Questionable Theology (Part 4)

And now for the fourth installment of this semester's "Joys of Grading" series:

My all-time favorite quote from this semester:
"Conversion is the starting point of this journey; it is the "death of the old person" and the "birth of the new" person. This is not say that there are two different souls dwelling inside a person like a 'white dog' and a 'black dog.'" 

"We are to blindly follow and obey wherever he leads us." 

"As it says in 1 Thes. 4:2 'this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from fortification.'" 

“In general people have a very easy role in conversion. All they have to do is, well, nothing really.”

"Conversion is an instantaneous miracle. It is something that hits you suddenly and you feel and believe your sins and they look very real to you." 

"Through this I hope to constantly remind myself of what it means to be a disciple and examine my faith. At the end if I find myself to be a Christian, I will be successful." 

"Spiritual formation is not something that can't be measured by human means. To ask 'how much' spiritual formation can be obtained is similar asking how much marriage can be obtained in this life....Rather, spiritual formation is a tapestry consisting of different rates, different 'colors' etc."

"A bad example of faith that I can think of is the wind. We cannot see it, but we can see the effects of it. And we also can hear, smell, taste, and feel it, which is why I said it was a bad example. Another example that I've heard before involves a chair..." Oh brother.

"This world is still broken, and even though people don't in sin anymore, they still stumble into it." 

Did you like what you read?
Read part 1 here.
Read part 2 here.
Read part 3 here.

Tell Me How

A poem for those who went before me. 

*     *     *     *     *

Tell me how to know this bundle of firing neurons, 
when people keep trying to rewire me.

Tell me how to survive the “culture wars,” 
when I refuse to choose one side.

Tell me how to fit somewhere,
when I’m a piece from a different puzzle.

Tell me how to hope so heavy,
when hopeful heavy hearts live painful.

Tell me flesh and blood has walked here before, 
Tell me your story built with tear-soaked mortar.
Tell me how the curtain tore,
Tell me what the hell I’m living for.

Because if you don’t I might give up.

My only fear is that if
I give up,
I won’t be able to
tell the next me how I got 
here.

An afterthought:

Then I passed by and saw you kicking about in your own blood,

and as you lay there in your blood,

I said to you,

‘Live!’ 

Break-Up Recovery Kit

Most of us have broken up with a boy at least once in our lives. It's sad, painful, and utterly heart-wrenching. Breaking up leaves you practically senseless.

That's why you really need the new break up recovery kit! Say goodbye to the conventional break-up routines of crying on a friend's shoulder, eating chocolate (and/or an entire carton of ice cream), and going through a box of tissues in a few hours. This new break-up recovery kit has everything you need from a male candle (because you know you want to burn their head off) and female candle (for who knows why) all the way to helpful therapeutic modalities such as Separation Oil, Break-Up Incense, and "Keep Away Enemies" Soap. 

Instructions for use: 

1. Begin burning the male/female candle (guy if you're a girl and vice versa if you're a guy). Feel free to carve your ex's name into the candle for greater effect. 
2. Take the remaining candle and turn it to face the burning candle. They can watch. 
3. Separation Oil - pour all over body. If your ex tries to catch you, you'll slip right out of his fingers. 
4. Break-up Incense - burn regularly. The stench will prevent any man from coming near you for a very long time. 
5. Keep Away Enemies Soap - Wave this soap in front of all enemies and they will magically be "washed away."

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