Virginia Tech

Three days after the events at Virginia Tech I think it is important for us, far removed as we may be, to be in prayer for those that were lost, their families and our nation. Experiences like these always prompt questions of why? I wonder if understanding the why behind this tragedy would make any difference.

During times of unusually intense trauma such as this event a Christ oriented and personally relevant response from God’s people is in order. Answers to questions may bring some help but accusations of blame rarely bring any. Above all, the best Christian response should also be the first, prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy…

Romans 8:26-27

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.”

Scot McKnight on the VT tragedy from Jesus Creed

If not KU, who?

The tournament is on and KU has made a good showing so far. If not KU, who would you like to see win the tournament? There will be a prize for the those who input their choice in the comment section below. (Think “leg lamp” kind of prize.)

Here are the choices, for those of you who are little less aware of the bracket. (like me)

Florida, Butler, Oregon, UNLV, Kansas, S. Illinois, Pitt, UCLA, North Carolina, USC, Vanderbilt, Georgetown, Ohio St., Tennessee, Texas A&M, and Memphis.

Am I In The Right Place?

You bet!

After a year and a half I have decided to retire our old blogspot site. It has served us well but I think this new site will help us in several ways. The functionality is better, we can provide useful pages for announcements and prayer needs that are separate from the actual “blog” and the commenting and interaction section runs smoother. On top of all that this site is simply “cooler”.

In the days and weeks ahead we will utilize more and more of the site. Also, you can still go to the old site at wheatlandmission.blogspot.com. Enjoy our new virtual home!

Calana’s New Baby!

Here are pictures of Calana’s new baby. He weighs in at 850 lbs., is 40 years old and speaks Japanese.

He also speaks Mozart, Bach and Tomlin. It is reported that, under the negative influence of cohabitant of his new home, he was heard playing, “Werewolves of London”. Not very well though.
Yes, that is a vintage Amy Grant songbook on the white Naugahyde bench. A couple of Nauga’s, from Connecticut, lost their lives so we could have a great place to sit. (for the history of Naugas you can check it out on Wikipedia under “pleather”. Seriously.) Here are some other views. I am sure Calana will put some of these in her wallet.

This kid comes from a very well connected family. I hear they make a few other things too.

The Apostles Creed at the Wheatland Mission

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. AMEN.

I want to take a few posts and discuss some of the points in the Apostle’s Creed that some might find controversial. The Apostle’s Creed has received near universal acceptance among Christians for a millenium and a half. That does not mean, however, that it has not had its critics. Also, the creed came into being in a time much different than ours and some of its content may seem a bit odd or offputting for the modern reader.

In the copy of the creed above I have highlighted four lines of the creed that could fit into this category. What questions do you have when it comes to the Apostles Creed? Are there portions of it that you find hard to understand? Are there portions of it that you simply disagree with? Let’s talk about it.

In the next few days I will be talking about those portions of the creed that I have highlighted above, giving some context to the words and explaining some concepts that we don’t always think about. If you have experience with the Apostle’s Creed feel free to share what you have discovered too.

Molly Ivins: 1944-2007

I didn’t like her politics and I rarely agreed with her point of view. However, she was funny and from Texas and those are two things I can’t get enough of. She was known for quoting a Spanish proverb that said a lot about Texas politics and life in general.

“Entre dicho y hecho hay un gran trecho.”
(Between the word and the deed lies a big ditch.)