tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-255969692024-02-20T21:53:22.052-05:00a candid christiancultural critique from a Generation X follower of Jesus.Andrew Becknerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02589815719481569388noreply@blogger.comBlogger264125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25596969.post-87292035945118679672011-03-07T11:23:00.000-05:002011-03-07T11:23:32.392-05:00A Million Miles...<iframe frameborder="0" height="225" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/20593341" width="400"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/20593341">What story are you telling?</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/rhetorikcreative">Rhetorik Creative</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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Get your copy <a href="http://www.powells.com/biblio/1-9781400202980-0">here</a>.Andrew Becknerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02589815719481569388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25596969.post-14506973408182990602010-12-20T14:02:00.002-05:002010-12-20T14:02:58.366-05:00Christmas food distribution at The Mission<iframe frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/18014757" width="400"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/18014757">We Feed People: Christmas, 2010</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/wefeedpeople">Union Mission</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.Andrew Becknerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02589815719481569388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25596969.post-41421432841043288522010-09-16T08:11:00.000-04:002010-09-16T08:11:31.121-04:00Stairway to Heaven?Do yourself a favor and watch this full-screen. Anti-anxiety meds not included. <br />
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<object height="385" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/uccjrp5NRYE?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/uccjrp5NRYE?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>Andrew Becknerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02589815719481569388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25596969.post-28850150732860642802010-08-30T13:07:00.002-04:002010-08-30T13:07:44.735-04:00New Jars of Clay song<object height="81" width="100%"><param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fsoundcloud.com%2Fprovidentlabelgroup%2Fout-of-my-hands&color=00afff&show_comments=true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fsoundcloud.com%2Fprovidentlabelgroup%2Fout-of-my-hands&color=00afff&show_comments=true" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed></object><a href="http://soundcloud.com/providentlabelgroup/out-of-my-hands">Out Of My Hands</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/providentlabelgroup">jarsofclay</a>Andrew Becknerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02589815719481569388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25596969.post-91591467190428325552010-08-24T11:40:00.003-04:002010-08-24T11:41:48.043-04:00Justin Bieber on acid<object height="81" width="100%"><param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fsoundcloud.com%2Fshamantis%2Fj-biebz-u-smile-800-slower&"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fsoundcloud.com%2Fshamantis%2Fj-biebz-u-smile-800-slower&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed></object><span><a href="http://soundcloud.com/shamantis/j-biebz-u-smile-800-slower"></span></a>Andrew Becknerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02589815719481569388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25596969.post-51075983800188504712010-06-02T02:10:00.002-04:002010-06-02T02:10:16.663-04:00Stop. Just stop.<a rel="nofollow" href="http://onlinemba.com/blog/the-stats-on-internet-pornography/"><img src="http://onlinemba.com/images/internet-porn.jpg" alt="The Stats on Internet Pornography" width="500" border="0" /></a><br />Via: <a href="http://onlinemba.com">Online MBA</a>Andrew Becknerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02589815719481569388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25596969.post-46359758679996444762010-06-02T00:12:00.000-04:002010-06-02T00:12:34.090-04:00Acts29 Coming to Morgantown<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm not sure I can properly convey my excitement to see a missional, Gospel-centered, Christ-honoring <a href="http://www.acts29network.org/">Acts29</a> church plant coming to <a href="http://www.morgantown.com/">Morgantown</a>. It's a city I love and care deeply for, and that's why I'm so excited to see this happening.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So... welcome <a href="http://frontiermorgantown.org/">Frontier Morgantown</a>, and keep the church-planting team in your prayers. </span>Andrew Becknerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02589815719481569388noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25596969.post-29249931853373783972010-05-10T09:46:00.000-04:002010-05-10T09:46:17.321-04:00Spiritual 404--Your Faith Cannot Be Found<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ran across this online the other day and it's at least worth a chuckle. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>404-This page cannot be found</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;">Possible causes:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><em>Baptist explanation</em>: There must be sin in your life. Everyone opened it just fine. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><em>Presbyterian explanation:</em> It's not God's will that you open this link.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><em>Word of Faith explanation:</em> You lack the faith to open this link. Your negative words have prevented you from realizing this link's potential. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><em>Charismatic explanation:</em> Thou art loosed! Be commanded to OPEN!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><em>Unitarian explanation:</em> All links are equal, so if this link doesn't work for you, feel free to experiment with other links that might bring you joy and fulfillment. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><em>Episcopalian explantion:</em> Are you saying you have something against homosexuals? Is that why you were trying to open this link? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><em>Christian Science explanation:</em> There really is no link. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><em>Church counselor's explanation:</em> And what did you feel when the link wouldn't open?</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><em>Buddhist explanation:</em> This 404 message hurts. Only when you accept that all links will hurt you will you be able to stop using the Internet.</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><em>Atheist explanation:</em> The only reason you think this link exists is because you need it to exist. </span>Andrew Becknerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02589815719481569388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25596969.post-7167935910590799192010-02-26T16:08:00.002-05:002010-02-26T16:08:58.251-05:00I love NoiseTrade<img style="visibility:hidden;width:0px;height:0px;" border=0 width=0 height=0 src="http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bT*xJmx*PTEyNjcyMTg2NzkxMDgmcHQ9MTI2NzIxODY4NDMyNSZwPTE5MDI4MSZkPTU*NTdiMjMwLTgxOWItNDA5Yy*5OWFlLWQ2/NGE2MzNhN2IzNiZnPTImbz*4YTA5ZWVhNGZmYjI*Mjc1ODk3YTY5OWI5YWIyZGIzNSZvZj*w.gif" /><div style="width:240px; height: 400px;"><object width="240" height="400"><param name="movie" value="http://static.noisetrade.com/w/widget.swf?wid=5457b230-819b-409c-99ae-d64a633a7b36"/><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"/><embed src="http://static.noisetrade.com/w/widget.swf?wid=5457b230-819b-409c-99ae-d64a633a7b36" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" width="240" height="400"></embed></object></div>Andrew Becknerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02589815719481569388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25596969.post-89455262226386362682009-11-20T14:10:00.000-05:002009-11-20T14:10:21.103-05:00Walking in someone else's shoes<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There he stood, a little cherub with corn rows on the top of his head and scuffed up, untied kicks on the bottom of his feet. His name was Traevon. He was the cutest thing I’d seen all day. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And I’d seen a lot of people. Old people, young people. Heavy people, thin people. People walking and people in wheelchairs. People who smelled bad, redolent of stale Pall Malls and wet dogs. It’s not uncommon where I work. After all, Union Mission is the largest Christian mission in the state, dispensing social justice on a grand scale. Indeed, each month The Mission feeds a number larger than the population of the city where it operates. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a name='more'></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the first activities in what we call the "fall campaign" occurs i</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">n October, before the typically cold winter sets in. It's then that we hold a coat giveaway. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And that brings us back to Traevon. He was one of five kids, ranging from 10 to 2, belonging to a woman who had no one but herself to depend on. She’d piled all of her kids on a city bus, traveled out to our campus to get coats for everyone, and was set to climb back on the next bus back into town. Seeing just how difficult it was for her, we offered to help watch her kids while she “shopped.” Traevon and I hit it off. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">See, I’m a do-gooder, a righteous promoter of social justice, proud of my own humility. I haven’t always admitted this. Heck, I haven’t always realized it…that is, until the 2009 Union Mission coat drive.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">THE LAST TIME I bought a winter coat for myself was 2001. I was in my mid-20s and still in college. It was one of the first big purchases I’d made on the net, a charcoal gray campus coat from J. Crew. But after eight years, tons of trips around the country and notorious West Virginia winters it was time for an upgrade. Buttons were missing, the lining was tearing away at the seams…you get the picture. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;">So it was that I decided that 2009 was the year I'd get a new winter coat. Maybe I'd put it on my Christmas wishlist, maybe I'd splurge and get one myself. I'm not gonna lie. I was looking forward to it. Everyone likes new things, right?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;">Back to my story. My job during the coat giveaway was to take pictures, post updates to Facebook and Twitter, and generally stay out of the way. I'm not a "front-liner" at The Mission, so I don't often get to get my hands dirty, as it were, doing "boots on the ground" ministry work. Enough metaphors, though. Bottom line? I wanted to do some interacting. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;">So I did. I went around the room, helping people find the right sizes for their kids, replacing broken hangers, re-hanging fallen coats and making silly faces at children so they'd laugh a little. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;">And that's when I saw a nice, charcoal gray coat, much like the one I already had, hanging in the back corner. Wouldn't you know it? The thing fit. No holes, no stains, no weird cat smell. I determined, then and there, that at the end of the coat giveaway, I was going to make a financial donation to next year's coat drive and take that coat home with me. Now, it doesn't take much to make me happy--I'm a cheap date, as it were--so I was stoked. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;">My dilemma was this: no way that coat was going to be there by the end of the day. There was just no way. The thing was too nice, too "new looking." It was name brand, for crying out loud. So I resigned myself to the knowledge that someone else would get it, someone who needed it much more than I did. And that was fine, really. After all, I came to The Mission to serve, not to be served. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;">But as the day wore on, more and more people passed it by, some without so much as a glance. Each time someone approached that rack, I was sure they'd take it. But, no. Instead, at the end of the day, I was pleasantly surprised to find that coat still hanging in that corner. When we locked the doors, I pulled it off its hanger, threw it over my shoulders and, voila! I had a (somewhat) new coat for the upcoming winter. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;">And I started bragging about it, if you want to know the truth. "Can you believe no one took this great coat?" I'd say. That's when God burst my bubble. Kaye, a co-worker with a lot more experience working with those in need, glanced up at me wearing my coat, looked me up and down, and said, "Is it dry clean only?" I looked at the tag. It was. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;">That's when it hit me, like a ton of bricks: despite my "do-gooder" attitude, despite my outward displays of piety and my Pharasaical attitude, the bottom line is that I am hopelessly stuck with the mindset of most people in our me-first, full-of-advantage culture. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;">You see, when I look for an article of clothing--and I'd be willing to bet this is your priority, too--I see color, fit and style. I don't worry about practicality and warmth. After all, I have more than one coat in my closet. Heck, to be honest, I never really needed a new coat this year in the first place. That my first reaction to seeing this coat was how great it looked proves it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;">Men and women in need view the world through a different lens. I'd be willing to bet that not one person who considered that coat for a minute even saw its label. Or its color. Or even how it fit them like a glove. No, they took one look at that "dry clean only" label and marked it off as unwearable. After all, for someone who doesn't even know where their next meal is coming from, what good is a coat that can't be washed in a laundromat? And that's if they're lucky. What good is a coat that can't be washed in a bathroom sink? In a river? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;">We like to think, especially this time of year, that we know a little something of need. After all, we sacrifice a little here and there, maybe serve a Thanksgiving meal (the day before Thanksgiving, of course) and put our dimes and nickels in those red kettles. Maybe some of us "slum it" a little, getting our hands dirty working at a soup kitchen. Then we put on our designer coats and slip into our warm beds after milk and cookies and go to sleep peacefully. (Maybe we stress a little about our jobs, and that keeps us up for an hour or so.) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;">Please don't misunderstand me. Be thankful for how God has blessed you. And thank you for your acts of social justice, whether it's donating canned goods or cleaning the bathroom of a homeless shelter.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;">But never think for a minute that you understand what it's like to walk in someone else's shoes until you've truly walked in someone else's shoes. Coming into that coat giveaway, I was sure I knew what hunger and suffering was all about. I see it everyday, after all. But I don't live it, and my attitude about getting a new coat only proved it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;">To quote Dennis Miller, I don't want to get off on a rant here, but until we start seeing the world a little differently we're never going to completely abandon our own creature comforts for the sake of others. We need to get to the point where it's more important to go without a latte one morning so that your local charity can have that $3. We need to get to the point where it's more important to see a gay man or woman as a person to be loved rather than demonized. We need to get to the point where it's more important to see a man on a street corner as a man instead of a lazy bum who won't get a job. We need to get to the point of losing sleep over children like Traevon instead of worrying about tomorrow's deadline. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;">Am I truly willing to abandon myself for others? I wish I knew. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;">How about you?</span><br />
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</span>Andrew Becknerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02589815719481569388noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25596969.post-6358222207258019172009-10-21T08:23:00.001-04:002009-11-02T15:52:06.222-05:00Naivete at The Mission<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I went to work at <a href="http://www.unionmission.com/">Union Mission</a> back in January, everyone sort of chuckled at my inexperience in Mission work (some might call it naivete...and they would be right.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Their source of merriment was my contention that I was excited for the fall, when pretty much every day is critical to the success of our food giveaways, coat giveaways, benefit concerts, holiday mailings, etc. A lot of that stuff is generated from the development and marketing department where I work. My attitude was "bring it on."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Be careful what you pray for," the saying goes. No kidding. The pace is picking up here at The Mission, and that means a lot of work ahead.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But you know what? It also means a lot of opportunity. And for that, I'm excited.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's a rundown of things coming up this weekend:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=107012686914&index=1">Saturday: Coat Giveaway</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This has become our first big event at The Mission each year. We collect coats starting in August, then sort them, hang them and give them away to our guests. Our guys at Union Mission Crossroads and the Union Mission Foundations program, along with the women and children at Brookside Family Life Center get first crack, then we invite our guests from Union Mission Family Services to get what they and their children need to stay warm this winter.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blessedsacramentwv.org/">Saturday: Blessed Sacrament's annual Cardboard City</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A special shout-out to Michelle Patterson, who works with the youth at Blessed Sacrament in South Charleston. She invited us back in the summer to participate in their event, which helps educate their young people about extreme poverty and homelessness. I'll be speaking at the event and participating in a Q&A afterward.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.unionmission.com/wfp/img/photos/link.php?p=error&t=2">Sunday: Brown paper bag inserts</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do you get the Sunday Gazette-Mail? If so, keep an eye out for brown paper bags with our signature wefeedpeople.com logo; inside, you'll find some information about our Thanksgiving dinner and how you can help.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.unionmission.com/wfp/img/photos/link.php?p=error&t=2">Sunday: Jeremy Camp's "Speaking Louder Than Before"</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Christian recording artist <a href="http://www.jeremycamp.com/">Jeremy Camp</a> is in town, along with <a href="http://nataliegrant.com/">Natalie Grant</a> and <a href="http://www.bebonorman.com/index.html">Bebo Norma</a>n, to put on <a href="http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/160042cbe43b4daa">a concert at the Municipal Auditorium</a>. Tickets are going fast, so get 'em now! Oh, and make sure you bring a canned good with you...we'll have a collection site just outside the entrance as well as a booth set up inside to share The Mission with you. We've also been invited to come onstage and tell the audience a little about what we do here at Union Mission.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.bethanybaptistwv.com/bethanywebsite/home.html">Sunday: Bethany Baptist Church's Missions Conference</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bethany Baptist has been a wonderful partner to Union Mission over the years, and we're excited to participate in their upcoming Missions Conference. Union Mission President and CEO, Rex Whiteman, is the keynote speaker for their Sunday festitivies.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(I'll say this much: I'm no longer naive at how busy Mission work can be.)</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span>Andrew Becknerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02589815719481569388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25596969.post-40741122901074810252009-09-10T11:15:00.000-04:002009-09-10T11:15:17.461-04:00Some favorites from The NINESIf you didn't catch some of the <a href="http://thenines.leadnet.org/">Leadership Network and Catalyst's theNines event</a>, there were some really, really great messages from pastors and church leaders around the country. I thought I'd share a few of my favorites with you. <br />
<br />
Well, two of them, anyway. After all, some of the more popular pastors' videos are listed as "private," and you can't embed them from YouTube. That's pretty disappointing. I hope I'm just doing something wrong rather than some of them not being as forthright in sharing their material on a common site. Oh, I'm sure you could go to their specific websites and watch the videos, but how about sharing some page views, fellas? I dare say you could spare a few!<br />
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So here you go with two videos from theNines. <br />
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<a href="http://www.jdgreear.com/">J.D. Greear</a> of <a href="http://www.summitrdu.com/">The Summit Church</a> in Raleigh/Durham, N.C.<br />
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<object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-C1SN59vgbQ&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-C1SN59vgbQ&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br />
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<a href="http://www.vineyardcolumbus.org/index.asp">Rich Nathan of The Vineyard Church, Columbus, Ohio</a><br />
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<object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/XT1FjW5x-xw&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/XT1FjW5x-xw&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Andrew Becknerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02589815719481569388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25596969.post-20817939552480332602009-09-03T14:26:00.001-04:002009-09-03T14:29:41.601-04:00God's ChiselVery cool...take a look when you have some time.<br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/UXut0HxncvY&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/UXut0HxncvY&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Andrew Becknerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02589815719481569388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25596969.post-6423196694190378822009-07-08T10:44:00.003-04:002009-07-08T10:45:33.562-04:00Want a Free T-Shirt?Then take a look...<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/RukTt8hV_zA&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/RukTt8hV_zA&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Andrew Becknerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02589815719481569388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25596969.post-28827349135198449552009-06-18T12:53:00.004-04:002009-06-18T13:08:32.261-04:00Video Introduction to "The Reason for God"The following is a video done by Dr. Tim Keller explaining why he wrote "The Reason for God."<br /><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-DfAGihrOCw&hl=" fs="1&" width="425" height="344" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always"></embed>Jesse Wisnewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04825034550036975200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25596969.post-84956465721841176342009-06-18T11:59:00.003-04:002009-06-18T12:41:55.993-04:00"The Reason for God" Media CenterFor those of you who will be joining us for Christianity Uncorked, here is a <a href="http://thereasonforgod.com/media.php">link </a>to "The Reason for God" Media Center. On this page you will find access to the "Penguin Reader's Guide" that we'll be using as a guide to our discussions.<br /><br /><br />Below is Dr. Timothy Keller's (unless noted otherwise) sermons and study guides to the first seven chapters of the book. For those of you who are interested in digging deeper or conveniently listening to a message on your IPod or in your car, these audio messages and study guides will serve as a great support to the book.<br /><br />Exclusivity: How can there be just one true religion? <a href="http://download.redeemer.com/sermons/Exclusivity_How_can_there_be.mp3" target="_blank">Download Audio</a> <a href="http://download.redeemer.com/sermons/Exclusivity_How_can_there_be.pdf" target="_blank">Study Guide</a><br /><br />Suffering: If God is good, why is there so much evil in the world? <a href="http://download.redeemer.com/sermons/Suffering_If_God_is_good_why.mp3" target="_blank">Download Audio</a> <a href="http://download.redeemer.com/sermons/Suffering_If_God_is_good_why.pdf" target="_blank">Study Guide</a><br /><br />Absolutism: Don't we all have to find truth for ourselves? <a href="http://download.redeemer.com/sermons/Absolutism_Dont_we_all_have_to.mp3" target="_blank">Download Audio</a> <a href="http://download.redeemer.com/sermons/Absolutism_Dont_we_all_have_to.pdf" target="_blank">Study Guide</a><br /><br /><br />Injustice: Hasn't Christianity been an instrument for oppression? <a href="http://download.redeemer.com/sermons/Injustice_Hasnt_Christianity_been.mp3" target="_blank">Download Audio</a> <a href="http://download.redeemer.com/sermons/Injustice_Hasnt_Christianity_Been.pdf" target="_blank">Study Guide</a><br /><br /><br />Hell: Isn't the God of Christianity an angry Judge? <a href="http://download.redeemer.com/sermons/Hell_Isnt_the_God_of_Christianity.mp3" target="_blank">Download Audio</a> <a href="http://download.redeemer.com/sermons/Hell_Isnt_the_God_of_Christianity.pdf" target="_blank">Study Guide</a><br /><br /><br />Doubt: What should I do with my doubts? (by David Bisgrove) <a href="http://download.redeemer.com/sermons/Doubt_What_should_I_do_AM.mp3" target="_blank">Download Audio</a> <a href="http://download.redeemer.com/sermons/Doubt_What_Should_I_Do.pdf" target="_blank">Study Guide</a><br /><br /><br />Literalism: Isn't the Bible historically unreliable and regressive? <a href="http://download.redeemer.com/sermons/Literalism_%20Isnt_the_Bible_historic_AM.mp3" target="_blank">Download Audio</a> <a href="http://download.redeemer.com/sermons/Literalism_Isnt_the_Bible_Historic.pdf" target="_blank">Study Guide</a>Jesse Wisnewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04825034550036975200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25596969.post-26198947313575383962009-06-17T20:31:00.004-04:002009-06-17T21:45:01.561-04:00The Story of Christianity Explains All OthersDoug Powell once asked what John Lennon. Jean-Paul Sartre. Woody Allen. Bertrand Russell. Stephen Spielberg. Peter Singer. Snoop Dog. Aristotle. Garth Brooks. Ayn Rand. Madonna has in common? In responding to his own question he answered, “They are all philosophers. They all try to make sense of reality, the world, of who we are and why we're here. Only some are formally trained in philosophy, but all of them put forward a philosophy in their work” (<a href="http://selflessdefense.dougpowell.com/articles/MoviesMusicArt.htm">How movies, music, and art always contain the truth of Christianity</a>).<br /><br />Let’s consider two examples from popular music.<br /><br />From their landmark single, “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for,” front man Bono began:<br /><br /><blockquote></blockquote><blockquote><p>I have climbed highest mountain, I have run through the fields, </p><br /><p>Only to be with you</p><br /><p>I have run, I have crawled, I have scaled these city walls these city walls, </p><br /><p>Only to be with you</p><br /><p>But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for</p></blockquote><br />This element of seeking for something beyond ourselves is reiterated by Cold Play, in their song “Cemeteries of London” from their latest installment Viva La Vida.<br /><br /><blockquote>At night they would go walking till the breaking of the day<br />The morning is for sleeping<br />Through the dark streets they go searching to see God in their own way<br /><br />God is in the houses and God is in my head<br />And all the cemeteries in London<br />I see God come in my garden but I don’t know what He said<br />For my heart it wasn’t open, not open</blockquote>Although the meaning of this song is not explicitly clear, some have contended that it's about someone searching for something, a truth or meaning, “to see god in their own way' it describes their journey” (HoliHallow), while others believe that this song is “expressing some desire to connect with what’s 'out there' a sort of spiritual vibe going on, its mystical and explores a new dimension. When we die we shed our pride we go off to the grave and we are all equal, I think it’s about embracing the next phase and feeling whole again. Kind of envying the dead, but at the same time loving life too” (ItsAbout).<br /><br />These songs relate the artists search for something beyond themselves, yet not finding what that “something” is. They speak of their search for god in their own way, seeing him, yet not knowing what he said. These songs serve not only as a recollection of the artists search for god; these songs are also shared and embraced by many devoted fans around the world as the story to their lives as well.<br /><br />So what is it about these songs that allow for so many people to resonate with them? Why are people from diverse backgrounds capable of sharing their story in search for meaning? People from all walks of life are able to resonate with such songs because they reflect an element of Truth in our search for meaning.<br /><br /><br />J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings, believed that myths – stories that attempt to explain our existence or aspect of human behavior – were true in so far as they reflected Jesus Christ, who is the embodiment of Truth (see Powell). C.S. Lewis – who was heavily influenced by Tolkien - argued that, “The story of Christ is simply a true myth: a myth working on us in the same way as the others, but with this tremendous difference that it really happened.” He went on to say that “Christianity is God expressing Himself through what we call ‘real things’ namely, the actual incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection” (see <a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0geusxLRjZKLiEBnc9XNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTByMDhrMzdqBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDNQRjb2xvA2FjMgR2dGlkAw--/SIG=120t9l39g/EXP=1245157323/**http:/www.montreat.edu/dking/lewis/MYTH.htm">C.S. Lewis’s letter to Arthur Greeves, October 18, 1931</a>)<br /><br />Man’s search for God is at the very core of our being. Human beings are naturally spiritual creatures who are incurably religious (James Emery White, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Search-Spiritual-Exploring-Real-Christianity/dp/080105818X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1245280187&sr=1-1">A Search for the Spiritual: Exploring Real Christianity</a>, pg. 12). Writing in the 4th century, a North African Bishop by the name of Augustine's said of God, "You have made us for yourself, and our hearts are rest-less till they find their rest in you" (Confessions, 1.1.1)<br /><br />Christianity teaches that mankind was created in the image and likeness of God (see Genesis 1-2, 9). This not only means that our self-worth is found in Him, this means that everyone has been created with a religious zeal. From the Old Testament Book of Ecclesiastes, we read that God “has put eternity into man’s heart” (Eccl. 3.11). Being created with such innate desires readily explains the existence of religious pluralism – in that throughout all of time and every geographic location we will discover people who worship “god” - and the existence of God (see <a href="http://www.cslewisinstitute.org/sites/www.cslewisinstitute.org/files/webfm/aboutcslewis/ArgumentDesire.pdf">Art Lindsey, Argument from Desire: Do our desires point to something or nothing?</a>).<br /><br />From the New Testament, the Apostle Paul said, “And he [referring to God] made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us” (Acts 17.26-27).<br /><br />This passage from the Bible insinuates that God not only created us, but also determined when and where we would live with the intent that we would seek out after Him. Although we have been created with this disposition, we come away from these verses that mankind is feeling their way along in the dark, seeking out after the One, True and Living God without knowing the way, even though He is not far from all of us (Doesn’t this sound similar to “Cemeteries of London?”).<br /><br />You see, Christianity teaches that mankind is born with a “<a href="http://www.monergism.com/_original_sin_depravity_infect_1.php">sinful nature</a>.” The presence of sin – which is the “lack of conformity to the law of God in act, habit, attitude, outlook, disposition, motivation, and mode of existence” (J.I. Packer, <a href="http://www.monergism.com/_original_sin_depravity_infect_1.php">Original Sin</a> from Concise Theology) – permeates the root of our being. This facet of Christianity is typically called “total depravity” or “radical corruption.”<br /><br />Even though I typically don’t like to reference Wikipedia, I believe that the authors of this article did an excellent job in defining this doctrine: <blockquote><p>Total depravity is the fallen state of man as a result of original sin. The doctrine of total depravity asserts that people are by nature not inclined to love God wholly with heart, mind, and strength, but rather all are inclined to serve their own interests over those of their neighbor and to reject the rule of God. Even religion and philanthropy are destructive to the extent that these originate from a human imagination, passions, and will (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Total_depravity">Wikipedia</a>, italics mine).</p></blockquote>What’s amazing about the message of Christianity is that God did not leave us to our own devices and passions. He has not left us to search out for Him in the dark without a light. He has explicitly revealed Himself to us in His Son, Jesus Christ.<br /><br />After Paul addressed the religious zeal of his audience, he concluded his talk with these words, “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead” (Acts 17.30-31).<br /><br />The plot of Christianity is this message that Paul proclaimed. This message is one of redemption and hope in the life, death, burial, resurrection, and eventual return of Jesus Christ.<br />If you consider yourself a person who has climbed great heights or ran great lengths to find God, then I ask that you consider the story of Christ in completing this journey and blazing the paths of a new one. If you have been searching for God in your own way, then I ask you to consider reading what Christianity considers to be the self-revelation of God, the Bible. It is within this ancient text that we discover the wisdom that leads us to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ (see <a href="http://bibleresources.bible.com/passagesearchresults.php?passage1=2+timothy+3.15&passage2=&passage3=&passage4=&passage5=&version1=49&version2=0&version3=0&version4=0&version5=0&Submit.x=0&Submit.y=0">2 Timothy 3.15</a>).<br /><br />Andrew and I will be the first to admit that we don’t have all of the answers to life’s questions! But we invite you to join with us in searching out the True Story of God, as revealed in Jesus Christ.<br /><br />Besides, “What else does this craving, and this helplessness, proclaim but that there was once in man a true happiness, of which all that now remains is the empty print and trace? This he tries in vain to fill with everything around him, seeking in things that are not there the help he cannot find in those that are, though none can help, since this infinite abyss can be filled only with an infinite and immutable object; in other words by God himself” (Blaise Pascal, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pensees-Penguin-Classics-Blaise-Pascal/dp/0140446451/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1245284478&sr=1-2">Pensees</a>, pg. 45).Jesse Wisnewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04825034550036975200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25596969.post-76432843873029897272009-06-12T11:32:00.000-04:002009-06-12T11:32:30.938-04:00Christianity UncorkedSheesh...it's been since March that I've blogged. Part of that is being busy. Part of it is not making it as much of a priority as I should. And a part of it is that since I started working at <a href="http://www.unionmission.com/">Union Mission</a> I have been blogging over at <a href="http://blog.wefeedpeople.com/">blog.wefeedpeople.com</a>.<br />
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However, now that my good friend <a href="http://is.gd/ZUfo">Jesse Wisnewski</a> and I are beginning our Christianity Uncorked series, it's a good time to get back in the swing of things here on the blog. I'll get back to writing regularly, and now Jesse is going to be posting here as well. I'm very excited about that. <br />
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Below you'll find the flyer to our bi-monthly "Christianity Uncorked" discussion group. You can also engage the <a href="http://is.gd/ZUbB">discussion on Facebook</a>; just log on and look up either <a href="http://is.gd/ZUfo">Jesse</a> or <a href="http://is.gd/ZUbB">myself</a> and check our event calendar. <br />
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Hope to see you soon!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg30-gbUw7RwFRGPnrYdAgZVKApYVhDvEhvIfTcoZy0OkHdBBW0TYFNU7gcbfUCqNROrTHzhGht3UPPNSSOjzjmuGq5r6lXhZKuvHDM8Jl5itUys71ZPKOdbJfYI2-DJ0mM0gAzGw/s1600-h/uncorked.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg30-gbUw7RwFRGPnrYdAgZVKApYVhDvEhvIfTcoZy0OkHdBBW0TYFNU7gcbfUCqNROrTHzhGht3UPPNSSOjzjmuGq5r6lXhZKuvHDM8Jl5itUys71ZPKOdbJfYI2-DJ0mM0gAzGw/s400/uncorked.jpg" tj="true" /></a></div>Andrew Becknerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02589815719481569388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25596969.post-72757164687560752182009-03-23T10:40:00.001-04:002009-03-23T10:43:25.897-04:00We Feed People: On the Road<span style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I had the great fortune to speak at <a href="http://www.bancroftmission.com/">the church where I grew up</a> this past Sunday morning. It was great to see old friends and family and share <a href="http://www.unionmission.com/">Union Mission</a> with them. I hope God directs me to take more speaking engagements, not only because it gets me out of my introverted shell, but it also affords me the opportunity about the good work we God is doing at Union Mission. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I thought I would post the text of my "talk" here. This is the printed text I used; it's certainly not verbatim to what I said Sunday morning, but it's close enough. Thanks for reading, and I hope you'll feel let to participate with Union Mission in Helping Hurting People in Jesus Name. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Georgia;">So, the question is: what am I doing here this morning instead of the pastor? I'm here because I want to take a little time to tell you about where I work, but I want to frame it scriptureally and view it in light of where we are as a culture. Then, hopefully, we'll bring it all around to Jesus. Because if we're not talking about Jesus, then was the heck are we doing here? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Georgia;">I now work at Union Mission. I'm sure a lot of you are familiar with the Mission. You've probably seen our bright green and black trucks with the We Feed People logo on the side. And that's exactly what we do, most visibly through our holiday food drives many of you have volunteered for in the past. What you may not be aware of is the full scope of our ministry. When we say we feed people, we're not just talking about physical feeding. At Union Mission, everyone--every single person--that comes through our door for help hears the Gospel. It's a pre-condition of receiving our help. Want a package of diapers for your kids? We'll give it to you...but you're gonna hear about Jesus. Need a refrigerator? You got it...now here's some Jesus. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Georgia;">All of that brings me to the point of what I want to talk about today, and I want to use some scripture to bring the message home. If you will, please turn with me to Luke 4:18. Also, find 1 Peter 1:3-5. </span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%204:18;1%20Peter%201:3-5;&version=47;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">(You can read those passages here.)</span><br /></a><br /><span style="font-family:Georgia;">Let's look at Jesus' words in Luke 4:18. If you'll recall, here we see Jesus, fresh out of the desert from his 40-day fast. He's new on the scene; he hasn't even gathered any disciples yet. There's this buzz in the air about this new teacher in Galilee, and Jesus comes to the local synagogue and opens the scrolls there to a passage from what we now call the book of Isaiah, chapter 61. And he reads the words recorded both in Isaiah and in Luke chapter 4. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Georgia;">Here's the Messiah, the Christ, and what does he use as the text of his first sermon? To proclaim the good news to who? The poor. To proclaim liberty to who? Captives. Recovering of sight to who? The blind. Certainly some of what Jesus is saying here is metaphorical and speaks to spiritual poverty, spiritual blindness, spiritual oppression. But that's the beauty of Christ's mission here on earth. He knew, just as we should know and practice, that to be effective communicators of the Gospel we need to combine a message of both spiritual and physical, both earthly and eternal. He preached both. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Georgia;">We know this because we know that salvation is a spiritual transaction. His death, burial and resurrection was a spirtual act, done to result in our spiritual renewal. But we also know that Jesus didn't simply preach a spiritual message for spiritual renewal. He preached to those who were physically downtrodden too?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Georgia;">How do we know this? Just look at those with whom Jesus related. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Georgia;">One of his closest friends was Peter. He was known as Simon the Zealot. And what was a Zealots? They were a Jewish sect that advocated violent overthrow of the Roman goverment. Sound familiar? Peter was, in essence, a terrorist! He was a hot-head, quick to speak, quick to anger. Yet it was this man, a simple fisherman, that Jesus built his church upon. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Georgia;">Who else? Of all of the people, to whom did Jesus first reveal his divinity? It was a multiple divorcee who was in an intimate relationship with a man she wasn't married to and who had come out to that well in the middle of the day probably because she was so ostrasized in her own community that it wasn't worth the headache of hearing the gossip of the other women come to draw water in the morning. Oh, and she was a Samartian, which was the lowest social class in Palestine, at least according to the majority Jewish population. Never mind the fact that she was a woman, and I don't have to tell you what the status of women in 1st century Palestine was like. Yet it was this immoral, Samartian woman to whom Jesus first said, in essence, "I am the messiah."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Georgia;">There's more. Zaccheus was a tax collector who cheated his own people out of their scarce money simply to get rich and curry favor with an occupying empire. Being a tax collector was the epitome of a traitor. Yet it was this man, of all of the throngs of people who had gathered to hear Jesus that day, who our Lord chose to dine with. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Georgia;">Just look at those three people. A terrorist. An adultress. A traitor. These were the people Jesus associated with. It's obvious, from scripture, that Jesus had an affinity for the downtrodden. Sure, we know that. We're taught it from the time we are children. But we often take it for granted and miss the point of just how committed to social justice Jesus was both on earth and in heaven. Let's look at Jesus' associations with fresh eyes this morning to get at the truth he would teach us. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Georgia;">Look, Jesus could have come as a conquering king. He was fully in his rights and powers to do so. But he didn't. He chose to enter human history as an orphan born to a poor family in an occupied country, the son of a woman suspected of adultery, pregnant before marriage. He was never rich, probably never owned a home, never physically wrote a book and chose a career as a carpenter in a land without a lot of wood. That's who Jesus came as, so it's no surprise that he "came to preach the gospel to the poor." As a man, that's what he knew. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Georgia;">An interesting thing is happening in our culture today, and to a large extent the Church as well. The world is shrinking because of new modes of communication like the Internet, and we're more aware now than ever before of the plight of poor people. War is rampant, AIDS is epidemic. TB and malaria kill thousands of Third World children every year. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Georgia;">That's why social justice has become this buzz word in our culture. Everyone is into it. Buy a certain color of clothes from the Gap, and they'll donate money to AIDS relief in Africa. American Idol, that most popular of television programs, has for the past two years raised $130 million for global charities. Many churches are pushing this too, preaching a message of social justice from the pulpit. And that's great, but it raises key question: is social justice without Jesus really worth anything? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Georgia;">Look, social justice without Jesus works. It does. If American Idol raised $130 million, someone's life was better after that money was raised than before it. Locally, I can take you to any number of homeless shelters in downtown Charleston where the Gospel is not being preached, and yet people's lives are being changed because of the dedication of people who are not motivated to practice acts of social justice because of their relationship with God, but because they choose to give of themselves for the benefit of others. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Georgia;">So what's the problem? The problem is this: no matter how successful a person's recovery is, without an experience with Jesus Christ, that recovery and success is ultimately fleeting. Scripture points this out: "For what would it profit a man to gain the whole world and, in the end, lose his own soul." That's God's word. "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and thieves break in and steal." That's God's word. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Georgia;">What about social justice with Jesus? First of all, being committed to acts of social justice is not a recommendation. It's a commandment. Jesus told us to do it, and because He is a good God, gave us the Holy Spirit by which to compel us to do so. It's why you pay your tithe on Sunday, why you come to a place like Union Mission to sort canned goods during holiday food giveaways. It's why you spend a weekend in a prison, ministering to men regardless of who they are or what they've done. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Georgia;">Of course, there's a caveat here. Does placing Jesus as the focus of our acts of social justice mean everything's gonna be OK? Surely not! One of the biggest failings of the modern church is this absurd notion that believing in Jesus is like waving a magic wand and that all of your problems will go away once you believe in him. It's absurd and borderline blasphemous. God doesn't promise a bed of roses. But he does give us a savior who will stand with us when the going gets rough. And it will get rough. Guaranteed. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Georgia;">There's so much more to life than what we can see with our two eyes. The difference between doing acts of social justice with Jesus and doing acts of social justice without Jesus is the difference eternity makes. See, changing lives through the power of Christ multiplies its effect exponentially. The payoff is literally eternal!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Georgia;">Remember that passage in Peter? Peter is speaking of an inheritance, not an immediate reward. Through Christ, we are the receivers, always the recipent. We are receivers at each and every point of our relationship to him. We are receivers of his mercy despite our sinfulness. We are receivers of his salvation in our new birth. We are receivers in our resurrection at the end of the age. And, finally, we are receivers in our inheritance of eternal life through Him in heaven. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Georgia;">Of course, this raises a problem on the opposite end of the spectrum. Do we, then, neglect this world, knowing our reward won't be fully realized until we arrive at eternity? Absolutely not! It's a shame that too many Christians have come to believe that church exists for them instead of existing to be the structure through which Christ's work is accomplished in the community. Woe be to the church congregation that treats Sunday worship like a country club gathering with no application outside its doors. But if eternity is the ultimate reward, what is the payoff of doing acts of social justice without guarantee of success? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Georgia;">Jesus is our model here. Remember, he merged the earthly with the eternal, the physical with the spiritual. We are to do the same. Every so often--and not all of the time or even most of the time--men and women escape the bonds of addicition and poverty to live a prosperous life...and they find a relationship with Jesus in the process. That's dual salvation, earthly and eternal. And it does happen. We should all commit ourselves to allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us in responsibly confronting social injustice while keeping the focus on the spiritual transformation in the lives of those who desperately need to know Jesus. </span><br /><br /><div><script type="text/javascript">addthis_url='<data:post.url/>'; addthis_title='<data:post.title/>'; addthis_pub='CandidChristian';</script><br /><script src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/addthis_widget.php?v=12" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Andrew Becknerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02589815719481569388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25596969.post-17302626237296206072009-03-17T14:32:00.000-04:002009-03-17T14:32:05.225-04:00My Meeting with McLaren<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">OK, so it's not really a meeting. I did get to shake the guy's hand and say a cursory hello. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">(By the way...that's me on the fourth row aisle seat, looking stoned. I wasn't. I promise. My brother and sister-in-law are to my left.)</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlzZAka3eTv342jtcF-n1WSeOmSaYbp2HgYur-YpVw8EweyXZPQ4z6VCTk6eMplF2Ah07m5IzWAaWZSbHWCi9aPClIWszXr-CkGJ0rFV6aHpW1wfQiGZFwCOb78YAZm9lNLcFQ_A/s1600-h/with+McLaren.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ii="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlzZAka3eTv342jtcF-n1WSeOmSaYbp2HgYur-YpVw8EweyXZPQ4z6VCTk6eMplF2Ah07m5IzWAaWZSbHWCi9aPClIWszXr-CkGJ0rFV6aHpW1wfQiGZFwCOb78YAZm9lNLcFQ_A/s320/with+McLaren.jpg" /></a></div><a href="http://www.brianmclaren.net/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Brian McLaren</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">, known in many ways as the father of the emergent church movement, visited </span><a href="http://hbclouisville.org/HBC/content/brian-mclarens-%E2%80%9Crevolution-hope%E2%80%9D-draws-500-highland"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">my brother's church</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> (</span><a href="http://hbclouisville.org/HBC/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Highland Baptist Church</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> in Louisville, Kentucky) this past weekend, delivering a Sunday morning sermon, holding an informal Q&A during Sunday School and then lecturing on the thesis of his new book, </span><a href="http://www.brianmclaren.net/archives/books/brians-books/everything-must-change.html"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">"Everything Must Change."</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> I was fortunate enough to be able to participate in all three activities and certainly enjoyed the experience. Not that I agree 100 percent with his theology, but I think he is raising some important issues for the Church to consider. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">(Others didn't agree either, especially during the evening Q&A. </span><a href="http://www.brianmclaren.net/archives/blog/everything-must-change-in-louisv.html"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This is McLaren's take</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> on the event. I looked across the blogosphere for the guy who challenged McLaren about redemption, eternity and the emergent theology during the Q&A but couldn't find him. I also looked on Twitter to no avail.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Of course, I could spend hours talking about where McLaren and I agree and disagree. Feel free to peruse posts tagged "emergent" or "brian mclaren" for times we've discussed it before. </span>Andrew Becknerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02589815719481569388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25596969.post-39318173354099743202009-03-12T13:45:00.000-04:002009-03-12T13:45:39.374-04:00Darwin's Birthday...and I'm Late to the Party<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I read <a href="http://kenwilsononline.com/2009/02/12/apologies-to-the-memory-of-charles-darwin/">a fascinating piece</a> the other day while researching ahead of a trip to see <a href="http://www.brianmclaren.net/">Brian McLaren</a> speak <a href="http://www.hbclouisville.org/downloads/publications/BmclarenPoster.pdf">out in Louisville on Sunday</a>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Sure, this is a late response to that particular blog post, but I'm sharing nonetheless.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I'm certainly in agreement that religion has treated science with disdain when the two are not inherently competitive. I'm also in agreement that society has, in large part, sacrificed objective truth on the altar of subjective morality (although I don't think Charles Darwin is solely to blame for this shift in cultural attitudes...post-modern thought didn't arise from one man's scientific theory). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I disagree with Ken that "do unto others as you would have them do until you" is the core of Christ's message. It is undoubtedly an essential part of the Christian theology that Jesus established. It is not The Gospel. To think otherwise is to place man's actions ahead of God's salvation. Indeed, that line of reasoning has it backwards; the reverse, in fact, is true: salvation first, works that result from that salvation is second. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">The Gospel is this: in an outpouring of love, God created the universe, and with it, mankind. The first man chose sin instead of a personal relationship with God, and, thus, sin entered the world, separating imperfect humans from a perfect and divine God. Yet God, in his great mercy and love, ever-seeking to restore man's relationship to Him, provided Himself as a sacrifice by coming to earth as a man, Jesus, who lived a perfect and sinless life prior to giving Himself to death. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">In that act of sacrifice--and in His glorious, bodily resurrection from the dead three days later--Jesus now stands at man's side as an advoate, saying to God on behalf of those Christ has saved: "This is my child. He/she has asked forgiveness for the sinful acts of their lives that have separated them from you. Yes, this one is imperfect. But I was willing to live the life he/she could not have lived by dying the death he/she should have died. I took this one's place, Father. My perfection provides Grace to them in your eyes, regardless of their worthiness."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">That's The Gospel. Sure, gratitude from Christ's sacrifice pours itself out from Believers in acts of sacrificial love; these are reflections of Christ's love for man, stirred in us by Christ living within us through the Holy Spirit. This manifests itself as Christ commanded, through "doing unto others as you would have them do unto you." But that oft-quoted verse is not The Gospel. A component, yes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I'm not as intelligent as Charles Darwin. I think he came up with a fascinating theory. The minutae of how God, in His omniscence and omnipotence, established Creation, is beyond the limits of my human intelligence. Don't misunderstand. I'm not suggesting that it is somehow wrong to attempt, with vigorous scientific observation and inquiry, to discern these and other matters. What I am suggesting is that mankind is guilty of a collective arrogance in regards to its attempts at comprehending God. That, among other reasons, is why I can't understand the reasons behind some evangelicals' celebration of an agnostic scientist, despite his obvious genius. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So, what do you think? Agree with me? Disagree with me? That's cool...but share your thoughts. Back 'em up. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Take care...</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Nope...here's hoping I can get back to a regular posting schedule. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Enjoy the video!</span><br />
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<div><script type='text/javascript'>addthis_url='<data:post.url/>'; addthis_title='<data:post.title/>'; addthis_pub='CandidChristian';</script><script src='http://s7.addthis.com/js/addthis_widget.php?v=12' type='text/javascript'></script></div><!-- AddThis Bookmark Post Dropdown END -->Andrew Becknerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02589815719481569388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25596969.post-22299661865444868782009-01-16T09:43:00.000-05:002009-01-16T09:45:45.494-05:00History is Made (Again)<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Like him or not...think he is "Christian enough" or not...think what you will, but Jan. 20 is going to be a historic day for the country. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">And just in case you have nowhere else to watch Barack Obama's inauguration, feel free to tune in right here. </span><br />
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<object height="296" width="512"><param name="movie" value="http://www.hulu.com/live/embed/kqDzjGqsvKQZKY1CUG_aDSkM_bxqboC5"></param><embed src="http://www.hulu.com/live/embed/kqDzjGqsvKQZKY1CUG_aDSkM_bxqboC5" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="512" height="296"></embed></object>Andrew Becknerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02589815719481569388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25596969.post-39982775210577943742009-01-12T15:18:00.000-05:002009-01-12T15:26:17.302-05:00Multi-Media Monday: Logo's Scholar Library Give Away<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Christian author and blogger <a href="http://www.annejacksonwrotethis.com/">Anne Jackson</a> is doing a pretty cool thing: giving away $630 Bible study software from Logo's. Head <a href="http://www.flowerdust.net/2009/01/12/im-giving-away-6100-seriously/">over to her blog, FlowerDust, to get the scoop</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I'm trying to win too, of course...so here's a couple scripture verses I love (one each from Old and New Testament). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2027:4;&version=47;">Psalm 27:4</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">"One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%208:1;&version=47;">Romans 8:1</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">"There is therefore now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."</span>Andrew Becknerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02589815719481569388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25596969.post-64229743835488364172008-12-29T05:46:00.001-05:002008-12-29T07:03:52.026-05:00Multi-Media Monday<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/melissa-etheridge/the-choice-is-ours-now_b_152947.html"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Melissa Etheridge: Rick Warren doesn't "sound like a gay-hater, much less a preacher." (The Huffington Post)</strong></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">That's because Rick Warren is not a gay-hater. Nor are most Christians, if you want to know the truth. Most people, however, don't want to know the truth about Christians. It's too easy to simply buy into every stereotype about us that you can find. And, trust me, you can find plenty. </span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">See, mass media will tell you we hate gays, African-Americans, unwed mothers, illegal aliens, etc. And you thought Christians are hypocrites (we are, of course...just no more than anyone else.) The irony would be hilarious if it weren't so pathetically sad. Christians are accused of using stereotypes to push an agenda of hatred and fear. Yet, many times, the opposite is true. Our society has become so blatant in its perpetuation of stereotypes against Evangelicals that we don't even realize it's happening. We are the only socio-cultural group of whom it is socially acceptable to hate. Christians are seen as bigoted, intolerant and quick to judge. Sadly, many high-profile Evangelical leaders have said hurtful things (I'm looking at you, Pat Robertson), and those incidents have painted all of us with a very broad brush. The irony is that it's the same brush used to portray all homosexuals as pedophiles, predators and perverts. Are some homosexuals pedophiles, predators and perverts? You bet they are...just as you can bet there are Christians who are bigoted, intolerant and quick to judge. </span><br />
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</span><br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLXFpPQ7vZo"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Christianity vs. Universalism (YouTube)</strong></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I get so stinkin' tired of universalist philosophy. It's so disingenuous...at best. At worst, it's a coward's way out. It's essentially saying "I don't have the stones to stand behind my own convictions, so I'll just hold hands with everyone, tap my red shoes together three times while singing 'Kumbaya, My Lord' and hope for the best. That's not hope.</span><br />
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</span><br />
<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%208:24-25;&version=47;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">"For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience."</span></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fr4wmvRmQ20"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Dante's Inferno (YouTube)</strong></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Disclaimer: I don't believe in purgatory, nor do I think Mr. Alighieri had the whole "hell thing" figured out. His Divine Comedy was just that: a work of poetic fiction. It's just that this animated movie version of "Inferno" looks really, really cool. </span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">(It's sad, isn't it, that I have to put a disclaimer before posting this. Trust me. If I don't, some uber-legalist Christian will get all pissy with me for promoting something that's not in the King James Version of the Bible. So, just chill...)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eHjQHMWp1M"><strong>Calvinism vs. Arminianism</strong></a> (YouTube)</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">And, finally, here's one for all of you armchair theologians out there. </span><br />
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