My Issues

With 2008 being an election year, and with myself being a blogger with professed political interest, I thought it was time to show my cards. What follows is a rundown of issues that I think are important, my position, where that position falls on the left/right spectrun, and an explanation of my position. Please feel free to interact with me on this one. I would appreciate feedback.

War: Anti-war. Abolish war. Get the troops the heck out of Iraq. Close down our overseas miltary bases. (Left) In light of the New Testament's radical teachings about enemy love, the global communion of believers, Jesus's command to love our neighbor, and my belief that our journeys should, as much as possible, resemble the destination - which is a place where swords are beaten into plowshears and where they shall learn war no more - I am opposed to war in all forms, and for all reasons. I believe that Jesus' example of willingly suffering evil in order to overcome that evil is the only way out of the vicious cycle of wars and more wars, and I believe that the so called "just war" theory has gone over like a lead balloon. I insist that to resort to warfare, even for a moral end, is to adopt a means inconsistent with the Christian’s calling. The Christian Gospel is primarily a message of love and peace, and militarism & imperialism stand in stark contrast to the way of Jesus.

Abortion: Pro-Life / Anti-Abortion (Right) I hope and pray (not nearly with the tears that I should) that abortion will one day be just as abhorable and reprehensible as slavery. This use of catch phrases is surely tired. “Right to choose.” “Equal rights for women.” The grandchildren of the sixties are waking up to the vagueness and danger of those phrases. Right to choose what? Anything? All laws that protect children limit the rights of moms (and dads) to choose. You can’t choose to starve them. You can’t choose to lock them in closets for three weeks. You can’t choose to abandon them. You can’t choose to strangle them five minutes after they are born. And “equal rights for women”—equal with whom? Equal with the irresponsible dad. Dad has sex and bears no responsibility for the baby. Mom should be equally able to have sex and bear no responsibility for the baby. Young people are looking at this and saying: Something is wrong with this picture. Maybe our lives are as broken as they are because our parents have twisted their hearts and minds so deeply to justify equality in irresponsibility.

Health Care : Universal. Possibly socialized, at least subsidized. (Left) Why not? We have socialized education in this country. Why? Because we believe that an educated country is a better off country. In the same way, a healthy society is better than an unhealthy one. We also have socialized fire departments, police departments, roadways, etc., and we have managed to not become marxist commies. If you can find money to kill Iraqis, then you can find money to help Americans. We are the only large, developed country that hasn't clued in on this.

Marriage: Get the government out of my marriage (Far Right - almost Libertarian). Marriage is a religious institution, not a civil one. The government shouldn't have anything to say about my marriage. You cannot legislate righteousness. I am interested in the ideas of civil unions for govenmental purposes.

Imperialism: Anti-Empire, Anti-Imperialism (Left) America is becoming a defacto empire, especially through the arm of uncontrolled American-based global corporations. Which leads me to my next point....

Corporations: Stronger anti-trust laws. Limit corporate power. (Left) Corporations control our country and our foreign policy more than the politicians do, and certainly more than the People (capital P) do, and they aren't governed by conscience, they are governed by earning. This is getting out of hand. Time to pull in the reigns.

Capitalism: Conscious Capitalism (I can't find this on the political spectrum). I support capitalism as the best economic system that we have come up with so far, but this social darwinianism of earning as much as you can at whatever cost is maddness. We need a capitalism that has social, environmental, and moral boundaries.

Guns: Right to bear arms, not assault rifles and grenade launchers. (Slight Right). People should be able to own guns for sport and for hunting. Guns don't kill people, people kill people. However, I can see nothing good that can come from M16 wielding citizens.

Education: More funding, better pay for teachers. (Moderate) Our children are our future. An educated society is harder to govern, and that is a good thing. Governments should be afraid of their people, no the other way around. Everyone benefits from an educated society.

Taxes: No more IRS. Back to the gold standard. Sales Taxes, not Income Taxes (Far Right) We need to stop printing money out of thin air. AND, the Federal Reserve is a private (!) bank. What the heck? Tax spending so that people who are trying to be frugal and save aren't punished, and people who have money to spend on Ferraris carry more of the burden.

Death Penalty: No more. Done. (Left) We need a consistent ethic of human life. No war. No abortion. No death penalty.

Peace: Department. (My own idea) We have a Department of Defense, and a Department of Homeland Securtiy (waste of money), why not a Department of Peace.

Democracy: The fairest, most just system of governing a society that we have thought up so far...if people show up to vote!!! It is not without it's flaws. Perhaps in the future we will have something even better. Until then, democracy is where it is at.

Two Party System: Bad (Left?) We need more parties that more acurately reflect the people who are registered under them. This would also force us to learn to work together.

Political Accountability: More (?) Politicians should be held to account for their good and bad decisions by more than just getting voted out if they do a bad job. That seems very a very trite punishment for starting an unjust war that has killed tens of thousands of people.

Campaign Financing: Gov't Financed (Left) Each candidate should get a set amount of money to spend from the public, and that is all they get. This keeps rich elites from always running the show, and it keeps the influence of corporate lobbies at a minimum.

There you have it, or at least a part of it. As you can see, I don't light up particularly well with either party, so I have got my work cut out for me when it comes to voting (which I strongly believe in).

The Smart Shepherd

I know I just did a post on Keller, but NewsWeek just did an article on him that is a must read. Check it: The Smart Shepherd

Update: I just read the article again, and it is really and truly worth your time.

Keller's Reasons

Tim Keller's new book The Reason for God comes out in a week or so. Tim Keller (along with John Piper and NT Wright) has had some of the most profound impact on my life and living. This is the first book that he has written for the general public, and I am anxious to get it in my hands (He wrote a book entitled Ministries of Mercy for people in "vocational Christian service" a few years back).

His church, Redeemer Presbyterian in New York City, has put up some free sermons related to the book. Whether you read the book or not, I really recommend them. Enjoy:

Exclusivity: How can there be just one true religion?

Suffering: If God is good, why is there so much evil in the world?

Absolutism: Don't we all have to find truth for ourselves?

Injustice: Hasn't Christianity been an instrument for oppression?

Hell: Isn't the God of Christianity an angry Judge?

Doubt: What should I do with my doubts?

Literalism: Isn't the Bible historically unreliable and regressive?

TIME Magazine interviews Wright

TIME Magazine just interviewed NT Wright about his new book Surprised by Hope and his views on Heaven.

Read the interview here.

Another Book to Get Excited About

Healing for a Broken World: Christian Perspectives on Public Policy by Steve Monsma

“Urgent, compelling, readable. An important book on a crucial topic. Monsma’s entire life—as a successful politician and a gifted professor of political science—has prepared him to write this clear, compelling book. Every Christian with any interest in politics should read it.” —Ronald J. Sider, Evangelicals for Social Action

“Monsma is one of the most important scholars writing on church-state issues today. This latest contribution is perhaps his finest work. It brings together his wide-ranging knowledge of the history of politics and jurisprudence with a theological seriousness that is often lacking in church-state scholarship.” —Francis J. Beckwith, Associate Professor of Philosophy and Church-State Studies, Baylor University

About the Author

STEVE MONSMA is a senior research fellow at the Henry Institute for the Study of Christianity and Politics at Calvin College and professor emeritus of political science at Pepperdine University. He has published widely in the fields of church-state relations and faith-based nonprofit organizations.

Abortion Debate Transcript

Here is the transcript from the Boonin-Kreeft Abortion Debate that I went to a few weeks ago. Sorry this is so late. Moving and getting back to work has kept me rather busy lately. Enjoy...I did.

Surprised By Hope

One of the the most exciting Christian books of the year will be available on February 5th.

Surprised By Hope by NT Wright.

Synopsis: What do Christians hope for? To leave this wicked world and go to 'heaven'? For the 'kingdom of God' to grow gradually on earth? What do we mean by the 'resurrection of the body', and how does that fit with the popular image of sitting on clouds playing harps? And how does all this affect the way we live in the here and now?

Tom Wright, one of our leading theologians, addresses these questions in this provocative and wide-ranging new book. He outlines the present confusion about future hope in both church and world. Then, having explained why Christians believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus himself, he explores the biblical hope for 'new heavens and new earth', and shows how the 'second coming' of Jesus, and the eventual resurrection, belong within that larger picture, together with the intermediate hope for 'heaven'. For many, including many Christians, all this will come as a great surprise.Wright convincingly argues that what we believe about life after death directly affects what we believe about life before death.

For if God intends to renew the whole creation - and if this has already begun in Jesus' resurrection - the church cannot stop at 'saving souls', but must anticipate the eventual renewal by working for God's kingdom in the wider world, bringing healing and hope in the present life.Lively and accessible, this book will surprise and excite all who are interested in the meaning of life not only after death but before it.

A Dream worth Dreaming

The entire "I Have a Dream" speach by Martin Luther King Jr.:

I Have a Dream

Towards a Biblical View of Community

1.) We need to stop elevating personal "quiet times" (which means isolating yourself from community to read your bible) and individual prayer over against more communal Christian activities.

2.) We need to have a higher esslesiology. Church is not merely an institution created by God to help individuals who have a "personal relationship with Jesus" (is that phrase even in the NT???) to get through life sinning less while waiting to be taken up to heaven. The church is what Jesus continues to do on the earth (Acts 1.1-2). The church community is God's plan for bring His reign until Jesus returns.

--Matt Larsen

A Royal Allegiance

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Our dear friends Matt and Lauren Larsen have finally started a blog, and it is about time. If you ever read blogs at all (which I'm assuming you do since you are reading this) then you should bookmark this one without delay: A Royal Allegiance.

Two main reasons that I think this blog will be worth your time:

1. Insight. Matt is currently pursing his ThM and is concurrently a full time college pastor. He is wise beyond his years and has an incredible gift for bringing the theological and abstract together with the practical and concrete. He is a student not only of Jesus and the Scriptures, but of culture as well. I did another post about him a while back. See it here.

2. Beauty and Art. Lauren is perhaps the most gifted young photographer that I have ever seen. My grandfather was a professional photographer for years, so I say that as more than a casual observer. I expect we will see some of her art and eye for beauty on this blog as well. Check out her photog website at www.laurenlarsen.com.

So, what are you waiting for? Click on this now: www.aroyalallegiance.blogspot.com

Their tagline:

"Musings of life under the reign of King Jesus, particularly culture, theology, photography, our baby, politics, mission, and community."

Abortion Debate at CU

My wife and I are going to a debate on "Is Abortion Morally Justifiable?" featuring Dr. David Boonin (a University of Colorado philosophy professor, author of In Defense of Abortion) and Dr. Peter Kreeft (prolific author and professor at Boston College) at The University of Colorado at Boulder tonight in Humanities Room 1B50 at 7:00 PM.

I'm going to take notes as well as I am able and I will post them here on the blog, perhaps with some comment as well. Check back tomorrow or the day after and they should be up.

May the Lord be pleased to end this deplorable injustice in our country. Amen.

Back in Boulder

Well, Jenny and I are back in Boulder. While we wait for our apartment application to go through we are staying with our dear friends Brady and Julie. Brady was kind enough to provide me with his newest home brew as soon as I walked through the door, a well hoped Imperial India Pale Ale. It is nice to be back in a place with seasons, although I miss the fam in Texas.

Our next twelve months will be mostly devoted to our church plant and getting ready for Nepal. In addition, I will also be working for the Homeless Shelter here in town and beginning, at long last, seminary through Reformed Theological's distance learning program. Jenny is hunting for a part time job as well, and is hoping to get her Yoga Therapy certification. We've already found a Nepali language helper, and are super jazzed to get our feet really wet with our church internship.

Marriage is a blast so far, and no real seismic activity to speak of. My wife is just as delightful in our home as she is out in public. Continue to keep us, our marriage, and our work in your prayers.

Peace,
The Ballards

I Want This Book

Theology in the Context of World Christianity

It's no secret that the center of Christianity has shifted from the West to the global South and East. While the truths of the Christian faith are universal, new contexts bring new questions, new understandings, and new expressions. What does this mean for theology? Is the Christian faith not only culturally translatable, but also theologically translatable?

Theological reflection is alive and well in the majority world church, and these new perspectives need to be heard, considered, and brought into conversation with Western theologians. Global theology can make us aware of our own blind spots and biases. Because of its largely conservative stance, global theology has much to offer toward the revitalization of Western Christianity. Tennent examines traditional theological categories in conversation with theologians from across the globe, making this volume valuable for students, pastors, missionaries, and theologians alike.

Timothy C. Tennent (PhD, University of Edinburgh, Scotland) is professor of World Missions and Indian Studies and director of missions programs at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

Friar Smith

An elder at my church, and my dear friend, Brady Smith won the prestigious annual Mountan Sun homebrewing contest with his Ladies' Man Stout. Combining Honey, rose petals, and Cognac, it is "one complex, smooth, and quaffable Stout!" Brady also happens to be the man who brewed all the beer for our wedding reception. The Mountain Sun is one of the best micro/craft breweries in the States (and my personal favorite), and this is one of the biggest homebrew comps around. Mr. Smith has proven himself to be one of the most capable home brewers in the Rocky Mountain Region, if not the States. If you are ever in Boulder, CO and are fortunate enough to track down the legendary Friar, it will be well worth your effort. Also, if you are in Boulder in February, the Ladies Man Stout will be on tap at The Suns. Congrats to Brady. May this be just the beggining in a long line of delicious craftsmanship.

Here is the announcement from the Sun:

The Mt Sun Brew Team has completed the judging process for our 2nd annual Stout Month Homebrew contest. As usual, we tasted a variety of great beers, and it was difficult to pick only one. We were really impressed with the creativity and wide variety of ingredients that we came across this year. It always makes for a fun tasting session and a difficult judging process!

This year's winner is Brady Smith with Ladies' Man Stout. Combining Honey, rose petals, and Cognac, this is one complex, smooth, and quaffable Stout!

Take Care,
Brian Hutchinson
Brewer Mt Sun/Southern Sun

Unconscionable

My wife found this article in the latest Newsweek while we were in Barnes & Noble last night. I thought it had to be a joke, but it is not. It is the most hillarious /embarassing piece of writing that I have read in a while. I didn't know if I should laugh or cry, but it turned out that I mostly laughed... a lot. If you have a few spare minutes at all, you must read this.

Merry Christmas

Peace on earth and goodwill toward men.

Advent Conspiracy

With less than a week to go until Christians of the western tradition all over the world celebrate the birth of Jesus, I just wanted to remind everyone about the Advent Conspiracy.

From the AC website:

Christmas was meant to change the world. It still can. Worship more. Spend less. Give more. Love all. Zero in on what it really means to be a Christ follower during this holy season. What if you could inspire your church, your family and yourself to avoid being consumed by commercialism this Christmas? Spend some time learning about materialism and reflecting on it. Then, start conversations with others about it. What are the local and global needs around you, and what’s the meaning of Christmas all about?

13 Ways to Bless Missionaries

From Desiring God:

Pray specific Scripture for them and their ministry, and then email it to them.

Call or email their parents—Christmas might be just as lonely for the ones at home as the ones away.

Purchase phone minutes for an international calling card through an online service like OneSuite and email them the account number.

Donate frequent flier miles to them.

Purchase an iTunes gift card for them. Have it sent to you and email them the account number.

Commit to pray for them on a specific day of the week for a year.

Write a song or poem or story for them. Email them the text and a recording of you reading or singing it.

Get friends and family together to create a holiday video greeting for them using Google Video or YouTube. Include lots of people you know they miss.

Make a year-end gift through their missions board or agency.

Western Union—the fastest way to send money.

Call their local florist (not everyone is in the jungle these days) and have flowers delivered, or their local Pizza Hut and have pizza delivered.

Donate to a charity that means a lot to them.

Make a monthly commitment to support them financially.

Compound Interest

My good friend Matt posted a great quote concerning Compound Interest.

Publisher's Weekly Reviews Tim Keller's New Book

The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism by Timothy Keller. Dutton, $24.95 (272p) ISBN 978-0-525-95049-3

In this apologia for Christian faith, Keller mines material from literary classics, philosophy, anthropology and a multitude of other disciplines to make an intellectually compelling case for God. Written for skeptics and the believers who love them, the book draws on the author's encounters as founding pastor of New York's booming Redeemer Presbyterian Church. One of Keller's most provocative arguments is that "all doubts, however skeptical and cynical they may seem, are really a set of alternate beliefs." Drawing on sources as diverse as 19th-century author Robert Louis Stevenson and contemporary New Testament theologian N.T. Wright, Keller attempts to deconstruct everyone he finds in his way, from the evolutionary psychologist Richard Dawkins to popular author Dan Brown. The first, shorter part of the book looks at popular arguments against God's existence, while the second builds on general arguments for God to culminate in a sharp focus on the redemptive work of God in Christ. Keller's condensed summaries of arguments for and against theism make the scope of the book overwhelming at times. Nonetheless, it should serve both as testimony to the author's encyclopedic learning and as a compelling overview of the current debate on faith for those who doubt and for those who want to reevaluate what they believe, and why. (Feb. 14)

Source: Here

This one is definitely on my wish list. Tim Keller has influenced my thinking quite a bit and I am anxious to see how his foray into the writing world turns out.

Third of Advent

Today we relight the first two candles of the Advent wreath. The candle of HOPE and the candle of PEACE.

Now we light the third candle of Advent.

This is the candle of JOY. As the coming of Jesus, our Savior, draws nearer, our joy builds with our anticipation of his birth.

From the Book of Isaiah we read the words of our Lord:
“But be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating; for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy, and its people as a delight.”— Isaiah 65:18

From the New Testament, the words of Paul to the people of the church at Galatia:
“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.”— Galatians 5:22-25

Let us pray:We joyfully praise you, O Lord, for the fulfillment of your promise of a Savior and what that means in our lives. Thank you for the gift of salvation through the birth of your son, Jesus. Create us anew as we wait, and help us to see your glory as you fill our lives with your living Spirit. Amen.

Second Sunday of Advent

Today we relight the candle of HOPE. Now we light the candle for the second Sunday in Advent. This is the candle of PEACE. As we prepare for the coming of Jesus, we remember that Jesus is our hope and our peace.

From the prophet Isaiah:
“For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”— Isaiah 9:6-7

From the Gospel of John:
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.”— John 14:27

Prayer for Second Sunday of Advent:
Gracious God, Grant that we may find peace as we prepare for our Lord’s birth. May divisions in ourselves and in our families be peacefully resolved. May there be peace in our cities and in the countries of our world. Help us to see the paths of peace in our lives, and then give to us courage to follow them. Lord, let us remember that you only are the giver of lasting peace and that you are always with us. Amen.

Advent: Prayers and Conspiracies

This Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent... Advent being the traditional time of preparation leading up to the celebration of the birth of Christ. Christians believe that the season of Advent serves a dual reminder of the original waiting that was done by Israel for the birth of their Messiah as well as the waiting that Christians today endure as they await the second coming of Jesus.

My wife and I have never celebrated Advent, though we have been Christians for many years now. We thought it would be a rich and spiritually rewarding thing to do this year. We would prefer to focus this time on Jesus, and less on consumerism and stress. We thought others might be interested in doing the same:

How to Celebrate Advent

Advent begins on Advent Sunday, usually somewhere around December 1. Historically, the primary color of Advent is Purple (in some traditions blue is used instead of purple). This is the color of penitence and fasting as well as the color of royalty to welcome the Advent of the King. Other colors that are used are red (for joy, love, and celebration) and white (to represent purity, new birth or creation, and Jesus).

Advent is marked by a spirit of expectation, of anticipation, of preparation, of longing. There is a yearning for deliverance from the evils of the world, first expressed by Israelite slaves in Egypt as they cried out from their bitter oppression. It is the cry of those who have experienced the tyranny of injustice in a world under the curse of sin, and yet who have hope of deliverance by a God who has heard the cries of oppressed slaves and brought deliverance!

It is that hope, however faint at times, and that God, however distant He sometimes seems, which brings to the world the anticipation of a King who will rule with truth and justice and righteousness over His people and in His creation. It is that hope that once anticipated, and now anticipates anew, the reign of an Anointed One, a Messiah, who will bring peace and justice and righteousness to the world.

The lighting of candles (representing Jesus being the light of the world) is a very important part of celebrating Advent. On the First Sunday of Advent, the purple candle of hope is lit, follwed by scripture reading and prayers, and then is subsequently put out. Likewise for the Second Sunday (candle of peace) and the Third Sunday (candle of love). The Forth Sunday is a red or pink candle representing joy is lit, followed again by scripture reading and prayers, and again is put out. On Christmas Eve, a white candle is lit representing the birth of Christ and, along with all the others, is left burning all night. The Christ Candle, as it is called, is usually placed in the center of the other candles to remind us that the Incarnation is the heart of the season.

For a general Advent Prayer see here.

For daily Advent Scripture readings see here.

This week's Advent prayer is:

Almighty God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost,one God, now and for ever. Amen.

I'll post the prayer of the week each week as the Advent season moves along.

Also, the book Celtic Daily Prayer has some wonderful Advent resources.

The Conspiracy

Advent Conspiracy is an international movement restoring the scandal of Christmas by substituting compassion for consumption. It is really exciting and is something that all Christians, but especially those in the West, should chew on a bit this Christmas season. Check it out at http://www.adventconspiracy.org/.

A Thanksgiving Meditation by John Piper

Read it here: Ganging Up on Gratitude

Miscillanies

Want to study the Bible in Greek? Check out The Resurgence's new ReGreek site at www.regreek.com/

The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World is now available. Contributors are John Piper, David Wells, D.A. Carson, Tim Keller, Voddie Baucham, and Mark Driscoll.

What do you mean you won't consider adoption? If you are in Christ, you have been adopted! Think about it...or read this: From Adopted to Adopting.

Dirty China:The New York Sun reports that "The organizers of the 2008 Olympic Games in China have put the Bible on the list of items that athletes are banned from bringing with them to Beijing. . . ."

My buddy Sam Adams is still keeping it real in Rwanda.

Remember this name: Matt Larsen. You'll be hearing it again in the future. Some of his sermons to his college group are available on Podcast by searching for Merge.

Joe Thorn's Six Rules for Cultural Engagement

1. Be present.
It sounds easy enough, but being present in the world these days is made difficult because of the Christian sub-culture the church has created around itself. Being present means being a part of the community God has sent you to, not just the community he wants you to help create. Do you know the people, the local issues and struggles, the values, practices and interests of your neighbors? There will be no cultural engagement unless you are there, hanging out, interacting with the world outside of the church. Need a place to start? Introduce yourself to your neighbors and invite them over for dinner, read the local paper, participate in local events, let your voice be heard when appropriate, be a regular at local establishments.

2. Practice discernment.
You must be thoughtful in your engaging. Is [fill in the blank] something to reject outright (nothing good in it), something to receive as it points to truth or beauty, or is this an opportunity to point to the redemption we, and all things, have in Jesus? It is not always time to be the culture warrior, nor does Jesus call us to be spiritual pacifists. Sometimes we must fight, sometimes we share things in common, but we are always looking to heal.

3. Develop your theology.
You cannot be a culture engager if you are not a theologian. You will be unsuccessful in “redeeming culture” if you are unsuccessful as a student of theology. I am not suggesting that everyone needs to be a resurrected Turretin, Owen or Edwards, nor am I suggesting that God cannot overcome our theological inadequacies. But to speak to the culture of sin, the gospel and the character of God requires that we understand these things. Where to start? Read good books that focus on theology and its application to life and community. Dialog with others about this very task who share a growing passion for both the gathered church and the sent church.

4. Find courage.
Engaging the culture in this way demands great personal conviction. Like Jesus and the apostles, preaching the gospel in word and deed will both lead to you being favored as a helper, and hated as a meddler. It just depends on the issue. Everyone who labors in such work will encounter fear. Comfort and courage will only come from God who has promised that the we are blessed when persecuted, and the gates of hell will not prevail against his church.

5. Speak clearly.
To properly engage your culture, whether rejecting what is evil, or receiving what is good, you must speak the language of the culture. For most this should be easier than imagined. You probably understand the language of your community, but you may not speak it - particularly when it comes to explaining the gospel to people. It is not enough to say the murder of the innocent is an abomination, or that all men are dead in sin and need to be regenerated and justified. We must explain ourselves - even better, the gospel - in words they can understand. Many of us need to learn to rely less on talking points and canned presentations that are connecting less and less to the post-Christian culture, and begin developing an earnest, dialogical method of engaging with our words. There’s no easy how-to for this beyond simply doing it, failing, and trying again.

6. Love.
This is perhaps the most important rule of engaging culture, because most of the time you will not only be engaging ideas, but people; people made in God’s image, people who feel, people Christ calls us to love and serve. It is not appropriate to claim we love our neighbors without a real demonstration of that love. Whether we are rejecting, receiving or redeeming love for God and others must be what moves us to speak and act.

Source

Carole Hillard: 1936 - 2007

Carole Hillard died like she would have wanted to - in the middle of an adventure, said her son, the Rev. Todd Hillard. Carole Hillard, a former South Dakota lieutenant governor, legislator and Rapid City Council member, died early last Thursday morning in a Swiss hospital of complications following a broken neck suffered in a sail-boating accident. Carole had made the boating trip with friends on the Adriatic Sea after traveling to Turkmenistan, where she had put on a conference on federalism.

Her life taught us that one person can make a big difference in the world and that each of us has a responsibility to make the world a better place. She started from the grass roots ... with community service in Rapid City. Carole helped coordinate a protection network for battered women before there was a women's shelter in Rapid City. "That was where she got her start, picking up battered women in the middle of the night and making sure they got a safe place to stay," Todd said.

After stints on the Rapid City Council and in the Legislature, Carole was elected lieutenant governor during the second two terms of Gov. Bill Janklow from 1995-2003. She was the first and only woman to ever hold this position. In addition to presiding over the Senate, she traveled the state to appear on Janklow's behalf at events big and small.In the last decade, In these last years Carole served as an international consultant, traveling to more than 60 countries on behalf of the U.S. State Department as well as nongovernmental organizations. Among many other things, she helped supervise the January elections in the West Bank and traveled to Afghanistan in March to help create small business in Kabul.

In one of her last emails to family she wrote, "So the question is -- are we not safer living the daring life? Is it better to be bird than a turtle as we sojourn thru life?"

May the faithful departed rest in peace until the Resurrection.