In case you missed this on Kim’s blog….
thetalesofkimbogardus:
My birthday dinner turned out to be more than either Nick or I expected.
We went to a place called The Pink Door in downtown Seattle. When we walked in, I was instantly captivated by the enchanting atmosphere and decorations. It was crowded but comfortable at the same time.
As I was finishing a quite scrumptious Caesar salad, a girl standing slightly behind Nick caught my attention. She was wearing something between a Christina Aguilera video and a knock-off Moulin Rouge costume. I turned to Nick and simply asked, “Will there be dancing darling?” in a ridiculous 1920’s snobby accent. Seconds after those words left my lips, the lights dimmed low, seductive music started, and I was met with feet above my head.
That’s right. Feet. Feet dangling inches above my Caesar salad. Unbeknown to us, the Monday night entertainment at The Pink Door is Burlesque dancing. Burlesque dancing from a ceiling swing to be more specific. It was rather unusual and I couldn’t help but giggle when I looked at Nick’s face- partially showing terror and partially showing confusion at what exactly he made reservations for. I was amused to no end. However, the only camera I had was my Polaroid- which was low on film- and my phone camera. So this was all I could get to prove my birthday dinner to you:
Afterward, we took a walk downtown, peering into the windows of interesting shops, finally stopping to overlook the bay. It was a good first birthday in Seattle.
Thanks to everyone who sent warm birthday wishes to rainy Seattle! It helped make my 3rd birthday away from friends and family all the better.
kim
This is taken from A.W. Tozer’s book Man - The Dwelling Place of God.
Poetic Figures vs. Reality
The language of devotion has helped to create the impression that the church is supposed to be a band of warriors driving the enemy before them in plain sight and with plenty of color and drama to give a pleasing flourish to the whole thing. In our hymns and pulpit oratory we have commonly pictured the church as marching along to the sound of martial music and the plaudits of the multitude.
Of course this is but a poetic figure. The individual Christian may be likened to a soldier, but the picture of the church on earth as a conquering army is not realistic. Her true situation is more accurately portrayed as a flock of sheep in the midst of wolves, or as a company of despised pilgrims plodding toward home, or as a peculiar nation protected by the Passover blood waiting for the sound of the trumpet, or as a bride looking for the coming of her bridegroom.
Misunderstanding The Church’s Role: Wincing & Sanctioning
The world is constantly lashing the church because she has no solution for the problems of society, and the religious leaders who do not know the score wince under the lash. Every once in a while some churchman in an acute attack of conscience does penance in public for Christianity’s failure to furnish bold leadership for the world in this time of crisis. “We have sinned,” cries the frustrated prophet. “The world looked to us for help and we have failed it.”
Well, I am all for repentance if it is genuine, and I think the church has failed, not by neglecting to provide leadership but by living too much like the world. That, however, is not what the muddled churchman means when he bares his soul in public. Rather, he erroneously assumes that the church of God has been left on earth to minister good hope and cheer to the world in such quantities that it can ignore God, reject Christ, glorify fallen human flesh and pursue its selfish ends in peace. The world wants the church to add a dainty spiritual touch to its carnal schemes, and to be there to help it to its feet and put it to bed when it comes home drunk with fleshly pleasures.
Speaking In It’s True Prophetic Voice
In the first place the church has received no such commission from her Lord, and in the second place the world has never shown much disposition to listen to the church when she speaks in her true prophetic voice. The attitude of the world toward the true child of God is precisely the same as that of the citizens of Vanity Fair toward Christian and his companion. “Therefore they took them and beat them, and besmeared them with dirt, and put them into the cage, that they might be made a spectacle to all men.” Christian’s duty was not to “provide leadership” for Vanity Fair but to keep clean from its pollution and get out of it as fast as possible. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
The Church Cannot Die
We are in real need of a reformation that will lead to revival among the churches, but the church is not dead, neither is it dying. The church cannot die.
A local church can die. This happens when all the old saints in a given place fall asleep and no young saints arise to take their place. Sometimes under these circumstances the congregation ceases to be a church, or there is no congregation left and the doors of the chapel are nailed shut. But such a condition, however deplorable, should not discourage us. The true church is the repository of the life of God among men, and if in one place the frail vessels fail, that life will break out somewhere else. Of this we may be sure.
quotes
tozer
the church
christianity
faith
religion
contextualization
I’m so proud of what my wife did while we were in Mongolia and what she’s continued to do while we’ve been back in the States. Check out her post below and then look at the site she made for the kids: www.photoclassofmongolia.tumblr.com
thetalesofkimbogardus:
Hey everyone!
I know this has been a long time coming, probably about three months now, that I have talked about creating a website dedicated to sharing my students photographs. Well, it is finally finished.
We had two wonderful exhibitions, in both Mongolia and America. Thank you to everyone who made them possible and to those who came out to see what I have been busy with for the last two years.
For those of you who weren’t able to make it to the exhibitions, I have selected what I think are some of the student’s best photographs, scanned them, and made tumblr sites dedicated to each student. Now you can get a little taste of Mongolian culture, read miniature bios on each of the students, and if you want, support the student’s college education by buying some of their printed photographs.
Thank you again to everyone who gave encouragement, support, and supplies to make this class possible. And most importantly, thank you to my students who studied extremely hard and mastered their first photography class.
Now hurry over to:
www.photoclassofmongolia.tumblr.com
Feel free to email me with any questions or comments.
kim
mongolia
photography
