For by Him all things were created
* “For by Him all things were created, in the heavens and on the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through him, and for him.” Colossians, 1:16 (W.E.B.)
Here begins an interesting journey. Well, not really. It doesn’t actually begin here. It began a very long time ago, but I digress.
Astute readers will notice that a new category has been added: Christianity. Today’s entry marks the first use of this category. Although I am not nearly as well versed in Theology as some, I do hope to chronicle my particular journey and its experiences.
It began about a year ago. I am an avid reader of Charlie’s journal and try to follow the twists and turns through the maze of lexicological interweavings. I’ve noticed on several occassions that there seem to be issues with which translation of the Bible is more correct than others. Indeed, each translation seems to have its own spin, its own flavor. Comparing two of the same verses from different translations can yield surprising and often confusing results. For instance, the verse from Colossians, 1:16 (quoted above from the Word English Bible) differs significantly from the Message (MSG) translation which reads: “Everything got started in His name and finds its purpose in Him” So, why the difference? More importantly, is the difference really significant?
If we take the Bible as God’s word, then the message should come through regardless of the translation, right? I think the answer is: It depends. It depends on intent. When I was younger, I read the King James Version and occasionally others as well (NIV, NASB) and reading it didn’t affect my spirituality. Was it because these translations had missed something vital? Or was it my intentions? I read the Bible (parts of it, anyway… I have yet to make it cover to cover) because I had heard that it had some good bits of wisdom in it. I had seen Charlton Heston as Moses many times, and enjoyed reading about him as well. But my intent was not to better know the Word, or to seek His guidance, I read the Bible as I read a multitude of other philosophical books. To me, at that time in my life, it was just another book.
Last march, I decided to read the Bible once again. I was spurred on by the debates of which version was “better” than another. It was (and still is) my contention that if your intent is correct, the message will come through. I chose a version that was freely available for my handheld palm device (if you’re curious, it’s the ISV version available from Olive Tree) so that I could easily carry it with me and read whenever the opportunity presented itself. But first, I had to define my intent. I had to realize that this could be an opportunity for transformation and I had to be willing to accept whatever was in store for me. Let me be clear on this point: I did not consider myself a christian when I began reading. The last religious group that I was affiliated with was Buddhist. I’m not sure that I consider myself a christian yet. But that may be changing, and I am willing to accept that.
So nearly a year has passed. I’ve only read the first two books of the Old Testament and parts of Mathew. Has anything changed? Well, as I mentioned in my last post, we are once again expecting a child. Several things in Faith’s life have happened that have pointed her towards christianity. (I won’t go into those here, she’ll tell her story when she’s ready) About a month ago, we started attending Community Covenant Church. This past weekend Faith and I started on the “40 Days of Purpose” with some neighbors. Yeah, definitely some changes. As we work our way through the 40 days, I will be adding entries when appropriate so that you may follow along, or add your own thoughts in the comments below. (Please be respectful, I have yet to censor any comments, but if things get out of hand, I will not hesitate to remove an inflammatory post)
I attended the opening service for 40 Days at a much larger church than my own. My initial impressions were not great. After watching the simulcast of Rick Warren (the author of “A Purpose Driven Life”) I have to say that I found it to be way over the top, so to speak. It was rather like a sales meeting, albeit some very good points were made, and the music was wonderful. It came across to me as a carefully orchestrated event calculated to pull at the old heartstrings (oh yeah, and the pocketbooks, cause you know, there selling the book and the study guides in the lobby!) I borrowed a copy of the book from a friend at church, but I did buy the study guides (for a donation of three bucks, it didn’t tug at the pocketbooks all that much).
That night (Saturday) I was quite disappointed in the whole recruitment-drive feel and wondered if this really is the right thing for us to be doing. I’ve never really felt like I truly belonged in a church to begin with and this overwhelming experience was nearly enough for me to think this really wasn’t a good idea. As I went to bed, I half thought to myself, half prayed for some sort of sign that this was where we need to be. I figured I wasn’t asking for much, maybe just a significant dream while I slept, that’s all. I woke the next morning with no such sign. Well, it was sunday morning, so we loaded up the van and headed off to church. I was still agitated from the night before and tried to relax as I drove. Walking into the narthex of the church, amidst a small throng of people, was a small table that held the church-goers’ nametags (most everyone at this church wears them). Three tags stood out. They were for Faith, Logan and me. Three signs that we belonged there.
Can’t ask for a better sign than that.
February 23, 2004 11:52 pm 
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