Pilgrim Notes

Reflections along the way.

Category: Uncategorized (page 2 of 22)

Catechism and the Power to Speak

I’ve been lingering in Telford Work’s Brazos Commentary on Deuteronomy. His midrashic style invites slow rumination. He introduced the term “apochesis” when discussing Deuteronomy 4:25. He says,

“The apostasy is not just a failure of parent to catechize their children (cf. 6:7). It is a life of ‘apo-chesis’ in which parents train their children away from purity. Apochesis is endemic in our day when tradition is mistrusted, cultural revolution exalted, experimentation treated as expression, and youth glorified for its own sake.”

Work has adapted the term catachesis. This word comes from an ancient Greek term, katēcheō, meaning “to sound from above”(Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Vol. 3, Page 637) or to “teach by word of mouth” (Encyclopedia of Christianity, Vol 1, p 360). Two Greek words from this word, “kata” meaning according to, after, against, in, down (Strongs, 2596) and “echos” meaning sound and sometimes used to speak about the roar of the waves (Strongs, 2279).

This word was originally used as a dramatic term. The actors spoke down from the stage to the audience. The Scripture uses the word to mean instruction in the word or way of Jesus. So the idea of sounding from above captures the sense of an echo the resounds both in our instruction and in our reflection. The Word of Jesus resounds through His people and in His people. This word is instructing, guiding, opening our eyes to the Gospel and the way of the Jesus.

Eugen Rosenstock-Huessy says the speech is the power to create the future. Using his understanding of speech, we might see catechism as the way resound the Gospel and thus create the future. We remember, we rehearse, we resound the Gospel. The Gospel is a past historical event in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, a present encounter in the Living Person of Jesus Christ we meet in and through the Spirit, and a future kingdom will be fully unveiled in the days to come. It seems to me that catechism capture all three tense: past, present and future. Thus we speak, proclaim, declare Christ is King even in the midst of corrupt and ruling powers.

With this in mind, I return to Work’s use of the word “apothesis.” Work is talking about a generation that choose not to speak, has forgotten to speak, has abandoned the power of speech. Eugen Rosenstock-Huessy wrote in the 1940s that he feared we were entering a “speechless future” (The Christian Future). We live in a world where the prevailing norm is a loss of real speech, words that create the future.

Apothesis seems an apt description to me of a people who have abandoned the future by abandoning the past. They have no power to resound the Word of God and thus they simply make sounds, or as Eugen Rosenstock-Huessy said somewhere, we use words for chatter (from one of his lectures). We are surrounded by chattering voices, sounding off bits of data stripped of vital life. Now more than ever, let us relearn to speak by listening to the Word made Flesh and resounding the Word made Flesh.

What is a Christian?

they smile with their love (uploaded by t3xtures)

they smile with their love (uploaded by t3xtures)

“The Christian religion consists in becoming inebriated with love.”
Richard Wurmbrand

Intelligent Sci Fi Films

photo by Torley

photo by Torley

SF Signal’s Mind Meld this week asks panelists, “Which films do you think are good examples of Intelligent SciFi?” I am always on the lookout for thoughtful scifi, so this list is helpful. I’m the only one in my house who enjoys scifi, so I usually have to watch it late at night.

Some of the films that make this list include (I put a star beside the films I really like):

Ghost in the Shell
Donnie Darko *
The Wings of Honneamise
Dark City *
Voices of a Distant Star
Blade Runner *
Contact *
The Matrix *
Star Wars Episode IV
2001
Primer *
Gattaca *
Minority Report
A Clockwork Orange
The Abyss
Aliens
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind *
12 Monkeys *
Delicatessen
The City of Lost Children *
Alphaville
Liquid Sky
The Man Who Fell To Earth
The Element of the Crime
Moon
Brazil
Stalker
2046

Some films I might add to the list:
Solaris (Tarkovsky version)
Day Watch
Night Watch
Dune
City of Ember
THX 1138

Social Media and the Iran Election Protests

Iran Election (photo by Shahram Sharif)

Iran Election (photo by Shahram Sharif)

The current protests surrounding the recent Iranian election may be one 0f the best tests yet of the global possibilities of social connection via the internet. As many people already know, the US Government asked Twitter to hold off on their regularly scheduled maintenance yesterday so that tweets from Iranian protesters could go on uninterrupted.

In spite of attempts to black out the press and the protestors (via SMS signal jamming, arrests & intimidation, and more), news is still flying out of the country on Twitter (see #iranelection and #gr88), Flickr (constructive help guidelines , there is so much activity on Flickr that the site is actually having hiccups), YouTube, Picasa, LiveLeak, Posterous, Wikipedia, Global Voices Online and more. While the Internet is helping disseminate information around the globe, it is also making a way to get support into the country. One way has been via hackers from outside Iran who are helping by targeting specific government sites. I’m not sure where all this leads, but I am fascinated by the speed and mobilization that interconnectivity of social media has provided.

For those in the West (Americans in particular), I think we should watch and help support (see Simple Ways to Help Iran), but we are not running the ship so to speak. This is not our protest or revolution. And we must not assume that our goals equal the goals of the Iranian people. I think we should pray for them and seek to reach and support when possible, but ultimately whatever happens or does not happen, should come from the people who live in that land.

While some Americans may hope these protests are the beginning of a revolution, I think are primary hope and prayer should be with and for the Iranian people. They want to make sure their vote is counted. I think we should try listening to them and supporting them in ways that we can. Some sites (Simple Ways, Boing Boing Cyber War, Iran Share Archy) have already been set up to show how we can help.

Doug Smilin'




Doug Smilin’

Originally uploaded by dulasfloyd

Firefox 3 Field Guide

I love it. Firefox 3 is to Firefox what Firefox was to IE. It’s faster, easier, and seems to run lighter. You might find it helpful to look at the Firefox 3 Field Guide posted by dria.

Spring of Light Christmas Caroling

For the second year in a row, our motley little church gathered outside Jeremy’s house and walked around the neighborhood, singing Christmas carols. Some folks actually came out to listen, and one couple even hugged us! Merry ho ho! Here’s to next year and more caroling.

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The Floyd Gang

Give four middle aged guys plastic guns with BB pellets, and you’ve got the Floyd gang.

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One Laptop Per Child Reaches 275,000 in Peru

Laptop project enlivens Peruvian village – Giving- msnbc.com

Negroponte’s “One Laptop per Child” has begun spreading throughout Peru over the past six months. According to MSNBC, Peru purchased the largest number of laptops thus far by ordering 275,000. Apparantly, the ability to record is one of the most exciting features for children:

“What they work with most is the (built-in) camera. They love to record,” says Maria Antonieta Mendoza, an Education Ministry psychologist studying the Arahuay pilot to devise strategies for the big rollout when the new school year begins in March.

Already several competitors are trying to create a similar product. Intel is introducing the Classmate and several companies in India and Brazil are also trying to introduce laptops.

I find this whole project an exciting picture of how private enterprise, education, and government can work together in seeking for solutions to various challenges in our world. Kudos to Negroponte and his whole team!

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Who's Afraid of NT Wright?

I think once a week some preacher feels it is his solemn duty to warn his congregation not to read or even think about NT Wright.

Wright is an interesting thinker and figure in the church, he stirs both passionate admirers and fiery opposition. Those who oppose him feel it is their duty to warn everyone about the danger of his heretical ideas. I sometimes wonder if they might like to tape his mouth shut and ties his hands up, sort of the way Maximus the Confessor‘s enemies opposed him. (They cut out his tongue and chopped off his hand.)

I was happy to discover an irenic approach to the questions raised by NT Wright.  Trevin Wax provided a chapter by chapter commentary on John Piper’s recent work, The Future of Justification. Wax models a pattern for listening while still taking stands that could be helpful in the world of theological discussion.

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