Join Me

I believe I have found my calling. It is a calling that, though requiring strict discipline and steady wisdom, will lead to unfathomable rewards. What is this calling, you might ask? It is none other than swing dancing. That's right. I am going to start an organization to benefit the rhythmically challenged. I shall certainly be the foremost member, but what rhetorical energy I have shall be devoted to encouraging the crestfallen and downcast, those lost in the shadows of the graceful and elegant, those like me; for when I attempted this arguably simple dance, recalling what moves I could from past swing experiences, I began to believe that perhaps something was wrong with me. Didn't I have the same ability to understand directions that others had? Then why did my hand go one direction when it was supposed to go the other? Why did I lead the girls with whom I was dancing into fitful missteps? Happily, my unsuspecting partners were forgiving. Not me. It will take years for the scars to heal, and no one will know my pain more deeply. This is why I now commit with courage to creating an organization to assist those like me. This is my destiny. This is my calling. I ask that you join me. Thanks for reading.

My Beliefs

Under the Nazis, a group of "Confessing" Christians in Germany found it necessary to make a clear statement of their allegiance. This "Barmen Declaration" declared that the church was subordinate to Christ alone, not the state. Although the conditions in 2009 are different from those of 1934 (it was risky for a German to defy the state in the 1930s, both in and out of the church), it's still true that we should know exactly what we believe and why. First Peter 3:15 says "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that you have...." Although I don't always act according to it, the following ultimately explains who I am. I guess you could say this is my "Barmen Declaration."

I believe that Jesus Christ has a direct influence on my life, and that because I obeyed his Spirit, I was and am changed. I was once a slave to the wrong things that controlled me, but am no longer. I believe that what I believe about my God and what he says about me has a direct impact on my choices and actions. Connected to this, I believe that the closer I stay to him through meaningful time spent with him in prayer and by reading his Word, the more I will understand myself and the world around me. I believe that the best life possible is found in following Christ, because he removes the things in me that cause shame, and instills in me the things that promote peace and that sustain freedom. I believe that my ultimate worth is found not in acceptance by others, which waxes and wanes according to mood and circumstances, but in acceptance by Christ, who calls me his friend. I believe that this acceptance is unwarranted, yet given freely. Because of it, I am perfect in his sight. I believe in truth; that one worldview is correct and another (though not wholly incorrect) is at least partly false; and in light of this and Christ's command, it is my role to promote that truth in my actions and words. I believe that this truth is under attack; and that to fight for it, I am compelled to practice it in my life, because truth is worthless to the person who stops short of action. Last, I believe that Christ is the only source of salvation, and that this forms the basis of an entire lifestyle that, if chosen, will be rewarded.