pinakidion.*

Scott Adams (of Dilbert fame) has posted the ultimate guide to debating on the internet:

Had me laughing for quite a while.

The 2006 Great Paperchase will take place in Washington DC. I went to two and would have gone to one this year had not Jasper been born.

What makes this one so special?

• No Five Star Hotel included in the price.
• Encouragement to attend the Evangelical Theological Society Annual Conference and the Stone-Campbell Adherents Group breakout session.
• Acknowledgement of the Stone-Campbell movement as a part of our history.

Will people go to the ETS beforehand? I certainly hope so. It will be interesting to see what happens next.

I know, I know. You’re probably saying, “Why does an ICoC conference need to immediately follow a non-ICoC conference in order to encourage ICoC adherents to attend a non-ICoC conference?” Hey, progress is progress. I said that I want to be fair and point out positive developments as well as backward trends. In this instance, I have learned that patience is best in matters where others faith is weak - those that move glacially are only hurting themselves. Besides, where there is disagreement, God will make it plain in His time.

I may have to go to this one. Then again, I may just go to the ETS and say hello to some friends. I have family in DC and I may choose to enjoy the weekend with them. Nothing personal against the ITS intended.

I found out last night that my son has moderate hearing loss. He can hear high tones pretty well, but has what they call “moderate” difficulty with mid to low tones. How this has hit me is that he has probably never heard my voice. I am certain that he has not heard me hum and sing to him. All he knows of me is how I smell.

As far as options go, there’s a ton of them. I don’t know all of them now because the ENT doctor wants to talk to us about them in addition to going over the results in more detail. Our pediatrician has suggested a specialist in Iowa only because the preliminary options seem to wait longer than is necessary.

Let me put it this way. One option is to wait until he is 7.

Specifically, his nerves are good and the inner ear seems to be pretty good. That means the hearing issue is more related to the shape of his ear and ear canals. As I said earlier, the canals are shaped like corkscrews. Surgery on the canals needs to wait. Unlike the surgery on his nose, he has to reach a certain stage of development first. However, we can also get traditional amplifying hearing aids until that point.

I have to admit that this was very hard for me to hear. I felt bad that I wasn’t with my wife when she heard the news. I also felt bad that I need to wait for options. I spent some time Friday night being pretty angry at God and asking him if I could get out of the “character building phase” of my Christian life now.

My wife reminded me of what is true and my outlook has completely changed. For one, Jasper is healthy. For another, he is wonderful regardless of whatever grief or loss we may feel - all he knows is that his mom and dad love him. She also reminded me that we have found out early, and that provides more options than friends that found out at much later times. She also pointed out that we have more help from hospitals, the school systems, and Human Serivces of the State of Nebraska than we can track. There are multiple advocates for the best for Jasper and we are not alone. Lastly, she pointed out that we have real friends and are surrounded by real family through relatives and our church home. Many have made us meals, called, offered encouragement, and really been there for us.

As always, she has reminded me that we are not poor, but rich in the things that matter. That has made all the difference.

Now that you have become a Christian, what’s next? Hopefully you will find that this course will help you with the fundamentals of being a Christian. This course is not focused so much on what you believe as much as how you live what you believe. The purpose is to equip with the tools you, as a new Christian need, to live a meaningful and directed life for God. Some of the topics covered will include prayer, bible study, worship, and intimacy with God. Covering these and other topics, you will learn good habits that will serve you in your Christian journey and help you through the challenging times, good and bad, in life.

The title comes from a mental image that has helped some - an image of a solid path made up of stepping stones. As you listen to the audio messages each week, you will work through a stepping stone, or key idea, that will guide you through the topic of the week. For example, the first week’s topic is Assurance. As you go through the homework, you will read several verses about God’s love and God’s sovereignty. To help guide you in your studies, this lesson will present the first and most important stepping stone.

Lesson From the Farmer’s Market

You must have honest balances, honest weights, an honest ephah, and an honest hin. — Leviticus 19:36

While at the Farmer’s Market, I saw two stands next to each other selling apples. One stand used a digital scale, the other, an analogue scale. I noticed at how each one did business because I wanted to buy apples, but I wanted a fair price.

I saw that the folks with the digital scale charged per pound and were accurate to the penny. I figured that no matter what, I would be paying the same price per pound that everyone else paid, and I thought that was fair.

The other stand, however, seemed to be a little less efficient. I saw a man pick out three pounds of Granny Smith’s. As the farmer took the apples and weighed them, the measure came to three pounds and a little over. It was between the big 3 and the next tick, which I assumed was an eighth of a pound. I was surprised to see that the farmer asked for the price of three pounds exactly. The customer said something about it to which the farmer replied, “I take an apple off, it’s a touch shy of three pounds. I keep it on, it is a touch more. Who wants to get into the business of splitting apples?” Another woman came to buy five pounds for making pies. When she mentioned this to the farmer, he asked her questions about what kind of taste she likes in her pies. After a brief discussion, he pointed to a different type of apple and suggested that they would make a better pie. She noted that they were more expensive, so she declined. However, the farmer then suggested that she take two and a half pounds of each to decide for herself. He would only charge for five pounds of the cheaper kind. Amazed by her good fortune, she gladly accepted.

It didn’t take me long to choose which stand would get my business.

Which of these farmers has the more honest scales? Maybe it would help to ask which of these farmers has the more accurate scales? After mulling on these questions for a bit, let me ask you one final question.

Is there a difference between accurate and honest?

The First Stepping Stone

1. Be honest in everything you do.

Keep in mind that being honest has more to do with integrity than with accuracy. A person of integrity not only states things accurately, but volunteers information as well. Again, be honest in all you do. When you talk to your friends, be honest. When you talk to God, be honest. When you think about yourself and your own life, it’s important to be honest.

As you go through the homework for this week, you’ll learn that there are good reasons to be honest, not just to avoid Hell, but to be able to draw close and be intimate with God.

One last thing, don’t put off doing the homework. As the Bible says, you reap what you sow. I urge you to sow consistent and diligent work. I pray that it is helpful to you as you continue to walk with God.

I wrote a lot about Dira while I was in DC. Thus there were two big updates about that. As always, the drafts are posted here in all their pied beauty. The editing, proofreading, getting the names right, etc. all takes place on the Encyclpedia site.

The Kwemara were interesting to me because it was part of a religion that viewed the Hesberian Gods and Titans as enemies. It was also intesting in that they worshipped a dead deity and look for assistance from the Kwemara who act as anveging angels on behalf of all ken, not just humans. As far as Esbrus, I just got tired of making circular references to the capital city of the Hesberian Empire. I may change the name to Esbra, but something about it sounding like Ezra…

Next post will be the intro to the course I mentioned. The posts will be rough transcripts of the audio recordings. As a review, the course features weekly meetings preceeded by homework which includes a short audio message. As it attains more polish, the entire class will move to the class.pinakidion.org site. Also keep in mind that the form my church uses will be different in who gives the audio talk and possibly the materials. My work here will be the proposal to the deacons sometime in late December.

Jasper gets the all-important hearing test today. I’ll know something by this afternoon. Please pray.

The ancient Ikan poet Gajus tells of a land in the far east where they do not worship the Gods or the Titans. Instead they worship a Creator whom they regard as Father. They also live to serve the emissaries of the Father-Creator called the Kwemara. The Kwemara have another name, the God-Killers.

As with all ken, in begins with their story of the creation of the universe.

When the Celestial world was created, the children of the Creator soon rose to fight each other for control. Their hostility was so great, that they killed their father, the Great Creator. Upon his death, the two sides ended their conflict to finish the work of creation. The Titans, like their father, finished creating the wonders of the universe: planets, comets, stars. As they completed various sections of the sky, they set the heavenly bodies into motion. They created increasingly fanciful worlds trying to outdo each other. When they finished their work, they set themselves to indulge and enjoy the works they created.

To keep the peace, the Gods created a precious few worlds preferring to avoid conflict with the Titans, at least for now. For thousands of years, it appeared that they would not create at all, but instead withdraw into their few worlds and prevent the celstial war from starting again. However, the Gods were creating, but they, like their father, were creating the ken of the universe.

For a while, there was a tense peace in the universe.

However, the Titans were not happy sharing the universe with ken. Most of their hatred came from the fact that the Gods created ken. The Titans then began to enslave all manner of ken and subjugate the creation of the Gods.

This was exactly what the Gods predicted the Titans would do. Their secret was that they created ken to strive for something outside themselves. For most ken, that something was power. Some strove for knowledge, others strove for art, a few strove to understand the Father Creator. The Gods also created ken to embrace freedom and abhor being controlled. Read more…

The center of the Hesberian Empire lies in its own province south of Tecia marked by gently rolling hills. The heart of the city lies between the two rivers, Bristus and Dejperus. According to the last census, Esbrus is home to 200 Senators’ familes, 22,314 Equestrian Families, 157,922 families of Freedmen, 62,817 Merchant families, 700 registered ‘Magicians’,20 Ganarii Merchants, 110,092 Ken Families (Citizens), 602 Families of Ken (Non-Citizens), and 35,000 Soldiers. (Approxiamtely 1.8 million people)
Read more…

I leave a realtively mild winter weekend in Maryland only to return to snow today.

Normally, I’d love snow, but today is a melancholy kind of day. My car was shown on the news this morning, but only because of the ambulance passing by it. Four houses down, a 23 year old man died at 11:35 pm after shooters unloaded at least one gun into him. I heard it happen while feeding Jasper and talked to the police shortly thereafter.

It’s one of those things that reminds me that even the Great United States needs God. It also reminds me that we, as Christians, shouldn’t be flocking to the suburbs as fast as we can. We are needed elsewhere and if that means living somewhere contrary to popular culture, so be it.

There is so much love to spread. Why on Earth are we arguing about IN GOD WE TRUST on the money. ( We’re not Deists anymore. I say let’s be honest and stamp “We Trust Our Money” on our foreheads.) Why on Earth are we trying to cleverly hide God in Intelligent Design. Why are folks like Bill Bright and other evangelicals fighting politics? Why is Jesse Jackson now going around with Terrell Owens? Phonies.

The hardest thing is to face the phony in the mirror. Seriously. I’ve met the neighbors and talked to them, but I haven’t done anything for my community, either. I haven’t even given a gift to one of my neighbors that gave us some of her prized tomatoes. For all of my indignation at White America for refusing to acknowledge neighborhoods like mine, I haven’t done that much either. I don’t deserve some accolade for moving here, more people live here out of necessity and they aren’t getting any prizes.

That is why today is melancholy. Could I have responded to the scene and maybe saved his life? Could I have shared more about God with neighbors? Who knows.

My brother-in-law is getting married this Sunday afternoon, so the family is flying to the east coast. I’ll be back Monday night, late.

I say this so that you do not expect a response anytime soon.

This week I spoke to our minister about teaching Bible classes again. It’s been a while and it appears to be needed. Last time we came on too strong and burned out all our teachers. This go around, it will be different.

In any case, I have been talking to new members in my church and I asked them what they need. It seems that although theologically suspect, I received 8 weeks of post-baptism training that isn’t being done. One person I spoke to said that they were excited at first, but now feels like they are unable to fight certain things and don’t really understand how.

I volunteered to write a proposal for a new “Deep Convictions” class that I hoped would be more interactive and hopefully less theologically suspect. I’ll post more as it goes along, but the proposal thus far looks like this:

Each week, every member of the class listens to a recorded 15 - 20 minute lesson. Then they work through various written assignment during the week. These are all designed to be really small. A few minutes a day, not an hour or so. The actual class session will be sharing, directed discussion, and encouragement. The goal is self-discovery, so the exercises during the week will be about asking the simple questions as well as ‘practice’ for techniques mentioned in the recorded lesson.

Week One: Assurance - Am I Really Saved or Will God Change His Mind?
Week Two: Six Places to Focus as You Start
Week Three: Personal Worship - Singing and Praying
Week Four: Personal Worship - Reading Your Bible
Week Five: Family - Love One Another
Week Six: Maturity - Dealing with Personal Sin
Week Seven: What Are My Gifts?
Week Eight*: Caring for the Community
Week Nine: Sharing Jesus with the World

*Week Eight can be moved to coincide with our church’s week to work the Francis Siena House.

Anywho, feel free to offer lessons or help or share your thoughts. The more the merrier, right?

After a recent column, some friends asked “who is Mike Fotenot”? So for the sake of those that asked or otherwise want to know, here is an article he wrote recently at the request of Scott Green in Seattle.

This article, to me, is the epitomy of the kinder, gentler ICoC as opposed to the reformed ICoC. This kinder,gentler ICoC exhibits a form of godliness, but denies its power. What do I think is reformed ICoC? The Argentina letter for one. Some things that Dr. David McAnulty is doing for another. For really challenging reform that is long overdue, there’s James Grieg’s treatise on the Kingdom of God. I’m still working on the last one, and it’s pretty good.

I am not naive enough to believe that anyone, not even me, will perfectly reform. If that were possible, there would be no reason for humility. I was (and a certain extent still am) a part of the system - although I do not know everything nor do I have total perspective, I know enough to recognize the old system when I see it. I think it is obvious to many that also used to be a part of the system.

I liken it to recognizing old Pepsi labels, it’s basically the same symbol and same formula. The red and blue, quasi-yin-and-yang symbol is the same. The taste is distinctive and noticable. In a taste test, a Pepsi can be picked out when compared to a Coca-Cola, RC Cola, Moxie, Cheerwine, or Big K’s Classic Cola. Looking at it another way, the commericals have Nascar Drivers, models, actors, politicians, and everyday people. No matter who has been or will be in the commercials, it is still Pepsi and the formula hasn’t had a major change since cocaine was removed in 50s. (Coca-cola wasn’t the only one that did it.) They’ve made a diet version, a caffeine-free version, a caffeiene-free and diet version, they’ve added Cherry, and even made limited edition flavors for the holidays. However, it is still Pepsi and it is not the same as other sodas.

In short, if I don’t like a Pepsi, why would I accept being called narrow-minded by the manufacturer if they only added an extra teaspoon of corn syrup?

Okay, I’ve stretched another anaolgy past reason again. Feel free to resume your normally scheduled programming.

It’s a good thing to have company. I enjoy having laughter ring through the narrow, winding doorways of our home. We probably weren’t as overtly spiritual as some would consider midweek, but it was great to be around a group of folks that you know care about you.

We ordered pizza, shared stories, played with Micah, played with my son, etc. All around a good night. With all the things going on with Jasper’s health and my perchant to somberness, it was great to let go.

I am so greatful for the love of many.

Hey Kurt, if you’re out there, I got to tell the story of you and the street preacher with the big wooden cross. Folks here think you’re neat. Wish you could get here December 3, I’m the emcee for the Christmas Banquet this year. (Who am I? The MC. — KRS One)

You can read the entire book here.

This little book is pretty interesting as much as I have read thus far. At first, I really thought that the author was going to say that truth was not absolute. However, the absoluteness of truth is asserted more than a few times. Instead, it makes the argument that perspective is relative. The book continues by trying to demonstrate how multiple perspectives can point us to truth.

Many times the danger in discussing the Bible with other Christians is that one person makes no distinction between their perspective and the truth. In other words, because they hold a belief and can back it up with verses from the New Testament, their belief is absolutely true. Anyone else that disagrees with this person’s belief is somehow not grasping the absolute truth of God. In reality, the truth is the same but the perspective is what

I am not as crazy as I thought. Here is a letter from Argentina.

This poem is a model developed by the author for people to explore themselves through poetry.

Feel free to leave your “Where am I From?” in the comments.

In the original letter to Kip, the group of 65 stated these convictions.

• The Father, Son and Holy Spirit
• Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life, our Lord and Savior.
• The Bible is the Word of God and is the authority for our life.
• Jesus called all men to become his disciples, be baptized into his body and to be taught to obey.
• Every disciple is to be totally committed to God, His Kingdom and to Jesus as Lord and Savior
• Every disciple is called to participate in the Great Commission of Jesus
• Every disciple is called to obey the one another passages of Scripture.
• Every disciple is called to maintain the Spirit of unity in the bond of peace.
• Every disciple is called to follow the Greatest Commandment: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and your neighbor as yourself.

The new letter from a group of 85 states these core convctions: (emphasis at the end is mine)

Our Convictions: As we go in different directions, we want to again affirm our beliefs:

• The one true God has revealed himself to us as the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit.
• Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life, our Lord and Savior.
• The Bible is the Word of God and is the authority for our life.
• Jesus called all men and women to become his disciples, be baptized into his body and be taught to obey him.
• The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus is of first importance and the foundation of our faith.
• Every disciple is to be totally committed to God, His Kingdom and to Jesus as Lord and Savior.
• Every disciple is called to participate in the Great Commission of Jesus.
• Every disciple is called to obey the one another passages of Scripture.
• Every disciple is called to maintain the Spirit of unity in the bond of peace.
• Every disciple is called to follow the Greatest Commandment: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and your neighbor as yourself.
• Every disciple is committed to become more like Christ in his or her character.
• We believe in churches working together, respecting, helping and needing each other to build up the body of Christ.
• We also believe that God’s intent is for disciples to marry disciples and for married disciples to remain married to each other till death.

As I promised, I wrote to the unity group. Instead of a set of by-laws, constitution, and statement of practices, I wrote about a set of principles and a moral dilemma I have that directly affects unity. I say this because I do not want to be mistaken as someone that does not want unity. More than unity (or uniformity), I want change. When I do not see it, I will say something, secure in the knowledge that I can and will be wrong at times. (I might even be wrong all of the time.)

Not only are the additions disturbing, but as the group gets more members, the convictions appear to resemble the same ICoC core beliefs from years ago. (Keep in mind that both letters are about Kip’s behavior and not his theology.) Oddly enough, as more join the coalition of the willing against Kip, the statements of belief are becoming more specific, not less. Determining trends, however, is not my point - that gets into a slippery slope argument.

At the core, the formation of these core beliefs is something that I believe will not be helpful. It feels like another “believe this or else” ultimatum. Sound familiar? Kip had a similar one in 2003. It’s not that I do not share some of these convictions. I do share some of these convictions. I also believe that it is a very good thing for every person to establish what they believe and why. Some may choose to do this in a systematic theological way, others may choose a less formal way. Whatever method a person chooses, he or she does this in order to train themselves to distinguish good from evil. The point is that a statement from ‘on high’ circumvents this very necessary step of self-assessment. In our unity discussions, we wrestle and fight over where we disagree instead of affirm what we do agree. Trying to make a one-statement-fits-all set of beliefs only leads to controversy and arguments. Besides, it’s not any different than what Kip is trying to do. The only differences are that we think we are being nicer and we have slight variations of practice.

Again, I would prefer that each member church of our future organization be encouraged to form their own statement of beliefs. In light of our history, there will not be too many divergencies from a simple core. Which former ICoC congregation will say that baptism is not necessary for salvation? Will there be a congregation that denies the Trinity? No. In fact, I believe most would even include a statement in regards to the “one another” passages that we have forced to mean “receive discipling from one another either by appointed person or person of your choice”. (Making our own statements of belief does not mean that we will avoid the hermeneutical errors of the past, but it will begin the process.)

As a whole, the affirmation of beliefs have some convictions of practice and not doctrine. The biggest issue with them led to the title of this entry. This issue is the use of the word disciple in most of the statements.

Let’s start with this statement:

Jesus called all men and women to become his disciples, be baptized into his body and be taught to obey him.

So what is a disciple? A disciple is a person that is hears the call of Jesus, is baptized into the body of Jesus, and taught to obey Jesus, himself. What is his body? It is not stated here, but it is commonly taught that Jesus’ body is the church. (Every ICoC study series I have read, including the one in my church teach this.)Which church? The answer to that question shapes the rest of the set of beliefs.

In the Chicago study series, instead of addressing a universal church, it is broken down to an individual level. It says, “Christians should always accept individuals who have experienced biblical rebirth based upon the truth of their testimony as well as upon the fruit of their life.” In the St. Louis Study Series, the universal church is not addressed, but a member is admonished to “be a part of a church where the members are truly members of Jesus’ body; that is, they are true Christians.” The Phoenix series and the series by my own church don’t even address the issue. In LA, the issue is addressed by saying that the names of the saved are written in Heaven.

Read these studies and make your own conclusions. Based only on the texts of these study series, the answer to which church is the “local church”. Basically, when I become a disciple in one of the ICC congregations, the overwhelming majority will believe a disciple hears the call of Jesus, is baptized into the local church, and taught to obey Jesus by members of the local church. Their identity is tied to the local church. At best, there may be other Christians based on individual experience. In essence, there are no other denominations where you can be a disciple.

See where I’m going? We still have One True Denomination thinking to deal with. Our prescription thus far has been to be ambiguous. Ambiguity may help unity to some extent, but it certainly intereferes with repenting of our own arrogance. In letters calling for Kip to repent of his arrogance, we had better look to our own as well.

Based on how disciple is defined, the rest of the convictions have all kinds of potential meaning. However, thanks to our ambiguity, we can call ourselves united. For example:

Every disciple is to be totally committed to God, His Kingdom and to Jesus as Lord and Savior.

The Kingdom, in common vernacular and in a few of our study series, is also the local church. So, a disciple is comitted to God, his local church, and the Jesus.Not bad without context, but how many of us are still teaching Matt 6:33 as “be committed to the local church above all else to be righteous?” In a couple of series, the Kingdom is our family of churches. Apply Matt 6:33 in the traditional way, and we have what we’ve always had for the past 30 years.

One more:

We also believe that God’s intent is for disciples to marry disciples and for married disciples to remain married to each other till death.

Remember, who is a disciple? Someone in the local church. Who do we marry? Members of the local church. Again, though, being ambiguous leaves wriggle room for some. I know of folks that dated outside their local church (not just here), but the other person got baptized before marriage. I went to one of our churches recently where an acquaintance was happy that their fiancee was getting baptized. It seemed as if the wedding was now on track because both spouses were now members of the same local church.

What’s the point of all this? I do not believe that making a universal statement of beliefs is good for our fellowship. When we try to write them in order to include as many as we can, our method thus far seems to be ambiguity so that we can avoid controversy. This stops most in-depth thinking about why we believe what we believe. If we ask indvidual churches to write their own, at least they can grapple with these questions.

What do I believe? Fair question. Keep in mind it is what I believe, not necessarily my church:

• I believe in God the Father, God the Son, and God, the Holy Spirit.
• I believe that the Gospel is the person of Jesus Christ, not a church, creed, or denomination.
• I believe that Jesus existed in the flesh, yet was divine: fully human and fully divine.
• I believe that Jesus is the only way to be reconciled with God through faith in his blood. Specifically, his blood is the atoning sacrifice for my sins and faith in his blood is what saves me.
• I believe that baptism is an expression of the faith in the power of Jesus’ blood to save that allows me to participate in the death, burial, and resurrection so that I may be raised to a new life. I do not believe that faith in his blood can be separated from baptism.
• I believe that those God calls are predestined to be conformed into the likeness of his Son.
• I believe that the greatest believer must be a slave to all other believers. It is wrong to lord authority over others, especially other Christians.
• I believe the greatest command of God is to love Him with all my heart, mind soul, and strength and to love my neighbor as myself.
• I believe that most people will do the right thing given opportunity, support, and love.

There’s more, but that’s the basics to me. It is my creed. The last statement is the only one I believe is not explictly biblical, but I live by it until shown that it is wrong.

What church calls an article on its website written by an elder a guest editorial? I know, technically he’s an elder-in-training. Seriously, though, why is he a guest on his own church’s website?