Our church is just getting ready to start a 12-week series on the Book of Galatians.  Different people from our church will be tag-teaming on the teaching part of things... But we’re hoping to make this something more than a once-a-week sermon thing, too.  We’re asking our church’s life groups and communities to focus on studying Galatians during the fall, in addition to the stuff that we’re doing on Sunday afternoons.  And even beyond organized activities, we’re encouraging everyone in the church to be reading and studying and meditating on Galatians, individually.  The idea with all of this is that if we can approach things from this multi-level perspective, it will create a much richer learning environment.

But anyway -- one of the more unusual things that we've developed to support this particular series is to set up a Facebook discussion on-line, to allow for others to participate in -- or at least observe -- the teaching process, even as it’s unfolding.  It's supposed to be a sort of "open source" approach to biblical teaching.  We've never done it before, so I'm honestly not sure how it's going to work out (or if it's going to work out at all)... It's certainly different than how the Apostle Paul did things way back in the day!

At any rate, the discussion is open to anyone.  You don't have to be a member of our church community to participate -- and you don't even have to have a Facebook account.  You can just go to http://www.facebook.com/amsterdam50, and join in from there.  I'd be curious to hear if anyone has any experience with "open source teaching," like this -- and if any advice could be offered for how to best avoid pitfalls and maximize the educational benefits of such an approach to Scripture...

I'm officially half-way through my Proverbs 365 project!  For the past six months, I've been taking a Proverb for each day of the year and then considering it and applying it for 21st Century living. Continuing my monthly tradition, I'm highlighting three of my personal favorites from the past month (and hopefully, in so doing, encourage some cross-over readership!):

I've been submitting a number of my Proverbs 365 entries to the fiction critique group to which I belong.  And up to this point, one of their favorites has been P2815 - Papa Bear, a short story about a powerful dictator, a secret agent, and exploration of the subtle motivations behind tyranny.  The story, of course, is inspired by one of the Proverbs -- Proverbs 28:15, to be specific -- in which it says, "Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked man ruling over a helpless people." The story ends with something of a twist, but you'll have to go and read it if you want to find out what it is...

On a more personal note, I deal with some of my own issues of gluttony, greed, and social awkwardness in P2301 - Chastised Over Cheesecake.  I was reflecting on Proverbs 23:1-3, where it says, "When you sit to dine with a ruler, note well what (or who) is before you, and put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony.  Do not crave his delicacies, for that food is deceptive." And as I considered it, I was reminded of the time that I almost blew my relationship with the love of my life... over a piece of cheesecake.  Fortunately, we were able to recover from "The Cheesecake Incident" and even get to a point where we can laugh about it.  But it was definitely a learning experience...

Thirdly, I wonder:  How many of us have ever thought that we're never really ready to be "grown-ups?"  Personally, I can feel like this all the time!  It's hard to live with "grown-up" responsibilities.  It can feel really, really sad and lonely.  Not too long ago, I was reminded of this while watching the film "Mary Poppins" (of all things) -- and the film actually brought me to the point of tears!  But then, by God's grace, I found myself reading Proverbs 18:10 the very next day, where it says, "The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe." Meditating upon this Proverb, I came up with a post entitled P1810 - What to Do When You're Mr. Banks.  To me, it's brought a lot of comfort; maybe the same would be true for you, too...

For a more comprehensive listing of June's content, here are the titles of all 30 entries, along with direct links to the rest of the content.

• P108 - Family Heirlooms
• P209 - Righteousness, Justice, and Fairness
• P311 - Don't Resent the Rebuke
• P417 - Another Kind of Bread and Wine
• P518 - Hot, Passionate, Mind-Blowing, Biblical Sex
• P618 - Fabulous Fab and the Rest of Us
• P721 - Persuasive Words and Smooth Talk
• P802 - The Lady of Schiphol
• P906 - The Road out of Rijeka
• P1022 - All Yin, No Yang
• P1126 - Lessons from the Long Winter
• P1223 - Escaping the Aura of Egghead Eric
• P1313 - Considerations for Hiring, Appointing, and Enrolling
• P1404 - The Hard Work of Farming
• P1503 - Eyes Everywhere
• P1631 - Faith for the Middle-Aged
• P1728 - Internal Dialogue
• P1810 - What to Do When You're Mr. Banks
• P1902 - The Pace of the Proverbs
• P2018 - Seeking Advice
• P2104 - What's the Big Deal with Pride?
• P2207 - The Return to Indentured Servitude
• P2301 - Chastised Over Cheesecake
• P2427 - First Things First
• P2528 - Preventing Ourselves from Doing Things We Want to Do
• P2616 - The Problems of Haiti
• P2717 - Sharpening Experiences
• P2815 - Papa Bear
• P2915 - A Child Left to Himself
• P3015 - Insidious Insatiability

I've got to be honest:  at this point, the Proverbs 365 project is feeling kind of heavy.  Day after day of reading, meditating, and writing has started to catch up to me -- especially as other circumstances in my life become more time-consuming and stress-inducing.  But I am determined to press onward.  I'm half-way there!  Please know that your participation, feedback, and encouragement is greatly appreciated throughout the process.  I'm still working on July's posts -- but so far, it's looking like it'll be a pretty good month.  Check it out for yourself at http://proverbs365.ericasp.com. Please feel free to spread the word, too... One of the distinct advantages of the Proverbs is that it's easy to tune into them, whenever one might so choose. It's not like if you missed the first six months, then you're "behind" or anything like that. The Proverbs are just like these little power pellets that can be consumed and digested immediately. It's never too late to start enjoying them!

I've now completed the fifth month of my Proverbs 365 project: taking a Proverb for each day of the year and then considering it and applying it for 21st Century living. Continuing my monthly tradition, I'm highlighting three of my personal favorites from the past month (and hopefully, in so doing, encourage some cross-over readership!):

One of the past month's entries was especially helpful for me in working out some of the thoughts that I've been having recently, upon observing political processes both in the Netherlands and in the United States.  Honestly, I think a lot of people need to be challenged by Proverbs 24:21, where it says, "Fear the LORD and the king, my son, and do not join with the rebellious, for those two will send sudden destruction upon them, and who knows what calamities they can bring?" If you've ever said that you "hate" Barack Obama, or George W. Bush, or Geert Wilders, or Job Cohen, I would challenge you to read some of my interaction with this challenging biblical text at P2421 - Reprimand of Rebellion...

On an entirely different note, my post from the 21st of May, P2122 - The Old-Timers Versus the Young Bucks, combines three of my favorite things:  basketball, "armchair sociology," and biblical wisdom.  The post is based on Proverbs 21:22, where it is written:  "A wise man attacks the city of the mighty and pulls down the stronghold in which they trust." Since I don't have much experience in actual warfare -- I translated the concepts into the "warfare" of male egos, as demonstrated in countless YMCAs, recreation centers, and outdoor basketball courts around the world.  And honestly, it's pretty amazing how accurately pick-up basketball can illustrate the truth of this Proverb...

And thirdly, I might recommend a reading of P834 - Expectation, which attempts to illuminate Proverbs 8:34 from a more creative angle -- the story of an old man sitting in a diner and waiting for a mystery companion.  The Proverb itself says, "Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway." But instead of taking this at the figurative, symbolic level (talking about biblical wisdom), I tried working this out in a more literal sense.  What might it look like -- what might it feel like -- to be waiting at a doorway, watching daily for God's wisdom?  The result of this creative writing project helped me to get a better grasp on the Proverb; maybe it would be the same for you, too...

For a more comprehensive listing of May's content, here are the titles of all 31 entries, along with direct links to the rest of the content.

• P123 - The Guru's Rebuke
• P201 - Receiving Position
• P309 - Firstfruits
• P402 - Old-School is not Always Bad-School
• P505 - A Matter of Life and Death
• P617c - A Christian Apologetic for the Pro-Life Political Position
• P703 - 21st Century Tefillin
• P834 - Expectation
• P905 - Learning to Feast
• P1026 - Passive Aggression
• P1102 - Reality Check
• P1218 - Wounding Effect or Healing Effect
• P1314 - The Place for Preaching
• P1427 - Fountains of Life
• P1523 - Better than "The Editor"
• P1602 - A Question of Innocence
• P1708 - To Bribe or Not to Bribe
• P1814 - The Casualties of a Crushed Spirit
• P1909 - Worse than Homelessness
• P2009 - The Writing in the Dust
• P2122 - The Old-Timers Versus the Young Bucks
• P2201 - The Most Desirable Things
• P2305 - Money Grows Wings
• P2421 - Reprimand of Rebellion
• P2504 - How to Remove the Dross from Our Lives
• P2608 - About Slingshots
• P2705 - Open Rebuke > Hidden Love
• P2811 - Seeing Right Through Each Other
• P2926 - Issues with Authority Figures
• P3002 - Good-for-Nothing Oracle
• P3120 - Merciful Mogul

June promises to be another great month -- so check it out for yourself at http://proverbs365.ericasp.com.  Please feel free to spread the word, too... One of the distinct advantages of the Proverbs is that it's easy to tune into them, whenever one might so choose. It's not like if you missed the first five months, then you're "behind" or anything like that. The Proverbs are just like these little power pellets that can be consumed and digested immediately.  It's never too late to start enjoying them!

Link: http://proverbs365.ericasp.com/

It was bound to happen one of these days... And it turns out that yesterday was the day.  My Proverbs 365 project has now surpassed this blog (Amsterdam Asp) in readership.  I'm not necessarily presuming that it's permanent (yesterday also happened to have lower-than-average readership for this blog), but it's been building in that direction for the last couple of months -- and I'm actually kind of excited to see that it's happened now.  Just four months following its inception, it's now going and growing strong.

What can I say?  I enjoy the statistical side of blogging almost as much as the artistic (writing) side of things.  To me, the development of the Proverbs 365 project has shown that daily blogging with a highly-specific focus creates for increased internet presence.  And, if I do say so myself, I think it also happens to be a worthwhile project.

Have you visited Proverbs 365 lately?  The statistics suggest that there are more strangers visiting than Amsterdam Asp readers.  So maybe you need to be encouraged to check it out for yourself.  Consider yourself encouraged :-)

It's been a whole week since my last post in this space, which is kind of unusual for me (even in weeks when I've been traveling).  Even so, I have not slacked off in my Proverbs 365 project: taking a Proverb for each day of the year and then considering it and applying it for 21st Century living. I'm now officially one-third of the way through.  It's been a challenge to keep up with such a rhythm of daily posting -- including daily devotionals -- but I've found it to be a very worthwhile experience.

Since it's now the beginning of the project's fifth month, I'm going to continue what has now become something of a monthly tradition -- highlighting three of my personal favorites from the past month (and hopefully, in so doing, encourage some cross-over readership!):

My favorite post of the month may have been P2101 - Watercourse.  I wrote it based on Proverbs 21:1, where it says, "The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases."  And while the Proverb is cool enough in and of itself, it was especially meaningful to me because of the circumstances through which it came to my attention.  Literally the day before reading through Proverbs 21, my kids and I were at a park near our home, where we discovered a super-cool playground that was based around a manually-operated water-pump dumping its payload out into an inclined sand pit, which could be dug and dammed and channeled in a thousand different directions.  So when I read Proverbs 21:1, fresh off the context of discovering our own neighborhood watercourse, I felt like I received a lot of fresh insight into the Proverb's meaning -- not to mention receiving fresh hope for our world's gridlocked political systems.  You can read these reflections for yourself by following the link above...

Another highlight from the last month the insight I received on the character of God, through reading Proverbs 11:27:  "He who seeks good finds goodwill, but evil comes to him who searches for it ."  After considering this Proverb, I wrote a short story entitled P1127 - The Painter and the Retiree.  Loosely based on a recent personal experience at the local bank, this story was a more creative way to analyze and apply the wisdom of this Proverb.  In addition to appreciating any feedback on this particular entry, I'd be curious to hear what you might think of this form of reflecting on the Proverbs...

In addition to the above two Proverbs, I found myself being very challenged and encouraged by the wisdom of Proverbs 28:14, where it says, "Blessed is the man who always fears the LORD, but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble."  I personally found myself interacting with the text on a pastoral (ministry) level, seeing how I regularly find myself dealing with people who are going through the mountains and valleys of faith.  As I thought about things, I realized that we all sin and that (thanks to Jesus!) no sin is unforgiveable, but just about any sin can be catastrophic -- depending on the condition of the sinner's heart and his or her response to the sin that was committed.  As I explain in P2814 - The Trouble of Hard-Heartedness, it really comes down to how hard or soft a person's heart is.  It's challenging stuff to consider -- not just on the pastoral level, but on the personal level, too.  I'd challenge you to take a good, hard look at the condition of your heart in the light of Proverbs 28:14 and see what God might reveal to you through that...

For a more comprehensive listing of April's content, here are the titles of all 30 entries, along with direct links to the rest of the content.

• P131 - Fruit
• P207 - Where's the Shield?
• P301 - Flip the Script
• P413 - The Carabiner of Life
• P509 - Preventative Cancer Treatment
• P617b - A Lying Tongue
• P716 - Four Multi-Sensory Ways to Spice Up Your Sex Life
• P805 - Simplicity versus Folly
• P917 - Eating Disorders as Manifestation of Folly?
• P1018 - How to Handle Hatred
• P1127 - The Painter and the Retiree
• P1225 - Succes & Sterkte
• P1323 - The Paradox of Iceland and Zimbabwe
• P1423 - Profitability as a State of Mind
• P1515 - Oppression as a State of Mind
• P1609 - The Futility of the Five-Year Plan
• P1706 - A Vestigial Kind of Love
• P1816 - Schmoozing Reconsidered
• P1913 - "Chicken or Egg" Family Dilemma
• P2022 - Waiting for Answers
• P2101 - Watercourse
• P2202 - Poverty vs. Prosperity
• P2310 - A Case for Boundaries
• P2426 - The Insights of an Antagonistic Older Brother
• P2517 - No Toilet for a Family of Five
• P2604 - A Clear-Cut Contradiction in the Bible
• P2701 - Lessons from March Madness
• P2814 - The Trouble of Hard-Heartedness
• P2925 - Stepping Out of the Snare
• P3008 - Middle-Class Prayer

May promises to be another great month -- so check it out for yourself at http://proverbs365.ericasp.com.  Others are apparently getting some use out of it, too, as the blog is currently averaging 365 hits per day (a very convenient statistic for a project called Proverbs 365!).  So please feel free to spread the word, too... One of the distinct advantages of the Proverbs is that it's easy to tune into them, whenever one might so choose. It's not like if you missed the first four months, then you're "behind" or anything like that. The Proverbs are just like these little power pellets that can be consumed and digested immediately. So it's never too late to start enjoying them!