The Banzai Chronicles

Jesus is a different thing than faith in a belief system. Being changed by Him is different than self-improvement. Following Him is different than pursuing goals. That's an identity worth exploring.


I loved this. I'm going to listen to this series.

I really want to know what you think when you listen. They're also available by podcast if that's easier.

Oh cool - that is easier. I'll let you know, even though I know I'm going to love it by the topic description.

This was just the second week, so it's about an hour of material so far.

Considering I'm in a setting where the stream of bullshit flows like a spring thaw, I have for some time longed to be a sort rock in the middle of, where everything just kinda tumbles over or slides past but it just sorta remains there, just in case someone needs to grab hold before they're swept along.

Rocks, however, don't interact with the river any. They just kinda sit there.

So, to wrap up this rather poor metaphore, "yes. i agree".

OK, off to read the links you provided.

I'm actually so happy to not be listening to this sermon series. I'm not trying to be rude or anything. I'm just happy. Has there been anything about the ... interesting lack of intersection between ... culture of Grace and culture of Capital Hill? Or maybe there isn't such a lack. Megan says that the real estate on Capital Hill is very very expensive, and the people at Grace are by and large wealthy and successful and educated, so maybe that is an intersection. I guess I was thinking more about the alternative culture on Capital Hill, or the Homeless culture, or the homosexual culture. But I guess in one sense that whole less wealthy side of capital hill is gradually going away. What is the ... AIDS density (if there is such a thing) on capital hill? How does the kingdom of God interact with AIDS, and where does Grace fit into that? sorry for too many questions all the time. I love the lovely unintentional double entendres that always happen in conversation about Grace, the church.

I'm admittedly short on the Q & A side here in my personal journal, largely because I just don't always have the personal bandwidth to devote to it—since I'm finite, I have to make choices instead of engaging everything and everyone all the time (even when I throw things out there on this world wide internet for all to see). This occasionally irks me, but God apparently intends to keep me finite for the time being, so I just have to live with Him being God and me...not being God.

Honestly, I think these questions (along with many others) can be answered in a way that shows the gospel changing lives, or they can be answered in a way that's critical of whatever one chooses to critique. The two are by no means mutually exclusive, of course, but people leaning in either direction often feel unacknowledged by those leaning the other direction, and thus swing even farther from (but in constant orbit of) one another. As they get farther apart, they often get louder in hopes of being heard across the distance, and the whole thing eventually just gets noisy for the rest of us.

I think assumed homogeneity of culture at Grace (the church) and on Capitol Hill (or indeed, a singular culture in all or any one of the "alternative" cultures you mention) can also affect one's perspective. I can see why things might seem that way on the surface on each front, but my exposure to each suggests a greater level of complexity than might meet the eye (e.g., not everyone who appears wealthy is able to pay their bills without help, and not everyone who appears destitute has a lack of resources). As G'Kar said on Babylon 5 (if you're unfamiliar, I recommend), "No one here is exactly what he appears."

Certainly, not everything is addressed, not everything is connected, not everything is clear, and not everything is healed. That's a reality I find included in the gospel rather than contrary to it.

Certainly, not everything is addressed, not everything is connected, not everything is clear, and not everything is healed.

...because of where we are in the story.

This post made me think of you and Amy-- the first T-shirt specifically.

http://dukesewell.livejournal.com/210486.html

She is hot.

My friend Andrew from the UK coined the phrase-- Babes of God which I like to use in reference to all of our lovely Christian ladies.