Owner: Sharp Iron URL:http://sharpiron.wordpress.com/ Join Date: Mon, 10 Sep 2007 15:06:16 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: Greetings! My hope is that Sharp Iron can be a friendly enough place that you would feel comfortable sharing your thoughts and opinions on a variety of topics. I am very interested in spirituality and how that affects every aspect of our lives. Site statistics:Click here
Good Bread and Wine 2007-10-16 21:44:25 For the past couple of weeks in class the kids and I have been learning how to bake bread. Although I have spent over half my life working with all kinds of food I have shied away from baking. It looked just too complicated, all those different steps involved, all the precise temperatures and measurements. I’ve always been a lazy cook and baking just looked like too much work.
Well, I was happy to find out just how easy it is to make good bread. Like most anything else, all you really need is the right equipment, good ingredients and the patience to learn from your mistakes. The first couple of attempts at making a good German rye would have looked more at home stacked next to a Howitzer instead of inside a wicker basket. The Italian bread turned out pretty good the first time we pulled it from the oven and today we finally produced what is an excellent, chewy and very flavorful seeded two pound rye.
It’s so cool to see how the yeast takes the dough and turns it into s Read more:Bread
Pint Sized Preachers 2007-10-15 05:20:17 Check out this report from ABC’s 20/20. Looks very “Hollywood” to me.
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/ver/247.1/popup/index.php?cl=4501215
Read more:Preachers
The Bible in Five Acts 2007-10-21 21:20:18 I very much enjoyed N.T.Wright’s book on Biblical authority, “The Last Word.” In it, he illustrates an innovative way of looking at scripture in its entirety, a way which avoids many of the pitfalls that we encounter when trying to corroborate writings that appear to have diverse, even opposing points of view. He calls it the ‘Bible in Five Acts’ and the following is a more in depth description that I found on the NT Wright web page: http://www.ntwrightpage.com/Wright_Bible_Authoritative.htm
Let me offer you a possible model, which is not in fact simply an illustration but actually corresponds, as I shall argue, to some important features of the biblical story, which (as I have been suggesting) is that which God has given to his people as the means of his exercising his authority. Suppose there exists a Shakespeare play whose fifth act had been lost. The first four acts provide, let us suppose, such a wealth of characterization, such a crescendo of excite
Disrespicting a Gas Pump 2007-10-20 13:10:01 I got gas today. I wasn’t real happy about it it, since it cost me over $2.70 a gallon. After I filled up my tank the pump began to beep, asking me in its insistent little way if I wanted to take my receipt. As usual, I deliberately ignored the machine, indulging in a little psychological payback for ‘ripping’ me off; “Forget it, pump. You can beep all you want, sucker. Take your receipt and…..” For the first time I stopped myself in mid silent-rant. What was I doing?
I suddenly became aware of all the harmless little ways I took out my anger, ways in which I never really hurt anyone. Like the time my local bank had been bought by a big national company without our knowing about it. We didn’t realize (the Lord giveth and the fine print taketh away!) that the new bank had a policy that all deposited checks were held for 5 business days. Suddenly we were being charged hundreds of dollars in overdraft fees even though we had more than enough in t
Michael Austin 2007-10-26 11:15:55 In 1974, during the robbery of a Royal Farms store in Baltimore, a security guard was shot to death with his own gun. Witnesses at the scene, including the cashier on duty, described the assailant as a light skinned black man around 5 feet 8 inches tall. MichaelAustin
, a very dark skinned man over six feet in height was arrested for the crime. He was subsequently tried for first degree murder.
The cashier picked out Michael from a book of police mug shots. When confronted with the disparity in size and complexion he claimed to be mistaken the first time. As the prosecuting attorneys held him up to the jury as being a very civic minded young college student they easily chose to believe him. Besides, Michael, though he was now married and gainfully employed, had a significant record of prior arrests and convictions. In spite of his employer providing him with a tight alibi (he was working at the time of the robbery and there were time cards and multiple witnesses) it made little differe
Ghost Story 2007-10-24 14:59:41 My wife and daughter share a casual interest in accounts of the supernatural. They love to watch those ghost shows on the cable channels, the ones where the paranormal investigators check out allegedly haunted houses. Although they are not in the least way obsessed with the idea of supernatural contact, they both find it entertaining and have adopted a “who knows?” attitude. As for myself, I am a born skeptic and have little time for these ‘reality’ TV programs.
Last Sunday Bev and I took Dot, our 19 year old daughter, and her best friend Bekah , out to enjoy an afternoon’s drive through the countryside at autumn’s peak. It was a classic fall day, a brisk wind pushing gunmetal clouds across a blue sky. The sunlight had that watery feel to it, softening the bright colors of the leaves. Later in the afternoon we ended up in an old town that is famous for being at the center of a Civil War battle. Dot mentioned that the town was considered a favorite Read more:Ghost
Michael Gerson on Open Arms Conservatism 2007-11-01 07:59:00 There was a nice piece written by Michael
Gerson in the Post yesterday. For those who don’t know him, he was a senior adviser with the Bush administration but left over idealogical differences. He has a book out; “Heroic Conservatism
” in which he talks about those differences.
In this article he says;
This obligation to protect has never, in Jewish and Christian teaching, been purely private. Hebrew law made a special provision for the destitute — requiring that a portion of harvested crops be left in the field to be gathered by the poor. The Hebrew prophets raucously confronted the political and economic exploitation of the weak.
A significant portion of the Republican Party and the American public is influenced more by the social teachings of the Jewish and Christian traditions than by the doctrines of Friedrich Hayek and Ludwig von Mises. Religious conservatives, broadly defined, prefer free-market methods. But they believe that the goal directing all our me
What Would Jesus Shave With? 2007-10-30 16:41:14 OK, I know that argument over what would Jesus
drive has pretty much fizzled out. And good riddance! It tended to be divisive and distracting. But I think a good point was put out there that perhaps, just maybe, we are a nation of addicted consumers and this addiction is not really a good thing for us or the planet.
I was reminded of this when I opened up my jar of Maxwell House instant coffee (too lazy to brew on work days). The lid had this really nifty rubberized non-slip yellow band around it that felt real cool when you turned it with your bare hand. (I don’t always wear gloves in the kitchen). I don’t think it made it any easier to open but it was called the E Z Grip Lid. I got to wondering - did this help to sell coffee? And why? Have the number of coffee jar opening accidents been drastically reduced? I could visualize the lids off of jars of Maxwell House flying out of people’s hands, smashing into foreheads, blood pouring onto the dinette. Good to the las
The One Minute Evangelist 2007-10-29 15:36:30 SCENE 1
The new girl, Mary, walked briskly into the office carrying a stack of file folders. She was smiling cheerfully and wearing a bright yellow dress with a vibrant floral pattern. Martha looked up from her desk. “What in the world are you wearing? That dress is not appropriate business attire for this office –besides, it’s way too tight.”
Mary dropped the folders on an empty desk and rushed from the room.
“Where do we find these people?” muttered Martha.
SCENE 2
“Well, what do you think?” Mary asked her new supervisor, Martha. Smiling, she spun around lightly in her new sun dress. Although a pretty outfit, to Martha it looked to be painfully tight on her. And much too casual for this type of office.
“Mary, you look beautiful!” she said. Mary gave her a quick hug and dashed back to her cubicle, excited to start a new work week. Martha made a mental note to invite Mary out to lunch and have a tactful conversation about the office dress code.
Please bear with me Read more:Minute
, Evangelist
Blood Bananas 2007-11-05 08:31:04 I found this article by Ryan Beiler on Sojourner’s website:
www.blog.beliefnet.com/godspolitics/2007/11/blood-bananas-by-ryan-rodrick.html
A recent USA Today article summarized the scandal well. This was my quote of the week for SojoMail today:
Chiquita’s money helped buy weapons and ammunition used to kill innocent victims of terrorism. Simply put, defendant Chiquita funded terrorism.
That’s the U.S. Justice Department, in court filings last [...] Read more:Blood
Christian Chameleons 2007-11-02 10:57:02 Tonight I will once again sally forth into the fray, exposing myself to debauchery, drunkenness, sacrilegious song and other temptations of the flesh. I just hope I have a good time.
There was a period not too long ago, just after I had my conversion experience, when I was a bit unsure as to how a [...] Read more:Christian
The Old Man’s Rules 2007-11-10 14:39:26 “Why do you have so many different rules, anyway?”
The young girl looked up at the old man, frowning.
“I do?” he asked, smiling down on her.
“You sure do. Dozens, maybe hundreds of ‘em” she said.
“Well, actually, I really only have one rule. Some people have trouble figuring this one out so they made it easier [...] Read more:Rules
Towards a More Liberating Imagination 2007-11-09 15:34:15 In talking with a number of people about the possibility of lasting social change, I mostly encounter pessimism. People often shake their heads, shrug their shoulders and say, “Well, what can we do? Jesus does say that the poor and oppressed will always be with us.” Thankfully, there is a growing movement of [...]
Ric Booth’s “Rich Young American” 2007-11-09 05:23:27 A fairly new blogging friend, Ric Booth
, has written a great poem and it has won an award. I’ve reprinted it here for everyone’s enjoyment but be sure to check out his site: www.ricbooth.wordpress.com
the rich young american
by ric booth
my cell is padded grey on grey
fluorescent shadows flood my days
i sit and type old words so [...] Read more:ldquo
, American
, rdquo
Thanks, But I’ll Pass on the Turkey. 2007-11-08 11:21:00 Yep, we’re finally doing it. Bev and I are checking out of the Thanks
giving Day scenario. We’ve been talking about it for a couple of years but were afraid of making too many waves among our extended families. Our kids are just about grown now, both young adults, so if they want to continue with [...] Read more:Turkey
What Kind of Christian are You? 2007-11-07 09:29:50 There is an interesting article over on Christian
ity Today called “Five Kinds of Christians” http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/2007/004/1.19.html .
Here is the table they use to summarize their findings:
Active Christians 19%
Believe salvation comes through Jesus Christ
Committed churchgoers
Bible readers
Accept leadership positions
Invest in personal faith development through the church
Feel obligated to share faith; 79% do so.
Professing Christians 20%
Believe salvation comes through [...]
Bad Boy Crowe to be Gladiator for God 2007-11-07 08:16:47 Movie star from Down-Under, Russell Crowe
intends to be baptized this year, in a Byzantine (?) chapel he built on his estate. In a Mens Journal interview, as reported by the AP, Crowe says “If I believe it is important to baptize my kids, why not me?”
This should prove interesting. First Mel Gibson and now [...] Read more:Gladiator
, Bad Boy
Painting by the Numbers 2007-11-15 11:10:11 When you first decide that you want to be an artist you might pick up a “Paint by Numbers
” kit. Each ‘painting ‘ is really a diagram full of many differently shaped and numbered spaces, each number representing a different paint in your paint box. By religiously applying the correct color [...] Read more:Painting
An Afraid New World 2007-11-15 05:56:34 A New York Times headline today says;
Scientists Use Monkey Clones to Extract Stem Cells
Not only is this the first time such cells have been produced in any animal other than a mouse, but the method, the researchers say, should also work in humans.
“We hope the technology will be useful for other labs that are working [...] Read more:World
Tagged, You’re It 2007-11-13 17:43:30 I don’t know what this is all about but Poetman is pretty cool so I guess I’ll play along.
http://1poet4man.wordpress.com/ has tagged me, here are the rules:
Link to the person that tagged you, and post the rules on your blog.
Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself.
Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, [...] Read more:Tagged
While Some Eat With Their Eyes Others Just Don’t Eat 2007-11-12 15:56:12 So we’ve been talking about things like fair trade, social justice, moral responsibility and the conscientious s capitalist. Often we get to arguing about where we should draw the line, who should decide what is ‘enough’, what is ‘too much’ and whether this is really just talk of pie in the sky.
I’ve never [...] Read more:Others
Thank You for Flying Calvin Air 2007-11-18 19:55:49 “Welcome to Calvin
Air. We ask during the flight that everyone please refrain from smoking. There are two restrooms; one located here in basic seating and one up front in select seating. For reasons of safety we have anticipated your every need. You will be allowed to leave your seats when we reach cruising altitude. [...] Read more:Thank
, Flying
The Helper 2007-11-17 09:02:13 (High above the Earth)
A lone spectral figure races against the dark backdrop of the heavens, relentlessly scanning the planet. Suddenly up ahead a beam of light shoots up from the depths of Middle America, piercing the clouds and fading into the ionosphere. Instantly accelerating to blinding speed, the ghostly entity dives towards the [...] Read more:Helper
An Over-Commitment to Scripture? 2007-11-16 14:57:51 There is an interesting article over on the CT blog site. It concerns remarks made by J.P. Moreland at a recent gathering of the Evangelical Theological Society. He strongly voiced his objectiona to the ‘bibliolatry’ among American Evangelicals:
“In the actual practices of the Evangelical community in North America, there is an over-commitment to Scripture
in [...] Read more:Commitment
Reconsidering Charity 2007-11-22 14:34:56 This is the time of year when we are reminded of charitable needs. Mark Winne, who used to work for the food bank system in Connecticut, wrote a poignant article last week in the Washington Post. In it he suggests that there may be something intrinsically ‘wrong’ with much charitable giving:
The risk is that the multibillion-dollar [...] Read more:Charity
Paths of Desire 2007-12-01 10:28:40 I came across a phrase the other day that I had not encountered before; “paths of desire“. Although sounding poetic and perhaps even esoteric, it turns out to be a very practical term used by landscape architects. It denotes the route that pedestrians will usually take in order to reach their destinations, often with no [...] Read more:Paths
, Desire
Christmas and Mohammad the Bear 2007-11-29 23:27:25 There is a British woman, a school teacher, who just stood trial in the Sudan after being charged with “insulting Islam, inciting hatred and showing contempt for religious beliefs”. Her crime was that of permitting her students to give the classroom mascot, a Teddy Bear, the name of Mohammad. Mohammad is very common in the [...] Read more:Christmas
Small Churches; Getting it Right 2007-11-26 14:45:06 Buddy Oliver over on Rev22 just posted a pretty neat update on his small church endeavor, “Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Exit Doors.” Kinda hits the nail on the head, I think.
http://rev22.org/index.php/archives/101 Read more:Small
, Churches
, Right
Lost Souls 2007-12-06 15:36:34 Joshua comes to school almost every morning, soaking wet in his own urine. He is schizophrenic and also suffers from mild mental retardation. He lives with his mother, who is also mildly retarded, in a dark and dank row house in the embattled sections of the inner city. They have little means to manage any [...] Read more:Souls
, Lost Souls
Japanese and Toes, Knees and Toes 2007-12-05 21:40:36 I think this has been going the rounds for a while but I just caught it today. Figuring that maybe I’m not the only one a bit off the cutting edge I thought I’d share this with you. It’s the latest craze in teaching English to the intrepid Japanese
traveler. Kind of like Berlitz meets Karaoke meets Denise Austin. What [...] Read more:Knees
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