The Organ of Meaning

This morning was a morning that I woke up on the proverbial wrong side of the bed. For the first hour and a half, all I know is that I was completely in a funk.

Getting out of bed itself made me annoyed because I couldn’t find my glasses.

My wife made me annoyed because I was being cranky and she didn’t like it.

Coffee made me annoyed because I hadn’t eaten and I was sure it would mess up my stomach.

Getting my lunch ready annoyed me because I don’t want to eat a packed lunch.

Driving to class annoyed me because we were late and the drivers around me weren’t cooperating and getting out of my way.

Sitting at the table for class bothered me because people keep sitting at our table and making it so the people who have been sitting at our table for two weeks have to shift around and find new tables.

The short time of singing in worship annoyed me because I was annoyed and distracted in my mind so I was annoyed and distracted by my distraction and my annoyance which annoyed and distracted me…

The emcee annoyed me, not for any good reason. It didn’t help that as she got up there about a second of some dance song started which gave away that someone would be dancing on stage soon; which is not often a good thing. It also annoyed me because the people running the sound and powerpoint have been mediocre.

The thing that finally got me out was the dance song, and the emcee.

The emcee’s daughter was the person who was taking up some of the space at our table. She has been in the childcare here. Last night they had a talent show and had performed a dance number with her mother (the emcee). They decided to share it with us. While it was a little cheesy, it was fun. The girl was funny becasue she was cute. The emcee was funny because she was performing a dance that was intended to be done in front of kids.

Somehow, that was the thing that broke through my crappy morning. I’m still tired and the dance number was a little “Dunder Mifflin”, but it was fun and light hearted. And, really, you stay mad when there’s a kid doing a good job that has been sitting across the table from you.

Thanks for making my morning better, kiddo.

This question and prayer came after reading a portion of the history of the Protestant Reformation where Luther actually had someone executed for preaching a differing understanding of baptism than himself…

Is there an example of anyone in the scriptures who died because of bad doctrine on par with a bad understanding of baptism (or less)? I know not of even one! For pride; for lack of pursuit of God; for disobedience and dishonor of God; for a sin in action or condition that is not confessed? Yes, yes, yes, yes. For ignoring God’s Word – yes. For blasphemy – yes. For heretical action – yes. For heretical words – none that I know of. Killing for worldview, for belief or for understandings does not fall in line with any definition of biblical – then, how can any judgment be leveled against a heretic or theological opponent?! For, all righteous judgment is a judgment that can (at some degree) be taken to judgment unto death… and indeed it will on that great and terrible day.

[1/10/08]

I think over the next few weeks I’m going to pull some stuff out of my real-life journal and post it on here. I was looking through it the other day and thought that I should make some of it searchable for myself – and for you too I guess.