Crazy title, huh? I was in a wedding just recently and I found myself in the most unusual place. Instead of being innately and boyfully disgusted, repulsed, and on the verge of throwing up by the idea of settling in martial union...I discovered that I was actually okay with the idea and maybe actually even wanted to meet someone worth marrying, soon. So crazy!
This notion or yearning for marriage usually hits females more so than males at weddings. I used to make fun of the girls that would shed tears of joyful bliss as their friends finally snagged the one and only prince charming.
As a guy, my friends and I usually felt some sort of disgust as our friend(s) finally bit the bullet and crossed over unto the "dark side." I always felt a sense of sadness as I watched many of my friends disappear down the dark, dank, corridor of something called "marriage." But something was definitely different and certainly I felt different on Saturday as I watched one of my best friends get married. I discovered to my horror that I want to get married eventually too! And quite soon(Within reason that is...I haven't totally lost my mind)! To who? Hah, only God knows. I certainly do not.
I remember pinching myself and asking, "Wow, Kevin! Did I bump my head or ingest some sort of love drug?" I felt initially disgusted and ashamed that I, Kevin Mueller would feel in such a romantic way.
Maybe its a maturation process. Who knows? I feel like I crossed over a threshold from youthful frat-house mentality to actually maybe becoming a man. Well, lets not get carried away shall we? Maybe just a dose of eventual reality struck me that I better get used to the idea that I won't always be playing X-Box and hanging with my "homies" and I should actually embrace marriage.
Repulsed? Disgusted? Feel like throwing up, guys? Well you are on the right track. I was there and now I am here. One day you'll find yourself on an altar representing your best friend and wishing it was you instead....Sad, isn't it? :)
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Starbuck's Epiphany
Those close to me know that I have embarked on a spiritual journey that is fully exploring the outer limits and boundaries of my theology. For those that are worried, no I am not becoming one of the pseudo-religious weirdos that believe the God is an mysterious mystic entity that is individually expressed through whatever form or way I deem fit but more on the issue and condition of my heart.
I was sitting down enjoying a wonderful Venti coffee with a shot of caramel mixed in when I had a sudden realization or epiphany. It had occurred to me that in my personal spiritual walk with God I had missed something vitally important. Somehow cloaked in the mirage of graduating Bible School and having invested both willingly and unwillingly 25 years in the Apostolic-Pentecostal movement that somewhere along this journey I have missed Christ and His message. Crazy, huh? To think that Christianity actually goes beyond Acts 2:38? But to actually love people and care for them and how they feel and what they are experiencing...
I wonder how we so blatantly ignore the message of love presented by Christ? How could we treat our brothers and sisters in the world and church with such disregard? Slander, malice, hatred, jealousy, envy, racism and the list could go on and on. We are so guilty of letting the self-imposed title "Christian" roll off our tongue as we so easily profess Christ in our lives yet we live so diametrically opposite of Him. Christ-like?? I think not.
Sometimes it's ignorance or faulty teaching that leads to this condition but other times its just easier to live a life devoted to Christ with just mere words. I was in conversation with someone who is a life long Christian and they made a claim that the scripture speaking of being unequally yoked refers to inter-racial marriages and my parents (Dad-white, Mom-Korean) are not in the will of God and despite the fact that they are good people...they just didn't have the knowledge of what the scripture really meant and married before coming to Christ.
What ignorance! What faulty teaching?! We sing the song "Jesus loves All the Little Children," but really deep in our hearts we know (think) that He only loves kids of no color.
Folks...if we are to love people and reach people, racism and ignorance must be abolished. Twisting scripture to fit what ever bias or cultural preference you have is dead wrong! Life long traditions and mental blocks must be broken and destroyed. We will not reach this world and touch people's life with archaic attitudes.
True love requires intense sacrifice of traditions, preferences, and attitudes. Serving people will always demand your energy, money, and time. The question is are we willing to change to culture of the Church and shed the label "Christian" until we actually reach a point in our spiritual walk where we really do mirror Jesus and His ministry?
Or will we wander fruitlessly, blind, ignorant, and eventually irrelevant?
I was sitting down enjoying a wonderful Venti coffee with a shot of caramel mixed in when I had a sudden realization or epiphany. It had occurred to me that in my personal spiritual walk with God I had missed something vitally important. Somehow cloaked in the mirage of graduating Bible School and having invested both willingly and unwillingly 25 years in the Apostolic-Pentecostal movement that somewhere along this journey I have missed Christ and His message. Crazy, huh? To think that Christianity actually goes beyond Acts 2:38? But to actually love people and care for them and how they feel and what they are experiencing...
I wonder how we so blatantly ignore the message of love presented by Christ? How could we treat our brothers and sisters in the world and church with such disregard? Slander, malice, hatred, jealousy, envy, racism and the list could go on and on. We are so guilty of letting the self-imposed title "Christian" roll off our tongue as we so easily profess Christ in our lives yet we live so diametrically opposite of Him. Christ-like?? I think not.
Sometimes it's ignorance or faulty teaching that leads to this condition but other times its just easier to live a life devoted to Christ with just mere words. I was in conversation with someone who is a life long Christian and they made a claim that the scripture speaking of being unequally yoked refers to inter-racial marriages and my parents (Dad-white, Mom-Korean) are not in the will of God and despite the fact that they are good people...they just didn't have the knowledge of what the scripture really meant and married before coming to Christ.
What ignorance! What faulty teaching?! We sing the song "Jesus loves All the Little Children," but really deep in our hearts we know (think) that He only loves kids of no color.
Folks...if we are to love people and reach people, racism and ignorance must be abolished. Twisting scripture to fit what ever bias or cultural preference you have is dead wrong! Life long traditions and mental blocks must be broken and destroyed. We will not reach this world and touch people's life with archaic attitudes.
True love requires intense sacrifice of traditions, preferences, and attitudes. Serving people will always demand your energy, money, and time. The question is are we willing to change to culture of the Church and shed the label "Christian" until we actually reach a point in our spiritual walk where we really do mirror Jesus and His ministry?
Or will we wander fruitlessly, blind, ignorant, and eventually irrelevant?
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
The Facebook Culture
Everyone loves Facebook. It is like crack to crack addict. There is a cultural and societal phenomenon that has occurred in America and that is the instant status update. The one thing alone has transformed instantly the way America communicates. Due to this incessant merging of time spent on Facebook and our life we have somehow lost the value of decency and knowing in good judgement what or what not should be posted.
Who ever thought that the average mundane life of people could be so interesting? It is like Jerry Springer 24/7 on your own personal home page. From life troubles to very deep and personal updates that flay open the gory details of your failing relationship, I say it has to stop somewhere.
Its not that we do not care about your marriage or what you are feeling but its like going out to eat with the "couple that fights everywhere." I will have to admit I was once took part in a relationship in which we fought everywhere. I hated doing it but perhaps I hated being in that state of relationship more than I thought. What this did though is make everyone feel awkward and made us look incredibly stupid and immature. And the tipping point came when my friends and I all went on a trip and no one wanted to ride with us. A light bulb went off...hmmmm maybe I make people feel awkward and they really don't want hear us fight. Thank God for mental growth.
Likewise with the personal and sometimes very very personal updates. Keep in house stuff IN HOUSE! I don't want to know every detail of your relationship. I don't want to know if today is a good day and then tomorrow that you did something wrong and you are hanging by a fingernail before the dread D word...divorce comes up.
So this blog is a wake up call. Ask yourself before you post something: Is this decent? Will this offend my wife/husband/significant other? Will I look like a fool? or make someone else look foolish?
And maybe those questions don't cover every question but you get the jist. I have grown tired of seeing people post dumb and asinine updates for all of the Facebook world to see, digest, and forever make snap judgements of who you are and the level of your maturity.
Save yourself and your family and most of all your possessions (plates, cups, and cupboard) from being thrown at you by your significant other by not posting personal and dumb posts!
Who ever thought that the average mundane life of people could be so interesting? It is like Jerry Springer 24/7 on your own personal home page. From life troubles to very deep and personal updates that flay open the gory details of your failing relationship, I say it has to stop somewhere.
Its not that we do not care about your marriage or what you are feeling but its like going out to eat with the "couple that fights everywhere." I will have to admit I was once took part in a relationship in which we fought everywhere. I hated doing it but perhaps I hated being in that state of relationship more than I thought. What this did though is make everyone feel awkward and made us look incredibly stupid and immature. And the tipping point came when my friends and I all went on a trip and no one wanted to ride with us. A light bulb went off...hmmmm maybe I make people feel awkward and they really don't want hear us fight. Thank God for mental growth.
Likewise with the personal and sometimes very very personal updates. Keep in house stuff IN HOUSE! I don't want to know every detail of your relationship. I don't want to know if today is a good day and then tomorrow that you did something wrong and you are hanging by a fingernail before the dread D word...divorce comes up.
So this blog is a wake up call. Ask yourself before you post something: Is this decent? Will this offend my wife/husband/significant other? Will I look like a fool? or make someone else look foolish?
And maybe those questions don't cover every question but you get the jist. I have grown tired of seeing people post dumb and asinine updates for all of the Facebook world to see, digest, and forever make snap judgements of who you are and the level of your maturity.
Save yourself and your family and most of all your possessions (plates, cups, and cupboard) from being thrown at you by your significant other by not posting personal and dumb posts!
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