Anachronistically yours....

So, the Aardvark  is north of Atlanta, displaying shirts at AnachroCon, the region's premiere Steampunk convention (a totally subjective estimation. I am willing to be corrected.) The con has just opened, and as Steampunk attracts The Older Fan (and might I add, the Literate Fan), the madding crowds have yet to descend, because they work.

This is Steampunk. For reals.

It has been a Sisyphus week; a large Rock, and too much Roll. We are thankful for the business, not so much so, the things which militate against Getting It Done. These things keep me from doing the bloggish bit as well, though this may not be quite accurate, because I have spent an uncomfortable amount of time on Facebook making right what once went wrong. I am one of those with the unfortunate belief that if YOU present an opinion in a public forum, then YOU are inviting discussion and debate from ME.


Wrong-o, Mary Lou. Mind you, I am not That Guy who trolls comments to Fix that person, but I do enjoy a lively but civil back-and-forth. Oh, well. 

Michael: Anthony Taylor is here.

I have another post of Theological Import roosting in the wings. Later.

What is God's Will? The Gnosis of ME.

Now THAT'S proof, I tells ya!

Christian bookstores are filled with books and glossy periodicals addressing angsty Christian questions about "Finding the Will of God for MY Life".

Is it God's will that I work at Sonic?

Is it God's will for me to be single?

Should I wear the red tie to the interview?

The search for some subjective, experiential indicator of God's Will for Me feels like a postmodern Third Great Awakening, my very own personal Cane Ridge. The Second Great Awakening was a time where people sought subjective proof of their election. Since there is no Scriptural basis for such corroboration (beyond fruit-bearing), people found their "proofs" in...odd places. One would find his evidence upon seeing a white heifer on a hill, reflecting the sunset, another in the pattern of dew on a spiderweb. ANYTHING could have served as proof of one's election into the Kingdom of God. Such a feelings-and-experience oriented approach to eternal verity carries with it inherent danger. My feelings and perceptions become the yardstick of my spiritual experiences, rather than the unchanging, objective promises and commands in the word of God. I become the arbiter of spiritual truth in my life.

Some mornings (Many? Most?) I awaken, and do net feel terribly redeemed.I am stiff; my back hurts; my balance is bit off. A cup of sacramental Joe, and I feel a tad better, but note that my aches and grumpery do not change one iota of God's covenant with me. He still loves me. He still demands that I be set apart to Him. The blood of Christ still cleanses me from all sin. My feelings have nowt to do with it. The condition of my back affects it not a whit, nor does the weather, my proximity to an asteroid, nor even the roseate glow of a sunlit cow.

Here's a thought. Live your life. Do what is smart. Get your tires rotated and oil changed on schedule. Wear the colors that look good on you. Find the work that you enjoy, that you are good at. Read your New Testament and do what it says. THAT is the will of God for you. The Puppetmaster God is foreign to the Scriptures.

1 Thessalonians 5:18
in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Peter 2:15
For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.
Philippians 2:13
for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
Romans 12:2
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.(Take time to read the contexts!)


Do the things that God reveals in his Word; live them. That may well keep all of us sufficiently busy doing the work of the Kingdom that we no longer worry about cow-watching.

Live YOUR life; live it HIS way..





 

Mr. McLeod's Response to the Papal Resignation.

Dear Vatican,
I know I am a Protestant and am thus not your most favored candidate for anything, but I can learn quickly and I'm sharp as a tack with Scripture. When I was a kid I had stickers all over the cover of my bible for memorizing verses in Sunday School.

It is the 21st century, and I mean no disrespect, but I don't see why Popes are always these old guys with one foot in the grave. You need some young blood wearing that hat.

The main reason why you should make me Pope is that it'd be funny and God demonstrably has a sense of humor. Now I can't promise Groucho Marx levels of comedy, because nobody is that funny. But I can guarantee it'd be like that one time in Reno. You know you want to. It'd be rad.

The first thing I'd do as Pope is sell the popemobile on Craigslist. It's funny looking and the Pope should have a rocket pack, because guys with rocket packs are popular and the Pope should be a popular guy. Am I wrong? John Paul II was popular even without a rocket pack, and he was a good Pope. Now imagine John Paul II with a rocket pack. The entire world would have converted overnight. There would be peace in the Middle East. I'd be like him eventually once the excitement of being Pope wears off. Then I'd write an encyclical about writing encyclicals because I'm very meta and hip, and I would canonize the late Walter M. Miller Jr. for writing "A Canticle for Leibowitz." I would also root out all the corruption in your auspicious institution and would see to it that the perpetrators are cannon-ized. (I'm sorry, but that pun was irresistible. See what you're missing out on without selecting me as Pope?)

Attached you will find my curriculum vitae and a recent head-shot for publicity purposes. I don't have an agent, so you can contact me directly and we will work out all the details from there. I'm only looking for a modest salary. And a rocket pack.

Sincerely yours,
Ian M. Hardy

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That's my boy!

Were I a Cardinal, I would vote for him, but I'm a Braves fan....