Real Regular Guy

One Man's Bible Blog

2006-05-18T11:44:00.000-07:00

Having been raised Christian, I, much like the author of this blog, have not read the Bible in its entirety. I have, in my own defense, read many of the less "mainstream" accounts chronicled in its pages. I am not under the misimpression that the Book holds only happy tales of redemption, forgiveness, and eternal life. The characters are real, with names unchanged to document the guilty and emphasize the enormity of grace.

Therin lies the intrigue and the faith-filled mystery of its Divine inspirer.

While I don't agree with much that is said by the author I'm actually fascinated by some of his statements and find it quite an interesting endeavor to undertake and, in my opinon, worth a read.

If you missed the Blogging the Bible link in the text above, you can find it again here. Be sure to keep clicking through his follow-ups and not just the introduction.

~RG

Holy Statistics! A Clinical Study of Divine Healing

2006-04-06T11:39:00.001-07:00

This article intrigued me. Why would a group of doctors try to run a clinical study on the health benefits of prayer?

I have downloaded the actual study article as published in the American Heart Journal (AHJ). This is not readily available (sort of a Regular Guy exclusive, if you will), but I encourage you to peruse the original source material at your leisure. The AHJ has also written an editorial about this study with some background and foundational arguments.

Clinically studying the effects of intercessory prayer on patients with medical needs seems, perhaps, presumptuous. I suppose that it is trying too hard to put a box around a God whose limits are boundless. Is this study really expecting to answer questions of faith by scientific methods? It seems that we are better letting our personal experience and spiritual principles lead rather than using a sampling of scientific inquiry to govern our belief in divine healing.

Please feel free to comment with your take on this. I would love to hear everyone’s thoughts.

~RG

The Quiz

2006-04-03T10:59:00.000-07:00

Others have taken it, so I suppose it's my turn.

4 (or 5) Jobs I Have Had:
Theater Set Designer/Builder: USC’s School of Theater
Cast Member: “Honey, I Shrunk the Audience” at Disneyland, California
Carpenter: High-End Custom Homes in Napa Valley, California
Computer Class Instructor: Inner-City After-School Program at Arizona Science Center
Jet Engine Designer/Analyst: Current Job

4 Movies I Can Watch Again and Again:
Braveheart
Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back
Snatch
A Few Good Men

4 TV Shows I Can’t Get Enough of:
CSI
Amazing Race
Extreme Engineering
House

4 Places I Have Visited on Vacation:
Ireland/England
Alaska
Hawaii
New Zealand

4 Favorite Meals:
My wife’s spaghetti
Stuffed chicken
Breakfast
Peanut butter and honey

4 Websites that I Visit Daily:
Praying Mantis
Rotten Tomatoes
Toothpaste for Dinner
Fox News

4 Places I Would Rather Be:
Snuggled with my wife on the couch on a rainy afternoon
Delphi Lodge, Wren’s Cottage, Co. Galway
At the movies
Worshipping with fellow believers

4 Blogs I Would Like to See Post The Quiz:
PM
LC
SA
TPFD

~RG

The eBay Atheist: Soul for Sale

2006-03-15T11:42:00.000-07:00

Imagine, if you will, an atheist auctioning off his soul on eBay (and I thought grilled cheese was weird). A self-proclaimed atheist gentleman, Hemant Mehta, did just this. But, it's not as odd as it might first appear.

Jim Henderson, of Off-the-Map.org, won the bid and instead of requesting that Hemant spend 1 hour in a church service for every $10 paid in an attempt to convert him, as was the original deal listed on the auction page, they negotiated a new arrangement. Read about it here.

The bottom line is that Hemant will attend various church services of Henderson's choosing and report on his blog his experiences, opinions, questions, and other notions regarding each.

This is fascinating. A true human experiment. New believers, church-planters, and mature Christians alike may find this man's perspective worth pondering.

The comments alone are worth the price of admission, which, of course, is free.

~RG

The Bible is Not the "Word" of God

2006-02-10T16:07:00.000-07:00

A scholarly friend from highschool wrote this essay on her personal blog. I've not entirely formulated a concise set of thoughts about it, but I was hoping to incquire as to others opinions and reactions on the topic.

Read it and let me know what you think. I find it, at first glance, contrary to my foundational belief. I cannot, however, say from a logical perspective that she is incorrect. I will have to have a second (and maybe third) read to better evaluate the arguments.

Here is the article.

~RG

Pretty "Handy"

2006-02-03T06:47:00.000-07:00

Being of a notoriously analytical mindset I am always on the lookout for new innovations in math, science, and engineering. As a recent discovery of mine, I ran across this robotic hand in a trek through the world wide web.

Typically, I am almost fanatical about appreciating advancements in technical fields. This instance is no different. I marveled at its dexterity, pondered the musculoskeletal design, and considered the mathematical feedback control loop so successfully employed. However, despite its obvious technical paradigm shift, something about this project gives me an inexplicable feeling of uneasiness. I cannot quite pinpoint its source, but I can admit that exists.

For more on the latest robotic achievements check out Honda's Asimo. Combine these two technologies and I, Robot (minus the realization of consciousness bit) is closer than we may like to believe.
~RG

Are You Deserving?

2006-02-02T06:15:00.000-07:00

Every day on the way home from work I pass a local church. This church sits just down the street from our house and has been displaying on their marquee, for what seems like months, the catchy saying,

Everyone you meet deserves to be met with a smile.

At first I just thought it sounded more like a dentist's office slogan than something that one would normally find posted outside a house of God. I chuckled at its sappiness and went on my way. After days and days of reading the sign I really started to think about what it said and, more importantly, what it implied. I began to realize, as I picked it apart, that it was fundamentally wrong in its assertion.

Our salvation from the human condition has little to do with whether or not we deserve anything. While the saying may be heartwarming and its message one of kindness, I think in some respects it belies the primary crux of our Christian faith. The keystone is that we may freely accept the gift of life, even, or more appropriately, especially, if we don't deserve it.

What we deserve is death. What we can have is life, without cost. It requires only acceptance, followed by obedience.

I can think of countless situations where showing someone a smile is not what they deserve, have a right to, or what I would like to give them. In the end, I think this would be better phrased and represent the Christian faith more accurately as, "Everyone you meet should be met with a smile".

We are called to act in love, without prejudice to those around us, deserving or not. Perhaps through our simple act we may show them the acceptance that Christ has shown us.

~RG

If You Can't Stand the Fire...

2005-09-22T06:28:00.000-07:00

This morning I desperately needed to fill the tank on my gas-guzzling truck. Well, not really fill it, but put the same amount of money that I used to and get only 3/4 of a tank. This has become a most painful experience over the past few weeks given the exorbitant prices for fuel. But, unfortunately, I have to get to work and this is the way I do it.

I usually go to the Arco around the corner from our house. Their pumps are a bit quirky, but they are usually priced decently ($2.87/gallon for 87 octane) and it is close by. I hate filling up in the morning because I am barely motivated to get out of bed and it is all I can do just to set my 4500 pound machine in the direction of work much less drive a little and stop to fill up for gas. But, nevertheless, this is the situation in which I found myself.

So I'm munching a granola bar and watching my hard earned money slide down the mouth of the tank when another truck pulls up to the same pump I am using, only on the other side. Now maybe I'm overly sensitive to this or maybe I'm impatient in the morning or maybe I'm right, I don't know. But this guy gets out of his truck to fill it with gas. No big deal so far, right? Well he leaves the truck idling loudly and he's sucking on a cancer stick so hard his lips are puckering. Immediately I am deeply disturbed by this. I kept thinking, perhaps he is just checking the price before he starts to pump then he will take care of the multitude of ignition sources he has surrounding him. I was wrong.

Do you ever look at people and wonder, what are you thinking? I am not better than anyone else. I make mistakes and do stupid things, but does this guy not know what gasonline does? In liquid form it is highly flammable and in vapor form it is explosive. Dude, burning fuel is what powers your horsepower revving, Flomaster-toting, pinstripe bearing, mud-slinging, country music blaring, 4x4.

No matter how hard the EPA tries, fumes still escape from the fill tube of a vehicles gas tank during filling. You can see it on a hot day; waving invisible clouds that seem to blur the view of whatever is behind them. So this guy, with his arm resting on the bed of his truck just above the fuel door, is puffing away. Cigarette blazing, truck running, oblivious to the whole concept.

Visions of movie-like explosions are running through my head. How can I escape this potential nightmare. Maybe only he'll go up in flames. I can't make my gas pump go any faster. How can I get out of here more quickly? Nothing doing. All while this is running through my head I'm mumbling prayers of deliverance under my breath. Come on, pump faster.

I thought about pointing out his ill-conceived ways. Maybe he is not aware of the hazards of running a vehicle during fueling and smoking near combustible liquids. Maybe he didn't see the huge signs plastered all over the station stating, "NO SMOKING" and "TURN YOUR VEHICLE OFF WHILE FUELING". Maybe he never learned to read. I was bigger than him so I figured I could take him if things escalated. But it is 5:15AM and I've barely had enough energy to shower and pack a lunch. I was in no mood for conversation, especially one likely to get "heated". So I filled the rest of my tank hopped in my truck and jetted out of there as fast as I could all the while shaking my head. Another perfect morning.

~RG

The End of Allegiance

2005-09-14T17:39:00.000-07:00

Federal Judge Rules Reciting Pledge in Schools Unconstitutional

This is unbelievable.

The Pledge of Allegiance was a daily ritual for me growing up in elementary school. Having gone to a religious private school (non-Catholic) it was performed just following morning prayer. You would think that as Christians we would have more vocal opinions against the Pledge. After all, isn't our sole devotion and allegiance suppose to go the King and Creator of the Universe? But we don't hear these outcries of injustice because most can clearly see that the Pledge of Allegiance is merely a statement patriotism. It is an appreciation and recognition of the freedom that many have fought and died for to create and sustain this country. The inclusion of "under God" affirms and recalls the fact that the founding fathers of this nation were firm belivers in an Almight God. Unfortunately, it seems things such as these are fast becoming relics of past generations. I'm not even sure if 1st through 8th graders were polled across the nation that 50% of them would know what the Pledge was, much less what it means.

The obvious solution, I think, is to state that the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance is and always will be strictly voluntary. You will not be held for treason for wishing to decline participation, but you will not be labeled a religious zealot for deisring to state your beliefs. If this happens the Pledge can then stand as another historic patriotic artifact in the realms of the Declaration of Indpendence, the Bill of Rights, and other such important American nostalgia sitting so quietly and sheltered in the Library of Congress.

Mr. Newdow's views of atheism should not be forced on those that believe in a holy God or those that have an overwhelming sense of national pride and respect for those who have built this country.

Mr Newdow,
I look forward to your long and arduos journey to eliminate this part of American history. Just think, once this battle is fought you have so many more to pursue including, but certainly not limited to, US currency, the Declaration of Independence, and prayer in Congress. Perhaps the US Supreme Court will construct a special courtroom just to hear your Establishment Clause issues complete with cardboard cut-outs of each of the Justices pre-recorded voices saying, "Case Dismissed".

A History of the Pledge of Allegiance

~RG

Have Your Eyes Adjusted?

2005-09-13T17:10:00.000-07:00

My wife and I went this past Sunday to check out a worship service at a Lifechurch that has just been planted in our neighborhood. It was quite an experience. During the sermon on Determining God's Will I was struck by something that was said by the pastor. I'll paraphrase it here:

You know when you walk into a crowded movie theater late and the previews are already showing? You are looking to try and find a seat and, at first, you can't see anything save maybe a few blurry heads bobbing in the rows. You definitely can't see enough to find the empty seats you need. But what happens? After a few minutes things become clearer and more focused. Your eyes adjust to the darkness and you are able to see some unoccupied chairs to relax in during the show.

Our heart behaves the same way. At first being outside the moral will of God seems foreign and hard to navigate. We stand dumbfounded at the bottom of the wasteland looking confused and feeling uncomfortable. After a while though, as we spend more time apart from Him and the things He desires for us, things start to become more comfortable. Our heart begins to adjust to its new environment, however dangerous and ghastly it may have first appeared. Soon we can nonchalantly go about our normal lives with little regard to how we are behaving and what consequences are actions have for ourselves and those around us. Our heart adjusts to the darkness until living there can seem as natural as if we were living in the Light. It is in this place, where we cannot see our own selfish desires and desparate need, that the guidance of the Holy Spirit and fellow believers is essential to spur us to open our eyes again to where we have wandered.

~RG

Ode to Joy

2005-08-15T16:00:00.000-07:00

Every tear that slides down your cheek in anguish
Crushes my heart as if it were a ton of stones
Cast from a towering cliff.

Every harsh word that pierces your ear
Twists the sharpest sword through my ribs,
Ripping, tearing, breaking.

Every burden you collapse under
Binds me like rusty steel shackles
Clinking and stretched tight with useless struggling.

Every gale of life that leaves your soul
Dry, scorched, and cracking
Rises up in me helpless cries for justice.

When two become one, one becomes new.
When two become one, one becomes faithful.
When two become one, one becomes stronger.
Two become one.

~RG

Hitting a Wall

2005-08-02T08:17:00.000-07:00

"Am I at the point of no improvement?
What of the death I still dwell in?
I try to excel, but I feel no movement.
Can I be free of this unreleasable sin?
I throw up my hands.
"Oh, the impossibilities."
Frustrated and tired,where do I go from here?
Now I'm searching for the confidence I've lost so willingly.
Overcoming these obstacles is overcoming my fears."

-Relient K

Time after time you try to move past where you are at. Relentlessly banging your head against the wall. You have become stagnant. You have turned circles only to return once more to the place where you started. Nothing has changed. You have a vision for the future, but it is hazy, unclear. Is it possible that the wall that you are facing is endless, insurmountable? You look up. The bricks seem to reach to infinity. Stretching higher than you could imagine until they fade into the clouds.

In all this pain, in all this heartache you are searching for a breakthrough. A simple passage that will lead you on to the next wall. Who will turn your head to the side to show you that the obstacle in front of you may grow upward in a boundless expanse, but is only a few feet wide? Who will take your hand and lead you around it?

The Edge of the Continent

2005-08-01T19:27:00.000-07:00

Having just spent 4 days on the Northern California coast with my wife, parents, and siblings I got to thinking about how little breaks from the ordinary can have such significance. The mundane things in life seem to stretch endlessly with monotony, but an email from an old friend or a loving kiss from your spouse can somehow change what was "just another day" into something so much more. Strive to fill your days with extraordinary moments.

Here are some moments to share from our trip.

Only Out of Obligation

2005-07-27T12:04:00.000-07:00

This quote was taken from part of a longer essay. It really struck a cord with me.

"Last Sunday the preacher talked about witnessing and evangelism, and you really felt convicted. Now it's Saturday night, and you just know that tomorrow he'll ask you how you applied his challenge to extend the Kingdom of God. Nervously you pick up the phone and dial the number of your friend from work. He picks up the phone and you exchange the normal greetings until he asks, "So why'd you call?" Your heart is beating wildly in your chest, your breath is short, your palms clammy, "You wouldn't want to go to church with me tomorrow, would you?" There, it's done, you're in the clear. You tried. You can report your suffering for Jesus tomorrow morning. "

Why am I so prone to act like this? Why can't being like Christ be more instinctive? It is frustrating to live in the flesh, but desire the eternal. I think I have realized that it is mainly through taking risks that my natural reactions will be altered into something with more Kingdom purpose.

So It Begins...

2005-07-26T17:53:00.000-07:00

After months of reading other's personal blogs I have started to start my own. Stay tuned for future installments.