Monday, February 15, 2010

Writing Class- Comments and Posting

The questions that I’ve posted have generated some positive feedback, but they have also generated some frustration. It can be frustrating for me when I’m seeking to open a discussion and I don’t get much response. I can also understand that no one is obligated to respond and, if someone doesn’t want to engage in a conversation, then being asked even more questions can be frustrating to them. I’m open to thoughts on a different approach.

My youth pastor asks deep questions every Sunday morning and Wednesday night. I like them because they make me think and I figured they would be great conversation starters for the blogs. My goal was to start dialogue about the aspects of our faith that stir the most interest and passion in our group. The questions were meant to give examples of aspects that motivate other believers. My intention was not to limit the discussion to only these topics. I did not expect any one person to have passion around all topics, nor did I intend to force someone into sharing insights about their faith beyond their comfort level. I’m open to taking a different approach to starting conversations, but I’m hoping we can be bloggers that go beyond the superficial. What thoughts do you all have about the purpose of the blog or how we can communicate better?

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Writing Class- It's Quite Incredible

I loved the last third of Franklin's book. It showed just how much God can really use someone who has faith. It seemed fitting to me that little rebel Franklin became such a prominent Christian man. I really liked Franklin's adult life because it was mostly about serving people. It wasn't mostly about preaching or helping the church or anything, it was about going to remote countries and helping the war town villages and giving people food and medical supplies. Not many people do that. The majority of the church will just throw money in the offering plate and won't give it a second thought. Franklin was someone who put his life on the line to make sure the people got what they needed. I absolutely love that he went to the country or territory before he sent Samaritan's Purse there to work. That shows leadership and integrity. What I was amazed at, though I really shouldn't be, was how everything lined up perfectly for Franklin. He always managed to be at the right place at the right time. For example, the "retired" couple that would run the women's halfway house, when he went back to visit Sami, moving the office to Boone, when he worked at the hospital as a youth, and when he helped the contras in Central America were all examples of God's amazing timing. Now, one or two of those events would be normal, maybe even typical. But all those situations with one person? God is amazing to get him through all of them and to provide everything just as it was needed. It's quite incredible.

I was mainly impressed at how constantly he was going somewhere and doing something for God. Whether it was somewhere in Africa or Central America or Soviet Europe, he had been there. Nothing in his book really distressed me. However, the story about the soldiers and the father, son, and daughter was obscene, but that's what a lot of people are going through around the world. Their entire lives are like that, and that's not something we as Christians should ignore. We need to be out there, ministering to these people and helping their emotional wounds heal. Nobody else is going to do that. No other religion will go and no one's government will do anything about it. It's up to us. I go to church in Madison, and let me tell you: There are innumerable amounts of hurting, homeless, addicted people just in Madison for us to help, let alone the greater Nashville area. I see people just walking the streets in Madison around all the time, even in the winter. The situations are so sad. There are only 3 or 4 families in my youth group that have both biological parents living with them. It's just really sad. You see, Christians, and everyone else, have two purposes on earth. One), to interact with God, and two), to tell the world that Jesus lives. So my question to each and every one of you, along with the rest of the Christians out there (this is a non-rhetorical question): Will you help them or ignore them? Are you gonna do something about the hurting people around us or turn a deaf ear?