What is happening!?

Hi. There are two things that I think might make interesting discussion (this should probably be two posts (hey this is a two for one (aren't you lucky!)))
one: Recently while "surfing the web" I stumbled across a band that has made it their mission to "bridge the gap between sacred and secular music." Should this band (who will remain nameless) continue on with their bridging plan or be exhorted. why? discuss.
two: While visiting an awesome church, in Valencia California, I realized something perilous. (Not that this church does this but seeing the complete picture in the sermon made me notice the deficiency everywhere else.) It seems to me that there is an overall trend of discarding previously learned information so that we can move on to new things. The first realm that I have clearly seen this is in education. "Grammar" school students learn a lot of things, building blocks if you will, but they are never told what to do with them. These building blocks are forgotten or only vaguely remembered later. It seems like there is a stress on vocationally specific information, only what can be used to the student's advantage in the future. I think that the second place this is happening is in Church. The things taught in Sunday school are building blocks that are never stacked or connected; they are discarded for, once again, things that "apply to my life." what do you think? or do you?

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It Takes Two?!?

I recently and unintentionally started a huge argument in my Sunday school class…I mean Adult Bible Fellowship or Adult Learning Community or whatever the new trendy nomenclature is. I didn’t think it was all that controversial but maybe it is and maybe I am wrong.

What is forgiveness? I had always assumed it was the cancellation of a debt between two people. Or between a person and God. And so the evidently controversial point I made was that it takes two people for forgiveness to occur. If the person who did the sinning does not consider what he did wrong, or doesn’t want to apologize, or to accept your forgiveness, then what you are doing is making forgiveness available and loving that person but the debt hasn’t been cancelled.

The Bible is clear. No one has the right to withhold forgiveness from anyone. But in the same way that God makes forgiveness available to us, if we don’t receive it then we are not forgiven. So to, I think, someone can reject the forgiveness we offer them.

Am I completely out in left field?

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