Theology Evolved?

So as of right now I am receiving news that last night my niece suffered from seizures of unknown origin. She has received a lumbar puncture, cat-scan, and blood work has been done.
The lumbar puncture and cat-scan revealed nothing, and the doctors think they saw something in the blood so they are investigating it further. So if you my readers could keep my niece Kalayla, my sister Olivia, and her husband Nick in your prayers it would be much appreciated.

Thank You

Zach

Okay so a localized nomad seems a bit contradictory and I understand this. But please read and understand how this term has come to being.

August of 2005, I come home from Scotland and move down to live in an Apartment in Redding.

January 2006, Roommate at Apt. purchases house and we move in.

March 2006, Decide not so fond of housing situation, move into another house across town.

September 2006, Decide to save money on gas and rent, help a friend save money till he gets married, and move into his apartment.

December 2006, Said roommate is married, I need to get out, move into a new house.

5 Moves in 15 months... I am a Localized Nomad... of Redding.

So Today was a little early Christmas for me before I leave for Oregon tomorrow morning. Karina (My Amazingly Beautiful, Smart, Funny, Generous, and very Loving Girlfriend) bought me these pretty sweet shades.
And for the record when I say generous I mean it, these baby's are the real deal, even came with the official Ray-Ban leather case and all. So hopefully its a bright clear and sunny day tomorrow when I drive so I can make all those other suckers on the road feel jealous about my sweet shades.

Oh and if the weather is crappy I would really appreciate some prayer support. My mind does crazy things on the road when I am alone for 7 hours and the crappy weather doesn't help it at all.

I was thinking to myself, with a totally coherent 7am mind, that what if eventually ADD gets so prolific that it becomes common. You know, its not the "odd" thing anymore. And what if actually people were considered "odd" if they weren't ADD? WHAT WOULD THEY BE? Then it struck me... FAD... Focused Attention Disorder. All those wierd people who can actually apply themselves to the task at hand naturally... wierdos.

Sometimes my mind boggles me

Delicious Library is an awesome software that I came across when I bought a variety pack of software to support aids research. Delicious is a program that more or less allows you to catalogue every form of media you own. Right now I have over 70 books (2 out of my 10 boxes stacked up for packing) and some of my DVD's already put in. Ofcourse it seems like a bit of a tedious process, except for one thing... mac users delight.... using the iSight (built in on my 20" Intel iMac Core 2 Duo) I can scan everything in using its the barcode reader plugin!



That is right I am having way tooo much fun. I can't wait to unpack the other 8 boxes and finish scanning, plus i can also put in all my X-BOX games, and hey, if anyone wants to get me a Wii or X-Box 360 with some games I will gladly catalogue those too!

So now you really can alphabetize your entire library, need to know if you own a book or not? look it up! Missing one in a series? You can purchase them on Amazon through the program. How cool is that!

Yah I have some fun OCD times ahead of me.

You know the ones you don't wanna wake up from? Maybe this shows how far my love of photography goes, but I was dreaming that all of this photography equipment I have been wanting was suddenly being delivered to me I mean we are talking about the Canon Lenses I want, the tripods, flahses, a macbook pro, and then after these came a small envelope with tickets to Romania and a letter explaining me to photograph and document what is happening over in Romania as far as the epidemic of AIDS is concerned there and of the overfilled orphans from parents who do not want AIDS children in their homes... Karina is really rubbing off on me, in a good way for sure. I really did not want to wake up from the dream, so I am currently a bit angruy at myself for setting the alarm that woke me up this morning. Anyways yeah thanks for reading about my crazy dream.

Zach

In the entrance to the second millennium one of the greatest questions posed to the Body of Christ, was the very existence of God. Science was becoming less blasphemous and the thought of proving God's existence became intriguing. One of the early theologians Anselm of Canterbury wrote a self-reflection on his own faith, examining his belief in God's existence. In this he came to relate that, "the reality of God, is greater than the idea of God," because as he put it God is, "that which no greater thing can be thought." That is to say since the concept of God is already great, and because no one can think of anything which is greater than God to oppose God, that since the concept exists, then the reality must exist. It is a confusing thought I know, but chew on it.

One man did chew on this, a Benedictine Monk named Gaunilo. His reply was somewhat critical of Anselm as he believed Anselm to be forming an argument rather than a reflection, because Anselm was not arguing. Gaunilo felt that the concept Anselm was pursuing was rather ineffective because as he posed it, there could be a "lost island" which no man has found, and no man can think of a greater one, and since there was nothing to disprove it, this island must exist. However I felt that Gaunilo was off the track on this, because he was pursuing a tangible, physical, and actually if one had the time and resources they could map the entire ocean and actually find or not find this island. Whereas there is no way for any man to ever be able to have the time or resources to prove or disprove God's existence in any way shape or form. So good try, but no cigar.

One of the most practical minded theologians was Thomas Aquinas, he put his existence in God as something of an ultimate end or beginning of all things. Following a sequence of cause and effect relationship all things must have a cause, except God, for he is the Ultimate Cause, because there is nothing that could bring the reality of God into effect. He based this off a few factors. The very existence of Humanity as an effect of God's desire to be worshiped since we have offered nothing to the furthering of the planet (probably more to degrade it). Or perhaps how this existing humanity have functions that go beyong their need to survive. Honor, Goodness, Honesty, Trust, all these work against the survival instinct. Or even how humanity as this great exception to the world even goes so far as to work towards common goals, once again beyond necessity, perhaps a sign of Intelligent Design in our very lives. All these non-essentials have to be something of a point made, to show the existence of God.

So God's existence by concept alone has been tested and challenged, and God's existence by proof as well tested. Personally, I love both Anselm and Aquinas for what they offer, that of faith and of thought.

What do you think?

Those words began some of the most influential statements ever issued by the institutional church. Those wise men who gathered to both combat heresy and to begin the foundation for Christology. The creeds could be likened to the modern day "Statement of Faith" by churches, establishing what is believed by the church as its primary focus.

I love the Apostles' Creed, if you do not know it, I will share it with you now.

1. I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of the heavens and earth;
2. and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord;
3. who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary;
4. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried; [He descended to hell;]
5. on the third day He was raised from the dead;
6. He ascended into the heavens, and sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty;
7. from where He will come to judge the living and the dead.
8. I believe in the Holy Spirit;
9. in the holy catholic church; [the communion of the saints;]
10. the forgiveness of sins;
11. the resurrection of the flesh;
12. and eternal life.

I have been reading through a college textbook again (I know I am the most exciting person you know) The subject I read on was regarding how the early church fathers viewed philosophy and its relationship to theology.

• 1st century: Paul found the unnamed god and presented him as the God.
• 2nd century: Justin Martyr felt that Platonian Philosophy could share common roots with Christianity in that the word "logos" meaning word to the Greeks, and then Christianity having the fulfillment of "Logos" in Christ. The earliest wisdom being spread in the seeds of "logos" being completed and perfected in Christ's coming.
• 3rd century: Tertullian and Clement went in opposite directions. Tertullian asking, "What then do Athens and Jerusalem have in common?" and Clement all but saying that Philosophy was simply a very indirect method to get to the main road that is the Bible.
• 4th century: Augustine felt that if there were common truths between philosophy and theology you take them and discard the rest. The practical thinker he was :)

Folks it appears that the human ability to comprehend caring about people has gone out the window. A wave of callous treatment of humanity is striking people... Even in the drive-thru of your favorite eating locations.

That is right there is a pandemic of "Hit and Run" situations where people who though they think they have every right to assume every person they see handing them their burger or latte is wretched and sinful and in need of salvation.

You see, I was handing out a Decaf Grande 2-Pump Sugar-Free Vanilla Nonfat Latte when after payment the customer handed me a bill as a tip.

But on closer inspection I found I had been punished rather than tipped for this beverage for what I received was this...

I had become a victim of the "Hit and Run" Tract handout version of evangelism.


Folks all I gotta say is, at least pretend to love the person you are using this enough to sit down and learn about them, and realize that they don't like getting non-tips in their tip jars. Sit down, drink a latte with them, share a testimony. Make a real effort, I plead upon you. And NO, tracts are not bad, but realize they are a conversation facilitating tool, not a tip or an end all to salvation.

So as I sit here in a totally empty Starbucks and ponder my existence as a Barista. I wonder to myself. What have I done of great accomplishment, things I can stand by and smile at and offer myself a congenial pat on the back. So here are a few things that though I feel depressed about my life of making lattes I can't help but be happy about.

I graduated with a degree that I am happy I received (Bible and Theology)
I have learned the ropes of worship Production at a church I believe in (NCR)
I have found a "special someone" who I can relax around, not be a hero. (Karina)
I have become my own man, confidant, and ready to take on challenges (Daily)

So what can I say. I may not like being a Barista, but that is pretty small compared to the successes that have come my way. So I march on, head held high. Will update with picture of dead starbucks shortly.

Okay so they have been out for a while now. Like 2-3 weeks I think. But I love them. They are witty and fashionably designed! So my sarcastic inner emerging metro loves them. And I think everyone should own at least one of these shirts. Go check them out. My favorite you may be asking? "Thou Shalt Not Suck". Here is the link to the store.


T-SHIRTS

So I suppose every story deserves its context. So I think what I will do is go ahead and Tarantino this one. I am gonna give you the punch line then let you hear the story. And since a picture is worth a thousand words, even a picture of 12 words.


My senior pastor of my church takes his final half hour before the service begins very seriously. He uses it as a time to spend in prayer, quality time with his family, or perhaps to enjoy one last bit of Lou Malnati's Pizza. That last bit is a conjecture. And usually would put up a sign telling us he was attempting to have some peaceful bit of time before the service and unless there was an emergency we were to honor it. An understandable and accepted practice before service. Then one day a question was raised, a question that needed his answer, and well no one dared to violate the rule of entering this private sanctum of Italianness. Another made up word by me. Well I decided that as an intern this duty did not fall to me, so I kept to myself, until unfortunately the debate of who would ask waged longer than one could wait, so, I knocked... And... I was treated courteously, the problem solved, but was asked to in the future make the best judgment call possible.

Well another week rolls along and another problem happens, and someone begs the question to be asked of him. And as always the debate of who would ask weighed in longer. Until I decide to once again present myself as the whipping boy. But alas, the sign had been altered, indeed made anew, and I was now by name mentioned to leave him alone. So with a smile and a skip (okay not a skip but defintiely a grin) I turned around and feeling empowered by this sign made the call for the team. And what do you know the problem was solved and the people rejoiced. yay...

Just a fun little story for you.

And oh yeah order that pizza sometime. its amazing. They deliver overnight with the pizza on dry ice... that is too cool. And they have a meat crust pizza for you atkins folks. Or Italian Sausage loving folks...