Wall-E: Living vs. Surviving

Movie (and possibly a sermon) spoiler warning!!!!!!  (Although I’ll try and keep the details to a minimum.)

I went to see Wall-E on Tuesday night.  What a strange (although this was to be expected) movie!  I wasn’t quite prepared for the long scenes devoid of conversation.  It was only afterwards, in discussing the movie with my movie-partner, that I began to realize how this movie can be used as a metaphor for the church.  I don’t think the creators ever thought that the movie would be related to faith / religion / church, but anyway, here goes.  (I have to add that the movie will be a great conversation starter for many a topic, e.g. ecological issues, user mentality etc.)

The protagonist is a robot called Wall-E whose daily task (for the past 700 years) has been to clean up the very polluted and very deserted earth.  One day, as these things happen, Wall-E leaves earth (I’m not going into details) for a luxury cruise spaceship, where all the humans are having a jolly good life.  In fact, they are having such a good life that they have all become fat (to the point of being almost boneless) and lazy.  Robots take care of the menial tasks of daily life.  In any case, at some point in the story, the captain of this spaceship learns a few things about life on earth more than 700 years ago.  He tries to steer the ship towards earth, but the ship’s autopilot has taken over true captaincy of the ship a long time ago (in true “Space Odyssey” fashion).  The ship, aptly named “Axiom” (all the humans simply accept their situation), tries to dissuade the captain of his newly found mission by pointing out how good the humans are surviving out there in space.  The captain retorts:  “I don’t want to survive; I want to live!”

It is at this point where the church sprung up in my subconscious, surfacing later that evening.  Sometimes, we are so happily living in our “luxury cruise” churches, enjoying the axiomatic goodness of church life, that we don’t see to what extent we’ve become fat, boneless and lazy.  Building even bigger churches, channeling our resources into self-sustenance.  However, the church has not been called for survival.  Rather, we have been called to live - in this very polluted world of ours.

mees belaglike jeug idee!

OK, ek’s nie die eerste een wat dit sê nie, maar hierdie kom seker naby aan die mees belaglike jeug idee ooit. Hierdie ouens wou ‘n geweer as prys weggee by ‘n jeugweek om so kinders te lok! Dis toe darem gekanseleer na public pressure, maar het laas jaar wel gebeur.

Maak mens nogals dink aan hoe ver meeste van ons sal gaan net om getalle te trek…

PKD (post-kamp-depressie)

Ek het eintlik al vergeet van hierdie siekte, het dit so lanklaas beleef. As Tiaan my nie gisteraand aan die naam herinner het nie, sou ek dit nie eers onthou het nie. My eerste herinnering aan ‘n aanval van PKD was in graad 5. Ek was by ‘n ACSV naweek kamp, en toe ek Sondag middag teruggekom het, sou ek niks anders doen as net in my bed lê en die mense mis nie. In die jare daarna het ek dit oor en oor beleef.

Skoolverwisselingskampe van 2000 (graad 10) af was die mees ekstreme ervaringe hiervan. Die band wat daar met jou span, maar veral met die personeelgroep ontstaan het was vermoedelik verantwoordelik vir hierdie ervaringe. Dit sal partymaal vir ‘n paar dae aanhou. In hierdie tyd is al wat jy wil doen om die mense saam met wie jy gekamp het te mis, mens raak sommer lusteloos, en die res van die wêreld en die mense rondom jou lyk als so vaal.

Na ‘n ruk het dit opgehou. Deel daarvan vermoed ek was omdat die mense saam met wie ek gekamp het vriende geraak het, en dus het dinge nie meer gestop die dag wat die kamp stop nie. ‘n Ander rede is sekerlik omdat ek begin gewoond raak het aan die ervaring, en vrede gemaak het met afskeid neem op die laaste dag. Op ‘n manier was dit ‘n kombinasie van om kamp-mense los te maak van die res van my lewe, en om sekeres deel te maak van die res van my lewe. So het ek oor jare baie vriende gekry wat ek oorspronklik op kampe ontmoet het.

Wat die nuutste ervaring van PKD tot gevolg gehad het weet ek nie. Dalk was dit omdat ek op ‘n ander manier skielik deel geword het van die groep hierdie jaar, as kampleier, omdat ek verantwoordelik gevoel het vir die mense. Dalk het ek die kamp net meer intens beleef omdat hierdie jaar se kamp vir my persoonlik so belangrik was. Dalk was dit net ‘n ongelooflike groep personeel saam met wie ek gekamp het!

Toe ek gister wegry op Bad Se Loop het ek nie besef wat gaan gebeur nie. Ek het soos altyf afskeid geneem, sonder om te veel te worry. Nie te hartseer gewees nie, geweet dat meeste van die mense gaan ek nooit weer sien nie, gehoop dat hier en daar sal ek van hulle weer sien. Ek het kerk toe gery, daar gehelp met die afpakkery, haastig om weg te kom, aangesien ek en Nadine bietjie tyd vir kuier gehad het voor sy moes waai Ermelo toe, en ons nie regtig tyd gehad het vir kuier op die kamp nie.

Na ons middagete gekry het, en sy teen so 4uur moes waai, was ek skielik vir die eerste keer alleen. Nou moet ek byvoeg dat dit vir die eerste keer in ongeveer 3 weke was. Ek het 3 kampe in ‘n ry gehad. Die eerste vir 4 dae, toe was ek vir onder 24uur by die huis waarin ek heeltyd rondgehardloop het om goed vir die volgende twee weke reg te kry, en 30 vraestelle moes merk. Daarna was ek vir 2 weke op Bad Se Loop vir kamp. En toe skielik is ek alleen…

Ek het vreemd begin voel, was lus vir niks, het die verklaring daarvoor op allerhande plekke begin soek. Ek was nie lus vir enigiemand nie, nie eers regtig vir Maryke nie, ek het net aan kamp mense gedink heeltyd. Ek het begin huis toe ry, maar toe ek by die N1 afrit kom net reguit aangehou, met die musiek kliphard (I will do anything van Queen) en die venster oop met die koue Pretoria lug wat inwaai. By Hans Strydom het ek gedog ek sal deur Mamelodi huis toe ry, maar die verkeer was te swaar, so ek het omgedraai en by Simon Vermoten afgeklim, deur Silverton gery, en by die huis gekom.

Iewers nadat ek by die huis gekom het het ek skielik besef wat aan die gebeur is, en dat ek hierdie ervarings al voorheen gehad het, en dit net al vergeet het.

Is PKD sleg? Ek weet nie. Ek dink dit is onvermydelik. Ons word weggeneem uit ons omgewing, en het ‘n absolute wow ervaring. Die lewe kan waarskynlik nie heeltyd ‘n kamp wees nie, maar net daarom is dit nie noodwensig sleg om hierdie ekstatiese belewenisse te hê nie.

Wat maak ek met PKD? Ek dink die belangrikste is om dit raak te sien as dit jou tref, en glo die van ons wat al daardeur is, dit gaan verby. Moenie te lank gaan lê nie, gaan weer voort. Probeer om raak te sien hoekom jy actually jou ander vriende waardeer (die beste ding vir my was toe Sunette kom kuier het gisteraand). Maak klaar met die kamp, hou die kontakte wat gaan bly, maar moenie al jou energie insit in mense wat jy weet dit gaan elkgeval net doodloop na 2 weke nie. Moenie al jou energie vir die volgende 2 weke in kamp-mense insit nie punt.

Het jy dit al beleef? Hoe hanteer mens dit? Enige ander tips?

Vicious Circles in a Forest, or: Too Much of a Good Elephant

Today, I’ve read in the Beeld that there are some German folk who refuse to visit South Africa if we do not change our policy towards controlling the elephant population. “Control” in this sense means, basically, shooting. Please note that, as I am writing this post, the dust of the Struwig Eco-Reserve where I’ve spent the whole of last week is still clinging to my shoes. I’ve been told that there are about 7000 too many elephants in the Kruger National Park, the wildlife of which is shared by Struwig. One can literally see the damage caused by these elephants – hundreds of overturned and dying trees. Whilst the elephants happily change their environments to suit them, the numbers of many other smaller creatures are dwindling. One can hardly blame these German folk for seeing the plight of the elephants – elephants are big creatures, which can be seen from far off, even perhaps Germany. But one should also look to the smaller creatures – they’ve got animal rights too!

I realize that I am probably not the first person to say this; but it is time that we rethink and rethink again our atitude towards ecological matters. It is one thing to be ecologically minded; one should just be careful not to be so ecologically minded that one is no earthly good. It is time for the church to develop a theology of ecology – a responsible, balanced theology of ecology.

Skripsie

Gogga maak vir baba bang
Kruip nader
Gogga maak vir baba bang
Lig sy voorpote

Maar as hierdie gogga dink
Hierdie baba moet vir hom skrik
Dan ken die gogga nie
Hierdie baba nie

Kom nader, kom nader
My Pa is groter as joune
Kom haal my, kom haal my
My Pa is groter as joune

Houtkruis vs Hell-Hole: waarom ek die Kruis bo die Gat verkies

Soos almal weet is hierdie by uitstek my area van interest: Gospel-drama. Daarom gaan ek natuurlik die twee teenoor mekaar stel en vertel hoekom ek nie Charis se produksie sal aanbeveel nie.
Eerstens: The Hell-Hole, ‘n produksie aangebied deur Charis-gemeente in Lavender Rd, Pretoria. Dit is ‘n kontemporêre produksie wat handel oor hoe die duiwel mense verlei om sonde te doen en dan afrokkel en in die hel laat beland. Die duiwel, anders as God, is alomteenwoordig en is die enigste ding wat inspraak het in mense se lewens. Die “kerk”-tonele is dweperig en voorspelbaar en net gerig op “jy moet jou hart vir Jesus gee”. (Wat dit ookal in hierdie konteks presies mag beteken!). Daar word verval in die gewone Bose Drie-eenheid van sonde naamlik seks, drugs/rook/drank en vloek. En hulle doen die aaklige ding om iemand wat selfmoord pleeg, onkondisioneel na die warmplek toe te verdoem. Sorry, tjomma, genade is net vir ‘n sekere groepie mense. Nie vir jou wat daarmee struggle dat jou eie tjommie doodgegaan het in ‘n ongeluk wat jy veroorsaak het terwyl jy getrek was nie. Vir jou wag die Ewige Vuur…
Patronizing, dweperig van voor tot agter met die onderliggende doel om te laat “draai-of-braai”, met baie effects met ligte en klank en goed. Produksie-wise was dit glad nie sleg nie - klankkwaliteit, props, ligte ensovoorts was van goeie gehalte en selfs die acting was heel cool - maar meer die manlike akteurs as die dames. Die dames het geklink asof hulle hul woorde opsê.
Ja, Jesus verskyn hier aan die einde van die show op ‘n stadium in so ‘n pseudo-kwasi-kruisigingstoneel…en dis al wat h(H)y doen. Dit en opstaan. En dan natuurlik die Duiwel-karakter (by the way, die akteur wat hom speel, het die play geskryf en gedirect, blykbaar), wat nie daarvan hou om Jesus se naam te hoor nie.
Wat goed was: audience participation! Hier gee ek hulle volpunte. Die mense in die gehoor raak so meegevoer hulle begin hierdie duiwel uitmekaar uit skree en die “verlore” karakters aanmoedig. Baie goed. Dit is wat ‘n mens wil regkry: om die gehoor by jou vertelling mee te sleur.
Wat gesuck het: die stereotipe altar-call aan die einde. Nadat jy nou emosioneel gemanipuleer is om te glo dat jy hel toe gaan as jy selfmoord gepleeg het al getuig die res van jou lewe van jou geredheid, word jy voor die keuse gestel om jou hand op te steek as jy gered wil word, want onthou dit hang van die pastoor wat bid af en of jou hand in die lug was, nie van hoe jou hart is nie. Jy moet dit ook doen binne die tien tellings wat hy jou gee, anders het jy die kans by jou verby laat glip. Ook moet jy vorentoe gaan sodat almal jou kan sien, want Jesus het mos gesê as jy jou nie vir Hom skaam op aarde nie sal Hy Hom nie vir jou skaam in die hemel nie. Dan verdeel die vorentoe-gangers in groepe en word in afgesonderde plekke gered.

Tweedens: Houtkruis Die Musical, die eerste Afrikaanse gospel-musical. Dit vertel die verhaal van Vader Festus wat in die Reformasietyd terugkeer van Rome na Wurzburg om die oproermaker Philip Taylor van kant te gaan/laat maak. Taylor is ‘n Luther-aanhanger en verkondig genade, liefde en vrede. Een van sy aanhangers/bewonderaars is Katharina, wat saam met haar ma, Anna, in ‘n armmanshuisie in die bos bly. Hulle is uitgeworpenes van die dorp want Katryntjie is “in skande gebore” (ek en my broer het besluit ’skande’ is ‘n hospitaal se naam). So hulle woon nie die mis by op die dorp nie en die ma vertrou nie die mense nie, al vir 20 jaar lank nie. Maar, natuurlik, sameloop van omstandighede bring Katryn, Anna, Vader Philip en Vader Festus almal die een aand na die mis en daar kom Anna agter dat Vader Festus eintlik Katryn se pa is. Oooeee!!! Dit gebeur alles terwyl Philip verhoor is en kans gegee word om sy woorde teen die pous en die aflaatstelsel terug te trek en homself “te bekeer” van Luther se stellings oor genade deur Jesus se kruisdood alleen. Sola Gratia! Maar Philip wil hom nie bekeer nie (obviously), selfs al wag die brandstapel vir hom. Festus sit nou self met die probleem dat sy geheim op die lappe gekom het en sy verlede hom ingehaal het. Katryn oortuig haar ma dat sy met Festus moet gaan praat. Sy doen dit toe en ook hy besef wat ware genade en vergifnis is. Soveel so dat hy besluit om Philip se plek in te neem op die brandstapel…
Roerend, meesleurend, hoendervleis met elke lied is hierdie produksie hopelik die begin van nog vele sulke goed! My hart het sommer in pas geklop die hele tyd. Hulle het ‘n konsep gevat waarmee ek te danke aan ons stranddiens-konserte al lankal bekend is en self al gebruik het (albeit op ‘n baie kleiner skaal): vat bekende liedere, sit dit in ‘n nuwe konteks binne-in ‘n verhaal en jy het ‘n musical wat appeal, omdat die mense dit ken. Goed, songs soos Hierdie Kind, Via Dolorosa, Ons Glo en Genade Onbeskyflik Groot is wel eintlik vertaalde songs, maar almal ken dit al so lank al in Afrikaans dat dit nie saak maak nie. Toevoegings soos Gebed van Koos du Plessis en ‘n oorspronklike lied of twee (Die einde is hier deur Leon Ferreira en Wat is my naam? deur Piet de Jager, Sallas en Dawie van Klopjag se pa) en Prophet se Eli Lama Sabagtani en, natuurlik, Houtkruis maak dit ‘n ryk produksie wat jou opgelig laat voel as jy daar uitstap - selfs al het hulle nounet vir Jannie du Toit op die brandstapel verbrand terwyl hy Houtkruis sing.
Wat goed is: om ‘n ou bekende lied in ‘n nuwe konteks te sit en die inhou sodoende nuwe lewe te gee. Byvoorbeeld: laat ‘n priester wat hom van die aflaatstelsel bekeer het, die reël “my lewe, kanse, tyd en geld is nutteloos verspeel” sing; of laat ‘n monnik en ‘n meisie in ‘n kapel “wat ek is, is net genade, wat ek het, is net geleen” sing. Of sit daai eerste priester op ‘n brandstapel wat Rouel Beukes aansteek en laat hom sing “wie sal my kan stilmaak, wie sal my kan doodmaak as my voete in dans wil los wil breek?”…en die resultaat is onbeskryflik.
Wat gesuck het: die kaartjies se pryse. Ongelukkig was dit nogal duur, daarom kon minder mense dit sien, en dit is hartseer, want Houtkruis se teologie is soveel suiwerder as Hell-Hole s’n. Waar jy by die Gat selfs gescare word in die hemel in (die pastoor het gesê hy is selfs bereid om dit te doen, eerder as dat mense glad nie gered word nie - asof dit van hom afhang!), wil jy by die Kruis die genade van Jesus omhels en net huil en danksie sê. Sonder om te dwing, sonder om te patronize…ek kies die Kruis bo die Gat enige dag.
Gaan koop vir jou Houtkruis se soundtrack, dit is beskikbaar. En awesome.

20something kamp eksperiment

Net so vinnige notatjie. So paar van ons eksperimenteer vanaf 27 Junie tot 4 Julie met ‘n bietjie van ‘n “bring en braai” kamp idee. Daar is nie ‘n kampleier of program nie, maar almal wat kom maak dat die kamp gebeur soos hy gebeur. Ons glo almal het iets om by ander te leer, en dat die beste dinge gebeur in informele gesprekke, so ons try dit bevorder, alhoewel jy ook welkom is om iets op die program te sit.

Dis nie ‘n groot kamp nie, net ‘n paar mense wat gaan, maar ons verwelkom bietjie ander stemme wat saam ons kan kom kuier, so as jy meer inligting soek, email my gerus by cobus.w@gmail.com, of los ‘n comment hier.

Leuens wat ek op fakulteit afgestudeer het

Cobus het al geblog oor wat ons op fakulteit geleer het.  Ek dink dis dalk ‘n goeie idee as ek ‘n bietjie skryf oor die dinge wat ek afgeleer het.  So, hier is ‘n lysie van die “liegstories” wat ek voor of tydens my jare op fakulteit geglo het, maar nou anders oor voel.  Dis nie noodwendig in volgorde van belangrikheid nie, maar net soos die gedagtes by my opgekom het.  Party van die goed is maar eenvoudig, party was hard om te leer! 

1. Predikante het min of meer dieselfde werk as sielkundiges.

2. Om die beste te wees, beteken om die meeste te weet en die hoogste aansien te geniet.

3. Die NG Kerk is die enigste ware kerk.

4. Jou ouers is altyd reg.

5. Jou ouers is altyd verkeerd.  (Nrs 4 & 5 was op twee verskillende stadiums)

6. Mens moet Grieks en Hebreeus kan lees om regtig ‘n goeie dominee te wees.

7. Die Bybel is altyd reg.

8. Seks is verkeerd.

9. God is ‘n wit man.

10. Dominees is ook maar net mense.  (Hulle is nie.  Meeste van hulle is freaks :o) )

11.  Grootdoop (en om twee keer gedoop te word) is van die duiwel af.

Ek kan seker aan nog ‘n paar dink, indien wel sal ek op hierdie post comment.

proefpreek en die system

My proefpreek was hierdie Sondag. Bad ervaring, om dit ligtelik te stel. Ek sukkel nog om die sin daar agter in te sien. Dalk wil iemand verduidelik. Ek stress myself dood, en al weet ek ek moenie, doen ek nogsteeds. Dan deliver ek een preek, en ek kry kritiek daarop. En nou? Dalk maak ek iets daarmee, maar dit help nie regtig in ‘n groeiproses nie.

My gesprek was goed gewees, ek moet dit darem erken. Die kritiek was nie sinneloos nie, die gesprek was goed, verskillende opinies is gehoor ens ens. Ek het opnuut respek gekry vir die verskillende rolspelers wat daaraan deelgeneem het, en besef ek het nog baie om te leer. Maar of ek regtig vanoggend iets geleer het twyfel ek sterk.

In ons moderne samelewing, hoekom kan ons nie net 10 preke deur die jaar instuur om gekrit te word en deurlopend kritiek kry soos wat die goed inkom nie? Dan kan mens mos sien of daar ontwikkeling is, kan die student leer uit sy/haar foute, en kan sinvolle gesprek gelewer word op ‘n stadium. Of, soos een van ons ouderlinge opmerk, hoekom kan die kerkraad nie net die vorms invul nie? Hoekom kan ons nie ‘n sisteem in plek kry waar gemeentelede die student deurlopend moet krit op vorms of iets nie. Hierdie vorms kan dan deur die mentor of ‘n dosent of iemand deurgewerk word, en gesprek kan deurlopend met die student gevoer word.

OK goed, ek weet dit is meer werk, maar ek dink dis dalk nie slegte idees nie…

KORN en Brian “Head” Welch en Save Me From Myself en hoe ons die Bybel distort (alweer)

So my friend Shaun hooked me up with this book he got hold of. It was called Save Me From Myself and it was Brian “Head” Welch’s autobiography. For those of you who do not know, this guy used to be the lead guitarist of a teeny weeny little band called KORN. Yep, not so teeny weeny after all!

I read it through in 5 and a half hours. It was really a compelling read, especially the first part. It told the whole story of how he grew up, got involved in music, the different bands he played in and how Korn was eventually formed and how they skyrocketed to success. It got a bit of gory detail, some quite offensive, but there is a disclaimer/warning at the beginning of the book to tell you that it might be the case from time to time.

Like I said, the first part, “To Hell And Back” tells the story of his rise to stardom and, of course, how he and his girlfriend and later wife Rebekah got swallowed up into the world of speed (meth). I’ve never read a book before that tells you about so much drug use. They really used A LOT of drugs – sometimes cocaine or marijuana, but mostly speed and how it pretty much killed them from the inside.

The first part of the book ended quite positive on the note where he got saved by Christ and started to get his life back on track, quitting Korn and becoming a more responsible dad to his daughter Jennea.

And then the second part came, called “Heaven On Earth” – and I thought it kinda sucked. He made most of it sound so easy and so cheap.

You see, what is supposed to be a marvellous 70-page testimony on how he walked with God since and all the curves that that road took, turned into a little pep-talk about how close he got with God and how he could just hear God and suddenly all the bad stuff that happened to him was the devil or fallen angels (where previously it was is own sinful human nature)…and how you can only get to be in a REAL relationship with God when you speak/pray in tongues.

That got me mad, because he quoted the scriptures in 1 Corinthians 14 and Jude where Paul (and Jude in Jude!) is writing about the different gifts of the Holy Spirit and that speaking/praying in tongues is just ONE of MANY gifts that the Spirit gives. Head uses 1 Cor 14:2 and 4 to tell how you can’t understand someone’s “prayer language” when they “pray in the Spirit” – but man, he doesn’t even consider the rest of the paragraph surrounding it! It is exactly the whole point that Paul is making there: he says that you should rather NOT pray in “tongues” because that is only beneficial to the one praying. You should rather prophecy, because that is beneficial to the whole congregation, except if the one that is speaking in another uncomprehensible tongue is explaining it to the rest. So there you have it – it must be interpreted for the people around you to be beneficial to anyone. And nowhere in this passage do I get the information on how you can work on your prayer language – funny, I thought it was a GIFT. How do you work on someone to give you more of a gift that they already gave to you completely? That’s just bribery.

He states his opinion on speaking in tongues like this:
“If you want to have the most faith you can have on this earth, learn to pray in tongues. If you find it too weird and you prefer to live a good, quiet Christian life, don’t pray in tongues. It’s just that simple.”

That got me shouting “You can’t say that!” I know many Christians who don’t pray in tongues who have the faith to move mountains. I also know Christians who do pray in tongues and they are excellent people too. I also know Christians who don’t pray in tongues who is definitely not living a “good, quiet Christian life” but who is making waves all over as they are preaching and serving God quite loud and out in the open. Also, my grandmother is turning 87 in August, and she is a grand lady of the faith. And she has never prayed in tongues before in her life.

It comes down to this: you can’t make your experience normative, the measurement for everyone else to live by. I can’t tell you that, if you don’t serve Christ the way I do, you will not have as much faith as I and you are doing it wrong. And, if praying in tongues is a gift, you can’t learn to do it, it is given to you. As is faith, according to 1 Corinthians 12.

The other thing that was really bad for me to devour was the way he saw his depression. He saw it as a BAD HABIT. Now, anyone who has really dealt with depression knows that it entails a wee bit more than that. Depression is an illness that must be treated three-fold to get the best results: medically, spiritually and psychologically. He says it is gone now, but I can guarantee you, if Head Welch doesn’t get some medical attention to the matter, it is only going to come back to bite him in the ass, again. If you used as much speed (meth) as he has, you need to get the chemical balance in your body and your brain set straight medically. Like he said himself, time and again: God can use many ways to speak/work with you.

He also talked about his baptism in the River Jordan, but I have spoken enough about baptism elsewhere on my blog so I’m not going into the matter here.

Hang on a second. I’m not against baptism in the River Jordan, speaking in tongues or believing that God miraculously heal people. Not at all. Or against prophecies, which he also writes about for a while:

When I was at a camp in grade 8, 14 years old, one night the people there started to pray in tongues, I didn’t understand it, but I thought it was wonderful. I didn’t start to myself either, but God has never left me before or after that.

Also, when I was in grade 11, age 17, at another church camp, our group leader prophecied over me and it was wonderful. I’m still holding on to that prophecy.

And when I was a baby, I was baptized with…wait for it…water from the Sea of Galilea that my grandfather got from the place where the miracle of the bread and the fish supposedly happened and brought back to South Africa after he visited Isarel when he was still alive. It was sprinkled upon my forehead and I don’t intend to get baptized again, because one time is sufficient.

Yep, this is my experiences with the stuff – but I’m not making it normative for other people or downtalking them if they do not do it in some kind of “ah, don’t worry, you spiritual baby. God will open your eyes”-sort of way. That’s just wrong. Sies man!

What was wonderful about the book, though, was the whole encounter they had in India. The whole Untouchable-tribe of the Laodi-story was amazing. He should have just kept on doing that kind of work – the practical stuff that Jesus Himself commands us to to in the Gospels. Also, the way how he described his honesty in his relationship with God was quite touching, as well as the whole thing that God can use your talents (GIFTS that He has given to you!) in more ways than you can imagine.

Yet, I much more enjoyed Donald Miller’s Blue Like Jazz. That guy just nailed it for me on every page. He had a wit about him and a kind of compelling writing style that I just clicked with. It actually convinced me to start to tithe (give a tenth of my income to the church). I don’t have time to go into a full discussion now, but that book was more appealing to me. TO ME. I’m not saying it should be to everyone. But try it out, you might just like it. That guy’s faith is much more like my own. We doubt, we don’t doubt, we believe and sometimes we think it silly, but Jesus never leaves us and that is good.

At least they both came to the same conclusion and that is that the most important thing is a relationship with Jesus.

Maybe it is just that I haven’t been into heavy metal like ever, and maybe it would’ve made a more commpelling impact on my life if I knew their music better, but we can talk about that.

But go read both the books – they will both be worth your while.

http://www.harpercollins.com/books/9780061461279/Save_Me_from_Myself/index.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Welch
http://www.donaldmillerwords.com/bluelikejazz.php.