Back in the days of college and new found life in Jesus, it seemed fairly easy to see the majesty of God painted through the North Georgia hills. If you've never been in the upper-left hand corner of Georgia, I'd say you're missing out on some mighty fine landscapes. Quite a few of them come to mind--a cliff along a lonesome highway as the leaves begin to change into vibrant reds and yellows, or a waterfall hiding at the back of a dirt path and three miles of hike and climb, or a quiet mountain lake turned into a campground that nobody seemed to know was there. Some of my more impressionable memories of the time occurred at these places. The area was chock full of 'em to go to get un-busy and talk with God.
Since then, it's been a lot harder to find those places. I don't live in North Georgia anymore, and it's way too far for a weekend getaway. Every now and then I've caught myself just driving around, trying to find "The Spot" in Kansas, but I haven't been that successful. And as time passed by, I've looked less and less for those places.
For some reason, today was a different day. It was time for a little exploring.
There's different reasons I go in search of "The Spot." I've gone out of boredom, and I've gone to sort out my thoughts. It made a good time for a date once, and it's been worth a couple of times to take some buddies along to discover what was hiding at the top of the next mountain. Since I'm running short on companions these days, it was just me and my trusty steed, an old four cylinder S-10 I've come to know and love in recent months. Perhaps it was loneliness today, or a need for a change in scenery, or the Spirit telling me it was far too long since God and I had a good chat, but off I went.
So where can it be found? It's usually in a place where I've not been before. And looking for scenic spots on a map or on the web isn't as fruitful as it sounds--because it wouldn't be "The Spot" if it was host to a bunch of other people not in the least bit interested in peace and quiet. All that can really help is a full tank of gas, some water, and a prayer.
So I drove a bit, and it wasn't looking good. I know all of these roads I'm going down; I've been down them all before.
And then I saw something that stirred hope in my veins: A shiny brown sign. You know the ones I'm talking about. They're usually rectangular, or perhaps a parallelogram, and they point to campgrounds and the like. Thank God that He inspired someone in the government to understand there'd be people like me looking for places that are hard to find. So, I hit the brakes, bit my lip, and turned down the road.
It was beautiful.
I hadn't seen anything like it the entire three years I've been here in Kansas. The parking wasn't much, just room enough for my tiny truck, but across the guard rail was a wonderful sight to behold. A short valley cut by water and age, and the tops of the hills sheared off at a height. Way down at the end of the small valley was a lake, and I could see the rippling blue. There were some birds of prey circling around the air, looking for food, looking graceful all the while. The low-hanging sun reflected off all of the field grass as it swayed in the cool September air. And there were trees! Not many of them (this was still Kansas), but they were there. I wanted to stay there forever.
But I didn't, because I was cold and had to pee.
I tell you that story in order to tell you this one. Sometimes we have problems seeing God where we are. Today was no exception for me. Well, it was until I got where I was going, but you've already heard that one. Prayer, for some, seems like breathing. I think that's the way it should ultimately be, but it seems more complicated for me. Perhaps I'm too afraid to ask for things because I don't want to be let down. The funny part is that we're only fooling ourselves to think God doesn't know what we want. What we really want. For me, it wasn't finding "The Spot," it was finding comfort and assurance. That I'm not alone. That I'm not crazy. That this life isn't all there is. That my struggles right here and right now matter to Him.
I'm so glad we can pray to God. That He wants us to pray to Him. It's utterly amazing to what end God has made Himself available.
Thanks, God. You rock, really. Amen.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Imperial Review
Imperial is a game I've more recently aquainted myself to, but it's loads of fun. Set during World War I, the board and peices look not unlike a game called Diplomacy. It's a map of Europe, color coded for the six different countries that take place in the game (UK, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, and Austria-Hungary). Each country has five zones, and there are multiple other land provinces and sea zones. The only pieces you get are naval and land factories, armies and fleets, and "tax chips" for showing which zones are ruled by which countries. Armies move across the land, and the fleets, yes you guess right, move on water. They even let armies cross them like a bridge across the water. Combat is simple, with a one for one attrition in battle. No dice or cards are used for any sort of randomizing features.
You'd expect with a game like this for the turns to drag on and on, but a neat turn control concept comes into play here and keeps the turns down to a minute or less (unless the player is struck by "analysis paralysis"). At the top of the board is a Wheel of Fortune-type circle with different actions (Factory, Production, Maneuver, Taxation, etc), and each country can only take one of the next three actions depending where it's turn marker is at. For example, you would have to decide whether or not that country would produce more units, or move and attack, or collect income (but not a combination thereof).
Okay, nothing too new aside from the Wheel of Turn Options, that's true. But believe it or not, it's not a war game. Sure, it's themed like war, but here's the kicker. The players don't assume roles of a head of state, but rather, an investor who buys bonds in the countries they think will succeed, and the leading bond holder for each country controls that country on it's turn. So if you think Italy is going to send its amassed naval strength into Mother Russia's profitable sea zones, you could, if you had enough cash, buy out Italy, and send the fleets storming in the other direction instead! Needless to say, it's a very heated game. The countries that do well and capture zones (by occupying them with troops and marking them with tax chips), increase their Power (think Victory Points) every time the country decides to do a tax phase. Once a country gets 25 Power, the game ends. The further along the Power Track the country is at the end of the game, the more their bonds are worth for final scoring.
This is a game with a lot of depth, and it's surprisingly simple rules help it run along smooth. After the first several turns, everyone gets a good general idea of the technical bits and gets down to playing the game. Nobody gets eliminated (even if you control no countries, you lurk in the shadows until you get enough dough through bond payout to buyout a country again). Those who play like it's a war game are the ones who lose--as it's real easy to commit yourself to a country, only to find out nobody else has invested in it, and nobody wants it to survive, and you get crushed by five other countries. There's a lot of underhanded country stealing, and if you like heated games, this is definitely for you!
The downsides are few but substantial: Don't expect this to be a light-hearted game. At all. My wife hasn't played this one since she first played (and won), and another player had to get banned from the game because she would get too frustrated at everyone ganging up on her superpowered country. The game also takes several hours to play out, even though the downtime is hardly noticible due to the short turns and trying to guess what the other player's plans are. Also, it's real easy for several players to soundly trounce the expected lead player with little hope of recovery. Luckily, the games are normally really close, with the winner squeaking past the fray by just one bond purchase or a couple million bucks (considering the lowest denomination is one million, that's not a lot).
Take a look at the Board Game Geek entry for Imperial if you're interested. As of today, it's ranked 26 out of all the board games currently listed, which is definitely commendable, considering there's over 4,700 of them (Risk is listed at rank 3,815 by comparison). It's definitely a ton of fun, as long as you have the right crowd. Make sure you have a comfortable playing area, and keep all sharp objects away from the players!
You'd expect with a game like this for the turns to drag on and on, but a neat turn control concept comes into play here and keeps the turns down to a minute or less (unless the player is struck by "analysis paralysis"). At the top of the board is a Wheel of Fortune-type circle with different actions (Factory, Production, Maneuver, Taxation, etc), and each country can only take one of the next three actions depending where it's turn marker is at. For example, you would have to decide whether or not that country would produce more units, or move and attack, or collect income (but not a combination thereof).
Okay, nothing too new aside from the Wheel of Turn Options, that's true. But believe it or not, it's not a war game. Sure, it's themed like war, but here's the kicker. The players don't assume roles of a head of state, but rather, an investor who buys bonds in the countries they think will succeed, and the leading bond holder for each country controls that country on it's turn. So if you think Italy is going to send its amassed naval strength into Mother Russia's profitable sea zones, you could, if you had enough cash, buy out Italy, and send the fleets storming in the other direction instead! Needless to say, it's a very heated game. The countries that do well and capture zones (by occupying them with troops and marking them with tax chips), increase their Power (think Victory Points) every time the country decides to do a tax phase. Once a country gets 25 Power, the game ends. The further along the Power Track the country is at the end of the game, the more their bonds are worth for final scoring.
This is a game with a lot of depth, and it's surprisingly simple rules help it run along smooth. After the first several turns, everyone gets a good general idea of the technical bits and gets down to playing the game. Nobody gets eliminated (even if you control no countries, you lurk in the shadows until you get enough dough through bond payout to buyout a country again). Those who play like it's a war game are the ones who lose--as it's real easy to commit yourself to a country, only to find out nobody else has invested in it, and nobody wants it to survive, and you get crushed by five other countries. There's a lot of underhanded country stealing, and if you like heated games, this is definitely for you!
The downsides are few but substantial: Don't expect this to be a light-hearted game. At all. My wife hasn't played this one since she first played (and won), and another player had to get banned from the game because she would get too frustrated at everyone ganging up on her superpowered country. The game also takes several hours to play out, even though the downtime is hardly noticible due to the short turns and trying to guess what the other player's plans are. Also, it's real easy for several players to soundly trounce the expected lead player with little hope of recovery. Luckily, the games are normally really close, with the winner squeaking past the fray by just one bond purchase or a couple million bucks (considering the lowest denomination is one million, that's not a lot).
Take a look at the Board Game Geek entry for Imperial if you're interested. As of today, it's ranked 26 out of all the board games currently listed, which is definitely commendable, considering there's over 4,700 of them (Risk is listed at rank 3,815 by comparison). It's definitely a ton of fun, as long as you have the right crowd. Make sure you have a comfortable playing area, and keep all sharp objects away from the players!
Saturday, September 13, 2008
NSTP #1 (Nothing Substantial To Post)
I'm having a creative crisis, it seems, so here's something to hold the masses over. Be careful, you may want to read this post and have a nerdular affinity before clicking play.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
American Christian Flashpoint: The First Amendment!
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Welcome to another edition of American Christian Flashpoint! Today I want to delve into the sore topic of prayer in schools, commandments in front of civil service buildings, and Creationism/Evolutionism dual teaching.
I was intrigued on what I recently read about the display of the Ten Commandments outside of courthouses. When all of this was happening, I had not paid much attention to what was going on, and in the current days it seems this is rolled up into a virtual assault of the non-Christian Americans against the Christian Americans.
If you want to read more about this, click here to visit a portion of Wikipedia's page about the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. What I found was intriguing--that the Supreme Court had ruled both ways in different circumstances of religious displays (which I didn't know before reading that). Now, I understand that the Supreme Court has been setting a broader interpretation of the Establishment Clause since the sixties, but I wasn't alive before then, and I couldn't attest to that myself. I've heard it argued that this represents the censoring of our Christian heritage as a nation, which is difficult for me to swallow on two parts: One, I don't think our nation is (or was) as Christian as it is sometimes bulked up to be (see the First Amendment, above), and second, I somehow equate this to the Dixie Flag in the South--to some it expresses heritage, but to others, it expresses oppression and prejudice. I'm totally in favor of the Ten Commandments not expressing prejudice, even to non-believers. And, on a bright note, if there's no stone tablet in front of the courthouse, nobody can claim that Christianity was the reason they lost in court!
And state-sanctioned prayer in school. To that I gently and respectfully rebuke: What are you, nuts?! The last group that I want teaching theology to my (currently rhetorical) kids is the State! Talk about giving pearls to swine! Even going to school in a private Christian school in my 7th and 8th grade, there was enough teaching there that drove me away from who I now understand is Christ. I think handing over the mantle of spiritual teaching of your kids to a third party is a really risky business.
And lastly the whole Evolution and Creation studies of How The World Began--this one I can't argue in favor of just evolution being taught. I must agree that I think Darwin's Evolution Theory has become a religion to many people, and they do not want to see their golden calf be called for what it is. I would like to have teachers stress that evolution is still very much a theory, but ultimately I've resigned this argument and chalk it up to the fact that our government won't always lean in our favor (see the First Amendment, above). Although the Intelligent Design theory is showing movement, and may one day replace the Evolution Theory of Darwin, it hasn't by a long shot--and I want to reiterate that I don't want a teacher (who may very well not be a Christian) teaching kids theology. Just trouble all over!
Although it may seem at times that Christianity is losing a foothold in the mainstream culture of America, I don't really think it's that bad. Through history, Christianity seems to exponentially multiply when put under pressure. If you don't trust history, trust God on this one. We're to expect persecution because of Him, remember! And we're to rejoice!
And so, there you have it. Of course, remember that these thoughts I have didn't come from Mt. Sinai (get it?). There's room for variance here. I'll still eat with you if you disagree with me. These opinions I raise have zero value when placed next to God's Word, and I'm well aware I could quite possibly be absolutely wrong (or partially right, for that matter). And feel free to rebuke me on it, just make sure you have some Biblical proofs ready and you do it in gentleness in respect. That will make for some good fellowship, and we both could come out of it with praise for the Creator. I definitely wouldn't pass up on that opportunity.
Welcome to another edition of American Christian Flashpoint! Today I want to delve into the sore topic of prayer in schools, commandments in front of civil service buildings, and Creationism/Evolutionism dual teaching.
I was intrigued on what I recently read about the display of the Ten Commandments outside of courthouses. When all of this was happening, I had not paid much attention to what was going on, and in the current days it seems this is rolled up into a virtual assault of the non-Christian Americans against the Christian Americans.
If you want to read more about this, click here to visit a portion of Wikipedia's page about the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. What I found was intriguing--that the Supreme Court had ruled both ways in different circumstances of religious displays (which I didn't know before reading that). Now, I understand that the Supreme Court has been setting a broader interpretation of the Establishment Clause since the sixties, but I wasn't alive before then, and I couldn't attest to that myself. I've heard it argued that this represents the censoring of our Christian heritage as a nation, which is difficult for me to swallow on two parts: One, I don't think our nation is (or was) as Christian as it is sometimes bulked up to be (see the First Amendment, above), and second, I somehow equate this to the Dixie Flag in the South--to some it expresses heritage, but to others, it expresses oppression and prejudice. I'm totally in favor of the Ten Commandments not expressing prejudice, even to non-believers. And, on a bright note, if there's no stone tablet in front of the courthouse, nobody can claim that Christianity was the reason they lost in court!
And state-sanctioned prayer in school. To that I gently and respectfully rebuke: What are you, nuts?! The last group that I want teaching theology to my (currently rhetorical) kids is the State! Talk about giving pearls to swine! Even going to school in a private Christian school in my 7th and 8th grade, there was enough teaching there that drove me away from who I now understand is Christ. I think handing over the mantle of spiritual teaching of your kids to a third party is a really risky business.
And lastly the whole Evolution and Creation studies of How The World Began--this one I can't argue in favor of just evolution being taught. I must agree that I think Darwin's Evolution Theory has become a religion to many people, and they do not want to see their golden calf be called for what it is. I would like to have teachers stress that evolution is still very much a theory, but ultimately I've resigned this argument and chalk it up to the fact that our government won't always lean in our favor (see the First Amendment, above). Although the Intelligent Design theory is showing movement, and may one day replace the Evolution Theory of Darwin, it hasn't by a long shot--and I want to reiterate that I don't want a teacher (who may very well not be a Christian) teaching kids theology. Just trouble all over!
Although it may seem at times that Christianity is losing a foothold in the mainstream culture of America, I don't really think it's that bad. Through history, Christianity seems to exponentially multiply when put under pressure. If you don't trust history, trust God on this one. We're to expect persecution because of Him, remember! And we're to rejoice!
And so, there you have it. Of course, remember that these thoughts I have didn't come from Mt. Sinai (get it?). There's room for variance here. I'll still eat with you if you disagree with me. These opinions I raise have zero value when placed next to God's Word, and I'm well aware I could quite possibly be absolutely wrong (or partially right, for that matter). And feel free to rebuke me on it, just make sure you have some Biblical proofs ready and you do it in gentleness in respect. That will make for some good fellowship, and we both could come out of it with praise for the Creator. I definitely wouldn't pass up on that opportunity.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
From Protest to Praise
I knew the times would come, and now the times have landed
With stinging abrasion...As ready as I seem to be
It's never like I planned it
I'm wrestling my thoughts I'm overcome
Would you give me up? I'm asking Lord
There's no where I sense Your presence here
So I will cry out, until I go
From protest to praise
You're always amazing me
You're changing me slow, but surely
And You're gonna see me to the end
How long will I be forgotten by You, forever?
'Cause you're not making sense here
Seems like eternity has made a home between us
I'm wrestling my thoughts I'm overcome
Would you give me up? I'm asking Lord
There's no where I sense Your presence here
So I will cry out, until I go
From protest to praise
You're always amazing me
You're changing me slow, but surely
And You're gonna see me to the end
You're changing me slow
I just can't help but see it that way
'Cause You're gonna see me...
From protest to praise
You're always amazing me
You're changing me slow, but surely
And You're gonna see me to the end
--"Protest to Praise" by Downhere
This has to be one of the more meaningful songs that I've come to know in my life. I picked it up at one of my first ventures into a Christian bookstore, and by chance, picked up this CD. Although the band and song are somewhat obscure, it's been a staple in how I've come to view many of my struggles and has pulled my thoughts toward God in some of the tougher and darker moments of my life. I'd recommend you check it out on iTunes if you ever get the chance (and have $.99 to spend).
And this comes to mind as I've recently learned a good friend hit some very, very difficult spots in his life. I won't go into the who or what in the blog, but it brings to light something pretty important about the Christian faith that may not get the attention it always deserves. I of course talk about suffering.
In no way do I wish to downplay or trivialize some of the horrors that many of us have faced in this life, but I can't shake the feeling that there's something God wants us to understand in the fire and the thorns. Jesus promises us eternal life, but he also makes a point that suffering will not be a stranger to us if we follow Him, and many of the epistles remind us extensively of it. Do a word search on 'suffer' in the New Testament--I did, and I was surprised. 1 Peter is one of my favorite books, but I never realized how much the word pops up in those short five chapters.
As for my brother, pray that he is not only comforted but emboldened to rejoice in those sufferings, and that God's glory is indeed revealed through this time.
With stinging abrasion...As ready as I seem to be
It's never like I planned it
I'm wrestling my thoughts I'm overcome
Would you give me up? I'm asking Lord
There's no where I sense Your presence here
So I will cry out, until I go
From protest to praise
You're always amazing me
You're changing me slow, but surely
And You're gonna see me to the end
How long will I be forgotten by You, forever?
'Cause you're not making sense here
Seems like eternity has made a home between us
I'm wrestling my thoughts I'm overcome
Would you give me up? I'm asking Lord
There's no where I sense Your presence here
So I will cry out, until I go
From protest to praise
You're always amazing me
You're changing me slow, but surely
And You're gonna see me to the end
You're changing me slow
I just can't help but see it that way
'Cause You're gonna see me...
From protest to praise
You're always amazing me
You're changing me slow, but surely
And You're gonna see me to the end
--"Protest to Praise" by Downhere
This has to be one of the more meaningful songs that I've come to know in my life. I picked it up at one of my first ventures into a Christian bookstore, and by chance, picked up this CD. Although the band and song are somewhat obscure, it's been a staple in how I've come to view many of my struggles and has pulled my thoughts toward God in some of the tougher and darker moments of my life. I'd recommend you check it out on iTunes if you ever get the chance (and have $.99 to spend).
And this comes to mind as I've recently learned a good friend hit some very, very difficult spots in his life. I won't go into the who or what in the blog, but it brings to light something pretty important about the Christian faith that may not get the attention it always deserves. I of course talk about suffering.
In no way do I wish to downplay or trivialize some of the horrors that many of us have faced in this life, but I can't shake the feeling that there's something God wants us to understand in the fire and the thorns. Jesus promises us eternal life, but he also makes a point that suffering will not be a stranger to us if we follow Him, and many of the epistles remind us extensively of it. Do a word search on 'suffer' in the New Testament--I did, and I was surprised. 1 Peter is one of my favorite books, but I never realized how much the word pops up in those short five chapters.
As for my brother, pray that he is not only comforted but emboldened to rejoice in those sufferings, and that God's glory is indeed revealed through this time.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Wikipedia
Let me tell you, one of the best things the wwweb has going for it is Wikipedia. I guess it started getting big back when I was in school, and it was bashed a lot for being inaccurate and unreliable. As far as purely academic standards go, I think that's a good rule of thumb, but it works wonders for any other situation.
I was perusing through the Wikipedia standards of conduct, and I must say it's pretty extensive; I was sure surprised. Let's say you add a new page, or edit another that's already been made--all of that gets logged in a companion 'history' page, along with your IP address and login name, and it goes through several robotic tests just to make sure you didn't do anything dumb. But, of course, it takes another person who knows what they're talking about to come along to dispute what you've said. Now with the large number of Wikipedia crew, as well as non-paid devotees, they're very quick to point out if your edits need sources or if it falls short of the standards--there's even a rating method for how well-researched pages are.
So, not very good for writing papers, but absolutely excellent for 'information on demand' type queries. Lets say, you hear something about Don LaFontaine passing away (we'll miss you bro), and you want to find out more. I guarantee there's going to be an absolute smorgasbord of information there, and depending on how important the rest of the world considers that topic, you'll have pretty recent information.
So if you've been living under a rock that doesn't have wi-fi, go to Panera or something with ye olde laptop and look something obscure up--chances are you won't be disappointed. If you are, just edit it!
I was perusing through the Wikipedia standards of conduct, and I must say it's pretty extensive; I was sure surprised. Let's say you add a new page, or edit another that's already been made--all of that gets logged in a companion 'history' page, along with your IP address and login name, and it goes through several robotic tests just to make sure you didn't do anything dumb. But, of course, it takes another person who knows what they're talking about to come along to dispute what you've said. Now with the large number of Wikipedia crew, as well as non-paid devotees, they're very quick to point out if your edits need sources or if it falls short of the standards--there's even a rating method for how well-researched pages are.
So, not very good for writing papers, but absolutely excellent for 'information on demand' type queries. Lets say, you hear something about Don LaFontaine passing away (we'll miss you bro), and you want to find out more. I guarantee there's going to be an absolute smorgasbord of information there, and depending on how important the rest of the world considers that topic, you'll have pretty recent information.
So if you've been living under a rock that doesn't have wi-fi, go to Panera or something with ye olde laptop and look something obscure up--chances are you won't be disappointed. If you are, just edit it!
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Making Light of Doctrine and WSC #1 (But Seriously, Though)
NOTE: When reading this, please understand that I am by no means a certified expert when it comes to the realm of doctrine. The views and interpretations I express below are mine and mine alone, and quite possibly could be quite wrong if or when considered by persons more studied than I. Be careful down there!
In a recklessly bold moment, I figured it may prove interesting to go through the Westminster Shorter Catechism, since I'm sure it will be something I'll have to agonize over some time in the future. In one of my earlier posts, I wrote about how I think doctrine is pretty important.. Since we do sin, and do it with alarming frequency, and we can't comprehend the entirety of God, doctrine is sort of a man-made straight-edge to alert us when we go shooting off on a crazy tangent and making up things about what the Bible really says, and the implications thereof. Generally, it tells us what our forefathers in the faith concluded about spiritual things, and teaches us the lessons that they learned through their crazy trials of years gone by. Completely disregarding doctrine may land us in a world of hurt, as we could needlessly repeat some grave mistakes that have already happened.
Of course, on the other hand, doctrine is pretty much man-made. It's about as scientific and Newtonian as you can get when it comes to the Bible. It's not the word of God, and should not be treated as such. It's boring. Really boring. It has a very real possibility of choking the life out of good Christians if used improperly. It reminds me of a joke, actually:
"What's the difference between an ice-cold rock and a Presbyterian?"
"Nothing. They're one and the same."
It's funny--if you're not a Presbyterian, of course! Because us PCA folk nearly ALWAYS take ourselves and our doctrine far too seriously. That's why we've been so affectionately coined "The Frozen Chosen." Okay...now that I've poked enough fun out of my denomination, shall we begin? :)
Question 1: What is the chief end of man?
(Oh, a side note. I tried scouring the Internet for a short while to find the WSC in modern-day English, but to no avail--I guess that would spoil the fun of having to understand doctrine if it was made too easy.)
So, what is our real purpose, according to the Bible? What's the point? That's one of the best questions ever, no wonder why it's first. It's probably one of the more frequently asked questions in the history of the human race. It pops up all the time in our minds, from sitting in a 2 hour meeting only 30 minutes into it, or riding on the subway, or waiting in the drive-thru line...Why am I here?
Answer 1: Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.
Proof Texts: Psalm 86, Isaiah 60:21, Romans 11:36, Revelation 4:11
Although the question starts focused on us, the answer is a complete focus on God. He made us so that we could bring glory to Him, and also be around to enjoy how glorified God really is. Put another way, what we do and who we are should prove to all (or just God if nobody else is around) how awesome God is, AND, we should also exhaust a great portion of our life enjoying how awesome our Creator really is. It almost seems in some circles that it's either one way or the other, but both parts of the answer are equally and critically important. In fact, it's virtually impossible to accomplish one portion without the other. Oh, many have tried, and I am one of the many. But you can't really fool anyone on how cool God is if you're not believing it yourself.
Whew--that wasn't that bad. Well, from what I understand, the worst is yet to come--only 106 questions left! And this is the shorter catechism, too. Hoo-boy! Pray for me that if I so choose to do any more, I don't forget about question number one--what my chief end is.
In a recklessly bold moment, I figured it may prove interesting to go through the Westminster Shorter Catechism, since I'm sure it will be something I'll have to agonize over some time in the future. In one of my earlier posts, I wrote about how I think doctrine is pretty important.. Since we do sin, and do it with alarming frequency, and we can't comprehend the entirety of God, doctrine is sort of a man-made straight-edge to alert us when we go shooting off on a crazy tangent and making up things about what the Bible really says, and the implications thereof. Generally, it tells us what our forefathers in the faith concluded about spiritual things, and teaches us the lessons that they learned through their crazy trials of years gone by. Completely disregarding doctrine may land us in a world of hurt, as we could needlessly repeat some grave mistakes that have already happened.
Of course, on the other hand, doctrine is pretty much man-made. It's about as scientific and Newtonian as you can get when it comes to the Bible. It's not the word of God, and should not be treated as such. It's boring. Really boring. It has a very real possibility of choking the life out of good Christians if used improperly. It reminds me of a joke, actually:
"What's the difference between an ice-cold rock and a Presbyterian?"
"Nothing. They're one and the same."
It's funny--if you're not a Presbyterian, of course! Because us PCA folk nearly ALWAYS take ourselves and our doctrine far too seriously. That's why we've been so affectionately coined "The Frozen Chosen." Okay...now that I've poked enough fun out of my denomination, shall we begin? :)
Question 1: What is the chief end of man?
(Oh, a side note. I tried scouring the Internet for a short while to find the WSC in modern-day English, but to no avail--I guess that would spoil the fun of having to understand doctrine if it was made too easy.)
So, what is our real purpose, according to the Bible? What's the point? That's one of the best questions ever, no wonder why it's first. It's probably one of the more frequently asked questions in the history of the human race. It pops up all the time in our minds, from sitting in a 2 hour meeting only 30 minutes into it, or riding on the subway, or waiting in the drive-thru line...Why am I here?
Answer 1: Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.
Proof Texts: Psalm 86, Isaiah 60:21, Romans 11:36, Revelation 4:11
Although the question starts focused on us, the answer is a complete focus on God. He made us so that we could bring glory to Him, and also be around to enjoy how glorified God really is. Put another way, what we do and who we are should prove to all (or just God if nobody else is around) how awesome God is, AND, we should also exhaust a great portion of our life enjoying how awesome our Creator really is. It almost seems in some circles that it's either one way or the other, but both parts of the answer are equally and critically important. In fact, it's virtually impossible to accomplish one portion without the other. Oh, many have tried, and I am one of the many. But you can't really fool anyone on how cool God is if you're not believing it yourself.
Whew--that wasn't that bad. Well, from what I understand, the worst is yet to come--only 106 questions left! And this is the shorter catechism, too. Hoo-boy! Pray for me that if I so choose to do any more, I don't forget about question number one--what my chief end is.
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