Further Up and Further In Comments http://johnmortensen.com/blog/index.php Causes of my insomnia en johnmortensen@cedarville.edu Copyright 2005 2008-10-08T09:50:08 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 by: Dad http://johnmortensen.com/blog/index.php?p=148#comments 2005-10-15T20:58:41 806:148@http://johnmortensen.com/blog/index.php The following quotation is from the novel Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. The main character, an aging pastor in a small town, says, “In the matter of belief, I have always found that defenses have the same irrelevance about them as the criticisms they are meant to answer. I think the attempt to defend belief can unsettle it, in fact, because there is always an inadequacy in argument about ultimate things. . . . “So my advice is this—don’t look for proofs. Don’t bother with them at all. They are never sufficient to the question, and they’re always a little impertinent, I think, because they claim for God a place within our con- ceptual grasp. And they will likely sound wrong to you even if you convince someone else with them. That is very unsettling over the long term. . . . “I’m not saying never doubt or question. The Lord gave you a mind so that you would make honest use of it. I’m saying you must be sure that the doubts and questions are your own, not, so to speak, the mustache and walking stick that happen to be the fashion of the particular moment.” The following quotation is from the novel Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. The main character, an aging pastor in a small town, says, “In the matter of belief, I have always found that defenses have the same irrelevance about them as the criticisms they are meant to answer. I think the attempt to defend belief can unsettle it, in fact, because there is always an inadequacy in argument about ultimate things. . . .

“So my advice is this—don’t look for proofs. Don’t bother with them at all. They are never sufficient to the question, and they’re always a little impertinent, I think, because they claim for God a place within our con-
ceptual grasp. And they will likely sound wrong to you even if you convince someone else with them. That is very unsettling over the long term. . . .

“I’m not saying never doubt or question. The Lord gave you a mind so that you would make honest use of it. I’m saying you must be sure that the doubts and questions are your own, not, so to speak, the mustache and walking stick that happen to be the fashion of the particular moment.”

]]> by: JMo http://johnmortensen.com/blog/index.php?p=148#comments 2005-10-15T10:43:39 804:148@http://johnmortensen.com/blog/index.php Tiffany, I accidentally deleted your comment. Sorry. It was in among lots of comment spam and I hit the wrong button. Among the many, many troubling questions on the test: you get more points if you “strongly agree” that George W. Bush is the president of the US than if you merely “agree”. In other words, you are more biblical if you are enthusiastic about the current administration. This seems like a dangerous lack of self-awareness, to phrase it mildly. Perhaps I am misreading the intent of their web page, but I do understand the language, symbolism, and layered meanings of fundamentalist fairly well. I would suggest that their “strong biblical worldview” should actually be considered a “strong conservative white American middle class worldview”. And further, that such a worldview is prone to all the abuses of tribalism that were described in the homily about the vineyard… Tiffany, I accidentally deleted your comment. Sorry. It was in among lots of comment spam and I hit the wrong button. Among the many, many troubling questions on the test: you get more points if you “strongly agree” that George W. Bush is the president of the US than if you merely “agree”. In other words, you are more biblical if you are enthusiastic about the current administration. This seems like a dangerous lack of self-awareness, to phrase it mildly. Perhaps I am misreading the intent of their web page, but I do understand the language, symbolism, and layered meanings of fundamentalist fairly well.

I would suggest that their “strong biblical worldview” should actually be considered a “strong conservative white American middle class worldview”.

And further, that such a worldview is prone to all the abuses of tribalism that were described in the homily about the vineyard…

]]> by: Anonymous http://johnmortensen.com/blog/index.php?p=145#comments 2005-09-30T20:32:59 727:145@http://johnmortensen.com/blog/index.php Happy birthday!!! The headphones an iPod comes with are fairly discreet, but I suggest a cheap pair of black earbuds from WalMart or Target, as they are less noticible than white. Granted, they don’t have the quality of Bose headphones, but for poor college students like myself, $5 beats $150. Happy birthday!!! :D
The headphones an iPod comes with are fairly discreet, but I suggest a cheap pair of black earbuds from WalMart or Target, as they are less noticible than white. Granted, they don’t have the quality of Bose headphones, but for poor college students like myself, $5 beats $150.

]]> by: Jim Huggins http://johnmortensen.com/blog/index.php?p=145#comments 2005-09-28T22:49:16 716:145@http://johnmortensen.com/blog/index.php I’ve always found that removing one’s spectacles and placing the end of the earpiece in one’s mouth, along with one eyebrow raised, is a rather effective facial expression for conveying serious thought. That’d be my suggestion. Oh, you meant … never mind … I’ve always found that removing one’s spectacles and placing the end of the earpiece in one’s mouth, along with one eyebrow raised, is a rather effective facial expression for conveying serious thought. That’d be my suggestion.

Oh, you meant … never mind …

]]> by: Aleithia http://johnmortensen.com/blog/index.php?p=140#comments 2005-09-21T14:16:26 680:140@http://johnmortensen.com/blog/index.php Forever and ever. Amen. Forever and ever. Amen.

]]> by: Aaron L http://johnmortensen.com/blog/index.php?p=140#comments 2005-09-19T07:40:36 661:140@http://johnmortensen.com/blog/index.php your ministry is incredibly inspiring to me. I’m sure God is using it to help me develop, and I haven’t even been down there with you guys yet. your ministry is incredibly inspiring to me. I’m sure God is using it to help me develop, and I haven’t even been down there with you guys yet.

]]> by: Kathy http://johnmortensen.com/blog/index.php?p=138#comments 2005-09-11T21:05:52 641:138@http://johnmortensen.com/blog/index.php What is there to say? I am speechless, helpless. Thank you for being there. All there is to offer is our presence. For a few moments he may have felt the comfort of someone with him. Perhaps that is enough, for today. What is there to say? I am speechless, helpless. Thank you for being there. All there is to offer is our presence. For a few moments he may have felt the comfort of someone with him. Perhaps that is enough, for today.

]]> by: Jim Huggins http://johnmortensen.com/blog/index.php?p=138#comments 2005-09-11T16:30:12 640:138@http://johnmortensen.com/blog/index.php There is nothing to say. But perhaps that is exactly the right thing. To sit with Ray, to listen to him, to offer him the love of Christ, and to pray for him, and cry for him, and cry with him, is perhaps more than anyone else has done for Ray. And after you’ve sat and listened to Ray for awhile, perhaps God will show you something else to do, too. I am reminded of the lame man to whom Jesus’ first words were not “Rise up and walk”, but “Your sins are forgiven”. I don’t know what Ray needs first. But God knows … and as long as we’re open to the option that his first need may not be the obvious one, maybe there’s hope for us, too. There is nothing to say. But perhaps that is exactly the right thing. To sit with Ray, to listen to him, to offer him the love of Christ, and to pray for him, and cry for him, and cry with him, is perhaps more than anyone else has done for Ray.

And after you’ve sat and listened to Ray for awhile, perhaps God will show you something else to do, too.

I am reminded of the lame man to whom Jesus’ first words were not “Rise up and walk”, but “Your sins are forgiven”. I don’t know what Ray needs first. But God knows … and as long as we’re open to the option that his first need may not be the obvious one, maybe there’s hope for us, too.

]]> by: Gombis http://johnmortensen.com/blog/index.php?p=138#comments 2005-09-11T09:01:06 639:138@http://johnmortensen.com/blog/index.php So easy to understand why Jesus was broken-hearted most of the time… So easy to understand why Jesus was broken-hearted most of the time…

]]> by: Aleithia http://johnmortensen.com/blog/index.php?p=138#comments 2005-09-11T01:31:01 638:138@http://johnmortensen.com/blog/index.php I wish I didn’t feel so trite in saying, “I will pray.” But that is all I can do. And so do it I shall. I wish I didn’t feel so trite in saying, “I will pray.” But that is all I can do.
And so do it I shall.

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