Fortuitous Bouncing

2008 November 22

by Tyler

I can hardly believe Thanksgiving is next week. Maybe it is because I’m so focused on some other things going on next week other than Thanksgiving or maybe it is because we’ve had pretty great weather in Oregon for most of the month…but it has caught me by surprise this year. We’ll be heading down to my parent’s place for Thanksgiving with them, their dog, and my brother. Sadly my sisters will be spending Thanksgiving together down in SoCal…they can’t make it up until Christmastime.

The stunt pulled by Sugar on Randy on Survivor was UNBELIEVABLE!

Blogs

Greg Atkinson on the importance of seminary for people who aren’t pastors.
Dan Kimball has an awesome post on the new missional network he is working on with Erwin McManus and Scot McKnight. I’m truly inspired about what this is turning into. Beyond that, I’m excited to see how God might use me as they have a strong West Coast group of leaders working on the groups formation.
Efrem Smith on a Biblical model for the redistribution of wealth. If you take the 5 minutes to listen to this…IT WILL MAKE YOU THINK.
Brody Harper has some great thoughts on the difference between new and returning viewers to blogs. I totally agree with him.
Adam Walker Cleaveland broke the news to me that Focus on the Family laid off a good number of their employees this week. They also spent a load of money on Prop 8. Question for you…is saving the “sanctity of marriage” a worthy cause for people losing their jobs?
Lynne Hybels shares about her journey to the Middle East.

News

Barack Obama can no longer send emails.
Want to take over the world and make the news? Become a pirate.
The KKK is still alive in kickin. At least they lost $2.5 million for their recent shameful act.
The recent Bama/LSU game was intense enough that some friends got in a fight over the game…and 2 died.
Monty Python has added an official YouTube channel.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGqX-tkDXEk&hl=en&fs=1]

Filed under: the rest...

http://seth.heasley.net/blog Seth

The Randy blindside was awesome. Jeff’s delivery of “this is…NOT…and immunity idol” was awesome.

Regarding the redistribution of wealth thing, my favorite comment was “Interesting that Jesus wasn’t telling followers to leave crops in their field for tax collectors to come by.”

There’s no question we should give more, but giving has always been shown to be in an inverse relationship with taxation.
http://chadsblog.net chad

I really like Efrem Smith, but I don’t see how that passage supports redistribution of wealth, at least in our present understanding of that phrase. It absolutely shows that we as individuals must be willing to give to those in need because what we have really isn’t ours. However, it definitely doesn’t support me getting a check from the government that was funded by taxing other people. And it definitely doesn’t support government handouts. You see, in the passage it talks about the poor and widows coming and harvesting the crops for themselves. Yes, the “owner” of the land planted the crops, cared for the crops, and then offered them; but those in need still had to come and harvest them. Besides being an “entitled” American, what did I do for that government check that came at the expense of someone else? Nothing. Oh, and by the way, middle class Americans would not be classified as “needy”…

Also, the Bible says that we are to be good stewards with what God has entrusted to us. How wise has the government proven to be with the money they receive? Not very wise… And what about some of the programs that receive that money from the government. Does the Bible support each of them? No.

The Bible does not support higher taxes to take care of people, but rather the Bible exhorts the believer to give generously and responsibly out of their own convictions. God is not interested in people being forced to give. It sort of defeats the purpose. Remember, “man looks at the outside appearance, but God looks at the heart.” To be honest, if Efrem Smith is really using this passage to support redistribution of wealth via taxation… well, its just pretty ridiculous. I really like Efrem Smith and I am not even sure if this was really the point of what he was saying. I also completely support giving generously and taking care of those who need help. However, I certainly do not see present day redistribution of wealth in the Bible… Just my humble opinion
http://melindalgroth.blogspot.com/ Melinda Groth

I’d read the Atkinson post and felt like he was writing about what we experienced with Michael, when he chose to pursue theater and film, instead of going to seminary. It was bizarre. People acted like he had walked away from his faith!
http://www.heasley.net/eblog/ Elaine

Really enjoyed the Atkinson post…reminded me of the book Roaring Lambs by Robert Briner (http://tinyurl.com/RoaringLambs). I actually haven’t read it yet, but Seth has and found it to be excellent.