Preaching Idea: "Fast when you need to seek God . . . party when you're in his presence." Mark 2:18-22
(From the sermon Seeking the Presence of God)
© 2013 Nathan James Norman

Meme: "Fast and Party"
© 2013 Juli Woodgerd


Feel free to pin them, post them and share them as much as you want. Just don’t change, sell or adapt them.

The sixth episode of the Untold Podcast has now been live and free for a couple of days.

The direct link is here.

"Forms of Destiny" by Stuart Vaughn Stockton is a quiet, but profound little story. It's also very bizarre, which just makes it all that much more awesome!

This episode was also a treat because it featured the gorgeous voice talent of my wife in the role of the story's protagonist, Mesh'iel.

With each episode launch our listener base is growing . . . and growing significantly. From the start I had hoped to get contemporary writers submitting their work production. Truth be told, I have personally written enough good short stories to tell for the next few years on the podcast.

But I didn't want it to become the "Nathan James Norman" show. I wanted the Untold Podcast to be more than self-promotion. I wanted the Untold Podcast to be a show featuring many voices and many viewpoints. I wanted the Untold Podcast to capture the culture's imagination!

And praise God . . . it's happening. And it's happening even faster than I had anticipated! We've had some amazing stories on the show already, and we've got several more great ones lined up!

If you're interested in any aspect of working on the show, from production, graphics, web design, to story writing and narration, now is the time to get involved! Head over to the podcast site, and drop us a line!

Does a person need to embrace Creationism and reject Evolution in order to become a Christ-follower?

I don't think so.

I've heard arguments for the majority of my life that have stated something to the effect of: "Without understanding a literal seven-day creation by God, unbelievers will not be able to understand and embrace the gospel." This statement is then backed up by quoting 1 Corinthians 1:23, "but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles" (HCSB). I have been told numerous times that the gospel is a stumbling block for the Jews because of the shame of the cross, and foolishness to the Gentiles/Greeks because their ancient cosmology - or understanding of how the world came to exist - teaches something other than the biblical understanding of a literal seven-day creation by one God. And so, as the argument goes, if only the gentiles could understand cosmology correctly, then they would come to faith in Christ.

But that's not what the Apostle Paul is talking about at all! Look at the broader context: "For since, in God’s wisdom, the world did not know God through wisdom, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of the message preached. For the Jews ask for signs and the Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles. Yet to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is God’s power and God’s wisdom, because God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength" (1 Co. 21-25 HCSB)

This text has nothing to do with cosmology (as I've been told over and over and over again). It has to do with human wisdom and humanity's understanding of strength. For the gentiles, the crucifixion of Jesus for the forgiveness of sin is foolishness because it looked like an event of weakness, rather than strength. How could Jesus save the world through sacrifce? Through shame? Through death?

So, I return to my original question: Does a person need to embrace Creationism and reject Evolution in order to become a Christ-follower?

Check out this short clip (2 min.) of Dr. William Lane Craig's thoughts:

Unfortunately, the focus on Creationism from well-meaning Christians over the last twenty years has implicitly communicated to the general population that a person must reject Darwinism and embrace Christianity in order to be a Christian! No one has said that (to the best of my knowledge) but when I evangelize this concern always arises!

So, what's happened here? Again, well-meaning Christians have taken a secondary issue (God creating the world in a literal seven days) and we've elevated it to a primary issue . . . and not just a primary issue, but one we've implicitly made into a requirement for salvation!

Is Creationism an important issue? Yes. Should we explore all the data and make conclusions? Absolutely. But we should do so within the church and as a secondary (maybe even tertiary) issue. Not in public debates and declarations.

When the church reaches out to her community, the entire focus should be on Jesus and His Gospel. If it isn't, we've missed the point completely.

If you disagree with me, show me the chapter and verse where Jesus, Paul, Peter, or John declare that belief in a seven-day creation is a requirement (or prerequisite) for salvation.

Among my favorite artists is Josh Garrels. He is a true artist. And a true Christian.

For the next two weeks, five of his amazing albums are free from NoiseTrade. 100% of the tips will go directly to World Relief to support their humanitarian work in the DR Congo.

Go get a bunch of high quality and free music. And look into the work World Relief is doing and send some financial support their way.

Josh Garrels' NoiseTrade page.

Summary: Five lifelong friends meet one evening in a diner. They are regulars. They all now live very different lives, but the bonds they forged in school have remained strong through the decades. One stormy night, the group begins discussing the inter-connectivity of the world, the frailty of the world’s current financial status and what it would take for the social order of things to crumble, and for a unified world government to rise in its place.

Review: I have to say, right from the start, that I almost passed by the opportunity to read and review this book. The book is essentially a book of ideas, thinly veiled within a narrative framework. I loath this format. It’s a cheap trick to try to engage the reader, lower his guard, and get across powerful ideas in a short amount of space. And it doesn’t work.

I was about to pass on this book, but I noticed all the beautiful artwork it contained and though to myself, “why not give it a try . . . at the very least it has a bunch of great art?!”

First, I need to mention that the layout and design of the physical book is gorgeous. The cover design, the folded interior flaps, the thickness of the pages, the texture of the pages, the layout of the text, the abundant artwork, the chapter headings and even the page numbers all contribute to making this book one of the most aesthetically pleasing titles I’ve ever held in my hands.

Next, I have to confess that although I am not particularly fond of the genre, The Last Tower was an enjoyable and engaging read. Using the Genesis story of the “Tower of Babel” as a metaphor for a united humanity’s lust for power, the friends engage in a thought-exercise about a variety of topics (in reference to the possibility of a dubious single-world government) including fiscal irresponsibility, resources, power, control, human nature, God, Truth, and business.

The book dips into conspiracy theory from time to time, but then pulls right out of it again. I don’t think at its heart The Last Tower is a book foretelling of an immanent New World Order, but rather a book that challenges our single-minded, self-important, self-serving worldview. In fact, the epilogue of the book consists of a series of questions, each printed on its own page with corresponding illustration, which are very poignant questions about life, God and the human condition.

The Last Tower is not without its drawbacks. As already mentioned the narrative structure is only a façade for the ideas. (Fortunately the book is a short read and I finished it in two sittings). Additionally, some of the conspiratorial content tends to overshadow the larger questions of family and community.

The book, however, is a solid read for individuals looking to explore some of the big, global questions that we are often too afraid to ask . . . or perhaps never think to ask.

Rating: 4/5 Stars (I really liked it)

The Last Tower is written by Brian Oxley and is illustrated by Tim Ladwig and Chris Koelle (epilogue). It is published by OxVision Books. Find it here on Amazon.

Note: I received a physical copy of this book for free in exchange for an unbiased review.

I enjoy watching the CBS drama The Mentalist from time to time. I am also a huge fan of the internet cartoon Homestar Runner.

I think the mentalist borrowed the "call sign" for the serial murderer Red John from the Homestar Runner character Strong Sad's face.

I've transposed the Red John mark onto Strong Sad's stomach. What do you think? Am I reaching here?

From the graphic designer:That little photo is my 'Ginger' kitty who I had to put down a couple years ago as a kitten! She was only six months old but looked like 3 months as the vet told us she had a terminal disease that kept her from growing. We could have 'kept her alive' with drugs for unknown amount of time, which would have been easier on our hearts... but we instead did what was right and put her down so she wouldn't suffer.    ~Juli

Preaching Idea: "You can do what's easy or do what's right. Do what's right." Mark 15:1-20
(From the sermon Please People or Follow God)
© 2013 Nathan James Norman

Meme: "You Can Do What's Easy or Do What's Right"
© 2013 Juli Woodgerd


Feel free to pin them, post them and share them as much as you want. Just don’t change, sell or adapt them.

The communication card bandit strikes again! And this time he (or she?) has committed identity theft in the process!

Take a look (names have been redacted to protect the guilty):

I have a few observations. First, I am not in my 20s . . . I look like I'm in my 20s . . . but I've grown a full beard to look closer to my age!
Second, the fake email address "[email protected]" is hilarious! Third, there's some grammatical problems with this card. Finally, the penmanship is amazing. It is the most beautiful pen-work I've ever seen. There is no comparison in the entirety of human history. Therefore, this "communication card bandit" must be a girl because everyone knows that only girls have decent handwriting! (And that's a statement . . . not a fact!)

We may need to start doing some lab tests on these cards to find the perpetrator!

The text reads:

My wife and I are infertile.*

It’s generally been public knowledge since I talked about it in my Mother’s Day sermon last year. We’ve been infertile for the last four years. I intend to write more about our journey and struggle on this blog in the months to come.

But today . . . today in all the ups and downs of this road of sorrows . . . today was a particularly sad day.

Last night I received a phone call from the foster agency we’re licensed through. They asked if my wife and I were interested in fostering a six month old girl. It wasn’t a definite placement, but we would have to be prepared to receive the baby the next day. And of course the answer was “yes!” So, last night the Norman household was all a flutter with preparations. We pulled out the baby toys, the playpens, the high chair, the stroller and the crib. We wrote lists of items we might need to purchase in a moment’s notice.  We cleaned and baby-proofed everything . . . even the cats.

We called our families and texted our friends asking for prayer. We went through the foster licensing process almost a year ago and this was our first call!

This morning I woke up early and armed with my M.Div. training, I spent about two hours trying to figure out how to correctly install the car seat into my car. (I might need to go back to seminary for more education because the M.Div. did nothing to prepare me for the complexities of installing a child’s car seat!)

I went to the church office and my wife went to work. I was “on deck” to receive the “yes” or “no” phone call by no later than 11:30am.

11:30 came and went and I hadn’t received a phone call. That was a good sign, right? So, a little after 1pm I called our case-worker: “Oh, sorry I forgot to call you. The child isn’t going to be put into foster care at this time . . .”

I texted my wife (because she was at work) and she called me immediately. I think we were both crying without tears.

And then I had to go through the ordeal of calling and texting and talking to everyone I had asked for prayer. And as painful as that was, I think the most difficult, heart wrenching part of the day, was taking the baby’s car seat out of my car. It had taken hours to install it.

It took less than ten seconds to take it out.


I assume there will be other opportunities. But after a miscarriage. After four years of infertility. After a year of virtual silence from the foster care system. After disappointment. After disappointment. After disappointment. After disappointment . . . I am sad. And tonight I am depressed.

There are no words that can comfort me.

I will not be consoled.

It’s a Psalm 13 kind of day. So I suppose in my depression, and sorrow . . . even though I can’t see God’s plan in all this and I certainly can’t feel it . . . I will decide to trust in God’s faithful love.


*Infertility is defined as the inability of a couple to conceive after trying for a year.

I love music and I love supporting artists that I love. Last year my favorite band/artist, Joy Electric launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise support for a new album entitled Dwarf Mountain Alphabet. I went in, and I went in hard.

I knew the level of support I offered Joy Electric would hurt my music budget (and thus prevent me from buying music from other artists) but I went ahead anyway.

Joy Electric has set my imagination on fire over the past twenty years and twenty-seven releases! (That's right, Twenty-Seven!)

The brilliance of Kickstarter projects is that it gives me the opportunity to support the artists who inspire, move and engage me.

In a very real way, I helped make Dwarf Mountain Alphabet possible.

And in addition to the great album I received, I was also rewarded with a limited press 7" album and handwritten lyrics from Mr. Joy Electric himself, Ronnie Martin.

I knew the lyrics were coming . . . but I didn't realize he would write out lyrics to every song on the album.

Awesome!

So, I share my joy with you: