I think this is a great idea, but what do you think? I haven't tested it out yet, but I would like to sometime soon. If anyone else has done something similar, I would love to know how it turned out.

The YouTube Party

1. First, decide on a meeting place, date and time. A comfy living room with a big screen TV would do well.

2. Invite your friends over for the party. The cost of admission? A URL of a You Tube video that they currently find interesting. (Read More)

Maybe I'm the social misfit here or maybe it's all in my head. But after college I noticed greater hurdles in the way of me making friends. I'm not talking acquaintance, I'm talking friendship. I presume this relational regression is quite normal because in general I've heard many say the same. Why do you think that is?

I can lay a couple of guesses. The shell thickens to protect. We get weather-beaten and hardened. Come time, most of us grow more tolerant of others, yet become more intolerant of personal criticism. The dreams that once driven us we now hide deep within our secret journals. The passions and convictions that once inspired we now consider childish and unrealistic.

The link is here.

Scripture: 1 John 1:1-4

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

Observation
John's way of describing his experience with God involves all of his senses. God seems to be all-enveloping, strongly provoking, that John cannot help but use visceral language to describe it. He hears, he sees, he touches. He writes these things as a result of coming into contact with the reality of realities.

The introduction has similar themes as Genesis and the gospel of John. The beginning. Manifestation. The word. Life. The Son with the Father.

God uses “proclaimers” to proclaim eternal life.

Application
I wonder if I should emulate John's way of proclaiming the gospel. He brings in personal experiences, and with that, he naturally brings much gusto and passion, because he knows it to be true. His own senses provide proof that God is real.

“...so that you too may have fellowship...” I am reminded of the centrality of relationship. The point of the gospel is to to mend again what was once broken. To bring together the separated. The point of the Gospel, and thus the point of Christianity is NOT the “repair of one's character.” God's ultimate gift isn't our sanctification, but the gift of Himself.

Prayer
Lord, help me remember my story. Let me not forget how you barged into my life in such a real way. You, like a glorious and good lover, are an assault to the senses.

What an awesome story this is. To me the bear is the quintessential symbol of hulking strength. And bestial ferocity is attractive. So attractive. I've got no problem admitting that I've got a "man crush" on the bear. It's not shameful; unlike some disgusting men calling Bear Grylls of Brad Pitt their man crush. Come on - they're only people. Anyway, not many other things are more awesome than a bear going to war. Think of the armored polar bear from the Golden Compass. And now think of Voytek the Soldier Bear. He drinks. He smokes. He carries heavy mortar rounds. Someone make a movie of this!

I found a gem of a site today. It's TED.com. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design. The ethos flooding and driving this collective is "the spreading of great ideas." Check their little paragraph extolling the value of ideas:

* An idea can be created out of nothing except an inspired imagination. * An idea weighs nothing. * It can be transferred across the world at the speed of light for virtually zero cost. * And yet an idea, when received by a prepared mind, can have extraordinary impact. * It can reshape that mind's view of the world. * It can dramatically alter the behavior of the mind's owner. * It can cause the mind to pass on the idea to others.

Only one piece missing though - this line from the mysterious V:

"I am an idea... and ideas never die."

Unsatisfied with American Idol? Nothing to watch on TV? No problem. We still have the extra small screen: internet video. I stepped into the past with my Capcom Idol, Ryu, only to find that the street fighters have leaped (rather ungracefully) into the future.

Street Fighter: The Later Years Part 1

Scripture: 1 John 1:5-10

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Observation

I wonder if this is an atypical presentation of the gospel. I don't usually hear the gospel described this way, but maybe it is the "message" that John speaks of. The writer begins by declaring God's holiness. Next, he describes the state of our relationship with the Truth/Light/God. Thirdly, he reveals the way by which this fractured relationship is restored. Sounds like the gospel.
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