I just clicked on a MSN Hotmail article featured on a window today. It had to do with global warming, and that being an interest of mine, I found a button to watch a movie on the article. Since movies are easier and more culturally applicable (ha ha) than reading, i took this avenue and soon found myself watching our very own Gary Lunn speaking on enviromental issues. Want to get a look at what Mr. Lunn has to say? You're link is below:
http://news.sympatico.msn.ctv.ca/TopStories/ContentPosting.aspx?feedname=CTV-TOPSTORIES_V2&newsitemid=CTVNews%2f20061030%2fglobal_warming_061030&showbyline=True
Monday, October 30, 2006
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
I suppose it was during one of my first Hermeneutics classes that a scary thought hit me.
Let me set up the stage for you with an explanation of the class of Hermeneutics. Hermeneutics is, simply, the study of the Bible. When that name refers to the class I was in, then it, perhaps means, "the study of the study of the Bible." It apparently comes from the Greek word for "to interpret." Hermes was a character, or god of mythology who would take messages from Jupiter to the people. Using this analogy, Hermeneutics is, in some way, a medium that helps to translate between one philosophy, history, culture, and language, of one time (Bible times) to another (the present). Through the lense of Hermeneutics we must carefully examine the Bible to find out what it really says, lest some meaning perhaps be lost or changed in the influenced, prejudiced, etc., interpretation we make.
The scare came when I got a sense of what duty of responsibility I had in this knowledge of Hermenuetics.
James 3: 1-2
“ 1Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.” (NIV)
Luke 12:47-48
47"That servant who knows his master's will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. 48But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” (NIV)
Suddenly this class was no joke! What had I gotten myself into? Would I now have a stronger responsibility to study and figure out the Bible for other's benefit? Before I enrolled in this class I could easily enough shrug off what I didn't understand from the Bible with the best explanation or suggestion I had, or pass it off to someone else, or say "I don't know, but that's a good question." Now- now that I’m more equipped, I seem to have no good excuse for NOT looking deeper. If I say something wrong, will I no longer be excused, but now have to answer for it (since I haven’t used the portion of my ability?) Will my far-out thoughts now be ignorant if I don't bother to look deeper to find out if that's what the Biblical text actually means?
Probably.
Maybe there is a deeper issue than this going on though. Perhaps the following is a better question: am I afraid that God won't be all I want to interpret Him to be if I start finding the genuine raw truth and not just my lazy, culture-stricken take-what-I-want interpretation? Is this presumption possible? Or will I - and I believe that this is true - find more about God -the true God I know and desire to know better- as I dig into the truth about him? How can I be satisfied with mediocrity anymore? I'll want the truth.
I believe the truth is the best option, partially because it is genuine, and therefore dominant to any invention of our own intellect. Secondly, I believe that I’ll find it to be better on the whole than any other option anyways- I suppose you could say - even if the other options were true. I haven’t searched this out deeply, so I don’t presume to know or teach, but it seems that calling Jesus, "the Truth" makes a lot of sense. He really is the most real, best thing ever.
But now if I have gone and poured my heart out about something which I really don't know everything about, what can I say? Where can I draw a line? Is it OK if I stand in front of you and presume NOT to teach? What I say on this blog, what standard will that be held to? Where can I sacrifice formality for radicalism? Where should I weigh extremisms with a standard?
(Should I remove myself from culture entirely in order to be unhindered in my cultural bias’?)
Then again, think on this. The outflow of my heart, which you might find in my poetry and songwriting, might not be 100% theologically sound, but I don't imagine I need to sacrifice artistic elements either. The Psalms, as a Biblical example, boasted plenty of these. While the outflow of my heart might be truth to me, that is, the truth about how I feel; the words are more likely to find themselves theologically grounded as I pursue truth. Even now as God’s Spirit is in me (1 Cor 6-16.) What about David, who somebody (who?) has called a man after God’s own heart (Check out 1 Samuel 7). Could it be that as he pursued the truth of God (Fighting the Giant wasn't quite a reinterpretation of the fact the God would be with him- even against such odds) his psalms, therefore came out of his heart, beautifully OK. I think that this would be because he was in-tune with God's heart. What I suggest is that if I refuse to compromise to any cultural medium ( to my utmost) in discovering the truth of God- and as God shows me more on my journey, my artistic expression and emotional flow will be based in truth. My expectation, I will add, is that the truth will be the most applicable, most powerful and dynamic artistic subject and draw for emotional expulsion; I imagine it as being relatable, down-to-earth, while yet superceding all else untouchably. These are just predictions based from my experience thus far.... But life's a journey; stay tuned, and find truth!
Let me set up the stage for you with an explanation of the class of Hermeneutics. Hermeneutics is, simply, the study of the Bible. When that name refers to the class I was in, then it, perhaps means, "the study of the study of the Bible." It apparently comes from the Greek word for "to interpret." Hermes was a character, or god of mythology who would take messages from Jupiter to the people. Using this analogy, Hermeneutics is, in some way, a medium that helps to translate between one philosophy, history, culture, and language, of one time (Bible times) to another (the present). Through the lense of Hermeneutics we must carefully examine the Bible to find out what it really says, lest some meaning perhaps be lost or changed in the influenced, prejudiced, etc., interpretation we make.
The scare came when I got a sense of what duty of responsibility I had in this knowledge of Hermenuetics.
James 3: 1-2
“ 1Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.” (NIV)
Luke 12:47-48
47"That servant who knows his master's will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. 48But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” (NIV)
Suddenly this class was no joke! What had I gotten myself into? Would I now have a stronger responsibility to study and figure out the Bible for other's benefit? Before I enrolled in this class I could easily enough shrug off what I didn't understand from the Bible with the best explanation or suggestion I had, or pass it off to someone else, or say "I don't know, but that's a good question." Now- now that I’m more equipped, I seem to have no good excuse for NOT looking deeper. If I say something wrong, will I no longer be excused, but now have to answer for it (since I haven’t used the portion of my ability?) Will my far-out thoughts now be ignorant if I don't bother to look deeper to find out if that's what the Biblical text actually means?
Probably.
Maybe there is a deeper issue than this going on though. Perhaps the following is a better question: am I afraid that God won't be all I want to interpret Him to be if I start finding the genuine raw truth and not just my lazy, culture-stricken take-what-I-want interpretation? Is this presumption possible? Or will I - and I believe that this is true - find more about God -the true God I know and desire to know better- as I dig into the truth about him? How can I be satisfied with mediocrity anymore? I'll want the truth.
I believe the truth is the best option, partially because it is genuine, and therefore dominant to any invention of our own intellect. Secondly, I believe that I’ll find it to be better on the whole than any other option anyways- I suppose you could say - even if the other options were true. I haven’t searched this out deeply, so I don’t presume to know or teach, but it seems that calling Jesus, "the Truth" makes a lot of sense. He really is the most real, best thing ever.
But now if I have gone and poured my heart out about something which I really don't know everything about, what can I say? Where can I draw a line? Is it OK if I stand in front of you and presume NOT to teach? What I say on this blog, what standard will that be held to? Where can I sacrifice formality for radicalism? Where should I weigh extremisms with a standard?
(Should I remove myself from culture entirely in order to be unhindered in my cultural bias’?)
Then again, think on this. The outflow of my heart, which you might find in my poetry and songwriting, might not be 100% theologically sound, but I don't imagine I need to sacrifice artistic elements either. The Psalms, as a Biblical example, boasted plenty of these. While the outflow of my heart might be truth to me, that is, the truth about how I feel; the words are more likely to find themselves theologically grounded as I pursue truth. Even now as God’s Spirit is in me (1 Cor 6-16.) What about David, who somebody (who?) has called a man after God’s own heart (Check out 1 Samuel 7). Could it be that as he pursued the truth of God (Fighting the Giant wasn't quite a reinterpretation of the fact the God would be with him- even against such odds) his psalms, therefore came out of his heart, beautifully OK. I think that this would be because he was in-tune with God's heart. What I suggest is that if I refuse to compromise to any cultural medium ( to my utmost) in discovering the truth of God- and as God shows me more on my journey, my artistic expression and emotional flow will be based in truth. My expectation, I will add, is that the truth will be the most applicable, most powerful and dynamic artistic subject and draw for emotional expulsion; I imagine it as being relatable, down-to-earth, while yet superceding all else untouchably. These are just predictions based from my experience thus far.... But life's a journey; stay tuned, and find truth!
Saturday, October 07, 2006
This blog
Large-scale launch of this blog may not occur untill mid-December /06. But please stay posted for anything that might come between now and then.
Yours,
M C
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