Lent

I'm giving up the Internet for Lent.

Well, most of it. I'll still be checking my email (I'll hold myself to twice a day), and as a matter of practicality, anything work-related is okay. As are very specific searches, like if I genuinely need to look up a phone number or something.

Basically, I'm giving up recreational web-surfing.

Not because it's inherently bad, of course. It just takes up too much of my time. So I'm going to make some space in my life, and hopefully fill that space with Jesus. 

This means I won't be blogging. We'll chat after Easter.

Is this a joke?

I somehow stumbled across this website, which is either for a crazy super-fundamentalist church, or a really clever satire of one. I can't decide which. The pastor's name is Darwin Fish, but he insists that's his real name.

Either way, it's good for a laugh.

I especially thought this from the FAQ was pretty funny:

1. Are you the only true church/believers?

We do not know. There was a church in Murfreesboro, TN, but that has since dissolved. Other than that, we have not yet, as of this date, found another church that is in the truth (1 John 4:6), and we have been to many. Will we find one? Actually, the real question is, will Christ find one?

When the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth? (Luke 18:8, see also 2 Timothy 3:1-5; 4:3; 2 Peter 2:2)

Also, apparently, if you regard such crazy radical left-wing liberals as Billy Graham, John MacArthur, Charles Stanley, T.D. Jakes, Charles Spurgeon, Chuck Colson, C.S. Lewis, or "Pope John Paul" (I assume they mean the Second) as godly men, you are not saved.

Wow, I'm boned. Dallas Willard, Rob Bell, and Phyllis Tickle didn't even make the guy's shitlist. See you in hell, everybody.

Previously on Lost

BEN: Thomas, the Apostle. When Jesus wanted to return to Judea, knowing that he probably would be murdered there, Thomas said to the others, "Let us all go that we might die with him." But Thomas was not remembered for this bravery. His claim to fame came later, when he refused to acknowledge the resurrection. He just couldn't wrap his mind around it. The story goes that he needed to touch Jesus' wounds to be convinced.

JACK: So, was he?

BEN: Of course he was. We're all convinced sooner or later, Jack.

Jetsam and Flotsam

Go here, and feel better about your day.

Time-lapse snails



Cave house for sale

Conan is about to displace Leno, finally.


Oh yeah!



I'm glad that everyone is welcome at our communion table, even J.I. Packer

They'll know we are Christians by our...what was it exactly?

Everybody go read this ridiculous story of a bunch of church people being total jerks to a waitress.

I'll quote:

A group of six church-goers came in last night after their evening services and sat down, not in her area but in another server's. When the girl came to greet them and take their drink order, one of them said, "We want to tell you up front that we will not be tipping you tonight because..."



Are you ready?



"...we do not believe in people working on Sunday."



The girl was taken full-aback, stammered out something that sounded like "I wouldn't have to work on Sunday if so many church people didn't come in," or some such. She was furious. So was the manager of the restaurant whom she summoned to deal with them. I think he should have tossed the people out on their...uh...Bibles. To his credit, and demonstrating something like agape all around, he did say to them, "Well, we don't believe in making our people work for nothing, so I will be serving you tonight." And he did. God bless him.

Flotsam, also Jetsam

Rainn Wilson (Dwight on The Office) on religious persecution in Iran

You will never hear this song the same way again


You know, I might actually hire this guy

Carl McColman on the future of Christian mysticism (via Mike Morrell)

I'm basically a pacifist nowadays, so why do I think armor and swords and stuff are so cool?

Speaking of cool, Amazon has great deals on this book:
(via Brant Hansen's blog, which also features this amazing judge-off)

The Dark Night of the Soul

And now a few words from St. John of the Cross:

On a dark night, Kindled in love with yearnings—oh, happy chance!—
I went forth without being observed, My house being now at rest.

In darkness and secure, By the secret ladder, disguised—oh, happy chance!—
In darkness and in concealment, My house being now at rest.

In the happy night, In secret, when none saw me,
Nor I beheld aught, Without light or guide, save that which burned in my heart.

This light guided me More surely than the light of noonday
To the place where he (well I knew who!) was awaiting me— A place where none appeared.

Oh, night that guided me, Oh, night more lovely than the dawn,
Oh, night that joined Beloved with lover, Transforming Lover in Beloved!

Upon my flowery breast, Kept wholly for himself alone,
There he stayed sleeping, and I caressed him, And the fanning of the cedars made a breeze.

The breeze blew from the turret As I parted his locks;
With his gentle hand he wounded my neck And caused all my senses to be suspended.

I remained, lost in oblivion; My face I reclined on the Beloved.
All ceased and I abandoned myself, Leaving my cares forgotten among the lilies.