A Short Commentary on Our Financial Crisis

Found this on CNN.com.  While this will almost certainly tick-off a few fiscal conservatives, I’m finding my own thoughts gravitating more and more toward a preference for quasi-socialism of the nature of much of Western Europe.  Maybe this is my own way of “freaking out” over the ongoing economic woes our great captitalist experiment has created.  But considering the fact that I’m too poor already to be affected in any significant way, I tend to think that my preferences are rooted more in what I perceive as being a higher quality of life and financial policies that seem to me to be more in-line with Biblical teaching on stewardship.

Lastly – because I know that this has the potential to be a hot-button topic for most who may be reading my blog – please refer to my “disclaimers” in the side bar before hauling off on me and criticizing my lack of knowledge of America’s financial inner-workings.  It’s not my strength.  I post this article not because I back and agree with everything said, but because I find it thought-provoking.  With that said, enjoy…

How We Became the United States of France

By Bill Saporito Sunday, Sep. 21, 2008

Antony Edwards / Getty

This is the state of our great republic: We’ve nationalized the financial system, taking control from Wall Street bankers we no longer trust. We’re about to quasi-nationalize the Detroit auto companies via massive loans because they’re a source of American pride, and too many jobs — and votes — are at stake. Our Social Security system is going broke as we head for a future where too many retirees will be supported by too few workers. How long before we have national healthcare? Put it all together, and the America that emerges is a cartoonish version of the country most despised by red-meat red-state patriots: France. Only with worse food.

Filed under: Random

Reapplying the Great Commission

So it’s finally been published.  Although not officially up and available for public viewing, I have my ways of getting a look at the next month’s Banner before it’s official announced.  Checked out the October issue and my article “Reapplying the Great Commission” has been published.  You can read it straight off the Banner website here – but if you prefer, here’s the text to read:

by Jason DeVries

“In short, the Christian Reformed Church in North America, as we know it, is dying.” Rev. Sam Hamstra Jr. made that startling statement in the March 2007 issue of The Banner (“A Modest Proposal”).

Perhaps “dying” is a bit strong. Perhaps not.

Filed under: Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Culture, Evangelism, Ministry

Reflection

I’ve been having a hell of a time trying to get into a rhythm for this term.  It’s not that my workload is too heavy for me, it’s just that I’m having to put off doing reading and homework until a time in the day in which my brain doesn’t work so well.  And so homework is becoming more difficult and taking me longer than it should…but I guess I have to be flexible and able to make those adjustments, eh?

One of the experiences I will be having this year is a part-time internship with a CRC church plant in downtown GR.  This church has been meeting for 6 years now and still haven’t crossed the threshold of being self-sufficient.  Some would say that’s a problem and they need to be shut down.  But they do have approximately 90 people meeting on Sunday morning, many of whom are young with very little money.  And so, when it comes to finances, there’s simply not a whole lot of money to be had.

Filed under: Church, Church Planting