Little by little

Well walter and I have been working on an executive summary for the church and finally accomplished something. Our working draft is complete and we are waiting for a meeting with the elders of MBC. In other news I'm waiting to hear about my possible certification for NYS teaching. We'll see over the next few weeks if that's viable and worthwhile.

I'm back to training finally this week. I've changed my schedule around and hopefully will be fighting in a submission tournament this May. Some of our guys had their first fights in our team and I'm hoping to start with a new kickboxing coach next week.

Well i started this on the train last night coming from Lost and dinner with our LES friends the Brill's and am finishing it this morning. As you can see, Gus if very instrumental in my studying...


and somehow i don't know when, i blame my dad's genetics and college...especially Dr. Kebede's classes for massive notes, but at some point my handwriting deteriorated to poo...

I'll share briefly a tidbit of my reading this morning and it also serves as evidence why i like Keller. He's a logical and rational teacher and i appreciate that especially in terms of theological issues and faith b\c it's often written of to a super spiritual experience or spoken of in a elevated spiritual language most people can't relate to. This is not to devalue these things but to say they don't always fit the circumstances or styles of communication... so without further ado, Tim Keller on the theological vision of the church and the Gospel's power ladies and gentlemen...

The Third Way - 

The gospel means "good news." It is the basic message that: "God made [Christ], who had no sin, to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Cor. 5.21). The gospel says that we are so sinful, lost and helpless that only the life and death of the Son of God can save us. But it also says that those who trust in Christ's works instead of their own efforts are now "holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation" (col. 1.22-23).

The gospel tells us that our root sin is not just failing in our obedience to God but relying on our obedience to save us. Therefore, the gospel is a "third way," neither religion nor irreligion. The religious person may say, "I am doing the right things that God commands" and the irreligious person may say, "I decide what is right and wrong for myself." But both ways reject Jesus Christ as Savior )though they may revere him as Example or Helper). Both ways are strategies of self-salvation - both actually keep control of their own lives. So the gospel keeps us from legalism and moralism on the one hand, and from hedonism and relativism on the other.

- Tim Keller, "Into to Redeemer" 1996-97 ed.

Now obviously there are a lot of assumptions going on here b\c this is an excerpt and not a full discussion. There is the assumption on one believing in sin and an after-life and God, etc. but the basic perspective of the gospel's value is great. Keller mentioned on Sunday that our religion is the only religion that calls for not the worshipper to sacrifice and strive to fulfill and please their deity for the possibility of salvation, but is one where the deity sacrifices itself out of love and justice and mercy for the worshipper and offers a certainty of salvation. Of course this introduces the struggle of the trinitarian concept for us to wrap our minds around, but that still doesn't change the fact of our religion. 

Now out of myself my first counter argument against this perspective is that Christianity then is a religion for lazy cowards that are to scared to face themselves and overcome their own shortcomings. Of course there are lots of different points that could be addressed in response to this thinking, but my most simple and undeniable response is the truth of myself as a person. I find much more confidence and peace in the belief (and yes it is a belief as most things are whether we accept that or not) that there is nothing i can do to rectify my spiritual situation and that there is a loving, just God who practices what he desires us to practice rather than my salvation depending on myself. And yes i believe we as people are in need of salvation due to what i see and believe to be the total depravity of humanity. (and this is where we would discuss evil as to one reason i believe this to be true) B\c based on my life record i am lazy and selfish and not very driven to be good. So i'd be in lots of trouble if my salvation depended on me meeting and living up to a set of laws and status quo...

anyway enough philosophy for one morning....many things await....hugs to all.

Jonathan

currently listening to:

-- Post From A Ninja On The Move

Dr. So-in-So, I'd be working for the DOE.

So for at least a second time I have been approached by the principle of one of the schools I teach in about getting my NYS teachers license. While the committee is still out on this one, Wallace and I met yesterday to discuss the plant and I talked with him about my schedule concerns for next year.

Long story short Tammy and I have been looking at what to do for my income and time. Right now the possibility stands that I could work for the DOE teaching martial arts for Heart of a Champion still but st paid by DOE instead of the school which makes things easier and more complicated.

My evening classes may have to be stopped though due to a separation of us from MBC and timing. As we continue to move out of the location no new possibilities are open right now for teaching in. And we've looked at a bigger apartment and teaching out of home but it doesn't look like a very viable option for a number of reasons. So now all this is in the air and I hate it bc I like resolution and to be planning.

Tammys getting ready to test for her CEN (certified emergency nurse) and is planning to start school working toward her masters this summer while I'm busy with TNL. She has to get a chemistry class out of the way. If I end up going for my certification that means I'll have to go backto school as well since all teachers have to have masters here. Unfortunately it won't he a masters in religious studies like I would prefer to get. But life goes on.

So I'm leaving shortly to go teach this morning and will hopefully be talking with the principle more about this idea today. We'll keep you posted.

Peace.

PS. We officially stuck it to the Man by canceling our cable. It's fantastic. I resommend you all do the same and get a Mac and put a free program called Boxee on it and watch your tv that way. Cable is so archaic. Untill they make a la carte cable subscriptions, the end is coming for Time Warner and others. Hahahahhah!

-- Post From A Ninja On The Move

It's another morning

Sooo...I was supposed to go train this morning but when I woke up and was doing my morning deal my rosacea starting itching like a baby with chicken pox in a swap full of Mosquitos. I didn't like it and I knew if I trained it would only aggregate it. But at least I got up so I sat down in the big green chair that Tammy swears I jeep trying to get rid of (but I don't mother and please no apologies for the genetic gift of rosacea. It's not going to kill me so it'll only make me a stronger person) and did some studying.

I'm going through Tim Keller's and Redeemer's church planting manual. Currently I'm looking at the biblical foundation for church planting and fashion of a new church. He had a great three points on basic necessities for a plant. 1) know the Gospel -thoroughly - communicate not a click to liscence and not a click to law. 2) know the culture - adapt not too much or too little. 3) love your city.

Keller spends some good time going through Acts 2:40-47 and looking at the foundation and structure of the early church. This was a really good section that I really enjoyed.
Walter and I are conferencing tonight to get our working mission statement or essay on the church format so we can present it to MBC's elder board and our advisory board for them to look over and sign off on.

Until next time.
Jonathan



-- Post From A Ninja On The Move

Planning session

So Walter and I met today concerning the church plant. We are putting together a 3 month plan of action that will take us into The Next Level. We are meeting again tomorrow morning and looking to outside guidence and counsel concerning the plant. Be praying for us as we look to establish a leadership group here and look for a few people to be a unbiased counsel for us.

It's strange to think that sometiing we've talked and wanted for so long is suddenly happening. But looking over the past year I can see so much coinciding to make this happen.


-- Post From A Ninja On The Move

Unexpected announcement.

So the interim pastor of MBC called a meeting of all the men of the church and sent a personal invite to Walter and I to come. Both of our families haven't been attending MBC for a while now as we've been attending Redeemer Pres. While we and Walter have been in dialogue about a church plant since before we moved here. And over the past year it has been becoming more of a "sooner than later" discussion.

All of that being said, we have been asked by the interim pastor to plant a church out of MBC. And he unexpectedly announced it today to the church that they've asked us to do that. While Walter and I have yet to meet with him and discuss details, and this has been a desire of ours for a while, I guess this means we are planting a church. Oh boy.

-- Post From A Ninja On The Move

Jeffery RIP

He was the best ferret ever. But cancer got the better of him today. I'll miss your kisses buddy.













-- Post From A Ninja On The Move

Days like this.

It's at moments like this, when I look up to find I'm on the wrong train, fighting off a bad case of bronchitis, and just hospitalized one of our ferrets, that I wonder. Why did I get up this morningagain?


-- Post From A Ninja On The Move