• Archive of "school" Category

    Jack Nicholson On Theology, Theologians & Seminary

    February 2, 2006 // 2 Comments »

    The other day I found myself lamenting the place I am in right now (Seminary) and even more to the point, the people I have to listen to (professors: theologians, missiologists, philospohers, etc.). I found myself remarking, “I just want to be ‘in the trencehes,’ doing ministry, involved in peoples lives.” And then I thought of this scene from A Few Good Men. Don’t ask me why.

    You will undoubtedly remember the scene. Tom Crusise screams at Jack Nicholson, “I want the truth!” Nicholson snaps back, “You can’t handle the truth!” He goes on to inform Cruise, “I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly phathom. You weep for Santiago (you lament Seminary and professors) and you curse the Marines (and you scorn the very people that make it possible for you to do what you long to do).” Nicholson goes on, “You don’t want the truth. Becasue deep down, in places you don’t talk about at parties, you want me on that wall. You need me on that wall.”

    It’s true. I only have a desire to do ministry and live out my theology because others before me spent the time, energy, and money to learn, study, research, and teach. As one who desires to be in the trenches and involved in peoples lives, I must admit that the only reason I am willing and able to do so is because of the very people and institutions whom I was lamenting.

    Then the voice in my head said, “Ah, but thanks to the miracle of the printing press, you have God’s Word, the Bible in your hands. Better than that, you have the Holy Spirit in your heart. That’s all you need really.” And I was quickly relieved. Until I realized that this is the same defense of the Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and every other deviant sect of quasi-Christian faith who claims that its teaching is the true one.

    So I did a 180. Christian theologians, missiologists, ecclesiologists, philospohers, psychologists, sociologists, etc. and the institutions they form, far from being superfulous or even necessary, are to be coveted, cherished, gleaned from, sat under, and yes, scrutinized, critiqued, never idolized or deified, but always respected and admired. Theirs is a great task, a task that were we as Christians to abandon would soon provide for the poorest excuse of Christian faith imaginable.

    So, to all those who at times, like me, think that we should just chuck the system and get out there and “do it,” let’s not be too hasty. Come to think of it, I hope that I can remember that there was probably no greater scholar and theologian that Jesus himself – and it had nothing to do with the fact that he was God. It had everything to do with the fact that he sought to love God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength.

    Posted in school, theology

    Just Some Thoughts

    January 27, 2006 // 3 Comments »

    Not gonna be much here in the way of coherence, so take it as you will.Classes this quarter have been great – demanding, but great. New Testament 2 is a lot of rehashing of stuff I have learned before with a gem or two thrown in every once in a while. I suppose I should admit that we are looking a good bit deeper into some of the issues we just glossed over in college. Theology and Culture has been much better than expected and it has me constantly reflecting on the relationship between the two, especially in terms of learning to see how God may be active in the “non-church” culture. Religious and Cultural Environment of Christianity has been helpful in terms of understanding things with a lot more historical background; and Anglo-American Postmodernity makes my head hurt but I am probably learning the most in there.

    I am also getting the opportunity to be a teachers assistant (TA) for one of my former professors in her class, Spirituality and Mission. This is a great opportunity as I will have the chance to help facilitate a class discussion over a novel that students will be writing a paper on and then I’ll get to review and grade those papers. I should also have a hand in grading the final research papers at the end of the quarter.

    I am really starting to sweat the questions I need to ask as I come closer to graduation. Where will I go? What will I do? Is this church community I have in mind just a dream? Am I gonna be able to pay off my loans?

    To these I have recently added the questions: Do I want to leave? Am I ready to separate from significant relationships that are just beginning to take root? How will I cope with not being in an environment that fosters loving God with your mind through serious theological study, reflection, and dialogue (this may be one of the toughest ones)?

    With all that in mind, feel free to pray for me at your leisure.

    The past 2 weeks were filled with guest lecturers on the Fuller campus. James Dunn (New Perspective on Paul), Richard Hays (NT Scholar from Duke), and Geroge Marsden (American Historian from Notre Dame) were all here sharing some great things with students and faculty.

    My friend Wess and I decided to take the plunge and get our own websites. His is gatheringinlight.com and mine is lifeasmission.com (maybe you’re there right now!). I’m kinda excited about some of the options I may have for this site down the road. I have already moved my blog over there (if you’re at blogger then you’ll know that I am posting to both currently, but sooner or later, it’ll all be over there).

    I am playing in Basketball and Volleyball intramural leagues this quarter. Actually, I have a b-ball game in live 7 hours. Better get some rest. Night.

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    Posted in decisions, random, school

    Just Writing

    November 27, 2005 // No Comments »

    I’ve got some time so I am gonna write, but I’m not even all that sure I have anything great to say. Ah, the power of boredom!

    Thanksgiving with my family was great. I went out to my dads on Wednesday and just hung out that evening and all day on Thusday. Laurie made an unbelieveable meal and then we all took naps. It doesn’t matter how cliche that it – it’s still great.

    Yesterday was just about as perfect as you can get as far as weather goes, so I decided to go for a long run. I ended up going 7 miles! That’s a new long distance for me. Today, I am paying the price with sore shoulders and a sore back.

    I succeeded in getting an enormous amount of writng and studying done this weekend which should help the next 2 weeks be a bit more bearable. I finished 3 major papers – “Affluence and the Kingdom of God” for my Biblical Foundations of Mission class, a reflection paper for my class on Isaiah which I wrote as an imaginary dialogue between God and myself, and a paper on the missiological, christological, ecclesiological, and leadership implications of Paul’s letter to the Colossians. I think I feel pretty good about them, but I guess I will know for sure how to feel about them when I get my grades back (wink, wink).

    So, all is good in So Cal.

    Peace.

    Posted in family, random, school

    Catching Up

    November 18, 2005 // No Comments »

    It has been so long since I have had a chance to update the old blog-a-roo. Fall quarter is quickly coming to an end. Between now and Dec. 9 I will write over 60 pages worth of papers and will take 3 final exams! It’s gonna be quite a few weeks. But, it has been a very good quarter. I have loved my classes, managed to get by without a job thanks to some gracious friends and extra tight spending, and have had the chance to meet a bunch of new people. My flag football team is seeded third for our playoffs next week. We are really hoping to win it all this year.
    A bit of big news (to me anyway) is that some friends and I started talking a few weeks ago and decided that based on our dissatisfaction with churches in the area and given some needs we perceived within the Fuller community, we were going to “start our own church.” I out that in quotes for 2 reasons. First, becasue no one ever starts a church. The church is the people of God, hence, one can be a part of the church, and the church may grow, but God and God alone is responsible for the creation (both originally and in process) of His people. Second, becasue what we aim to do and be about will look different than what most people think of when they hear the word church. We have talked a lot about what it means to do life together. We are doscovering what it means to encourage one another, sharpena nd correct one another, serve together, sacrifice together, worship together, and so forth. We meet together at least once a week to have a meal together, pray, sing, study and what not. Then, we do thing together throughout the week, all the while looking for others who might be blessed by joining us once, twice, or permanently. We really don’t know what all God might have in store, but we’re excited to figure it out together.
    A friend and I were studying together at Starbucks last night. As they were closing they asked if we would like the left over sandwiches. There were like 15 and they were just going to throw them away. We decided to bag them up and try to visit some of the homeless people in our area. Oddly enough, we only found one man in a nearby park. His name was David and we got to talk with him for a while and hear his story. He was a really great guy who had fallen on hard times and had run out of family and friends to depend on. He had been on the streets for 2 years and was just hoping to make it 4 more so that he could start collecting his pension. My friend and I got to pray with him that God would sustain his health and that he might be able to find some work in the mean time. We left him a few of the sandwiches and took the rest to a local homeless shelter for them to distribute.
    My buddy Ken came in town last week for a few days to hang out and see the sites. We got to tour Hollywood, Beverly Hills, we saw UCLA and made it out to Santa Monica Pier. He had never been out here before, so he consumated the trip with a romp in the Pacific. Had a really great time talking and hanging out. We got to hit up a concert at Fuller’s bookstore and even hung at an 80′s party for a while.
    Guess that’s about it. Catch you on the other side of the craziness I am about undergo.
    If you’re looking to be enlightened click here.
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    Posted in church, friends, Fuller Seminary, funny, random, school

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