The Post Spring Semester Update

• I managed to pull 4 A's and 1 B on my final grades. I was bummed about the B, but who's complaining? I pulled highest grade in my Hebrew final- 98!
• I started my summer semester with an intensive Theology and Ethics. I learned nothing. I am also taking History of Baptists (snore), Hermeneutics and American Christianity. Fall is still up in the air, but I'm at least taking Hebrew Exegesis. I love it!
• I am a breath away from my concealed carry license and will be purchasing a Glock 23 .40 cal in the next week : )
• The 26th-28th of May, I will be traveling to New Hampshire to interview at Trinity Baptist Church in Nashua. It is a student pastor position and I'm pretty excited for the chance. As my burden for the Boston area has grown, I now have a chance to possibly minister in a spiritually dark part of our country. I can use prayer!
• June 4-6 I will be going with the brother in law to Raleigh NC for the Advance '09 conference. John Piper, Mark Driscoll, Matt Chandler and Ed Stetzer will be speaking. Major Calvinists so it should be interesting : )
  
• Music has been at a lull. I've been revisiting some older albums such as Digital Underground, Velvet Revolver, Jawbone Hill, and the like. I need new music! Gaslight Anthem has been worn out by me. Recently my new songs of interest have been: Cold War Kids "Rubidoux", Coldplay "Life in Technicolor II", Coldplay "42", and Gaslight Anthem "Miles Davis and the Cool." I also did pick up the newest Diana Krall album.
  

Update 3.20.09

Been an interesting month. Here are the highlights:

• School is good. Pulled a 96% final grade in church planting. Maintaining about a 3.8 GPA. Hebrew is pulling me down and yet I love it! Sick I know. I just registered for fall. So far I have Hebrew Exegesis, Beginning Greek and OT Orientation. I need to add one or two more. I just want to get DONE.
  
• I just started listening to MacArthur's sermons on the five points of Calvinism. The man has brains oozing out his ears. Some very interesting points to consider.
• I led worship at Arbor Baptist Church this past Sunday. It's the first time I've led worship since I led my AMPED kiddies on January 13, 2007. It was pretty emotional for me. So many memories flooded my mind. I picked songs that explain where I am at and what I'm still going through.
• Southern Seminary is looking like the strongest candidate for me to do my PhD through. I wish I could do Gordon Conwell in Mass, but they have no PhD programs. So far I'm aiming for Church History and Historical Theology.
• Been obsessed with the show Gangland recently. It's fascinating when you get into the psychology and sociology of a gang. You see the same patterns, but the most important theme is loyalty. All members want to belong to something bigger than themselves.
  
• I'm checking out some potential short trips this summer. I'm hoping to hit my homecity in July and see friends, the Phillies and such. I miss that place so much. I miss the Jersey shore. I REALLY want to go to Lake Winnipesaukee this summer again. I love that place so much.
  
• Been listening to Dub Trio, Dashboard Confessional, and a ton of old stuff for memory's sake. The past is the past, but you can sense it all again when you listen to songs that remind you of where you've come from and what you are going through.
  

I've been thinking about vulnerability. Its something I tend to do to myself a lot. In order to love people, you have to make your heart vulnerable. It is based on trust and there is always that possibility that the friends and loved one are going to stomp on your heart. Why do you do it? Because it is a sign of your love for them. You submit the most tender part of your soul, your heart, to them in return for relationship and hopefully returned love. Vulnerability shows all of your weakness, all of your wounds, all your struggles. It's so beautiful when the favor is returned and all the people involved show their weakness to each other. It's a sign that we are all weak humans in need of each other. I hope I'm vulnerable with all, but I know I open myself up to the potential for wounding. It's a risk we all have to take for the purpose of fellowship and love. It also helps you hurt for others and understand where they are at.

As CS Lewis put it:

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket- safe, dark, motionless, airless--it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.”

The Pre-"Oh My Goodness Why Did I Take This Many Credit Hours This Semester" Update

Classes Start:
This semester, I will have a total of 15 hours. Classes are Church History 2 (Reformation Baby!!!), Hebrew Syntax (boker tov cuz), Apologetics to Middle Eastern Religions (Ergun Caner should be interesting), Church Planting (I need Pepto Bismol every time the numbers thing comes up), and Christian Leadership. I am determined to blow through the remaining 50 hours I have left. I am hoping to nail Greek through Gordon Conwell Seminary this summer.

E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!
Eagles v Giants this Sunday. Normally I'm loud and proud about my Eagles. We are on borrowed time right now. For Brian Dawkins sake, I hope we go far and maybe win it all. I am excited to see what they are doing, but it is always bitter sweet with Andy at the helm and Donovan throwing ducks for passes. Yes they have done great things for the team. But they fall short. They will only be good, not great, until they win it all. I don't know if that will ever happen.

Lord Of All?
I was reminded of the Lordship Debate. A great definition is:

"Lordship salvation is a teaching in Christian theology that maintains good works are a necessary consequence of being declared righteous before God. In other words, Jesus cannot be considered a person's savior (that is, bringer of salvation) without simultaneously being lord of the person's life, which is demonstrated by the gradual purification from sin and the exercising of good works."

In other words, if one is truly saved, we should expect to see change in their lives. It’s in the form of a desire for God and naturally good works will pour out of their lives. This is controversial because many say it makes salvation legalistic. I say it makes it expectant. If I say I love someone, my actions will show it. The opposition is very typical of the modern church that has boiled salvation to a simple prayer and little expectancy of a life change. That is NOT the gospel I read of. Disciples- not converts. It isn’t enough to just take someone’s words for it. Give it time and watch for the fruits of repentance to show.

Reading Frenzy
I gotta stop starting to read books. I have about 8 that I started and haven't finished. I have about 6 more I want to start.

My Current Music Playlist:

• Shiver- Coldplay
• Rise – Flobots
• LES Artistes – Santogold
• 3’s and 7’s – Queens of the Stone Age
• Mississippi Queen – Mountain
• 15 Step – Radiohead
• To Defy the Laws of Tradition – Primus
• That’s Not My Name – The Ting Tings
• Losing Touch – The Killers
• Strange Times – The Black Keys
• Still – Kirk Franklin
• I Will Follow You Into The Dark – Death Cab For Cutie

Final Grades Fall '08

Church History - 93 B
Systematic Theology - 92 B
Hebrew - 91 B
Cumulative GPA - 3.85

....yes....the apocalypse can happen now.....

My 15 Seconds Of Fame...or Hall Of Fame

Tonight Liberty had there big July 4th deal at the football stadium. Part of that was Art Monk and Darrell Green, two Redskin Hall Of Famers, speaking on the "Road to Canton" tour. I was called in to bring a squeegee for the stage...I know...glamour. I was waiting and noticed both players behind me. As I waited for them to hand me back the squeegee, I brainstormed. I started walking away and turned to look at them and said....Go Eagles...and proceeded to walk away. They didn't tackle me which is good. I felt...manly. Good thing they are Christian.

Third Day of Class with Geisler

I have lived through a 15 hour day on Monday and a Tuesday of class. It's been an adjustment since I haven't sat in class for a long time. Dr. Geisler's content is good. I am a little let down because I thought this was going to be about Contemporary Theological Problems, but it has maybe mentioned one in passing (Neotheism). I have 2 fifteen page papers due in the next few weeks. I have a mule-choker size of a book to read and summarize. Shoot me! On top of it, I will be writing one on panentheism and the Emergent Church.

NOTE: Had Jersey Mike's Cheesesteak for lunch yesterday. Not bad...still not Philly, but not bad. The bread was the only lackluster part. Its supposed to be a hard Italian roll people!

Graduation 08 Highlights

-Though I didn't attend (with LU's parking? HA!), Chuck Norris was the graduation speaker. Sounds like he did pretty good. Then again, would anyone tell Chuck Norris he did bad? I mean, c'mon...it's Chuck. Liberty gave him an honorary doctorate in humanities. He is a humanitarian because he hasn't killed everyone though he could. I think a Doctoral degree in Butt Kicking or Roundhouse Technology should also have been considered.
-THANK GOODNESS that graduation is over. I have had my fill of setting up chairs for about 5 years.
-I tried out Dickies BBQ for lunch. I got brisket and polish sausage. It was okay. Not terrible. Their sauce is pretty thin. The brisket was good, but not smoky enough. The sausage would have been better with a mustard sauce. Gosh I miss Abner's in Philly.
-I can tell I've been losing weight. My clothes are falling off and I've pulled my belt as tight as I can without doing severe damage to my hips. I like it : ) Last I knew, I was down 15 pounds. LOVING IT!
-I'm already looking at where to do my MDiv since I don't want to get it from Liberty's seminary. I'm checking out Gordon-Conwell. I'm not sure if I have the grades or cash to get in, but I like what I see. It's in Mass, so I'd be getting closer to where I want to settle for the rest of my life.
-Saw Ross and Gavin Stevens today. Pretty sweet seeing people from the old church. They're getting bigger and older. Helps me realize I am too : (