Let’s Think Together
After a long process of thinking and procrastinating (and probably too little prayer), here is the humble beginning of a necessarily humble blogger. The blog’s title is as much about what I am seeking for myself as what I hope to help encourage and strengthen in others. One reason the decision to blog has been difficult is it will force me to confront my own weaknesses like perfectionism and procrastination. Please pray that God will use this exercise in me to 1) discipline and train my mind in both thinking through and articulating in writing biblical wisdom for everyday life, and 2) make the discipline of writing for others a regular part of my ministry. Also, pray that blogging will not become a distraction and that I will never get carried away with myself.
My main desire is to exalt the glory of God and His supremacy in all things as we think through the issues and ideas of our times and examine them from a biblical microscope. I hope also to enjoy the glory of God with humor (okay, occasional humor) (okay, occasional serious humor) and some less thoughtful but engaging questions. For some, the links may provide the most edification. (I get by with a little help from my friends… and a lot of help from my Friend.
Join in the conversation and let’s grow together.
For future reference: Most posts will probably occur between Tuesday and Thursday. Categories will develop. Suggestions on making the blog better (other than “find another writer”) will be very much appreciated.
A blog site is a great way to bring Christian ideas into discussion. Writing provides accountability that speaking does not provide. In speaking, we are confronted by the immediate presence of another individual and are less likely to confront his ideas. The written word, however, spans time and space and allows for analysis and review.
Writing also provides the accountability of a community. A community is defined by Webster’s as “a unified body of individuals” or “a group of people with a common characteristic or interest living together within a larger society.” As followers of Christ, our “unity” or “common characteristic” is our belief that Jesus Christ is our savior and that through his substitutional death on the cross, we are reconciled with God. Yet not only are we a unified body, we are also individuals. We have a personal relationship with God. God has blessed us with gifts and life experiences that we bring back to the body of Christ for God’s glory.
Ted Cho
November 19, 2006 at 4:18 am
It’s great to be back in town. I just wanted to comment that the Bible study on Jan 12 provoked some thoughts that I’d like to share quickly: 1. Dr. Chapman highlighted well the connection between leadership and service in the context of marriage. I was so glad that he lifted up Christ as an example of servanthood–washing the feet of His followers. At the same time, it’s worthwhile to point out that Christ didn’t serve merely to appease. I can see the temptation of doing something in a marriage (or other) relationship just to keep another person from being aggravated. Certainly aggravation for its own sake doesn’t make much sense, but Christ’s service was and is for the good of those He leads–not just for their comfort. In the same way, believers should serve for the genuine–and sometimes uncomfortable–good of those we are called to serve. 2. Dr. Chapman mentioned that God ordained marriage because “two are better than one.” This is certainly true, but Ephesians 5 points to a more complete, more beautiful picture of marriage. Paul acknowledges that this is a ‘mystery’ but we do well to look carefully at the love and sacrifice necessary for marriage as a picture of Christ redeeming the church. The deep love, the deep forgiveness, the deep beauty and the deep pain of marriage paints a vivid, if incomplete, picture of the gospel. It is God’s kindness to show us in real-life relationships the power of grace. 3. As we listen to these truths and apply them to our situations, we ought to encourage each other in the specific circumstances of our lives. In particular, many of our body come from Asian or Asian-American backgrounds. The bent of culture influences the issues we face, our tendencies, and our dangers. Some issues for us to deal with are i) right parental roles in the marriage of their child(ren), ii) obligation to extended family, whether implicit or explicit, iii) communication with in-laws across language and cultural barriers, iv) pressure to “use” education/degree or maintain dual income, v) acceptance of forgiveness. These are some initial thoughts. Please comment and help us sharpen each other.
J Ho
January 13, 2007 at 10:58 pm