TX

Flat. Humid. Water towers. Football.

That's how I've described Texas before, and this previous trip is no
exception. But of course there's more. There are many wonderful and
creative individuals in Texas. Not the least of which is my sister href="http://www.shaneross.com/images/2002/natalie-head.jpg">Natalie, who recently was in a
play. They finished their last performance of ="http://www.phillyburbs.com/halloween2001/dracula/huntley.shtml">Dracula
at Conroe High
School last night.

Her performance was very good. She played a senile old woman who said
inappropriate and silly things and was very taken with Count Dracula, the
mysterious Continental man, until everyone suspects he's a vampire. The whole cast did an excellent job. The
play was full length -- two and a half hours -- and it even had several
special effects, like explosions and flying bats, even "optical illusion"
ghosts.

If she comes out to California, or even if she doesn't, I hope to see
her in more plays. (Rumor had it, there were talent scouts at the play,
but I think that was just some vicious, unsubstantiated hearsay. Then of
course, maybe I'm the talent scout, and maybe I started the rumor.)

CA

Now that I'm back in California, where people avoid eye contact and
secure valuables, I've decided it's time to get to work. No foolin'
around this time. I've really got to get crackin' on that textbook --
it's kind of like a prelude to my thesis, and an expansion of it. I'll
just put the Russian National Anthem on infinite repeat and get goin'.

TIPS 4 Christians

Those of you who are part of the Fellowship of the Lord, are you aware
that you are to be as one with each other as Jesus and the Father are one? I cannot
comprehend how those Two are actually One, what intimacy they must have.
And yet, every Christian is to have that with every other Christian. And there are, what, perhaps two billion of us living now?
Amazing. At the very least, this tells me that it is time to settle
conflicts I may have, and be at peace with all people as much as is
possible. It also means transparency, being open and honest, as
appropriate to the maturity of one's audience.

And speaking of maturity, I've meditated upon that subject recently,
especially in the context of contemporary "seeker" churches, churches that
are focused on evangelizing via their Sunday service. I have heard
complaints from friends for years that sometimes the Sunday service at
these churches is too elementary. These friends want deeper truths, new insights, more meaty teaching. I recall a passage from Hebrews:

By now you should have been teachers, but once again you need to be taught
the simplest things about what God has said. You need milk instead of
solid food. People who live on milk are like babies who don't really
know what is right. Solid food is for mature people who have been
trained to know right from wrong. href="http://bible.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/bible?passage=HEB%2B5%3A12-14&showfn=on&showxref=on&language=english&version=CEV&x=12&y=9">[Hebrews
5:12-14]

People need not only the basic gospel message, but need to grow
spiritually. The best way I have seen is through discipleship, where a
more mature Christian walks alongside a less mature Christian and teaches
them. I am not talking about a discipleship program (pogrom?)
exhibiting cult-like control. I'm talking about friendship, but with the
understanding that the discipler is more mature. I have benefited from
this approach. It is very counter to the postmodern, post-Christian
world, which would scoff at the idea of having one's character shaped.
But it is the example Jesus gave with his (gulp!) disciples, and the
example those discples went and did with those they brought to the faith.
And so on through two millenia until the present day, which hopefully
brought you, gentle reader, into fellowship with Christ, and with the whole distinguished host of witnesses from Paul of Tarsus to Billy Graham, with whom you and I are to be one.

Arbeit nicht macht frei.

Only the truth shall make you free.