The scripture reading guide I use has got us in Hebrews. We are reading about the new atonement that Jesus made for us one time on the cross. It is better than the old way, the way detailed in Leviticus 16. So Saturday's reading takes us back to that old day. We read three or four different variations on the description on how it is done. Is this repetition for effect? Or is it different writers telling it a slightly different way?
But the point is clear. The priest must make himself as holy as possible before he makes the sacrifice for sin for the whole people. He does it once a year. Hebrews makes it clear Jesus was a willing sacrifice for all of our sins, past, present, and future. So he makes his sacrifice once for all time. He is truly holy.
The priest can make himself holy on the outside by washing and wearing clean white linen which he only wears for the occasion and take off before he leave the temple. He makes a sacrifice of a bull for himself and then a goat for the people.
Anyway the Jews dare not enter into the holy of holies. Yet we do dare because the temple veil was torn when Jesus died on the cross. By the atonement of Jesus, even though we are sinners God calls us holy. So we can now enter the holy of holies and talk to God, as Moses did.
But we dare not take this for granted. We still should work to be as holy as we can. I think by obedience to God's laws, as much as we can, this helps the channel between us and God to be more open. "You shall be my friends if you do what I tell you." Obedience is involved. Yet it is still a work of Jesus and not ourselves for our holiness is as filthy rags before a truly holy God.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Saturday activities
I had a nice walk through east end and downtown this morning. I said hi as a walked to the Rodeo 5k. I did the walk starting at 9:45. I used a couple of younger people walking to give me a pace. Then I jogged in the last one tenth of a mile. Perhaps I should have started the jog a bit earlier. I finished at a 16:15 per mile pace, not bad.
Then I collected a whole lot of free food from the after party. Well everyone else was doing it too.
Then I walked home. I was loaded down. I went slower. The radio kept me going. Oh, on the way up I read my Haggard book "She". And I listened to gardening. That reminded me that I should fertilize the roses and azaleas.
Then JB and I went to Rice baseball. I talked him into it. He was happy since we won. Rice beat Nebraska to get to 2-3.
Then I collected a whole lot of free food from the after party. Well everyone else was doing it too.
Then I walked home. I was loaded down. I went slower. The radio kept me going. Oh, on the way up I read my Haggard book "She". And I listened to gardening. That reminded me that I should fertilize the roses and azaleas.
Then JB and I went to Rice baseball. I talked him into it. He was happy since we won. Rice beat Nebraska to get to 2-3.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Rodeo Walk tommorrow - Evony going going ...
I plan to walk the Rodeo Run Walk, non competitive 5K walk. I will walk to the site of the start, at Texas and Smith, that's another 5k. Then I will walk home, for another 4-5K. So I'll get my workout. This thing starts at 9:45 AM. That is pretty late. But I should be home by noon.
I did one of these last year only that time I chose the 10k. But all the others who choose 10k are serious runners. I was by far the last one on the course. The race volunteers practically gave me a parade escort to the finish line. That was embarrassing for me and I sure annoying to them. That last race I was with a lot of people until we got to the place where the 5k people split from the 10k people. I was the only one who chose the 10k route. I should have gotten the message. I am slow about these things but this time I think I get it. I'll just do the 5k but for my own interest I will do more before and after. 5k is not really enough for me.
Does anyone know Evony? Well I have an Evony friend that showed me an automated program that automates one of the most annoying features of Evony. But this is an adventure game, a war game simulating Byzantine warfare technology played by players on the internet from all over the world. Besides the USA there are a lot of English, Germans, and Australians. It is run out of Hong Kong. Anyway these kids of programs, called "bots" are expressly forbidden. You can be evicted from the game.
I have done everything I can really in this game. Now its a matter of mostly staying alive. So eviction might be my best bet. I'm having trouble quitting cold turkey. Right now I am on three day restriction. That's like suspension to the Green Room. Or being grounded like when I was a kid.
I did one of these last year only that time I chose the 10k. But all the others who choose 10k are serious runners. I was by far the last one on the course. The race volunteers practically gave me a parade escort to the finish line. That was embarrassing for me and I sure annoying to them. That last race I was with a lot of people until we got to the place where the 5k people split from the 10k people. I was the only one who chose the 10k route. I should have gotten the message. I am slow about these things but this time I think I get it. I'll just do the 5k but for my own interest I will do more before and after. 5k is not really enough for me.
Does anyone know Evony? Well I have an Evony friend that showed me an automated program that automates one of the most annoying features of Evony. But this is an adventure game, a war game simulating Byzantine warfare technology played by players on the internet from all over the world. Besides the USA there are a lot of English, Germans, and Australians. It is run out of Hong Kong. Anyway these kids of programs, called "bots" are expressly forbidden. You can be evicted from the game.
I have done everything I can really in this game. Now its a matter of mostly staying alive. So eviction might be my best bet. I'm having trouble quitting cold turkey. Right now I am on three day restriction. That's like suspension to the Green Room. Or being grounded like when I was a kid.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Rice Owl baseball finally opened with a loss at home last night. They got swept at Stanford last weekend. Pitching is a big problem. Hitting and fielding seem OK, maybe above average. Last night as the innings wound down several freshmen got to try out. Anyone who shows a spark will get more time.
Game started at 4. There was a 10 minute glare delay, that happens every spring. The game ended a little after 7. I tried to get to Kegans for small group.
I ran into rules again. Prisons are all about rules. The woman at the gate said no one could come in (by rule) if they are 15 minutes late. So MB and I decided we would follow rules and not try to tempt her to break it. MB got me the invitations for the Alpha marriage class for DW to call the wives. Then I got home earlier than I thought.
My neighbor JB noticed that as he got to see me before he went to bed. So he came over. The house was empty. I don't know where DW went. She did not tell me anything.
JB and I watched a little Olympics. Olympics = boring. We switched over and watched some CSI-NY as well. Luge is pretty good. Aerials is tough to watch. Actually JB mentioned something important. Every luge run looks the same, only the colors are different. Only the comments by the announcer lets us know how well they are doing. Otherwise they all look exactly the same.
Game started at 4. There was a 10 minute glare delay, that happens every spring. The game ended a little after 7. I tried to get to Kegans for small group.
I ran into rules again. Prisons are all about rules. The woman at the gate said no one could come in (by rule) if they are 15 minutes late. So MB and I decided we would follow rules and not try to tempt her to break it. MB got me the invitations for the Alpha marriage class for DW to call the wives. Then I got home earlier than I thought.
My neighbor JB noticed that as he got to see me before he went to bed. So he came over. The house was empty. I don't know where DW went. She did not tell me anything.
JB and I watched a little Olympics. Olympics = boring. We switched over and watched some CSI-NY as well. Luge is pretty good. Aerials is tough to watch. Actually JB mentioned something important. Every luge run looks the same, only the colors are different. Only the comments by the announcer lets us know how well they are doing. Otherwise they all look exactly the same.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Breaking rules and ... turn signals
I was telling someone the other day that I am rule breaker, not a rule follower.
Two of my rule breakings over at Rice University had consequences a couple of weeks ago. They got slammed shut.
First I found a parking place on the campus where I did not have to pay, it is close to the Inner Loop shuttle. But I am not supposed to park there. I have been running just ahead of the authorities for over two years. I would swear that when I started parking there, there was no sign. But the sign has been there for a while. I got a ticket. The small print on the ticket envelope describes where I can park at Rice for free. So now I am following rules.
Secondly I found a carrel at the Rice library with an open drawer. Almost all the drawers are locked. There I could store stuff, mostly small office stuff and things like candy, paper napkins, toothbrush, comb, and the like. The drawer had been raided a few times over the years but this time it was locked. I have to admit I took it too far. I was keeping a library book without checking it out. So I get what I deserve.
I have checked around. I found another unlocked drawer. But after my last problem I will stay where I usually study with the locked drawer. At least for a while. Probably I need a better one still.
OK, that was all introduction. I was reminded off this because of my road rule breaking experience recently. Recently I got a ticket for not using my turn signal. I got out of it. (Yeah!) Perhaps I should chalk that up to grace.
But since all that I have been using my turn signal. I would have told you I already did most of the time. (My family scoffs when I say that.) Now I see that that was not true. I still have to be pretty conscious of it. I think a common reason for not using the turn signal is that it just signals to people behind you what you are about to do so they can speed up and stop you.
My fear of that has been relatively unfounded. For every people who does speed up there are two who see the signal and let you in. So I commend to you the use of your turn signal, if you are not already doing it.
Two of my rule breakings over at Rice University had consequences a couple of weeks ago. They got slammed shut.
First I found a parking place on the campus where I did not have to pay, it is close to the Inner Loop shuttle. But I am not supposed to park there. I have been running just ahead of the authorities for over two years. I would swear that when I started parking there, there was no sign. But the sign has been there for a while. I got a ticket. The small print on the ticket envelope describes where I can park at Rice for free. So now I am following rules.
Secondly I found a carrel at the Rice library with an open drawer. Almost all the drawers are locked. There I could store stuff, mostly small office stuff and things like candy, paper napkins, toothbrush, comb, and the like. The drawer had been raided a few times over the years but this time it was locked. I have to admit I took it too far. I was keeping a library book without checking it out. So I get what I deserve.
I have checked around. I found another unlocked drawer. But after my last problem I will stay where I usually study with the locked drawer. At least for a while. Probably I need a better one still.
OK, that was all introduction. I was reminded off this because of my road rule breaking experience recently. Recently I got a ticket for not using my turn signal. I got out of it. (Yeah!) Perhaps I should chalk that up to grace.
But since all that I have been using my turn signal. I would have told you I already did most of the time. (My family scoffs when I say that.) Now I see that that was not true. I still have to be pretty conscious of it. I think a common reason for not using the turn signal is that it just signals to people behind you what you are about to do so they can speed up and stop you.
My fear of that has been relatively unfounded. For every people who does speed up there are two who see the signal and let you in. So I commend to you the use of your turn signal, if you are not already doing it.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Final review Proper Confidence by Lesslie Newbiging
Finished reading Proper Confidence by Lesslie Newbigin on my morning walk. His last two chapters are the conclusion to the book. He has spent five chapters detailing the problem and explaining historically how it came to be. To me in many ways this was the best part of the book. I find the links between different philosophical stages fascinating. There was some stuff I was only vaguely aware of. Newbigin’s position is that for the last 1000 or so years the most important philosophical thinking was begin done in Europe. I’ll bet there are some Indians and Chinese who would beg to differ. But anyway.
Newbigin’s conclusions are not new. To me he does earn the right to state them from his describing the problem so well. So his conclusions are described from the aspect of this problem. That is helpful.
His conclusion is that we must believe by faith and then our obedience to acting out our faith will give us assurance. He feels that the idea that we can know for certain (a la Descartes) is impossible. Descartes’ proposition turns out to be false. We can never know without first be called to faith and responding to it. The illustration of Jesus calling Peter to follow him is still apt. We are called just like Peter and we respond by following.
The only one who can take a culturally independent standpoint on life is God himself (page 98). Descartes was certainly wrong when he stated that we too can have such a standpoint. In reading this I have trouble I think for that very reason. I cannot be dispassionate. My enlightenment based biases scream at me. I want to find certainty, to be able to “prove it”. A part of me knows it’s by faith stupid. But I like the Greeks and all of us who follow, want to find an independent way of knowing God exists, outside of revelation. This is called Natural Theology. Newbigin denies that you can know God in this way. Others might say you can know something of God, just not about our Savior Jesus Christ.
A not so minor point: Newbigin denies the infallibility of the Bible (page 85). He implies it before this but here he expressly states it. He says infallibility is a response (by Fundamentalists) to the enlightenment and Descartes. Infallibility arguments lead to absurdity. On page 90 he states that Jesus promised the disciples he would give them the gift of the Holy Spirit. The HS will interpret the meaning of the words and deeds that had gone on before and lead them to the truth. But that does not make them infallible.
He does, on page 91, describe his understanding of Biblical authority. He bases it on John 15:15 – “I no longer call you servants, for a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything I have learned from my Father I have made known to you.” Knowing involves doing and loving. Quoting here: “The important thing is not how we formulate a doctrine of biblical authority but how we allow the Bible to function in our daily lives.”
Newbigin has some great turns of phrase. There are also places where I struggle to understand what he is getting at. It is short, only 105 pages. He explains why faith can be put on equal faith with some kind of false attempt to be scientific. All such constructs must rely on unproved suppositions. So a Christians assertion that he believes on faith has equal weight with the man who says I do not believe. His is also a kind of faith and he cannot prove his position either. Einstein’s statement that there is no absolute proof in the real world works here.
When I think of that I think of the miraculous, specifically the miraculous healing. No matter how amazing the miracle one can always doubt the truth of what one has seen, explain it away by some physical understanding or simple doubt the honesty of those involved. One chooses to have faith or not.
(Another view of this book)
Newbigin’s conclusions are not new. To me he does earn the right to state them from his describing the problem so well. So his conclusions are described from the aspect of this problem. That is helpful.
His conclusion is that we must believe by faith and then our obedience to acting out our faith will give us assurance. He feels that the idea that we can know for certain (a la Descartes) is impossible. Descartes’ proposition turns out to be false. We can never know without first be called to faith and responding to it. The illustration of Jesus calling Peter to follow him is still apt. We are called just like Peter and we respond by following.
The only one who can take a culturally independent standpoint on life is God himself (page 98). Descartes was certainly wrong when he stated that we too can have such a standpoint. In reading this I have trouble I think for that very reason. I cannot be dispassionate. My enlightenment based biases scream at me. I want to find certainty, to be able to “prove it”. A part of me knows it’s by faith stupid. But I like the Greeks and all of us who follow, want to find an independent way of knowing God exists, outside of revelation. This is called Natural Theology. Newbigin denies that you can know God in this way. Others might say you can know something of God, just not about our Savior Jesus Christ.
A not so minor point: Newbigin denies the infallibility of the Bible (page 85). He implies it before this but here he expressly states it. He says infallibility is a response (by Fundamentalists) to the enlightenment and Descartes. Infallibility arguments lead to absurdity. On page 90 he states that Jesus promised the disciples he would give them the gift of the Holy Spirit. The HS will interpret the meaning of the words and deeds that had gone on before and lead them to the truth. But that does not make them infallible.
He does, on page 91, describe his understanding of Biblical authority. He bases it on John 15:15 – “I no longer call you servants, for a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything I have learned from my Father I have made known to you.” Knowing involves doing and loving. Quoting here: “The important thing is not how we formulate a doctrine of biblical authority but how we allow the Bible to function in our daily lives.”
Newbigin has some great turns of phrase. There are also places where I struggle to understand what he is getting at. It is short, only 105 pages. He explains why faith can be put on equal faith with some kind of false attempt to be scientific. All such constructs must rely on unproved suppositions. So a Christians assertion that he believes on faith has equal weight with the man who says I do not believe. His is also a kind of faith and he cannot prove his position either. Einstein’s statement that there is no absolute proof in the real world works here.
When I think of that I think of the miraculous, specifically the miraculous healing. No matter how amazing the miracle one can always doubt the truth of what one has seen, explain it away by some physical understanding or simple doubt the honesty of those involved. One chooses to have faith or not.
(Another view of this book)
Saturday, February 20, 2010
The Purpose of My Life ?!
Someone mentioned having a purpose to his life. So that got me thinking. What is the purpose of my life? This is a hard question for me. It is so hard that I have not attempted to think of it for a long while. Should I attempt to revisit this?
What is the purpose of my life or even parts of my life? I have not really consciously thought of it in a while. Because when I did I was stumped. I suppose I do not feel worthy of having a purpose. That might involve some kind of overarching goal.
I raised four wonderful children. Was that part of my purpose? I certainly feel satisfied with that part of my life, praise God.
Is my purpose intrinsic? I think I reject that? Maybe I do not understand what people mean by a purpose?
The only thing I can say is my purpose is to try to serve God. By serving him I love him. I just saw a variant of that as part of a catechism. That is pretty vague though. It does not leave me with specifics. When people talk about having a purpose I think they must have specifics in mind.
What is the purpose of my life or even parts of my life? I have not really consciously thought of it in a while. Because when I did I was stumped. I suppose I do not feel worthy of having a purpose. That might involve some kind of overarching goal.
I raised four wonderful children. Was that part of my purpose? I certainly feel satisfied with that part of my life, praise God.
Is my purpose intrinsic? I think I reject that? Maybe I do not understand what people mean by a purpose?
The only thing I can say is my purpose is to try to serve God. By serving him I love him. I just saw a variant of that as part of a catechism. That is pretty vague though. It does not leave me with specifics. When people talk about having a purpose I think they must have specifics in mind.
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