Goodbye Global Gag Rule

On Day 3 President Obama has reversed the "Mexico City policy" (a/k/a the Global Gag Rule) which states that federal money cannot be given to international organizations that promote/perform abortions. Honestly, I'm surprised that he waited so long, especially with yesterday being the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the court case that legalized abortion. Obama clearly stated during his campaign that he was pro-choice; yet most Christians seem to have reacted with surprise and rage. The ban has been reversed and brought back repeatedly since it's inception during the Reagan administration. Republicans reinstate the ban; Democrats reverse it. It's like the ebb and flow of the tide....and just as predictable.

In fact, it seems that so far all President Obama has done is reverse orders from the Bush administration. He hasn't seemed to have tackled any of his own projects. Or maybe those were lost in the shuffle of all of his controversial reversals.

Though I haven't agreed with most of his moves so far, I have to admire his gusto for his new job. Even though I will say that so far the "change" we were promised is just a change back to a prior state (no Guintanimo, funding for pro-abortion agencies, etc). I still hope he will bring about new change; our country really needs a solid president right now.

the 44th

Today, for the first time, I actually watched a presidential inauguration. Though I did not vote for our new president, and I do not agree with almost all of his social policies, I couldn't help feeling extremely proud of our country as I watched our first African American president be sworn in. President Obama's speech was stirring; now it is time for him to prove to this country he means business. I can only hope that it was not just a politician's pretty words, but a man's dream.

Not so inspiring was Dr. Rick Warren's invocation. I was expecting something more powerful, but he seemed to ramble. I've never read any of his books, but since he is so vastly popular in Christian circles, I thought he would be an exceptional orator. Not that I'm necessarily trying to criticize. It just wasn't what I was expecting from America's top Christian leader (as I heard him referred as a few weeks ago).

But for now, I can only continue to prayer for continued wisdom and protection for our President. We've been told its time for a change. Let's see what this change brings...

search for a new look

I was tired of Blogger's generic templates, so I went hunting on the internet for a new one. I tried one out, but didn't like it at all. Still searching for something that's not too teen-y or complex.

i am not....

For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot would say, "Because I'm not the hand, I'm not part of the body," it is not therefore not part of the body. If the ear would say, "Because I'm not the eye, I'm not part of the body," it's not therefore not part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the smelling be? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body, just as he desired. If they were all one member, where would the body be? But now they are many members, but one body.
1 Corinthians 12: 14-19

How many times have I justified my lukewarm involvement in church by saying "I am not...."? I'm not good at witnessing. I'm not like other people in my Sunday school class (no kids). I'm not into Beth Moore Bible studies. I'm not constantly happy. I'm not a prayer warrior.

But what I really am doing when I say "I'm not" is judging those who are. I disdain the super-cheerful, khaki-clad, soccer mom, Beth Moore guru not because that woman is inherently superficial or hypocritical, but because that's the image of perfection that I've gotten out of life/church/Christian media.

And it's not the other woman that needs to change. It's me.

Wendy Alsup writes in Practical Theology for Woman, "Many believers claim to love Christ and abide in him, yet they attempt to separate their relationship with him from their relationship with his body, the church."

I've always heard that there was no such thing as a Lone Ranger Christian, but nothing has quite put that idea into perspective as what Alsup wrote. She continues with "We cannot serve the head (Christ) and ignore the rest of his body (the church)." As a member of the church, the body of Christ, I am initimately interwoven with all my fellow believers that I judge and despise for being nothing more than simply who they are. When a part of the human body rejects a part of itself, cancer or other autoimmune diseases are the results. The body literally begins to self destruct. How is it any different with the body of Christ?

Ultimately, I've let my own self-esteem issues color my thoughts and attitudes concerning fellow Christians. I've held myself up to assumed standards and let my own ego try to soothe my feelings of inadequency. I've been too proud to listen to Christ's opinion of me: that I am a person of worth. Instead, I've tried to create my own worth, even if it meant tearing down others (even if it wasn't spoken, I still mentally tore apart others).

It's time I stopped focusing on what I'm not and focus on what I am in Christ.

pondering Lent

It's hard to believe that Ash Wednesday is next month, which means the super-awesome vacation the hubby and I have planned out for the past year falls smack in the middle of Lent. My husband and I are they quirky little Southern Baptists that attend a United Methodist church and participate in Lent every year. But what can I give up when I go on my first over-seas trip of my life? My first thought was caffeine, but I'll need that for the 23+ hour flight. Next I thought I would give up my "reading habit" again this year, but I already have my copy of Anna Karena ready for the flight. Then today I thought maybe I could give up sweets, but we had planned on hitting up several confectioneries to sample foreign sweets.

But does Lent necessarily have to be about taking something away? More often than not, people give up something for Lent, but don't replace it with anything else: prayer, deeper Bible study, etc. I try to keep Lent fresh and real and keep it from becoming an empty ritual. This is a little bit easier since its not "required" for me as a Baptist. However, maybe it was just a little empty last year. Sure, I follow through with what I give up, but I don't necessarily focus on Christ and His work instead. It's just a minor blip on my radar, when the whole point of fasting at Lent is to re-focus the heart inward towards the spiritual realm.

Maybe its time for me to actually fast. I usually make sad little excuses for not fasting...I tend to be abominably cranky with lack of food, so I always say its better for me to not fast than to go without food and make life miserable for those around me (which is usually my husband). But if it wasn't hard, I suppose fasting wouldn't be a spiritual discipline.

Hm...now I have even more to ponder.

personhood

I just finished watching a news clip about a baby's corpse that was accidentally thrown out with the hospital trash (how you could accidentally throw out a corpse of any kind is beyond me). Worse yet, the clip stated that the hospital is maintaining that the baby was still born; this fact would be relevant in case of a law suit as New Jersey law (the state where this happened) does not consider stillborn infants to be a "person". And this would somehow make it okay that the non-person corpse was improperly disposed?

So what makes a person a person?

a Christian work ethic

The past few weeks I've been putting a good deal of time at the office. I wake up thinking about my ever growing to do list for that day at the office, and even when I get home, I can't help but think of all the irksome, troubling, tiring events that took place that day. Reading A Practical Theology for Women has made me ponder how exactly my faith in Christ should effect my work ethic. I googled "Christian work ethic" not expecting to find much, but instead I found a good deal of articles on the topic, most packed full of Scripture references that have very little to do with work or even ethics in general.

The website allaboutgod.com had several articles on a Christian work ethic. According to one entry,

"Ethics are a collection of values and behaviors people consider moral. Therefore, positive work ethics are the collection of all the values and actions that people feel are appropriate in the work place. A Christian work ethic is one in which work is viewed as a virtuous duty that has been mandated by God both before and after the fall of man. Idleness is viewed as a vice. Because we live in a fallen, sinful world, there will be times that work will involve a degree of strict self-denial. Workers should also receive satisfaction and maintain a spirit of joy. A Christian work ethic requires a commitment to excellence in the task."

There is nothing wrong with this statement. It makes perfect sense. But is it biblical?

The article lists several Scriptures that the author(s) apparently believe backs up the above statement.

Genesis 1:27-30, 2:15-20 - Here the sense of work ethic is derived from God's commission on Adam to name the animals and to cultivate the Garden of Eden. Obviously, God expected Adam to work.

However, I'm surprised the author did not cite Genesis 3:14, where God curses the land and tells Adam that now he will have to toil to live. Personally, I relate my work environment as toil rather than a happy day cultivating a perfect garden (but that might just be the cynic in me).

Exodus 20:8-9 - The article simply references the fourth commandment that states we are to work six days. No implications are made as to how this Scripture affects our work ethic. So to be good Christians, we are to work six days a week?

Leviticus 25:3, 18 - The author cites the levitical code for vineyards, crops, etc. as a reflection of a work ethic, but fails to explain how the code should be applied to our modern day work habits.

Maybe I'm uncreative, but I don't see the connection between tending a vineyard and my job in a 21st century office (other than both require lots of work).

Proverbs 6:6-11 - Warnings against sluggards.

This Scripture actually does tie into the idea of idleness being a vice. However, I noticed that most articles pick one specific proverb as their Scriptural evidence for a work ethic. I think it's shortsighted to pick only one verse out of this book when so much of Proverbs is applicable to the topic. In fact, I would think most of one's Scriptural basis for a work ethic would come from Proverbs, but sadly, it does not seems to be the case in most of the articles I read.

Ecclesiastes 9:10 - The author states that this verse "instructs us to work at whatever our hands find to do".

This statement ignores the second half of the verse which explains why we are to work with all our might: for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom (NIV). The author is applying an idea from a half-finished statement.

Luke 19:11-27 - The parable of the Ten Minas. The article states "Don't miss the part where the man did not put his mina to work. His master took it away and gave it to the man who invested his saying; "everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away."

Maybe it's just me, but I've always taken this parable to reflect spiritual work, not physical work. The minas represented talents/spiritual gifts given by God. Those who did not use their gifts to advance the Kingdom of God would find that what they had would be taken away. Personally, I would never attempt to apply these verse to a work ethic. That simply does not seem to be what Christ is discussing here.

So what is my ultimate conclusion? I don't have one yet. I think I'm too tired from work to come up with one. Besides, it takes me than one article to formulate a decent opinion.