(H/T to Gavin for the video)

I think I am a person of above-average intelligence. Truly. However, I fail to see where science and faith are mutually exclusive. My mother is a scientist; my mother is also the person who was most instrumental in my spiritual formation. One of the finest scientific minds I know (that is, know personally) belongs to a man of great faith.

Here goes the part where I alienate half (or maybe all) of the people who read my blog:

I do not believe in a literal seven twenty-four-hour-day creation. I do, however, believe that we were created. I believe that an evolutionary model may offer some insight as to how we were created, but not why. For they why, I must rely on my faith, simple as it is.

I do not believe that science and faith a re mutually exclusive. I do wonder, however, if science and religion are mutually exclusive.

This video has me chuckling, but it is somewhat bittersweet. I think Richard Dawkins has been gifted with a brilliant mind and a curious spirit. What is interesting to me, and a little sad, is that Dr. Dawkins fails to see the similarities in people of science and people of faith. Questioning, seeking, constantly searching; is that not the crux of his life's work? Does that not describe the journey of faith?


P.S. The Selfish Gene is still one on the most interesting books I have ever read.

Labels: Faith, Gripes, will she ever shut up?

I apologize for causing undue stress (Charm City Kelly) with my earlier post. I cannot go into too many details as yet, but I will elaborate.

For some time now, I have felt a certain disquiet. Never sure what it was, and VERY NERVOUS about asking God for clarification, I just simmered. I really do not like change, and I know that this disquiet is usually the precursor to change.

Recently, a chance conversation with a friend brought some possibilities to light. I feel a little better prepared for whatever God has in store for me, which is a big deal for a girl who really likes to dig in her heels.

See, even when I am too chicken to ask, He is ready to answer.

Labels: Faith, life

Today I had a prayer answered. A prayer that I hadn't yet gotten together the guts to pray. A prayer that I was still to fearful to pray. Wow. My God is so awesome. (And yes, Dad, I do really mean awesome. He fills me with awe)

Film at eleven.

Labels: Faith

I maintain that October is Las Vegas makes up for the nasty summers. This week was our annual "turning off of the central air" ceremony. Windows are open (with security bars in place, Dad) and fans are running. I love autumn. I love waking up to a cold nose and snuggling into Jon (I am married to a furnace); I love the smell of woodsmoke in the air as the fireplaces get going; I love the distinct aroma of rotting leaves. I am an autumn kind of girl. Sweaters and soup and the end of daylight savings time.

At the end of summer's oppressive heat is the cooling. Seasons are, quite possibly, my favorite part of God's creation. Right now, Jon's and my life is in a summer; it's hot, sticky, and uncomfortable. There are brief moments of artificial cooling, but we always have to get back into the heat. Fall is my reminder that summer is not endless; at the end comes the cool.

God will send a cooling season for our summer, just as he sends the cooling season for the weather.

Labels: Faith, life

A little over twenty years ago, I wrote an essay for a Father's Day contest. Our task was to finish the sentence "My dad is the greatest because..." My parents still have that essay -my careful fourth grade cursive on its Cabbage Patch Kids stationery. My guess is that it is in the stack of framed photos that need to be hung somewhere sometime (Does every home have a stack like that or is this a problem unique to Hutsons?)
I do not remember all the particulars, but I know that some mention was made of pancakes for breakfast. I recall that, when the essay was read to the congregation, there were a few chuckles-- I imagine that I would chuckle myself to read it now.
A lot has changed in those twenty years. Dad is no longer the "man in my life;" I cannot remember the last time I ate his pancakes for breakfast; it's been months since I even had breakfast with him! One thing has not changed- my dad is the greatest.

He is the greatest provider I could have hoped for- always sacrificing for the four of us. Many stories are told about the sailboat Dad could have gotten instead of kid sand the convertible which was not safe for little ones. I'd be willing to bet there were times he would have seriously considered a trade.

He is the greatest protector a kid could need. One of my most vivid Jr. High memories was my father marching in to the office at Belle Vue Middle School, pretty much taking no prisoners, when I was slugged on the school bus. I don't think I had ever seen Dad really angry until that point. (Needless to say, the young man in question did not see the school bus for the remainder of the year.)

He is the greatest at letting go. We three brats have not been an easy lot (See that picture? Daddy had hair until 1976!), but my father has learned to trust God to look after us when we are too stupid to do it ourselves. I am not a parent, so this concept is completely foreign to me. I have a hard enough time surrendering myself to God.

I have learned so much from my father- from how to make a perfect roux to changing a tire, yet the most important lesson he ever taught was simply to watch and listen. One of the most perceptive people I know is my dad, and it is because he watches and listens.

Our earthly relationships are supposed to give us a tiny sliver of what God has in store for our Eternity, and I am thankful to have a glimpse of Father's love through my dad.

Labels: Faith, family

"Until you settle the issue of your own worth, it's impossible to bring holiness into anyone else's life. Until you understand that your worth is already determined by the fact of your birth, everything else is an exercise in propping up a dying tree."

~ Carol Brazo ~
"No Ordinary Home"

Worth is something other than value. I am valued by my husband as a wife, by my church as a servant, by my boss as an employee. My value is determined by those around me. I would venture to say that I am more valuable to my husband as a wife than I am to API as an employee. Value is determined by those around me. But what am I worth?

MY worth exists independently of what I do. Worth is about who I am. More importantly, worth is about who I am becoming through Christ. Because, truly? I am worthless; I am the product of a fallen creation, a dirty sinner who is helpless; I am the opposite of worthy.

The issue of my own worth is this: I am unworthy. I am unworthy and there is nothing I can DO about it. So how could I ever expect to bring any measure of holiness to anyone's life? We don't wash windows with dirty cloths, do we?

The only way I can even hope for worth is through Christ; any measure of holiness in me is Him. That's the heart of the matter. The question of my worth is settled, my worth is only in Him. To bring holiness to anyone else's life is to show them what He has done in my life, what He continues to do every day in my life, what He will do in all His children's lives.

Christine is our gracious hostess this week. Thank you, Christine

Labels: Faith, memes

We in the US who are Christians have a tendency to moan and cry about not being allowed to do x,y, or z. In case any of us needs a reminder of just how good we have it, take a little jaunt over here.
Story upon story here.
Lastly, here is something to do about it.

Labels: Faith, persecuted church

I am Judas, betraying His trust for a pittance. How often have I shelved Him for the fleeting empty material pleasures of this world? I have no defense-- he was at least fulfilling prophesy. I have no excuse.

I am Peter, quick out of the gate and quick to deny Him. I have gone out half-cocked and ill-prepared; I have forgotten whose I am when the chips were down. There may not be a rooster, but my failure is obvious, nevertheless.

I am James and John, falling asleep on the job. How often have I missed Him, simply because I was too caught up in myself to watch?

I am Caiaphas, demanding God prove Himself to me, when I have no right to ask such.

I am Pilate, taking the easy way out.

I am the mob, losing sight of Him and allowing myself to be caught in the frenzy.

I am all these people, and yet He has freed me. I am worthless, yet made worthy; I am broken, yet made whole.

O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.
O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.
O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world, grant us thy peace.

Labels: Faith

Galations 5
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (NIV)

From comment thread in a previous post:

I read something a little while ago that challenged believers on what they really believe. it kind of played into what Kelly has blogged about a while back (just turning EVERYTHING over to God) -- if you really believed with 100% of your heart, you would sell everything you have, give everything you make from this point going forward to the God that you believe in, and through faith he would provide and you would want for nothing more in this world because you would know that your eternal comfort awaits in heaven.

I know a good many godly people -- good, decent people that I love a great deal -- and not one of them has done that. Not one of them is even close. They do all the same things the rest of humanity does; accumulate material stuff, houses and cars, and work jobs in order to support their kids... (I think that describes every person I know on this earth).

I'm not judging them -- those who proclaim their faith appear to be much more grounded in it than I am in my own, and it serves many good purposes, but they aren't living every minute for God's glory.

I'll try to go through this piece by piece, but I am probably going to have to publish and republish. First of all, this is a package deal fallacy (I incorrectly characterized this as false dilemma earlier). If I believe with 100% of my heart I must sell everything I own? Give everything to God? Why does God want my measly salary? Does God not want me, His daughter, to eat? Have a place to live? Of course He does, and so He has provided a means by which I may earn money and eat and live. How would it honor Him if I turn my back on the gifts He has bestowed?

It wouldn't, and to insist otherwise is sorely mistaken. It doesn't honor God or His creation to sit around waiting for manna to fall out of the sky. But you are right, about one thing-- wanting nothing in this world. The problem with this reasoning is that it neglects one important factor- I, like every other Christ follower I know, am a work in progress. Fortunately for me, I have an Advocate, someone who is strong in my weakness (that is awfully darn strong, let me tell ya!).

Giving everything to God is not about stuff. God doesn't want our stuff. He wants our baggage, our hearts, our minds. He wants our hurts, our triumphs, our sorrows, our joys. The stuff is a poor substitute. I do know my eternal comfort waits in Heaven, and it is in spite of who I am.

Bearing this in mind, I constantly pray for enough. But that is not about enough stuff; it is about my heart. I pray that my heart will be filled, that I find enough.

I, too, know a good many Godly people. They are my mentors, my family, my friends. Together, we strive to live out our faith. We are missionaries, and our mission field happens to be Las Vegas. We are not street preachers, and we don't live in a VW bus. We live in condos, in houses, and apartments. We go to movies, to street fairs, to concerts. We work in offices, in schools, in casinos. And we witness in our daily life-- we witness to God's amazing transforming power. And you know what else? We sometimes fall. But even in our failure, God doesn't. The Word will win out, because the Word is Truth.

There is something here upon which the commenter has landed which has great spiritual significance. Goodness. Good things are just that, good. But many times we let the good distract from what is Best. I don't kid myself that I am any more grounded than the next person. My size sevens are just as wobbly as any body's, but I know that each time I fall, I crawl to my knees and Christ lifts me back up to my feet. So I can live each moment to his Glory, because He shines so brightly through my weakness.

Labels: Faith

"At the heart of the story stands the cross
of Christ where evil did
its worst and met its match."
~ John Wenham ~

Holy Week has always drawn my heart. Even as a child, I was fascinated- first by the contrasts. I can remember asking my mother how people could change their minds so quickly. Palm Sunday's lauding crowds so quickly became an angry mob. How could this happen? How could these people not see? Mom's answer was that the road into Jerusalem simply had to lead to the Cross. It couldn't happen any other way, or we would have no hope.

I didn't fully comprehend for years- heck, I don't know that I do even now. Everything points to the Cross, and that colors everything I read in Scripture. I have a Messianic friend who insists that to understand the New Testament, I must read with a Jewish sensibility. I must respectfully disagree with this assertion-- while reading through Jewish eyes offers new insights, it is not vital. It is, however, vital to read the Old Testament in the shadow of the Cross.

These days I find myself captivated by the betrayal and crucifixion. How close Evil was to our Saviour, dining with Him, even kissing Him. And then, when all seemed lost...

Rather than Jewish eyes, I want Easter eyes. To see everything not in the darkness of Friday night, but in the glorious light of that Sunday. Everything points to the Cross and beyond to the empty tomb.

Labels: Faith, memes

Jon and I have been married just over four years. I wouldn't have thought I could grow too much, but thinking about Christine's questions helped me realize that I don't really know that girl anymore.

I was not exactly a kid when we married, but I was far from prepared to share my life and all that entails. I can remember our pre-marital counselor telling us that we "just made the cut" for age and success rates or something like that. At the time, I was probably rolling my eyes (on the inside)- I was twenty-seven years old, after all! My mother married at twenty, and my younger brother was making snarky comments about Jon maybe being my only chance. As far as I was concerned, I was getting long in the tooth.

Yeah, the age thing-- not really convinced that helps much. We were statistically old enough, but no more "ready" than anyone else. The funniest part is that, no matter what my expectations were, they were way off base. Whatever I thought about marriage, it pales in comparison to the reality.

Twenty-seven year old Kelly had no idea what was in store. She had not yet known the fear of leaving behind everything she knew to follow her husband into his dream. 2002 Kelly had not experienced the lows of not getting out of bed for days, or wondered if they would ever get their heads above water. But neither had she known the reassurance of a hand squeezing hers and a voice telling her that she was far from alone.

Four years have brought so many changes. I am far from the wife I should be, but with God's help and Jon's, I am making progress. I listen more and better; I let go more easily (a hard hard lesson); I pray more intentionally.

Is marriage what I expected? No, it is ever so much more. If this is what God can accomplish in us in four short years, the next thirty or so will blow my mind.

Labels: Faith, family, Jon, marriage, memes

1) If you had something which changed your life, would you want to share that something with those whom you love?

2) If you had knowledge which would change the world, what would you do with that knowledge?

3) Have you ever witnessed a miracle?

4) What is your mission field?

5) What is the most important lesson you are teaching/ will teach your children?

6) What was the most important lesson your parents taught you?

Seriously, I am curious. And that means you, you lurker-person.

Labels: Faith, nosiness

I love how God keeps trying to get through to me. I love how He speaks to me over and over until I get it through my thick head. I wonder if He smacks his forehead with the heel of his hand and exclaims, "Stooge!" when I FINALLY get it. I would. (What does it say about me that I can totally picture Terry Gilliam animation here?)

I can almost picture God making one of those 1950's teaching movies:

"Boys and girls, this week's lesson for Kelly is worry. See how she holds on to concerns and refuses to turn them over. Watch here, see the circles under her eyes. If only she would let me take care of things, she would be able to rest.'

'Here she is at work. Listen as her boss tells her how worried he is that there are starving animals. Oh, it sounds like she has made a breakthrough. She just reminded him that I have things under control. Perhaps this will be the end of our film, but I doubt it. Having known Kelly since before she was formed, I can tell you that this one is a stubborn little nut.'

'Ah yes, back to the worries. Look at how she is struggling to fit everything she wants to do into her day. Hey, Kelly, remember that this is about MY time, not yours. (chuckles)'

'Let's look in on Kelly's small group this week. Listen as that gentleman in the sweater reminds them of My Word. Kelly has grown pretty quiet, and I call tell you that she is mulling this over. She is not ready yet, though. Watch her in the car, her mind still running through all the what-ifs.'

'It is time to send this one home. I have just the person for that job. Kelly reads Rachelle's writings and respects her insights. I think I can send this one home here. Yep, she is reading. Oh, look! Kelly has gone to her Bible. She's finally reading and understanding what I am telling her.'

'Well, boys and girls, that is all for today. But trust me, we will be back with this one-- probably sooner than you think."

Okay, so that was pretty self-centered of me. I do think God can and does take personal interest in the lives of His children, though. Worry is my old old friend. I think I have finally made some progress in letting her go, though.

Matthew 6:34 (ESV)
"Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Labels: Faith

Jon and I braved the Friday night crowds to see Amazing Grace. In fact, Jon ate a movie theater hot dog for dinner (Note to self-- Pick Up Stix is not fast Chinese food like Panda).

I encourage any and all of you to see this film. (And we are pretty sure it is real film, a fact which warms the cockles of my Jonathan's heart)

I am not going to go into detail about things at this point. I have too much on my heart this evening. Suffice to say, my prayer is to find what it is which wrecks me.

Finally, I leave you with this:

My memory is nearly gone;
but I remember two things;
That I am a great sinner, and
that Christ is a great Saviour.

John Newton (1725-1807)
English minister and hymn writer

Amen.

Labels: Faith, movies

Christine is looking at The Secret as any good Berean should, and measuring it against scripture. Yay!! She is asking our thoughts, and as I have several, I though it best to not hijack her comments. So goes Kelly's woefully inadequate analysis of "The Secret"

I am really torn about this, because I hate to spend money on something like this. I shall, however, in the interest of fairness. I have made it about one hour into this movie, and here are my initial thoughts. I shall measure this against scripture, but that will most likely come in a later post, as I have a couple of e-mails out to trusted spiritual mentors.

1) One of the first quotes came from Bob Proctor, listed as a "philosopher." He states, "The secret gives you anything you want." This quote sets the theme for "The Secret"-- self. Everything is about what you want, what you think, what you feel. Hmm...

What does the Bible have to say about self? Let's see:

Luke 9:24-26 (New International Version)

24For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. 25What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? 26If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

John 12:24-25 (New International Version)

24I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. 25The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

Googling "Death to Self" pulled up an interesting Bible study from Acts 17:11 ministries. Worth reading.

2) The problem of the "Reverend" Dr. Michael Beckwith. This is from the Agape International Spiritual Center's own website:

Is Agape a church, and do its members follow a mainstream religious teaching based on scripture? Agape’s teachings embrace a Reality the world’s scriptures and sacred texts endeavor to describe, even as they acknowledge the impossibility of such a task. Some call it God, Great Spirit, Hashem, or Allah, while others simply prefer to leave it nameless. Agape teaches that this Spirit is the Source of our life, that we are made in its image and likeness, which makes us co-creative participants in the three-dimensional world in which we live. Through Agape’s teaching of the New Thought-Ancient Wisdom tradition of spirituality, individuals are taught the universal principles, cosmic laws, meditation, prayer and visioning techniques that have been practiced by spiritual seekers for thousands of years, teachings which to this very day are practical in meeting humanity’s challenges of 21st century living. Agape’s universal truth teachings point the way to how an individual may cultivate their own unique relationship with the Ineffable, live their life from a place of conscious connection with the already enlightened essential Self, and be of authentic service to the planet. In Agape’s services and classes we refer to the world’s scriptures and sacred texts, as well as the writings of ancient and contemporary mystics, teachers, sages, philosophers, pundits, scientists, and even the enlightened person next door! In everyday parlance, “church” is associated with Christian denominations and their houses of worship. Agape’s founder has designated Agape as a trans-denominational spiritual “center” and community because this terminology best describes the inclusiveness for which Agape is known.

Is Agape Christian? And what about the Bible and Jesus? No, and yes. Yes, some Agape members are Christian, and their personal encounter with the spirit of Jesus as an embodiment of the Christ Consciousness richly informs their spiritual lives. No, if by Christian you mean the acceptance of Jesus as the only savior and Christianity as the only path to God and eternal salvation. Yes, in the sense that New Thought- Ancient Wisdom history includes the Gnostic teachings of the earliest Christian mystical sects, as well as the founders of the uniquely American New Thought Movement including Emmanuel Swedenborg, Ernest Holmes, Howard Thurman, and transcendentalists such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and others. The Bible is referenced in Dr. Beckwith’s services and Agape’s classes. However, the version that is used is a metaphysical, Gnostic-inspired edition translated and interpreted from the original Aramaic, rather than the Greek translation used in traditional Christian churches such as the King James version, or the Saint Gregory version used by the Catholic church. Agape teaches that Jesus was not the great exception, but rather the great example. Classically, the New Thought-Ancient Wisdom tradition of spirituality regards Jesus an enlightened being, one who attained cosmic consciousness, or liberation from a sense of separation from the Source of all that is. Jesus is revered as a wayshower, as an exemplar of unconditional love, selfless service, and self-mastery.

Can I still practice my Judaism/Christianity and become a member of Agape? Absolutely. Many within the Agape community maintain their Jewish/Christian faith, while others continue to practice the teachings of Jesus, Buddha, or other spiritual master teachers of past or present generations. As a result, mixed-tradition couples and families often find common ground at Agape without compromising other loyalties.

(h/t Devin)
Um, yeah. So this one was easy. What does the Bible say?

John 14:6 (New International Version)

6Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

How, pray tell, can one maintain Christian faith and "find common ground" at Agape? For that matter, what common ground is there? Scripture is pretty clear on this issue, don't you think? Interestingly enough, a pastor once told me that the book of John was anti-semitic and to be pretty much taken with a grain of salt. Needless to say, my husband quickly removed us from this man's sphere of influence. I will never forget him accusing me of "limiting God" by embracing scriptural truth. But that is for another day.

So what is The Secret? Well, it is the "Law of attraction" Like attracts like. The metaphor of a magnet was used several times. This is ironic, because a magnet is NOT an illustration of like attracting like. Like poles on a magnet actively repel each other. Duh.

The Secret is about "creating" your own reality. It is about creating your life and commanding the universe to respond to your desires. Really, the secret is about getting zhlubs to pay five dollars to watch a movie on a website.

More to come...

Labels: Faith

Devin began a new series this week at Gracepoint. Christmas: Simple. The guys on our set up crew were cracking the inevitable jokes about our set. Things like, "If this is simple, I don't wanna be around for over the top." And my personal favorite, "Wow! Those are the coolest decorations EVER!" (Said in a dorky little kid's voice by a thirty-something guy on the team)

The preparation of our worship space for Christmas: Simple seems anything but. It highlights, for me, however, that simple does NOT mean easy. It is easy to say that we are going to keep Christmas simple, but how easy is this to really do? J and I are pretty committed to keeping things low-key, but we are still shopping, and wrapping, and baking (well, I am). We are still crafting, and shipping, and stressing. Throw in a two thousand, eight-hundred mile trip and we have recipe for Christmas-Simple-You-Have-Got-to-be Kidding.

And yet,the list of things we are not doing is equally as long. We are not searching all over, waiting in line, knocking down old ladies to get a TMX Elmo (even if it would forever seal my fate as THE COOLEST AUNT IN THE WORLD). We are not wracking our brains for the perfect gift to our parents. Last year we began making donations in our parents' honor, and this is as much fun as shopping-- choosing the right organization for each set of parents, finding a group we feel would fit their hearts. We are not putting up a tree (though I had a hard time letting go of this one, believe me).

Going through my list of expectations for the advent and Christmas season, I really was forced to examine why I need to bake twenty different kinds of cookies, add a Christmas card to someones pile on their coffee table, or stress myself to the point that I become some strange Kelly-like Grinch character. I realised that I don't have to do any of those things. I don't have to carry every tradition from my childhood and Jon's. We are a new family, and we can make our own traditions. Right now, our focus is serving together. Instead of decorating a tree at home, we took time to construct a five-foot GP wreath. Together. We spent several hours cutting, assembling, and wiring. Together. And because this was replacing the tree decorations, we were able to enjoy without wondering where we were going to find the time for ONE MORE THING.

Devin told us that Christmas is and was simply God coming to save us. That's it, nothing more. I wonder why we have such a hard time accepting this in its simplicity. Is it because, if we make it some huge complicated holiday with lots of bells and whistles we can distract ourselves from the uncomfortable idea? I mean really, it is so simple-- God became man in Christ so that we might live. Perhaps it is that we know what is coming on the Cross, and we would rather think about silver bells and holly and joy than nails and wood and suffering.

Stripping away all the frills, and getting down to the heart of the matter is no easy task. Simple is not easy by any means. But only in the true simplicity can we find Christ. Because he is not in the pretty paper and the hot cider. He is found in a feed trough. Pure and simple.

Labels: Faith