"Fringe" Issues

Right after the Psalm 100 debacle at UNC I was talking to my college pastor's wife (check out her blog!) about how Christians differ in their views on homosexuality and other "fringe" issues (homosexuality, abortion, birth control, females in ministry, etc.). She said something super insightful (that was actually something her husband had said) that has stuck with me ever since: "fringe" issues aren't really "fringe" issues because they reveal what we think about God and his Word - they're really more like core issues.

For the sake of this discussion, "fringe" issues should be thought of as intrinsically on the "fringe" of Christian doctrine. The issues themselves are not inherently problematic to doctrines such as salvation, and are therefore thought of as unimportant, treated with apathy, or brushed over in order to minimize differences in the church at large. 

In some ways, I think exchanging thoughts, ideas, and opinions with believers whose beliefs differ from yours on such issues is helpful and insightful. After all, God created each individual different, each in his image, each to express a different facet of his character in some way. I personally have benefited from friendships with believers who were on the opposite end of the theological spectrum on  a number of issues. And, to be perfectly honest, the definitive answer to fringe questions is often not clearly marked in the Bible. In such instances, believers ought to interpret the issue through the lens of the Gospel, scripture as a whole, and God's character.

In Knowledge of the Holy, A.W. Tozer said "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us."

Just take that in for a minute. What you think about God is the most important thing about you. Why? Because how you think about God determines how you act towards and interact with God and others. In terms of "fringe" issues, Christians often deviate from a biblical, gospel-centered worldview (note: not a "Christian" or "right-winged" worldview) when they deviate from God's word and his character. Their thoughts about his character are severely skewed, thus mangling their opinion on issues that, in their minds, don't matter.

Don't get me wrong, your opinion on homosexuality isn't crucial to securing your salvation. By far the most important issue Christians need to have a strong, unwavering opinion on is the Gospel.

But when it comes to other issues, don't look to a political ideology or even another Christian's view on the subject, look to "core" things like scripture and God's character, and make a gospel-centered decision, giving grace to others who disagree with you.

Day Date in Durham!

This semester, for the first time in my college career, I don't have Friday classes! Conveniently, neither does my sweet fiance. This past Friday we took advantage of this time off and had a day date in Durham. Day dates are the best because 1) things are cheaper (lunch time menus vs. dinner time, matinee prices, etc.) and 2) sunshine.

We started out the morning by having breakfast at the Mad Hatter. Seriously so delicious. The only problem was it was too early to eat sweets from their bakery :(

Next we went to Duke Gardens. I love Duke Gardens. We spread out a blanket, got in the Word, read, and talked. It was so fantastic and much needed. We went to the gardens multiple times throughout the summer with The City Project so it holds a special place in our hearts :)

To wrap up our date, we went to Bull City Burger and Brewery. Oh man. It was burger-juice-running-down-my-hand good. They have delicious burgers and really fun fountain drinks, plus a nice patio in the back. The building itself makes the food taste better - I mean seriously check out those ads on the side - too cool!

We're really excited to live in Durham come December and explore this fun, eclectic city more!

Wordless Wednesday: Half Marathoning

Bright & early, ready to run!

Evidence of the early morning start time.

Me struggling, Emilie encouraging - pretty much what happened the whole race!

Probably talking about cramping up during the race...

The best roomie bonding experience ever - training for & running a half marathon!

My sweet fiance got up super early to come to the race :)

Post-race stretching....

and eating pizza (pretty sure I was probably talking about how disgusting eating pizza after running 13.1 miles is)

My fam came too! They got a hotel, came to Saturday night church, then got up early to watch me race!

Boom. Done.

Insta-Prayer!

What if you could pray and God would instantly answer your prayer? Let's be real, that'd be pretty awesome. It either sounds like a bad infomercial or a Genie-your-wish-is-my-command scene from Aladdin, complete with a stellar soundtrack. It kinda sounds like its too good to be true.

But the crazy thing is is that God does this. In a way it is too good to be true, but God graciously answers prayers in divine timing that brings him glory. Sure, God chooses to answer some prayers after years of faithful petition before his throne, but God seriously answers some prayers instantaneously. Just last night I had a significant chunk of one-on-one time with a classmate. We had to listen to a guest lecturer off campus, then I was going to take her back to her dorm. During the lecture, I prayed for an opportunity to share the Gospel/invite her to church/talk about God. Y'all - all of those things happened in some fashion just minutes after I prayed for them! God is seriously awesome. And this isn't the first time this prayer for opportunity to share has been answered with lightening speed. 

So why does God seem to answer this prayer so quickly? It's because he's the best daddy imaginable. He desires ALL people to be saved and he wants to mercifully draw his children to himself!

Pray with boldness that, because of what Jesus did on the cross, God the Father would draw his children to himself through the Holy Spirit speaking through you, and that all would come to have a relationship with the Lord. And when you pray said prayer, don't be shocked when God faithfully answers, all in divine timing.

Courtship "Defined"

Since Miles & I started "courting" (as opposed to dating), I've gotten lots of questions about what courtship is exactly. Defining courtship is inherently problematic because every person (whether they decide to court or not) has a different opinion or definition about courtship, and to be honest, there isn't even a conclusive and widely accepted definition among courters. One sweet lady asked me to define courtship for her because the only thing she knew about courting was from the Duggar family (check out the cheesy, but not all too far off video). Besides the Duggar family, most people think about Josh Harris's I Kissed Dating Goodbye. Both of these courtship-endorsing entities are significantly conservative and to many seem outlandish and old-fashioned. 

For us, courtship is above all else intentional. When Miles first came to me to tell me how he felt about me, he didn't say "I've really enjoyed spending time with you this summer and would love to hang out and spend more time together." Thank goodness, because, really, what does that even mean?! That hypothetical statement reveals nothing about his intentions, and would have deeply hurt me and left me playing he-likes-me-he-likes-me-not games with myself. Instead of being vague, he protected both of our hearts by saying "I've really enjoyed spending time with you this summer, and after prayer and council, believe you are the perfect woman for me. I want you to be my wife." BOOM. You can't really get more clear than that, people. We had discussed when we would get married, how many kids we wanted, our testimonies and our views on tons of theological issues all before we went on our first real date.

I realize to the majority of people this sounds super crazy. And honestly, it kinda is. But, you know what else is super crazy? The Gospel. The whole reason Miles chose to court me rather than date me was because of the Gospel and how it was modeled through courtship.

Jesus didn't come to earth to get to know us and "date" us, then decide if he would die for our sins in love. Instead, when the fullness of time had come, Jesus wholeheartedly came down to earth to pursue the church, love her, and sacrificially die for her. In the same way, in courtship a man pursues the Lord, gets to know a godly woman in community, then sacrificially pursues her for marriage with love. There's no guesswork, no "getting to know each other" to determine if they're "the one," no waiting for a post-date call - really, in that manner, courtship is quite fantastic.

Many people dream about modeling the Gospel in marriage, but completely forsake the Gospel in the stages leading up to marriage, relying instead on social constructs with often heart-breaking consequences. 

I'm not saying courtship is for everyone. I haven't always been a hard-core courter at heart. Both Miles and I had dated multiple people before meeting each other and beginning our courtship. I think there is a godly way to date, but I think courtship eliminates so much of the awkwardness and heartache that often accompanies dating. 

Regardless of whether you date or court, seek to demonstrate the Gospel in word and deed while seeking a spouse. Both dating and courtship look differently for everyone. Prayerfully consider which is best for you and don't compromise. 

Courtship isn't defined by ankle length jean skirts and Sketchers, but instead the sacrificial pursuit laid out by the Gospel.