Tag Archives: culture

18 Aug, 2009

Building on a Solid Rock

You have not had to approach things which your senses could experience as they did in the old days – flaming fire, black darkness, rushing wind and out of it a trumpet-blast, a voice speaking human words. So terrible was that voice that those who heard it begged and prayed that it might stop [...]

By Matthew | Posted in American Christianity | Also tagged , , | Comments (0)
05 Jul, 2008

Christianity and Consumerism

A new article has been posted. Click the link to check it out…

Christianity and Consumerism

By Matthew | Posted in American Christianity | Also tagged , , , | Comments (0)
04 Jul, 2007

Celebrating ‘Interdependence’

A great quote from a recent newsletter from my friends of the band Odon Soterias:
Today, on the fourth of July, we are sad not to be with rainbow family to celebrate our interdependence when the rest of the nation revels in its individuality and separateness from one another by spending millions of dollars on fireworks [...]

By Matthew | Posted in America | Also tagged , | Comments (0)
03 Jun, 2007

Cultural Isolation and the Church

America was never a cultural ‘melting pot’–that has been established. What is interesting is the the lack of mixing among Christians. It’s actually harder to be a congregation of diverse cultures than it is to be a congregation of just one culture.
It doesn’t mean that the different cultures are unable to get along. But then [...]

By Matthew | Posted in America, American Christianity, Word of God | Also tagged , , , , | Comments (0)
28 May, 2007

Hell and Netflix

John Piper on the entertainment culture in America.

By Matthew | Posted in America, American Christianity | Also tagged , , | Comments (0)
25 Apr, 2007

Imagined Communities

A book entitled “Imagined Communities” by Benedict Anderson describes the idea that typical human communities are really only imagined ‘entities’ in which people “will never know most of their fellow-members, meet them or ever hear of them, yet in the mind of each lives the image of their communion.”
We can be thankful that as the [...]

By Matthew | Posted in Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , , | Comments (0)
07 Apr, 2007

Back to Stateside

Those times of re-entry are always intriguing and can allow you to see a lot of what you never saw about your own home culture before. After 48 hours of traveling I finally return to relax in Oregon. There was a mishap by the travel agent which forced me to wait an extra day in [...]

By Matthew | Posted in America, Europe, Travels | Comments (0)
21 Feb, 2007

Pleasures repudiated, annoyances accepted

I found a great piece from a writing dated 45 BC called “de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum”. Quite an interesting read.
But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings [...]

By Matthew | Posted in Europe | Also tagged , , , , | Comments (0)
26 Aug, 2005

Culture Shock – Switzerland to America

Another odd culture shock. The transition I go through when I return home from missions is generally always from a poorer place than mine. This time I spent the last 3 months in a richer place, and now I return to a poorer place. Driving wrecks for cars on the road, oil all over the [...]

By Matthew | Posted in America, Travels | Also tagged | Comments (0)
29 Nov, 2002

Cultural Glasses

“And I will shake all the nations and the desire and the precious things of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with splendor, says the Lord of hosts.�? Haggai 2:7
It’s been tricky trying to find time to write up another update because of all the things we are being kept [...]

By Matthew | Posted in Travels | Also tagged , | Comments (0)