It has been a while but I finally feel like blogging again...
Let's see... what am I thankful for. I'm thankful for variety.
A while back at a Foundation meeting (about a year ago), Kurt gave a sermon on consumerism in our modern day society. He gave, as an example, the fact that there were ~200 different varieties of breakfast cereal. How shameful of us humans!
I like that I have a choice between Cheerios and Honey Nut Cheerios... Personally, I like buying the plain ones and putting my own honey on them.
God is the ultimate creator of variety. Just think of all the different fruits there are! And look at all the animals. There are animals on this planet that you have never even heard of and never even could possibly dream exist. Here are a few of my favorites.
Highland Cow
Tibetan Fox
Pika
Boto (Amazon River Dolphin)
Pika
Boto (Amazon River Dolphin)
These are far from the strangest animals on our planet, but like I said, just a few of my favorites! I love the last part of Job where God addresses Job by referring to His creation and all the different animals in it. It is so beautiful.
I think God rejoices that we have invented so many different cereals. Of course we should not let our lives be governed by the latest trends and consumerism.
The real danger for us is not variety, but sameness. In a world of so much variety it is sad that we all try to be the same, if anything. What if there was only one type of cheese available? One type of cereal? I'm thankful to live in a society where we do have the choice to buy Goldfish or your children's favorite: Annie's Cheddar Bunnies.
*Crunch Crunch*
I love Galatians 3:28:
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”
It is this concept that allows for the ultimate variety: the true bond between brothers and sisters in Christ. I love that when I am out with a group of Foundry-ites, that almost everyone in the group is from a different nationality or culture. Strangers stare in awe, actually. It is great.
It is late and this is not the most formulated thought of mine at the moment, however, I'll type it anyway. This is another paradox of Christianity... the idea that, we are dead to this world and alive in Christ. It is only this separation from the world that allows us to turn right around and enjoy it for what it truly is. The awesome creation of our Lord. I can't stare at even a gum spot on the sidewalk without thinking of God, sin, and salvation. That being said, spending time out in pristine nature is overwhelming.
On another note, my parents bought a brand new Jeep Wrangler Rubicon today (they are gleefully whittling away at my would-be inheritance...). We are going to Death Valley for Thanksgiving and I can't wait! I wonder if my mother will at least let me drive it recklessly across the desert.
Heh.
Heh. Heh.
Love,
Taintedsky
I think God rejoices that we have invented so many different cereals. Of course we should not let our lives be governed by the latest trends and consumerism.
The real danger for us is not variety, but sameness. In a world of so much variety it is sad that we all try to be the same, if anything. What if there was only one type of cheese available? One type of cereal? I'm thankful to live in a society where we do have the choice to buy Goldfish or your children's favorite: Annie's Cheddar Bunnies.
*Crunch Crunch*
I love Galatians 3:28:
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”
It is this concept that allows for the ultimate variety: the true bond between brothers and sisters in Christ. I love that when I am out with a group of Foundry-ites, that almost everyone in the group is from a different nationality or culture. Strangers stare in awe, actually. It is great.
It is late and this is not the most formulated thought of mine at the moment, however, I'll type it anyway. This is another paradox of Christianity... the idea that, we are dead to this world and alive in Christ. It is only this separation from the world that allows us to turn right around and enjoy it for what it truly is. The awesome creation of our Lord. I can't stare at even a gum spot on the sidewalk without thinking of God, sin, and salvation. That being said, spending time out in pristine nature is overwhelming.
On another note, my parents bought a brand new Jeep Wrangler Rubicon today (they are gleefully whittling away at my would-be inheritance...). We are going to Death Valley for Thanksgiving and I can't wait! I wonder if my mother will at least let me drive it recklessly across the desert.
Heh.
Heh. Heh.
Love,
Taintedsky
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7 comments:
I don't know that I'd agree that God rejoices in our hundreds of cereals, simply because I imagine just about all of them were devised by man without a single thought toward God; rather, they were devised by man with the sole or primary thought of profit (lucre, mammon) in mind.
I believe Kurt's funadmental point about consumerism was to lament the prevailing mindset that we Americans should get to have whatever we want whenever we want, and that mindset has even filtered into the church. If some people don't get exactly what they want, they bail and go somewhere else, even if the teaching is solid and the fellowship is loving. This is usually damaging to various principles such as unity and submission and contentment, and elevates an often prideful individualism and materialism that is especially obvious in many Americans.
These are generalizations, obviously. I think it's certainly possible to embrace the many consumer choices we have and praise God for them. And obviously, it's good that we can flee from doctrinally unsound churches. We just need to be very vigilant about wrong thinking seeping into our minds from the prevailing worldly view.
I agree with you whole-heartedly about the beauty in the diversity of what God has created, however. Species, races, those are things which we should always be amazed about.
Actually, breakfast cereal was invented by a Seventh-day Adventist... well, ex-Seventh-day Adventist (he was kicked out of the church). (AND HE WASN'T ALL THE CRAZY THINGS THE INTERNET SAYS HE WAS!).
So... many... jokes... :-)
If you want to be the watchdog of all my theological blunders you really should be monitoring my Bible Journal.
www.andknowledgewillincrease.blogspot.com
A synonym for watchdog is shepherd, no?
I'll be happy to read your Bible journal, just as I've been happy to read your very enjoyable ruminations here on this blog. And sometimes we'll agree, and sometimes we'll disagree. And sometimes only one of us will be right, and sometimes we'll both be right, and sometimes we'll both be wrong.
But if you want to laugh, you should ask Annie about some of the knock-down, drag-out fights -- not disagreements, but fights -- that we've had before...
Yes, and there may be more "gleeful whittling" as we're gambling that you won't let us STARVE when we run clean out of money!! (ha ha) MOM
PS: After all we did let you drive the Rubicon in the desert didn't we?
January 2, 2009 9:37 PM
Your inheritance... heh
So how was driving it?
Yes, God's imagination is immeasurable, unfathomable... there's so many words that speak of some form of infinity that can really only be applied to God
Yes, look at all those animals. I wonder how they taste?
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