ETHOS

Tonight is the first part of the ETHOS conference that some of us at the 411 are attending. Personally, whenever I hear the word "conference", a small part of me cringes and theres an instant resistance to the whole idea. I think thats in me b/c I get this image of people sitting around hearing some guy talk about church strategies on how to "win" lost people or give a list of requirements for church survival and success. They come off as contrived and dry, and I end up feeling anything other than challenged and inspired ; I've been to stuff like that before and so those experiences are always what comes forth when I'm near the vicinity of a conference and have turned me off, for the most part, to things of this nature. However, as a group, we read Erwin McManus' book which, I gotta say, is really interesting and inspiring. With his words and ideas in mind, I am looking forward to hearing what God is gonna say through him and seeing what God whats to do with my life during the course of this three-day event.

The Elephant King's commercials

My buddy Tate just did two super funny commercials for Time Warner. The boy can flat-out dance!

"Christian Dating"

After a couple of conversations about dating with my good friends Ric and Scott who, incidentally, are the mission director and pastor of the 411, I have come to a few conclusions; well, I shouldn't say conclusions seeing how I'm still working through and processing some of the things that came up. Before I even get started, I must say that I'm not currently dating a non-Christian girl; to be honest, I'm not even really dating at all so this isn't some kind of defense to be used as justification. Basically, what started these talks is my belief that going out with a non-Christian girl isn't wrong. Now, I know the Bible talks about not being yoked together with those outside the faith; I get that...I understand how that verse speaks of committing to relationships where one's priority and values will clash with the other person who isn't a follower of Christ; this verse is mainly used as a warning against a Christian marrying a non-Christian but thats limiting its scope if you really think about (thats another conversation entirely). Ric believes dating is a means to an end, that dating someone eventually leads you to decide if marriage is the outcome of the relationship with that person. There is a long-term aspect that is attached to it. While I do agree that as a follower of Christ, I shouldn't marry a non-follower, I don't see relationships as merely a means but as an end in and of themselves as well; I can't bring myself to view every potential relationship through the lens of marriage possibility. I think there is value in a relationship on its own merit; for instance, there are experiences and lessons about yourself and/or the other person that are learned and discovered through circumstances and the journey of life together. I do acknowledge that these times and moments build upon each other and may propel two people to different levels of commitment and affection. Because of that, I kinda see the practicality in the exclusion of non-believers when it comes to romantic endeavors. However, I have a tough time forcing myself to think about whether or not I'm gonna live the rest of my life with someone before I really know her or even ask her out; thoughts on the possibility of marriage at the onset of a new relationship is a foreign concept to me. I could probably drag this on for another 15 minutes but I have, so far, concluded:
1) Different people have different meanings when it come to "dating". For some, it means a serious and committed pursuit of a life-long mate. For others, its more like "going out" or "seeing someone" where it isn't as serious. Still for others, its simply an activity single people engage in.
2) I have never been in a serious relationship; heck, I haven't even been in a relationship. Thus, I think my perception of relationships is skewered because of that. Since I've never experienced what its like to be in a committed relationship, I find it difficult to see past the short-term aspect of them.
3) Even now, my prayer in this area is that God will continue to work in me so that I'll be ready for the girl He's already preparing for me to meet. I honestly leave all that in His hands. What I'm saying is that I don't think that the mantra of "You shouldn't date a non-Christian" is applicable across the board. Again, maybe my use of the word "date" isn't specific enough. The different boundaries and levels and details of "dating" are stuff I still haven't gotten around to define yet; to me, if I have to examine and quantify and regulate things when it comes to relationships, it doesn't sound worthwhile...

Spidey 3 Trailer-New!!!

In the words of Borat," Very nice!"

Vietnam

My aunts are taking me home to Vietnam next month...whenever I think about it, my mind races about and multiple thoughts swirl around. This will be my first trip back since I left the country when I was two. Even though I was too young to remember anything substantial, images and sounds from those two years sometime come to the forefront of my mind when I allow myself the time and space to dwell on Vietnam. Meeting relatives, seeing the places where I came from and where my mom lived, being united with those of my own ancestry, being inudated with the culture and people...and all for the first time; man, it blows my mind. What do I say, how do I act, who will I meet, will I be able to even sleep over there with all the new and exciting things that'll surely happen...as I ask myself these trivial things, I'm filled with joy to know that its not the answers that I'm looking forward to finding out but the experience of going through them. Since I've moved out here, the Lord has allowed me to have one experience of a lifetime after another; I know for sure that this will be another one of those life-changing, paradigm-altering times. God is good!

election day (again)

Today is the day to make your vote count, let your voice be heard, do your civic duty and all that good stuff...I see it as the last time I have to see all those stupid campaign ads(at least until 'o8). As a follower of Christ, I believe my votes can't be about making America a more "Christian" nation but about seeing that Christ's needs are met and that His kingdom is being established through love, compassion, and truth. And in doing so, I need to personally weigh issues and evaluate candidates; however, I need to do these things not based upon party affiliation but upon the matter of the issue and the character of the candidate. In my conversations with friends who are fellow followers, I'm encouraged to see that I share this mentality with many of them. I've talked about this plenty before and I can certainly go on and on about it so, I'll shut up now and leave some food for thought from Relevant Magazine:
"On any given even-numbered year, you can expect to be reminded of the “homosexual threat” and the downside of stem-cell research. You can also expect the death-toll from Iraq to be displayed prominently in every possible location. In addition, you can expect to hear that so-called “liberal pinheads” want nothing more than to ruin the country that they otherwise seem so interested in, and you will also undoubtedly be reminded of the fact that the Bush White House has quadrupled our national debt. And of course, this is the fault of every G.O.P. member, and not just W. Ann Coulter will tell you that liberals are “Godless” and also stupid, while Al Franken will argue that Coulter is in fact the anti-Christ, and Bill O’Reilly will tell everyone to “SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!” before muting their microphones. But in spite of all the propaganda, less than half of the country will show up to vote for our leaders, and the fed-up majority will rediscover its love of cooking, football and gin-rummy. How can you blame them?
It is important to elect Democrats if you define yourself as a Democrat and want to be defined as such. It is important to vote for Republicans if, first and foremost, you are a Republican, and again wish to be defined as such. However, if your primary affiliation, above and beyond that of politics, lies in your allegiance and dedication to Jesus Christ, then it is not a politician's party that we should be concerned with, but his or her person. Vote your morals this Tuesday, rather than your party. "