AnotherJohn.Com

After an embarrassing amount of Coke Zero and Snickers, I've finished two full semesters! Saint Paul School of Theology doesn't have a mascot. I'm thinking either The Open-Table Otters, The Fighting Footnotes, or The Already/Not Yetis.  I had never participated in online classes before attending Saint Paul. I graduated before college before that was a thing, and my work at Perkins was on campus. Initially, I had more questions than I thought I would about how things would work. There were details that I worried I had wrong or misread. I did a lot of double and triple-checking to get started. Overall, it's been a good experience. Some professors take the online approach more loosely than others. But I've had a good mix so far.  After the last couple of weeks, I'm tired of looking at a computer screen. Stay blessed...john

A funny thing happened at work this morning.  Okay, it wasn't all that funny, but I couldn't keep from smiling.  let's just bask in glory of this day, this day that I submitted the final paper of my seminary career.  Yes, friends, we are the champions!

It is official. I have submitted my application for graduation in May--May 12th to be exact. So, we are now in countdown mode. I won't give you the it's-been-a-long-time-coming speech, just yet (But it has been!). Right now I just want to give you an open invitation. I do not know exactly what we will be doing that day, but I do know it will be a celebration. If you think you are going to be in the Dallas area, come and celebrate with us. I will save the cheesy speech for then. Until then here is your countdown. For those who read via email or news reader, you may need click on the post title to see the countdown correctly. 

I'd like to go to this presentation.  Dr. Heath is one of my professors. If I attend that one I have to give a quick two page reflection.  Now, if I go see Dr. J. Ellsworth Kalas next Monday I can just enjoy it.  You might remember him from his Backside series. We'll see what the schedule permits.  Stay blessed..john

Peter Berger's The Sacred Canopy: Elements of a Sociological Theory of Religion is a sociological consideration of the function of religion in the human experience. Religion’s societal utility can be viewed empirically. When the observer is introduced to society’s need to maintain reality, a comparison can be made between the processes involved in that maintenance and the employment religion offers those processes. Berger describes people as “world builders.” Each member of every society plays a role in developing (building) what that society will look like. From the human experience societies are fashioned and maintained through perpetual structures of internalization, objectivation and externalization. A person enters into an ever-changing relationship with society where both entities continue in the formation and establishment of the other. It becomes necessary for the society, comprised of individuals, to ensure its own duration. To that end a process of legitimization i...

It is both liberating and difficult to consider how the Bible’s regard for humanity and religion differs from our modern interpretations. In contrast, it is easy, often convenient to forcefully assimilate scripture into our agendas and opinions. Itching ears and eager mouths can cloud God’s promises and prevent us from seeing life and faith how God intended. There is great reward, socially and personally, in attempting to peel back the limitations we place on the message of the Bible. Prejudice and discrimination have no part in God’s plan for salvation outlined in the Bible. Yet, both have been used, and continue a shared employment, by Christians against other faith traditions and even other Christian understandings. In almost every course I have taken at Perkins the professor has begun the course by reviewing the syllabus, including a statement and discussion affirming the value of varying opinions, but emphasizing the need to respect others’ opinions. Why is that a constant ...

Here is the 2009 SMU Football Anthem: For My City the best line..."It ain't easy to get tickets no more!" The SMU Mustangs have sold out the first game of the season against Stephen F. Austin. Sorry Melanie; I hope we win! SMU Sells Out 2009 Season Opener Stay blessed...john

I’ve learned a lot my first year at Perkins. Mostly, what I have taken away has little to do with factually information and more to do with theological skill. Anybody can pick up a commentary and find out facts—something I’ve done a lot of so far. There’s nothing harmful with that. Little by little I find myself learning more how to think through issues theologically. Yes! That is one of the goals of seminary. The question I’m wondering about myself after this first year is what has changed in me, my understanding of ministry and/or preaching? I’ve thought for a while and I don’t think I’ve come up with anything extraordinarily different. There are two things that stand out to me, however: 1) With regard to preaching, I am more serious about the text. I don’t think I was negligent, necessarily. I’ve always tried to match the text with the sermon. That is, I want the text to make sense to someone listening. I still do, but more now I am trying to match the sermon to the tex...

Today in class we discussed the Psalms.  I thought I would share my three favorite Psalms. Yes, I know---a totally original thing to do. Watch now as the creativity flourishes....what's your favorite psalm? The first favorite is the first written.  In my early faith days it was important to me to learn about everything I had been missing out on.  The day and night thing I tried to work on. I found out that doesn't always mean reading. This was the first psalm I learned as a Christian.   1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. 4 Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. 5 Therefore the wicked wil...

The Apostles’ Creed has stood as part of the fabric of the Christian faith throughout the centuries of its existence. Its theology was outlined and structured to provide a common statement of faith declaring the accepted beliefs and convictions of the Church. As the movement spread, complexities within the understandings of the faith moved leaders to develop new ideas and interpretations of the Scripture. In this struggle of comprehending the divine there were those concepts and contentions that proved to be inconsistent with the basic tenets of the majority of the Church. Many of these conflicting beliefs were labeled as heretical. Other creeds were developed to appropriately answer and silence those ideologies considered to be heretical. We find these later creeds follow much of the outline shaped in the Apostles’ Creed. This one concrete statement of faith, the Apostles’ Creed, is comprised of several sub-categorical assertions that stood, and still stand, against many of the ...

Theology has often sought to define who and what God is. In this ongoing process of defining and redefining we find an array of classifications and delineations based on the various fundamental approaches applied to the study. Unfortunately, too often we can find in these explanations, however distinctive they may appear, a common thread constantly embedded, both perhaps intentionally and unknowingly. It is in this observation we may conceivably and justly conclude we have not found the complete idea of God. Certainly that is an argument Rivera’s project A Touch of Transcendence seeks to explore. Specific to Rivera’s work, this thread that has permeated common theological discourses centers on hierarchal viewpoints. While an understanding of the divine, considering the complexity of the concept of the Other, would have to entail a complex description Rivera would argue many of our ideas have been skewed by our inability to see past certain basic societal structures. We have inhib...

Critics have commonly given attention to religious dogma to characterize part of the Church’s insufficient causes. Some would argue holding to these restricts one’s efforts in finding truth. There is also the argument that whatever might have been beneficial in church dogmatics is now stale and outdated. Perhaps it would not be to those that Karl Barth would direct his attention. Instead he would be more inclined to stir an interest in those who want to know more the value of the dogmatics. In his foreword to Dogmatics in Outline he admonishes those who would hold a skimmer’s view of the subject and consider the outline the last word in the study; he refers them to Paul’s words “If anyone will not work, let him not eat.” Indeed, Barth would not hesitate to offer his view on the matter. How could he not? So many misunderstand what dogmatics are. Much attention has been given to explaining and compounding on the ideas of science. In this process we have neglected to engage the ...

In reviewing the work of Anselm, specifically Cur Deus Homo, readers find an effort to exhort the nature of God. God’s nature can be found in the work of Jesus Christ. Through his role in the atonement on the behalf of mankind, Christ provides a glimpse into man’s inability to sustain a restored relationship with God. This demonstrates the impossibility of man to obtain salvation by his own merit. Where this uncovers God’s nature is in the fact that this restoration isn’t an obligation on God’s behalf. By establishing the atonement God has demonstrated His grace to man. He also concludes that God’s redemption plan must fall in suit with His nature. So, the appropriate manner to reconcile sin, a turning away from God, involves a plan that includes the working of His justice. His plan then is presented to man in Christ’s death which provides the suitable justification for us to God (Romans 3:22-24). Anselm then would assert that theology is strongly related to the working of the ...

Classes for the Spring semester began today. I'm taking fewer hours this time around. This morning I actually had a thought that perhaps next semester I will go back to (12) hours. All first year students have to take a course entitled Spiritual Formation. It's a Pass/Don't Pass course. The work is not heavy at all, but does require 2-3 hours each week to complete the required work. That will be a decision for late summer. I have decided I will make more use of the library's resources from now on both for school work and sermon preparation. It was a shame I wasted a whole semester before I started going to the library. Yes, I realize how incredibly nerdy that sounds. Still, my pants don't go up to my chin and my hats still have a slight angle when I wear them and music is never too loud...that often. So, all is not lost, yet. We'll see if that decision will produce better sermons. I am configuring material to use on Sunday mornings for those who go to...

Finals are next week and I'll be spending most of this week preparing. Posting has been very limited over the last several weeks, but will pick up soon. I'm working on a 10-15 exegesis on 1 Samuel 28, an extra-credit book review, take home final exam and normal finals preparations. Hope you're having as good a time as I am. Stay blessed...john

My undergraduate work was in Sociology. Reading Lendbe ck’s work (The Nature of Doctrine: Religion and Theology in a Postliberal Age ) reminded me of much of what was scrutinized discussed and explored in those studies. Specifically, there seems to be a major tie to the idea of the sociology of religion. Religion transcends cultural boundaries; it is found in an overwhelming majority of societies. Each religion is essentially a peoples’ attempt to explain the unknown. These explanations rarely come without an outline of what is deemed an appropriate response to the religious conclusions generated, regardless of the religion. Ultimately, this is seems to be the viewpoint Lindbeck takes in The Nature of Doctrine. This idea does not originate with Lindbeck and does not end in his work. It is a useful comparison he makes in establishing a connection between the use of language or cultural with the roles of religion and doctrine. There are undoubtedly many who have followed a model of learn...

The question arose: Do you think the catholic church was too pragmatic in its approach to the lapsi (those who lapsed in their confession of the Christian faith in the face of persecution), or do you think the Novationists were too harsh? Why? Also, why do you think the Novationist position did not prevail? Here is a little detail about the Novationsists. Essentially, they were a group of early church believers that openly opposed allowing those people who had denied their faith facing persecution to return to the church. As a person whose life has been touched by it, I prefer to tread alongside the avenues of grace. So, I would have to believe the Novationists were too harsh in their stance against those who succumbed to the pressures of persecution and, as the text points out was the belief of bishops everywhere, failed to defend their faith in Christ—an action that consequently removed them from the community. In all reality, each of us will face experiences that will pres...

Recently, I've met with a lot of individuals that that have said they want to be pastors. After listening to some of their conversations and their interactions I think it would be beneficial to remind myself: I want to be like Jesus.

Today begins my last class at UTSA . Of course, I'm still interning at the conference office , but that's been kind of slow. Actually, now that I'll be in San Antonio everyday, I'll be able to be at there more. Keep me in your prayers as we prepare for the move. I have no idea what to pack first in my office (though I already kind of went through that before), and on top of that I still have several weekend trips that need to be made. Time can make a crunch sound on you. I'm sure there will be time for blogging. One cannot use a new layout and not post new things! Tomorrow, however, will be a nice day. Gloria and I will be attending a Boyz II Men concert at Six Flags . They're the best and we'll enjoy ourselves. Heard any good news lately? Stay blessed...john

I had a "just like church" moment in class yesterday. The professor had been venturing away from his bullet points. Our discussion was pretty good. He went on and on. After several minutes of going back and forth with students and so on, he clicked for his next topic to display. Yes, I still sit in the back! So, besides the great comfort I maintain with no one behind me, I was able to witness the wave of bowed heads as they went from giving him all the attention to writing, word for word of course, in their overpriced university notebooks his bullet point. It was just like in church when the pastors says, "Let us pr....." He hasn't even finished the sentence and everyone is ready to bow their heads and pray. Of course, it all very uniformed (and quite funny if you see it). How do we know they're not going to say, "Let us pr...oclaim the year of the Javelina!" Anyways. Stay blessed...john