When We Rise Up
Sora writes (Here in a comment)
“Wisdom isn’t instilled in half-hour one-on-one tutoring sessions. It’s instilled in the course of living our day to day lives and working and playing side by side with all our children — when we rise up and when we lie down and when we walk along the road. ”
I find myself saying almost these same words quite often these days when defending my “kooky lifestyle” to other Christians. What amazes me most, is that such ideas are not “normal” in Christian circles. The reason I put her quote up here is simple, it is the very concept that we are trying to live out for our own family. The agrarian life makes these goals more attainble. Industrialism makes these goals practicaly impossible. The choices are black and white. Do we choose a system that the seeds of Christianity can grow and flourish and bear fruit or do we choose a system that is completely hostile to and contrary to the way the bible says we are to live. Our fathers and their fathers generation chose the later and our generation is reaping the harvest. Do we have the courage and faith to change directions and return to sanity?
January 6th, 2007 at 6:17 pm
Scott, you are absolutely right about it coming down to choosing a system that is hostile to a Christian culture or a life that promotes it. It’s the same for finding a denominational affiliation. The biblical agrarian worldview of the church I pastor is treated as “kooky” by most reformed presbyterian circles. Though we share a common reformed theology and ascribe to the same creedal standards (with some exceptions), we do not fit in with the cosmopolitan, go with the economic flow denominations. When it comes down to how and why we live out our lives on a daily basis, we actually have very little in common, which is sad though not surprising, since American Christendom sold out to debt-based, pagan economics many generations ago. On the other hand, I find more agreement with the Amish in spite of their pietist retreatist worldview than with reformed brethren who have embraced the wealth and prosperity of the pagans that surround them. I yearn for the day when there are several reformed agrarian churches/communities in the greater Rayville area that can be affiliated by covenant.
BTW, congrats on the large beaver. Perhaps you can make “beav jerky” out of it. Our prayers are with you. Keep up the good work and do grow weary in well doing.
January 6th, 2007 at 6:26 pm
OOPS — I meant to say, do NOT grow weary in well doing. Me thinks I am a wee bit tired.
January 7th, 2007 at 3:10 pm
It’s our experiance, too. People (professing Christians) just can’t imagine why my wife and I refuse the use of birth control, refuse to send my wife out to work, refuse to send our children to school, etc. etc. while under financial stress. I’m getting so tired of people who have made their money in the God hating usereous system, building massive houses and driving huge SUVs to tote their 2.1 kids to ballet, sports, and acting lessons, and throwing expensive parties and then touting “Look how God has blessed us!” The worst is “We’re doing it for “ministry”". I guess the vast part of church is too shallow to realize that God makes the rain fall and the sun shine on the rightous and wicked alike. While the majority of the shallow church just typically blow off scripture, I find that the reformed Christians, who you would think would know better, either use vain philosophy to justify going the way of society or just chalk it up to the good ole “wisdom issue” argument. Just because God has chosen to allow them these things, does not mean He is pleased with them. Then again, I guess it’s a possibility that though God has blessed us with seven children, He may not be very happy with me either. Okay, conviction has set in, so I’ll stop ranting.
If you decide to try the beav jerky, send some down south. In the rural swamp areas of Louisiana, it’s not hard to find people who make a feast out of nutra. I can’t imagine beaver is much different.
God Bless.
January 21st, 2007 at 12:19 pm
We are also looked at as weird for the choices we make. I have even had people tell me that I need to get my hair cut and look my age. I recently shared with the last person who said that to me about why my hair is long. I told him that in 1 Cor. I am told that my long hair is my glory. To me that says that God likes it and if He likes it, I want it as long as I can get it. They pondered on that and did not say much.