Living Grave

My Dirty Little Secret

2006-03-24T23:20:00.000-08:00

That's right, I know all of you thought i was a straitlaced, upstanding citizen, but it's true. I have a dirty little secret. I sometimes enjoy...Arena football. I just got back from the Arizona Rattlers/ LA Avengers game at US Airways Arena in beautiful downtown Phoenix, and man was it fun. Once a year is probably plenty, but I do enjoy the white-trash-fest that is the Arena League. Some highlights (or lowlights) of the night:

* The personalized jersey two rows down from our seats: Number 8, "Chalupa"

* The drunken riots that nearly broke out every time something either good or bad happened to the home team.

* The Donkey Kick. Yep, it's just what it sounds like: a contest to see who could kick a stuffed donkey the furthest. Wow.

*The halftime "entertainment" (way to play fast and loose with the meaning of THAT word, guys!): The Dial (tm) Dancing Dads. A group of fortysomething white guys who performed several awkward dance numbers to various hip-hop hits, and then removed their jackets to reveal "Vote for Pedro" shirts and performed the Napolean Dynamite dance. Simply amazing, perhaps the best part of the game.

*Various vehicles and people on the field DURING play... always fun to hope for a Stanford Band situation.

*Being told, when I asked a security guard how to acquire the free Taco Bell Chalupas promised us by the announcer, "I dont know 'bout none of that, but Taco Bell sure has some good ones." So THAT'S where they are.

Fun times were had by all, especially my uncle and myself. Honestly, I dont give my uncle Lee enough credit. He is by far one of the funniest people that I know, and I have a blast every time I hang out with him. It must be something about the name, I just seem to click well with Lees.

In other news, go UCLA. That is all. I'm off to some baseball games tomorrow and Sunday, I may have more to say as the weekend progresses.

Onward

2006-02-12T04:15:00.000-08:00

Umm...so. It's 4:15 on Sunday morning. I should be asleep, I have church tomorrow. But, since I can't seem to sleep, I might as well get my blog on. I know I haven't been doing this much, but I probably should, cuz people apparently like to know stuff, and even more surprising, stuff about me. So here y'all go, with minor apologies to The Judge for the title...the one or two (former :P) DeckTechers in the audience get it.

School this semester is pretty chill, I only have 3 profs: Wright for Wright's Theology 101 (Aka Biblical Theology- every one of his classes is a variation on his theme, though), Kelle for OT Prophets (To balance Wright- it's fun to play them off one another), and 3x Smith for Admin/Leadership, Evangelism and Greek (props to him for not making me meet with the rest of the class at 7 am for Greek.) I love this place and these people- I dread all the GE I have left. It looks like, if the stars align and the schedules work out right, one more year should get me out of here...

Which leads me to the 'onward' mentioned in the subject. The information packet and catalog FINALLY arrived today from Duke Divinity School, and luckily it was well-sealed because i pretty much drooled all over it. I am looking forward to this more than perhaps anything I've ever done, with the possible exception of my impending nuptials this summer (more on that later.) All of the previous plans (Fuller, George Fox, etc.) were cool and all, but the prospects of Duke blow all the rest out of the water. Hauerwas, Maddox, and of course Cameron Indoor are calling my name, and I can hardly wait to heed their call. As a pleasant side note, this has motivated me to achieve scholastic excellence in a way that nothing has in quite some time.

Planning a wedding is pretty exhausting. For those who have already done it, you know what I mean; for those who haven't, um...good luck, suckers! There are, quite literally, a million and a half (at last count) things that must be thought out, and we haven't even cemented a date or reserved anything yet. The most recent hang-ups have been on the site (thanks to our flex-a-date, combined with the insane wedding planner at our preferred location) and the bridesmaids' dresses. Fortunately, the latter one may be close to finalization, and the former one...well, options are being explored. It looks like it will end up inside after all, so we don't need to rent toilets or a sound system, but where that 'inside' will be is still somewhat up in the air. Luckily, I'm marrying someone brilliant and beautiful who keeps all this biznaz straight. Oh, and takes care of me when I'm suffering from random lung-based ailments. And tells me to go to the hospital in the first place so I can get said ailments diagnosed and (hopefully soon) knocked off. And deals with me being totally insane a lot of the time. I love you, babe. Seriously, I don't know how I got anything done before Liz, but I'm glad I don't have to now.

4:40...bedtime, finally. Hopefully I'll be a bit more active in my blogging habits, so until next time, true believers...

Peace,
Chris

I'm So Engaging...

2005-11-28T09:55:00.000-08:00

Hey all-
So a week ago yesterday Liz and I got engaged! Since she's way better at it than I am, here is her description of the evening:

Ok everyone, chris proposed to me tonight and i said yes! it was so romantic and perfect, i couldn't imagine a more romantic evening. He took me to Il Fornaio, this amazing italian restruant on Coronado. We first talked at the Il Fornaio in Seattle, so it was sort of full circle. we sat out on the patio and looked at downtown SD. then after dinner he took me down to the beach by the Hotel Del Coronado where he had set up a table for us in the sand. there were red and white rose petals sprinkled all over the sand and table and there were red tea lights that had been lit and place all over the table. there was also dessert on the table for us and milk in wine goblets and classical music playing on a stereo. after eating the dessert chris brought his chair around next to me and started telling me how much he loves me and other things, and then he dropped down on his knee and pulled out the ring and asked me to marry him. i said yes and then we kissed and then got up and danced barefoot in the sand under the moon. so Perfect!

anyhow i'm sure that you guys will be getting updates as we plan the future out.

liz

So there ya go... It's official!
l8z all,
Chris

Ummm.... Blink?

2005-09-13T11:58:00.000-07:00

So yeah...here I am again. For those of you that wanted an update, here it is. I don't know whether my life has actually become more boring since I started this blog or I simply have less to say about it... I wish i had more to say, as I do enjoy doing this, but posting stuff like "THAT TREE IS FAR AWAY!" seems lame. So school started back up, all my classes are pretty chill. 0645 AM is not the best time to learn Greek, but it's working OK. It's great to have all my peeps down here at Loma, and even better that Lee found himself a good girl. Kristen's really nice, if you haven't met her yet, you should.

Speaking of girls, my own girl just moved into her own place out in El Cajon. It's a cute little one-bedroom place with tile floor and a livediningkitchen room. Man, is it expensive to furnish a house! Yeesh! Oh well, at least we'll only have to do it once in awhile.

Other than that, not a whole lot going on... I do take requests :) If anyone wants information about something specific going on, just let me know and I'll throw it up. Aside from that, I'll try and update as things strike me. Now that school's back in, it's likely I'll have a few more "deep thought" type things up too from time to time. Anyways, take it easy all!

Summertime, and Chris is Lazy

2005-06-14T12:16:00.000-07:00

So yeah, its been almost a month since i updated last...idk if anyone still checks this out :) Its been fairly uneventful, esp cause Liz is 500 miles away :/ *sigh* BUT i get to go see her this weekend, so that will be the height of awesomeness! Aside from that, the internship is going swimmingly, although Mr. Teapot decided to go on vacation for a week. I'm in charge this week, so that should be....interesting. It's gonna be a good summer, though, I think- tons of youth stuff, etc. Anyways, not much else to report. If something interesting happens, I'll let you know, i suppose :) Until then, keep checking back every third week or so ;) Lataz all!

Home, Sweet Home

2005-05-21T00:18:00.000-07:00

Hey all-
Home at last- yay, NorCal! My beautiful girlfriend Liz is with me until the 30th too so if you want to meet her or hang w me, give me a call. Things are going well, i still have a couple papers to finish up for school but other than that I'm done... I have my own desk at SRNC, I'm so proud :) All for now...if anyone has questions feel free to ask, i know i've been boring lately ;)

The Greatest Thing You'll Ever Learn

2005-05-09T01:46:00.000-07:00

Hey all- Has it really been almost 3 weeks since I posted here? Wow...well, things have been interesting. Specifically, for those (two or three) of you who don't yet know, I now have a girlfriend :D Her name is Liz, she's 23, graduating next week with a double major in Psychology and Philosophy/Theology. For those of you lucky enough to live in NorCal, she's coming back up with me the week after graduation, so you'll probably get to meet her, if you're nice. She's awesome (duh!) and for some silly reason thinks I am too... anyways, hope you all are excited ;)

Next Semester

2005-04-22T05:30:00.000-07:00

Hey all, interesting school stuff. The School of Theology & Christian Ministry recieved an overhaul to all of their degrees, including the addition of two new majors. After looking at the options, I have decided to adopt the new catalog in order to double major. So as of now, I am no longr a Bible & Christian Ministries major, but a Christian Ministry (New BCM) AND Biblical Studies (New major) major. I'm so excited :D I registered for classes for Fall '05, and thought I'd share my schedule for all of you who are interested. Those of you who aren't, um...stop reading.

MWF
730-820: Essentials of New Testament Greek I-Smith- Good: Excited to learn Greek, Bad: WHO?! puts a language at 0730 AM!! Esp. a dead one!!
945-1030: Yay for chapel!
1100-1150: Early Christianity in the Pauline Church-McCant- Dr. McCant's a good ol'boy from Atlanta. He is chronically ill and makes heretical statements sometimes, but he's so sweet about it that we manage to forgive him. This one'll be good.
130-220: Preaching-Smith- Smith might be the funniest prof. in the School of Theology. Don't get a match near his hair though...

TTH
930-1045: Literature of Second Temple Judaeism-McCant- See Pauline Lit...Derek & Greg said that this class was the most fun class they've taken in the entire School of Theology, and that counts for a lot. Zac and I are having to cross our fingers that Jerry has at least another semester in the tank, though.
130-245: Interpreting the Bible-Kelle- A prerequisite to all the Bible classes I already took...impeccable timing on this one :/ It'll still be really interesting though, Kelle's like Jerry, only fully lucid all the time. Plus it will be fun to watch all the underclassmen get their collectively silly vision of the Biblical texts utterly shattered. I kinda hope he makes someone cry.

Aight, well another short one, but exciting :) Now to get through the rest of THIS semseter...
Peace all!

Insanity!

2005-04-20T17:12:00.000-07:00

Well, umm...school's nuts, life's nuts, Giants are less than stellar, and the Dodgers are owning. *WIERD* Oh well, this is just a short update, sorry. I'll try and do more later, but suffice it to say things are crazy :) Lataz all!

At the Crossroads

2005-04-04T03:26:00.000-07:00

This is an essay I wrote for THE250: Foundations of Christian Theology. Hopefully it's an interesting read. ;)

At the Crossroads of Good and Evil: Theodicy in Light of the Words and
Works of Jesus Christ

Theodicy—a thorny issue that has confounded and at times divided Christian apologists through the centuries. It is a response to the question of how an all-loving, all-powerful God can allow evil and pain into the world. On the surface, the idea seems preposterous, even contradictory at points. However, it is my intent to show that the possibility of evil in the world is necessary despite an omnipotent, just God. Furthermore I intend to show what role our Savior, Jesus Christ, plays in the understanding of this complicated subject, and how this crossroads of good and evil is to be understood.

My answer to this question of evil presupposes the idea that we as humans have free will, a concept in itself that has been debated ad infinitum. However, I think that it is clear that we indeed do have free will. It is certain throughout the Bible that God desires a relationship with us, and to have any sort of meaningful relationship with us would require some sort of free will on our part. Without it, we would simply be automatons, carrying out whatever will God set forth for us. Clearly, this would not allow us to freely love God and have relationship with God as God desires.

However, since God did give us this free will, the ability to make our own decisions, there are logical consequences. The freedom of choice intrinsically implies that there are things to choose between- in this case, good and evil. In giving us this choice, God must therefore allow the possibility that we will choose evil--choose that which is against God’s will and desire. The choice was between a perfect, yet mundane world filled with creatures that were simply subservient but lacked the capacity to truly worship and love God, or a world in which creatures had this power, but in which the possibility existed for the same creatures to love themselves, to love evil, and even to deny God’s very existence. There was (and is) nothing in between. To say that God could have given us free will and yet guaranteed a perfect world is simply nonsense.

There is, however, intended or not, a purpose behind the allowance of continued suffering and evil in the world. This is most effectively shown in the Book of Job. God does not directly address this question of theodicy, but in God’s questioning of Job and later castigating of Job’s friends, it is clear what God’s answer is. Job’s friends’ view of suffering is that it is punishment for sin. Obviously, as in Job’s case, this is not always true. Elihu tells Job that God uses suffering to teach and refine God’s people. God, however, refutes both of these claims, and shows that we are to trust God for who God is rather than what God does. This is shown throughout the life of Jesus as well. One example of this is found in the Gospel of John, when Jesus confronts Thomas after Jesus’ resurrection. “Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe." (Jn. 20:29, NRSV)

Unfortunately, we as a people, and especially as a modern society, have grasped on to our free will and jumped in the wrong direction with all our collective might. Humanity is a fallen race. Each of us daily chooses evil over good in some greater or lesser form, thus distancing us from our Creator. Jesus addresses this by saying that we are slaves to sin, and must be freed through him. “Jesus answered them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The Slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there forever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.’” (Jn. 8:24-36, NRSV)

What, then, must occur for us to receive reconciliation, healing, and right relationship with the One who gave us being, who loves us greatly, and who desires our love? This is answered for us in 2 Corinthians: “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us.” (2 Cor. 5:18-19, NRSV) Jesus’ words, works, and most of all his death and resurrection, allowed us to be reconciled to God. This is the true crossroads, wherein the break that evil created is irrevocably fixed, for those who choose it, through Jesus. It is important here to note that, although we must also take some action, ours is merely a response. It is God who is reconciling us to Godself, rather than any sort of reconciliation that we could create or obtain through our own power or wisdom.

However it is not simply Christ’s death and resurrection that aids in reconciling us to God. His life, ministry, and sinlessness provide us with a perfect example on which to base our lives and practices. He shows us what is expected of those who believe in God and how we are to live. One analogy, admittedly a simple one, may help clarify this point: think of heaven as a house. This house has certain rules (love of God, obedience to God’s will), and those who choose to break those rules are not allowed in the house. However, those who try to follow the rules, even if they have made mistakes, can live there. Jesus is the example of these rules- obeying and serving his father, even to the point of death. More eloquently stated, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin.” (Heb. 4:15, NRSV) Jesus had to abide by the same rules that we do and has provided a model lifestyle for us to follow.

As you can see, the ministry, life and person of Jesus, is intimately involved in the question of theodicy. Jesus stands at the crossroads, showing us right living and choices, freeing us from our sin, and reconciling us to God. I am thankful each day for Jesus’ involvement, because without him we would be unable to be in right relationship to our Maker. I pray that as I continue in my studies of him that I would follow in his footsteps and allow his life to guide mine.

Random Survey Thing

2005-03-22T12:05:00.000-08:00

I clipped this survey from Gerardo's blog, who I think clipped it from Sean Flanagan's...enjoy!
(x) I've done something illegal. (Speeding, I suppose, is illegal…)
( ) I like my handwriting. (Yeah, right…I’m a guy!)
(x) I have acne-free skin.
( ) I like and respect Al Sharpton. (If I knew who he was, I might)
( ) I curse frequently.
(x) I have a hobby. (“A” hobby? LOL)
(x) I've been to another country.
( ) I carry my knife/razor everywhere with me.
( ) I'm really, really smart. (I’m not quite arrogant enough to say this)
( ) I've never broken anyone else's bones.
(x) I have a secret that I am ashamed to reveal. (OK, here it is…I don’t like avocados. I’m so ashamed : (
(x) I'm paranoid at times.
(x) I need money right now. (sure, if you got any…)
(x) I love sushi. (We just went over this…)
( ) I talk really, really fast sometimes.
(x) I have lost money in Las Vegas. (Overall, yeah I’m prolly down some $…notice it doesn’t mention gambling)
(x) I have at least one brother and/or sister.
( ) I was born in a country outside of the U.S.
( ) I shave my legs.
( ) I have a twin.
( ) I couldn't survive without Caller I.D.
( ) I like the way that I look. (Meh, not really…)
( ) I have lied to a good friend in the past 6 months. (I hope not at least)
( ) I know how to do cornrows.
( ) I am usually pessimistic.
(x) I have a hidden talent. (*Hides Talent*)
( ) I'm always hyper no matter how much sugar I have.
(x) I am currently single.
( ) I have kissed someone. (Sure, rub it in)
(x) I enjoy talking on the phone. (I suppose…)
( ) I practically live in sweatpants or PJ pants.
(x) I love to shop. (Mostly for books)
( ) I would rather shop than eat.
( ) I would classify myself as ghetto. (LOL Ya im’a roll to the club wit my homiez.)
( ) I'm bourgeoise and have worn a sweater tied around my shoulders.
( ) I'm obsessed with my xanga! (Don’t have one…)
( ) I don't hate anyone.
( ) I'm a pretty good dancer. (Flippin sweet!)
(x) I have a cell phone.
( ) I watch MTV on a daily basis.
( ) I've rejected someone before.
(x) I currently have a crush on someone. (Johnny Depp! Wait…)
( ) I have no idea what I want to do for the rest of my life.
( ) I've had the cops called on me before.
( ) I bite my nails.
(x)I have a lot to learn. (Umm… yes.
( ) I have dated someone at least 10 years older or younger. (LOOOLLLL)
( ) I am very shy around the opposite sex.
(x) I'm online 24/7, even as an away message. (Eminently accessable)
( ) I have at least 5 away messages saved.
(x) I have been rejected by someone.
(x) I have a green sweater.
( ) When I was a kid I played "the birds and the bees" with a neighbor (Whaaaa…?)
(x) I enjoy country music. (ONLY SOMETIMES! Please don’t tell my dad!)
(x) I love my best friend.
( ) I think that Pizza Hut has the best pizza. (D’aurelio’s all the way)
( ) I watch soap operas whenever I can.
( ) I love Michael Jackson, scandals and all. (Right….)
( ) I know all the words to Slick Rick's "Children's Story".
(x) Halloween is awesome because you get free candy. (Duh, silly question!
( ) I watch Spongebob Squarepants and I like it.
( ) I have dated a close friend's ex. (Heh some of these questions are wonderfully morally reprehensible)
(x) I'm happy as of this moment.
( ) I have gone scuba diving.
( ) I've kissed someone I knew I shouldn't.
( ) I play a musical instrument.
(x) I strongly dislike math. (Ugh… FO SHO! Math=bad)
(x) I'm procrastinating on something right now. (Couldn’t tell you what it was even, but im sure something…)
(x) I own and use a library card.
( ) I fall in "lust" more than in "love."
( ) I'm obsessed with the tv show "The O.C."
( ) I am resentful that I have to grow up.
( ) I am an entirely different person around different people. (I hope not…)
( ) I think ramen is one of the best foods in the whole world.
(x) I am a nerd.
( ) I am left handed and proud of it.
(x) I try not to change who I am for someone.
( ) I am listening to Radiohead right now.
(x) Some people call me by a nickname.
( ) I once stole a music stand.
( ) I like pumpkin pie.
( ) I don't have the ability to make decisions without changing my mind.
( ) Done drugs other than alcohol or cannabis. (Not that I’ve even done those…)
( ) I'm having trouble sleeping.
( ) Sloth is my favorite deadly sin.
( ) One of my feet is bigger than the other. (*shrug* maybe I guess…)
(x) I love comfort food.
(x) I can walk a mile without feeling like I'm going to die.
(x) I am a college student.
(x) I love to cook.
( ) I hate vacuuming with a passion.
( ) I'm addicted to photography and picture frames.
(x) I listen to foreign music. (Is ‘Irish’ considered foreign?)
(x) I'm a hopeless romantic.
(x) I've changed so much since high school (I hope so, I was a (h)idiot)

Baseball + Sushi = I <3 March

2005-03-20T23:19:00.000-08:00

So I'm hanging out at the hotel here in AZ after two days of spring training, and I gotta say, I missed baseball a ton. Welcome back, old friend :) I watched the A's crush both the Cubbies and the Giants on consecutive days, although the Giants only had 2-3 starters in the lineup, so it was pretty silly. I want to do this every year, though; it's a great precursor to the marathon 162-game party that is the MLB season-really whets the appetite. Apparently SD will be home to not one, but two baseball teams this season, as the San Diego Surf Dawgs join the Padres in town, courtesy of the new Safeway-owned Golden Baseball League. It'll be a tossup who I see more; the Surf Dawgs are undoubtedly less expensive, but i dont know how long I can take rooting for a team with such a rediculous name, plus PETCO is the most amazing stadium i've been to outside of Pac Bell/SBC Park. Hopefully I'll be able to catch my boyz in orange & black enough this summer to where I wont have to worry about which SD team to see ;)

In other news, I think I'm addicted to sushi...I've had more sushi in the past month than in the rest of my life combined. Some great (Sushi place in Fremont, WA- Daniel, what's the name??), some good (Mr. Sushi here in Phoenix AZ), some really crappy (The stuff that the Asian Club 'showed' me how to make.) Hopefully I'll find a place that is in either Northern or Southern California, rather than Washington or Arizona, that I can frequent as money allows...those fishies aren't cheap apparently :P

Aside from that, I suppose the situation is normal...I'm slowly rebuilding my CD collection, having dropped $80 on a new CD case and 100 CDs. School's un-sane right now, but hopefully I'll get some stuff done before break and maybe even some during it...naah, prolly not that last part. I'll try and get some notes and stuff up from my trip(s) when I get back to school...till then, GO Blue Devils!

The Short Short Version

2005-03-15T00:20:00.000-08:00

I'm finally back @ Loma after my travels took me up and down the West Coast. The Wesleyan Theological Seminar was mindblowing; I'm still processing all that was said there. Talk about a SMART group of people...wow. I havent decided what format i'll post my notes for that in, but at some point you'll be able to see some of it. It was fun hanging out with the gang from Loma, and getting to know some new people around here, even if they are Psycho(logy major)s. Home was good as always, hangin w fam and friends, just wish I'd had a little more time to do so. Vegas was wicked awesome- I got 9th out of 61 people, beating LOTR notables Brian Fred and Matt Ward on Day 1 to make it to day 2, where my deck decided it didnt like me. Oh well, first red pin, $125, i'll take it. The least awesome part was clearly the fact that someone busted into my car the night we got there and jacked my ENTIRE CD collection, along with a friend's clothing bag. Amazingly, and here i'm almost inclined to say miraculously, the thief hit the Valet button while tossing the glove compartment, so they couldn't get into the trunk, which contained my clothes and every LOTR card I own, along with random other stuff. They also didn't take my sunglasses or expensive jacket which they did have access to. They did randomly steal my pill box and car instruction manual...still puzzling over that. Oh well, suffice to say that part sucked. But we were't hurt, and that's what matters. Other than that, the trip was awesome. Being one of only two or three sober people in a room of 12 is sometimes annoying, but usually funny!!! The guys i stayed with drink...a lot...and me and Garrhet and usually David Chafin don't, so we get to point and laugh. Good stuff. Anyways, I'll try and post more later, but as the title said, that's the short short version.

To Tide You Over...

2005-02-28T00:59:00.000-08:00

For your information: The odds of being killed by space debris are 1 in 5 billion. It's a pretty crazy time right now; I've got a ton of papers and such due before I leave for Seattle on Wednesday, so hopefully I'll update during or after the conference. For those few of you who I haven't excitedly told yet, I'm going to Seattle for the Wesleyan Theological Seminar :) I can't wait; it's gonna be crazy fun. My roomie, Daniel, is going with me, and we're staying on the (presumably) beautiful campus of Seattle Pacific University. I feel kinda like Obi-Wan, "Taking a first step into a larger world." Anyways, I doubt I'll be able to post before then, and I apologize that I've been so boring lately... until then, watch out for space debris!

?? The Weekend, or A Path to the Future ??

2005-02-17T02:19:00.000-08:00

Intro: I don’t know whether to consider this a “Deep Thought” or just a post about me, hence the question marks. Thanks for reading.

Heh, that God fellow. So funny… He could use the easy, obvious situations of our life to teach us stuff, and sometimes does, but it is my experience that He prefers to use situations and even people in the opposite way that we expect. I think He must get a kick out of doing it that way, and frankly I don’t blame Him… looking back on various situations, God’s sense of irony can cause some of the funniest circumstances I can think of. After my earlier post regarding my dislike for the "Help-U-God" that is so prevalent, God decides to remind me in a not-so-subtle way, "Yes Chris- I AM immanent too, ya know! I can do both!" SO- all that to say, the retreat for my Intro to Ministry class last weekend was far more intense and informative than it had any right to be.

Some backstory for the few of you who I haven’t had the opportunity to lament about this class to: The first day of class, we walk in and taking up the entirety of both chalk boards are huge random drawings- whales, a shoe with the prof’s name (Shoemaker…get it?) inside it, and various phrases such as “Yay Jesus.” On the table, crayons and construction paper were laid out next to scissors and glue sticks. At this point, I seriously considered walking out, but somehow resisted. We spent the entirety of the first class period making posters with the aforementioned art supplies, discussing what ministry “looked and felt like” to us.

Since that first day, the class has improved very little, with random craft activities and touch-feely Christianity abounding. On multiple occasions I have considered dropping it, but as it is a required class and there is no guarantee that the prof. who SHOULD be teaching it (Dr. Smith) will ever teach it again, I decided that it would be a bit of a waste of time to drop it. Anyway, needless to say, I was NOT looking forward to the required retreat that was scheduled for last Sunday. I expected a full day of happy-go-lucky Christian talks, crafts, and other such ‘retreat’ activities. I prayed that God would use the retreat despite Prof. Shoemaker, and it seems that God is pretty good at saying ‘yes,’ at least sometimes. The day started out with some activities similar to those from class, but quickly moved into a day of introspection, prayer and support. We were divided up into groups (these were randomly selected at the beginning of the year, but my group has since been dissolved, so this was the first time that I had met my group.) In these groups, we talked about our struggles, our hopes for the future, and other such topics, and voiced support for the other members of the group. We then had times of solitude, where we spread out across the grounds of the retreat center, and were instructed to simply talk and listen to God, and maybe record our thoughts during these times. Record I did, and it is these records that I would like to share with you. Basically, my answers took the form of short letters to God about what has been going on, and what will go on in the future. Hopefully these will be as informative to you as they were to me, and will give you some limited sense of what I’ve been dealing with and where I may be headed.

The first question was one of accountability: “Lord, how am I doing?”
God-
It seems presumptuous of me to even direct these thoughts to you, as I know that you already know them- you’ve heard them before, from me, even. It seems as if there is so much negative, so little positive. So much grace, so little worship. This two-way street that you’re walking with me has become very one-sided. I think we both realize that it will never truly be two-way, but you love me in spite of this. Accept this feeble afterthought, I pray. Sadly even in this I know that you will be faithful where I would not have been. As Hamlet lamented, “I am very proud, revengeful, ambitious, with more offenses at my beck than I have thoughts to put them in, imagination to give them shape, or time to act them in. What should fellows as I do crawling between earth and heaven? We are arrant knaves, all.” Yet, through this, I see glimmers of hope, places where you alre able to make me ‘a little more than useless.’ God, I am a charlatan, I admit freely. Cleanse me. I know you can make the foulest clean. Use this living grave in ways I cannot now see or imagine. Allow me to know, like Job, that your ways, which at times seem strange & even painful to me, are Perfect, Just, and Good. Thank you.
-Chris

The second question is one of discovery: “Lord, what are you saying to me?”
God-
You have shown me. I have been beaten and battered, perhaps to some beyond recognition. But in your infinite grace and ability, you have begun the rebuilding process. Despite the very stone of my being crying out against the work you do, you have begun to make in me a new, beautiful creation…one of your many masterpieces. You, the master craftsman, are the only one I can rely on, the only one who knows what my final form must be. I know that, in the fullness of time, I will indeed reach that form. Help me until then to see the next step, or more accurately to allow you to place my foot, even and especially when and where I would never choose to place it myself. This is the point of no return.
-Chris

The final question is one of ministry: ”Lord, what do you want me to do?”
God-
All glory to you. You’ve put the ball in my court, even given me the play and trusted me with its execution. Wow. Your ways, O lord, are utterly beyond me. Thanks for allowing me to ride the storm, then suddenly calming it when I least expect. I have decided to follow You- no turning back. In my weakness, you find strength, of course. But your strength is ultimately behind mine as well. Use me. You’ve emptied me, fill me. Your affirmation of purpose, so clear. Your words, so perfect. Your love and grace, so unending. Let this not amount to “sound and fury, signifying nothing.” Keep me steadfast, keep me humble. It is over…it has begun.
-Chris

Basically what the day amounted to was an extreme reaffirmation of purpose. Having been ‘called’ to ministry is a fairly unique experience, and it leaves itself open to great deals of self-doubt and questioning: is this really what God had in mind? Is this the right path? Or was I just hearing my own voice-or worse, Satan’s? After knowing those in my group only a day, though, they affirmed to a person, and in the strongest manner possible, that this was the correct direction for my life. Now its up to me- I have to take it wherever it goes from here. But I needed that affirmation, and it came, and it came at perhaps the most unlikely time. So…from here on out, no turning back. Thanks to all of you for your love and support. I pray that I will be able to return it to each of you in whatever small ways I can. Don’t hesitate to ask. Until next time…onward.

Okay, So Today was Busy...

2005-02-16T00:50:00.000-08:00

I admit, this is not the interesting post I'd said would be up. If you want to know a little of what's up anyway, read on. First, a point of clarification. Although he seems confused about the posting system, my father would like me to retract my earlier statement that he was old. I'm not sure what he expects me to change it to, but retracted it is. Second, there's been a ton of things that went down today that needed my attention, including but not limited to multiple time-consuming conversations that weren't expected. That may sound like excuses...and i guess they are :) So one more day, true believers, and hopefully that day will be today. I have classes and bowling till 430ish so maybe sometime after that? Until then, may your foreheads grow like the mighty oak.

Keep Waitin'

2005-02-15T02:33:00.000-08:00

Faithful reader(s?) ;), keep looking here and keep reading...I'm not sure whether there's nothing going on, or too much going on. But either way, I'll have something up tomorrow that will be interesting. Maybe even a couple somethings, we'll see. Take care, all.

God as an American Idol

2005-02-09T03:09:00.000-08:00

It’s funny how circumstances present themselves sometimes. This essay, thought, post, call it what you will, has been cogitating in my head for a couple of days. The inspiration for it is a series of circumstances and thoughts that could be seen as coincidence, but I believe are more likely a well-designed set of events that has led me to this. These circumstances include the material from three of my classes, namely Wisdom Literature, Foundations of Christian Theology and Christian Worship. In addition, we have just finished the increasingly misnamed Spiritual Emphasis Week here on campus. During this time, Dr. Rick Rigsby, the chaplain for the Texas Longhorns football team, gave three rousing motivational speeches cleverly disguised as spiritual messages. These factors and others have led me to the conclusions found within.

In an essay for the compilation, “Reconstructing Christian Theology,” noted theologian Marjorie Suchocki writes that “The doctrine of God is developed so as to ensure that there is an answer to the problem of evil as defined by the society.” The first time that I read this statement, it struck me as very dangerous. To create the doctrine of God based upon the answers that society needs leaves the door open to all sorts of interpretations of God, especially in this day and age of individualism. However, the more I thought about it, the truer the statement seemed. This idea that God is whatever you need him to be is one that seems to have permeated our culture. Unfortunately, the fact that the statement Suchocki makes is true does not make it correct. A personal relationship with God is acceptable and indeed desirable; a personal interpretation of God is not. And yet, so often, I believe that what we are looking for are answers, rather than God.

These answers are what Rick Rigsby came to provide to the PLNU populace. If you haven’t heard Dr. Rigsby speak, it’s quite an experience. He is an enormous black man, as wide as he is tall (and no cracks about me getting there!,) and he clearly comes from a southern tradition, because he certainly knows how to ‘preach it,’ as they say. Unfortunately, preach it he did not. As a fellow theology student Kyle Tau put it in a well-written column in the Point Weekly, “…Scripture was pushed to the periphery. One key scripture was read quickly and passed over in favor of anecdotal examples or moralistic clichés.” Kyle’s article goes on to describe a community where Scripture takes a backseat to staging, and becomes “…a convenient list of moral and psychological advice…Substance is substituted for entertainment and a call to discipleship for good advice.” While Mr. Tau admits that this column will likely enrage many of the students on campus, as Dr. Rigsby has reached, as Kyle puts it “near saint-like status,” it struck a chord with myself and many of the theology majors. In an amusing twist of fate, the other column on the page was by a girl who was raging against a ‘consumer Christian’ mentality that she saw played out at a local Family Christian Bookstore. She, it should be noted, was not a theology major, so it is clearly not simply an opinion of the ‘educated theological community.’ In her column, she described many Christian articles of commerce that I myself have been nauseated by as well: Christian chocolates, Christian fashion ties, even Christian credit cards. I sincerely hope that the cries of Kyle and my other fellow PLNU students will not fall on deaf ears.

In the book of Job, Job and his friends have a debate about God. Job says that God has been unfair to him because he is without blame, yet is suffering. Job’s friends say that he must be incorrect; God is always just, so there must be some sin that Job has failed to atone for. Eventually a young man named Elihu steps in and tells the four of them that, while it is true that God is always just, sometimes God uses suffering to teach and refine people. Elihu is closer than any of the other four, yet is still off the mark. Eventually God steps in and addresses Job. What God says (and also what God does NOT say) is very telling. God asks Job an extended series of rhetorical questions, asking him where he was when God created the heavens and earth, if he could point out where the light and darkness lived, and other such questions that no human could possibly answer. The point that God makes through all of this is that we as humans cannot understand fully God’s nature or actions. Job was looking for answers, not God. Fittingly, God answers none of the questions that Job asked through the course of the book. Rather, God points out Job’s lack of understanding by giving him NO answer- save that God’s grace is sufficient. In the final speech of the book, Job realizes what he has done, and repents and ‘despises (him)self,’ saying that “No plan of (God’s) can be thwarted. (Job 42:2)” Throughout the book, Job had been trying to hold God to a standard of fairness, saying that God was unfair to judge him in such a way. In the end, though, Job realizes an important truth, that God is just, or more aptly God is Justice. Everything that God does is just and right, whether we understand it or not- and often we do not. Dr. Smith, one of my professors, put it very succinctly when he said that “God’s wisdom is always there for the asking, and yet always utterly beyond us.”

So, while it is certain that God is in some ways extremely personal and imminent, God is also completely other than us, and cannot be simply reduced to human terms. As God loses mystery, as we bring God wholly into our world, even God slowly becomes an idol. The Webster definition of ‘idol’ has 5 entries, 3 of which pertain to the topic: 1. A representation or symbol of an object of worship. 2. A form visible but without substance, and 3. A false conception. Unfortunately, in today’s culture, the idol of God becomes strikingly like the “Idol” of American Idol, definition 4: an object of extreme devotion. God as a representation of an object of worship, rather than the object itself, is what makes God a form without substance. As a final point of clarification, I am not without blame in this area- it is as easy for me to fall into this trap of making God ‘mine’ and mine alone, to put him in 'a little white box,' as it is for anyone else. However, having once opened my eyes to this rampant idolization, I can now seek to defend myself against it, allowing a balance between the imminent and the transcendent God. It is my prayer that I will continue to be able to see God through the revelation of Jesus, and not simply as an American Idol.

"O Lord Jesus Christ, weak is our foolish heart, and only too ready to let itself be drawn - and there is so much that would draw it to itself. There is pleasure with its seducing power, the manifold with its distractions, the moment with its deceptive importance, and bustle with its vain toil, and frivolities careless squandering of time, and melancholy’s gloomy brooding - all of these would draw us away from our own self and to them, in order to deceive us. But Thou who art the truth, Thou our only Savior and Redeemer, can truly draw a man to Thee, which indeed Thou hast promised to do, to draw all unto Thyself. So God grant that we by entering into ourselves may come to ourselves, so that Thou, according to Thy word, can draw us unto Thee - from on high, but thorough loneliness and humiliation."
- Søren Kierkegaard, Training in Christianity

People

2005-02-06T23:39:00.001-08:00

Family: Father-Keith, old, Fire Marshal, City of San Rafael
Mother- Carla, young at heart, Librarian, Novato Branch of Marin County Free Library
Sister- Linnet, 13, Student at Twin Hills Middle School, Violinist Extraordinaire
Pets- Cats: Mewliette, Houdini, Friend. Rabbits: Attila, Midnight, Brøderbun. Goats: Edgar, Victor. Sheep: Stewart, Chewbacca. Parakeet: Lindbergh

Roomies: Daniel, Phil/Theo and Psych major, Insightful and friendly fellow.
Mmmmmmmmmmichael, Bible & Christian Ministries major, Hispanic-wannabe Wrightian extremist.

Friends-If you’re not on this list, and should be, reply! These are in alphabetical order by category. Wow, my retentiveness shines through…at least I’m too lazy to alphabetize within first letter :)
Church:
Jeff “J-$” Bassett- Awesome guy. Is good at knowing when I’m wrong. Excellent dramatist.
Andrew “ABass” Bassett- This family’s pretty cool. Andrew’s caring, but also HILARIOUS!
Janelle Hausladen- Great dancer!
Chris “Irwinator” Irwin- Just up the coast, soundboard whiz. Don’t turn your back on his wit, either.
Ssssliz Jones- My inspiration for this here blog. My conscience, too.
Jessica Larsen- Beautiful, fun. She took me to my first high school dance…when I was 21. Padres fan, but I forgive her.
Zakar “Zak” McAllister- Always ready to have fun. Way better at HALO than I am.
Matt “Sunny the Bass” Sundahl- Irwinator’s roomie. Keeps him sane. We all thank him for that.
Joel and Amy Tippitt- Greatest. People. Ever.
Lee “Nickname omitted so he won’t kill me” Wraith- My catharsis and my friend. One of the few who can keep up with me when quoting movies. Having him around keeps me sane.
Savannah “Savage Nation” Westergaard- Sweetest girl you’ll ever meet. Can’t wait till Loma!

School:
Joe & Jared Aizawa- The brothers Aizawa. Awesome guys, I miss ‘em both, if only because my LOTR record has declined since they left ;)
Derek Davis- LOTR Player, deep thinker. Reads more than anyone I know.
Brandon Edgbert- Fellow Giants lover, fun guy. Too good at math.
Greg Miller- FAST son of a gun! Good at LOTR too. Most relaxed guy on campus.
Zac Walsh- Reads almost as much as Derek. Kierkegaard devotee. Sharpest wit I know.
Santos Reyes- the epitome of partying. If you’re with Santos, you’re having a good time.

LOTR:
David Chafin- Excellent player, good friend. My non-drinking buddy :)
Mark Evans- Old school, fun to have around. Likes to laugh at Patchell honline.
Sean Flanagan- sold out to poker. I miss ya :/
Travis “Red Oscar” Frazier- Cardinals fan, but aside from that good guy. Funny, too.
Mason “ Ma$edogg” Gilligan- Up and coming film star…can’t wait till your first feature!
T.J. “GameBreaker” McCarthy- The Darth Vader to my Obi-wan. I taught him, now he’s busted…cant wait till his first PSE.
Seth “Orange Jedi” Maser- The east coast to my west coast, and my boss.
Michael “MichaelLovesLisa…heh heh heh” Mendoza- Good guy, although he looks goofy in shorts :P
Patty “Black Barney” McSullivan- Funniest guy ive ever played LOTR with. He’s always a party!
Rob Owen- Left for Warhammer. Miss you too, buddy!
John “Patch” Patchell- Good guy most of the time, but don’t play him honline!
Gerardo “G-money” Richey- Heart of gold, fun to hang with.
Zach “Rubber Chicken” Shepard- Funny dude. Can’t wait to meet him.

Other:
Ross Armstrong- Another Darth to my Obi- the Western Region Chief! You rock, boss.
Aaron Landwehr- Fun to hang with, lets me steal his computer every now and again.
Tristan Palmatier- Possibly the only guy on this list to have seen me in a cape. I’ve known him since I was 5, great guy.

Enemies: Do I have any? I can’t remember any… laundry, I guess.

"Deep Thoughts"

2005-02-08T01:17:00.000-08:00

I've decided that there should be some sort of demarcation between the posts which refer to the inane details of my everyday life and those devoted to deeper, usually more spiritual, thoughts. Despite what the post title says, it's possible that they won't be that deep after all, but hopefully they will be interesting and spiritually enlightening. So, if you're looking for the 'me' stuff, look for the regular posts. If you prefer to simply read the theological/philosophical/(political? maybe) posts, look for the ** Title **. One such post will definitely probably come tomorrow. I have had it cogitating since yesterday, but I am focusing it and refining it, etc. So read on, MacDuff!

Cars and Pasta

2005-02-07T16:19:00.000-08:00

So today was eventful. My car's headlights burnt out a week or so ago (or more accurately I noticed it about a week ago,) and today I finally had a chance to call the dealership and take it in. I mapquested the dealership, but apparently the address line didn't stick, because after going around in circles downtown, I realized that I had been following directions to get from PLNU to...San Diego. Funny, I knew how to get there already. Luckily my dad was able to hook me up with REAL directions, and I found it eventually. The dichotomy of service that I recieved at John Hine Mazda was quite impressive. After sitting behind a parked car for fully 10 minutes before i was helped, Mechanic Lady, who was the epitome of surliness, eventually had me get out and fill out the requisite reams of paperwork. Luckily, the guy who gave me the Enterprise Rent-a-Car (strangely situated within the Mazda dealership) more than made up for M.L. It turns out he grew up in Rohnert Park, and his roomie grew up in Cotati. He also attended PLNU...small world. Anyway, he was a very nice guy, and told me that his mother was the secretary at my old elementary school, so we reminisced about NorCal a little. Fun times...

In other news, I have a new addiction. I must admit, I'm a big fan of Italian food-pasta and the like- and was deeply saddened when I heard the announcement that the Old Spaghetti Factory, the very model of Italian food establishments, had closed its doors in our fair city of San Diego. While glancing over the school paper this morning, I noticed an ad for a new eatery know as "Divine Pastabilities"...bad, i admit, but I decided it was worth a shot. Turns out, it's not just Italian, it's INNOVATIVE Italian. Their feature dish is the "Torpasta," which consists of a seeded roll of some sort, hollowed in the center and filled with various pasta dishes. UNbefreakingleivable!!! I elected to try the Fettucini Alfredo Broccoli with Chicken, and it was simply stunning. The Torpasta has supplanted all other favorites of any sort in my mind, and even now consumes my thoughts. Check out the website, http://www.torpasta.com/, to learn more about this incredible delicacy. Anyone who wants to visit and get a more personal acquaintance with this undoubtedly Divine creation (sorry, puns all around...), feel free to call me up and I will make the introduction personally, as it will give me an excuse to re-visit the wonder that is the Torpasta.

Biography is Done

2005-02-06T23:41:00.000-08:00

OK, all, it's finished. My monster of a bio is finished! I posted it in regular format instead of 'backwards' blog format, so read from Me down to Stuff and it will make more sense. Biographies are interesting things....they certainly lend perspective on life. Hopefully that gives you a better idea of who I am...enjoy!

Me

2005-02-06T23:40:00.000-08:00

Name: Christopher James Schoenthal

Age: 21

College: Point Loma Nazarene University

Major: Bible & Christian Ministries

Interests/Hobbies: Heh, where to start… Theology, definitely. Reading-see books. Movies- see movies. Scouts-Eagle Scout, Vigil Member of the Order of the Arrow, past past Section Chief of Section W3B, Netami Wulit. Languages- English and Spanish for now- Coming soon: Greek, Hebrew and more! Gaming: Card games- Lord of the Rings, Star Wars CCG, WARS TCG, Poker. Computer games- World of Warcraft, LOTR Online, Hearts, Starcraft, Warcraft III.

Stuff

2005-02-06T23:33:00.000-08:00

Movies:
I have lots of these. I won’t post a comprehensive list, just current and all-time favorites.
Star Wars Trilogy- My first love. How do I put that into words?
LOTR Trilogy- Amazing series. Arwen aside, it was well-done in terms of accuracy, and visually stunning to boot. Deserves all of its many awards.
Napolean Dynamite- HILARIOUS! Any movie that includes Ligers and nunchuks…wow.
Princess Bride- A kissing movie. That’s OK.
Phantom of the Opera- Again, visually and emotionally stunning. Presumably true to the original, although I haven’t seen it….yet.
Kenneth Branagh’s Hamlet- The only real movie version of Hamlet. Accept no substitutes, especially the one with Mel Gibson.
UHF- aka Weird Al, the Movie. His kind of humor, in a visual format. Can’t beat it!
Bandits- Romantic comedy + bank robbers + talented cast + beavers & ducks= classic.
Clue- Communism was only a red herring!
Mystery Science Theatre 3000- Robots making fun of bad Sci-Fi movies. If that sounds funny, it is! The only DVD I’ve ever seriously considered spending $182 on.

Music:
Again, not a comprehensive list. I have lots of these, too.
‘Tallica- Best rock band I’ve ever seen in concert. Also the only one.
Five Iron Frenzy- Best ska band ever. I miss these guys.
Relient K- Alternately funny and deep, a great combination.
Roper- FIF with rock instead of horns. I hope they stick around awhile.
Musicals- Phantom of the Opera again, Chicago, The Producers, Cabaret. Aren’t I cultured?

Books:
Not comprehensive, etc, etc, etc. The Bible isn’t on the list- it’s difficult to consider Sacred Texts ‘favorite’ books. If I had to pick a favorite book of the Bible, I’d prolly say Hebrews. On to the list.
LOTR Trilogy- I read it once a year, at least. It’s a literary masterpiece; read it if you havn’t.
Wild at Heart- This book changed many of my perspectives about life, my gender, etc. Read it if you want to understand guys. Especially if you are one.
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy- Funniest, most misnamed trilogy ever. I can’t wait for the movie!
Shakespeare-Hamlet, especially. He was a genius, plain and simple. It is unlikely that any other human will have the same command of and influence on the English language. Hamlet makes me cry every time I read it.
C.S. Lewis- I know, he’s not a book, but he’s real smart. Possibly my favorite author, if you want advice about what order to read his stuff in, or just wanna chat, I always love talking about him.

Sports:
I’ve liked sports since I liked dinosaurs- that might give you an idea how long it’s been. I wanted to be a sports broadcaster for quite awhile, and memorized stats and such when most kids were playing with GI Joes. Here are my teams.
Baseball: San Francisco Giants, Oakland A’s. Some people say I’m not a pure fan cuz I like a team in each league, but when they play 3 times a season or whatever, I have no qualms about it. The Padres get a few votes if they’re not playing the Giants.
Basketball: Golden State Warriors. Sad, aren’t I? Wait till next year…or next decade.
Football: San Francisco 49ers. We had our run for quite awhile, it’s our turn to suffer for awhile. I’ll stick with em.
Hockey: Do they still play hockey? If they ever play again, the Sharkies will again receive my adulation.

Computers are Dumb

2005-02-06T22:40:00.000-08:00

Much to the chagrin of those who wished me to learn HTML and cash in on the .com boom, then support them in their old age, I was never very good at programming. As such, I cannot figure out for the life of me how to add a Links section to this page. If you want to know where a cool website or something is, just e-mail me and I'll recommend some. I might figure it out eventually, but then again I might not. To be continued...