Incense

You know, I've always heard of the use of incense in church. It was never in the church I grew up in, so it was a concept and a tradition that I was pretty unfamiliar with. UNTIL TODAY. I thought I'd finally check it out, and try to understand it. I never really grasped the point of it. My initial thoughts was that it was something to do with the Holy Spirit and the burning and smoke is supposed to symbolize some part of God's presence that we can sense but not necessarily see. I've grown up in a church where the use of burning candles was always an important symbol to represent the eternal flame of Jesus. It was to represent his presence in worship and his presence in our lives always. But incense just didn't makes sense to me. So I looked it up and here's what I learned...

Incense is intended to burn for the smell. And despite the common misconception, incense is the actual substance, not the aroma it produces. Pretty cool. It's used traditionally for religious ceremonies, ritual purification, aromatherapy, and meditation. And I was partially right in my assumptions from before, because incense is intended to create a spiritual atmosphere.

 I also learned what I had always thought, but never been sure about: incense was a tradition as a part of the catholic church. It turns out that incense is also common in Orthodox and Anglican churches. Some new information to me was that it's also extremely common in eastern art, households, and religion. For instance, Japanese, Tibetan, and Indian cultures all use incense as well.

The wikipedia page explores incense in much more depth, so you should check it out!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incense

Media in worship

My research paper was all about the use of media in worship, so I thought it would be appropriate to express my feelings on the matter. A while back I posted about Z-church, an online worship experience. But here, I'm going to delve more into my reaction to things like that.

I grew up going to traditional church services. I would sit in an aisle inside  wide, ornate sanctuary. With 500 other members, I would listen to a minister preach from the pulpit. We would take communion and sing hymns. To me, these kind of experiences were what defined church. There was no media, apart from the microphone up on the pulpit and lectern. This traditional approach is what naturally became the "right" way to worship for me. When I would visit friends' churches and see massive projector screens and a full band, something felt off. I never saw it as wrong. I just simply didn't feel as connected as I normally did back in the style of worship I knew.

To me, the use of media in worship matters. I can't grow in the same strong relationship with God during a church service if there are distractions from technological aids. However, to some, it's what keeps them interested, focused, and engaged. Ultimately, that's what matters. If you can still get everything you're looking for out of a service that provides flashing light and loud music, then I'm happy. Who's to say what is the right way to worship? I think the right response to that question would be the acceptance that there really is no right way. Worshipping is connecting with God. So with media or not, if the goal is reached, that's all that truly matters.

Cairn Christian Church

I thought I'd just post on a visit I made back in October. I visited Cairn Christian Church. My old youth minister referenced me to it. It was a Disciples of Christ Church, the same denomination that I grew up apart of. It was a great experience. Especially just being a matter of weeks into college, it was comforting to go to an experience that was familiar to me, Sunday church service.

it wasn't the 600 people, the full 60+ person choir, the massive organ, the wide, endless rows in the sanctuary, and the enormous building I was used to. Sure it was all different, but it was familiar. We still had communion. There was still a welcoming, friendly community. I think I may have met everybody in there that day (But that's not saying much, as there were probably no more than 30 people present). Nonetheless, it was the tradition, the environment, and the experience that was familiar to me.

It was really great. And if only the church weren't 30 minutes away by bus, I'd go more often. Maybe when I have a car, I'll get that luxury. That Sunday service for me is just a pleasant and comforting constant in my life, and I'm definitely looking forward to summer to be in that position again (as well as the opportunity to hang out with friends and family and not do schoolwork for months). It's a great church, everybody should check it out! Here's their church website: http://www.cairnchristianchurch.com/

Homosexuality in the Bible

Homosexuality in the Bible. It's a big topic. BIG. And it's unpopular to be on the side that opposes gay marriage. Many people tend to think that those people are crazy, psychotic religious groups. And although there is a portion of that side made up by those types of people, there are also some who look at the Bible with an understanding of the historical, metaphorical and contextual context yet still do not condone gay marriage. One of my best friends has that mindset, and he sent me an article that nicely wraps up the other side of this argument with a balanced, respectful, and intelligent perspective on Biblical evidence that points to why the right for gays to marry is receiving such criticism.

Something I just want to mention quickly about the side that condemns gay marriage: That decision is not based on some sort of belief to keep homosexuals from gaining equal rights. It is a decision based on love, and trying to prevent people from doing things against the will of God. I'm no expert, but I do think I have a decent grasp on that side of the argument, and I think that's a really important point to understand, even if you don't choose to read the article. But definitely read it, so you can understand much better too!

So anyway, I urge y'all to check it out, it's a fantastic article and a really good look at that side of the argument.

http://www.presbyterymiddletennessee.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/hays-article.pdf

Rob Bell

We've touched on Rob Bell a little bit in class, so I thought I'd try to learn a little bit more about him, his life, and his faith.

Rob Bell is the founder of Mars Hill, a non denominational Christian megachurch. He also has written two books and done a video series. I was fascinated to learn that his Mars Hill Bible Church was getting to be too much of a burden for him. He had to take a day off on Fridays. He eventually left the church, in pursuit of his calling to save to a broader, wider audience. So he began other projects. First he wrote a book, and then he worked on a video series. His popularity grew and grew until he finally wrote a second book. There was talk of getting his own television talk show. He was able to communicate his message in such innovative and creative ways, and it captured the attention of Christians and non-Christians alike.

As for his beliefs, he did found a Bible Church, so he believes that Scripture is indeed the authoritative source of truth. Personally, I don't completely agree with that, but only because I'm very careful when looking at Scripture, incorporating both historical and textual context into my analysis. That begin said, Rob Bell is very supportive of many ideas that are popular, and ones that I can definitely agree with. He's all about love, and social equality. He advocates a popular message, and I think that's contributed to much of his success. Click the link if you want to learn more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Bell

God in suffering

I love talking about God with people. Everybody always has a different idea, perception, and view on the existence and/or purpose of God. The thing that I find most often that people have issues with, is trying to understand how God can let such horrible things happen. This issue has crossed my mind, and many of those that I talk to. How can God let bombs go off in Boston? How can God cause a fertilizer explosion in West, Texas? If God is a compassionate, loving God, why is there suffering at all? It's a hard one to answer and I've come to terms with it by accepting that God is beyond human knowledge. The pain that we deal with and experience is not understood to us the way it is understood by God. I believe in a God working toward an ultimate goodness for all people, and if suffering for me and millions of people in the world is part of his plan, then so be it. I trust that through God, on the other side of it all, is His love. We just may not be able to see it just yet.

Liturgical year

Something I've always been interested in is the calendar of the church. The liturgical calendar is full of seasons and holidays that really only play a role in Christian life. So if you're not a Christian, or not exposed to Christianity much, that whole year doesn't matter much.

And even for me, an active Christian, I still don't know that much about the Christian calendar, so I thought I'd do a little research...

At first, I thought I was pretty knowledgable. I knew when Christmas was. I knew when Easter was, and I knew Lent was forty days before Easter, but other than that, I was learning all new stuff. Turns out that most of the year is taken up by a period known as ordinary time, which basically means the time where there is no special church holiday or season going on. And after about six months of ordinary time, advent follows. Advent is the first season of the year, and it begins four sundays before Christmas. Then of course, come Christmas. After a few weeks, Lent begins for forty days leading up to the Easter Triduum, which consists of Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday. Then the Easter season follows, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus, before finally we return to ordinary time.

Easter

This past Easter weekend, I was wondering why Easter changes every year. Sometimes it's late March, sometimes it's late April, and sometimes it's anywhere in between.

After some research, I discovered how confusing and strange the determination really is. It turns out that Easter is celebrated the Sunday following the Paschal Full Moon day of the year. More specifically, the Paschal Full Moon is the Ecclesiastical Full Moon date after March 20.

Honestly, this explanation is so unfamiliar, that I question it's validity. (Maybe it's even some sort of late April Fool's Day prank). But it's so cool that these ancient traditions are still applicable to the Christian calendar in 2013.

However, that is actually only relevant to Western Christianity. The Eastern Orthodox tradition is focused on staying consistent with the originally established vernal equinox, and due to the error of the Julian Calendar, 13 days have accrued since the First Ecumenical Council of Nicea in 325 AD. Therefore, the Orthodox Easter cannot be celebrated before April 3 (the present day Gregorian calendar), which was March 21 in 325 AD. Orthodox Easter falls two weeks later than the Easter of Western Christianity.

Online Church Link

Definitely forgot to put up the link to the online church on the last post, but here it is now!

http://www.web-church.com/

Online worship experiences

My site visit paper was primarily focused on the use of technology in worship services. From there, my research led me to a number of interesting topics including online worship. Today, I discovered an article that also divulged into this new phenomenon, and I figured it was time to post about it.

Christianity has expanded to a new realm, the internet. It's worship that still allows for a fully interactive experience. There are sermon videos, live messaging lobbies, and Bible Study. There are even functions to allow for online baptism, and communion.

With all these pieces of a real service, one must ask the question, is it truly a participation in worship?

Maybe. It depends on what it means to worship. We're living in a world now completely dependent on technology, so whether or not it is a proper form of worship, we better start believing it is. It may be the future...

In my opinion, it just can't compare to the experience of hearing a choir echo in the sanctuary, actually taking the bread and wine for communion, or sitting in an aisle with other Christians, all showing up together at the same time to worship. It's a beautiful thing, and in my honest opinion, much of the beauty is lost when you move it to the internet. 

That's just my thoughts though. Check out the article to learn more!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/02/internet-believers-pastor_n_342479.html

Jesus' Brothers

Today, somewhat randomly, I had a sudden question come to mind, "Did Jesus have brothers?" And so I started doing some research...

Turns out that answer is harder to find than one may think. The New Testament describes James, Joseph, Joses, Judas, and Simon as "brothers"of Jesus Christ. "brothers". Those quotation marks complicate things. It's not explicitly stated that they were blood relatives, but many scholars claim that the "brothers" were in fact biological children of Mary and Joseph. And for believers in Jesus' immaculate conception, many people would also claim that by nature, Jesus could not have had blood siblings. Despite all these different claims a common middle-ground is that these "brothers" were closely associated with the family and may have been cousins, but were not direct children of Joseph and Mary.

That's basically an overview, but there is a wikipedia page on the brothers of Jesus that includes the sources that these claims originated from, and even some diagrams of a family pedigree. Take a look!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brothers_of_Jesus

Tim Tebow

Tim Tebow. The media loves him. It's a different story for the fans though. People either love him or hate him. But why? Sure, you've go the Florida State fans who hated his success at UF, and you've got NFL fans who despise his ability to win football games in the NFL despite his stats. But there're more people out there who don't like Tim Tebow. 

A large part of that is because he wears his faith on his sleeve. Tebow says that his motivation to be successful and well-known in the NFL is because it serves as a platform to bring attention to God. Essentially t's for evangelism. That has brought him a lot of love and support from other Christians out there, but it's attracted more negative feedback than he would've liked. 

Tim Tebow is a wonderful person. I've read his biography and he just encompasses so much that we value in society. He's humble, kind, respectful, driven, hard-working, a good leader, a role model, and a humanitarian.Unfortunately, because he chooses to talk about his religion and make that a focus of his life, he's faced some struggles. 

It seems that people just aren't interested in hearing about religion from. Are they scared? Are they just fed up with it? I don't know what it is, but in my personal opinion, I love Tim Tebow and it's a shame that we seem to treat people with such disdain when they try to reach out in the name of God and in the name of love.

Brite Divinity School

So I flew back home this weekend. Back to Fort Worth, Texas. Among the many great things about my hometown is the Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University. Their main focus is captured in this sentence,

"Brite Divinity School educates women and men of diverse backgrounds for the ministry and witness of Jesus Christ in the church and world. Theological education occurs through scholarship, research and reflection, balanced by community service and practical ministry experience."

That was taken straight from their website. I think one of the most important components of that statement is the "research and reflection" piece. It encompasses the idea that understanding Christianity is all about being knowledgable in the history and progression of the religion. That relates to a lot of what we're learning about in this class. Anyway, I thought it was kind of a neat parallel and if y'all want to learn a little more about Brite, check out their website! http://brite.edu/

Heaven

I recently started reading a book that was sent to me by a friend. It all started a few weeks ago when we got onto a talk about theology, as we usually do. This particular conversation was focused the idea of heaven. And after a while of discussion, he referred me to a book he read called, The Great Divorce, by C.S. Lewis. In his book he basically depicts his idea of heaven and hell, and uses these metaphors to explain what his idea of heaven means. This blog post isn't about C.S. Lewis' views, although there will be a post on that coming soon...

This post is focused on what different religions and people think of heaven. For instance, many Christians think heaven is the Kingdom of God we enter once pass away. Buddhists on the other hand believe in different heavens depending on the life one has lived, based on their career. In Hinduism, heaven is essentially a paradise of pleasure. There are so many different, fascinating views of the idea of afterlife. And the wikipedia page of heaven actually provides a really thorough and expansive collection of several different ideas of heaven. Check it out! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heaven

The Great Schism

We talked a little bit about the Great Schism today in class and I thought I'd read more into what made this event perhaps the most significant split in history.

This Great Schism was also known as the East-West Schism and was primarily the split that became the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church. Something that was new to me, was that before the Great Schism, the religion is known as Chalcedonian Christianity. I guess almost one thousand years later, that word doesn't come up anymore...

The more I look into the reasons for this split, the more I think how petty the whole thing was. In the long run, clearly the differences were matters of identity. And as a whole, these were fundamental reasons that defined the sect, yet when I read about it, it almost seems silly to me that there were arguments about such silly things. Is it worth splitting the church over unleavened bread? Maybe not by itself, but when seen as one dividing characteristic among many, it makes more sense that two different churches would emerge. Because in the same way, the idea of universal jurisdiction was a topic that couldn't be agreed upon. And the authority of the Pope is definitely a pretty big topic that would be a possible reason to split.

Anyway, it's an interesting and comprehensive topic. It's fun learning about it, and all the complications that accompany the history of Christianity.

St. Aidan's Episcopal Church

This upcoming Sunday I plan to visit St. Aidan's Episcopal Church, the location I selected as the topic of my site visit paper.  I honestly just have no idea what to expect from it. I grew up in a very large Disciples of Christ church in Texas, so that is almost entirely what I'll be comparing my visit to. I'm going to focus on identifying the practices and traditions that are a part of their weekly worship, and how they relate to those that I'm more familiar with. In addition, I'll be very attentive as to distinguish what their beliefs are as a denomination. I'm always fascinated with the details that identify each religion, and especially each denomination of Christianity. It should be a good time, and I'm looking forward to an educational and insightful visit!

If you want to check it out for yourself, be sure to take a look at their website!

http://www.saintaidans.org/

God Questions

I found this website called gotquestions.org, where several popular questions about God are discussed. At first I was immediately frustrated to think that someone has the authority to answer questions and put an end to topics that have been debated for hundreds of years. The more I read, the better I felt about the approach to these questions though. Mostly the questions are answered with Biblical support, but for the most part, the author of these answers recognizes that a lot of these questions can only be answered with evidence, and nothing can really be completely proved right or wrong. So although I didn't always agree with the answers, I understand the perspective and respect the opinion nonetheless. 

It's an interesting website and I urge you to check it out. At the same time, take these answers with a grain of salt and understand that this is just one side of the debate.

http://www.gotquestions.org/questions_God.html

Jesus Action Figures

I  stumbled upon the greatest find today: JESUS ACTION FIGURES.

Some just portray Jesus in robes, similar to the Jesus character found in the Gospel:

Others present Jesus as a part of our American culture:

My favorite of all though is definitely...

SURFER JESUS.

They may just be silly action figures, but what does it say about us? I can imagine that a lot of people might be offended by these. Those with a really strong relationship with Jesus might see these things as idols that completely insult and disrespect their Lord and Savior. In my opinion, I think it reflects the American culture that is pretty lax about religion, and specifically Christianity. It seems that people are more interested in the historical Jesus than his purpose. Ultimately, I think people are entertained by the story of Jesus, but not captivated by it. And as a result, well...we get this:

A Look at the Gospels

The book I'm reading for the presentation is by Marcus Borg and it is basically a take on reading the Bible in light of its historical and metaphorical context. With that in mind, I've come across some really interesting perspectives and insights. I don't want to give too much away though, I'll give a much broader presentation of everything tomorrow when I present.

 Right here though, I want to include an interesting look at the Gospels. The four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, were written in the last third of the first century. At a general level, they are public biographies: accounts of the public life--the message and activity--of Jesus. The Gospels were a product of history remembered and history metaphorized. The Gospels were just these accounts written to certain communities, and that's why there are such contrasts between the books.

This is a fascinating view of the Gospels. It's just one of many insights provided by Borg in his book. I'm excited to present tomorrow and explain many more! I find this stuff to be so interesting.

The Pope's Resignation

I read an article about Pope Benedict and his intentions after his resignation. According to this article, the Pope claimed that he would "remain hidden from the world" and would live a "life dedicated to prayer." It seems that the Pope is resigning because of political reasons. Whether that's true or not, it's sad that we've reached a point where political implications are more important than the job of the pope and the progression of a religion. Pope Benedict was simply evaluating reform issues such as religious freedom, ecumenism, and liturgy. His speech makes clear that the reforms were not a break from the ancient tradition of the pontificate. Regardless, here we are today with a Pope who is choosing to resign. The idea to make changes seems to have caused such distress among people that they pressured the Pope into resignation. It makes me question whether or not we value searching for improvements and change in our life and spirituality. Do we need the traditions and consistency of this religion? Or are we really just scared that change will lead to a new, unfamiliar identity?

It just makes me think. Check it out.

http://www.religionnews.com/2013/02/14/benedict-intends-to-live-hidden-from-the-world/

Veterans' Afflictions

There was a great article in the NY Times about veterans and the moral problems they face as soldiers. This article is about Rev. Rita Nakashima Brock, a faithful Christian and theologian at Brite Divinity School in Fort Worth, Texas. She's also the daughter of a veteran. That part of her life has challenged her faith and made her question where morality and peace exists in war. She's devoted much of her years towards healing spiritual wounds of veterans. She refers to this as "soul repair" and moral injury. Much of her work is based on looking for theological answers to the conditions of these veterans. 

It's an incredible article, and I urge you to read it, but I want to wrap up this post by including a great quote at the end of this article about her views on an evolving pacifism: "I don't envision a world where a standing army isn't necessary. If that is the case, then whether or not I agree with an administration and the wars it chooses to fight, I feel that as a citizen, I have a responsibility to restore people who've fought, to restore them to our communities. It's nothing wrong with them individually. It's what we owe them as a society."

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/12/us/12religion.html?_r=1&

Hateful Christians

Something I've been interested in, and something I've blogged about a little bit already is the reputation of Christians. I was fortunate enough to stumble upon a blog article on CNN.com by John S. Dickerson. He specifically talks about the way Christians are so aggressive through the social media and seem to send so many hateful messages when attacked about the religion. Dickerson points out that that's not at all the "Christian way." His main point is that Christians claim to be following the teachings of Jesus, but apparently disregard that when they defend their beliefs. It's not so much being persecuted for your beliefs as it is being persecuted because you're being hateful.

It's a pretty neat post, check it out!
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/02/09/my-take-a-word-to-christians-be-nice/

The Theology of Ray Lewis

I know it's about a week late to be writing about the Super Bowl, but I read an interesting blog article on the Huffington Post by Rev. Tim Schenck, and I had to rehash the hype one last time before NFL play disappears for seven months.

Behind the matchup of the Harbaugh brothers, the biggest media story leading up to the big game was Ray Lewis' journey. He claimed that this was his last season, and in doing so he rallied the Baltimore Ravens in an incredible playoff run to a Super Bowl victory. Heartwarming story, really. When Ray Lewis was asked about this emotional run, he brought up a controversial topic... Lewis claimed God wanted him to win the game, and God wanted Ray to have this. It's interesting, because at Rev. Schenck points out, that would imply God wanted the 49ers to lose.

After the game, Ray Lewis spoke to a reporter and said "When God is for you, who can be against you?" Lewis' words almost intend to mean that you are either with God or against God, implying that there is no middle ground.

 Rev. Schenck clears up the theology and says that "the human relationship with God is much more nuanced that this-- our faith ebbs and flows, there are moments of inspiration followed by periods of doubt."

He goes on and concludes that "it just doesn't work that way since God is "for" everyone who seeks God out and takes even the most tentative step toward relationship."

Check it out!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-tim-schenck/the-theology-of-ray-lewis_b_2617107.html?utm_hp_ref=religion-and-sports

Same Difference?

At CU there are several different religious organizations on campus, and a good number of those are Christian related. CRU, YoungLife, and Annex are just to name a few, but I want to talk about the two that I've gotten the chance to know pretty well, Navigators and PRISM.

The Navigators is a group that is focused primarily on evangelism. They stress spreading the Word to everybody as their theology states that its their only hope for salvation. In addition, the urge each person to grow in a strong, personal, relationship with the Lord. The group is made up of an absolutely wonderful cast of guys and girls. In fact, they're who I spent a lot of my time with last semester.

Progressive Radical Inclusive Student Ministry, PRISM, is a smaller ministry of guys and girls. Their purpose is particularly focused on social justice and promoting peace. There is little focus on evangelism and an important part of their message is to live out a selfless, gracious life.

Both Christians. Both very different focuses.

I find it interesting how both Christian ministries take a very different angle on Christianity. Regardless, both ministries are based on an understanding of God. What does it say about Christianity that the same religion can differ so greatly? Maybe it provides an explanation for why Christianity has had so much conflict in history. Or maybe it explains why the term "Christian" is still so messy.

Either way, I think it's interesting to look at the many ways people and ministries take on Christianity.

Mysterious Ways

It may be cliche, but I wanted to talk about a song lyric that really got to me. One of my favorite bands, U2, does a lot of their songs focused on God, life, meaning, and things along those lines. A popular one called Mysterious Ways has a lyric in it that's always struck me as insightful.

"If you want to kiss the sky,

Better learn how to kneel"

What does it mean? Is 'kissing the sky' a reference to heaven? I could see that interpretation, but for me these lyrics talk about trusting, valuing, and worshipping God.

The entire song is focusing on the objectification of women. It looks into the way men often put women on pedestals and idolize them, worshipping them essentially. Sure it's not bowing down to them and kissing their feet, but in the mind of men, occasionally they sees women as flawless. 

I think Bono's lyrics here are conveying how the only thing worthy of worship is God himself.  In my opinion 'Kiss the sky' is a way of saying worshipping. And Bono is really saying that if you're looking to worship something, get on your knees in prayer. Worship the God that's worthy of worship.

I think it's just a really cool, succinct way to sum up the idea in lyrics that no other idols should stand in the place of God, and that only God is uniquely worthy of praise.

Prophets

For my book report project, I'm reading a book called Reading the Bible Again for the First Time, by Marcus Borg. In one of the chapters, Reading the Prophets Again, he gives an overview of the prophets, their significance, and then how they play a role in the Gospel.

It's fascinating.

He discusses the former prophets, Joshua, Judges I and II, and I and II Kings. These prophets narrated the history of Israel from the occupation of the promised land until the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians in 586 BC. He also discusses the latter prophets and the distinctions between Major prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel) and the 12 Minor prophets including Hosea, Zaechariah, and Obadiah.

The fascinating part though, is how he interprets the way the prophets are used in the Gospel according to Matthew. Matthew includes Old Testament prophecies in the New Testament story of Jesus. One might claim that the correspondence between the New Testament and passages from the Hebrew Bible indicate that the prophets correctly predicted the coming of Jesus, and those prophets must have been divinely influenced. It seems sensible, but Borg claims otherwise. He believes the correspondence is a result of prophecy historicized, not a product of prediction and fulfillment. The New Testament used passages from the Hebrew Bible to generate historical narrative.

It's so interesting how the historical and literary context of the Bible can completely turn around a perspective on historical fact in the Bible. It makes me question how much of the Bible is factual. Is this a true historical account? or is it simply an attempt to generate historical narrative?

Talking Religion

I love taking religion. Absolutely love it. I'm fascinated with what other people believe, and why.

I had the opportunity to engage in one of these conversations today with a man who stopped me and claimed he just wanted to ask me a few questions. Please. I knew this was about to turn into a religious discussion. I even knew we were likely to butt heads, but it didn't bother me. I loved to just hear what he had to say, and I loved to tell him about my beliefs. Sure we differed on just about everything. But it was still fascinating.

Whenever I talk about religion, I try to keep it friendly. A conversation and a learning experience. Not an argument or a conversion. I've learned that this approach helps people feel more comfortable about sharing their beliefs. I've been able to get on really personal levels with people and understand how they perceive life and purpose and everything along those lines.

As you can imagine, nobody's alike. I always hear a different point of view. Some of the most interesting conversations have been with friends that believe in a kind of eternal energy. A natural force beyond our understanding. One that is completely unique to each person, yet connecting us all.

Fascinating stuff.

I can't even wrap my head around that, but I get it. It's hard to explain. But I get where that kind of view comes from. In fact, I think that's because it's sort of a complicated take on my belief of God.

That's probably a blog to save for another day though...

Regardless, I love to hear what everybody has to say. Ultimately, it helps me challenge my own beliefs. It's a learning experience and it's a growing experience. I love it!

"Christian"

Something that struck me in The Birth Narratives article were the statistics that the Newsweek Poll found:

"A NEWSWEEK Poll found that 84 percent of American adults consider themselves Christians, and 82 percent see Jesus as God or the son of God. Seventy-nine percent say they believe in the virgin birth, and 67 percent think the Christmas story--from the angels' appearance to the Star of Bethlehem--is historically accurate."

I was shocked to see that 84 percent of Americans consider themselves Christian. That got me thinking about what it means to be a Christian. To me, it means both accepting Jesus as the Son of God and trying to live out your life in the way Jesus taught. But do eighty-four percent of Americans agree with me? Probably not. In fact, I'm guessing it's far from that. So then what qualifies as being Christian? Accepting Jesus as the Messiah? Showing love and compassion? Going to church on Christmas Eve?

It seems to me that the word "Christian" gets a bad reputation because of the wide variety of the definitions people put on that word. Nobody quite knows what to expect from a Christian, and thus is often disappointed. It's a shame, really. And I don't think anyone has their definition wrong. Everybody is entitled to be a Christian in whatever way they so choose. But often, people throw that label around and don't think of the implications it could be causing for "Christians" everywhere.

The Many Looks of Jesus

The Bible and specifically the gospel and life of Jesus is well known all over the world. Christianity has spread far and wide and I find it fascinating that every culture chooses to portray Jesus in different way. Historically, Jesus likely lived in the Middle East. So he probably had dark skin and dark hair, but I know that many of the portrayals I've seen of Jesus don't necessarily match that. Living in a Western culture, I've seen paintings of Jesus almost exclusively with light skin. And in Africa and the Caribbean, the paintings are of a black Jesus. I think that's so cool that different people choose to make Jesus a part of their own culture. I think it must help them relate to Jesus and feel closer to him. And in my opinion, I don't think it matters if the paintings are historically accurate or not, just that people all around the world are affected and influenced by his teachings.

My roots

So I thought I'd start off this blog by telling a little bit about myself and my faith. I grew up in Fort Worth, Texas where I attended Univeristy Christian Church. UCC is a huge church, with over 3000 active weekly members. In fact it's one of the largest Disciples of Christ congregations in the country. That's not saying much though, the Disciples of Christ denomination of Christianity isn't too large, and a lot of people don't really know what it means.

I'm here to help though. Let me explain. The mission of Disciples of Christ is essentially living the good news of Jesus Christ with open minds and loving hearts. The focus is centered on actions reflecting and representing the teachings of Jesus. It's a very liberal, progressive ministry that extends a welcoming hand to anyone that wishes to join.

And despite being a part of this ministry for my entire life, I don't have a strong knowledge of the Bible like many other Christian foundations. Of course, I know the popular stories like Adam and Eve, Noah's Ark, and Moses parting the Red Sea, but for the most part my faith was not born out of knowledge of the Bible. As a Disciple of Christ, my faith is based on expressions of love, compassion, and kindness to others.

If you want to learn more about UCC, I encourage you to check out their website!
http://www.universitychristianchurch.org/