The Use of Journals

Last weekend I had a short talk with my good friend Jayson Oldham, a pastor at Ladner Baptist Church, about his interest in the writings of Dallas Willard. His reason for it was that Jayson feels that spiritual disciplines are an important habit that many people today lack. I found this an interesting thought. I do not really keep a journal, nor to I engage in many of these disciplines. However, while travelling in Europe this summer, I kept a diary in which I wrote about my experiences and what I was thinking at the time. This morning I was reviewing some of my entries and found one where I just mentioned some of the things I felt God had been teaching me. To be able to look back a few months and see what God had been teaching me allowed me to reflect on where I'd come from since then. Reflection like that is what makes sure lessons learned are not lost. Maybe it is something I should do more.

Jesus Camp

I should be in bed, however I just finished watching the movie "Jesus Camp". Firstly, the philosophy of the documentary's main character is absolutely true. Anyone wanting to advance a cause should do so by selling their beliefs to the younger generations. It is a strategy widely employed and not just by religious groups. Advertisers target children. The fact that a group of Christians with political beliefs and intentions is selling them kids should surprise nobody. I don't know how anybody finds this surprising.

On to the movie itself. First of all, the film makers clearly have an agenda and we can assume that the film is put together in such a way to advance that. Having said that though, people can be very naive. What did the people think when they consented to being filmed, that this secular group would portray them as the saviors of the nation? Secondly, they seem to fail to appreciate any kind of intimacy or privacy in a person's relationship with God. For example, the Bible clearly says that if you have the gift of speaking in tongues, either exercise it in private or interpret it for those around you. Instead, they allow themselves to be filmed speaking in tongues in front of a group of children, and then allowing it to be filmed for a documentary clearly seems inappropriate.

Lastly, I feel they entirely take the idea of being soldiers for God out of context. Going back to the Bible again, it talks abot love, peace and respect. Evangelism is not seizing power and forcing things upon people. The imagery of an army and of soldiers is about people being dedicated to a cause. Fighting for Christ does not involve fighting. Even debating can so often be detrimental. It is interesting to look at how Jesus preached to non-Jewish audiences. This is part of a study I am doing right now and so I won't go too much in to it, but it was very different then when he was speaking to religious crowds. Militancy and imposing of ones beliefs is simply not Jesus' way.

There is a lot more to the movie, but those were my initial reactions. If mroe comes to mind I will add it later.

Step Up

Last week was our church's annual general meeting. I'm a church member, and I'm 23. So, I went and sat through the reports on expenses, givings, attendance and all that. I even gave a report of my own (I serve on a couple of committees). I was happy to see a few other members of my age group there, but at the same time I know there were a number of us who weren't there. In the past, I've always heard people telling the younger crowd that they need to come out to these meetings if they want to "have their voices heard". But to me, those days are passing. The fact is we need to accept that we are now adults and we need to being to be the ones to lead the church or else soon there will be nobody doing it. We need to take responsibility for our churches and our roles in them. No more consumerism, let's give back.