Gospel Witness

I set my alarm for 6 am today.  Then got up and set it for 7. Then 8.  Then I just turned it of.  I rolled out of bed closer to 9.  I shouldn't be requiring 10+ hours of sleep a night should I?  I'm going to have to get more disciplined about waking up.  But it's Sunday. Day of rest right?

(I'm trying really hard not to drop any eaves while Matt is talking to his girlfriend in the next room.  But he's talking about the ballot...so difficult...)

Anyway.  I got up and made myself an eggs muffin thing with ham and a slice of the 2 lb (not even sure if that's really big enough to emphasize) brick of pepper-jack cheese I picked up.  It was much to my liking.

At around 10:40 I set off for Church.  It was quite a walk. I arrived with 6 minutes or so to spare and found a chair that was sufficiently far away from the large crowd of largely unfamiliar faces, yet close enough to not look pathetically lonely, thereby demanding someone to go out of their way to greet me.  This was the first time I had been to the 11:30 service where Claude speaks since my first Sunday up here.  He does a good job.  The room seemed considerably more empty than usual.

The sermon was on Philippians 2: 12-18.  The 6th ( I think...) in the "Good Life" series taking us through Paul's letter to the Philippians.  It was poignant to my recent musings.  Convicting even. (another word I feel almost loathe to use.  It's got so much connection to...feeling.  Which is something I don't put a lot of stock in, despite my definitive F status according to David Keirsey.)

The biggest thing I took away (and big things were all I could carry in my brain.  I hadn't brought a notebook.  It was raining.)  had to do with the reasons you give people for your different behavior.  For your good deed or your lack of less than savory deeds.  For your Gospel life.  I'd recently been asked (in jest) to attend a party that was a party because of alcohol (kegger I guess is the rather cacophonous colloquialism).  What was my reason for not going?  Well.  Simply because.  I don't do that kinda thing.  You dig a little deeper?  Because it's against the law.  Deeper still, for the Bible tells me so.  Well that's great.  That's true.  But.  Do people need to know morality?  Do they need to know the law? or do they need to know the Gospel?  The logic that I would've given had I been probed further is flawed in a couple of ways.  It gives credit to me for obeying the rules, and it makes me religious, instead of a disciple, or a son of God.  The 'right' answer is that I behave the way I do because Christ came and died on the cross for the world's sins while we were yet sinners, and I live my life in response to that Love.  It's not only the right answer theologically but it's also a far better tool for sharing faith.  I mean.  It presents the Gospel right there.  And how true it needs to be.  How true I want it to be.  That my life is a response to the Gospel.  A response to God's love.

 "Do everything without grumbling or arguing" (v. 14)  That's right! Do it life Jesus.  "...continue to work OUT your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose" (v. 12-13)  Work out your salvation, not for it. "So that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life" (1 v. 15-16).  Hold out the word of life.  Not the ten commandments or a set of moral principles.  That's the answer for the hope that I have.

After Church I made the long walk back.  Uphill.  I ate a banana and a couple of those salt/sweet peanut butter things.  With milk.  I'm the healthiest guy on earth right?  I then went to chez Trey to watch the Seahawks.  It was a pretty miserable game.  It never began to be close and.  Well the Seahawks lost of course.  Janikowski gave me 15 fantasy points though.  Trey didn't seem as interested as I'd thought he was.  I dunno.  Plus he told me he threw away his ballot.  He retrieved it for me and I was tempted to fill it out and send it in myself but.  That would be wrong wouldn't it?  So he threw it away again, even after I gave him an awkward half-hearted speech attempting to bolster up his political efficacy.  No luck.


I came home to Matt.  He got home from camp I guess pretty much right when I left.  And in the meantime he had done the dishes, arranged the living room, and sweeped and vacuumed.  He then went on to clean the bathroom after I heartily objected (yet failed to offer to immediately do it myself).  I will have to make this up.  I cannot have him stealing all the good-deedship.  Plus it might stress our friendship on a subconscious level.  Or worse.  A conscious one.

It's gonna be a busy next couple of days.  I have my 261 midterm on Tuesday and a review session for it on Monday.  Which means I'll miss out on additional time with Core and possible dodgeball as well.  I also have to do my take home midterm for 370.  Since it's take home there really isn't an excuse for anything less than...oh...99% right?  Or at least that's the way I would feel as an instructor.  I'd be a very critical grader if I were her.

Dinner is yet to be had and Drew Brees is stinking it up for me.  Luckily Tommy neglected to fill 3 of his roster spots this week, so I am at this point, nearly assured victory.  Now that they have played the Vikings I can have no qualms about pulling for Tom Brady to pick up his 4th superbowl ring.  I don't know why, but I want him to leave a greater legacy than P Manning and he isn't going to do it in the career record books...maybe it's the hair. 

Tomorrow is the start of another week.  It's business time.  ('Cause I'm down to just my socks [not really]).