10 Things I Learned from Pokémon

It's been a while since I had one of these gaming posts, but I've spent a bit of time recently on Pokémon LeafGreen, so a few thoughts have cropped up here and there. And here they are.

New Paper: Mark 5.1-20 Essay

For those who are interested, I have just uploaded to my Academia.edu page the paper I wrote for the grad class on Mark and Isaiah this semester. It's available for view via Scribd as well as for download as a PDF. Enjoy!

A Warrior Against A Legion: A Literary Reading of Mark 5:1-20

Internet High-Five!

So, I just aced my final for Biblical Hebrew. So this is my version of self-applause.

Jesus & Homosexuality: My Take

As far as I can tell, the general Christian response to homosexuality has been rather negative in recent and older history. This post is borne out of a conversation with my wife concerning homosexuality and Christians, especially those who feel themselves to one degree or another attracted to the same sex. I've had a few thoughts, and I'd like to lay them out.

EECC 1.5: Liturgy—Preaching (Definition)

Introduction

As outlined in the last EECC post, the first topic of discussion concerning preaching I wished to cover was a basic definition. Preaching takes many forms, can be conveyed in any number of moods and expressions, and is difficult to limit to a single definition. So in place of a singular phrase by which it can be confined, I have opted to discuss what it is and what it isn't.

A Possible Study Tool, Part 2

For those of you still interested in learning about StudyBlue, I made a short video (nothing special, just informative) of its use for some of my classmates in the Biblical Hebrew course I'm taking this semester. It is only a brief explanation of what StudyBlue is like, how it works (kind of...), and what I've been doing. Keep in mind, this was directed specifically for people taking this class, but it should highlight the aspects of the site with which I am currently familiar. The link to YouTube is below. Enjoy!

Grace and peace,

-Reed Hamil

StudyBlue Hebrew Flashcards Example Video

A Possible Study Tool

Today I stumbled across a free online flash card site called StudyBlue. At this point, I'm not totally sure what I think about it. Here's what I've discovered so far:

EECC 1.4: Liturgy—Preaching (Introduction)

One of the truly interesting things about religion in general is the notion of preaching. Depending on how broad one's definition of preaching is, it can mean any number of things. For some, it is something like a sales pitch. For others, it is an opportunity to monologue with minimal interruption, like little more than public speaking. Those who preach and those who listen, however, generally note a distinct difference between a public speech (be it political or for business) and a sermon. For the Churches of Christ, preaching has a recognizably significant place in our time of worship.

Mark, Isaiah, and Biblical Hebrew

So this fall I'm taking two courses at LCU: Elementary Biblical Hebrew and a text course on the Gospel of Mark. Don't be surprised when I begin discussing these topics. Hebrew is simple enough... well, the pursuit of the course, that is. You know, to learn the language; that's the point. The Mark class, however, is somewhat more intriguing. The basic thesis of it is that Mark should be read in light of the prophet Isaiah and that such a reading has tremendous impact for its interpretation.

All this to say, I'm excited about this semester. Hopefully I'll get to write some on learning Hebrew and the Mark/Isaiah readings. I pray you'll join me on this journey, and also that I may remember to share it with you!

Grace and peace,

-Reed

The Fall at School

School has started again in my neck of the woods, and the signs of its arrival are many: incoming freshmen, one day of good food in the school cafeteria, school flags everywhere, on-campus construction (well, this isn't exclusive to the start of the year), and an electricity in the air that is due in part to the excitement on campus. The other part is the dry weather, wind, and the resulting static that shocks me every time I get out of my car. But for many, the start of school is a time of new beginnings.

Gettin' Hitched

Sorry, guys. I have something more important than blogging going on. I'm'a gettin' married!

I'll likely not blog again for some weeks at least; no idea how long that will be.

Grace and peace to you all,
-Reed

EECC 1.3: Liturgy—Worship Styles (Critique)

This is the final post concerning worship styles, but the liturgy discussion will continue on after this. For now, we shall approach the concerns, benefits, and detriments of the chosen worship style of the Churches of Christ, that is (predominantly, anyway), a cappella.

A Small Note of Thanks

Due to the job hunt on my part and Mr. Fisher's absence as he does God's work in Ukraine, the posts for the summer have been few and far between. Yet, for some strange reason, you people are still reading this blog. So to you I wish to offer a moment of thanks. I think as a blogger it can become dreadfully easy to forget one's audience. Even preachers, whose audiences are fairly consistent (given a steady location, that is), can forget who is listening.

EECC 1.2: Liturgy—Worship Styles (Rationale & Rebuttal)

Introduction
As we have seen, the primary mode of lyrical worship for the CofCs is a cappella, that is, solely vocal music. But where does this idea come from? Why do we primarily stick to a cappella music? The most common argument I've heard is that it is "scriptural". By this my fellows have generally assumed an argument from silence. This is when something is based on what is not said rather than what is. It is not stated explicitly in the New Testament that Christians (Jewish or Gentile) worshipped using anything but their voices. Aside from the argument from silence, there is one primary passage which has been used to defend an "a cappella only" stance: Ephesians 5.19, and using only a small section of this short verse:

A Small Break

If you could not tell, there have been no posts in a little while. I'm currently taking a break to focus on other matters at the moment. Check back in a couple weeks, and I hope I'll have something up by then.

As always, I appreciate you readers, both the intentional stalkers and the accidental happen-upon-ers. For the time being, though, nothing will be posted for a while as weddings draw near, jobs are sought, and other pursuits are . . . pursued. As such, it is more important that I get a job to support my very-soon-to-be wife and to help out with the wedding. I imagine Gabe is in a similar spot.

For those of you who check regularly but find nothing new, I have two possible solutions for you so you don't waste as much time here:

• The first solution is to subscribe to the RSS feed. Copy and paste the following link into your address bar, and if you bookmark it the bookmark will inform you any time something new is posted. <feed://reedeemedweblog.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss>
• The second is to subscribe by e-mail up at the top of the left side of the blog. It is under the heading "Follow Reedeemed by Email". Just enter your e-mail address, and new posts will be sent directly to your inbox.

I hope you all have an excellent summer.

Grace and peace to you all,
-Reed

EECC 1.1: Liturgy—Worship Styles (Overview)

When it comes to musical forms, CofCs have struggled in the past decade or so. Traditionally, we have held a pretty strict diet of a cappella (voice only, that is) music inside the worship assembly. There seems to be a growing consensus, however, that this is changing. Even the views on which worship styles are necessary, acceptable, or evil are slowly being reshaped. There is much interesting discussion to be had about this topic.

EECC 0.5: Where Is This Thing Going, Anyway?

Allow me to take a step backward. I'm afraid I may not have been entirely clear about my goals and intentions for this 'series'. As such, I think it would be much easier simply to write without a clear end in mind or a plan of what is to be discussed. So here's a little image for a possible route for the discussion (I realize it's ridiculously small; just click on it to make it larger. Hurray for technology!):

EECC 1: Liturgy

Our exploration of the Churches of Christ (hence abbreviated as "CofC") begins with liturgy, that is, the order of worship. This is one aspect of the free church traditions that sets them apart from many others. Christian groups with a hierarchical authority line, such as Roman Catholics, have a liturgy universal to their group. It is possible, almost regardless of which Catholic church one attends, to know precisely what to expect. There is a difference, though, for us.

EECC Introduction

Okey-dokey, ye faithful few, now is the time for some introspective exploration (at least for us, anyway). This is the beginning of a series of posts entitled EECC, which is an Examination and Exposition of the Churches of Christ. The Churches of Christ is my denominational tradition in Evangelical Protestantism (say that five times fast!), and I want to do some soul-searching and research about us. These next posts from me, unless something cataclysmic warrants a deviation from them, will deal with the various theological and ecclesial issues in this group at present. This is a continuation of the DIY posts and their ecclesiological concerns, but with a much narrower focus.

Do-It-Yourself, part 2

Let's continue with our thoughts from the last DIY, shall we? If you have the memory of a goldfish and need to go over that again, here's a link to it. Go on. No, really, I can wait. *Whistles a merry little tune* Oh, good, you're back! Now... where were we... Oh yes, how the church fits into the Do-It-Yourself mindset.

Do-It-Yourself, part 1

Image from Carpe Factum.

As I was perusing Barnes & Noble yesterday, something interesting came to my attention: the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) section is vastly larger and more popular than the religion section, especially that of the Judeo-Christian literature. This got me thinking, and so I want to share my thoughts on the matter.

Are short term mission trips worth it?

Those who have been blessed with going out of country on a mission trip have probably had the experience of being overwhelmed by the size of the work.  This is especially true when you brush shoulders with those who are suffering.  Many thoughts pop into the head and sometimes they can defeat us.  Perhaps we get angry that there are not more people getting involved.  Maybe we come back to our own country and feel discouraged about how wasteful we are with our resources.  Sometimes we look at how expensive the trip was and think to ourselves that perhaps it would be more productive to just send money.  My hope with this post is to put short term mission work into proper context, point out limitations and help those involved reflect on their experience.

1st: What counts as a short term trip?

In many people's  minds a short term mission trip is anywhere from 1-2 weeks long.  However, in the world of mission work a short term trip can be anything from 1 week to 1-2 years.  Long term missionaries I have read and talked to will say that it takes at least 1-2 years to really learn the context.

2nd: Limitations of a short term trip

There are three main limitations I want to look at which are time, culture and language.  Admittedly these categories overlap but each have points that need to be addressed separately.  The love of God is experienced greatly in the context of relationships.  Some of the most powerful ministry happens when we are willing to pour time into someone else's life and walk with them through the dullness of everyday life.  However, deep relationships take time to develop and this is something that short term trips obviously don't have.  Many times a short-term trip will also take place in one specific area.  For instance, a work-site of a church building in progress or a youth camp.  A problem can arise when we use these experiences to dictate how we understand the people we are working with.  What we are really engaging in is only a slice of the people's culture.  We haven't seen what they are like outside of this context and so our view of their culture is often partial.  Finally there is the limitation of language.  Language is much more than a list of words with definitions attached.  Language has the power to carry with it entire world views and cultures.  It is in a way an expression of a people's identity.  The language barrier that is often talked about goes far beyond not being able to communicate.  It can mean a barrier in understanding each other as people.  

So, is it worth it?

With all this in light, it can be easy to become discouraged.  One of the questions I've had to wrestle with is whether or not it is worth it and whether or not it is making a difference.  To begin with we have to place short term mission trips within the right context.  We cannot expect a trip anywhere from a week to two years to have the same affect as a long term stay of ten to fifteen years.  Next limitations can turn into opportunities when we realign our reason for being there.  If our goal is to change the entire landscape of the place we visit and convert everyone we come in contact with and all in one week, we are realistically going to be disappointed.  This is not to say that God cannot do this but it is to lay a mindset that guards against selfish ambition. 

 I believe our reason for going is two fold: to be vessels of God's love and to partner with the body of Christ.  God's love is trans-cultural and trans-temporal.  It will be demonstrated and experienced no matter where the location or how long the visit.  This is one reason actually going is so much more important than sending money, which is sadly a knee-jerk reaction for many Americans.  We next have to realize that we are not in the role of power holding missionary but in the humble state of partnering Christian.  We have to go with the intention of connecting with fellow Christians.  This involves sharing our stories, learning theirs, empowering their work, teaching, learning (extremely important) and finally sharing communion which connects the body.  We are not leaving home to preach the good news in far away lands.  We are going to visit family and participate in God's work in their context.  It is not a one time thing but a continual partnering relationship.  People who go on short-term trips are in the unique position to connect Christians who would not have otherwise been connected and to broaden people's understanding of the body of Christ.  When this is done a fuller understanding of the God we serve can be developed and this is truly a powerful ministry.

This is only a brief overview and much more can be said but I'll end here since this is just a blog.  I hope that this can at least offer some thoughts for reflection, realign the place of short-term mission trips and convince the reader that these trips are not only worth it but are essential.  

God bless,
Gabe   

So, What happened to Gabe writing?

Hello blog people,

Well, as you saw a while ago I was added graciously to the "author list".  As I'm sure you have also seen I have not posted anything up to this point.  I do wish to apologize for this and explain my absence on the blog.  Life has become increasingly crazy for me over the past several months and this has prevented me from writing.  However, thankfully life is finally beginning to slow a bit and so I will hopefully now be able to contribute.  My plan is to share a few thoughts on mission work and then go from there.  Thank you for being patient with me (I'm assuming you're being patient...)

God bless,
Gabe

Addicted to Blogging

So I found a quiz through reading Exploring Our Matrix to decide how addicted to blogging I am. Here are the results:

57%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?
Created by OnePlusYou - Free Dating Site

Feel free to ignore the part about the dating site. Anyway, here's a link if any of you wish to take it. It's kind of interesting.
http://www.oneplusyou.com/bb/blog_addiction

Grace and peace,
-Reed

In Defense of Injustice?

This blog is a good place to think. Sometimes, it simply helps to get all my thoughts out on paper in 1s and 0s. Never am I truly certain that others will respond or even read these posts; but blogging is mostly done knowing that a vast amount of the earth's population will never come across the written material.

Anywho, here's a situation for you:

My Messianic Secret Research Paper

Here it is: the biggest research paper I've ever done. Critiques are welcome, both positive and negative (preferably the former; don't just flat out say you think I suck).

Irony is...

I've noticed a few interesting occurrences as regards this blog and its place on the webernet. Here's what I've come up with:

Things I Learned from Zelda

I've compiled another list, this time of lessons I've gleaned from my hours months years of gaming. Today, these are the lessons I gained from the Legend of Zelda, particularly the Ocarina of Time.

The Return

Aside from some potential need for minute revisions, it appears my research paper has been completed! Entitled "A Brief Introduction to the Messianic Secret in the Gospel of Mark", it is my first research paper to do as a grad student. As I attempt to gather a few trusted nerds friends to proofread my paper, my ultimate intention is to share what I've learned here at Reedeemed. If you would like an online copy of this essay (28 pages without title, table of contents, bibliography, etc.; 37 total), leave a comment!

Like I said: the completely complete version is not yet completely complete. But once it is, I plan on making it available at my Academia.edu account, given there are people who want to read it.

Grace and peace,

-Reed

Delay

I just quickly wish to apologize to you poor souls who have found yourselves consistently reading this blog. Oh, and for not having posted in a few days. I've got the biggest research paper of my life due on April 16, this coming Saturday, and I've been focusing all my energy on that. I have even failed to do this week's Greek homework (but that's not until Thursday, so I think I'll be fine) or last week's reading for my NT Theology class.

If you would be interested in reading my paper on the Messianic Secret in Mark's Gospel, feel free to leave a comment under this post or send an email to the Gmail account. Not that I'm requesting readership of my "scholarly" work(s), but it might be something you find interesting.

Grace and peace,

-Reed

Poetry: Our Story

I don't know why, but I wrote another poem. I can guarantee to all of you that I am no poet. Even so, I felt inspired just now. This poem has no official title, but perhaps it doesn't need one. Let me know what you think.

Things I Love: Research

My plan is to write, for at least the next few posts, things I truly enjoy. Today, it's researching.

The Ability to Say "No"

I'm finding more and more often that I have a greater number of things in common with my dad than I think I would ever have cared to admit. The irony is that I want to say a few of them. For example, I thoroughly enjoy making up words and changing the words to songs I know and love. I make really lame jokes which I find incredibly humorous. But not all these similarities are great and dandy.

A Poem about Part of God's Creation

Often good art comes out of some kind of life experience. I had such an experience just now, and wrote a poem about it. It involves a creature of God's. I hope you enjoy it.

Death: The Healing Sleep

According to Patrick Mead, death has a rather easy statistic: one out of one dies. While he says this in a humorous context, it does not make this fact any easier to accept or deal with. And if you haven't noticed, a lot of people die all the time. In fact, everyone knows someone who has died, and I do not think this to be within the realm of hyperbole. For me, there are several deaths in my lifetime that stick out in particular.

Poll: What do you people want?!

It's poll time. Thanks to our friends at eSurveysPro.com, we can bring this to you. Let us know what you think!

Life Lessons from "Angry Birds"

I've played the game Angry Birds a small bit and have thusly gleaned a few nuggets of life-changing wisdom from it. This is the fruit of my labor:

The Veil that Prevents Fundamentalists from Understanding the Bible

This is a repost from Dr. James McGrath's blog Exploring Our Matrix. For a link to the original post, click here.

Subscription by E-Mail

Good news, everyone! You can now subscribe to Reedeemed by means of e-mail. We posted earlier on the Facebook page and at Twitter that you could send us a message at our Gmail account, but Blogspot has remedied this for us in the past week.

Now at the left side of the blog page, there is a space where you are able to enter your e-mail address and receive direct updates for Reedeemed. Sign up today!

P.S.: If you read this entire post in the voice of Professor Hubert Farnsworth, please please pleeeease leave a comment. I need a good chuckle... perhaps a giggle, if you will. Thanks all!

Baptismal Thoughts

I received a piece of beautiful news today upon hearing that a cousin of mine has put on the name of Christ in baptism. As this has happened a mere few days after the wedding of my best friend, several thoughts have come to mind concerning baptism and union.

Soldier Prayer

My little brother once wrote a song about and dedicated to soldiers, the title of which is something like My Immortal Friend. It praises their bravery and lauds their purpose, enshrining their deeds in such a way as to idolize them.

Perspective

Occasionally, I come across something that forces me to rethink things. Some things truly require a change in perspective. This is one of those things:

Update to the Blog

A few additions have been made to Reedeemed, and they can be found at the left under the "Pages" section. These additions include an "About" page and a "Contact Information" page, giving you our mission and the means by which you may reach us, respectively.

New Member: Gabe Fisher

I am pleased to announce that the Reedeemed Blog (i.e., this one) has just gained its first second author: Mr. Gabe Fisher.

TL; DR

If you know me, you have come to the realization that I am quite longwinded. I once was in a conversation about biblical studies that lasted from around 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. the next morning. In a similar fashion, I like to write and feel the need to do lots of exploration and explanation. But I need some feedback here.

A Moment of Appreciation

Too often it is easy to attempt and/or accomplish a task without being grateful for it. Though I have not truly accomplished anything worth noting, I still have much for which to be grateful. So I thought I would take a moment to show my appreciation to a few people in my life.

Be perfect, therefore...

I came across this image a couple of weeks before that made me both chuckle and shudder. It's interesting how well others sometimes critique Christians. However, it is difficult to find intelligent responses to contemporary Christianity, the kind that truly challenge us to get off our hindquarters and learn to reply. Anyway, here's the image:

A Reeeally Long Post about Demons

I had today an interesting conversation with a woman of faith concerning a Christian man who did not believe in demon possession in the Bible. This concerned the woman, who came and asked me what the Greek said. As you might guess, I obliged (because I love Greek). She was curious to see the Greek text of Luke 8.1-3, the healing of Mary Magdalene, among others.

The "Despair" of Blogging

One of the fun things about blogging is knowing that almost no one reads this stuff. Thus far, my primary support comes from my fiancée and a few friends. Our friends over at Despair, Inc., bring this home quite realistically and humorously with one of their tees:

Links to Articles Concerning Porn

As evidenced by the title, this post has nothing to do with unicorns, pyramids, or the Lord of the Rings; it deals with porn again. Check out the following links for articles dealing with this very issue, or something very, very close.

Complete Fear

Have you ever been afraid? Of course you have. Everyone has something which he or she fears. However, not everyone experiences early or often the kind of fear that is beyond fear. Not everyone experiences terror.

Q&A at Academia.edu

The website Academia.edu, which is like a Facebook for researchers and nerds, has recently (I think today, actually) added the option for Q&A for the entire site. Similar to status updates, one may ask a question and tag that question with particular research interests (i.e., musicology, New Testament, evolution, etc.). That question becomes visible to those who have those research interests listed on their profiles, thus enabling them to respond to the query.

The Messianic Secret: Research

"The task is underway; the materials are set at hand; the researcher is a habitual procrastinator. How shall this story end? Stay tuned to find out!"

As if there weren't enough materials available for the study of the Messianic Secret in Mark's Gospel, I have set out to make another one. This is for a term paper here at Lubbock Christian University in a New Testament Theology grad course. Here is a brief view of the requirements:

Confession, 1

Within Evangelical Christianity, confession is an act far too suppressed. Books like Lamentations are set aside as relics of an ancient time, long past and of little value. Here is an excerpt from Lamentations which resounds deep within me now:

Christianity and Health Care

I'm officially curious: should Christians be pro- or anti-health care? As I perused the newspaper this morning, I came across an article in which several locals from my area are attempting to sue President Barack Obama for his health care legislation. My gut reaction was, "Seriously?" I could not believe what I had just read: suing the U.S. President for a piece of legislation which they deemed "unconstitutional".

Blogs of Note: Greek and Exegesis

Occasionally, it is much simpler to point to the resources of others than to attempt to create my own. At other times, it is an act of humility to admit that someone else is simply better at something than you are and to watch their work. Here, then, are better attempts than mine at blogging, Greek, linguistics, and exegesis:

Honoring God or Your Body?

Tomorrow morning my fiancée and I begin walking. The plan is to walk to the nearby park, and continue on for about an hour, leaving plenty of time between the walk and the start of church. Tonight, we prayed that in this, we may honor God with our bodies by taking care of them since he was kind enough to bestow them upon us.

Through the Fire of Translation

To anyone who has ever taken NT Greek, I salute you. To anyone who has ever translated Hebrews as an undergraduate student, you know that we have been through, as my professor has lovingly called it, a baptism by fire.

A Theology of Porn

Two things must be mentioned before any discussion comes: (1) I am a Christian, and (2) I struggle with porn. This is a topic that hits home very hard with me, so I wish to open an honest discussion about it.

I have been wrestling with porn and how it relates to Christians for some time now. I don't have any final conclusions, but I have a few ideas.

Hebrews at 22

"It is finished" (Jn 19.30). Our Advanced Greek class has finally completed translating Hebrews, semi-complete with categorizations of participles, infinitives, and genitives according to Daniel Wallace's Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics. Having done this as an undergraduate student at the age of 22 gives me a feeling of accomplishment, but I feel there is much more to be done here. While our little group of Greek nerds is about to move on to Acts, I would like to go back and do revisions.

Princesses

I've got a 5-year-old cousin who is fairly convinced that she is a princess. She often invites me to her tea parties, and I often oblige. However, I came across an article at ThinkChristian that has got me thinking about this. Check out the link below.

Biblical Heroines and Cinderella Culture

If you have a little princess as a daughter, or a daughter at all, consider reading this article. It is worth your time.

Awkward Questions

This is a repost from E.V. Eynekel's Least Creative Homepage in the History of Humanity.


As he states, "This video is absolutely worth your time."

Death for Faith

There are many reasons why we don't die for our faith in America. The most obvious among them is that Christianity is legal here. Another is that Christianity isn't nearly as important here as the nation (especially when the religion is viewed as only being possible in a 'free country'). However, a possibility occurred to me tonight at dinner.

Luke, to the College Kids

Our congregation is currently focusing on Luke's gospel, primarily in the classroom setting. Our college minister, Joey, has been walking us through a verse-by-verse analysis of the text, and we are currently up to 4.30. I am finishing up a BA in Youth and Family Ministry, and it has been a long time since I have attempted to read Luke as someone unfamiliar with biblical studies does.

Bible Bowl

Thus far, I am incredibly ignorant of what goes on outside of Texas, especially in terms of how other churches work. However (in a decidedly Texan accent), 'round these parts we gots a thing called Bible Bowl.

The First Post

It is my hope that this blog may be of use to those in the biblical studies or those interested in such. I aspire to reach others as others have reached me, such as Julie Ponder, James McGrath, and Mark Goodacre. And so, to business.

I write more or less according to my fancy or as the world's happenings require them. I welcome any and all criticisms, preferably positive ones. If you have any insight, feel free to provide it. I'm young and have lots to learn!

Grace and peace to you all from God our Father.