Okay... I need to diverge from my "typical" (can four blogs be typical?) subject, which is wrapped up the in the goal of helping anyone who reads this blog to enter into the Kingdom of God more fully. By the way, I just discovered that the first blog I wrote for this page, last May, ended up as a "draft," so I just published it, but it's on the bottom of the list.
Anyway, back to my divergance: those who know me (which, to my knowledge, is everyone who stumbles across this blog, but I could be surprised) know that in just over a week I will get on a plane and fly further than I have ever flown. For my first time off of this continent, I have been given the opportunity to travel to ISRAEL!!!
But it hit me today... I don't feel prepared. There are so many prayers and passions about Israel all over, there is so much theology, hope, and conflict, and there is so much history that my only sense is that I don't know what I'm getting into.
SOOO, I write this in hopes of advice, thoughts, prayers, and the like. If you have anything to share with me about Israel, leave a comment on this blog, or email me at the.wright.mike@gmail.com. I'm looking forward to hearing from you.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
The Claims of Eternity
"...we can live fully only by making ourselves answerable to the claims of eternity as to those of time." -Wendell Berry, Life is a Miracle
And what are these claims of eternity? This is a question that all of us, whether we have grown up in a Christian environment or not, must face time and time again. How can we truly know who we are unless we have measured ourselves against that which will never change? How can I know the truth about myself unless I have heard the voice of the one whom the Bible says "is the same yesterday and today and forever" and answered back?
There are four questions that, I suggest, invite us into a forum in which we can make ourselves answerable to the claims of eternity. I learned these questions from a seminary course taught by Douglas Groothuis (the link to his blog is on the right, called "The Constructive Curmudgeon"):
And what are these claims of eternity? This is a question that all of us, whether we have grown up in a Christian environment or not, must face time and time again. How can we truly know who we are unless we have measured ourselves against that which will never change? How can I know the truth about myself unless I have heard the voice of the one whom the Bible says "is the same yesterday and today and forever" and answered back?
There are four questions that, I suggest, invite us into a forum in which we can make ourselves answerable to the claims of eternity. I learned these questions from a seminary course taught by Douglas Groothuis (the link to his blog is on the right, called "The Constructive Curmudgeon"):
- What do I believe about God or "ultimate reality?"
- What do I believe about the nature of human beings?
- What do I believe about salvation, liberation, or the nature of spirituality?
- What do I believe about the identity of Jesus Christ?
I urge all who read this blog (I think it's up to 3 or 4 of you!) to take these questions and answer them thoughtfully for yourself, then take them and use them to help those around you think through their own worldview. For that is what they are: these questions force us to find out what our basic worldview is--and only when our worldview (and the life we live within it) is answerable to the claims of eternity, can we live fully. See John 10:10 for more.
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