Piper states: “God kicks our ass”

During a breakout session at a conference recently, well known, and well respected preacher-author, John Piper, swore while speaking. (link here)

He said that sometimes, “God kicks our ass.”

Oh course Piper later wrote an apology, but in that apology he explained why he thinks he says what he says (swears):

“I regret saying it. I am sitting here trying to figure out why I say things like that every now and then. (emphasis mine)I think it is a mixture of (sinful) audience titillation and (holy) scorn against my own flesh and against the devil, along with the desire to make the battle with Satan and my flesh feel gutsy and real and not middle-class pious. (emphasis mine) There is a significant difference between saying that God disciplines his children and saying that he ‘kicks our ass’ (the phrase used at Passion)—the effect of the first can produce a yawn and leave students with no sense of how real I mean it. I think ‘He kicks our backside’ would have sufficed. And even better might have been some concrete illustrations of the Lord’s firm spanks.”

He continues and concludes, “If I wanted to take the time, and I felt more defensive than I do, I could probably go to the Bible and find language as offensive as that in the mouth of prophets, and even God when dealing with the grossness of evil. But I doubt that the moment in the breakout session called for something that extreme. Sometimes maybe. I hope the Lord turns it for good.” He shows this again in his closing paragraph where he writes “I think if I had it to do over, I would not say it. On the one hand, I don’t like fanning the flames of those who think it is hip and cool to swear for Jesus. That, it seems to me, is immature. On the other hand, I want those hip people to listen to all I say and write, and I hope that the Lord may get a hold of them and draw them out of immaturity and into the fullness of holiness. But it backfires if one becomes unholy to make people holy. I suspect there was too much of the unholy in my heart at that moment.”

I swore while writing a blog post, and Joe wanted me taken off the Christian school’s chapel list.  I also apologized for the post, and took it down at the schools request and informed the school board that I would willingly step down if they so deemed.  I did eventually step down, for them, and because I did not want to be a stumbling block.  So, I wonder if Joe Vondoloski would have the school NOT have John Piper come and speak there knowing that he has sworn, and according to his own statements swears on occassion?

Joe, would you want your 4 year old to sit under John Piper’s ministry?

Oh, and if you’re looking to now get rid of your John Piper books (if indeed you own any) please let me know.  I’d be willing to trade you some of my Puritan writings for them….

Less Hate Since Leaving the Church

I was thinking about this the other day. With the exception of some family matters, life for me has been really quiet since leaving the church. I experienced much more personal conflict while I was apart of the church than I have since leaving it.

Life has been quiet without Kenny White sleeping with my ex-wife and being wolfish with my congregation, playing two-face, and trying to be a “help” to me.

There has been less hateful things since I quit, namely no more Joe VonDoloski *please note that I have edited this part with actual statements from Joe because he claims that my previous statements are false, but his factual statements still support the emphasis of this post quite well, so without further adue, Mr. Vondoloski… I made the school aware of your blog. The leadership at that time, read it and thanked me for making them aware of your views, considering the fact that you were a scheduled chapel speaker. I told the Administrator that based on the things that you were writing, “renouncing Christianity” as well as profane language you insisted on using that I would not allow my 4 year old to sit under your preaching in chapel. 

Basically, what I am trying to say is, since I have left the church there hasn’t been anyone out to get me.

Why didn’t I leave sooner…?

When I was in the church I was told that if I was like Jesus I would receive persecution. Does any of the above count? I see things much clearer now that I have stepped away from the church. Some times it takes us stepping back to see things for what they really are. I have also realized (and known) that people are people, no matter what they call themselves, and people do what people do. Check that, evil people do what evil people do. So maybe I’m trying to say that I haven’t had any trouble with evil people since leaving the church…

Jesus thoughts

Been thinking about Jesus a lot lately.

Been thinking about what it means to follow him and what it would look like now.

I have been thinking about post-Christian ministry.  How does it fit with Jesus?  I think Jesus screams post-Christian ministry!

I think people need to be connected with others who are searching, seeking, sojourning.  I think people want answers.  I think people know that they are here for something more and that they want to be connected with people who think, feel, and want the same.

I know I do!

I am stumbling towards the conclusion that Jesus is it.  I think he feeds that drive in us.  I think he has the best answers for how to live, together, apart, to make a difference, to fulfill and be fulfilled.

Just some Jesus thoughts.

Father Daughter Dance

Last night I asked my daughter to accompany me to a Father Daughter Dance at Treetops Resort.  She said, “okay, Daddy!”  Then we talked dresses and makeup…makeup?  Evidently she wants to do my makeup.

“Daddy isn’t wearing any, baby.”

Should be fun!

D&D Art

See why I am getting so fired up as of late!  My creative juices are flowing…

D&D 4th Edition

Anyone else out there play D&D?

I still remember playing the 1st addition.  Remember the different colored boxes when they re-released it?

Then, of course, we played Advanced D&D.

Then 2nd Edition AD&D came out.

Now they are on the 4th Edition of D&D (they no longer have the advanced rules).

I added a link on the side of my page here for easy access.  I am STOKED!!

Drawing: a consuming passion

I have been inspired of late like I have not known in some time.

I want to draw!

I want to illustrate fantasy stuff!

I want to do comics!

Dungeons & Dragons

Last night, we lost one of our companions.  Farewell, Andressa, may your bow string always sing its sweet song in our hearts.

Andressa fell at the hands of an evil goblin shamman who summoned a terrible dust devil to dispatch our reknowned archer.  Our part of three were trying to protect a halfling (hobbit) farming village from increasing goblin sightings, and goat stealings.  Upon finding their layer, we killed many of them, only to come upon their small encampment in a raveen.  It was there that we held them back, only to see their shamman summon his devilery.

Andressa fell.

We fled.

My life is a mess! Or is it? No! God bless you in your mess!

I have cried about this.  I have cried out because of this.  I have been riddled with guilt about this.  I have thought a lot about this.  And, I have realized, that while I have said the statement, “my life is a mess” (or different variations of it, anyways) that it simply isn’t true.

I have allowed people who are messed up to be in my life.

And that makes life messy.

But, I think when you are helping someone who is a mess that mess can get on you and you can look down at your hands and say, “I’m a mess” when in reality, you have their mess on you.

Corey put it to me like this, “Let’s say you are a bachelor for a couple years, and then you have someone come and live with you.  After awhile, you realize that this person is a crack user and soon they have other crack users coming around, with their hoochy mammas, etc, and they make messes, break things, party down, don’t pay their bills, the cops are over, they are in the hospital, etc, and one day you wake up and say ‘My life is a mess!’  No, your life isn’t a mess, you have a friggin crack addict living with you!  Kick his ass out!”

He’s right.

So, I said, “How do I respond as Jesus to the people who are a mess in my life?”

“God bless you in your mess.”

And so I bless you who are a mess in my life.  But, I am not having you be apart of my life.

Pilonidal Cyst Surgery Update

It has been 2 months since my last surgery and everything is healing fine.  My wound is flat, and feels normal.  People told me I might experience symptoms that might feign a new cyst, but I haven’t, yet.