Three Star Night

Psalm 8

2012-01-25T00:00:00.000-08:00

As I write this, I just got word that my classmate died. He was maybe 26, tops. I just met him this semester, but I met him in a small class of 5 so the impact is larger than it would otherwise be. There were other circumstances, too, but I won't get into that here.

Psalm 8 is a hard read right now. I know I'm not the only one who finds it hard to praise God during times like this. Maybe it's a personal trauma or tragedy. Maybe it's a friend, family member, coworker, or colleague. Maybe it's nothing "big," but it's just ~life.~

The great thing is, my feelings don't dictate reality. Some religions propose that God is something or someone within ourselves, but the God of the Bible has an existence external to us. I find comfort in that because it means that I don't dictate who God is, and neither do my circumstances.

God is God.

God is worthy to be praised.

God is majestic.

And man-

We are fleeting, but oh, so precious. Humanity has been crowned with glory and honor. With reason and a soul. Yes, man is dust, but we contain the breath of God. We image the Divine.

Who are we that God is mindful of us? That he cares for us? That he became one of us and died for us? We are nothing. And yet, we are a little less than everything.

Psalm 7

2012-01-23T00:00:00.000-08:00

I've honestly grappled with how to blog this Psalm for the past half a week. This Psalm is so rich, and there are so many angles I can take here. This Psalm is about finding refuge in God. But refuge from what? David needs to escape from his enemies, but he also needs an escape from his own sin.

Double Take

I think on first gloss, it seems that David is challenging God. "If I have committed evil, let my foes defeat me." I've certainly heard it discussed that way. It makes it seem that David is this cool and awesome and holy guy. Cue M.C. Hammer's "Can't Touch This." And in one way, I think that is true. David had his faults, but he was a generally upstanding guy. But I don't think that's the whole picture.

Loving God, Hating Sin

It is very evident form the Psalms that David loves God and hates sin. Very much. To David, people who sin deserve to be destroyed. They deserve God's anger, and David takes a hardline stance on this. David longs for the day when the wicked will cease, and God's kingdom of righteousness will be established.

David hates sin in others, and he hates sin in himself. He's not a hypocrite. He's an equal-opportunity kind of guy.

Repentance, Righteousness, and Refuge

I think the crux of the Psalm is verse 12a:

¹² If a man^[d] does not repent, God^[e] will whet his sword

David doesn't fall back on his inherent righteousness. He is falling back on his repentance, and God's willingness to accept it. David can ask for refuge because he has repented and God looks upon his newfound "righteousness." A far cry from "Can't Touch This," I find this a beautiful picture of faith and dependance on God.

Do I believe that my sin deserves damnation? Do I really believe that repentance leads to righteousness? Do I really believe that refuge is given to the righteousness? How much do I "bank" on God's character and His promises?

And, like David, do I respond with awe and praise?

I will give to the LORD the thanks due to his righteousness,
and I will sing praise to the name of the LORD, the Most High.

Psalm 6 Images

2012-01-20T00:00:00.001-08:00

Though TSN first started as a webcomic, the content has slowly shifted away from that blogging format. However, I get a large number of comments about and requests for more comics. So...enjoy!

"Truth Over Circumstance"

"Feast"

(Solstice Cetl, flickr, CC2.0)

Psalm 6

2012-01-20T00:00:00.000-08:00

Read through Psalms!
There is a knee-jerk reaction in Christian culture to direct people toward the Psalms. Depressed? Read Psalms! Angry? Read Psalms! Sad? Read Psalms! Take two and call me in the morning.

Sure, God's word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Sure, all Scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in all righteousness. And, sure, the Word of God does not come back void, but will accomplish the work that He sent it out to do.

But Stories Take Time
These are things I understand. But the Psalms can be really confusing, sometimes. The tone of the poem can change within a verse or two. Three verses down the line, the Psalmist may be talking about something different, entirely. A casual gloss through the Psalms (which is why I don't recommend reading any more than one Psalm a day or combining it with a larger chunk of Bible reading, like many reading plans do) will miss the richness of the story.

Because Psalms are poems. Poems tell stories. Good stories point to God. If you miss the story, you miss God, and you miss the point.

Breaking it down
This Psalm teaches us about God, grace, deliverance, suffering, and faith. It took me over an hour of re-reading the one Psalm to piece together the story, so instead of sharing response reflections, today I'm going to share more of a summary of things that stuck out to me.

David doesn't say that God shouldn't be angry. Instead, he asks for deliverance from that anger.

David asks for grace. He doesn't deserve it, but he needs it. He recognizes his need and his brokenness. The first step is admitting the problem.

David does not argue that God is in the wrong, that he doesn't deserve God's anger, or promise to do better in the future. David is not accusing or bargaining. He is begging.

Instead, David appeals to God's character. He hangs on to what he knows is true: that God is love and is loving, and that God is worthy of worship.

David's suffering is not only "vertical" between him and God. Just as he has sinned against God, others are sinning against him.

David explains his suffering. He does not hide his emotions- he voices them. But he does not let them dictate his actions- he confronts them.

David has faith that:

The Lord hears him
The Lord accepts prayer
God will come through for him
God acts quickly

David's faith is based on the character of God and the promises of God. The truth of what he knows about God supersedes his circumstances of being languishing, troubled, weary, moaning, weeping, grieved, and weak. God is still God.

Story Swapping
Sometimes it will take a few reads to get the story right. Sometimes you have to sit down with a story, or with a person, to really see who they are. You have to interact with them. It's the same when we read the Bible, when we learn about God, or we meet a new friend.

Part of my gripe about Bible reading plans is that it is so easy to value volume over substance. But just as we can learn how to interact with others and get to know their story, we can also learn how to stop and spend time in the Word to get to know about God.

So what's your story?
One of my goals this year is to focus on words- on Jesus as the Word, on the Word of God, and the words of others. What's a story that you have learned? What's a story you have experienced? Here's the story of my bro in Christ, Dan, who spends time listening to others' stories, building relationships, and teaching others to do the same.

Psalm 5, A Response Poem

2012-01-18T00:00:00.000-08:00

This is a combined reflection on Psalm 5 as well as one of my poems for "finish year."

The pious wake up at dawn,
Stretch their legs over the side of the bed,
Reach for the KJV on top of the dresser,
And open the well-worn-but-well-kept book
To where a satin ribbon marks their place.

If common (mis)perceptions are upheld,
I am not pious, healthy, wealthy, or wise.
I wake up after the third snooze,
And the first utterance out of my mouth
Is neither praise nor prayer,
But a groan.

And yet God hears.
In the morning he hears my
Tired, groggy,
(half-complaining if I'm honest)
Groan.
He hears, Remembering,
That the Spirit Himself
Interceeds With Groans
And together our groaning
Is offered up before God.
A sacrifice.

I wait.
I watch.
There is no fire from heaven to shame the prophets of Baal.
There is no lightning from the mountain.
Torches do not pass to and fro between the halves.
But I do not watch with bated
Breath or Trepidation
Knowing that the sacrifice was accepted long ago
After 3 days and an empty tomb.

It is the dawn for which I wait.
It will come.
The answer to the promise already given
But not yet fulfilled.
The evil prosper, but not forever.
Likewise, God's children groan
Along with creation
In the pangs of childbirth.
Watching,
Bowing down toward the holy temple
In fear of a Holy God.

He blesses the righteous
Though there are none,
No, not one,
But he has declared righteous
Those who take refuge in Him
And those
Who seek first His righteousness.

They shall not bear their guilt
or fall by their own counsels.
They shall not be cast out by their trangressions,
For the Lamb has taken their transgressions from them,
Farther than
The East
Is from the West.

So let them sing with joy.
Let them praise him in song
Raising up
A joyful noise.
(And, yes,
for some of us, the singing is
"noise," indeed.)

Let them exalt the One
Who blesses the unrighteous
With righteousness.

Let them love the One who
Taught them love
While they were yet unloveable,
By first being Love, Himself.

Psalm 4

2012-01-16T00:00:00.000-08:00

Distress
You know what's really distressing? Life. I mean, really. Maybe your life isn't all that distressing, and praise God! But my life hasn't been rainbows and unicorns. Most people's aren't. On top of that, I chose a profession that is by nature adversarial, and am entering a subsection of that profession that is adversarial over really distressing things, like abuse and rape.

It's not pretty. Sin is ugly. There is trauma and brokenness and shame. We're surrounded by it. We are sinners and sufferers, all. And the affects of sin- our sin against God, our sin against others, our sin against ourselves, others' sin against us...humanity sits in its own filth, and there's no stopping it. Not on our own.

Grace
And yet, God pities the weak. He comforts the weary. He relieves the distressed. He is gracious and he hears our prayers. Often, we won't be able to see help coming. We're too blind, too frustrated, too distressed. We will ask "How long?" "Why?" "What is going on?" It is easy to focus on the brokenness because there is so much of it, but those who seek the One who will "show us some good" will find Him. He promises us that much.

Response
God will draw near to you. In fact, He is already near you. He calls out to his children, as he is already running to them with open arms. I heard a fantastic sermon at Mars Hill by Justin Holcomb on this topic. The Gospel is about saving. It's about redemption. It's about God calling us to Himself, but knowing that we can't move, so he comes to us. It's about God coming as a man to live the life we could not live and die the death we should have died. God gives us His righteousness and reprieve.

So though we are angry at the brokenness and we grieve, we can do so without sinning. We can have hope in knowing that God has set aside his children for Himself. He has bought them with his blood and is never, ever giving them up. He will protect His own, and He will rescue those who put their trust in Him. He will be the one to show us good and put joy in our hearts.

We will be safe, and we will find rest.

Psalm 3

2012-01-13T00:00:00.000-08:00

The Story of David
From the "New Jo Version" (NJV)

Imagine coming from a giant family where no one really cared for you all that much. Then God said you would be king, which is cool and all, but you never asked for it, and then the current king started chasing you around everywhere trying to kill you. After a ton of heartbreak and annoyance and perseverance, you finally become king, just as God said.

Everything is going well, just as it should be. Then you made this awful mistake where you coerced a married woman into sleeping with you and then killed her husband because she got pregnant. The kid dies, and you do the only decent thing a king can do in that time period- you marry the woman and stick her together with all your other wives. You feel awful and repent. But even though you think you've sufficiently learned from your mistakes (you're a man after God's own heart, after all, despite your faults) it turns out that you've set into place an even worse set events that ends up in your son raping your daughter and another son getting mad, chasing you around, and trying to kill you. (You're a classic case of High "Spirituality" Does Not Translate Into Good Family Man.)

Remember how God said you'd be king? That peace is broken. You screwed it up. And now someone's chasing you around trying to kill you. Again. Bummer. You've made some Really Awful Mistakes and now you're facing the consequences.

And yet- God sustains you. He protects you from your enemies. You probably deserve what's coming...but it never comes. Because God has more in store for you. He has placed you on the throne, and He's going to keep you there. He has a plan for you that's bigger than you. God's kindness does not make you proud, it makes you humble. You aren't saved because you're cool and awesome- salvation belongs to God and God alone. You praise Him for it. And though enemies swarm you, you are not afraid. You lay down and sleep. You call out to God, and He sustains you.

So look to God for salvation, trust him, and sleep.

Psalm 2

2012-01-11T00:00:00.000-08:00

Planning
As the poem goes, "The best made plans of mice and men oft go awry." As I plan at the beginning of the year, I have been filled with a lot of anxiety. There is simply too much to do, too little time to do it, and a lot of evil in the world. My anxiety, however, reveals my sin. It reveals how small my little-g "god" is.

Plotters against God
There are wicked people "out there" who plot against God and His people. This passage reminds us that while they plot, they plot in vain. We do not fight against flesh and blood, but against powers, principalities, and forces of this dark world. But even then- God doesn't seem to be terribly concerned. He laughs- not because it's funny or lighthearted business, but because he's in control. We do not need to be anxious about these people, but in everything, in prayer and supplication, we can present our requests to the One who is Victorious.

Plotting against God
Perhaps, too, my anxiety stems from my own plotting against God. Are there areas of my life where I have been resisting His will? Have I given Him complete surrender? Do I hold on and try to take control - before quickly realizing I can't? Have I turned away from the Son, away from Zion, and set about my own business? This Psalm isn't merely about the wicked people "out there," but it's a warning to me, too. It's a reminder that God's in control, and why should I fight Him? 1) He's going to win anyway and 2) I'm much better staying within His plan. Instead, I should not be anxious about anything, but in everything, in prayer and supplication, present my requests to God.

The Victorious Son
My current anxiety shows how small I see Christ. I do not see Him as reigning and victorious. I do not see Him as loving and compassionate. Not really. There is a cognitive-belief-action disconnect. But sometimes (a lot of the time), our feelings are wrong. It is during those times, that we need to stop listening to our feelings and start listening to the Word. Christ is the one who sets things straight, conquers evil, and blesses those who come to Him. I need to stop fighting and start worshiping.

Psalm 1

2012-01-09T00:00:00.001-08:00

Mobility
I was 23 when I got my first car. To me, the concepts of freedom and mobility are intertwined. People who are engaged in struggle often describe the frustration of being "stuck." They feel there is no way out. Nothing they do can change anything. They want escape. I know that feeling well.

Getting away
So often, I've wanted to "get away." I wanted to leave it all. I searched for solutions and answers. The easiest answers meant abandoning what I believed to get what I desired. They often do. This creates war within our souls. We know what is right, we know what is wrong, and our struggle compounds the feeling of stuck-ness. We know we shouldn't walk in the way of the wicked, stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers. But, dang, it seems so easy, so practical at times. Our souls writhe. James asks, "What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?"

Trees aren't mobile. But they flourish.
Unless you live in Middle Earth and have Ents in your backyard, you know that trees don't go anywhere. Sure, the weak ones will keel over and die, but the healthy ones stay there for centuries. In one sense, they are very much "stuck." They aren't going anywhere. But in another sense, they are very much "rooted."

There is something better than mobility. Health. Because when the solution to the oncoming storm isn't to pick up and leave. There will always be storms. The solution is to become strong. And strength comes from the Lord. When we meditate on the Word of the Lord, we become strong, sturdy, and healthy. We may not yield fruit on-demand, but we will yield fruit in season. When the storms come and the environment changes, we will not wither. We will not be chaff in the wind. We will not be tossed to and fro by the waves. We will not be left to our own devices.

Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord.

2012: The Year of Words

2012-01-09T00:00:00.000-08:00

Becoming "You"
Lisa Gates, contributor to Forbes' Woman "She Negotiates" series wrote a wonderful article last year on "Becoming More Like Yourself in 2012." Of course, she comes from a secular humanist slant (I don't know about her personal views, but this is at least what it seems like), and some Christians, particularly in the reformed camps, may be wary of concepts such as self-empowerment and "becoming more like oneself."

However, I caution against throwing the baby out with the bathwater. If you define yourself according to your selfish desires and what you want to accomplish for YOU this coming year, then tips like the ones in the article may go awry. However, if you define yourself according to who God has created and re-created you to be in Him, and what you want to accomplish for Him this year, a few tips, yes, even from the secular world, can be healthy and helpful.

Limit the Focus
Ms. Gates suggests focusing on 5 goals in the coming year:

Create 5 Daily Practices. One for self nourishment; one business or career-enhancing strategy; one thing you want to learn, one behavior you want to replace with another, better one; and one core value you’ll be mindful of daily to underpin your agreements in 2012.

I'm not one for "new year's resolutions," but the idea of "one core value" stuck out to me. It is easy to live life "living nothing for deadlines" and seeing only "1's and 0's," but living with purpose helps keeps us from getting stuck in the ruts. And apparently, the "one core value" thing has other proponents, as well! (See Modern Reject and One Word).

So what's my one word? "Word."

Milton and Augustine talk about this a lot and more thoroughly than I can explain here, but there is something special about words. Christ is the Word Become Flesh. The Word of God is living and active. The Bible is a love letter. The Creator God is the Author God who spoke everything into existence. Everything is a parable. Everything is a poem.

My 5 Practices
Self-nourishment: meditating, really meditating on and delighting in the Word of God.

Community-enhancing: I want to spend time with people. I want to see the story of what God is doing in their lives. I want to witness the power of God in those around me, and become a character in others' stories as well.

Learning: I will be still, and know that He is God. I will stop and reflect and learn from the silence. I will do less and listen more. I already cut out a class from my schedule to allow me to do this. I will focus less on "productivity" and more on being a better listener and storyteller.

Behavior replacement: Many Christians will automatically balk at this idea. Yes, behavior modification has its limits. What is important is the heart and not the action, after all. At the same time, if things need changing, by all means- change them. My behavior replacement will be to switch out mindless internet browsing for writing more poetry.

One core value: Valuing words and stories. Being intentional about appreciating them, finding them, creating them, and using them well.

TSN and Finish Year
Jon Acuff has an excellent idea for completing goals and finishing well. Keep it short, keep it simple, and finish it. (Posts here and here). Goals are great (particularly for the resolution-averse crowd). However, as Acuff explains, "Fuzzy goals fail."

My specific goals this year are:

Blog through the book of Psalms
Write at least a poem per month.
Write at least two thank-yous, thinking-of-yous, and/ or encouragement cards per month.

As a result, I am going to use this blog as a way to keep myself accountable to my goals, and I hope you will continue to support and join me.

First, this blog will no longer be a webcomic. I know that this will disappoint the large majority of my readers, but the webcomic formula simply hasn't been working for me as a writer for awhile now. There may still yet be webcomics, but that will not be the primary purpose of this blog.
Second, I want to encourage you to read through Psalms with me and post your meditations as I blog mine.
Third, I will post my poetry to the blog as it is written, so you can look forward to that content..
Third, bookmark this page and be mindful of the stories in your life. If you would like to share a way that God is speaking or creating story in your life, or if you would like to commend the way God is working in and through someone else, submit the story below in the comments!

Here's to a great 2012 and finding fulfillment in the "you" God wants you to be.

Christmas Poetry

2011-12-25T11:19:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas, everyone! May you be blessed by the peace of God, the love of family and friends, and the joy of salvation.

Here is some poetry I would like to share:

Maranatha

I. Fall
Knowing good and evil,
We hid ourselves from God.
Opened eyes were darkened.
Flesh-hearts became like stone.
That which promised knowledge,
Bewilderment it bred.
Claiming to be wise,
We cursed ourselves instead.

II. Winter
With furrowed brow we fought
the thorny, thistled ground.
Meaningless, meaningless, all –
All is vanity. All – profanity. All – insanity.
Oh – humanity!
(Steeped in our depravity,
Our souls weighed down by gravity.)

III. Spring
Crippled creation cries,
coupled with the curse
Subjected to futility,
Waiting for fertility,
Groaning as in childbirth.

But on that silent night
In a little town,
the second Eve –
the servant of the Lord lay down.
As she cried out in pain
(the curse that she received)
the virgin’s labor brought forth Victory.

IV. Summer
In the land of darkness deep,
Sleepers spied the dawning Light –
the Glory of the One and Only,
full of grace and truth. The Christ.

Scores of angels, shout!
To shepherds in the fields
And through the sands of time,
to us, Good News reveal.

Resounding trumpets, ring;
Continue with the set.
And until they ring again,
Here
We
Wait
in the "Already
but Not Yet."

---------------------------------------------------

Incarnation

Make space for the uncontained God,
Unthinkable vastness gathered into infant capsule.
Light a torch in the night and draw near
to the Pillar of Fire sleeping in virgin arms.
Teach with alphabet blocks the Word
that confused the builders of Babel.
Make time for the One who sustains it,
Who interjected, uninvited, into human affairs,
bringing the deliverance we mistook for fruitcake.

---------------------------------------------------

The Mystery of Faith

They came from the East.
Pagans, not Kings.
Wizards and shamans –
Readers of tea leaves and stars.
Perhaps they carried ceremonial bones and runes
Clattering away in camel-drawn carts
Next to the gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Astrologers and sorcerers –
Blatant violators of Moses’ law and
Condemned by God –
Unlikely worshipers
Drawn by the shining light
of Grace.

"Thinking. Loving. Doing." Book Review

2011-12-20T12:32:00.000-08:00

When I picked up this book, I had no idea what it was about. All I knew was that it was edited by Piper and had chapters by both John Piper and Francis Chan. On that basis alone, I figured that it was worth reading, but I was blown away by the introduction, long before I got to the later chapters.

Introduction: David Mathis
Not knowing what the book was about, I found the introduction rather helpful. In the church, we've created this weird dichotomy of anti-intellectual sentimentalism pitted against anti-sentimentalist theological academia. Mathis calls this the "unifers" (those who "maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" but may be given to doctrine-dilution) and "purifiers" (those who thrive on "watching out for those who...create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have taught" but may be given to arrogance and division-stirring.) In response, this book literally addresses the "thinking," "loving," and "doing" aspects of the Christian faith. Many times, churches gravitate to one of these categories (which also fit the "prophet/ priest/ king" dynamic, for those who are familiar with that terminology) at the expense of the other two.

"In our scheme," Mathis writes, "the 'thinkers' (mind) would be Reformed; the 'feelers' (heart), the massive swaths of Pentecostal and charismatic networks (either in addition to, or perhaps rather than, the now greatly diminishing number of those labeling themselves 'emerging'); and the 'doers' (hands), the more practically oriented 'leadership' segments of the church...AND THE POINT IS THAT NONE OF US GETS IT RIGHT." (emphasis mine). By incorporating and intermingling these three functions of Christian living, we can grow wholistically: in both unity and in purity.

For my commentary and summary on the rest of the chapters, please see my Amazon review here.

Disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for my review, but the thoughts and impressions expressed herein are my own.

Maranatha

2011-12-13T16:09:00.000-08:00

(dannynorodo, flickr, CC2.0

Attachment

2011-12-09T13:45:00.001-08:00

When we look at John 1 through the lens of 1 Corinthians 15, we see John
being intentional about his choice of words. John calling Jesus the “Word”
was a strategic spear thrown at his audience. The Greek word is logos, and
the Greeks used it commonly when speaking about their gods. The Greeks
believed their gods were detached from the pain of the world. Unlike those
gods, the logos of the Bible felt fully the pain of the world. In attaching Himself
to humanity, Jesus suffered the punishment of the cross so that we would not
eternally suffer the punishment of our sin.

- The Village Church Advent Guide

Grace. It exists.

2011-12-06T15:07:00.001-08:00

The first thought I had this morning was an expletive.

By the time I had my second thought, my body moving faster than my mind, was sprinting halfway down the stairs.

Let me back up...

My first final was scheduled for 12/6/11 at 9:45 am. I always get everything lined up the night before. Computer, software for my computer (we use a special test-taking program), pencils, pens, erasers, white-out, highlighter, exam ID number, clothes, and yes, even breakfast. I hard boiled three eggs and put them in the fridge last night. And before I go to bed, I always set my alarm: multiple alarms on my phone and an extra non-phone alarm, just in case my phone dies or something.

So why was I so alarmed? What was my second thought this morning? It was a horrible mess of realizations that came to my brain all at once:

My phone wasn't on my bedstand
My phone is downstairs
I DIDN'T SET MY ALARM.
[EXPLETIVE] WHAT TIME IS IT?

It was 7:40 am. Over two hours before my final.

Some more background information: I never wake up before my alarm. EVER.

God.
Literally.
Woke.
Me.
Up.

To summarize:

I have issues with school being an idol.
I have issues with control being an idol.
Control failed me.
God came through despite my need for control.
God came through and helped me with school despite my sin in idolizing school.
God came through, and my initial response was to shout expletives in my head.

God is really, really, really good, and I am very, very, very humbled.

Grace. It exists. And not just in a "spiritual blessings" kind of way, but in a "Lord, give us this day our daily bread" kind of way. God feeds the birds, dresses the flowers, and doesn't give snakes to his hungry children.

May God bless you with his grace this day, the eyes to see it, and the peace to enjoy it. So let this be.

11 Year Old Proclaims Christ, as Shown Throughout Bible

2011-12-05T14:32:00.001-08:00

Full text below (via Mr. Ministry Man):
In Genesis, Jesus Christ is the seed of the woman.
In Exodus, He is the Passover Lamb.
In Leviticus, He is our High Priest.
In Numbers, He is the Pillar of Cloud by Day and Pillar of Fire by Night.
In Deuteronomy, He is the Prophet like unto Moses.
In Joshua, He is the Captain of our Salvation.
In Judges, He is our Judge and Lawgiver.
In Ruth, He is out Kinsmen Redeemer.
In 1 & 2 Samuel, He is our Trusted Prophet.
In Kings and Chronicles, He is our Reigning King.
In Ezra, He is the rebuilder of the broken down walls of human life.
In Esther, He is our Mordecai.
In Job, He is out ever living redeemer.
In Psalms, He is our Shepherd.
In Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, He is our Wisdom.
In Song of Solomon, He is our loving bridegroom.
In Isaiah, He is our Prince of Peace.
In Jeremiah, He is our righteous branch.
In Lamentations, He is our weeping prophet.
In Ezekiel, He is the wonderful, four faced man.
In Daniel, He is the fourth man in life's fiery furnace.
In Hosea, He is the faithful husband forever married to the backslider.
In Joel, He is the baptizer with the Holy Ghost and fire.
In Amos, He is our burden bearer.
In Obadiah, He is mighty to save.
In Jonah, He is our great foreign missionary.
In Micah, He is the messenger with beautiful feet.
In Nahum, He is the avenger of God's elect.
In Habakkuk, He is God's great evangelist crying for revival
In Zephaniah, He is our Savior.
In Haggai, He is the restorer of God's lost heritage.
In Zechariah, He is the fountain, opened up in the house of David for sin and uncleanliness.
In Malachi, He is the son of righteousness, rising with healing in His wings.
In Matthew, He is the king of the Jews.
I Mark, He is the servant.
In Luke, He is the son of man.
In John, He is the son of God.
In Acts, He is the savior of the world.
In Romans, He is the righteousness of God.
In 1 Corinthians, He is the rock of all Israel.
In 2 Corinthians, He is the triumphant one, giving victory.
In Galatians, He is your liberty. He set you free.
In Ephesians, He is the head of the church.
In Phillippians, He is your joy.
In Colossians, He is your completeness.
In 1 & 2 Thessalonians, He is your hope.
In 1 Timothy, He is your faith.
In 2 Timothy, He is your stability.
In Philemon, He is your benefactor.
In Titus, He is truth.
In Hebrews, He is your perfection.
In James, He is the power behind your faith.
In 1 Peter, He is your example.
In 2 Peter, He is your purity.
In 1 John, He is your life.
In 2 John, He is your pattern.
In 3 John, He is your motivation.
In Jude, He is foundation of your faith.
In Revelation, He is your coming king.

He is the first and the last. The Beginning and the End. He is the keeper of creation and the creator of all. He is the architect of the universe and the manager of all time. He always was, He always is, and He always will be. Unmoved, unchanged, undefeated, and never undone. He was bruised and brought healing. He was pierced and eased pain. He was persecuted and brought freedom. He was dead and brought life. He is risen and brings power. He reigns and brings peace. The world can't understand Him. The armies can't defeat Him. The schools can't explain Him and the leaders can't ignore Him. Herod couldn't kill Him. The Pharisees couldn't confuse Him. The people couldn't hold Him. Nero couldn't crush Him. Hitler couldn't silence Him. The new age can't replace Him. And Oprah can't explain Him away. He is life, love, longevity, and Lord. He is goodness, kindness, gentleness, and God. He is holy, righteous, mighty, powerful, pure. His ways are right. His word is eternal. His will is unchanging and His mind is on me. He is my redeemer. He is my savior. He is my God. He is my peace. He is my joy. He is my comfort. He is my Lord and He rules my life.

Divine Scheduling

2011-12-01T10:39:00.001-08:00

Photo: zedcap, flickr, CC2.0

Text: A Living Oak, my friend's blog. Take a visit!

In other news, I'm working on the whole iconographic thing...be patient with me! haha

Mars Hill Membership

2011-11-30T00:00:00.000-08:00

On this blog, I've griped a number of times about how I tried to find a church: I dedicated my time and energy to one church after another, but the church was not able to uphold its side of the deal

As an update, I would like to share the good news that I have finally found a fantastic church! The "finding" was really a matter of opportunity: 1) Mars Hill Seattle planted a campus in Orange County and 2) God provided a car with which I would be able to drive there. I have been following Mars Hill for around eight years. Yes, I am aware of the various criticisms of the church and of Mark Driscoll, but I have confidence in this church and its leadership. However, I do not follow a man, but Christ. And while I am in the process of pledging myself to this church, my identity and loyalty is not bound directly to this local church, but to the Church as a whole.

Going through the membership covenant is like reading a giant sermon. I wanted to share some of the verses from the "Statement of Faith" section in hopes that it confirms and deepens your understanding of the Gospel. The second reason why I'm sharing is in the hope that someone on THE INTERNET finds that this is a useful list and is able to bookmark it for later. For a more comprehensive doctrinal statement, Mars Hill's may be found here.

Either way, I felt that these verses were particularly Advent-appropriate. Take some time and meditate on the basics!

Related topics I want to cover in the future: church-shopping, church membership, mega/ multi-campus churches, celebrity pastors

For your convenience: A list of "one another" verses

Statement of Faith

The Gospel:

John 3:16-18

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

Rom. 3:23-26

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Jesus:

Matt. 26:64 (and Mark 14:62)

Jesus said to him, "You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man is seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

Luke 22:70

So they all said, “Are you the Son of God, then?” And he said to them, “You say that I am.”

John 4:25–26

The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”

John 6:29

Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

John 11:25-27

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

John 14:6-7

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

John 15:5

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

Sin, Repentance, Redemption:

1 John 1:9

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Baptism:

Colossians 2:12

having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.

1 Peter 3:21

Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

Housekeeping

2011-11-29T12:08:00.001-08:00

I can't believe I haven't posted all month! This was due to a variety of factors. Part of it was being completely sapped of time, energy, and creativity. Part of it was going through life-stuff that I didn't feel comfortable blogging about in case word got back to the people involved: of course, I don't use the blog as a platform for sinning against another person, but at the same time, if they knew I was writing about them, it would make things rather uncomfortable.

I honestly cannot say what will be the future of the blog. Even before the longest hiatus in TSN history, I was not blogging very often or keeping to my schedule of two comics per week. (Everyone says they miss the comics. No one says they miss my rambling XD). I doubt that in the future I will be able to go back to a regular schedule. This has been a fun project that lasted a number of years- longer than I had expected. At the same time, I don't think I will close the doors for good, simply because I like hearing myself talk too much!

That is to say, expect some changes in the future, which I'm guessing you've already learned to expect given my infrequent and sporadic posting this school year. At the same time, I always like to challenge myself creatively and spiritually during Advent and Lent, and the fruit of my labor will be posted here as it comes to mind. So if you're a subscriber, great! You'll get content as it's posted. If you're not, please keep checking in at least through Christmas, and by then, I'll figure out what to do with TSN.

Thank you for your support!
Jo

Advent: What are you waiting for?

2011-11-29T12:04:00.001-08:00

(Neal Dench, flickr, CC2.0)

None of us escape this pain, this fear that if we love something enough
God will take it away from us, as if He is vengeful and plays games with His
children. We trust the object of our expectations and set our expectations too
low when they were meant to be occupied by Him, after all. What good thing
would the Father withhold from us if He has given us His only Son? What
more could capture our hearts than the Savior Himself and the knowledge
that He died bound that we might live free?

- The Village Church advent guide

Proactivity

2011-10-24T23:34:00.000-07:00

(rocknroll_guitar of flickr)

Dear squeamish people: aren't you glad I didn't show the actual needle?

Consuming

2011-10-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

(Sxc.hu)

Also: I revamped the tiny post from before. Seems my photo hosting shrunk my picture because I wanted to make a 1-frame comic. You live and learn.

Childishness

2011-10-12T21:25:00.000-07:00

We have sinned and grown old
There's a quote by Chesterton that I just love:

A child kicks his legs rhythmically through excess, not absence, of life. Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, ‘Do it again’; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, ‘Do it again’ to the sun; and every evening, ‘Do it again’ to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them.

It continues:

It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we.

Defining Maturity
Sometimes people mature because they pursue maturity. Sometimes people mature because life matures them. For me, it was a weird mix of both. People started telling me I had an "old soul" starting somewhere in Jr. High. I was always "old" for my age, but now age is catching up with me (as it does with us all).

As a kid, I didn't laugh much. For one thing, I didn't have a whole lot of reason to. But for another thing, somehow I equated "maturity" with "solemnity." I distinctly remember being twelve and forming the thought. (Yeah, I was a weird kid). In my pursuit of maturity, my immaturity had caused me to construct the wrong notion of maturity. It's funny how that happens.

Just as it is important to have at least a working framework for defining manhood, womanhood, or what it means to help someone, I believe it is also important to have at least a general idea of what maturity is. If we're going to strive for something, it's good to know what we're striving for. Then again, this may or may not have something to do with the fact that I'm a law student who likes words and definitions.

Missing out
There is something my 10-year-old brain missed: that's there's an incredible amount of joy in life, and it's OK to enjoy it! That's something that [most] kids understand. They have an innocence about them that can appreciate the small things. But somehow, we lose that. We have been sinned against, and we have sinned, and we have grown old, and our Father is younger than we.

Now, if you run with the Chesterton quote too far, you'll probably end up with some funky theology. However, it gives a great counter-point to what many conceive as mature, adult living. We become cogs in a machine. We wake up, brush our teeth, drive to work, clock in, clock out, drive home, veg on the couch, and go to sleep. We forgot the excitement in life. We're missing out.

I believe this is one of a myriad of reasons why we must come to Christ with the faith of a child. Why we must be reborn. Why Christ gathers the children to himself and fiercely protects them. Because there is an appetite in infancy that aligns with the Divine Nature. Because there is maturity in childishness.

Men v. Boys

2011-10-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

Recently, my friend brought my attention to an article describing "Why You Need a Man, Not a Boy." (Disclaimer: NOT a magazine/ website I would read on my own! hahaha) To be sure, the article's title drew me in. There is a dearth of men in the church. There are too many boys playing "grown up" without really becoming grown ups. And we ladies need to be able to tell the difference.

Boys: A Spineless, Pale, Pathetic Lot

However, how do we describe "boys," and how do we describe "men"? An excerpt from the article describes the difference this way:

Men know what they want. Men own alarm clocks. Men sleep on a mattress that isn’t on the floor. Men buy new shampoo instead of adding water to a nearly empty bottle of shampoo. Men make reservations. Men go in for a kiss without giving you some long preamble about how they’re thinking of kissing you. Men wear clothes that have never been worn by anyone else before.

What I was used to was boys. Boys are adorable. Boys trail off their sentences in an appealing way. Boys get haircuts from their roommate, who “totally knows how to cut hair.” Boys can pack up their whole life and move to Brooklyn for a gig if they need to. Boys have “gigs.” Boys are broke. And when they do have money, they spend it on a trip to Colorado to see a music festival.

Getting Down to Business

So basically, according to the article, men are financially stable, have jobs, take action, and are sure of themselves. Boys are the opposite. Ladies, is this what we're going for? Are we really going to define a "man" as someone who is successful and confident? If you're not successful or confident, sorry- you're not a man.

Really?

That seems like a lot of pressure to put on the guys. The economy kind of sucks right now, and a lot of good people are without jobs. Does not having a job make a guy any less of a man? (Does having a job make a guy any more of one?)

And plenty of guys don't have problems with their confidence- but maybe they should. There are words for guys who are over-confident and inflate their egos, and these guys aren't "men." In fact, I think that there's a good argument that it's the guys who aren't sure of themselves, who second-guess because they want to get things done right- those are the real "men."

Obviously, having a job and knowing what a person wants are indicative of other, very good traits. I'm just saying that this isn't the measure of a man.

Making a Man

Before I tear up the article too much, there is one part that I would like to highlight:

At this point you might want to smack me and say: “Are you seriously just another grown woman talking about how she wants a man who isn’t afraid of commitment?” Let me explain! I’m not talking about commitment to romantic relationships. I’m talking about commitment to things...When men hear women want a commitment, they think it means commitment to a romantic relationship, but that’s not it. It’s a commitment to not floating around anymore. I want a guy who is entrenched in his own life. Entrenched is awesome.

This is an excellent comment from a secular viewpoint, and I have to agree. Commitment isn't about committing to a person (although, we ladies would like that), but it's about a personality that can commit.

I want to push the definition, though. It's easy to commit to something. A person can commit to any number of things. But does he follow-through? Is he willing to sacrifice for the things/ people he commits to? That, to me is what makes a man. I don't want someone who is entrenched in his own life. I want someone who is entrenched in the lives of others.

No greater love is this: that a man lay down his life for his friend. If we ladies are looking for a man who will love and serve us the way Christ loved the church (and died for her!), the distinguishing quality isn't whether or not he has a job, or whether or not he has confidence, or even whether or not he can commit. The distinguishing quality is whether he has the sort of personality that is willing to sacrifice.

Boys want a great number of things. Men will sacrifice to achieve those goals. He will make sacrifices to hold down a job, to pay the rent, to commit to a church, and commit to a woman. Ironically enough, the thought of making that sacrifice should shake a man's confidence. But the man of God isn't confident in his own strength, he is confident in the strength that God gives. God's strength is made perfect in weakness for us all.

Are there too many boys and not enough men? Absolutely. Do I think this will become the downfall of society and the church? Not at all. Because God's strength is made perfect in weakness, and as boys understand and fall in love with Christ, who sacrificed himself for them, I believe that they will, in turn, be able to understand and emulate (albeit imperfectly) that sacrificial attitude in the other areas of their lives. It's not about success and confidence, but rather the state of a person's heart.

(But having the strength of a raging fire won't hurt)

In Closing...

Ladies: what are you looking for (or have found) in a man?
Guys: did I get it right? What's your take?
Bloggers: do you ever wonder which "real-life" friends/ acquaintances have made their way to your blog and hope that certain ones never do? #awkward

How to care for your law student

2011-10-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

Dear Sir or Madam:

Congratulations on your recent acquisition of a Law Student. Please keep in mind that Law Students need a lot of love and care, but if you take the right steps, you can ensure that your Law Student continues to be strong and healthy.

Step 1: Ensure your Law Student is well-watered
Over the course of the year, your Law Student may make harmful decisions that leave it dehydrated. Or it might simply fail to remain hydrated as the result of neglect. Keep your Law Student well-watered and alive.

Step 2: Bring your Law Student into direct sunlight for a couple hours a week.
When your Law Student is not spending time with you or is making harmful decisions that leave it dehydrated, it is probably locked away in the basement of some building, surrounded by book stacks. The only light it receives is of the Fluorescent variety, as well as the glow of a laptop. If you are not careful, your Law Student may develop a Vitamin D deficiency or Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), even if it is in Southern California. Your Law Student may take some convincing, but take it outside every so often to remind it that what the open sky looks like. However, do not leave your Law Student outside for extended periods of time. Due to the amount of time your Law Student spends indoors, it cannot absorb too many UV rays at once and will likely burn.

Step 3: Speak to your Law Student
This may seem silly, but when you speak to your Law Student, your Law Student will soak up your words like Oxygen. Law Students work with words 24/7. They live and breathe words. But many of the words they are surrounded by are dry, uninspiring, and lifeless if not bitter, anxiety-ridden, and virulent. Speak gently and lovingly to your Law Student and breathe life into its lungs.

If you continue to take these steps, your Law Student will continue to thrive. Furthermore, if you play your cards right (and your Law Student does not go into Public Interest), your Law Student may reward you with lots of green.

Take care, and enjoy,
Jo