Saturday, October 29, 2005

Back again to get back
on the winning streak. I am going to abandon my theory of picking the winner of games where the spread is closest to zero. At least in one game. The other operative theory is pick against teams that nobody can believe they are as bad as they are. That would be the Baltimore Ravens. Another theory is pick for teams that nobody can believe they are as good as they are. So I have one of each of these approaches this week:

Pitt to cover 8.5 pts favored over the Ravens
Denver to cover 3 pts favored over the Eagles
Cleveland to win straight up in an even game against the Houston Texans.

My blogging should pick up a bit for a while since I have finished my mid-term. The test was very tough but, of course, very fair. It was tough because we were accountable for a lot of material and that required a lot of studying on my part. Basically I had to go back into each book assigned and hunt for specific sections, assimilate them, summarize them and memorize them. Then the hard part was actually writing essays on the test. Rather than just shoot a brain dump, I tried to actually compose structured prose. So the problem turned out to be that I ran out of time on the test. I also had to leave one question pretty much unanswered because it was on one of the books I hadn't read - I didn't discover I had to read it until two nights before the exam.

However, I have learned that exams and preparing for them is where a large part of the learning is done.

Saturday, October 22, 2005

I am just plain rolling in
the green stuff. Being up $800 now, I am herewith betting $200 on this three teamer:

1) Packers to cover 1.5 as favs against the morally bankrupt Vikes.
2) Bears to cover 1 point as favs against the Ravens.
3) Denver to cover 2 points as road underdogs against the Giants.

Also, this week will prove to be a challenge. I have a Sem. midterm this Friday with a brother and sister-in-law visiting SD. If I succeed in memorizing the Bible by Friday, I should be OK.

Saturday, October 15, 2005

Feeling confident
after last week's win here are my last minute picks:

Carolina on the road to cover 1 pt as underdogs vs. Detroit
San Diego on the road to cover 2 pts as favorites over the Raiders
Denver at home to cover 3 pts vs the fading Patriots

Friday, October 14, 2005

Friday
is class day and today's class was good like all the others. It does get a bit sleepy-ish at 2:30 pm (especially since today was in the high 90's and maybe even 100 in Escondido) but what I am learning is exactly what I was hoping for back in August when I decided to sign up.

I will probably write about that stuff some time down the road.

One thing you should know is that I read (or started reading) the book on Reformed Worship, from which I was going to provide a summary of each chapter, about 10 weeks early. That was due to technical problems with the syllabus, which if I had had it I would have known to read it just about last in the course. So, you will have to check back later for the resumption of that topic.

And for those breathlessly waiting for another installment on sanctification, you'll have to wait for that too. I am too busy.

I am now pretending to be a database administrator at work. I am the technical expert on a database IRAD at work now, and I have to, pretty quickly, produce some smoke and mirrors, dogs and ponies, and whatever else it may take, if I want to keep my job. So, I now have a split personality.

When I am at work I am all hopped up for things computer/technical. When I am at Sem. or when reading some of these great books about preaching, I am all hopped up for figuring out a way to whip up a call so I can some day mount a pulpit and be a gospel proclaimer, explicator, and applier.

By the way, I forgot earlier when listing my motives for getting involved at the Sem. that a big one was that I wanted to be an influence over my family, or what's left of it. By that, I mean maybe there is the leave-and-cleave clause that says I have no more influence over my kids. But I am not going to assume that. I want to do what I can to guide them down good paths. If you want to read into that motive the idea that I may be holding the opinion that I did a poor job of that early on, then you would be reading rightly. You also may secretly hold the opinion yourself that I am dreaming if I think I can influence my kids any more. Chances are good that I can't really influence anybody and it is only the holy spirit that can do it. FWIW, I also view my grandchildren as covenant people over whom I may have some influence.

Also, big sis', you might be interested to learn that one of the books used for an upcoming Practical Theology class is 'The Call' by Os Guiness. I took a look at it a bit today at lunch and it looks like it is an early version of 'The Purpose Driven Life' since it is all about finding your purpose. It looked interesting to me, nevertheless, and I plan to check it out of the library sometime around Christmas.

Tuesday, October 11, 2005

Let me quickly explain
the business of the previous post (as well as commenting on some of the comments) before I get back to reading. First, the form is not designed to weed anyone out. The seminary is a serious place where everyone there (except myself) belongs there. The form is simply a way for the director of field education to be in direct contact with the sems WRT their internships. If there is any step taken to do any weeding, it is the teaching about how the reformed church views the inward call. It exposes some interesting things.

My rambling on the subject is this: First, if you haven't got one (an inward call), then talking to someone about one is impossible in the sense that I (not having one) wouldn't have anything to say about something which I haven't experienced. It's just like faith. For someone who has no faith to complain about or in any way deride a person who has faith is plain stupid. Without faith it is impossible to discuss it, since merely reading in a dictionary a definition for faith is not enough to enable or entitle you to carry on about it. Same with the call. Those that have it can talk about it; describe it; preach it; say you must have it. That's fine. Maybe I'm the only honest one around. I am not going to say I have a call.

Second, the inward call is confirmed by the church by the extending of an external call. They recognize by your gifts that you have an inward call. Every inward call is accompanied by a gifting that God gives you. Well, unfortunately for me, I think it works or has worked bass-ackwardly.(I put that in there just so I could imagine my sister saying the word 'bass-ackwardly'). I know I have a skill (and this was my thought) that if I studied for it, worked on it, put all my energy into it I would be a very beneficial tool in - yes, say it, brother- God's hands. But no. I need the burning of the bosom - and why not call it that, since it is internal, why can't it take that form. Axiom #1 "If you have the call, it is wrong not to pursue it". Axiom #2 "With only skill and no call, it is wrong to pursue it".

Thirdly, my motivation is highly questionable. Actually, it's worse than that. My motivation originally was a backlash at the non-denominational evangelical approach for ordination which was that the guy who already has the paper gets to pass it on to whomever he wants to pass it on to. This hand-off is based on, guess what, and to be fair, in most cases recognizing an inward call which is confirmed by an outward call. Only the difference is, any rigorous training under a denominational institution is not required. In fact it would be a deterrent. I wanted to prove/show the way of truth. Many of my friends didn't even know what a seminary was. Some thought it was a monastery. Some, college. Some thought it meant I was turning Roman Catholic.

Further, my original motivation was polemical with respect to Biblical understanding. I am slowly getting that out of my system. (Not that I still don't think I am right on everything).

But the real issue is faith. How can someone who has come to see most of his religious belief as a nice theory constructed in my very imaginative mind be qualified to, on the one hand, believe in an inward call, or on the other, be entrusted to a body of innocent believers? There is the future, however. In ten years, things may have changed.

Son1 asked if simply having a 'passion for the word' didn't constitute a call. I don't know. I don't have a passion for the word. Sounds good, though. The truth is I don't have a clue about the 'Word'. I am getting off to a late start on it - getting a clue, that is. The honest motivation for delving into the word is that it is a good distraction. It keeps my mind from wandering too far into areas I want to avoid. (Although, in the end, the word pushes me there anyway).There are lots of ways to distract yourself. This is just the one that works best for me.

I'll close with the last line in 'Candide': "Any questions?"

Sunday, October 09, 2005

So,
take note everyone: I just won $600 putting me ahead by $200 for the season.

I will now come out of the closet and give you a quick update on seminary. My class is "Ministry of the Word". This class is in the 'Practical Theology' dept. So, the gist of this class is the meeting of the rubber to the road. Here, then, is the problem. It is pointed to the actual working of a person as a preacher/pastor. A big aspect of this (very big, actually) is the calling. I have no calling. Without the inward calling, you don't belong in the role of pastor/preacher. So I am out until I get such a calling.

What brings this reality into sharp focus is this form I have to fill out for review by the head of field education at the seminary. He is the one in charge of monitoring your work as an intern at some church.

This is the form:

Expected year of graduation:______

Your denominational affiliation:_______

Name of your home church:___________ (Most guys are here from out of town)

Yes/No are you under care of a Presbytery or formal supervision of an ecclesiastical body?

Yes/No do you plan to be ordained in your present denom?

If 'no' please explain.

Yes/No Do you have a copy of your denom's requirements for licensure/ordination?

Name of the local church you are presently attending:________

What are you expectations of the field education program?_________

Currently, what is your ministry objective: Pastor, missionary, teacher, other:_______

Name three persons who have been most influential in your Christian development and the quality each one possesses:_____________

Please describe one experience in your life that brought deep satisfaction and why:________

Church in which you expect to do your field education:___________

Name of the pastor or other person who will be supervising your work:_________

Denominational affiliation of the church or pastor:____________

This form then is reviewed in an interview with the head guy. Not having a calling combined with the contents of what I write on this form is going yield an interesting interview.

Saturday, October 08, 2005

A week off and I am
back at the picking business. Here we go:

Detroit to cover 1 point at home vs. the Ravens
Carolina to cover 2 points on the road vs. the Cards
New England as a home dawg to cover 2 points against the Falcons.

Saturday, October 01, 2005

Lousy at picking
is what I am. But I am no quitter. Here we go:

New Orleans to beat Buffalo with no points to give or recieve
Tampa Bay to cover 6.5 at home against Detroit
Jacksonville to cover 4 at home against Denver