aboulet's Xanga

Friday, August 31, 2007

Fri, 31 Aug 2007 15:18:39 GMT

For those of you who have been wondering about my absence, I blog at Wordpress.

why i love my backpack

Sun, 11 Feb 2007 21:57:15 GMT

I got this backpack for Christmas. Well, actually I didn't get it for Christmas. That was a blatant lie. I got it a few days after Christmas before I flew back to Pennsylvania (I went to my parent's house in Florida for Christmas). I love it, it's a good bag. It has a lot of room for books, a padded sleeve for my notebook (Mac only please), padded shoulders, and it's crafted very well. But I love it for a different reason.

My parents went to Prince Edward Island this past summer for their wedding anniversary. My mother is a big fan of Anne of Avonlee and Anne of Green Gables (one or both of them was filmed there....I don't remember exactly). While they were in Canada (eh?) they went to a Roots store. Roots is the sports clothing company in Canada (think of Nike, Adidas, Reebok, and Timberland combined). My dad bought this backpack during that trip and has been using it while he travels to work, the golf club, and basketball practice (he and my mother are JV girls basketball coaches for my old high school, where my mother still teaches). I'm sure that he loved it as much as I do, because it is a great backpack.

When I was home over Christmas I noticed it sitting in the back of his car. I checked it out and saw that it was really nice. I immediately thought of how many books I could fit in it and how nice it would be to have it, because I was using a messenger back and a backpack to haul all my books and computer to and from seminary everyday. I told my dad that I really liked his backpack. He went on to tell me how much he likes it too.

My father is also a cologne wearing man. He has great taste, shuffling between Ralph Lauren Blue and Aqua Di Gio. He always smells good.

The day before I left home, my dad came by my room and gave me the backpack. He said that I would get better use out of it than he would. I was really excited, because, like I have been saying, I really love it. So since then this is the backpack that I have been using for my travels to work, seminary, and grad school.

I told you before about my father being a cologne wearing man and you probably thought that was random. Well, there is where that key peice of information comes back into play. The backpack still smells like Aqua Di Gio. I'm not sure if some spilled in the bag or if my father sprayed it on while he was wearing the backpack, but it still smells like pops.

As I was walking back to my car on Friday night after class I caught a whiff of the old Aqua Di Gio. I started thinking about my father and my mother and where I was at that moment as a seminary and grad school student. I could never be where I am today if it were not for my parents. The backpack that I wear everyday is a symbol of what I have experienced my entire life: my parents sacrificing for me. Whether it was giving me a backpack, transfering money into my account, providing encouragement through rough times, or just being there for me when I need them, my parents have always sacrificed for my sake.

I understand why the church celebrates the Eucharist every week more because of my backpack. The Eucharist is a sign, a symbol of a truth. When we experience that, we are brought face to face with the reality of the truth and encouraged to live in light of that.

When I put my books into my backpack in the morning, I think about my sacrificial father who gave me something he loved because he knew I loved it to. I think about my parents teaching me about the love of Jesus and encouraging me to love others as well. I think about the 25+ years my father has faithfully served the church with integrity and passion. I think about my mother who went back to work so that my sisters and I could pursue our dreams at college. I think about growing up with two parents who love each other and love their kids more than they love themselves. I think about how great my life has been because I have never had a moment in my life where I wasn't 100% sure that my parents would drop everything to help me.

My backpack points me towards my father who gave it to me. And that's why I love my backpack.

As always my real blog can be found here. You don't have to be a member or sign up for anything to comment there. It would be better for you to comment there, as I rarely check xanga. Blessings.

Tuesday, January 02, 2007

Tue, 02 Jan 2007 22:35:00 GMT

Exciting news: I will beginning a Ph.D. in Jewish Studies at the University of Pennsylvania this upcoming January! I will be starting the program part time while I finish my M.Div. at Westminster!!

Also, because of the features available, I have switched my blog to Wordpress.

You can read my new blog here.

You can comment without being a registered Wordpress user by using your name and email (your email will not be visible to the public).

Keep in touch.

Shalom.

Sunday, December 24, 2006

Sun, 24 Dec 2006 20:15:44 GMT

I'm taking the cue from Denise and decided to post a Top Ten list for different categories to define this year for me.

Top Ten Movies I Watched (not movies that necessarily came out this year):
10. Waterworld (I had to put this for my girlfriend's sake)
09. Bad Boys II
08. Number Two: Jackass 2
07. Donny Darko
06. Magnolia
05. Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe
04. Thank You For Smoking
03. Borat
02. For Your Consideration
01. Boondock Saints (as always)

Top Ten Books:
10. Eclipse of the Biblical Narrative by Hans Frei
09. The Real Mary by Scot McKnight
08. Character of Theology by John Franke
07. Exodus: NIV Application Commentary by Peter Enns
06. Evangelism: Doing Justice and Preaching Grace by Harvie Conn
05. Paul in Fresh Perspectives by N.T. Wright
04. Evil and the Justice of God by N.T. Wright
03. Simply Christian by N.T. Wright
02. Studying the Historical Jesus by Darrell Bock
01. The Bible as It Was by James Kugel

Top One TV Show (not a lot of time for the tube):
01. The Office

Top Five Pubs in Philly:
05. Black Sheep - Rittenhouse
04. Standard Tap - Northern Liberties
03. Monks - Rittenhouse
02. North Third - Northern Liberties
01. Johnny Brenda's - Fishtown

Top Ten Albums Purchased:
10. Wilco - Kicking Television
09. The Decemberists - The Crane Wife
08. Ray LaMontagne - Trouble
07. Matisyahu - Youth
06. Death Cab for Cutie - Plans
05. David Gray - Life in Slow Motion
04. Dashboard Confessional - Dusk and Summer
03. Sufjan Stevens - Avalanche
02. Guster - Ganging Up on the Sun
01. Ben Harper - Both Sides of the Gun

Thanks about all I can think of.

I hope everyone has a happy Christmas.

Shalom.

homosexuality, projection, and sanctification

Mon, 18 Dec 2006 10:33:51 GMT

It's no secret that in today's world of evangelical Christianity the issue of homosexuality is a hot topic. I wonder why.

The answer that most people would give would be along the lines of, "They are attempting to destroy the sanctity of marriage" or "It is a sin" or "It is a heinous lifestyle that deserves no less that burning in a lake of sulfur and brimestone while listening to K-Fed's new album for eternity." I think there is more to it than all of this.

First of all, with the divorce rate within evangelical Christianity being no different from those outside of evangelical Chrisitanity, the whole "sanctity of marriage" argument goes out the window. Lust, adultery, porn, apathy, and self-interest have done a lot more to destroy the sanctity of marriage than the homosexual community. It's funny that 50% of evangelical Christians who would make this argument most likely end up in divorce. Sanctity of marriage, huh?

Second, it is a sin, no matter what kind of hermeneutical gymnastics or 'reframing of the question' tactics that Brian McLaren wants to play. But so is pride, lust, self-righteousness, gluttony, lying, etc. I find it slightly repulsive that the same preachers that will take a hard, party line stance on the issue of homosexuality won't say anything to the self-righteous, overweight businessmen driving a Range Rover, living in a multi-million dollar house. Don't you think there are many sin issues there as well?

Perhaps it has something to do with projection. It's easy to point at the homosexual community and point out their sin because it is outward. I think more people are quick to condemn and judge the lifestyle because people are repulsed by it; because they could never understand the mindset or the physical aspect of homosexuality makes them sick....I don't think it has as much to do with the fact that it is a 'sin' as much with the fact that it is homosexuality. Its easy for people to hide their pride, self-righteousness, apathy, dishonesty, etc. by jumping on the right-wing bandwagon and harping on the evils of the homosexual community. It's always easier to point out someone else's sins that dealing with your own.

I'm not saying that homosexuality is not a sin. What I am saying is that the way that the evangelical world has chosen to deal with the homosexual issue is completely hypocritical. We will welcome all kinds of prideful, arrogant, lying, self-righteous, overweight, unjust people into our churches as members and leaders, but we would never let a homosexual do the same.

The church is a place for sinners. It is composed of sinners and it is run by sinners. Of course, these sinners have been redeemed by God through Christ after being made alive by the Spirit....but everyone of them still sins and needs the Gospel. You would be hardpressed to find a church that would make one of the membership requirements, "Stop all your sinning immediately....then you can join." But it seems that this rule does apply when it comes to homosexuals. It is within the Christian life and within the church that sanctification happens. People struggle with pride, much like myself (so much so, in fact, that I needed to get a permanent reminder of the fact). The place to deal with pride is not before you come to Christ, but after you come to Christ. Of course one must repent of their sins to come to Christ, but sanctification happens after one becomes redeemed, not before. Sanctification happens within the body of Christ, not outside of the body of Christ. So why does the evangelical world make it an unwritten rule that homosexuals must become heterosexuals before they are welcomed into the church? Don't you think that people who struggle with homosexuality are going through a process much like someone who is struggling with pride, lust, self-righteousness, etc.? Those problems aren't gone overnight, but they take a lifetime of repenting, falling, repenting again. We will only be completed by Christ on that last day (Phil 1.6), not before.

Christians need to hate sin because God hates sin. All sin. Not just the sins that repulse us or the sins that we have never struggled with. All sin. The sin that you have in your life, God hates it and you should to. It would be easy to only deal with other people's outward sin while the sin you struggle with sits in the back of your heart untouched. Easy, sure. But completely unhelpful and even dangerous.

We, as a church, must realize that we are just as full of sin and evil as anyone else. The only difference is that we have Christ and the Spirit. We need to share Christ will everyone and trust in God's sovereignty that HE will change people's hearts, lives, and actions through the Spirit. We need to stop walking around with the log of pride, self-righteousness, gluttony, lust, etc. in our eyes while attempting to remove the speck of homosexuality in other people's eyes.

Thomas walked around with Christ for three years and still struggled with the sin of doubt and unbelief. Did Christ kick him out of the community of apostles because he was a sinner? No, in fact he kept Thomas close to him because that is where change happens: in the presence of Christ.

If we sincerely hate the sin of homosexuality and sincerely want people to change the answer is not shunning them from our communities, but preaching Christ and welcoming them into our communties. Because that is where change happens.

Shalom.

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Thu, 14 Dec 2006 15:22:49 GMT

More than 100 years ago Herman Bavinck cried out to his Presbyterian brethren for contextualization and progress.

"All the misery of the Presbyterian Churches is owing to their striving to consider the Reformation as completed, and to allow no further development of what has been begun by the labor of the Reformers….Calvinism wishes no cessation of progress and promotes multi-formity. It feels the impulse to penetrate ever more deeply into the mysteries of salvation and in feeling this honors every gift and different calling of the Churches. It does not demand for itself the same development in America and England which has found in Holland. This must be insisted upon, that in each country and in every Reformed Church it should develop itself in accordance with its own nature, and should not permit itself to be supplanted or corrupted by foreign ideas."
"The Future of Calvinism," The Presbyterian and Reformed Review 5 (1894): 23.

I hope we can learn to listen.

Shalom.

Thursday, December 07, 2006

Thu, 07 Dec 2006 19:46:04 GMT

"all threeÃ¢â‚¬â€investigators, historians, and theologiansÃ¢â‚¬â€are confronted from time to time with the task of taming into submission a large and sprawling narrative that seems to lack any unity or cohesion. Each constructs in such circumstances a second narrative that purports to explain briefly what has actually been going on in the larger story. This second narrative must take into account how things have turned out in the end as well as how they began and developed over time. If the second narrative is convincingly constructed, it displaces all rival narratives and provides the indispensable framework for understanding and evaluating all prior events."

By way of reviewing for my final tomorrow in Old Testament History and Theology, I re-read an essay by David Steinmetz called "Miss Marple Reads the Bible." I would point anyone interested in reading the Old Testament in a uniquely Christian way to read it. It is an excellent essay that condones a "Christotelic" reading of the Old Testament (although he does not use that rhetoric in his essay).

The entire article is available online here.

Shalom.

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

Wed, 06 Dec 2006 02:10:30 GMT

**UPDATE** I fixed the link to Dan's original post. Sorry for that.

Dan Kimball, of Vintage Church in Santa Cruz, just posted his concerns regarding a recent letter sent out by John MacArthur for his radio ministry, Grace to You. His well thought out concerns are revealing of some people's inability to let people speak on their own terms before ushering them off into heterodoxy.

It is at times like this when a little unity would be nice to see in the church of Christ.

Shalom.

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Tue, 05 Dec 2006 00:04:52 GMT

I don't ask much of my readers (if I really have any consistent readers). A paragraph here, a thought there....nothing too demanding. I thought I would attempt to conjure up any influence that this blog has for a simple request: prayer.

This week there is a board meeting at Westminster Theological Seminary that will most likely prove to be monumental in the history of this fine institution. Apparently Orwell was a few decades off when he spoke about Big Brother, but because of such forces I have felt it wise to keep my opinions of the situation to myself, lest I say something less than tactful and edifying.

Suffice it to say, the current situation needs prayer. Prayer for wisdom for the board of Westminster and the professors of Westminster.

My heart is very heavy this week, as the future of some of the men who have had the greatest impact on my life, both academically and spiritually, will be addressed.

I can only echo the words of the great Puritans before me in my prayer:

"Help me to see how good thy will is in all,
and even when it crosses mine
teach me to be pleased with it.
Grant me to feel thee in fire, and food, and every providence,
and to see that thy many gifts and creatures
are but thy hands and fingers taking hold of me.
Thou bottomless fountain of all good,
I give myself to thee out of love,
for all I have or own is thine,
my goods, family, church, self,
to do with as thou wilt,
to honour thyself by me, and by all mine.
If it be consistent with thy eternal counsels,
they purpose of thy grace,
and the great ends of thy glory,
then bestow upon me the blessings of thy comforts;
If not, let me resign myself to thy wiser denominations."

Please be in prayer for my seminary.

Shalom.

Monday, November 20, 2006

Mon, 20 Nov 2006 10:18:08 GMT

"I do not seek to understand so that I can believe, but I believe so that I may understand."
~ Anselm of Cantebury

It is at times like this (late in the semester, papers and reading to do) that I have to consciously remind myself that it is only by the grace of God that I am able to study his word. It is an incredible gift for me to have the blessings of God to be able to study his word as a seminary student. I am grateful for his grace and for his Spirit who continually strengthens, guides, and teaches me.

The fountainhead of my ability to study Scripture is founded in God's grace on my life. He called me out of the darkness and into his marvelous light. Because of his grace, which was completely unearned by me, I am where I am. Because Christ died in my place, I am where I am. Because the Holy Spirit renewed my heart with his efficacious grace, I am where I am. Because the Spirit continually strengthens me and keeps me, I am where I am.

My belief is not based on how well I understand, it is based on God's sovereign grace in my life.

I am studying his word, not so that I might believe more, but so that I will love him more....and I am perpetually in a state of spiritual poverty where I need to depend on him to remind me of both his grace and my motivation for studying.

Shalom.