleeping in your heart?
Click to read the rest.

These Days

This is a song by Nico that my friend Jeremy sent me a while ago. It's another song with which I readily identify. I'm adapting it for piano; maybe one day you will hear my version of it (you know, since pianos are so readily available up at school).

"I've been out walking
I don't do too much talking
These days, these days.
These days I seem to think a lot
About the things that I forgot to do
And all the times I had the chance to.

I've stopped my rambling,
I don't do too much gambling
These days, these days.
These days I seem to think about
How all the changes came about my ways
And I wonder if I'll see another highway.

I had a lover,
I don't think I'll risk another
These days, these days.
And if I seem to be afraid
To live the life that I have made in song
It's just that I've been losing so long.

I've stopped my dreaming,
I don't do too much scheming
These days, these days.
These days I sit on corner stones
And count the time in quarter tones to ten.

Please don't confront me with my failures,
I had not forgotten them."

Peace,
Sam
Click to read the rest.

Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me?

I wish that the answer to that question were as easy as I would like it to be.

The following are lyrics by Wilco that precisely describe a recurring fear I have based on prior experiences:

"She appears in his dreams
But in his car and in his arms
A dream can mean anything
A cheap sunset on a television set can upset her
But he never could

Remember to remember me
Standing still in your past
Floating fast like a hummingbird"

Can anyone relate?

I learned how to play that song yesterday. It was exciting.

I spent a pretty decent amount of time interacting with Charlie today. As usual we had some thought-provoking conversation about things like Christian interaction with art, technology and music, and the way the internet has impacted social interaction. Part of that conversation was about blogging. We talked about how blogs are often a very one-sided view of a human being where that person is only posting when s/he is at emotional extremes or trying to entertain. I explained that part of my social experiment in having this blog is to be as honest as possible without crossing the line of being inappropriately personal. I'm not sure if that makes any sense. I'm never going to try to entertain, nor am I ever go to put up a front. I also plan on blogging regardless of my emotional state, so you don't have some wacky picture of me as this morbidly depressed middle-class white guy who is upset that he doesn't get all that he wants out of this life (shudder). I don't need a blog to be my therapist (that's why I have a piano...or God...that would probably be the correct answer).

And of course, if a person only uses blogs and profiles to know someone, something is already wrong.

Thought-provoking lyric of the moment: "...trusting things beyond mistake." - Sufjan Stevens, "Palisades"

What does that mean?

Peace,
Sam
Click to read the rest.

From My Little Book

I've recently taken to carrying around a memo book and a pen to write down things that come to mind. I was flipping through it and discovered this. I'd thought I'd share it (slightly edited):

4/26/06

There is a lighthouse that shines
In the echoes of three silver chimes.
There is a storm that gathers
Over the sidewalks of my clouded mind
And rain that drops in time and
Time and time again I cannot see
The forest that's inside of me
And the sunsets that are sleeping
In your eyes that blind my
Heart and hide my sighs.
There is a smile stretched so tight
Between the sheets of my soul tonight
That never lets me rest my head
That loses life, that kills the dead.
But when I see you, oh
When I see you sitting in the clouds
Past the snow and past the sounds
Of sweating secrets and suffering
Servants, I can't forget I've fallen down
Beneath the shadows of this land
Between the lines of each frail hand
That offers me a sign of love
Or asks me to ascend above
To that cool place of sweet surrender
Where no one needs to ask, defend or
Try to rip apart these scenes of sweetness.
Wreck the ship so far beyond this neatness
And tranquility...

I don't think I ever finished it.

Peace,
Sam
Click to read the rest.

Do I seek truth, or simply beauty?

I've had a lot happen in the past week. I haven't posted any of it because I would feel awkward sending it into the internet abyss. That's part of the fundamental problem of blogs. The most important things that happen in my life will not be told as blog entries. I will never try to explain how I've grown or what I'm deeply grappling with to some internet confessional. I will most gladly talk on the phone or in person, and I always journal about what's happening in the depths of my soul. I may even write letters. But something about the internet just feels fake. There's a digital hand covering my mouth.

But then what's the point?

I had round two with my pastor today. It was much less eventful then last time, which consisted in addressing some very systemic issues and shattering some comfortable idols. I think round three will be pretty interesting.

I've determined I need to make a trip to Gainesville to see a variety of people.

I wrote another song today. It's pretty standard Sam style - simple piano with a Bjorkish melody. I'm always frustrated that I can't write anything more complex, but I'm learning to accept it. I'm actually being forced to accept it, because when I start layering instrumental parts with my computer my songs just end up as garbage. I'm definitely no Sufjan. Oh well, I can write complex/poetic/intriguing lyrics (I think). I may as well embrace my own style of somewhat interesting lyrics sung using Thom Yorke-style inflections with a Bjork-type melody over Coldplayish chords. Note that the lyrics are probably my only real contribution, and they are always influenced by a variety of poets and songwriters. Oh well. Such is life. In the words of Destroyer: "Don't you realize that a life in art and a life of mimicry are the same thing?"

Wow, this has been a mildly depressing entry. I hope everyone is doing alright.

Peace,
Sam
P.S. My dad currently has A Grief of Observed and Letters to Malcolm, so iconoclasm will have to wait.
Click to read the rest.

More News

I got an email from the ND housing office today that told me where I'm staying and the name of my roommate. I'm kind of annoyed, though. I purposefully temporarily got back on Facebook in order to contact people at ND and keep in touch with people from SE/other classes and I somehow got stuck with one of the few remaining people in this country who does not have Facebook. On the other hand, maybe this means we will end up as good friends. Anyone who still avoids Facebook is either regularly antisocial or ahead of his time...I like my odds.

I also went to Gainesville today to meet with Dr. Sterk and attend a meeting/orientation/thing. That went well. I got to have lunch with Carter - he is engaged now! And I ran into two of my favorite "colleagues" - Will and Marie. They were half of the infamous corner in Dr. Sterk's class this past semester (the remaining half being me and the incredible Katie). We were like the class hecklers. It was great. I love those three.

So I'm all set. I just have to figure out what needs to be done and packed and such.

More from me soon. I'm trying to think of interesting things. Sarahmisu (being one of the few regulars around this joint) asked me to explain to her what "iconoclasm as it relates to relationships with other human beings" means, so I'll probably write about that soon. You C.S. Lewis fans had better get ready, because he'll be stopping by again.

And I realized today that Rachel skipped out of this country without ever sending me my picture with Sarah Watkins. I'll have to send her a reminder. ;)

Hope everyone is doing well.

Peace,
Samuel
Click to read the rest.

This is not a clever title.

So much excitement today. Emily and I did some scheming about trips between South Bend and Indy, and Alan and I are already plotting some sort of adventure. It will be Sam-and-Alan style, probably involving 16 hour train rides and New York City. And of course something crazy will happen like we won't plan any of it and run into each other in an obscure city in Michigan.

So yeah, I'm apparently heading to Michiana.

Today I watched a movie called Amen (directed by Costa-Gavras). It's about the Catholic Church during WWII. Very interesting movie. I realized that every time I talk about a movie, I can't talk about why I liked it unless the person has seen it because I don't want to give it away. It feels like telling a secret. I want people to experience a movie without any preconceived notons. Anyway, here a couple of neat quotes from one of the main characters (played by Mathieu Kassovitz, the guy from Amélie):

"Do diplomacy and the Gospel belong together?"
"Should we save the Vatican or Christianity?"
"As long as I can testify about the love of Jesus for mankind - for all mankind - then my future is assured."

Here's an assignment for anyone and everyone. Go through the Gospel of John and notice when Jesus asks questions. Which ones jump out at you? Why? I want to know what you think. I've been pondering this for a while. Example (John 14:8-9):

Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us."
Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time?"

Wait. Stop. Jesus said what? That hurts. Jesus wasn't afraid to ask the tough questions. He continues:

"Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work."

I wanna be like that guy.

Hope you are all doing well. Keep in touch. I want to know what's up with you all. And Michelle, maybe I will get to explaining how I'm a different person, either on the phone or on here.

Peace,
Sam
P.S. Charlie: I'm going to give you a call some time soon. I'm praying for you too, man.
Click to read the rest.

Excitement.

Enrollment at ND: Check.
Plane ticket to South Bend: Check.

I'm only awaiting a housing assignment. Things are looking good for a June 19 departure.

And as a bonus, my friend Katie from high school is going to be working in Chicago this summer. She's totally going to show me around the Windy City. It's only a couple of hours away by train and the fare is about $20 each way. I've never been to Chicago. This is exciting.

Hooray,
Sam
Click to read the rest.

If happiness could be a song, this would be it.

Brosandi
Hendumst í hringi
Höldumst í hendur
Allur heimurinn óskýr
Nema þú stendur

Rennblautur
Allur rennvotur
Engin gúmmístígvél
Hlaupandi inn í okkur
Vill springa út úr skel

Vindurinn
Og útilykt af hárinu þínu
Eg lamdi eins fast og ég get
Með nefinu mínu

Hoppípolla
I engum stígvélum
Allur rennvotur (rennblautur)
I engum stígvélum

Og ég fæ blóðnasir
En ég stend alltaf upp
(Hopelandic)

Og ég fæ blóðnasir
Og ég stend alltaf upp
(Hopelandic)

Peace,
Sam
P.S. Spent some much-needed time with Sarah today. And continued to scheme with Chris about the coming Christian service revolution.
Click to read the rest.

I can't think of a title.

In the words of The Flaming Lips, "Suddenly everything has changed."

I guess it hasn't been sudden, but it sure feels like it. Over the past year of my life, I have become a different person.

But that's not the topic of this post.

I watched Hotel Rwanda today for the first time. It was incredible. And it made me so angry, and passionate, and sorrowful. I was once again struck by how much we need to help the poor, the downcast, the needy. But not just any help, Gospel help. Rwanda was denied aid from the West because it couldn't give anything back. That's precisely what Christian mercy is all about -- giving to those who can't repay you, just as Jesus did and still does.

So please, go rent the movie. And then log on to Amnesty International or International Justice Mission and make a difference in human rights.

Maybe human rights doesn't spark your passion. Maybe it's something else for you. Maybe it's Fair Trade or environmental sustainability or homelessness. Whatever it is, find out more about it and what you can do about it. If you have no idea where to start, ask me. I'll do my best to point you in the right direction.

And be on the look out for a Christian service revolution.

Good night, friends.

To those of you traveling to other cities or countries: Christ will go ahead of you and with you so long as you trust in him.

To those of you who are experiencing physical and/or emotional hardship: let Christ be your only support.

Peace,
Sam
Click to read the rest.

It's all gonna break.

"It's All Gonna Break" is one of my absolute favorite songs. It's by Broken Social Scene. The lyrics are kind of explicit, but in a good way, because they're raw and they're real. Guess what? Real people yell and scream and curse. And as this wonderful song says, "There is no lie to save your life."

And now, in honor of Alan, I post here the spoken word portion of "Have you passed through this night?" by Explosions in the Sky:

This great evil - where's it come from?
How'd it steal into the world?
What seed, what root did it grow from?
Who's doing this?
Who's killing us, robbing us of life and light, mocking us with the sight of what we mighta known?
Does our ruin benefit the earth, aid the grass to grow and the sun to shine?
Is this darkness in you, too?
Have you passed through this night?

Peace,
Sam
Click to read the rest.

"I've got to get a library, quick!"

Well, Dr. Langdon, you better spend a lot of time there. I am, however, stealing that line of the movie whenever I go to the library (which is quite often).

I just saw The DaVinci Code. It was a pretty entertaining and decent film. Tom Hanks is pretty good in it, and Audrey Tatou (Amélie) can do virtually no wrong in my eyes (though she's not particularly remarkable in this movie).

Of course, the movie is only good if you try not to pay attention to some of its grievous historical errors and its pretty nauseating religious agenda (as spoken by Langdon towards the end). I won't spoil it here. In fact, I won't even continue to talk about the movie for fear of giving away the twists and turns.

However, I will leave you with my esteemed colleague Alex's one sentence summary of the movie: "It's like National Treasure, except with Jesus."

That being said, if any of you are interested in understanding where Dan Brown goes wrong, check out this remarkable article:

Not InDavincible

Oh, and as a word of warning, I am getting the idea that the movie leaves out a ton of stuff from the book.

More from me some time in the near future.

Peace,
Sam
Click to read the rest.

Christian Nice

The title of this entry is a play off of "Minnesota Nice" (watch Fargo or go to Minnesota). I've noticed (not by myself) that Christians in America are too nice. We're not bold enough. Now, I'm not telling people to go out and become Turlington preachers. That's not bold, that's stupid. We're still called to speak the truth in love. But sometimes love hurts. And the reason I can't stand Turlington preachers is not just because their theology is whack, yo (and they won't listen to a Calvin attack, right Sarahmisu?). And it's not just because they yell. It's because their time would be much better spent feeding the poor or building wheelchair ramps. At least then people would take them seriously.

I think I've decided that next year every time I see a Turlington preacher, I'm going to hold up a sign that says "Jesus loves the outcast." And then I'm going to tell them to go feed the poor instead of yammering to a crowd that isn't listening.

Anyway, today I read a book called "The Barbarian Way" by Erwin McManus (it's pretty short). I'd call McManus the Christian motivational speaker version of Emeril - I expected him to say "BAM!" at any minute. It's pretty good, encouraging Christians to step up and live a life that is dangerous. God didn't call us to a life of comfort or security. God didn't call us to be "civilized." If you read or listen to Piper a lot, this might sound familiar. In fact, I didn't learn much from this guy that I haven't heard Piper talk about with regard to missions. That's part of two things that left me dissatisfied with the book:

1. McManus doesn't ever propose WHY Christians are too civilized and nice at any meaningful level (I don't even know if he was restricting this claim to America or the West or whatever). He doesn't bother with history or sociology to try to explain himself or prove his point. Only cute anecdotes.
2. McManus doesn't talk a bit about WHAT this life is supposed to look like. He doesn't talk about doing missions. Your average person could read that book and think that just not cleaning up his desk made him a "barbarian Christian," so long as he believes God told him to do it. McManus talks a lot about some sort of global revolution for Jesus taking place - doing whatever Jesus tells us to do - without actually saying what that looks like.

So those are my two complaints. If you think Christianity is about being safe, happy, and healthy, you need to read this book. But if you've already figured out that God wants us to live a more meaningful life, than just consider McManus a team player. Just don't ask him for any sort of historical analysis or sociological insights as to the current state of the Church.

Peace,
Sam
Click to read the rest.

Memento, Fargo, Life

Tony loaned me several excellent movies, and I have watched two of them so far.

First up was Memento. I really enjoyed it and/because it got me thinking. This may be an odd connection, but I feel like I have no short-term memory when it comes to my Christianity. I feel like I need a tattoo on my chest that says "CHRIST DIED FOR YOU" to remind me every morning of my identity. Oh wait - the Holy Spirit.

I watched Fargo this afternoon. I liked it a lot. Margie is a fantastic character, and William H. Macy's portrayal of guilt is just incredible. I didn't glean any theological insights from it, which was kind of refreshing. And I have some family in Minnesota, so that was kind of fun.

I've been doing a lot of thinking these days due to my readings and interactions and such. Thinking a lot about idolatry, ordinary life, etc. I saw a bit of "John Hagee Today" this evening and it made me a little nauseated. The basic premise was how to have God's best in your life - how to experience "the promised land" today. The guy said flat out that people who said our reward is in heaven are wrong. It is utterly ridiculous to think that there is any way you could NOT have God's best for you as a Christian; as if God doesn't work for your good, as if He hasn't already saved your soul. It's sickening. Tell that to the persecuted church around the world. Are you going to tell Christians living in poverty in India or Asia that they need to buck up and claim their inheritance? Nonsense.

I'm done. Have a good night, all. Let me know if you need anything.

Peace,
Sam
Click to read the rest.

Whoa!

Check it out! A couple of audio recordings of C.S. Lewis:

C.S. Lewis: Two Doses

Peace,
Sam
Click to read the rest.

Luther

I've been trying to get to know Luther a little better. He has some great quotes.

I'm unsure of the source of this first one:

"For every look at your sin, take ten looks at the cross."

The next is from "A Meditation on Christ's Passion." It hit me hard:
"Of what help is it to you that God is God, if He is not God to you?"

Think about what it would mean if God were God to you: if God is holy, if God is sovereign, if God is your Redeemer, if God is the One who satisfies you. The list goes on. I know for me I wouldn't nearly be so worried, nor would I be so prone to turn to countless other things and people to fill me instead of God.

Luther also has a work called "The Two Types of Righteousness." Check this out:

Based on texts like 1 Cor. 1:30 and John 11:25-26, a Christian "can with confidence boast in Christ and say: 'Mine are Christ's living, doing, and speaking, his suffering and dying, mine as much as if I had lived, done, spoken, suffered, and died as he did.' Just as a bridegroom possesses all that is his bride's and she all that is his - for the two have all things in common because they are one flesh (Gen. 2:24) - so Christ and the church are one in spirit (Eph. 5:29-32)."

"This is an infinite righteousness, and one that swallows up all sins in a moment, for it is impossible that sin should exist in Christ. On the contrary, he who trusts in Christ exists in Christ; he is one with Christ, having the same righteousness as he."

By the way, I'm quoting from "Martin Luther's Basic Theological Writings," edited by Timothy F. Lull. It's a great one-volume introduction to Luther.

Peace,
Sam
Click to read the rest.

More from Brainerd

"When I really enjoy God I feel my desires of him the more insatiable, and my thirstings after holiness the more unquenchable; and the Lord will not allow me to feel as though I were fully supplied and satisfied, but keeps me still reaching forward. I feel barren and empty, as though I could not live with more of God; I feel ashamed and guilty before him. I see that 'the law is spiritual, but I am carnal.' I do not, I cannot live to God. O for holiness! O for more of God in my soul! O this pleasing pain! It makes my soul press after God; the language of it is, 'Then shall I be satisfied, when I awake in God's likeness,' but never, never before: and consequently, I am engaged to 'press toward the mark,' day by day. O that I may feel this continual hunger, and not be retarded, but rather animated, by every cluster from Canaan, to reach forward in that narrow way for the full enjoyment and possession of the heavenly inheritance! O that I may never loiter on my heavenly journey!"

For more on Brainerd, check out Piper's biography of him:

http://www.desiringgod.org/library/biographies/90brainerd.html

I have the MP3 of this biography, as well. If you want it, you can either get me to email it to a Gmail account or ask me to burn it for you someday.

And, word to the wise, all the works of Edwards (including Brainerd's diary), Owen, and the other giants are available for free at CCEL (see the link to the right).

Peace,
Sam
Click to read the rest.

Up the Sunbeam

The following quotes are from Letters to Malcolm by C.S. Lewis:

"The attempt [in prayer] is not to escape from space and time and from my creaturely situation as a subject facing objects. It is more modest: to re-awaken the awareness of that situation. If that can be done, there is no need to go anywhere else. This situation itself is, at every moment, a possible theophany. Here is the holy ground; the Bush is burning now."

I remember Jason sharing that quote with me long before I read it myself. It's really something to think that, for a Christian, every moment is an opportunity to come in contact with the ultimate force of the universe, with the very person that upholds the universe by His word of power. How often do we trample on this beautiful truth!

Here's another from Lewis to Malcolm:

"Gratitude exclaims, very properly, 'How good of God to give me this.' Adoration says, 'What must be the quality of that Being whose far-off and momentary coruscations [flashes or sparkles] are like this!' One's mind runs back up the sunbeam to the sun."

And finally: "Joy is the serious business of heaven."

Check out Letters to Malcolm. It's not too well-known, but it's great (and short).

Peace,
Sam
Click to read the rest.

A Pen in God's Hand

Here are two quotes from Puritan Richard Baxter (1616-1691) that I like:

"My Lord, I have nothing to do in this World, but to seek and serve Thee; I have nothing to do with a Heart and its affections, but to breathe after Thee. I have nothing to do with my Tongue and Pen, but to speak to Thee, and for Thee, and to publish Thy Glory and Thy Will. What have I to do with all my Reputation, and Interest in my Friends, but to increase Thy Church, and propagate Thy Holy Truth and service? What have I to do with my remaining Time, even these last and languishing hours, but to look up unto Thee, and wait for Thy Grace, and Thy Salvation?"

When commended for all his preaching and writing, Baxter said: "I was but a Pen in God's hand, and what praise is due to a Pen?"

Peace,
Sam

Click to read the rest.

Thoughts from Brainerd

I wanted to post some thoughts from David Brainerd. He was a missionary to Native Americans in New England in the first half of the 18th century. I'm reading his diary (edited by Jonathan Edwards) and have been dramatically impacted by it. Here are some favorite quotes thus far, usually in the form of exclamations:

"Oh! one hour with God infinitely exceeds all the pleasures and delights of this lower world."

"What are all the storms of this lower world if Jesus, by His Spirit, does but come walking on the seas!"

"O my blessed God! Let me climb up near to Him, and love, and long, and plead, and wrestle, and stretch after Him, and for deliverance from the body of sin and death."

"O I love to live on the brink of eternity, in my views and meditations!"

"My soul delighted to be a 'stranger and pilgrim on the earth.'"

"O it is sweet lying in the dust!"

When was the last time you ever heard anyone say it was sweet to lie in the dust? Yet Brainerd (and some other big guys like Charles Simeon) knew that it was important to recognize your own sinfulness. However, you must always follow it up with the grace of God, with the cross and the Gospel. Otherwise you just end up miserable.

More soon...

Living on the brink of eternity with you,
Sam
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A What? (Part 3)

Okay, so now we look at neopuritanism as I use it. Right now the current buzzword for our generation is the "emergent" church. D.A. Carson is one of the biggest proponents of this term right now. Some characteristics of this movement (of which we are apparently a part) are:

- Missional toward compromise
- Community toward moralism
- Image away from Word
- Ancient away from Authority

Confused? Me too. I think the point is that we all like hymns and we're antsy to make a difference without using the standard tools in light of post-modernism. I'm not sure. But you can read more about it in the latest byFaith (the PCA mag). This issue also has a story on our beloved Jean Larroux (he's even on the cover). If you go to a PCA church, you can easily pick up a copy.

That was a side note for the purpose of contrast. I'm not sure how much I agree with the generalizations I've read regarding the emergent church. I've read some things I really agree with, particularly the "ancient away from authority" label. Right now, though, I'm finding Puritanism to be more adequate. I think Kapic and Gleason basically set forth five doctrinal characteristics and two historical. The five doctrinal being:

- Spirituality
- Communion with God
- Reliance on the Bible
- Emphasis on grace and depravity
- Necessity of the Holy Spirit

And the two historical being:

- Sacramental anxiety
- Revival

The five doctrinal I take at face value. The two historical I adapt for my personal use (this is where the "neo" comes in). I'm big on revival and revolution. I feel like it's about time for another Reformation to come along - it's been about 500 years. Europe is in a state of disarray and America will soon follow unless something big happens. Don't believe me? Here is a statistic of the day from Operation World: In Germany, 70% of the people claim to be Christian, yet only 45% believe in a personal God, and a mere 8% worship regularly! Eight percent of over 82 million people! Or you can talk to my sister about Ireland (she would love to). World Harvest does a lot with Europe - check them out at www.whm.org.

As for the sacramental anxiety, I appreciate the spirit of the critique. John Bunyan, writing from prison in the midst of a prayer controversy, said that there could be a thousand Books of Common Prayer, but without the Spirit they would be worthless. However, I think we have different problems today. Restricted to our generation in America, I feel like:

- Many reformed youth/young adults lack passion in worship and the drive/resources to make any noticeable social change. This is despite the fact that they (we) have the theology to support social change and passionate worship.
- Other evangelicals have lots of passion but flimsy theology. You can yell and scream for Jesus all you want, but when someone comes to you with cancer, what do you say?
- Roman Catholic youth pretty much evaporate into agnosticism or post-modern pluralism by the time they are in later high school or college. I can count on one hand the number of devout Catholic youth I know - and almost all of them are charismatic.
- Eastern Orthodox youth are pretty cool, but where are they? I know a few very intelligent, very thoughtful Eastern Orthodox folks, but they are certainly a soft-spoken, practically invisible bunch. So much so that I can hardly critique them (this is probably a regional problem that requires more research).
- As funny and blatantly obvious as this sounds, "Christianity is the new Judaism" in the sense that ethnic Christianity is now extremely prevalent. I can't even fathom the number of times I've heard someone say, "I guess I'm a Christian (I was raised Christian), but now I pretty much believe whatever, you know? I mean, whatever you believe is cool. It's all the same, really."

Yeah, the English Protestants went nuts and killed people over doctrine, which is ridiculous (Christian charity and unity, anyone?). But at least they DID something. We can't sit idly by and watch humanitarian efforts trump Christian service and let muddy theology and a lack of passion sap the life from American Christianity.

I haven't even touched on the serious moral epidemics of American evangelical Christianity, or my favorite term used by Christian Smith (the sociologist, not the worship leader) to describe the majority religion among American youth: moralistic therapeutic deism. For more on those subjects, google Christian Smith or "The Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience."

More later. Sorry for the length; it's a soapbox.

Peace,
Sam
Click to read the rest.

A What? (Part 2)

Current/Permanent Mood: Thoughtful
Current Music: Destroyer - Rubies

Okay, so that's a little corny, but whatever. I mainly just wanted
to promote Destroyer again. His lyrics are amazing (picture
Sarahmisu saying "Amazing!" and that's what I mean).

"Don't worry about her, she's been known to appreciate the elegance
of an empty room."

Yeah. Check him out. "You disrupt the world's disorder just by
virtue of your grace, you know." Anyway. I could have an entire
post just about Destroyer - and probably will.

Okay, folks. Last time we learned why I call myself an "acquitted
felon." This time we cover neopuritanism. I'm going to warn you;
this is going to be a long entry.

One of my goals this summer is to become better acquainted with the
Puritans. Despite a few minor problems - you know, killing other
Protestants during some English turmoil, killing Native Americans
during America's bloody beginning - they were, overall, very cool.
So why do I call myself a neopuritan? I haven't killed any English
Protestants or Anglicans, nor do I directly have any Native American
blood on my hands. However, I do identify with them quite a bit. My
source for this entry is "The Devoted Life: An Invitation to the
Puritan Classics," edited by Kelly M. Kapic and Randall C. Gleason.
Kapic was one of Sarah's profs at Covenant. He is a really cool guy;
I sat in on one of his Christology classes. Sarah remains good
friends with the Kapics. When she was in school she babysat for them
and hung out with Tabitha Kapic (Kelly's wife) quite regularly.

Anyway, Kapic and Gleason discuss how diverse Puritanism was as a
movement (from about 1558-1700, give or take). There was no single
set of doctrines that encompass Puritanism; it included Anglicans,
Separatists, Independents, Presbyterians, and Baptists. And for all
you hardcore RUFers, Puritans were even diverse in the infamous
debate: Dortian ("by the book" - the Canons of Dort) Calvinists (like
John Owen), moderate Calvinists (Richard Baxter) and the occasional
Arminian (John Goodwin). In the midst of this, the dynamic duo come
up with seven characteristics of Puritanism as a movement (summed up on pp. 31-32):

- Puritanism was a movement of spirituality. This is fairly self-
explanatory. Specifically, Puritans were concerned with holiness.
- Puritanism, at its heart, lays stress on experiencing communion
with God. They used the term "experimental" quite often to describe
life as a Christian - it meant "experiential." Thomas Shepard
(1605-1649) wrote that just as we know by feeling heat that fire is
hot, or that by tasting honey we know it is sweet, so grace is in the
life of the believer.
- Puritans were united in their dependence upon the Bible as their
supreme source of spiritual sustenance and guide for the reformation
of life. This one is also self-explanatory, but very important for
the time period. Remember, the Reformation was young; it's not as if
they were chilling with a group of Pentecostals.
- The Puritans were predominantly Augustinian in their emphasis upon
human sinfulness and divine grace. If you're unsure what that means,
Augustine was a big influence on Luther and Calvin in his belief he
would only choose sin without the grace of God overcoming him.
Luther later takes up this belief in "On the Bondage of the Will."
- The Puritans placed great emphasis upon the work of the Holy Spirit
in the believer's life. Regeneration, sanctification, etc. were only
possible through the Holy Spirit.
- The Puritans were deeply troubled with the sacramental forms of
Catholic spirituality fostered within the Anglican Church. It would
be impossible to sum up the historical happenings of the English
Reformation here. However, all you need to know is that the Puritans
were worried about the emphasis on what you do over how you do it.
- Puritanism can also be understood as a revival movement.
Interestingly, Puritans used the word "reform" and its variants to
mean "revive" - the inward renewal of the heart. They stressed
revival on a group level and in the life of each believer.

Phew! For more info on all that, grab the book. It's cheap at
Westminster (around $13).

I'm going to create a new post now since this is ridiculously long.

Click to read the rest.

Movies, etc.

Just got back from an exciting evening with the guys (minus Jon). We watched some classic Simpsons and then a movie called Sleuth. It's quite good. Tony then armed me with several movies to add to my curriculum. Every summer I continue my film education with those guys. Expect to see some posts on some (hopefully) quality films.

Most recently, I watched The Motorcyle Diaries (very enjoyable), "Me, You, and Everyone We Know" (probably the worst movie ever made), and Amélie for the second time (magical). I also stomached an animé that contained some of the most impressive and utterly pointless animation I've ever witnessed. I just sat there the entire time thinking, "Why again is this guy so beautifully blowing up everything around him?"

Earlier today I met up with another friend from high school and college. We always have fascinating conversations. It was quite nice.

Still no news on ND. Things are so confusing. Hopefully I'll figure things out by the time I'm on a plane to South Bend.

I hope to do some more reading tomorrow, and probably watch another film.

I just attempted to type out some thoughts I had today. I found it completely inadequate. Blogging isn't as good as real conversation, or even real journaling. "Blog, more like blahg!"

Oh well.

Favorite lyric of the day: "The priest, he says 'Please, I can't stand my knees and I can't bear her raven tresses caught up in the breeze that way.'" - Destroyer (Rubies)

Or possibly: "You were the spice of life, the gin in my vermouth." - Elvis Costello (Indoor Fireworks)

Coming soon: What is a neopuritan?; guest appearances by Martin Luther, C.S. Lewis, David Brainerd, and John Bunyan; theological ramblings; the key to life. Maybe not that last one. We'll see.

Night.
Click to read the rest.

A What? (Part 1)

You may have noticed that the title of this page is "Confessions of an Acquitted Felon." I find this to be an accurate description of myself. But what does that even mean? Let's look at the definitions of the words:

Acquit: free from a criminal charge by a verdict of not guilty.
Felon: a person who has been convicted of any of several grave crimes, such as murder, rape, or burglary, punishable by death or confinement.

It appears to be a contradiction in terms. How can someone be both guilty and not guilty? The Gospel means that, despite the fact that I am in fact guilty of several felonies in my heart (shudder), I'm also acquitted by means of the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

More on this later, I'm sure, from smarter people like Martin Luther and St. Paul.

Peace,
Sam
Click to read the rest.