Blogs

               I have been going to El Pollo Loco a lot lately. I like the food, I like the price, and I like the company (Hi, Hernan!) when I go. And for what it is worth, they haven’t given me anything to say that (but if they want to they can send any coupons, or free food to the address of the church).

We have begun a study looking at Evangelical Friends History (based on a study that was put together by Dr. Leshana). I was speaking with one particular person who had missed the first class and wanted to catch up. I explained that the first class we simply covered, “What is history, and why study it?” He asked, fairly, “Did you give any other answer besides, ‘those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it?’”

When life shows us to be “out of control” we can sure get frightened. A number of years ago when I lived in Southern California (note the capitalization). We had a pretty good sized earthquake that we simply called the Northridge Quake (for a bit of history try: THIS LINK ). What I found fascinating was the number of calls to a local radio station “shrink.” The callers admitted their fear with the description that they felt “so out of control.” Of course you were out of control. What you are really saying is that you have the illusion that you are otherwise in control. That is the fallacy!

A few weeks ago there was an infamous murder of a now famous abortion provider in Wichita, Kansas. This one hits a bit personally for me.

I finished a book last week called The Myth of a Christian Nation, by Gregory Boyd (for a list of books I have been/am reading click here). The basic premise of the book is an often repeated theme now days that Christians in the United States too often quest for political power which is destroying the church and grieving God. 

I’m not sick. I hate being sick. I hate it so much, I often try to simply deny it and tell myself I am not sick. My nose may be competing with the garden hose for pressure, every Kleenex in the house may be used up, and my voice sounds like I was gargling with gravel, but I AM NOT SICK!

“Since doing good makes you feel good, it doesn’t really count, since you benefit too.”

“Yeah, whatever.” That is the response I seem to get when I offer the only hope I know to the hopeless. My recent encounter is the same as many I have had. Someone calls me, desperate to talk about the tragedy in his life. He can’t see a way out. He feels trapped in his feelings of betrayal, loneliness, and flat out hopelessness. I struggle to answer him.