Theology in Crichton's Timeline

Currently Reading
Timeline
By Michael Crichton
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I finished all of my homework for the rest of the semester on Sunday!!!  I picked up a fictional novel this week from the Library, just a fun read (from my favorite author outside of theology/philosophy and all that jazz)...having nothing to do with Theology, Philosophy, or any of my other majors/classes...it's been a while since I had a fun read that didn't involve any of the above...a novel that only required imagination and not hardcore analyzing or deep thought...however...that doesn't mean i haven't thought deeply...

Check this out:

Background:  The book is about time "traveling" and a group of people who were working on an excavation project in France, traveled back to that era, France in 1357 AD.  Having stepped off the time machine, here was one of their reactions...

...something about this forest struck him as sinister.  He [Chris] turned round and round, trying to understand why he had the distinct feeling that something was wrong with what he was seeing--something was missing, or out of place.  Finally, he said, "What's wrong?"
       She [Gomez] laughed.  "Oh, that," she said.  "Listen."
       Chris stood silently for a moment, listening.  There was the chirp of birds, the soft rustle of a faint breeze in the trees.  But other than that...
       "I don't hear anything."
       "That's right," Gomez said, "It upsets some people when they first arrive.  There's no ambient noise here: no radio or TV, no airplanes, no machinery, no passing cars.  In the twentieth century, we're so accustomed to hearing sound all the time, the silence feels creepy."
             (Timeline, pg. 163)

Amazing picture...and yet true...how often do we take time out of our days to just be silent, and not in the city, but in God's creation?  We have missed it...we live in noise and in a fast-paced, constantly moving world, and very little do we take the time to just stop, and be silent.  Very little do we go to the mountains and just listen to God's creation, to the peace..."Be still and know that I am God," (Ps. 46.10)...take that time...that's my challenge...stop working, stop running around, stop!  Be still in God's creation, and know that He is God, that He loves you, and the creation we miss everyday was for you!

I also thought it was interesting later on in the next paragraph or so, Chris explains the air seems to have more oxygen....what are we doing to this world God created, and to ourselves?

...sigh...i can't even read fiction books without thinking deeply...oh well....

God bless to you all!!!!

SoulForce Equality Ride to CCU

SoulForce Equality Ride went well....the group was pleased with our response and no problems that day.

It was sad to hear the stories of how they are being persecuted by the church. I may not agree with them, but I also do not agree with how the church has responded, with either violence or complete rejection. Where are they supposed to run and find help or love? If it is not in the church, then where?

Some of my questions that I am struggling with:

• Where do we, Christians, (or the Church) draw the line between pointing out sin and showing compassion or love?
• When should we give a rebuke, and when should we "love" the sinner?
• Side note: I am not sure how I feel about the "love the sinner" phrase, John Piper has an interesting point of view on this phrase. Where is that phrase in the Bible?
• John 8:7 "...'Whichever of you has committed no sin may throw the first stone...", How is this, if at all, to be applied to the Church? Why does the Pastor have the right to point out sin and rebuke, when he himself has sinned, or is sinning? Does he have the right to do such a thing? What about Matt. 18, when it talks about a brother sinning against you, and you have the obligation to point out his sin? How is this different than John 8:7? How do we apply both verses when one says we have no place to judge, and the other says we must point out and rebuke our brother or sister?
• How do those questions relate to today and the Church? Does the Church, consisting of members who have sinned, have the right to rebuke, or must the Church first remove the log in their own eye first, Matt. 7? Bottomline question, does the Church have the right to judge, and how must the Church handle the sin of those in the congregation?

These are some questions I have struggled with prior and since the visit of our Equality Ride friends. Let me know your input and opinions on the above questions!

Other than that, things are good, and remember, CHRIST HAS RISEN!!!!!