I have made the point before that faith is not a religious concept: I think faith is a univeral characteristic of human beings.

Heb 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see [NET Bible]

All human beings who are not suicidal or otherwise terminally pessimistic share that – but faith has an object. To talk about someone's faith (or calling someone a "person of faith") - a universal - without talking about the object of their faith - the specific - is to say nothing really except that they, like nearly every human being, has faith in something. It is only the "in what" that gives meaning.

One of the criticisms of theologically conservative Christianity from at least the left is that we are a rich group of folks hoarding our money and allowing the poor to starve - while keeping the government conservative so it doesn't take any of it away.

Oh, those rich mega-churches . . .

Well, I have never seen that in church - but I haven't been in every church. However, there is some evidence that my personal experience is accurate

Oh, those poor mega-churches . . .

Here is my (sorta) weekly tour of the internet - and some things that struck me as interesting:

Christian Carnival CCXVII (217) is up (or soon will be) on the other side of the Cascade range from me in eastern Oregon at Diary of 1. The three that caught my attention this week:

[Number seven in a series. Resumes discussion of slavery started in number one]

A couple of times I have mentioned A.J. Conyers' contention in The Listening Heart that - in the return of slavery to Europe and its colonies that accompanied the rise of modernity's exploration, trade, and conquest - the chattel slave

is the ultimate autonomous individual. Stripped of every human tie, he belongs to no community but to a stranger. It is no accident, then, that the rise of modern slavery coincided with the Enlightenment itself.

Of course, every time this is mentioned folks freak a bit about the use of the word "autonomous" in the same breath with "slave". As one commenter said it does not mean "free" - it means "alienated or isolated" from family, community, culture, and support.

Indeed, Conyers points out

1 Corinthians 15:1-8: Now I want to make clear for you, brothers and sisters, the gospel that I preached to you, that you received and on which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message I preached to you – unless you believed in vain. For I passed on to you as of first importance what I also received – that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as though to one born at the wrong time, he appeared to me also.

[Number nineteen in a series]

I am continuing to look at Chapter 7 ("Appropriate Smallness: The Practice of Servanthood") of John Ortberg's The Life You've Always Wanted. The study questions are from the back of the book, and were written by Kevin G. Harney.

The book is about spiritual disciplines. The most important thing I have gotten from the book about spiritual disciplines in general is that we should not do them just so we can check them off a list. They are not a barometer of spirituality or a way to earn favor with God. They are a way to enable the transformation God wants to make in your life.

Now: Appropriate Smallness

I have failed in my duty to provide a little insight here into folks I read outside of here - because frankly I doubt if many here read the folks I read.

Frankly, I haven't "toured" in a while - but last week I did and only posted it at Brain Cramps for God. I did that from some kind of desire to avoid conflict - but frankly the only real reason for me being around is to stretch my own view of things; and to stretch the view of folks here who are willing to have theirs stretched.

So, here are some of the things I read this week - and feel you should be aware of.

[This is a re-working of a post from June of 2006 - and I may put it up before every Good Friday in the future.]

The book is John Piper's Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die. The conversation around the atonement, and the various views of whether it happened (or not) and what it meant (or not), seems to digress into us trying to find the main reason - the proper theology - when all of the reasons matter. Or, worse yet, talking about who was at fault . . .

The death of Jesus is of foremost importance for the world. And the central issue of Jesus’ death is not the cause, but the meaning—God’s meaning . . . John Piper has gathered from the New Testament fifty reasons behind the crucifixion of the Christ. Not fifty causes, but fifty purposes—in answer to the most important question facing us in the twenty-first century:

[Number eighteen in a series]

I am beginning to look at Chapter 7 ("Appropriate Smallness: The Practice of Servanthood") of John Ortberg's The Life You've Always Wanted. The study questions are from the back of the book, and were written by Kevin G. Harney.

The book is about spiritual disciplines. The most important thing I have gotten from the book about spiritual disciplines in general is that we should not do them just so we can check them off a list. They are not a barometer of spirituality or a way to earn favor with God. They are a way to enable the transformation God wants to make in your life.

Now: Appropriate Smallness

About the Weekly Faith Roundtables: I hooked myself into voluntered to lead the one for folks who think they fit this definition:

Evangelical/theologically conservative Christian

If you do, please contact me through the email address in my profile - or comment in this diary.

This is a "roundtable" which implies that more than my personal opinions about these questions

• What are the basic tenets/dogma/creeds/etc. of [Your Religion]?
• Where and when did [Your Religion] start and how?
• [Your Religion]'s view on other religions and on alternative viewpoints within [Your Religion].
• A few general social or political issues considered important by [Your Religion] and why?
• What do you most like and most want to change about [Your Religion]?

are supposed to be represented.

[Number six in a series]

The last post looked at organic society as represented by one which embraces vocation; and the organized society created by modern western culture:

• Organic societies were not based on the independence of individuals; but the interdependence of members; and
• Organic societies were not based on the equality of their members, but their differences

This wasn't just an outgrowth of the rise of modernity - it was a requirement. Therefore, the theme of this post:

that modern western culture requires the severing of folks from vocation - and their attachment to family, tradition, religion, etc. - in order to build a culture rooted in production and conquest.

[Number five in a series]

Probably the toughest thing for me as a writer is finding a "hook to hang" my post on. I know things I want to write about - but the topics are either too large or I simply do not know how to proceed. Thankfully, folks are nice enough to provide those hooks for me. The blessing this time was provided by these comments about my writing:

I have read through your last two diaries and continually see you commenting on the thoughts and beliefs of others. Do you have any "original" thoughts are beliefs of "your own" that do not simply leave it up to others to form your opinions?

and later

What I would most like to hear from you is the same thing. A diary of your OWN beliefs without one single quote from any place except your own heart.

This idea that we have our own ideas, from our own heart, that we should "be true to" is the core of the philosophical counter positions to the idea of  vocation, or calling: