Baby, Stay Put!

Posted on March 19, 2007 by Jason

Sunny and I have a prayer request for you guys. We went to the baby doc on Thursday and found out that Sunny’s been having some pre-term labor contractions. No huge surprise there, I guess. What did surprise us was the news that Sunny is 50% effaced at only 26 weeks! The doctor’s words: “I’m not putting you on bedrest yet but you really need to take it easy.” We were supposed to go to the beach this weekend, but that obviously didn’t happen. We’re doing our best to keep Sunny off her feet so this little guy will stay put as long as possible. We’ll be sure to keep you posted, but for now, please just keep us in your prayers, please. We’re praying Sunny will go as long as possible so this baby boy can avoid the NICU.
Thanks.
Jason & Sunny

Posted in Kids, Prayer, Sunny | 4 Comments

Run & Gun

Posted on March 16, 2007 by Jason

I’d better enjoy this while I can.

Posted in Sports | Leave a comment

A Political Ethic

Posted on March 14, 2007 by Jason

As I prepare for a term paper on Romans 13 and the Christian’s relationship with government, a lot of thoughts have been running through my mind. Specifically, I’m thinking about my own expectation of the political process. In the past, I’ve been guilty of equating the purposes of empire with the purposes of Kingdom. But as I delve deeper into Romans 13, I understand the Christian’s role is to bear faithful witness to Christ even amid a political landscape that may run counter to the way of Christ. For Paul, this is not just a matter of punishment, it is a matter of conscience (13:5).

But Paul leaves unanswered a slew of important questions. He refuses to fully flesh out how Christians are to faithfully interact within the political system. Thus, Christians have disagreed about how to apply this passage for years. The voices range from pro-military to pacifism to somewhere in between. It’s as if each of us is to determine how to be most faithful to Christ’s call.

Thus, I’ve wrestled with the better part of a year to develop my political ethic. I’m primarily drawn to Jesus declaration of mission in Luke 4 as a grid for my own developing political perspective. In a prophetic statement rife with political implication, Jesus outlines the aim of his ministry:

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

As political candidates continue to declare their candidacy for next year’s Presidential race, I submit to you the issues that loom as the most pressing to this person of faith. In short, I would vote for…

  • A candidate with a high regard for the sanctity of human life. Issues here are war, abortion & capital punishment. We desperately need a consistent ethic of human life.
  • A candidate with a high regard for our role as stewards within the created order. I see environmentalism, global warming & our gross consumption of the earth’s resources as important spiritual issues.
  • A candidate with a high regard for our our global responsibilities. I want a candidate who will seriously and faithfully consider our position in the global landscape and will then act for the good of the world. A generation of young people are being orphaned by the AIDS pandemic in Africa. Humans are being trafficked this very moment. What are we doing about it?
  • A candidate with a high regard for the least of these among us. I long for the day when every working American can receive a quality education and affordable health care. We must be concerned about poverty, the hungry & the homeless. Did Katrina teach us anything?
  • A candidate with a high regard for morality. This is where it gets sticky. Whose morality? Whose values are we talking about here? Christian values? Another faith group? Naturally, I will always vote for the candidate who aligns most fully with my values as a Christian. But I’ve read too much to think my understanding of what is “moral” or “immoral” is the majority view. Based on Romans 13, should I even have this expectation of the governing authorities?

These are some of the issues that are most important to me. I’d love to hear from you. Where are you at on these issues? What issues are most important to you? And should we have a “moral” expectation of our government, based on Romans 13?

Posted in Discipleship, Jesus, Politics | 4 Comments

Phil Stacey is Gollum

Posted on March 14, 2007 by Jason

Is it just me, or does this dude look like Smeagol?

You tell me…have you ever seen them in the same place?

I’m on to something here…

Posted in Humor, Television | 1 Comment

The Best Thing I’ve Read Today

Posted on March 13, 2007 by Jason

From Rob Bell, on the theology of the Mars Hill Church:

Mars Hill is devoted to joining the God of the oppressed in the restoration of all creation.

We believe the Bible to be the voices of many who have come before us, inspired by God to continue to speak to us today. God calls us to immerse ourselves in this authoritative narrative and to continue to faithfully live out that story today as we are led by the Spirit.

God, the author of all things good, created humans in his image to live in fellowship with him, others, our inner self, and creation. God is in a communal relationship with himself and his creation and he created us to be relational as well. Sin entered the world and our relationships with God, others, ourselves, and creation were broken and distorted.

We believe that God did not abandon his creation to destruction and decay, rather he promised to restore this broken world. God chose a people to represent Him in the world. This people started with Abraham and his descendants. God promised to make them into a mighty nation. In time they became enslaved in Egypt. They cried out to God because of their oppression and God heard their cry. He brought them out with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. He brought them to Sinai where he gave them an identity as his treasured possession, a Kingdom of priests, a holy people. The story continues, revealing God’s refusal to give up on his people through their frequent acts of unfaithfulness to him.

God brought his people into the Promised Land. They were blessed to be a blessing and called to put God on display to the nations. They made movement toward this missional calling, yet they disobeyed and allowed foreign gods into the land. In Israel’s disobedience they became indifferent and in turn irrelevant to the purposes God had called them to. They were sent into exile, yet a remnant looks ahead with longing and hope to a new reign like David’s where peace and justice would prevail.

We believe these longings found their fulfillment in Messiah Jesus, born of a virgin, mysteriously God in the flesh. Jesus came to preach good news to the poor, to bind up the broken hearted and set captives free. He lived a perfect life proclaiming the arrival of the Kingdom. He was rejected by many, crucified, buried, and rose again. His death and resurrection bring hope to all creation. Through Jesus we have been forgiven and God is reconciling us to himself, each other, ourselves, and creation. Jesus is the only mediator between God and humans. For all who accept his sacrifice he gives the Holy Spirit who leads us into all truth through a communal life of worship and a missional expression of our faith. The church is called to put the resurrected Christ who lives in and through us on display to a broken and hurting world.

We believe the day is coming when Jesus will return and reclaim this world, the earth’s groaning will cease and God will dwell with us on a new and restored creation.

Posted in Theology | 3 Comments

Bracketology

Posted on March 12, 2007 by Jason

For all of you A&NY regulars, I’ve created a Yahoo NCAA bracket league. Time to prove your bracketology expertise. The Group ID # is 102221 and the password is dentures. Man up and get your whoopin’ courtesy of yours truly.

Posted in Blogging, Sports | 2 Comments

Blogging in Beantown

Posted on March 8, 2007 by Jason

For those of you baseball aficianados out there, Curt Schilling has joined the blogging ranks. You can check out his blog at 38 Pitches. Pretty cool.

Posted in Baseball, Blogging | 2 Comments

The Curse of Cubdom

Posted on March 7, 2007 by Jason

Carlos Zambrano, the colorful ace of the Chicago Cubs pitching staff, has already made some “guarantees” regarding the upcoming season.

“I believe this year, I can win the Cy Young, and besides that, we will win the World Series. I guarantee that. I have faith in that.”

Well, Carlos, I’d put your odds of winning the NL Cy at about 5 to 1. That is, if your arm doesn’t fall of from the obscene amount of innings Dusty Baker forced you to endure the past few seasons. And that’s also assuming the Cubs can score enough runs to actually win most of the games you pitch. But I’d say the odds of you receiving any personal accolades are exponentially higher than the Cubbies winning it all this season.

In case you haven’t heard, Carlos, your Cubs are cursed.

They haven’t won a championship in 99 years.

Remember, this is a culture that’s accustomed to losing. We’re 5 games into spring training and Cub fans have already created FireLouPinella.net. What else could you expect when your team hasn’t won the big one since the Roosevelt administration? (That’s Theodore Roosevelt, by the way.)

What’s worse, the Cubs’ AL counterparts for futility, the Red and White Sox, have removed the monkeys from their backs by winning championships in 2004 and ’05 respectively. Heck, even Peyton Manning and Phil Mickelson have shed their “can’t-win-the-big-one” monikers the past couple years. But alas, Cub fans, your team continues to wallow in perpetual pergatory, lovable little losers, mathematically eliminated by Easter. This seems to be your lot in life.

Cub fans, it’s best not to listen to your braggart ace. Let him win his Cy Young. Indeed, cheer him on to glory every fifth day. But dare not dream of October heroics and ticker tape parades. Best to leave those dreams of glory to the big boys, lest you have your heart ruptured like so many Mark Prior elbow tendons. Remember this and you’ll be just fine: Winners win and the Cubs lose. It’s what you’re supposed to do.

Signed,
A lifelong fan of the World Champion St. Louis Cardinals

Posted in Baseball, St. Louis Cardinals | 5 Comments

Just Checkin’ In

Posted on March 6, 2007 by Jason

Sorry for the lack of posting lately. Our Internet provider doesn’t service the new neighborhood, so we are currently without Internet at the house. With all the things I have to do around the office, it’s pretty hard to justify blogging at work. So, my posting will probably be pretty sporadic for the immediate future, maybe for good. But here’s the quick run down of how things are going:

  • We successfully moved into the new house last week. We unloaded everything just minutes before the monsoon hit Huntsville. Thanks to all of you guys who helped us out.
  • We’re absolutely loving our new DVR. Goodbye clunky old VCR tapes. Hello pausing & rewinding live television. With two-year-old twins, this feature is a must. Hard to believe this is cheaper than local cable.
  • Sunny is nearly 25 weeks pregnant. I find this just incredible. This pregnancy has absolutely flown by. Son #2 will be here before we know it. Any name suggestions?
  • Chris Tomlin’s See The Morning is an incredible album. I’ve had something of a worship renaissance the past week or so listening to it. If you don’t have a copy, pick one up ASAP.
  • I’m sharing my story tonight with our church’s Cancer Support Group. We typically hear from a caregiver or a patient, but tonight I’ll be sharing my perspective. Both my parents died of cancer when I was a child. I’ve been praying all day that I can encourage these people with my words and my story.
Posted in Blogging, Music, Random, Television, What I'm Loving | 13 Comments

Of All the Days to Move…

Posted on March 1, 2007 by Jason

90% chance of precip, thundershowers all morning.

Rain, rain, go away….at least until tonight.

Thanks to Jon for helping with a couple loads last night. Today Corey and Lane are helping out. You know, if all my blogging buddies showed up, we’d knock this stuff out in no time.

Any takers? Bring an umbrella…

Posted in Blogging, Random | 2 Comments