Deliberation and Appropriation: The How-To for Devotion

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Deliberation and Appropriation: The How-To for Devotion

Many years ago, when a young teen, someone asked me had I fasted today. I told them that I had. They asked me how so, and I told them that when I was about to fetch a sugary treat, I was struck with the sudden notion that I should not do it, and should devote the time to God instead; so I turned from the pantry door empty-handed, went to my room, crouched in private beside my bed, and began to pray and read Psalm 3. I continued in this manner for a short time and did not eat anything for several hours, until our evening meal. The person I told this said that I had not fasted.

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Evangelism By Fire: Burning Baal's Prophets

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Evangelism By Fire: Burning Baal's Prophets

In the war to deliver Israel form Jezebel, Elijah is no mere Chaplain. Rather, he is an organizer; an instigator; a revolution leader. He was an obedient servant to God in every way - from speaking the words God had given him and proclaiming truth to those who rebelled, to carrying out God's will even arbitrarily. We men see something in Elijah that we like and lack.

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Still I Will Follow

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Still I Will Follow

The day was like any other for one of a panel of judicial officials named Dionysius. He had left his family at home for another day on the grind. Another case to hear - another lunatic to dispatch; Nothing old, nothing new - so he must have thought. "We have another madman introducing some new heresy," one of his fellow magistrates informed him. "This one claims to know the Unknown God." A mixture of cynical humor and apathetic curiosity was in the atmosphere as they prepared for the inquisition.

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The Hard Line

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The Hard Line

If you have never studied the Rule of St. Benedict (known as the Father of Western Monasticism) you are missing a rich lesson in Christian discipline and living a dedicated life. But Benedict's code is not the only example of rigid adherence to discipline in our great religion by any means. There are a plethora of applications we can find in daily living that demonstrate clearly how we are to live dedicated and structured lives before God. The modern Christian man living in America has a general lack of self control, and a raging appetite for anything but religious discipline.

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The Platform: Make Straight Paths II

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The Platform: Make Straight Paths II

One of the most overlooked elements of modern Christianity is the general lack of distinctly Christian culture.

There are varying degrees of culture universally associated with the world's major religions. Muslims have a distinctive Islamic culture. Hinduism has a broad and colorful culture. Although not, per se, a separate religion from Christianity, there is a very strong and defined Jewish culture. Buddhism has its own culture. All of the varying pagan religions have their own cultural symbolism and sub-contexts. Sikhs, Taoists, and even Jedi cultists (they're real, look it up) have their own cultures. Here s the shocker: so does Christianity.

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Associative Reality

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Presenting ourselves to others will always be an intrinsic instinct of human nature. Even as young children, whatever the cause and origin may be, we have some idea of how we wish others to view us. This is true of all relationships.
The idea is often presented that we should be primarily concerned with what God thinks of us, and rightfully so. I do not intend to undertake so noble a feat in this email. We shall discuss presentation of ourselves as perceived by other men.

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