Thursday, September 24, 2009
Hamilton County Fair
This is Becky speaking. Saturday and Sunday I will back at the Hamilton County Fair doing face painting. I have been there every year since 199? (4 or 5?) Anyway, it is supposed to rain on top of the downpours we have had for the last month. Tomorrow I am buying some rain boots. I used to wear hiking boots, but they wore out years ago. If I were not up to my ears trying to finish sending in my novel to the publisher, I would wax nostalgic and overly corny about the fairs of my youth. Just take a moment to remember the smell of cotton candy, funnel cakes, kettle corn, and cow manure, then consider joining me. You should take the ferry from Harrison Bay to get the total experience.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Grace's Blog
I can't believe I'm going back to school in just a few weeks. After graduation from high school this spring, I didn’t want to see another book for a long, long time, and about the time I was ready to whip out my library card again, I got involved with three murders. Now I want to study--psychology--to help me understand.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Grit's Blog
After solving three murders, Grit and Grace are trying to get their lives back in order. Without letting you in on too much of the story in “Murder by Accident”, I can tell you that Grit is now working full-time for the Bentonville Sentinel and thinking about going back to school to finish his B.A. Grace will enroll at the Bentonville campus of the state university to pursue a degree in psychology in the fall when their new adventure, “Murder by the Book”, will tangle the two of them in another murder. For the rest of the summer, they each will take time to blog.
GRIT'S BLOG: (fiction)
A group of New Jerusalem students is attempting to return to the U.S. after spending a week in the Honduran capital, Tegucigalpa, on a mission trip. The group is locked down in the airport and guarded by Honduran police and military. The airport was the scene of rioting and violence when the former president, Zelaya, tried to reenter the country this morning. I'm in contact with them by email and am working on a front page story for tomorrow's Sentinal. I may present a lesson on Christian suffering at Deep Water, Sunday. Please pray for the students.
This is the first summer for Deep Water, and weekday attendance is erratic. Grace, Maggie, Kale and I are working full-time while school is out, and Buddy is nearly swamped by summer school. Ricky, Tom and Amber have more free time than the rest of us, and they are putting all of it into getting the old store in better shape for our meetings. The rest of us put in hours when we can.
Ricky got the job at the new, local, PBS affiliate, but won't start until late August.
Keep the faith, Grit
GRIT'S BLOG: (fiction)
A group of New Jerusalem students is attempting to return to the U.S. after spending a week in the Honduran capital, Tegucigalpa, on a mission trip. The group is locked down in the airport and guarded by Honduran police and military. The airport was the scene of rioting and violence when the former president, Zelaya, tried to reenter the country this morning. I'm in contact with them by email and am working on a front page story for tomorrow's Sentinal. I may present a lesson on Christian suffering at Deep Water, Sunday. Please pray for the students.
This is the first summer for Deep Water, and weekday attendance is erratic. Grace, Maggie, Kale and I are working full-time while school is out, and Buddy is nearly swamped by summer school. Ricky, Tom and Amber have more free time than the rest of us, and they are putting all of it into getting the old store in better shape for our meetings. The rest of us put in hours when we can.
Ricky got the job at the new, local, PBS affiliate, but won't start until late August.
Keep the faith, Grit
Friday, July 3, 2009
The Shack
“The Shack” by William P. Young, as over two-million readers now know, is an allegory which portrays the Godhead as three indivisible persons: an African American woman (think Ethel Waters in the movie and Broadway musical, “Cabin in the Sky”), an ethereal dancer (patterned after George MacDonald’s “grandmother” in “The Princess and the Goblin”) and a folksy carpenter. This tale of horror, guilt, pain, forgiveness and redemption is a blending of suspense and fantasy that mirrors C. S. Lewis’ “Screwtape Letters” from the view of Heaven and the Godhead rather than from the view of Satan and Hell.
The theology is Biblical and spot-on until the nitty meets the gritty and Mackenzie, the main character and father of a brutally slain six-year-old, is told that Christ’s death on the cross means that everyone is forgiven unconditionally and that those who refuse to accept Christ’s sacrifice and forgiveness are not sentenced to some final punishment but simply sentence themselves to a life without full relationship with God in the here and now. In other words the only “justice” doled to the man who raped and murdered his daughter will be whatever is administered here on earth—“God loves all of his children too much” to eternally banish any one of them. Justice is neither here (before death) nor there (after). According to Young's carpenter, Christianity is a man-made system irrelevant to relationship with God or man. Young’s gospel of forgiveness and grace does not include nor require the great commission.
The main message of the book, that it is not in man to judge God and that God’s love will explain it all some day, is valid, but “all things work together for good” only for “those who love Him and are called according to his purpose”. Romans 8:28
Just as an aside, Christian Publishers rejected this New York Times bestseller as too controversial and secular publishers rejected it as too religious. I find myself in the same predicament with my Grit and Grace book. I also take note that Young’s book went through four major revisions after its initial self-publication and limited sales.
The theology is Biblical and spot-on until the nitty meets the gritty and Mackenzie, the main character and father of a brutally slain six-year-old, is told that Christ’s death on the cross means that everyone is forgiven unconditionally and that those who refuse to accept Christ’s sacrifice and forgiveness are not sentenced to some final punishment but simply sentence themselves to a life without full relationship with God in the here and now. In other words the only “justice” doled to the man who raped and murdered his daughter will be whatever is administered here on earth—“God loves all of his children too much” to eternally banish any one of them. Justice is neither here (before death) nor there (after). According to Young's carpenter, Christianity is a man-made system irrelevant to relationship with God or man. Young’s gospel of forgiveness and grace does not include nor require the great commission.
The main message of the book, that it is not in man to judge God and that God’s love will explain it all some day, is valid, but “all things work together for good” only for “those who love Him and are called according to his purpose”. Romans 8:28
Just as an aside, Christian Publishers rejected this New York Times bestseller as too controversial and secular publishers rejected it as too religious. I find myself in the same predicament with my Grit and Grace book. I also take note that Young’s book went through four major revisions after its initial self-publication and limited sales.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
All a Twitter
Bobby Ross of the "Christian Chronicle" posted a blog concerning the use of personal electronic communication devices during church services. According to Bobby, in some churches, worshipers/listeners are invited to participate in the service by posting reactions to the sermon, accessing scripture, twittering the minister’s message to friends, etc. For the purposes of this discussion, we will assume that those in attendance would not avail themselves of any inappropriate possibilities.
The question for today is, could a sister post a “preach on brother", "amen" or "hallelujah” without breaking the custom of women being silent? After all, a tweet is not a “speak”.
Of course the question is ludicrous, but some conservative Christians have painted themselves into this and similar corners. The answer to their quandaries is not debate, but better understanding of submission and authority in the church.
The question for today is, could a sister post a “preach on brother", "amen" or "hallelujah” without breaking the custom of women being silent? After all, a tweet is not a “speak”.
Of course the question is ludicrous, but some conservative Christians have painted themselves into this and similar corners. The answer to their quandaries is not debate, but better understanding of submission and authority in the church.
Monday, June 29, 2009
The Evolution of God
Soon after I saw “The Evolution of God” by Robert Wright listed among Amazon’s Top Ten “Christian” Best-sellers, a friend sent me a copy of a review from the New York Times. Seems it is one more, atheistic apologetic hedging its bets—simply put, the God of Abrahamic religions does not exist, but the idea of God does exist and has evolved over the centuries, leaving the existence of some sort of distant, inhuman deity or deities open for debate. According to Wright, man’s concept of God has “evolved” over the centuries as evidenced by the contradictory natures of God portrayed in the Old versus New Testaments and the changing interpretations of other sacred texts.
It mixes Islam, Judaism and Christianity into a meaningless sludge that can easily be dismissed.
My own speculation on the seemingly contradictory natures of the Old and New Testament God rests on Galatians 3:24-26 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
The old law is the “schoolmaster” that led us into the grace of Christ. God’s intent since the beginning, and pursued incessantly through both testaments, was to reconcile the world to himself through the sacrifice of his son. This purpose, like my attempts to teach English to rural Arkansas teens in the early 70’s, was hampered by a “stubborn and stiff-necked people”. I’m reminded of the humorous verse: "How odd of God to chose the Jews." God led them through every sort of deprivation and humiliation to teach them to accept a very human, very vulnerable Messiah.
When "unchosen" Gentiles recognized and accepted Christ, it became evident that God had been preparing them as well. Christians are the still-in-process result of this “evolving” theology.
It mixes Islam, Judaism and Christianity into a meaningless sludge that can easily be dismissed.
My own speculation on the seemingly contradictory natures of the Old and New Testament God rests on Galatians 3:24-26 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
The old law is the “schoolmaster” that led us into the grace of Christ. God’s intent since the beginning, and pursued incessantly through both testaments, was to reconcile the world to himself through the sacrifice of his son. This purpose, like my attempts to teach English to rural Arkansas teens in the early 70’s, was hampered by a “stubborn and stiff-necked people”. I’m reminded of the humorous verse: "How odd of God to chose the Jews." God led them through every sort of deprivation and humiliation to teach them to accept a very human, very vulnerable Messiah.
When "unchosen" Gentiles recognized and accepted Christ, it became evident that God had been preparing them as well. Christians are the still-in-process result of this “evolving” theology.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Christian Mandate to Critical Thinking
My book, Murder by Accident: A Grit and Grace Mystery, is filled with acerbic observations about American Christianity. As I wrote, I questioned my motivation for having taken a stance somewhat “above” the characters in my book. I wondered if my conscious superiority was somehow unChristian or ungracious. I prayed about this circumstance and was sent to the following texts, one sacred, one secular.
Robert Burns,
To a Louse
On Seeing One on a Lady's Bonnet at Church
O wad some Power the giftie gie us
To see oursels as ithers see us!
It wad frae monie a blunder free us
An foolish notion:
What airs in dress an gait wad lea'es us,
An ev'n devotion!
Ezekiel 43:10-12 (New International Version)
Son of man, describe the temple to the people of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their sins. Let them consider the plan, and if they are ashamed of all they have done, make known to them the design of the temple—its arrangement, its exits and entrances—its whole design and all its regulations and laws. Write these down before them so that they may be faithful to its design and follow all its regulations.
Throughout the Old and New Testaments, believers are mandated to examine themselves, their faith and everything they accept as truth. (Lamentations 3:39-41; Acts 17:11; I Cor. 11:28; II Cor. 13-15, etc.)
God told Ezekiel to measure the temple, not because Ezekiel was sinless or superior, but because God gave him the measuring line. I believe that through the circumstances of my life as a thinking, questioning, suffering Christian, God has given me the tools to measure the temple and the insight to pick the lice off of ladies’ bonnets, maybe even my own.
Robert Burns,
To a Louse
On Seeing One on a Lady's Bonnet at Church
O wad some Power the giftie gie us
To see oursels as ithers see us!
It wad frae monie a blunder free us
An foolish notion:
What airs in dress an gait wad lea'es us,
An ev'n devotion!
Ezekiel 43:10-12 (New International Version)
Son of man, describe the temple to the people of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their sins. Let them consider the plan, and if they are ashamed of all they have done, make known to them the design of the temple—its arrangement, its exits and entrances—its whole design and all its regulations and laws. Write these down before them so that they may be faithful to its design and follow all its regulations.
Throughout the Old and New Testaments, believers are mandated to examine themselves, their faith and everything they accept as truth. (Lamentations 3:39-41; Acts 17:11; I Cor. 11:28; II Cor. 13-15, etc.)
God told Ezekiel to measure the temple, not because Ezekiel was sinless or superior, but because God gave him the measuring line. I believe that through the circumstances of my life as a thinking, questioning, suffering Christian, God has given me the tools to measure the temple and the insight to pick the lice off of ladies’ bonnets, maybe even my own.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Crying in Argentina
CRYING in ARGENTINA
Governor Sanford's tearful confession yesterday was just one more public breakdown of a highly respected figure that left many scratching their heads. What leads a man with everything: power, prestige, family, reputation, to ditch it all for a few hours of sexual pleasure? I have puzzled over this question since my teens when I tried to reconcile the sin and guilt I was exposed to with the Christian values I was taught, and I have taken note of men in clerical positions who “fall from grace”ever since.
My conclusion may not satisfy psychologists, but it explains a lot to me.
I believe that in many cases, infidelity is a form of suicide. Far from being a search for sexual fulfillment or conquest, though both are involved, jumping into an illicit affair guarantees the jumper that life as he knows it will never be the same. Secrecy, fear, guilt are new sensations to the “straight arrow” that give everyday living a certain tingle. And discovery virtually assures the guilty party that his previous existence is gone forever.
Answering to a church congregation or a political constituency for everything you do, say or think, is a burden none of us could bear for long. We expect super human effort and results from our leaders. Feelings of inadequacy are inevitable, and, if a leader mistakes the expectations of his public for demands from God, his only exit strategy is complete and utter failure. God's grace is sufficient. It can make us better than we want to be, and it can give us the strength to forgive ourselves for the everyday failures so we don't have to head for the exit.
Governor Sanford's tearful confession yesterday was just one more public breakdown of a highly respected figure that left many scratching their heads. What leads a man with everything: power, prestige, family, reputation, to ditch it all for a few hours of sexual pleasure? I have puzzled over this question since my teens when I tried to reconcile the sin and guilt I was exposed to with the Christian values I was taught, and I have taken note of men in clerical positions who “fall from grace”ever since.
My conclusion may not satisfy psychologists, but it explains a lot to me.
I believe that in many cases, infidelity is a form of suicide. Far from being a search for sexual fulfillment or conquest, though both are involved, jumping into an illicit affair guarantees the jumper that life as he knows it will never be the same. Secrecy, fear, guilt are new sensations to the “straight arrow” that give everyday living a certain tingle. And discovery virtually assures the guilty party that his previous existence is gone forever.
Answering to a church congregation or a political constituency for everything you do, say or think, is a burden none of us could bear for long. We expect super human effort and results from our leaders. Feelings of inadequacy are inevitable, and, if a leader mistakes the expectations of his public for demands from God, his only exit strategy is complete and utter failure. God's grace is sufficient. It can make us better than we want to be, and it can give us the strength to forgive ourselves for the everyday failures so we don't have to head for the exit.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Truman "Grit" Griffin and Amy Grace Willis
Grit and Grace are the college-age heroes of my clerical crime novel, Murder by Accident: A Grit and Grace Mystery. Potential readers include Southern humor lovers, murder mystery readers and thinking Christians.
My humor is passionate and pointed at petrified American Christian practices that camouflage and smother true religion.
I am a minister’s wife and former church secretary with journalism experience and writing credits in four states. My husband and I have attended or ministered to students at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, TX; Indiana University in Bloomington, IN; Harding College in Searcy, AR; University of Oklahoma in Norman, OK; Harding Graduate School of Religion in Memphis, TN and Florida State University in Tallahassee, FL. We have attended taught in or preached for countless congregations of the a capella Church of Christ and have been affiliated with five Christian schools.
Future posts will address the oppression of women in conservative Christian churches, Biblical teachings about alcohol, grace, worship wars, instrumental music in worship, Christian unity or any other topic you can't talk about in church.
My humor is passionate and pointed at petrified American Christian practices that camouflage and smother true religion.
I am a minister’s wife and former church secretary with journalism experience and writing credits in four states. My husband and I have attended or ministered to students at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, TX; Indiana University in Bloomington, IN; Harding College in Searcy, AR; University of Oklahoma in Norman, OK; Harding Graduate School of Religion in Memphis, TN and Florida State University in Tallahassee, FL. We have attended taught in or preached for countless congregations of the a capella Church of Christ and have been affiliated with five Christian schools.
We know where the bodies are buried, figuratively speaking.
Future posts will address the oppression of women in conservative Christian churches, Biblical teachings about alcohol, grace, worship wars, instrumental music in worship, Christian unity or any other topic you can't talk about in church.
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