On my birthday last week, the orthodontist removed my braces and gave me my retainer for everyday use. Prior to that, the dental techs asked me what design I want on my retainer. The lab now can put computer graphics on retainers. So I told them that I want the Luther seal on it, and thanks to Google image search, they got a graphic.
I have them for over a week now, and I figured it is time to show off my retainer:
Earlier, I’ve mentioned that one cannot reduce salvation into this “magic incantation” and count that moment as a soul won for Christ. But how about the opposite, to damn oneself to hell?
Have you ever tried to invoke “Bloody Mary” in your bathroom mirror when you are in grade school? According to most legends, you turn on the faucets, turn off the lights, and you say “Bloody Mary” five, ten, or 100 times. And you must do it at night time. Otherwise you won’t see her. There are only two outcomes: either the kid gets too scared to complete the ritual or she gets miffed that it’s all bulldada.
Which brings me to the Blasphemy Challenge. You make a video damning oneself to hell, and publicly deny the Holy Spirit, upload the video…and you get a free DVD movie. I understand that this site was there to cheese off the evangelical and fundamentalists. But consider this: if salvation is contingent upon saying the right set of words, would it be correct to say that saying the wrong set of words would damn you forever? It’s the same coin, just different sides. (”Alakazam!” I’m Born-Again…”Alakazam!” Not any more!) And what’s the M.O. of the hawt chix and bois on You Tube taking the Blasphemy Challenge? Are they going at it because pissing off God is cool and “rational”? Are they doing it to be an “Attention \/\/h0r3″? And if there is real and calculated effort, will it show 5, 10, or 50 years from now (like gauging the sincerity of the acceptance on the part of a Born-Again)?
Besides, those guys are selling themselves short…one DVD?! If anyone want to do a proper repudiation, I’d suggest doing something on the order of an Aristocrats joke, complete with the punchline…”The Aristocrats! Oh, and I deny the Holy Spirit!” Better yet, just live out your life as usual without fanfare or childish grandstanding.
Props to the Slacktivist for tipping me off regarding the challenge.
Threadless is having a Valentine’s sale in which you buy two shirts of the same design (regardless of size), and you’ll get 10 bux off your order!
This week’s shirts are quite neat:
Have you ever wondered if someone loves you? Wear this shirt and you may find out who’s crushing on you.
Life is full of directions and paths. Sometimes the choices you don’t make are just as important as those you do.
Shimala: “Butt-cheek heart!” LOL The erotic symbolism is heavy there. But the butt-cheek heart is the deal-breaker.
Mr Buchholz is on a very very hot streak, with his Gold Rush shirt. Added comedy “gold”: the various debris in the ground, including the toilet seat.
If you can’t draw, the camera’s for you! This hand-drawing is very nice and is such a good addition to any closet.
Finally…Nature’s Balance. Bright, Whimsical, Cheery…with the nice vibrant balance (!) of color.
Congrats to the designers, and I urge anyone to shop at Threadless this week!
Dan at Necessary Roughness tipped me off on this article in which a missions symposium at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary challenged the idea of measuring success via the number of “decisions for Jesus” or the number of people who attended an evangelical pitch.
From the article:
Dr David Livermoore, executive director of the [Global Learning Center], pointed to Rwanda as an example of why a new method to access mission effectiveness in the 21st century is necessary. Livermoore noted that Rwanda was said to be the most reached Christian nation in the world 15-20 years ago, but nonetheless suffered from the atrocities of the 1994 genocide when some 800,000 people were killed during a period of 100 days.
“So all of us asked what does it mean to be the most Christian nation in the world and to experience this?” questioned Livermoore on Thursday.
“All of this cause us to say maybe we have been counting the wrong thing if we are just counting decisions or counting the number of people who have seen the Jesus Film,” he added.
Over here in America, we heard about how many people who attended this or bought the Purpose Driven Life or made commitments for Jesus or some other resolution that makes Ben Franklin beam with favor. And it is not just the evangelicals…even our Synod is focusing upon how many Gospel encounters we have.
Another reason why “counting sheep” is not an effective measurement draws on the number of testimonies from missionaries of people who have come forward to accept Christ, but have lack the personal transformation expected of Christians.
“We are stepping back and asking, ‘We are not sure if the Gospel presence has been felt beyond a person saying a prayer,’” Livermoore noted.
The thing about those count-the-souls-won methods is that not only it reduces Christianity into a mere marketing campaign…it also makes salvation into a method…culminating with the incantation of the “Sinner’s Prayer.” As long the evangelists sees people coming in the aisles and hear them say the magic words…and really mean them, that’s a notch in the belt.
How can evangelists, especially those of the Evangelical/Pentecostal variety, gauge the sincerity of the prayer? A personal story demonstrating Livermoore’s point: Several years ago, the parents took us to the Topanga Mall in California, and we were walking around when one guy came up to my dad and gave him the pitch. They went through the whole nine yards and then the “decision.” Never mind that Dad was more comfortable in Spanish and he was merely going through the movements to get the guy off his back. The guy was content with the moment of the decision, unaware of his inability to sense Dad’s modus operandi.
My Prediger told me that it’s not the number of people that matter…it’s how one soul was touched and transformed by the Gospel. The number of souls is not a question we should ask. These are the questions I ask myself:
Numbers do not figure in my equation because the individual soul matters much more than the sparrows and the hairs on my head. Ultimately, these tally-less endeavors of the Church will manifest itself into the countless multitudes of the New Heaven and Earth. To count souls won is to place the onus of salvation upon my performance and the individual’s work…not upon the One who said: It is finished.
I was at the Office Despot today, and they had the Zune on display. The Zune includes various songs and videos, that I enjoyed. I want to spotlight two songs that are included in the Zune.
Munich by Editors reminded me of Joy Division and the very energetic guitar riffs of U2 in its early years. Pity that the guys at Microsoft did not included the video, as its black and white footage is wonderful. But YouTube has the video for our listening pleasure.
The Threadless community was psyched when they have heard that Let’s Make Love and Listen to Death From Above by CSS (Cansai De Ser Sexy)* featured someone wearing the Cookie Loves Milk shirt at 2:09. And for me to see that in the demonstration Zune at Office Depot was great…especially when I actually have Cookie Loves Milk in my closet.
*Cansai De Ser Sexy is Portuguese for “Tired of Being Sexy”, an actual quote from Beyoncé Knowles. The lead singer thought that it was a ridiculous quote and that’s how they got their name.
From the Smoking Gun…one party at the University of Connecticut Law School. Interestingly enough, it looks like they purchased and owned these ghetto-fabulous threads. Are you sure this is not the Spears and Federline Fan Club party? Popozao! Not only that,the dude in the first page is drinking Santa’s Private Reserve Ale, brewed by Rogue of Oregon. Average retail price for one 22oz bottle: around $4.75. This is not to be confused with malt liquor. Except for the ale, this is an exercise of bad taste. YOU FAIL ON BLACK STEREOTYPES!
Good luck with your job search. May your next interviewer be with a black guy with a huge ax to grind. Either that, or with someone whose taste begins at Prada, not John Deere baseball caps. C’mon– John Deere?!
In one Fark thread, Farkers commented on a group of stoopid white frat guys and their female counterparts who held a Martin Luther King party…with fried chicken, malt liquor in brown bags, and white guys in ghetto-riffic garb. Somehow, “Pretty Fly for a White Guy” from The Offspring came to mind.
Rule #1: Don’t be a dummy and post up questionable pictures on your Facebook.
And to prove my point…I have here for your reading pleasure and general mockery, the Silly Frat Boys and Girls of Tarleton State University!
Five Symposia ago, I was on my way to the Current Trends of Theology class when the Rev. Wayne Rutz was standing outside Wyneken Hall, near the Te Deum mosaic area. He opened the door for me and asked me if I was related to a fellow MA student, who happens to be also from California. It was a logical question to ask, since being Latina is not a common sight at the Seminary. I replied that she’s not related, but I knew her from class and her husband is also studying at the Sem for his MDiv. After a few minutes, Wayne asked if I was with someone at the Sem. I responded in the negative and I asked him if he brought his wife to the lectures. He replied that he was widowed nine years ago. He then talked about how he served over 35 years in ministry. After introductions, we chatted for a while.
I looked at the time. “I have a class to attend. Today, it will be a shortened class as everybody wants to see Neuhaus speak. But wait here. The way Symposia is, not too many people would attend the class.” I made a mad dash to the classroom and looked through the window. About 5 people in attendance. I was sure that Professor Muller would not mind me skipping class this one time. (Professor Muller: If you are reading this, my apologies. I had a very important appointment to keep.)
So, I went back to Pastor Rutz and hung out with him outside the doors. It turned out that Wayne was there to see Richard John Neuhaus speak. Richard was one of Wayne’s classmates during his studies at Concordia Seminary-St Louis. After that, he crossed over to the LCA and then one day joined the Catholic Church and became Father Neuhaus. His First Things magazine is very popular with the liturgical/conservative set.
After talking, we went to the commons and hung out with some students there. We talked for a while until it was time for the lecture. Walking down towards Wambsganss gym, Wayne asked me if I am interested in having dinner. I said yes, thinking that it could mean he’s taking me out to dinner, but considering my being at the Sem, the dinner was most likely a church potluck, complete with foam plates, mac and cheese, and punch served in those AAL-imprinted cups. We sat down together and listened to Fr Neuhaus attempt to explain why he became a Catholic. After that, we exchanged numbers and wished each other blessings.
The next evening, after the Symposia ended, Wayne called and asked me out for dinner Saturday night. I asked him if this is an actual date, and he said yes. “Do you know how old I am?” I inquired Wayne. “I’m 23. How about you?” He replied that he was 60. Then I asked: “Do you have any moral qualms about that?” “No,” he answered. “Me neither,” I answered. “See ya tomorrow night.” I accepted and had an enjoyable time. We hit it off immediately and we became together ever since.
This is my favorite love song, from Pulp. Jarvis Cocker’s persona is of a guy that would drink all your brandy after he has a tryst with your spouse. This song reflects his more tender side, revealing the sublime joy of meeting someone for the first time…and that someone is The One person who will be the love of your life.
I wrote this song two hours before we met I didn’t know your name or what you like yet Oh, I could have stayed at home and gone to bed I could have gone to see a film instead You might have changed your mind and seen your friend Life could have been very different but then Something changed Do you believe that there’s someone up above? And does he have a timetable directing acts of love? Why did I write this song on that one day? Why did you touch my hand and softly say “Stop asking questions that don’t matter anyway Just give us a kiss to celebrate here today Something changed” When we woke up that morning we had no way of knowing That in a matter of hours we changed the way we were going Where would I be now, where would I be now If we have never met? Would I be singing this song to someone else instead? I dunno but like you just said Something changed
God has sent my Prediger to me. He is my best friend and I thank God for him everyday. You never believe how much good you have brought into my life. Thank you, my husband.
Look at the back of the shirt for one familiar logo. 