Augustine's Confessions

Yesterday on the plane I was able to read Augustine's Confessions. Augustine was a North African theologian and church leader who was born in 354 A.D. This book is an autobiography of sorts, written in the form of an extended prayer to God. It is considered a classic. In it, Augustine tells of his wild youth and his long struggle to Christian conversion. For years his mother, Monica Prayed for him with many tears, that he would come to know Christ. Eventually he did and all of Christianity and western society was changed through his life and work. He is called the Father of Grace in that it was Augustine who began to formulate and emphasize the teaching of grace from scripture. Here's one of my favorite passages:

"Wither do you walk, farther and farther along these hard and toilsome roads? There is no rest to be found where you seek it: seek what you seek, but it lies not where you seek it. You seek a happy life in the land of death, but it is not there. How can you find a happy life where there is no life? But our life came down to us and he took away our death and he slew it out of the abundance of his own life. He thundered forth and cried out to us to return hence to him into that secret place from which he came forth to us... O you sons of men, how long will you be dull of heart? Even now, after the descent of life to you, do you not wish to ascend and to live? But how can you ascend when you have set yourselves up high and have placed your mouth against heaven? Descend so that you may ascend, so thatyou may scend to God. For you have fallen by ascending against God.
Tell this to those souls, so that they may weep in the valley of tears, and thus you will carry them along with you up to God. For it is of his Spirit that you tell them this, if you speak while burning with the fire of charity".

The People You Meet Sitting in Little Chairs

Ok, so here's the funny thing. when I got to my gate at the Columbus Airport, there were no scary looking guys. I was sitting next to a normal looking guy and his daughter and I decided to strike up a conversation. As it turns out, this guy is a church planter returning to San Fransisco after a meeting in Columbus. We talked shop for a while and exchanged info before boarding the plane. Then, while on the plane I ran into some one else interesting. Right across the isle from me was a guy I know named Jeff who is the brother in law of a good friend of mine and he works for a ministry called student venture. We talked about how the yearr has gone for each of us and what we hope to see happen in 2005. Kinda funny the people you'll meet while sitting in little tiny chairs.
Anyway, I made it to LA safe and sound. Got my rental car and arrived at Jason & Dara's home in time to join him for a bible study. He asked me to speak. I was not prepared to speak. I spoke. It sounded a little like I was making it all up as I went along, because I was. The good news is that I'm relatively confident the talk was heresy- free. That's always good. I said only true things, I just don't know if they were helpful things!