Ecclesiastes is one of the most depressing books of the Bible. Lamentations is pretty sad, but Ecclesiastes despairs at the meaning of life. The Questor, the Preacher, the Teacher… all names translators have given to the man who wrote this exquisitely heartbreaking piece of poetry. He tries everything to satisfy his thirsty soul. He even [...]
Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
Takeoff and Landing
Posted: 9th January 2012 by Colin in UncategorizedTags: ecclesiastes, meaning of life, seasons
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A Song for America
Posted: 28th November 2011 by Colin in UncategorizedTags: america, calling, culture, missions
My Christian walk has been a rebellion against pledging my allegiance to anything but Christ. One of the reasons I became a missionary was so that I could travel the whole world without ties to any certain nation. I hate the word “patriotic” I refuse to say the pledge of allegiance. I don’t put my [...]
Today I experienced true poverty for the first time since arriving in Southeast Asia. Up until now, I’ve seen different standards of living that, before I experienced life overseas, I would have thought were poor but have come to accept as simply different. Today for a split second, I saw a naked man digging through [...]
I’ve been reading a LOT lately. Between our 90 day Bible reading plan, “Under the Unpredictable Plant” (the book assigned by my PRIME mentor), and novels for entertainment, most of my free time is spent reading. I feel like I’m back in school, but this time, there are no grades or teachers to set deadlines. [...]
Prosperity Gospel (Part 3: Reason)
Posted: 19th October 2011 by Colin in UncategorizedTags: prosperity gospel, reason
I’ve always been more heart than head, but that doesn’t mean I neglect logical thought. One of the reasons that I study theology is because when done correctly, it should inform ministry practice. The more we learn about God, the better we understand how our lives should practically reflect truth. Everything we do has a [...]
Prosperity Gospel (Part 2: Historical Traditions)
Posted: 18th October 2011 by Colin in Life, UncategorizedTags: prosperity gospel, rice christianity
For those of you who are following this case study analysis, this is probably one of the most academic, no-fluff posts on this blog (unless you read my senior project research project… which if you did, I’m impressed). I don’t expect many to read this, but I thought that the history and traditions surrounding the case study give [...]
Okay everybody, get ready for a slew of theological posts. I haven’t written anything too academic lately, but I’ve always been passionate about seeking to better understand our God. My professor Dr. Kent Eilers says that theology is simply faith seeking performative understanding. In other words: it has real effect on the way we live [...]
3 months, 17 beds, 12 flights and counting. Colin and I are sitting at the Brunei international airport Coffee Bean waiting for our connecting flight back to Manila. The shop is packed with Kiwis (New Zealanders), Australians, and various other white people. It’s like we’ve all subconsciously congregated to be under the comfort of the [...]
It’s Hard to Say Goodbye
Posted: 8th August 2011 by Sarah in UncategorizedTags: heart, hurt, leaving, relationships, village
As I’m preparing to go home, I am filled with a very difficult mix of emotions. I am so happy and grateful for the time I’ve had here, but it hurts my heart to leave.
Beloved
Posted: 6th August 2011 by Sarah in UncategorizedTags: beloved, blessed, change, learning, sing, tree
Today I was going to write about the gift God gave me Thursday of being able to play softball and how much joy that gave me, but God seems to have other plans. Today, you will actually be able to read part of my own personal journalings in my Moleskine.