Friday, May 29, 2009

Sagacity

Jordan Wolfe
5/29/09 Religions

Sagacity

This was an assignment in Religions of the World to create or own religion.

Origin: Sagacity grew from Adam and Eve within the Garden of Eden. As the story of Genesis goes the devil embodied in a snake tempted Eve saying, “You shall not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it (the forbidden fruit) your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Knowledge of what is good and evil entered the world in the fall.

Sacred Writings: The Bible. Great value is also placed on historical accounts, biographies, and academic texts from which you can glean knowledge. Every text or instrument of learning when sifted through with discernment which comes based off of the Bible can be found to have some worth.

Figure Head. Jesus, the prophets, and the characters of the bible.

Creed: Love God, Love people, and serve others.

Heaven and hell are the end point of the journey of life. The focus is not on Heaven and Hell it is on the journey and what is learned in the journey. The goal is to embrace the process and in it find wisdom. If you find wisdom you will live a life established in Love, Faith, and intern enter into eternal life in heaven.

The higher power is God, the I am, he is love and in him is the fullness of wisdom.

Miracles are a by product of being connected with God who is supernatural. The focus is not on miracles. We do not chase miracles as thrill seekers but as we chase God and miracles follow.

A fundamental Sagacist is one who pursues wisdom. Wisdom is not limited to the storing up of knowledge but rather wisdom comes through the application of that knowledge. Therefore a true Sagacist is one who applies knowledge upon application increases in wisdom.

The prayer of a Sagacist is one from the heart. It is a prayer both of asking questions, listening, and meditating. Then as you follow the leading of God your life becomes the prayer and you draw closer and closer to the Source.

The torah along with the near entirety of the Old Testament spells out the law. The law is wisdom but it is an unattainable righteousness as we are fallible beings. The fulfillment of the law is a more perfect order, that of Grace which fulfills the law. Grace is a free gift from God and the rule over those whether followers or not. Grace extends to all.

A life full of Joy is always a celebration. We celebrate each other, we celebrate wisdom, and we celebrate even the trials of life because out of there pressure character and fresh depth is produced.

To use an icon as representation for Sagacity would be to throw limits on wisdom by narrowing it to an image.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Kilts, Togas, and Drum Lines

24 days till the move date. Headed to Seattle, leaving what has been for 18 years, Bend and family, familiar and what has become so known that I have almost become that which I know.
Senior meeting today to receive cap and gown. Campaign day today and speeches tomorrow.
today we campaigned with drum lines, togas, and many slices of gum with candidates names tagged to the back. It was wonderful. As we drummed and yelled our support for the candidates we support hundreds of kids watched, clapped, danced, and lunged for our sweet little enticements.
23 days till move date. Speeches today and wearing Kilts rather then togas. The music got botched for our Scottish jig along with a lot of warfare spiritually. I was tortured in a skit, played organ, shot the British. It was a pretty epic day. After school I will be picking up my little sister from the middle school and singing a duet with her. I speak for the first time tonight at the church I have been involved in my whole life. Senior speak out it is called. Tomorrow I take off for the Christian Renewal Center and get to lead the high school section of the camp from Friday until Monday. Tuesday is seniors last day of school. Tuesday, through Friday morning I will try to track 5 songs for a demo CD. Thursday is Graduation, Friday is grad party and benefit concert. Saturday and Sunday I was invited to be the service host for Westside Church.
It is a full and exciting, mildly stressful and joy filled season. Lord help me focus!

Monday, May 18, 2009

Brief Thoughts on the Communist Manifesto

Analysis of the Communist Manifesto
I strongly agree that the classes, which are set up in society, that separate and place at odds different people groups in society need to be simplified. Just as strongly as I agree I also disagree with the philosophy and the vehicle of communism as a governmental order.
I agree that the exploitation of the working class is a valid crime and needs regulation, I agree that we should take care of the basic needs of our neighbors, I believe that if the sinful nature of man was taken away from him we could just about do away with governmental systems. The issue I find is that of stealing the incentive to work hard by only allowing what is considered necessity.
Limiting the identity, passion, and the desire of an individual by harnessing him to pull the load for those that cannot pull their weight for the same reward as those he is pulling is oppressive. Now if the situation is truly inspired out of a desire for unity out of a heart changed from the inside I am all for it! Then it freedom rather than oppression, then it is true selflessness not requirement.
In a society without the internal change of heart that I have only seen in a lasting way by revelation of Jesus Christ there would be great disorder, exploitation, and crime. That is without governmental hierarchies of control. Each law that has been established or at least the majority of laws are proofs of society having broken restraint and needing governance to prevent harm and maintain order.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

The Abraham of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity

Who Is Abraham?
By Jordan Wolfe

Who is Abraham? Was he a prophet, a teacher. the father of many nations, or the father of a belief system? Depending on how we classify Abraham we could find ourselves fighting with Islam and camping with Jews, or making faith claims with Christians. To Islam Abraham is father of Arabs, to Judaism he is the father of the Jews, to Christianity the father of faith.
In The book of Genesis the story of Abraham begins for both Judaism and Christianity. G-d calls out to Abraham and says, “Go forth from your native land, and from your fathers house and I will make you a great nation.” Abraham follows the leading of G-d and even though he does not have an heir, he is old and his wife is past the age of child bearing Abraham and his family set out for a land they did not know. The split between Islam and Judaism comes inside the argument of lineage. G-d fulfills his promise to Abraham for a son through Sarah but not until after Sarah first loses hope and gives his husband her maidservant by which he produced another heir. Ishmael is the son of the maidservant Hagar and Isaac is the one born of Sarah. Isaac is said to be the covenant blood line by the Jews.
The Muslim Arabs and even those Arabs who have not submitted to God argue that the son Ishmael which God also promised a lineage of twelve tribes is the chosen blood line not Isaac. The larger difference here though is found in that difference of belief and submission. Although bloodlines are important because of Gods covenant with Abraham the Muslims believe that commitment is more important than lineage. If you believe and submit to God then you follow Abrahams example of a surrendered life and therefore are under the covering of Allah. There are many differences aside from simply the bloodline but the basic dividing factor is that of lineage of this case because if what the Jews claim is true then the Arabs are not Gods chosen people and therefore will not have his blessing or reward.
Christianity is similar to Muslim belief in that it agrees that lineage is not the end all but rather belief. Christianity is although more so in agreement with Judaism in the account of Genesis. The Jews and Christians share the same old testament and belief in the blood line but as the apostle Paul says in his letters to the early church it is by faith that we are grafted onto the chosen people (Jews) first to the Jew and then to the Gentile. The split is there in the beliefs of Judaism and Christianity because Jews believe it is the law not grace that is the sacrifice for forgiveness of sin.
Politically each of these claims has caused great havoc throughout history and even in present day the war still rages over who is credible in their claims to this Father Abraham. There is war over land, war over practice, war over war, and war for the sake of allegiance to one party or the other. The Jews and Arabs in the middle east are ever in conflict over who really has original and justifiable claim to the land and to sacred places of worship. Some would say that there is no proof if this man even existed but millions have died over which of his sons is the rightful heir to the promise of God and now this Father of many beliefs and bloodlines is written into our history books with the stain of blood.