Comments for WhateverThings http://www.whateverthings.org All in his name ... Fri, 21 Nov 2008 08:15:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 Comment on Two Deaths by eBoda http://www.whateverthings.org/2007/04/30/two-deaths/#comment-27 eBoda Tue, 01 May 2007 21:50:07 +0000 http://whateverthings.org/2007/04/30/two-deaths/#comment-27 Amen. May God bless Buck's family.... and you as you minister to them in this unexpected sorrow. Thank you for all you do for us! Amen.

May God bless Buck’s family…. and you as you minister to them in this unexpected sorrow. Thank you for all you do for us!

]]> Comment on Worship Symposium: Day 3 by Carl http://www.whateverthings.org/2007/01/30/worship-symposium-day-3/#comment-26 Carl Thu, 08 Feb 2007 20:39:31 +0000 http://whateverthings.org/2007/01/31/worship-symposium-day-3/#comment-26 I have been thinking more about what the presenter said about punishment - that God never punishes Christians for sin, since all punishment was taken by Christ on the cross. I had never thought about quite that way. I still haven't thought it through all the way. Some of it is semantics, but I think while we may say that God never punishes us for our sins because the punishment is taken by Christ, that does not mean there are not consequences or discipline resulting from sin. We are forgiven but sometimes also disciplined for the sake of our own transformation. I have been thinking more about what the presenter said about punishment - that God never punishes Christians for sin, since all punishment was taken by Christ on the cross. I had never thought about quite that way. I still haven’t thought it through all the way. Some of it is semantics, but I think while we may say that God never punishes us for our sins because the punishment is taken by Christ, that does not mean there are not consequences or discipline resulting from sin. We are forgiven but sometimes also disciplined for the sake of our own transformation.

]]> Comment on Worship Symposium: Day 3 by eBoda http://www.whateverthings.org/2007/01/30/worship-symposium-day-3/#comment-25 eBoda Wed, 07 Feb 2007 13:47:14 +0000 http://whateverthings.org/2007/01/31/worship-symposium-day-3/#comment-25 "Then God shows up, and says, “Look a hippo.”" LOL Loved this!!!! Is suffering the consequences of our sin (or someone else's sin) "punishment"? It can seem so. But I don't think God punishes us in that way. He doesn't always intervene to rescue us, but that's because he has another plan. Obviously he allows sin and suffering... does that mean it comes from him? Hmmmmmm. Personally I think every single thing can have some redemptive value. Often times it's beyond our human capabilities to get there on our own, but that's where the miracle comes in. The Lord changes us or others, orchestrates a good thing out of an evil event, and/or makes the seemingly impossible happen. It's a God thing that we can't conceive of until it comes to pass. Interesting stuff to think about. And when we get tired of thinking and trying to figure things out... we find our relief by going to the zoo! (Loved that!!!) Let God worry about all these details...... Thanks for sharing. “Then God shows up, and says, “Look a hippo.””
LOL Loved this!!!!

Is suffering the consequences of our sin (or someone else’s sin) “punishment”? It can seem so. But I don’t think God punishes us in that way. He doesn’t always intervene to rescue us, but that’s because he has another plan. Obviously he allows sin and suffering… does that mean it comes from him? Hmmmmmm. Personally I think every single thing can have some redemptive value. Often times it’s beyond our human capabilities to get there on our own, but that’s where the miracle comes in. The Lord changes us or others, orchestrates a good thing out of an evil event, and/or makes the seemingly impossible happen. It’s a God thing that we can’t conceive of until it comes to pass.

Interesting stuff to think about. And when we get tired of thinking and trying to figure things out… we find our relief by going to the zoo! (Loved that!!!) Let God worry about all these details……

Thanks for sharing.

]]> Comment on Worship Symposium: Day 2 by eBoda http://www.whateverthings.org/2007/01/30/worship-symposium-day-2/#comment-24 eBoda Wed, 07 Feb 2007 13:33:13 +0000 http://whateverthings.org/2007/01/31/worship-symposium-day-2/#comment-24 "might like it if I acted more like a mime, i.e. said less" Surely you jest!!!!! If that is true... then they aren't listening to begin with and they are just thinking about that roast in the crock pot. “might like it if I acted more like a mime, i.e. said less”
Surely you jest!!!!! If that is true… then they aren’t listening to begin with and they are just thinking about that roast in the crock pot.

]]> Comment on BSG: Rapture by cday http://www.whateverthings.org/2007/01/24/bsg-rapture/#comment-22 cday Mon, 05 Feb 2007 17:15:12 +0000 http://whateverthings.org/2007/01/24/bsg-rapture/#comment-22 Pastor Carl, Thank you for your comments - insightful as always. I hear it's a bit on the cold side in that part of the world..been cool here as well. carry on cday Pastor Carl,

Thank you for your comments - insightful as always.

I hear it’s a bit on the cold side in that part of the world..been cool here as well.

carry on
cday

]]> Comment on BSG: Rapture by Carl http://www.whateverthings.org/2007/01/24/bsg-rapture/#comment-21 Carl Wed, 31 Jan 2007 03:46:56 +0000 http://whateverthings.org/2007/01/24/bsg-rapture/#comment-21 SciFi Channels on Sunday nights at 10 p.m. The unfortunate part of the show is that it has an ongoing storyline that makes it harder for someone to jump in the middle. Which makes it hard for new folks to start watching the show. SciFi Channels on Sunday nights at 10 p.m. The unfortunate part of the show is that it has an ongoing storyline that makes it harder for someone to jump in the middle. Which makes it hard for new folks to start watching the show.

]]> Comment on Worship Symposium: Day 1 by eBoda http://www.whateverthings.org/2007/01/26/worship-symposium-day-1/#comment-23 eBoda Tue, 30 Jan 2007 13:59:55 +0000 http://whateverthings.org/2007/01/26/worship-symposium-day-1/#comment-23 "Lord have mercy!" (in a good way) :-) Looking forward to hearing all your ideas. “Lord have mercy!” (in a good way) :-) Looking forward to hearing all your ideas.

]]> Comment on BSG: Rapture by eBoda http://www.whateverthings.org/2007/01/24/bsg-rapture/#comment-20 eBoda Tue, 30 Jan 2007 13:42:48 +0000 http://whateverthings.org/2007/01/24/bsg-rapture/#comment-20 Is this on the SciFi channel? We don't get SciFi or maybe I would see what it's all about. I'm not a big fan of SciFi.... but maybe I should try it. Most other stuff on TV is boring me to tears. I have read two SciFi books in my life: A Wrinkle in Time as a kid (which I remember liking) and No Man in Eden after becoming a Christian. No Man in Eden is in my "favorite book" pile... I don't remember all the details of it, but it's an interesting book if you've never read it. Is this on the SciFi channel? We don’t get SciFi or maybe I would see what it’s all about. I’m not a big fan of SciFi…. but maybe I should try it. Most other stuff on TV is boring me to tears. I have read two SciFi books in my life: A Wrinkle in Time as a kid (which I remember liking) and No Man in Eden after becoming a Christian. No Man in Eden is in my “favorite book” pile… I don’t remember all the details of it, but it’s an interesting book if you’ve never read it.

]]> Comment on Back to blogging by eBoda http://www.whateverthings.org/2007/01/23/back-to-blogging/#comment-19 eBoda Tue, 30 Jan 2007 13:25:14 +0000 http://whateverthings.org/2007/01/23/back-to-blogging/#comment-19 I like what you wrote here.... especially the "paying more attention to God's activity in my daily life". There have been periods in my life and in my blogging history when God at work seemed all over the place and topics for blogging were ripe for the picking, but lately my days seem pretty ho hum... can't find a thing to write about. Hmmmmm.... I'm sure God is still at work. Must be me. Maybe my brain is frozen. I like what you wrote here…. especially the “paying more attention to God’s activity in my daily life”. There have been periods in my life and in my blogging history when God at work seemed all over the place and topics for blogging were ripe for the picking, but lately my days seem pretty ho hum… can’t find a thing to write about. Hmmmmm…. I’m sure God is still at work. Must be me. Maybe my brain is frozen.

]]> Comment on Laundry and Tosca by Carl http://www.whateverthings.org/2006/10/06/laundry-and-tosca/#comment-18 Carl Mon, 09 Oct 2006 13:41:41 +0000 http://whateverthings.org/2006/10/06/laundry-and-tosca/#comment-18 Calling is indeed complex. I come back to it often but perhaps not often enough. Some of the difficulty comes from the way we use (define?) the term. Too often we use it only to refer to those in full-time paid ministry. But, all of us, as followers of Jesus are in full-time ministry. Perhaps few people are passionate about their everyday calling because along the way they have been taught that it is a lesser calling or not even a calling at all. Pastors and missionaries get up and talk about their "call to ministry" - do we ever hear anyone else do the same things? Or, if we do, is it only how they are called to a ministry within the church? eBoda, "no one wants to get excited or involved because all of us have gotten passionater before and then found ourselves diving into air instead of water" I think this goes along with my above point to some extent. People often get hurt because the community of which they are a part fails to validate, affirm or recognize the person's calling. I'm sure I am probably guilty of it, e.g. getting upset because someone is not involved in ministry - meaning that they are doing something within the church, although they may be doing a lot for the kingdom. The other quesiton to ask ourselves about this is when we run into an obstacle, how do we respond? I don't have a good answer for this, but I consider missionary stories - Adoniram Judson is one of my favorites. AJ felt called to be a missionary to Burma, he labored for years without a convert, lost his first wife and child to disease yet remained persistent. I don't know - was he following God's call? How do we begin to explain the suffering that he endured while pursuing his call? Oh, for easier answers. Faith@work (http://www.faithatwork.com) has a lot of good stuff on this topic. Maybe it is something for a blog series or sermon series. It's a big topic and the more I consider it the less I think I understand it. Seeing through a glass darkly, Carl Calling is indeed complex. I come back to it often but perhaps not often enough. Some of the difficulty comes from the way we use (define?) the term. Too often we use it only to refer to those in full-time paid ministry. But, all of us, as followers of Jesus are in full-time ministry. Perhaps few people are passionate about their everyday calling because along the way they have been taught that it is a lesser calling or not even a calling at all. Pastors and missionaries get up and talk about their “call to ministry” - do we ever hear anyone else do the same things? Or, if we do, is it only how they are called to a ministry within the church?

eBoda, “no one wants to get excited or involved because all of us have gotten passionater before and then found ourselves diving into air instead of water”

I think this goes along with my above point to some extent. People often get hurt because the community of which they are a part fails to validate, affirm or recognize the person’s calling. I’m sure I am probably guilty of it, e.g. getting upset because someone is not involved in ministry - meaning that they are doing something within the church, although they may be doing a lot for the kingdom.

The other quesiton to ask ourselves about this is when we run into an obstacle, how do we respond? I don’t have a good answer for this, but I consider missionary stories - Adoniram Judson is one of my favorites. AJ felt called to be a missionary to Burma, he labored for years without a convert, lost his first wife and child to disease yet remained persistent. I don’t know - was he following God’s call? How do we begin to explain the suffering that he endured while pursuing his call? Oh, for easier answers.

Faith@work (http://www.faithatwork.com) has a lot of good stuff on this topic. Maybe it is something for a blog series or sermon series. It’s a big topic and the more I consider it the less I think I understand it.

Seeing through a glass darkly,
Carl

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