Kethuvim

It means "writings." I write things.

11:46 AM

Dear Santa

Posted by Brad Polley |

Looking for a good Christmas gift this holiday season?  Are you wanting to find the perfect gift without being trampled to death at Wal-Mart?  Are you looking for that one-of-a-kind gift that will show your youth pastor just how special you think he is?  Look no further than this amazing infomercial. 






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2:15 PM

Happy Thanksgiving to all and to all a good night

Posted by Brad Polley |

Oh wait...wrong holiday.  Anyway, happy Thanksgiving to all of my 10 readers.  Enjoy your turkey, the inevitable triptophan crash from said turkey, watching football, poking a new hole in your belt to accommodate the abdominal swelling, and vows to never eat that much again.  


Personally, I'll be getting my Michael Vick on (but you know...without all the dog killing) in the annual Turkey Bowl flag football game in the booming metropolis of Francesville, IN.  My team is undefeated in five years, and we don't plan on losing this year either.  As an aside, congrats to my wife on finally not being pregnant and able to play in the game.  I look forward to stiff-arming you into oblivion if you get in my way.  

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10:23 AM

How long does it take to forgive someone?

Posted by Brad Polley |

Peter asked, "Lord how long should it take us to forgive someone?  Immediately?"

And the Lord said, "I tell you, not immediately, but at least 42 years."


Let me say, firsties, that I really have nothing against Catholic people.  In fact, I read a great deal of books from monks and nuns, and I adore them.  That being said, how does it take the Church 42 years to forgive someone who's been dead for almost 30 years?  What's the point in forgiving said dead person?  Is there anything Christian about this?  Why does the Church, as an organization, have to issue a statement of forgiveness in order for someone to be forgiven?  

My understanding of forgiveness is that it is a deeply personal thing.  It is an act that frees me from bondage by not allowing hurts and scars to control me.  It's not something that I withhold from people, because all that does is enslave me.  How can it take 42 years to forgive something that someone said?  How many more people is the Vatican withholding forgiveness from, and for what offenses?  This all strikes me as incredibly ridiculous.

If I'm Catholic, I'm very concerned about how my church can maintain any cultural relevance when this is the kind of crap they're spending their time on. 

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1:09 PM

His name?

Posted by Brad Polley |

There's a guy that's been coming into our office for the last few months asking for help.  He usually needs help with things like gas and food.  We've been helping him as much as we can with a few bucks here and there.  He has stomach cancer (with a hole in his belly to prove it).  He's had it since 2004 and it's been an up and down roller coaster ride of remission and resurgence.  He can't walk straight because of the hole in his stomach so he walks with a Quasimodo-like posture. He can't eat solid food because of his cancer.  He's gone as many as 8 or 9 days at a time without eating because he just isn't hungry sometimes.  He used to weigh around 250 pounds, but now weighs about 140.  A year and a half ago he had a stroke which has left him with a stutter.  About six months ago he actually died from a heart attack in his grand-daughter's living room, but her husband gave him CPR and brought him back.  Let all of that sink in for a minute.  


He came in today and he just looked terrible.  I talked with him for about twenty minutes and said a number of times, "I just feel like giving up.  I feel so terrible, I just want it to be over."  After he left today, I just felt sad.  I was literally on the verge of tears.  I wanted to pray for God take him peacefully to end his pain, but I wasn't sure how I felt about doing that.  

Here's the thing, I feel like God has placed him in my life for some reason.  I almost feel like he's been put into my life so that I can help him die with grace.  That isn't a prideful thing.  In fact, I'm not sure how to handle it.  I feel like all I can do is treat him with respect and treat him like a human being; show him compassion and make his remaining time on earth (however long that might be) be as comfortable as possible.  I'm not sure if I'm up to this, but the reality is that I don't think God cares if I feel up to it.  He's here, he needs comfort in the form of gas money and food, and that's the deal.  

So what's his name?  It would appear to be Jesus.      

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11:00 AM

Discontent

Posted by Brad Polley |

Ok, this has nothing to do with my post, but what happened to fall?  I don't know about where you live, but in Indiana, we didn't have one.  It seemingly went from being 80 to being 30 (like it is today), with no in-between.  It is colder than a well-digger's anus here.  At least climate change is just a liberal myth right?  Right?  Who's with me?  No?  Ok, moving on.  


I'm extremely discontent with my life right now.  The weird thing is, I'm not alone.  I meet with a house church and we were all talking a couple of weeks ago.  As we were talking about things we're struggling with, it became evident that no one in the room was content with their life. Everyone seemed to be echoing the same sentiment.  

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying my life sucks or anything, I've got plenty to be thankful for. I have a great wife and two amazing boys.  I have a church family that seems to think I'm alright (a lot of pastors can't claim that).  I have a family that loves me who I love back.  So I guess the question is: what is the freak is wrong with me?  If I have all of that going for me, what is my deal?  My parents would be quick to state that it's probably because I'm an overly pessimistic person.  They would be right, but not in this account.  I am a pessimistic person; something that I have tried to correct over the years to little avail.  But this isn't a pessimistic discontent. The only way I can describe it is that it's a state of being where you feel like what you're doing and how you're living isn't it.  You feel like you're treading water, but you've been treading for so long that you're starting to sink.  I'm not discontent with my circumstances in life, I'm discontent with me.  I'm not even sure I can fully articulate exactly what I'm feeling, but I just have a feeling that the life I'm living isn't the life I'm supposed to be living.  The frustrating part of this is that I don't know how I'm supposed to be living.  Every time I think I know, I start formulating all the reasons why that can't be it.

For instance, I have felt for some time that my family is supposed to be living communally with other people.  What I mean is that a bunch of people all live in the same big house or in the same near vicinity.  Every time I think, "That's it" I start to think about all of the ways that it just won't work.  So-and-so would be hard to live with (like I wouldn't be), who owns the house, what happens when...etc.  

I'm tired of youth ministry.  Let me clarify.  Youth ministry doesn't work (maybe some do, but mine doesn't).  There's nothing particularly Christian about most youth ministry.  Most of it is based on getting kids to show up by playing games and entertaining them.  I've always shied away from that, but my way isn't working either.  There has to be a third option, but what is it? I have no clue. 

I'm so tired of being discontent.  I have zero faith that God will give me the answers, because I'm pretty sure he wants me to be this way right now, not to mention I'm having trouble finding the desire to even talk with him right now.  He's probably just waiting for me to move, which is the most frustrating part of all.  He's waiting for me to take a step off the cliff, all the while having the trust that I'm going to walk on the air.  Have I mentioned that I'm afraid of heights? 

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10:06 AM

Perspective

Posted by Brad Polley |

I found out today that I'm not getting a raise next year.  Does it bother me?  A little.  Do I think I deserve one?  Yeah, and the elders of the church told me as much.  Our church's financial picture isn't all that grand right now, thus no raise.  


Here's why I'm not going to lose sleep over it.  Today, 75,000 Citigroup employees are finding out that they don't have a job anymore.  Given the snail-paced economy, their chances of finding a new job aren't good.  Today, 16,000 kids in the world will die because they had nothing to eat.  Today, my brothers and sisters in Haiti are waking up and wondering where their next meal is going to come from.  

It could be worse.

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2:12 PM

Starbucks and church

Posted by Brad Polley |

This is an interesting video that shows what Starbucks would be like if it acted like a normal church.  





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4:57 PM

The lottery sham

Posted by Brad Polley |

I've known for a long time that the lottery is a total joke, but standing in line at the gas station today just reaffirmed my thoughts.  A lady in front of me presented a "winning" scratch-off ticket to the cashier.  "What did she win?" you may ask.  Five dollars.  Keep in mind that all of these tickets are at least $3 to buy.  So how did this woman spend her winnings (I think you know where this is going)?  She bought $8 worth of scratch off tickets.  I wanted to shake her and ask her if she knew what she just did.    


I don't understand this addiction, I really don't.  The only time in my life that I gambled was on my honeymoon when my new bride and I went to a casino.  We took in a grand total of $50, played the slots, and walked out with $42.  I felt euphoric that we only lost eight dollars.  That's when I realized how much of a sham the lottery/gambling really is.  

The whole incident with this lady today just made me sad.  All I could think of was her getting home, sitting down with a coin to scratch with, her heart racing as she starts to scratch.  "Is this the big one?" she might ask herself.  I can also imagine her disappointment with the results.  I want to tell her that her life doesn't have to be that desperate.  It doesn't have to be the endless cycle of spending money to make money to spend more money.  There's more to this life.  

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1:17 PM

Autistic Artist

Posted by Brad Polley |

This is the craziest thing I have ever seen in my life.  Absolutely incredible.  




(ht to Marko)

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10:19 AM

My final thoughts on the election

Posted by Brad Polley |

Yesterday was just an interesting day.  I don't care who you voted for, yesterday's election was historically significant.  To watch a black man become our president-elect was something that actually gave me chills, and I'm the whitest dude around.  I can only imagine what it means to someone who lived through the civil rights conflict in the 60s to see this happen.  It's significant and it shows that maybe, just maybe, this country isn't full of ignorant, racist hill-jacks.  


I voted for Obama, and here's the biggest reason why: thanks to President Bush, our reputation around the world is shot.  Obama has the ability to restore our reputation around the world.  If you don't believe me, go around the Web and peruse some international newspapers.  One international newspaper read, "Welcome back friends."  America's reputation may seem like a stupid reason to vote for someone, but I think it's significant.  If no one is willing to work with us (which they aren't now), then we will never be able to truly solve some of the global problems that face us today.  If we're going to be a world leader again, we need a President that can work well with other leaders, not in a position of pride, but one of service.  When I hear Obama speak, I don't hear the same prideful "we're right and you're wrong" cowboy crap that I've had to listen to for the last eight years.  I'm tired of American arrogance.  It is contributing to our downfall as a nation and I feel like Obama can remedy that problem.  He'll never deliver on all of his promises, because no politician ever does, however, I don't see him making things worse.  

I watched McCain's concession speech last night.  It was extremely classy (minus his hateful audience who repeatedly "boo'd" every time Obama's name was mentioned) and I couldn't help but wonder how the outcome would be different had he taken the approach he took last night instead of eviscerating Obama for the last four months.  All of the hate-speech from his campaign in the last few months seemed insincere to me (at least coming out of him).  Last night's speech seemed sincere to me.  It made me see that McCain is a good and honorable man who was given some really, really bad campaign advice by whoever was pulling the strings.  It was good to hear his words and I gained a great deal of respect for him.

Finally, we all need to keep in mind that it isn't up to the government to fix everyone's problems.  In fact, Obama said as much last night in his speech.  The government can't totally eradicate poverty, but individuals can.  We all need to get off our butts and make a difference. As Obama mentioned last night, change doesn't happen because one person gets elected; change only happens when people get out do something about the problems we face as a nation.  It's time for Christians especially to step up and show the world what love and compassion looks like. 

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11:27 AM

My favorite Kentuckian monk

Posted by Brad Polley |

I'm currently reading a book titled "The Nonviolent Alternative."  It's a collection of essays from Thomas Merton, written mostly in the 1960s, as a response to the Cold War and generally violent attitudes in the world at the time.  Given the current political climate of our world, these essays speak today in the same way they did then.  Here are a couple of great nuggets.


"Christ our Lord did not come to bring peace to the world as a kind of spiritual tranquilizer.  he brought to his disciples a vocation and a task, to struggle in the world of violence to establish his peace not only in their own hearts but in society itself."

"The Christian is and must be by his very adoption as a son of God, in Christ, a peacemaker (Matthew 5:9).  He is bound to imitate the Savior who, instead of defending himself with twelve legions of angels (Matthew 26:53) allowed himself to be nailed to the cross and died praying for his executioners.  The Christian is one whose life has sprung from a particular spiritual seed: the blood of the martyrs who, without offering forcible resistance, laid down their lives rather than submit to the unjust laws that demanded an official religious cult of the Emperor as God.  That is to say, the Christian is bound, like the martyrs, to obey God rather than the state whenever the state tries to usurp powers that do not and cannot belong to it. We have repeatedly seen Christians in our time fulfilling this obligation in a heroic manner by their resistance to dictatorships that strove to interfere with the rights of their conscience and of their religion." 

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11:37 AM

Why it doesn't ultimately matter who wins this election - part 3

Posted by Brad Polley |

Jesus enters the scene shortly before the greatest King (Augustus) kicks the bucket.  As I mentioned in an earlier post, by the time Jesus begins his ministry, all of the progress of peace that Augustus achieved was ruined and proved to the world, once again, that the "imperial man" philosophy failed.  No human could ever bring about lasting peace and joy.  If any King proved this, it was Augustus.  


This is why it doesn't ultimately matter who wins the election.  No President can bring about an existence where there is no war, everyone is well-fed, people cease to die from curable diseases, etc.  If you listen to a political stump speech, you get the idea that whenever Candidate _______ gets elected, all will be well, the world will be nothing but sunshine and farts, and the government will just throw money at everyone until they are happy.  Even if a President creates any sort of progress, the chances are great that the next guy (in four or eight years) will screw it all up and the whole thing is for naught anyway.

Christ came so that the world may live in harmony with God.  This harmony is available to all, is free from government meddling, and isn't dependent on outside circumstances.  This life leads to peace, it leads to joy, it leads an existence where love abounds...ideally.  If the Church will get off its collective duff and stop waiting for politicians to fix all of the world's problems, then the world would be a better place.  It would be a place where the lion lays down with the lamb, a place where swords are beaten into plows, and where 16,000 kids a day don't die from starvation.  McCain and Obama can't make any of this happen, but the Church, as the body of Christ, can and should.  

Whatever happens on November 4th, keep in mind that world leaders have promised everlasting peace and prosperity for thousands of years, and none of them have achieved it. 

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9:31 AM

why it doesn't ultimately matter who wins this election - part 2

Posted by Brad Polley |

Augustus (which means "worthy of praise and worship") Caesar was seen as the human ruler that would bring about everlasting peace.  He was well-liked and, generally, a good man.  He once paid the year's taxes for the whole province of Asia with his own money.  If the State treasury or a friend was out of money, he would finance it with his own money.  In the words of Stauffer "Augustus was a blessing to mankind."  To give you some idea as to his popularity and apparent achievements, here a couple of writings about him from shortly after his death:


"The emperor, ruler of oceans and continents, the divine father among men, who bears the same name as his heavenly father--Liberator, the marvelous star of the Greek world, shining with the brilliance of the great heavenly Savior." - an inscription found on the island of Philae after Augustus conquered Egypt

"The whole of mankind would have been almost destroyed in internecine strife, if one man and leader, Augustus, had not appeared, who is worthy to be called the hero who averted disaster, who healed the common afflictions of the Greek and Barbarian worlds.  It was he who not merely loosened but burst the chains which bound and oppressed the dwellers of the earth.  It was he who led all the cities of the earth to freedom, who made order out of chaos, who preserved freedom, and gave each man his due." - an Alexandrian Jew

While all of this is going on, a tiny infant is born in the dirt and crap of a backwater town in Israel.  

Augustus wasn't your average ruler.  He was a good and kind ruler, and was looked upon as the Savior of the world.  However, shortly after his death, the same cycle of strife and violence hit the Roman Empire (and, therefore, the rest of the world).  His dream of everlasting peace failed.  The greatest example of the homo imperiosus that the world had known was dead and everything returned to the way it had always been; an endless cycle of war and violence.  You could say that the movement died with the mover. 

Meanwhile, the tiny infant grew to be a man.  He began to say things like, "I have come to set the captives free."  "My peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you.  Not as the world gives..."  This man was saying things that sounded awfully familiar to a people under Roman rule.  He was speaking of bringing peace to the world.  He was making the claims of a king.  But surely this would turn out like all the rest.  Things would go well for awhile, but one day he would die and everything would return to the way it's always been.  Right?


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9:44 AM

An interesting correlation

Posted by Brad Polley |

Socialism - a system of society or group living in which there is no private property (courtesy of Merriam-Webster dictionary)


"All the believers were one in heart and mind.  No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.  And God's grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them.  For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need." - Acts 4:32-35

Hhmmmm.

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9:06 AM

Why it doesn't ultimately matter who wins this election - part 1

Posted by Brad Polley |

I've been thinking a lot of about this election.  That could be due to the fact that I'm getting older and crankier about the fact that this government is grossly misusing my money, or it could be due to the fact that the election has been going on for 2 freaking years and I've had no choice but to think about it.  This election is being billed as "maybe the most important election in the history of our country."  That may or may not be the case in some regards, but I'm going to tell you why it's an irrelevant thing to say anyway.  


I'm reading (and by "reading" I mean picking through it at a snail's pace because a lot of it is pretty boring) a book called "Christ and the Caesars" by a dead German named Ethelbert Stauffer.  It's fairly fascinating and fairly boring at the same time, if that is possible.  In the book, he examines the history of Rome and the Caesars, and then he examines how these guys fit into the life and message of Jesus and the Early Church (the answer: a lot).  One of the more fascinating chapters I have read thus far is the chapter dealing with Augustus Caesar and Jesus. 

Jesus wasn't born into a vacuum, which is the idea you get from a lot of Christians.  Jesus is born into the world in a particular place, during a particular time.  This time and place are unique in history.  His message is one of the here and now (unfortunately Christians have hijacked it and made it to be a message of the someday, faraway future) that was distinct in its relevance, not only to the people he encountered in his earthly life, but to the world two thousand years later.  But before we get to that message, we must look at the world leader, and indeed the entire system of Caesars.

Almost every Caesar claimed to be the "son of God."  This would ensure a couple of things. One, absolute authority; after all, who's going to argue with a policy put forth by the the son of God?  Two, it would lend credence to any war you wanted to fight or any land you wanted to conquer.  There are thousands upon thousands of Roman coins found from the late B.C.E. and early C.E. that are inscribed with the face of a particular Caesar with a phrase such as, "Caesar is Lord" or "The Divine Son of God."  So you have a completely dominant world superpower who's leaders believe they are divine.  

Another aspect of the Caesars is that they thought themselves to be the harbingers of peace to the world (is any of this sounding familiar?).  This peace would be achieved by Roman military conquest, occupation, and a conversion to their way of doing government and society.  Almost every Caesar was seen as the human leader (according to Stauffer the homo imperiosus or imperial man) who would bring about everlasting peace in the world.  Just as an aside, this thought started with the Pharaohs around 3000 B.C.E., but the Caesars co-opted this thought with extreme vigor.  So now you not only have a succession of leaders who believe themselves to be God, but a succession of leaders who claim (and apparently fail) to bring about eternal peace upon the earth.  All of this culminated with Augustus who we'll look at more later. 

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9:52 AM

Honesty in Advertising

Posted by Brad Polley |

I've regaled you numerous times with my opinions of advertising.  This post will not continue the trend of bashing companies for stupid marketing.  This post will be examples of advertising, were I working for an ad agency.  I'm the type of person who just wants more honesty in advertising.


Charmin - "It's like wiping your butt with a whisper."
McDonald's Coffee - "It's like Starbuck's, but you know...terrible."
Starbuck's - "We're actually just curious to see how much you'll actually pay for a cup of coffee."
Taco Bell - Yeah, it's crap, but it's cheap and you'll eat it anyway."
Lay's potato chips - "Filling half the bag with air and increasing the price since 2002."
Exxon Mobil - "Soul...what's a soul?  Never heard of it."
Any political campaign - "I promise to continue to promise a bunch of stuff that I will never deliver on."
American Airlines - "You get a $10 discount if you decide to just sit on the floor."
General Motors - "We're not sure why we're still in business either."
The American Church - "All are welcome unless you're gay or a democrat."

What are some of your ideas?

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11:45 AM

The new racism

Posted by Brad Polley |

When did we time-warp back to the 1950s?  I don't understand.  When did it become acceptable again to deride people based on their nationality?  Has it always been this way and I just haven't noticed, or is this a recent thing.  I saw a video this morning of people at a McCain rally in Pennsylvania and they were yelling at a group of protestors.  The person filming all of this was asking people why they were voting for McCain.  They were saying things like, "Obama is a terrorist."  When asked why, the people said, "Because he's an Arab."  Later, they all start singing "God Bless America."  I'm sure God was pleased.  The video honestly made me sick.  


In another video, a man is holding up a monkey with an Obama sticker on.  Does no one else see how racist that is?  I don't care how anyone votes (even you, dad, I just like giving you a hard time), and it's their business as to why they vote for someone.  The racism has to end though.  If Obama was white and his middle name was something other than Hussein, we wouldn't be having this conversation.  

No one would admit that they won't vote for Obama because he's black, but let's face it, there are a lot of people who aren't voting for him for this very reason.  What they do say is, "Oh, he's an Arab," "he's a Muslim," "he's a terrorist."  So they've exchanged one racism for another.  The media seems to just let all of this slide.  Since 9/11, Arab bashing has become, not only acceptable, but encouraged.  I hear it from Christians all the time.  Note to Christians: Nothing could be further from Jesus' message than racism.  Don't forget that the person you profess to follow was middle eastern and considered a terrorist by the Roman government.  You should probably watch what you say. 

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11:15 AM

It worked! It worked!

Posted by Brad Polley |

The bailout worked!  Wall Street is more stable, and the American people can continue to prosper!  The market is doing really well...what's that?  The Dow is down under 10,000 points for the first time since after 9/11?  Ooh, tough break.  I didn't ever want to retire anyway.  

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10:41 AM

Beyond fun

Posted by Brad Polley |

This game is just hilarious.  I don't care what political party you align yourself with, this is good stuff.  The game pits political candidates in a Tekken sort of format.  Their weapons are all different.  My two favorites have to be Palin's special weapon (her hockey stick turns into a rifle) and Obama's (he shoots doves at his opponents).  The only thing about the game is that it's virtually impossible to win.  It could just be that I suck.  Enjoy.

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10:34 AM

Randomness

Posted by Brad Polley |

Here's what's going through my brain right now:


- When are people going to learn that the government is essentially worthless?
- When are people going to learn that Wall Street investors don't really care about them?
- If I screwed up my job as bad as Wall Street CEOs have screwed up theirs, would I get a huge bonus?
- I'm still wondering if a youth pastor is a necessary expense for a church.
- Is my heartburn from the sloppy joe I ate at lunch, or the fact that I have eaten my weight in apples over the last four days?
- The Velvet Underground may be one of the most underrated bands in history.
- Why did it take me so long to discover 1970s Stevie Wonder?
- Speaking of Stevie Wonder, does anyone remember the episode of the Cosby Show with Stevie in it?  That was a good episode.
- What is it about John Mellencamp's music that makes me want to drive off the road into a giant oak tree?
- I watched the movie "Rock Star" last night.  I wasn't impressed.
- I'm playing golf tomorrow and I can't, for the life of me, figure out why.
- Will my lethargy for life ever end?
- Could my kids be any cuter?  I doubt it.
- I get jealous of auto mechanics because they do more to help people than I do. 
- I eat at a Turkish restaurant from time to time?  Can I be Vice President now or do I have to meet Bono first?
- When did Bono become part of the United Nations?  Isn't he the singer for some overblown rock band?  
- Sometimes I secretly wish that God would just end this world immediately.
- It says in the biblical account of the great flood that God regretted creating humans.  Does anyone else think that is the saddest image ever.  
- I'm pretty tired of people like Bill Maher thinking that they are going to convert the world to atheism by making a documentary.  Seriously, what a biased load of crap.  He finds the craziest, most extreme examples of religion and then leaves out the other 95% of religious people who are intelligent, moderate, and are trying to make the world a better place.  Good journalism Bill Maher, you truly deserve an Oscar.
- I'm really tired of having to say I'm sorry for all of my crazy brothers and sisters.  
- Christians are hypocrites, but so is everyone else.  I've never met a person who wasn't.  Get over it. 

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