Ethical Reflection: Round 4

I thought I would kick it old school with this ethical reflection, from Deuteronomy 10:

¹⁴ To the LORD your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it. ¹⁵ Yet the LORD set his affection on your forefathers and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations, as it is today. ¹⁶ Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer. ¹⁷ For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes.

I like this passage because it speaks of the internal versus the external. The Israelites were "world-famous" for showing their physical connection to God, yet internally they refused to have an intimate relationship with him. Their bodies were physically circumcised as a representation of their election as God's people, yet their hearts were far from him. I think the ethical reflection here is that as a Christian it is important for both the internal and external self be in line with what God has in mind for me. If I am in God's will, if I am loving God and others, then my heart truly can be circumcised.

Ethical Reflection - Round 3

So here is my third passage that I think reveals ethical reflection. It is found in the 5th Chapter of Hebrews (NIV):

11 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. 12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

I have to admit that this is one of my favorite passages. I use this frequently when talking to my small group... we even had a milk jug that referenced this passage. Another story for a different day. But I feel that this is a good passage to portray moral, ethical reflection. It is the idea that learning & growing are key to distinguishing between what is good a bad moral conduct. It is the constant use and training that allows one to distinguish between right and wrong, not some inherent ability. This illustrates that sometimes moral actions must be learned; for example, I may never realize a stove is hot until I touch it, or until I learn that when something is hot you should not touch it. Learning about a stove helps me distinguish that it is a bad idea to touch it when it is hot. In this case, I don't have to learn by my mistake, I have been acquainted with the teaching of heat and stoves. In the same way I can become acquainted with the teachings of morality and righteousness. Through learning, I can distinguish between good and evil, and not have to worry about falling into a sinful mistake and learning the hard way.

Ethical Reflection: Round 2

Here is my second shot at a passage the informs ethical reflection, from Galatians Chapter 5:

¹⁶So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. ¹⁷For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. ¹⁸But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

¹⁹The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; ²⁰idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

²²But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,²³gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. ²⁴Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. ²⁵Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. ²⁶Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

I think this passage does a great and simple job of revealing ethical reflection. In his writing, Paul spells out rather clearly the conflict that exist between life in the spirit and life in the sinful nature, noting that they cannot coexist in the life of an individual. These two contrasting ways of life have their consequences, and Paul details that clearly.

The passage certainly is a cause and effect way of looking at moral actions. Paul obviously gives us the choices and outcomes, but so effectively portrays the right choice to make. I think this is a good example of Ethical reflection.

A passage that informs ethical reflection round 1

So for the first journaling assignment, we are asked to choose five passages that might inform ethical reflection. I have decided to do one each night until I have the five done (five journal posts; sounds great).

The first passage I have chosen comes from Philippians 2 (NIV):

¹If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, ²then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. ³Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. ⁴Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. I think this passage is a good beginning point for some ethical reflection. Ethics has to do with morality, the correct way of acting in situations. What a better way to act then to be humble, looking out for the interests of others. Paul gives each person the ability to look out for others, without forsaking themselves. The key point for ethical reflection is that we should not be so absorbed with ourselves, so prideful with the way we live. Instead, we should humble ourselves and be willing to take care of each other in one accord, in one fellowship. It speaks highly of the character of Paul, one willing to forsake his own well being for the sake of other's salvation.

Welcome back for Living Ethical Lives

Greetings to all four of you who might take a gander at this blog:

Well it is that time again, time for another course of study module to come around. I have to admit that out of all the requirements that are due for the course of study, the journal component is the one I have the most difficulty keeping up with. For example, the class started last Monday, and this is my first journal post... 10 days later. Needless to say, I feel that I need to do a better job of this component!

This new course is titled "Living Ethical Lives". It brings a hope to the relativity that you find in secular Ethics. Secular Ethical Morality is relative to the individual: What is good for me may or may not be good for the guy sitting next to me. Theological ethics is grounded in the person of Jesus Christ and his word found in the holy scriptures. This doesn't mean that there aren't individual opinions and differences (have you seen all those denominations?), but that there is not a defeatist foundation of relativity. Our ethics are grounded in the grace of Jesus Christ!

With all this in mind, it is my hope that you will join me on this journey of ethical reflection. It should prove to be an interesting ride.

Jayson - Written in Cursivy letters

Who am I a slave to?

It's true, I am a slave. And as much as it may appear, I am not a slave to my wife. As Paul writes to the church in Rome:

"What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! Don't you that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are the slaves of the one you obey- whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? (6:15-16)"

The truth is that each one of us is a slave. Whether it is to the sin of the world that leads to death, or the righteousness that flows from the side of a crucified Christ that must be accepted for anyone to receive life to the full. I am happy to say I can boast with Paul:

"But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness (6:17-18)."

Thanks be to God indeed.

The heart of a teenager

I had the wonderful opportunity to talk with teenagers about issues that they were going through. I have to admit that I am amazed at how similar my life is to these young people. No, I don't mean I act like them... all the time... but I can see my personal life, my personal struggles, are the same things that these young people are dealing with. I struggle in my prayer life, I struggle in my devotional time, I struggle in my priorities. I find myself so often so exhausted from everything that I have committed myself to that I have no energy to give to the God, who should be the most important part of my life. It is so easy to fall into the trap of saying "things will slow down in a little bit, I just have to get through this week... or this month... or this year... or this decade. The discipline necessary to prioritize God in my life is lacking for sure. I know that there is a battle going on right now for my time, and if I don't take control and discipline myself, it can and will spin quickly out of control for me. I cling to Moses' guidance on the word of the Lord, and know that this way of viewing my relationship with God can help me.

"These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates (Deuteronomy 6:6-9)."

I guess the question is this: can I make this things so ingrained in my life that they are a natural part? That is the question that remains to be answered. I hope for my sake and my family's sake that the answer will be a resounding yes.

God Everlasting

I have to admit that I am exhausted. It has been a long week so far, and I can see the tasks at hand piling up. I find I am lacking on the energy or the time to get things taken care of. But I know that you God are everlasting, that you do not grow tired or get drained out. You are the one everlasting God, creator of all things, who will see me through my fatigue. You will help me to finish the race, to rise up on the wings of Eagles, to run and not grow weary. You will see me through, and I praise your name for that. Continue to bless my time and my studies I pray.

My Covenant

As part of my Course of Study, this is one of my Journal Prompts:

Write a covenant between you and God as you feel led and directed by God.

Wow... How do I go about writing an agreement with you God? What can I possibly do to make an agreement I can keep? I know that I am not perfect, but I am hoping that I can make a covenant with you that I am capable of keeping. Am I allowed to have a "screw-up" clause in this agreement? I am hesitant to come to terms with something, because I know that in my humanness that I very well may not be able to keep my end of the deal. I guess the covenant that I want to make with you is that I commit to try to my utmost to walk in your ways, and lead my family in that same direction. I covenant that I will strive to follow your commands, that I will work to build and maintain a committed relationship with you. Overall, I covenant that I will strive to serve you in all my ways, acknowledging you as only one who can save me. With your help, I commit to keep this covenant with you. Amen.

Love Hurts

Yes, the words of the great band Nazareth are flowing through my ears:

"Oooh Ooh Love Hurts..."

These words seem to be even more clear to me in light of the words of Mother Theresa. I received this from a friend, and thought it a good thing to think about:

"Love, to be real, must hurt. If you want to truly love the poor, you must share with them. If you want poverty to disappear, share it. A gentleman asked me, "What must we do to eliminate poverty from India?" I answered, "We need to learn to share with the poor." That is what I want to share with you. We cannot share unless our lives are full of God's love and our heart are pure. As Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor of heart, for they shall see God." Unless we are able to see God in our neighbor, it will be very hard for us to love. Since love begins at home, let's love each other at home. Jesus said, "Love one another as I have loved you." He loved until it hurt. Jesus' love is so overwhelming that you and I can love Him and find life. We can love Jesus in the hungry, the naked, and the destitute who are dying. We can love him because our prayer gives us the faith we need to be able to love. If you love you will be willing to serve. And you will find Jesus in the distressing disguise of the poor."

I find a lot of times I don't really have a concern for the poor. I am so busy trying to live my life, to accomplish my goals, to set out for the task at hand, that I rarely take a break to even think about the "least of these", let alone to do something, to go into action. I find this statement "we need to learn to share with the poor" seems so simplistic, but also so incredibly compelling. Loving hurts, but it is not as hard as it may seem. The important part is that one has the willingness to try in spite of the hardships and pain that such a task entails. Again,

Ooooh, Oooh, Love hurts.

The calling of a missionary

I just got done reading one of my favorite devotion books, My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers. The story has it that Mr. Chambers allowed himself to experience death from a ruptured appendix because he refused to take up a hospital bed that could be used for a soldier during the war. Talk about a man among men! Today's reading stated that the missionary is not sent because of the need, because of the task at hand. The missionary is sent because it is Jesus doing the sending. The Missionary goes because God calls them to go, not because the need is such that a person can meet it. The call to mission comes from behind, not ahead. Its an interesting perspective I think. In my life I am ready to see the need, meet it, and move on unchanged. Am I willing to see beyond the physical, emotional, spiritual need, and see the source of my calling as Jesus himself? Am I allowing the call of ministry to change me, and does that change in me change the place I minister at? It all starts with Jesus first! Amen and Amen!

Journal for Ministry

So I must say it has been a while. Once full time school kicked off last year, it seemed like the time for blogging was long gone. Although I have found a rebirth, one that I should have realized a long time ago. As part of my Course of Study for Ministerial Development, I am required to journal on a regular basis about the things I am learning, insights I have gained, and challenges I have endured. Sometimes these writings are on prompts, sometimes they are out of my reading or daily devotion. I will share my journal insights with you (you being anyone who takes the time to read this blog) on a (hopefully) daily, regular basis. The first is a reflection on a prayer:

"Thank you, Lord, for changing your mind! Because, if you didn?t, we wouldn?t have a prayer!"

This is in reference to one of the many encounters between God and Moses. God had finally had enough of the nation of Israel and them following their own ways. God told Moses, "That's it, I've had it, and I am going to destroy these people, and start my people from you." Moses pleaded the case of the Israelites "God, don't forget the promise you made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." So God decided not to destroy Israel because Moses interceded on their behalf. I feel the same way about my life today. God has every right to blot my sinful life out of existence. I am a sinner through and through. But it is through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ that the justice of God was fulfilled, and mercy was extended to my life. Now Jesus sits on the right hand side of God, interceding on my behalf, & his Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, the Advocate, intercedes on my behalf as well, giving me the opportunity (if I choose) to be righteous and declared clean before God. I love the truth in this prayer, that God was willing to relent his just punishment on all of humanity by sending his son. I am so thankful for that, and now I do have a prayer indeed.

Economic Advice

I've been looking at some of this stock market stuff, and it doesn't look promising. We've all known that the economy hasn't been great the last couple of months, and then this happens? Now we hear all these panic-triggering words about the economy like "blood bath", "2nd great depression", "economic collapse". Well I've decided that I am going to increase the amount of stock I own. Maybe you haven't heard of this particular company, but it is a sure-fire safe bet to help ease your economic concerns. The Symbol is IXOYE, and it is from the Yahweh Kingdom of Heaven Corporation. Their motto is simple:

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, `What shall we eat?' or `What shall we drink?' or `What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:25-34)

I'm investing in Yahweh's stock, because I know that he will see me through all my troubles. He is the only one who can give security like that. And if we lose all things? It doesn't matter, because he will provide for all of my needs. Glory be to the one who takes care of those who seek him first! 

Crazy Times!

It truly has been a crazy last couple of weeks! I feel like I am finally getting into the groove of going to school full time. Five classes a day is pretty intense, but I am managing o.k. I actually saw on campus the world famous, Fiesta Bowl proposing Ian Johnson. He looks a lot bigger on T.V. Maybe it is because he is wearing all of those football pads, but hey it was still pretty cool. 

The thing I really like about school is the complete exhaustion I feel after going for 12 straight hours. It sure does help me sleep better at night! 

Fall Time!

Well it is officially September... and it is getting cold. I find that this fall is a little bit more like the spring time, with the birth of my first child coming in four weeks, more or less. It seems like this whole experience has gone by so fast, and all of the sudden it is time for the little one to come. I find now that I must really start getting ahead in all of my classes so I don't fall behind... That's about the last thing I need when I am getting up several times in the night. I must say there is a benefit to having these 12 hour school days... I am really tired, and I sleep great! It's important to keep pulling the positive out of the things life hurls at you. In writing to the Philippians, Paul states that "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (4:13). I am claiming to his words, knowing full well that it is Christ who strengthens me, who will help me make it through this challenging fall. I will make it indeed!

Head Colds and Football

Well it figures that on the eve of my busiest week of the year, I would come down with a head cold. I don't think it is because of stress, because the stress hasn't even started yet! That's supposed to happen this week! I don't think I have ever been stuffed up like this at the end of nice summer weather. Figures.

On happier notes, football season is about to begin! High School, College, and Professional football all kick off this week or next week, and I must say that I am very content with that. I think the game of football is the one thing I can tune out and just be with. I don't have to worry about all of life's struggles, just who will make the conversion on fourth and 2. Happy days for football!

I am worried about my 49ers. They are pretty unsure at quarterback right now, and I've got that sinking feelign that we won't win more than five games this year. I am a fan, but I am also a realist. Maybe the Mets can carry baseball for me into October.

Youth Group!

Today is Wednesday, that means Youth Group at the Refuge! 

The Refuge exists to provide a safe place where young people can experience the love of Christ and be directed towards a lifelong relationship with him. 

Truly I love this slogan. I think it is important that the young people get to experience not only the love but the blessings that come with having a relationship with Christ. It is such a great honor and blessing to be able to work with teens and help figure out a way to navigate through this awkward phase known as adolescence. It is my hope that I can help teens come in to a relationship with Christ and experience a real relationship that grows.

If you could, I ask that you would be in prayer for the teens that will come tonight, and with the leadership that will meet with them on their level.

One Week of Full Time Employment

Today marks the last week that I must work full time. I work at a place called Total Truck, and because my wife was able to get a full time job, I can now work part time, and go back to school full time! Needless to say I am very excited to not have to work as much anymore. It just kind of takes me out of all the major responsibilities of the day to day full time job. Now I can say "I don't know, I haven't been here all week!" For some reason, that really excites me.

I'm nervous about going back to school though. 15 credits this first semester. Hopefully I can handle the workload. I have 5 classes on just Tuesdays and Thursdays, so that will become my full time job those two days of the week. At least I get Saturdays off, otherwise I might go insane from work overload.

Fall Sports!

I really do enjoy the entire Summer, but there is something about the Fall that really gets me excited. For one, Major League Baseball is starting to wind down, and my New York Mets still seem to be in the chase for October and the World Series. Second, my other baseball team, The Luchadores, are still playing. Never heard of them? They are my fantasy team. I must admit that I am not very good at fantasy baseball, but I enjoy it none the less. Finally, Fall marks the beginning of Football season. My San Francisco 49ers haven't been much to cheer about these days, but my Boise State Broncos are always a lock to win quite a few games. Expectations have been sky high for this college team that upset Oklahoma two years ago in the Fiesta Bowl, so I'm really hoping to not be let down. Can't wait for the sound of big men crashing plastic football pads into each other!

What is Hobo Jay's Refuge?

I guess I feel like I should take some time to explain the title of this here blog.

It actually has a dual meaning to it. The Hobo Jay part comes from a trendy little nickname that I have acquired over the last couple of months. As stated in my profile, I really like to recycle. I like being green, but it isn't for the environment. Instead, it is for another type of green named Washington, Lincoln, Jackson, and Franklin. Recycling is a good way to supplement my income, so I do. But since then it truly has become a full blown obsession. I have no problems reaching into the top of a trash can for a pop can, as long as I can see it. I don't dive in, but if its easily attained, its mine. So Hobo Jay is in reference to my recycling addiction that cannot be quenched.

It is a refuge because that is the name of the Youth Ministry I am involved with. The Refuge takes its name from Hebrews 6:18B: Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us.

My goal is to make this not only a place where you can enjoy fun and entertaining bits of knowledge, but that it can encourage you and be a place where you the reader can come to for a little refuge from this life.

Thank you for visiting and enjoy!