On Going to Camp

I will be on staff at Pioneer's L.I.T. program this summer. Please dig the the ideas behind L.I.T.:

a)"To promote the personal growth and leadership development of Christian teens."

b)"To train young people to serve as Christian leaders in Pioneer's camping programs and their broader home, school, and church communities. "

-also-

"Community is a vital component of the program, and L.I.T.s spend a great deal of the time in various groups. Activity groups, small groups, and room groups are all facilitated by carefully selected staff who model the servant lifestyle that L.I.T.s will seek to emulate. Through all of this community interaction, relationships are built which flourish into amazing and lasting friendships."

Looking foward...

-C.D. Clements.

On the Probable Case

Here is a theory: People who attest to make decisions based on facts are probably,* not actually making decisions/actions based solely on facts.

1. Everybody has emotions and reasoning capabilities.
2. Emotions affect decisions/actions, on a ‘below the surface’ sort of level.
3. This is part of being a whole person.

It can be an interesting puzzle trying to discern the ‘underlying issues’ which are affecting the facts of a decision/behavior.

*Note: ‘Probably’ excludes things like buying the less expensive chicken to save money. This is an example where there is not a significant emotive component to behavior.

On Two Pictures with Captions

This is my Hebrew (biblical language) class. We were all ‘in it together’ which made for a unique sort of classroom community bond.

Myself and Storm on the Play Fort. A swing jumping competition ensued.

-C.D. Clements

On the End of the World

I went to see N.T. Wright at U. of T. He suggests there will be no rapture (as understood traditionally ) , and that the age to come will be a union of the heaven and the ‘new’ earth, where we will exist in ‘spiritual’ bodies.

He said many more things, but I was thinking about this one particularly. There is a prevailing theology (which is a sort of Gnosticism) whereby Christians get to flee the world as it self-destructs. But consider the following:

1. The New Jerusalem is going to be ‘let down’ from heaven. Who is going to live in it?
2. Why is God has God established his kingdom on earth if at the return of Christ (an the fulfillment of all things) there is not going to be any one to be in the kingdom?
3. The crated order is ‘groaning’ in anticipation of the right ordering of the cosmos. (Romans 8) The creation is groaning for man to rule and serve it the way God intended. (N.T. Wright)
4. The Bible asserts a new heaven and a new earth.
5. Inheritance as sons (and daughters) of God. This inheritance is also ‘the nations.’

This means that Christians are to anticipate a renewed (or new) earth in their actions, and avoid (among other things) attempts to preserve God’s kingdom by dropping bombs on evil.

-C.D. Clements

On Phish Rocking Out

Please Dig these Pictures of Phish, live in Vegas, 2000 - 09- 30.

-C.D. Clements

On Community

I am now ending a four year stay in the dormitory of Tyndale University/College and Seminary. Two of these years were spent in the capacity of a ‘residence advisor’. Here is a very brief reflection on my experience:

Christian Community is purposed for:
A) Relating to God
B) Relating and Ministering to each other. (in good times/bad; the idea of ‘being’ or ‘peregrinatio’, which is apparently Latin for ‘pilgrimage’) Relating to one another has to do with being honest and vulnerable (commonly termed ‘real’). Ministering (in a tiny nutshell) is the renewing of the image of God on a person’s life.
C) For inner healing & giving one’s self character definition. Please note: God defines the person, but others are certainly are employed by God in the process.
D) Equipping for ministry
E) Having lots of Fun

Role of the Individual Christian in Community
A) Commune with God (devotion, covenant faithfulness/experience)
B) Co-Facilitation of a community where ALL members belong. (Co-Facilitation in the sense that fellow man and God are also involved in act)
C) Self-Sacrifice (in many capacities. Two specifically: 1) The only way one can get what one wants consistently is in isolation, which is not pleasant. 2) Service is a Christian moral imperative)
D) Enjoy the community and its benefits.
E) Realize one’s commitment to God and one another in trial.

The Tyndale residence experience is something that has given my person definition is various appreciated aspects. Living in an intentional Christian community (in my opinion) is an anticipation (albeit fallen anticipation) of Heaven where we will know God perfectly and one another perfectly.

Two Notes:

A) This is my reflection, as oppoesd to a widely accepted systematic theology excerpt.

B) Read: Ephesians, Chapter 2; Life Together - Bonhoeffer

-C.D. Clements.

On Josh Healey

Josh Healey has told me on several occasions to reconstitute this blog. I have heeded his words and re-post with the understanding that it is useful to keep in touch and discuss over long distances with a blog.

-C.D. Clements