IMG_1096
Originally uploaded by skills0.
Although Kristin and I feel like rank amateurs, we decided to get together with friends Matt & Emily and newlyweds Abby & Karl to make a big batch of sushi. Although the rolls didn't always turn out perfect, they all tasted great and we actually figured out how to make an excellent spicy mayo as well.
A few years ago my friend
David Dark introduced me to the writings of
N.T. Wright and over the past few years I've read several books by him. The latest one I've been working through for the last few months is
Jesus and the Victory of God, part of the "Christian Origins" series. Wright is a thorough and thoughtful scholar who is not afraid to challenge even his own presuppositions and the results are often quite enlightening. It's interesting what happens when you really dig into the world of 1st century Judaism and Christianity. I'm not sure Wright gets all his theories and conclusions right and I'm not sure any of us can know, after all this is historical scholarship as much as theology. But I'm struck by how much the life and work of Jesus is coming alive to me in ways it never has before. Certain passages and actions suddenly make sense in the larger picture, not to mention the symbolism and prophetic fulfillment in what Jesus says and days. Misinterpret how 1st century Jews thought about their world and how God would intervene in it; you get the kind of rash misinterpretation of symbolic and apocolyptic language that leads to the kind of eschatology found in the Left Behind series. It's for this reason that theology matters and scholarship matters, it informs how we think about the world, how we interact with the world and how we live our lives. The way we think about the plan of God through Jesus does inform the way we live and think as Christians, often in very subtle ways. That being said, I need to remind myself (as I was reminded last night at worship team) of a favorite saying of our pastor -- "We are all educated far beyond our obedience". In other words, if we would just be obedient to what we already know about what it means to be a disciple, most of us would be much better ones (and probably have a much greater impact on the world). So it's a combination of knowledge, putting that knowledge to work in your heart of hearts and then acting and living out of that space that will really help us to be balanced as we follow Jesus.
IMG_1048
Originally uploaded by skills0.
Kristin and I raced up the Oregon coast to get to Cannon Beach for the sunset. It was rather otherworldly with the mist and pink light. Check out my Flickr photos for more.
you can listen to a song called "
When You Were Young" from the next Killers album at their site now. Sounds pretty big and bombastic. Funny, his voice sounds just a bit like Springsteen on this one.