Doing theology Vs. Knowing Theology...

Seeing as how I spent the last 21 years on the knowing theology team, and just recently changed over to the doing theology team, or rather, have been traded between the two teams but am not quite sure how I feel about it yet...

The predominant theme/idea/message at our church is do the theology that you know. And I love that, particularly since I see very clearly how when you don't try to do anything you learn, you just spend more time learning. Very much the pitfall I see a lot of Christians falling into.

Jesus gave a few very simple commands, which despite their simplicity (love your neighbor, honor your father and mother, don't lust or hate in your heart, mind, or body, etc.) have been almost impossible for the majority of Christianity to follow. And by majority I mean the majority of Christianity I have experienced or observed in close proxy.

I'm not attacking the pursuit of knowledge of scripture, the study of fringe theology like eschotology, predestination, or any other church word longer than five letters. All those things can produce vibrant communion with our God, but they do very little for communion with the Body.

D.A. Carson warned in his introduction to the book Exegetical Fallacies that any study that focuses on the negative can be dangerous. It can lead to high minded feelings of superiority, a negative attitude, an overall deadening of the transformative faith.

I would go one step further to say that any study solely for the purpose of knowledge, without application, is very dangerous. Not can be, could be, or is if it's some other denomination with bad theology. It just is.

Knowledge puffs up, inflating the mind (the most impotent of organs when not bent on moving the body) and squashing the heart, you lose empathy, mercy, grace towards those you are supposed to be reaching out to (the lost) and eventually you become so nitpicky that you are even isolated from your brothers and sisters in the faith.

What is the study of theology good for?

A deepening of understanding, but if you just keep deepening your understanding without it affecting your life you're only digging yourself a theological bomb shelter.

And like my man Matt Chandler said, "You are the salt of the earth, so get in the cupboard."

We don't need bulletproof theology, we need humble, broken bleeding theology. A test of whether or not your study is beneficial would be just that. Do you feel better capable of shooting down bad thought processes, or do you feel pulled to the weak, the hungry, the abandoned, the abused and lost?

So I guess, if you're like me, wanting to climb out of your bomb shelter and interact with humanity, you're probably asking something like "Help me know how to stop being obsessed with just knowing and get out and do it."

You're just going to have to start listening to those nudges the Spirit gives you, that guy you should have encouraged? Say something. The shady looking guy wanting you to put some gas in his car so he can get across town to help his sick daughter? Give him some gas despite the fact that he's probably just a bum.

You won't ease your guilt of not helping out people by trying to learn more about God.

Instead, listen to what God tells you to help people, obey Him.

In Response to Bryan...

I was commenting on a friend's blog about bonhoeffer's idea of cheap vs. costly grace, his original post can be read here, but I put so much effort into my reply, I decided to just post it.

Cheap grace sounds like an interesting concept, except that even the grace described as cheap is costing something, credibility, accountability, relevance...we've been paying for cheap grace for a long time, and in the end, I think we'll find it to be more costly than the other kind.

I think the point of Atonement is simple, the injustice of man cannot be atoned for by an unjust man (I know, a staggeringly original idea, quote me if you want).Is becoming a nurse going to turn things around? No, will years, or even decades, of selfless servitude affect the lives she destroyed? Hardly, and she may not know it yet, but she will realize it at some point, when all the weight of her guilt will return, unlightened by time or service.We can fight with all we have, giving everything, and we still won't be able to turn back the tidal wave of destruction caused by even one small lie, or seemingly insignificant selfish act.

It's like Joker said, "When the chips are down, these people will eat each other."

What he should have said afterwards is,

"Batman, the chips are down, and you won't be able to pull that guy's arm from the grip of that girl's jaws even if you tugged for your entire life"

We aren't just beyond saving, we're consuming each other as we speak. Atonement paints the same picture.

Sorry, I just go done reading World War Z, which is too awesome to even attempt to describe,
Go read it yesterday!

Christendom is Dead...

I'm sure most of you already knew this, since you're reading a blog, and therefore know how to use a computer.

It held on a long time, more than a thousands years, but I think I can say without a doubt, that it is dead.

The vibrant communities of faith that exist in asia and africa do so without any political clout or authority or cultural popularity.

But more relevant to where we are now.

Christianity in America needs to stop acting as if it has some sort of fortress of moral superiority to protect. The castle doesn't exist anymore, the fact that what it was made out to be never existed either is beside the point.



Statistics show no difference in lifestyle between a Christian and the average secular individual. Whatever checks and balances on pop culture that used to exist are either ignored or gone (consider last night's episode of Grey's Anatomy).

I would like to drag this out longer, but I need to get home and get some sleep. I'll close with the punchline,

However long it took for it to die, I'm glad it finally did.

Viscious!!!

I think it (Viscious!!!) could be the new righteous (as in stoner exclamation of praise, not Godlikeness).

I have to clear up the whole viscious moralism thing.

I got sidetracked from my original thesis, which wasn't that the coen bros. have this philosophy called viscious moralism, which is tough to defend I'll concede (though not impossible).

But since that wasn't my original thesis, I'll state it here...

"The Coen's are really viscious moralists."

I think their work is about ethics, and that they promote moralism and do it visciously. No Country fits in with everything that happens to Josh Brolin after the seemingly innocent decision to take the dead drug dealer's money.

Star Wars Mania in the works! (All six episodes back 2 back 2 back 2 back 2 back 2 back)

Brought to you by the Dell Store in Northpark...

And Sun Chips, a healthy alternative to potato chips.

I was asked by a friend from church to comment on my Coen brother's philosophy, particularly in relation to Burn After Reading.

The thesis of the Coen Brother's philosophy is this:

Joel and Ethan Coen are Viscious Moralists...

Viscious Moralism has to be explained (apparently I unwittingly invented it).

I would consider moralism to be the exaltation of doing the right thing, whatever that may be, where the moral action becomes no longer an act of worship, but the deity.

There is no higher reality or aim to moralism. You do what's right, because it's right.

Now, Burn After Reading enforces this (consider everything they've done since Raising Arizona as well).

You have a cast of unlikeable mostly amoral characters whose lives are depressingly moronic and mundane.

And they're all politicans and CIA/FBI spooks.

With the exception of the employees at the gym.

Frank, the manager, is the only remotely likeable character in the entire movie, he's also something of an advice giver/father-figure/almost boyfriend to Frances McDormand's character.

He violates his straight laced, moral nature and what happens?

He ends up being shot and brutally hatcheted to death in one of the Coen's most striking scenes since the woodchipper.

Juxtaposed with how Frances McDormand makes out (she gets what she wants, though her existence is definitely the most depressing of the entire cast) you get Viscious Moralism...

An aimless servile dedication to rightness nets far worse results than narcissistic amoral lunacy.

I've got to wrap this up, the Dell Store guys look like they think I'm using them for their internet...

Talk later...


P.S. Buy one of these XPS laptops, they're awesome!

Jim's Book, Stephanie's dog, King's concert, My life...

I've been reading my pastor's book The Leper's Among Us about homosexuality and the church. It's got a lot of good insight, and as he has actually ministered to several men in the church who now have families (not, as the book says, that heterosexual marriage is a benchmark for a "recovering" homosexual) his writings don't sound distanced or preachy.

Jim has a lot to say, and though the spoiled reader in me wants flashier, shinier, better produced presentation, the content of this book is fantastic.

Now for something completely different...

We are getting a dog today! He's an australian shepherd-lab mix and named...this is awesome beyond all reason...Chewbacca, or Chewie for the less nerdy.

I think home church is already having positive impact on me and only after two weeks! I am becoming more caring about other people (the term other-oriented is too soulless for me, essentially, I give a shit now).

What is the best thing about putting yourself last? All this other cool stuff gets some airtime for starters, and as anybody who has a shred of honesty in them knows, it's the self that derails the happy train faster than anything else.

For instance, I really really wanted to go see the Kings of Leon at the end of this month, they're one of my favorite bands and the supporting lineup has another fave (the stills, both are in this month's playlist).

I have plenty of money to do so, but I decided to do something special for my wife instead, she has no idea how awesome this Christmas is going to be...but doing it sapped any of my spare cash for the next few months.

I won't be buying any more records til next year probably, and the concert is definitely out. But do I miss either of those things?

The answer is simple, I don't miss those things nearly as much as I look forward to the look on Lacey's face this December.

Monthly Mixtape

October: Brown Paper Packages...

This is another lazy month,

a list of ten songs,

with some words,

Read em and weep.

Or listen.

A New Decade - The Verve

Why don't I listen to Oasis? Two reasons, their douchebag frontmen and The Verve. And no, none of the other descriptions will be this brief, but I will strive for brevity...sort of.

Lola Stars and Stripes - The Stills

The Stills debut album Logic Will Break Your Heart, besides having a great title, is loaded with great songs that are romantic without being too messy or too dissonant, political without being preachy or obscure. The music is lush without sounding overproduced, don't ask me how, it just is. I'll try to use the word "without" less frequently.

Powder Blue - Elbow

Elbowing their way into my top five bands, this is the band we almost got when Keane and Coldplay were talking about merging back in the 90's before either made it big (didn't know that? Yeah, we almost had a 21st century version of the Beatles). Now both bands pale in comparison to Elbow, who perhaps has the worst name, but hands down has the best catalog. Disagree? Give em a listen.

Arizona - The Kings of Leon

Sadly, the Kings new album wasn't released early enough last month for me to use a track from it, maybe next month. In their honor (they are coming to town this month, with fellow mixtape companion, The Stills) I've got one of the best tracks from their third album released just last year, or maybe early this year. I'm not sure, it hasn't been long though.

Lights Out for Darker Skies - British Sea Power

Besides the Kings of Leon, British Sea Power has the best third album release of the new generation of rock n roll. While their peers have been making mistakes (Interpol, The Storkes, etc...) they've released three solid albums, with Do You Like Rock Music? being their best yet.

Profanity Prayers - Beck

Let me start things off by saying I'm a big fan of Danger Mouse, and I think he is exactly what Beck needed to wash the muck of his last album off his hands, out of his hair, and from whatever other crevices it may have clung. I seriously hated The Information. But Modern Guilt is a great enema to that diarrhetic piece of sonic trash. Hyperbolic? Listen to it and get back to me.

All You Do is Talk - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

BRMC is another reason I need to give up the top five list concept. This song is from their newest album, which was not well recieved by critics, and I'm the only fan I know so I'm not sure how diehards felt about it. I thought this was the best song from it though.

All These Things that I've Done - The Killers

The main reason for putting this song up is that Nike commercial from the Olympics. If you missed it, find it on youtube. The other reason is it may remind you of when they didn't suck. Their performance on SNL last weekend was pitiable. Brandon Flowers looked like an ostrich in desperate need of some prozac (if you saw it, you know what I mean) and the music was snooze worthy.

I Think I'm In Love - Spiritualized

Spiritualized is probably in my top five bands, not that it matters to you, but I came to that realization this month I also realized as of this moment I probably have too many top five bands to actually narrow it down to a single top five. Oh, and this is one of the best eight minute songs there is, period.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Originally this song came in front of the BRMC track, hence the odd repition of the top five concept, I know it looks odd, but the list flows better now, remember, it's all about the music.

Only in Dreams - Weezer

Another one of the best eight minute songs, but not quite worthy of saying "period" at the end. Is it really sad to peak on your first album? I would say yes, only because Weezer refuses to admit it. I haven't even bothered checking out the Red Album.