No, it's really simple

If there is one thing I know it is that theology, understanding, and frankly, life is always more complicated than we think. In honour of this discovery, I offer you the following tee, available in all sizes, pink for ladies, white for boys from badscience.net. This was on my Christmas wish list. Now, it is on my St. Patrick's Day wish list. I will be envious if you get one first, but it is not for the reason you will think. It is far more complicated!


A special thanks to Dr. Brooke Lester of Anumma for putting me on to this little gem!

Dictionary Addition

We at the Blogfire of the Vanities humbly propose to you, the gentle reader, the following term for addition to your theological vocabulary. This word is sinfusion.

Sinfusion: [sin-fyoo-zhuh n]
- noun
1. the coercion of a derogatory or sinful behavior into another person's soul
2. peer pressure
3. the act of a steeping or soaking of one's soul in temptation by one's friends: Here Steve, have another beer!
4. attempting to corrupt another into committing sin against themselves or others
5. the care, feeding and nurture of preexisting and or hidden sinful behavior in another person

There went the pipe theory...

Biblical Archeology Review just posted the following:

Results from recent DNA analysis performed on the mummy of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun have revealed that he was a product of inbreeding, disabled and suffered from malaria. By mapping chromosomes from the DNA of various mummies, researchers were able to link family lines and found that King Tut’s parents, Akhenaten and a woman whose mummy is known as “Younger Lady,” were in fact brother and sister.

The larger article is fascinating and is provided by National Geographic entitled, "King Tut Mysteries Solved: Disabled, Malarial, and Inbred". Enjoy!

Ideas on Ideology

Something with which I am playing for a class exploring sin and evil… I fully reserve the right to reverse, adapt, erase, eliminate, edit, junk, utilize, revise and or eat the following words. Thank God they are virtual as paper is hard to digest.

Religious Ideology is the reflection of our transformed experience as a result of biblical interpretation, created and understood in the context of our social world in which we were raised and now live.

I think it safe to say that the development of an ideology is always done with good intention. However, it is not always done responsibly. From “slave master theology” to “Christological enslavement”, human error in reason produces faulty results. The check and balance is done by a given community (family, church, corporation, government, academia, etc .) to ensure protection against a faulty ideology. I acknowledge that communities can error too, but that is a matter beyond the scope of this inquiry. When an ideology is adopted without critique by that community (perhaps the sin of omission), great evil can and does result (sin of commission).

Antithetically, a “good” ideology, when adopted in community, produces great fruits. Yet, the check and balance is still a necessity for two reasons. First, evaluation of ideology is a responsible discipline, valuable not just in the current moment, but in the future. “Life”, in all its challenges, pressures, socio-economic and political circumstances change, makes the necessity and or influence of an ideology in its original form, relevant or irrelevant. Secondly, a review of the belief system as it is enacted, prevents deterioration of its intention for the good or for the bad. This assumes that any ideology, or for that matter theology, can be enacted in perfection. Sadly, as fallen beings, we are not only incapable of a perfect theology, ideology or worldview, but we are also incapable of carrying it out. This again reinforces my admiration for the remarkableness that is Christ, both human and divine.

Open My Eyes

I'm writing my reflection paper for Rome and listening to the broadcast of worship from my home church, Southminster. They are snowed in and as such, the children's choir who was to perform was unable. Instead, there is a child who was selected to sing the piece solo. She's the voice of an angel.

For healthy churches with members who love worship and fellowship, the investment of the internet is so very meaningful. I was unable to make it to worship today so I logged on to the worship service hundreds of miles away and was able to hear the familiar voices of people whom I love, enjoy the musical gifts of child and adult alike, hear the Gospel message and celebrate the community that was my family for over a year and remains my family in my heart.

My experience in Rome was a miracle. A year prior, I was surrounded by the love of Southminster in a world that had failed me. A year later, I stood among the men who were in discussion with the Vatican for church unification, working tirelessly to build trust and to find ways where we can celebrate our mutual love and adoration of Christ. The year prior, I was under five different roofs, being fed by friends. A year later I ate gelato and drank espresso in Rome. The message today for the children's sermon is that God is in control. He is indeed.

Today's sermon is on Luke 5:1-11 - "Jesus causing mischief". The message is, roughly, that God works in odd ways to bring about His intentions. She calls it "God's Serendipity". His touch of light in your life is reflected in your changed soul. Interesting really, as it was His act of serendipity that brought me to Rome, to witness the unification of our Church, to bring the message of encouragement to those what stick with the work, to thank them and to find my own healing. And all it required was a step of faith, of trust, and of love in our Lord. Thank you, Lord for Opening My Eyes.