en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/839715 Comments by jeffsdeepthoughts http://steveblumer.com/grief-knocks-you-on-your-butt-and-your-knees/#IDComment536235402 Great words Steve. Those word from Lamentations, like some of the psalms, are so wonderful because they avoid the temptation to minimize peoples pain and suffering. Sat, 5 Jan 2013 09:58:23 +0000 http://steveblumer.com/grief-knocks-you-on-your-butt-and-your-knees/#IDComment536235402 http://steveblumer.com/believing-god-can/#IDComment184249691 I'm starting to recognize the importance of not only focusing on what people say, but also what don't they say. It's possible that a person might say nothing but sentences I 100% agree with... and yet if that person is only potraying one side of the truth, I might find that somebody else, who I disagree with half the time, is the better person to listen to, because he's not cherry picking the truths he's choosing to share. As you discussed that paster (At first I was thinking it was a pastor whose name rhymes with Gob Nell but then I realized it was probably a pastor whose name rhymes with Mole Bowlstien.) Thu, 18 Aug 2011 11:40:22 +0000 http://steveblumer.com/believing-god-can/#IDComment184249691 http://steveblumer.com/cant-vs-dont-want-to/#IDComment148626693 These insights are profound... and kind-of hard to face. I was immediately intruiged by your title. This is an issue I wrestle with a lot, particular in my career as a special education teacher. In dealing with kids with emotional disabalities, it's become really clear to me that the question, "What can they do? What do they simply not want to do?" Is the most difficult and important question I can ask. The distinction between "can't" and "don't want to", much like (as you point out) the distinction between "need" and "want" is an important one... But it only works clear and easy on paper. In reality these distinctions are so very messy... partially because there are so many things that we can't do because we believe we can't; there are so many things that we theoretically shouldn't be able to do and yet we pull them off when we're truly comitted, and we serve a God who is quite capeable of doing the impossible through us. Thanks for the great thoughts. Lots to chew on here. Wed, 4 May 2011 00:45:39 +0000 http://steveblumer.com/cant-vs-dont-want-to/#IDComment148626693 http://steveblumer.com/should-pastors-get-stressed/#IDComment144705438 There is so much really excellent stuff here. One of the things I'd like to observe is the stuff about how uncomfortable it would be, hearing a confession from a pastor... I think you're right. It would be. But it shouldn't be. If we take seriously the idea that we are a priesthood of believers, and that the temple is now the body of believers themselves, we wouldn't be so quick to set up these double standards between lay people and clergy. Satan loves this double standard. You allude to the sin of pride, which is there. And you imply the isolation this creates, which is community-destroying, just what our enemy wants. But there is also sin on the side of we who sit in the pews. (O.k. so FC doesn't have pews, but you get my point.) Because we want to not take our calling so seriously; we want you to be the professional Christians so that we can be the amateur Christians. Thu, 21 Apr 2011 03:44:52 +0000 http://steveblumer.com/should-pastors-get-stressed/#IDComment144705438 http://steveblumer.com/passion-or-power/#IDComment114099864 He certainly had power (in the world's sense of the word) at this time; but he didn't exercise this power as he was beaten, mocked, and ultimately crucified. I think we sometimes have the best of intentions, and we might have a Christ-like goal in mind, but we try and achieve this goal by wielding power in the way of the world. For example, we coerce and manipulate others into signing on for a Godly ministry. This would be like Jesus turning Pilot into a toad after he was flogged, or Jesus shutting down his pain receptors as they drove the nails into his hands. He certainly could have done these things. But exercising his power would have undercut the reason for his passion. Other times, people simply expect that we'll wield power in this manner because that's what they expect and that's what they are used to. As you say, the character of the leader seems key. Mon, 6 Dec 2010 17:15:17 +0000 http://steveblumer.com/passion-or-power/#IDComment114099864 http://steveblumer.com/passion-or-power/#IDComment114099841 I've been reflecting a lot on a related topic lately. It's how backwards Jesus' use of power is, when compared with the world. Jesus didn't seek power over, he paradoxically became more powerful by giving up his power. Even your phrasing highlights a fascinating distinction. As you know, and as that (terrible) movie alluded to, the time and events leading up to the crucifixion are often called "The Passion of Christ." Mon, 6 Dec 2010 17:15:11 +0000 http://steveblumer.com/passion-or-power/#IDComment114099841 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/10/feeling-bad-that-you-didnt-blog-about-halloween/#IDComment107468188 Amazing point. But the 3rd and forth die hard movie was like somebody coming in and adding to scripture, ignoring all of Revelations' warnings. I think maybe those movies are abonimations. I'm not sure if the second Die Hard is pleasing to God. I think we need to convene a council to figure that out. Tue, 2 Nov 2010 23:50:46 +0000 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/10/feeling-bad-that-you-didnt-blog-about-halloween/#IDComment107468188 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/10/feeling-bad-that-you-didnt-blog-about-halloween/#IDComment106934328 Matt T.... I think there are some PG-13 and R rated movies which are pleasing to God. And many which aren't. I'd go so far as to say that it's a much better stewardship of our time to watch "Hotel Rwanda" than it is to watch something overtly Christian like "Letters to God." but that's beside the point. The point that's worth making is that we live in a world full of evil that is worth getting upset about. I think when we complain that people celebrate Halloween but don't appear to care about these real evils, we are most definitely not pleasing God. More concretely: I'll grant that there are scriptural passages which tell us that we ought to try not to offend people and that we should observe sociel niceties, not provide stumbling blocks, etc. But there are many more which much more clearly and unequivocally demand that we care for the widow and the orphan and the lost and the imprisoned. In short, I can't say for sure that watching most movies is pleasing to God. But I can say with out hesitation that loving people is pleasing to God; I can be sure that alienating people unnecessarily is not pleasing to Him. Sat, 30 Oct 2010 20:05:42 +0000 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/10/feeling-bad-that-you-didnt-blog-about-halloween/#IDComment106934328 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/10/feeling-bad-that-you-didnt-blog-about-halloween/#IDComment106933494 nameless, I think if it wasn't for my own typo, my meaning would have been clearer. I meant to write, "I understand NOW (not know) that it's more complex than this." And I think you're exactly right. Holiness is what it's about. I think we need to consider the ramifications of how we present ourselves to non-believers, though. And often we come across as so absurdly prissy. This prissiness comes across when we do more than just stand for what we will or won't do-- when we start to lecture others about what they should when they don't buy into the truths we know, for example, it ends up looking like we view God as a gentle great-aunt who needs to be protected from our boisterous friends. Sat, 30 Oct 2010 19:56:19 +0000 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/10/feeling-bad-that-you-didnt-blog-about-halloween/#IDComment106933494 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/10/feeling-bad-that-you-didnt-blog-about-halloween/#IDComment106884174 I appreciate the idea of not trivializing the devil. But there's comes a point in this where we end up trivializing Christ's goodness and power. Before I was a Christian, and it seemed like a lot of people were always worried about protecting God. It seemed like this guy they claimed to worship must have the most delicate, old-lady sensibilities ever or he must not be able to hold his own against the forces supposedly against him. It was kind-of like "Seriously, that Jesus guy would be bothered by pg-13 language?" and "Really? He created the whole universe and yet a series of young adult novels is going to threaten him." I understand know that it's more complex than this. But I also realize that their are ramifications for the ways we act, and I stand by the idea that some times some people do treat the author of creation as if He's some wilted little flower that needs our protection. Sat, 30 Oct 2010 12:31:37 +0000 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/10/feeling-bad-that-you-didnt-blog-about-halloween/#IDComment106884174 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/09/3672/#IDComment99602226 I'm no deluded upper-class conservative. I'm a left wing guy who works with disadvantaged adolescents; my family of 5 gets by on my teachers' income.) Secondly, most Christians I know believe that God (for a variety of reasons) most often works through apparently natural processes. I don't know anybody who believes that giving or tithing makes money fall out of the sky. Thirdly, I also think it's a pretty reasonable belief that God would "reward" us for doing the right thing precisely because we have free will, in the same sense that I "reward" my children or students for doing the right thing. My deepest hope is that they will grow mature and disciplined and I am always proud to see them do this. Sat, 18 Sep 2010 10:24:53 +0000 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/09/3672/#IDComment99602226 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/09/3672/#IDComment99602210 On the whole, I haven't experienced the sorts of things that Ohmaar talks about, and I think I'm probably a little less literal about the whole tithing/10% thing, but I did want to respond to the "paragraph 3" critique. I don't see that it's inherently selection bias. Consider a secular paralell: Somebody might suggest saving (rather than tithing) 10%. There would be a tiny minority of people who couldn't save 10% no matter what they did. There would be a much larger percentage of people who would claim that they didn't have that extra 10%. Finding that 10% would carry varying degrees of initial sacrifice. Many would carry varying degrees of belief that they couldn't do it. But the vast majority could. I'd submit that it's the same with titthing. I'd bet there isn't much of a stastical correlation between income and people who believe that they don't have an extra 10%, except for a tiny minority at the absolute bottom of the income ladder. ( Sat, 18 Sep 2010 10:24:44 +0000 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/09/3672/#IDComment99602210 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/09/fancy-pulpits/#IDComment96678929 Forgot thumbs up/thumbs down for the pastor, and tazers for the ushers... how about tazers for the congregation, aimed at the pastor? When he starts to ramble a bit too much ZAP! Right back on track. "Is that the holy spirit?" "No, it's 30,000 watts!" Fri, 3 Sep 2010 01:06:46 +0000 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/09/fancy-pulpits/#IDComment96678929 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/08/3574/#IDComment96284841 It's a little known fact that lying about your identity doesn't count in open letters. You don't need to sign it with your boring old name. Not only do you get to fill the body of the letter with misinformation, you then get to cap it all off by signing the name of a person who's actually informed on the issue at the bottom. Also, as has been noted, it's a pretty good start to emotionally black mail people into forewarding it by saying "Most people won't." But to be even more spiffy you have to make crazy promises about the blessings that will befall those who pass the open letter on, and the calamities sure to strike those nooges who don't pass it on. Wed, 1 Sep 2010 03:43:43 +0000 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/08/3574/#IDComment96284841 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/08/3563/#IDComment95311707 My favorite thing about this is the air that we can get in the church about it... "Aren't we hip for incorporating cultural elements that are so current and now!" Never mind that power ballads pretty much came and went like 3 decades ago. Thu, 26 Aug 2010 11:06:53 +0000 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/08/3563/#IDComment95311707 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/08/3546/#IDComment95040929 Uh-oh. I think the League of protection of pastoral secrets is going to need to summon the bible ninjas to rub out that Acuff guy for divulging too many secrets. Tue, 24 Aug 2010 22:31:11 +0000 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/08/3546/#IDComment95040929 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/08/having-a-life-verse/#IDComment94891587 yeah, sometimes it looks like I'm quite full of myself... the intent was to make fun of myself, by alluding to the classic "Deep Thoughts" skits with Jack Handy on SNL. Tue, 24 Aug 2010 01:20:01 +0000 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/08/having-a-life-verse/#IDComment94891587 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/08/3542/#IDComment94616249 "Generation A" by Douglas Copeland... A wierd novel about the power of faith and the importance of story and the end of bees. I think this secular and gifted author is maybe on his way toward an interesting place, spiritually. "My Beautiful Idol" If Don Miller was more messed up, Blue Like Jazz would have read like this. Sun, 22 Aug 2010 01:12:04 +0000 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/08/3542/#IDComment94616249 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/08/having-a-life-verse/#IDComment94528774 That sounds like a whole post unto itself, "Breaking Up With Your Life Verse." Sat, 21 Aug 2010 11:19:25 +0000 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/08/having-a-life-verse/#IDComment94528774 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/08/having-a-life-verse/#IDComment94342655 Sometimes I'm tempted to claim that I have a live verse that doesn't exist... It'd be funny to see how many people would call you on that. You'd know they are thinking "I didn't realize Genesis had 835 chapters!" You know they will look it up when they get home just to be sure. But who would want to put themselves out there and call the bluff on the spot. Fri, 20 Aug 2010 11:28:50 +0000 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/08/having-a-life-verse/#IDComment94342655