theo|digital

At the bottom of lots of our problems is a “gospel” problem. Students of mine that grow up in Christians homes often admit to me that the gospel they grew up was this: Jesus came to die for my sins so I could go to heaven. This parody of the biblical gospel, I contend, is at the heart of many of our problems.
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Now a definition: The gospel is the work of the Trinitarian God (a community of persons) to create the community of faith in order to restore humans (made in God’s image) through the life, death, and resurrection of Christ as well as through the empowering gift of the Holy Spirit to union with God and communion with others for the good of the self and the world. And all of this to the glory of God.

This is a good summary of the way my views on the gospel have transformed (widened, perhaps) in the last six years. It has affected my personal maturity, my role in ministry, and definitely my storytelling and teaching.

Read the rest of the post at the Out of Ur blog. Scot’s blog is Jesus Creed.

My laptop has returned from HP tech support as of Saturday. It seems to turn on and stay that way, so we’re collectively excited about the progress, but suspicious that fate will destroy us at the very moment we start to trust and tease our laptop like it is an old friend. (Plus we don’t relish the now required 8-12 hours anticipated in re-partitioning, re-installing, re-toilet training, etc).

Meanwhile, I used the clunky Haus desktop (MP3Dawg)to post approximately “buttloads” of new photos in the I-Life collection, and my collection. Feel free to take a look.

Also, as a sidenote… it was Darren my roommate’s birthday this weekend. We made him some poop.

There is no safe investment. To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness.

But in that casket – safe, dark, motionless, airless – it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable…

The only place outside of Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all dangers and perturbations of love is Hell.

~ CS Lewis from The Four Loves (in my currently reading box ->)

my laptop is currently back at HP for repair. Thus me being silent here. Sorry.

My birthday was on Wednesday, so, you know, that’s cool. Saw Jose Gonzales.

I think it’s weird that I’m posting without a picture, or really a point. Most unusual.