Car rides are always inspirational and insightful times for me. Right now I’m riding in the back seat of my family’s minivan on our way to my sister’s college graduation in Indiana.
This isn’t a trip that I can say I’m excited to be a part of. Actually, last night I was quite the pouter. Sara can vouch for that.
So as I sit here listening to music that I love thru headphones that buzz, I feel compelled to write.
When the journey started, I watched the last episode of Scrubs from Season 3. Then I began reading a magazine, the newest Relevant. Dad and I got talking about topics that would bore most.
One, the one that we were on the longest, being the whole issue w/ the word “Religion” and whether or not it should still be used. Here is its definition:
1.The belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, Esp. a personal God or gods.
2.Details of belief as taught or discussed
3.A particular system of faith and worship
4.A pursuit or interest to which someone ascribes supreme importance
it seems so cliché right now to harp on the term “religion” being out of the description of Christianity. Well, Christianity is a #3. It’s a #1. Um…actually it’s all of those. Organized religion is not so bad. I must confess, I started to jump on the bandwagon when this fade rode in, mostly because I didn’t understand. I decided to just not have anything to do w/ it in the end. But now I’m seeing that there is a reason to speak because this is a very unintelligent point of view.
The ideal that Jesus spoke of requires community. It calls us to be there for each other. Organization must be there. We have a book that explains the ups and downs of our religion, a textbook if you will.
My dad said something very true: Making Christianity no longer a religion is like saying that you are against school but for learning. You’re saying that the fact that it’s organized is bad. You’d rather have personal, private learning? How can Christianity work if it’s private? It doesn’t. I think American culture shows us that.
The definition of the adjective, “organized”:
1.arranged in a systematic way, esp. on a large scale
2.having one’s affairs in order so as to deal with them efficiently
I will say that organization can go too far in a structure such as the church. (Realize that “the church” is not the building, but the group of people who follow Jesus.) God must have room to wiggle. If he can’t lead us anywhere, due to our schedules, then we are too organized. And organized is much better than unorganized, right?
On the other hand I think I do understand what everyone is trying to get across w/ this change of vocabulary.
We need to stop treating our religion as just a pin that we wear on our jacket and show proudly, or not so proudly. It shouldn’t be something that we are only involved in because it’s the current trend or our parents make us.
Christianity is something that we are to spread. The Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20):
and Jesus came and spoke to them saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
Christianity is not something to be lived in private. It’s not a “closet” aspect of life.
Daniel 6:10:
Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed, he entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows open toward Jerusalem); and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God, as he had been doing previously.
Daniel knew he would be punished for this he still did it in a way that people knew.
If we really are Christians, then our religious beliefs should be seen in every aspect of our life; recreational and professional.
But The secular world couldn’t care less about our religious jumble. If all we do is scream our religious agenda from street corners, they will continue to close their ears. Christ must be made relevant to today’s culture. And I think if we live life like Jesus instructs us, then that will change.
Until we live all of the things we’ve heard forever, the people we are supposed to be trying to reach will be unreachable. They must see us as different from everyone else. If they can see that something makes me different, I can show them Him.
Continuing The Trip:
We’re back on the road. We stopped at a bookstore; we’ve now hit two and are on our way to the third. My dad has an addiction of books equivalent to my CD addiction.
I took a few pictures. I felt artsy while inside. I wish I had more of a passion for reading.
5 CDs I feel that I must buy:
1. Neko Case – Fox Confessor Brings The Flood
2. The Flaming Lips – Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots or At War With the Mystics (whichever more people tell me to buy)
3. Ben Harper – Both Sides of The Gun
4. Matisyahu – Youth
5. Yeah yeah yeahs – Show Your Bones
5 Bands I feel I must hear more of:
1.Starlight mints
2.the like
3.the class of 98
4.Joshua radin
5.youth group
Sidetrack:
Today before we left, I decided to water my plants. When I watered my rubber plant, I found out where all of those ants were coming from. Yea, I guess they nested inside the soil. So they flooded out like crazy. It was kind of gross. I killed lots of ants needless to say.
Trippin':
we stopped at a third and final bookstore. i looked thru the used CDs. i found many that i'd have loved to get my hands on, but settled for 3:
1.Harvey Danger - Where Have All The Merrymakers Gone?
2.Liam Lynch - Fake Songs
3.They Might Be Giants - Lincoln
i'm happy w/ my selection, and also w/ again feeling artsy as i rummaged thru the CDs.
Scrubs is one of those thought provoking shows for me. I’m always comparing things in it to my own life or past experiences. I realized, I think, what’s been bothering me a little is that I have cold feet.
I have to make sure that moving to NC is the best thing for me. i don't want to get burned by all of this. but not taking chances does me no good.
today on the ride here, and even now as i lay in this bed, looking over the day and the 8 hour span that this journal of my day was written in , i know that it's time. i'm ready to be on my own more.
i know that nothing will change Sara and me unless we let something do that. i am happy. maybe my cold feet are warming up, i do believe the feeling is coming back - and the tingling is so refreshing.
today has been a good day.
i love my sister, i'd even say i admire her. she's more of a friend than a sister anymore.
I don't think this trip will be so bad afterall...even if i do get lost in my thoughts along the way.
