Monday, September 18, 2017

"We owe to the middle ages the two worst inventions of humanity - romantic love and gunpowder" - Andre Maurois

This seemed like an appropriate visual inasmuch as we had Itzhak for dinner. Pam marinated and braised a section of his back. We realize this is a learning experience, but this first effort went well. Pam says it could have used additional cooking time that would have made it more tender, but the flavor was sure good. And as I've noted, I should have butchered a month or more earlier. 

It is pouring!, the first hard rain we've had since April. I was planning on doing today's 4 mile run in the rain but it let up during most of that time and I only got sprinkles. Based on the forecast tomorrow should be a very wet run. 
The best part of this return to typical Oregon weather is the effect it's having on the forest fires around the state. 

We watched a little of the Emmys last night, but couldn't deal with more than about 45 minutes. 
Pam likes seeing the dresses, but commented that they've moved beyond cleavage to an extent that fashion has all but disappeared. Add to that the political commentary (why??) and the fact that none of the nominated shows are any part of our viewing routine and, well, what's the point? So we watched American Pickers. 
Why aren't any of the PBS dramas nominated? 

The Ken Burns documentary series on the Vietnam War is getting a lot of attention ahead of its showing. Pam and I talked about it and decided not to watch. I won't speak for her, but I want not to watch it. That is, I want to avoid it. 
Thankfully, I escaped serving in the military during that time (me in the military would have been a disaster for both of us). What we know now is that the war had no legitimacy as a use of force, the govt. lied to us about almost every part of the effort, and WAY too many people on both sides died for no good reason. Add to that things like Agent Orange and the way our guys were treated when they came home and I can't think of any reason to relive that part of our history. 

I'm struggling with the beginning of the last chapter. The first page is the most critical because it sets the tone and direction for the rest of the chapter and after three tries I still don't like what I've got. 
It's about making sure we're balanced on both the doctrine/practice spectrum but also with regard to the role of dispensational theology. As I've aged I've grown increasingly impatient with dispensationalists, particularly mid-Acts dispensationalists, who are so focused on that one aspect of theology that it becomes the standard of orthodoxy and fellowship. They can cross every Pauline t and dot every Mid-Acts i, but they are anything but gracious and can't fellowship or serve alongside anyone who might - horror of horrors - be Covenant in their theology. 

But you catch more flies with honey than vinegar so it serves no purpose to roundly criticize that kind of thinking. I need to make it look like what it is - myopic, parochial, and counterproductive to God's glory. But do so in a very gentle sort of way. 


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