After Watching the Movie

After Watching the Movie
Originally uploaded by Blinvisible27.

"...My conscience is captive to the word of God. To go against conscience is neither right nor safe. I cannot and I will not recant. Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me."

-Martin Luther

Hymn

Come Thy Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace.
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount; I'm fixed upon it,
Mount of Thy redeeming love.

Here I raise mine Ebenezer-
Hither by Thy help I've come.
And I hope by Thy good pleasure
Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger
Wandering from the fold of God.
He to rescue me from danger
Interposed His precious blood.

Oh to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be.
Let Thy grace, Lord, like a fetter
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love.
Here's my heart, Lord, take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above.

I Wear Too Many Masks

And I'm taking a couple off right now.

1. I call myself a political Independent, but I'm probably more Democrat than Republican. I'm more liberal than conservative. Sorry folks.

2. I'm not in a Southern Baptist church because my beliefs and theirs coincide the most. I'm in that church because I like that church and believe that God has something for me to do there right now (the college ministry). I might be a Presbyterian. I might be non-denominational. I'm probably emergent. I'm at least evangelical, not fundamentalist.

So, there you go. It is what it is. I was talking to Heather B. last night about this stuff and a bunch of other stuff as well, and I told her that 16, even 18 year old me would be AGHAST at what I just said. It's kinda funny to imagine a conversation between 18 year old me and 23 year old me.

18- Wait! I'm, like, a Democrat? But, but I'm a Christian!
23- Yeah. AND more Democrat than Republican. Look, you don't believe that abortion is a-ok suddenly. It's more about social justice and fiscal stuff.
18- But...
23- *suddenly starts screwing with 18* You don't believe in a pretribulation rapture anymore either. AND you're not dispensationalist, not that you know what that means yet.
18- What? People don't believe in a pretribulation rapture?
23- Yep. 'Specially YOU!
18- I don't...But that's wrong!
23- Oh yeah? Why?
18- Because it is!
23- *Laughs mischievously* You drink socially!
18- SHUT UP! I DO NOT!
23- You're going to see RENT the movie! It has gay people in it!
18- No!
23- Yep. And you have several gay and lesbian friends.
18- But. I mean, that's wrong.
23- Let me help you. You're about to say they're sinners.
18- Well. They are!
23- Yeah, they are. So're you. And your friends? Not saved yet. They're doing what they're supposed to be doing--sinning! And you, as a Christian? You sin a bunch still.
18- This is a lot to process.
23- Yeah. I know. Man, five years changes a lot. But, you'll be happy to know that you're still wicked awesome.
18- Well that's good. Hey, am I married?
23- No.
18- Oh, come on!
28- Well, you won't believe what happens after you're 23....

So that's what I envision a conversation with my 18 year old self to be like. It's pretty funny to me because man! I was an arrogant little something. And self-righteous. I was totally missing some of the stuff I was being taught (because this wasn't an indictment of how I grew up and the theology and doctrine I was taught). Think about, though. I mean, if we could meet ourselves at 18 or at 15 or whenever, what would we tell ourselves? Would we like ourselves? It's interesting.