tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571296038401395494.comments2019-07-26T13:26:30.525-04:00Confessions of A Recovering P.K.Jon Gibsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14796920086775737813noreply@blogger.comBlogger118125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571296038401395494.post-34650847838747265492013-05-06T11:59:26.633-04:002013-05-06T11:59:26.633-04:00You nailed it, Jon. When our parents pass, we won...You nailed it, Jon. When our parents pass, we wonder, "Who is left? Who will carry on what they once were, or what they once knew?" Then the realization comes that it's us.<br />After my aunt passed 3 years ago, I realized that that whole family (her, my dad, my grandparents)was gone. And that's when I started embarking on my genealogical journey, to keep them (and all those before them)...not alive, but still a very active memory.<br />My 2 cents...Christine M.https://www.blogger.com/profile/01625485691037280392noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571296038401395494.post-68352582853555213982013-04-30T10:03:37.618-04:002013-04-30T10:03:37.618-04:00this reads TATOO all over it... haha :)
Love you ...this reads TATOO all over it... haha :)<br /><br />Love you cousin. You are a gift to many.Robinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12485505311965043913noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571296038401395494.post-76453660904113896602013-04-23T11:33:33.591-04:002013-04-23T11:33:33.591-04:00Oh, Jon! I probably shouldn't have read this ...Oh, Jon! I probably shouldn't have read this at work, because I'm near tears...<br />So much in here I was unaware of, especially your dad's health issues. He was really quiet about all that with us. I wish I knew, at least to pray.<br />But the thing about his aversion to change--that I knew about! I even remember him admitting that from the pulpit once. But he rolled with a lot of it, like the Sunday School wing renovation that gave him a much nicer office.<br />It's funny that you mention 2 Tim 4:8. I've been doing a photo/genealogy-themed blog on our church windows. This week, I was moved to dedicate the post to your dad & at the last minute, I decided to change the verse I was going to use to 2 Tim 4:8, since it fit in so perfectly with your dad AND the window I was spot-lighting. Now I know that was a God thing!Christine M.https://www.blogger.com/profile/01625485691037280392noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571296038401395494.post-79449831583284598162013-04-19T15:22:50.692-04:002013-04-19T15:22:50.692-04:00Jon - I'm not sure that we've ever met. I...Jon - I'm not sure that we've ever met. I found this blog post through Mat's post on Facebook. I'm very sorry to hear the news of your Dad's passing. I grew up in Darien and met your Dad when I was just starting out on InterVarsity staff in Fairfield County in the fall of 1983. He was a big encouragement to me in the first year of my staff work and we met several times to pray together. I always admired his heart for bringing the gospel to Darien and his faithfulness - and personally it meant a lot that he would take the time & interest in a 21-year-old, wet-behind-the-ears kid in ministry for the first time. Thanks for sharing such a loving tribute. My prayers are with you & your family as your grieve his absence. And I rejoice in his entrance into glory.<br />Warmly in Christ,<br /> Scott Brill Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17449293975466757712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571296038401395494.post-48491133666806037612013-04-17T09:22:26.458-04:002013-04-17T09:22:26.458-04:00Thanks, Jon. This is an important topic which is o...Thanks, Jon. This is an important topic which is often ignored in our churches, since we tend too much to a type of Christian triumphalism. I think there is such a thing as healthy doubt. In fact, the very concept of faith assumes an element of doubt. If we were 100% certain about everything, we would have no need for trust. My key verse on this subject is Mark 9:24. An interesting book on my reading list is Daniel Taylor's The Skeptical Believer: Telling Stories to Your Inner Atheist.Curt and Lalia Kregnesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17112081419042543837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571296038401395494.post-40911341988185765762013-04-10T11:01:40.572-04:002013-04-10T11:01:40.572-04:00In Intro to Global/Contextual we talked about the ...In Intro to Global/Contextual we talked about the being-doing-becoming circles. I am more and more convinced that my identity lies in the being circle, especially in being a child of God. Now, some days I am not a great child. Some days I sure don't look like family. But as you pointed out, that doesn't make me less related. I'm still his. He chose that for me. That give me comfort and security, even when I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up.Peter & Jen Baileyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14616820526555352856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571296038401395494.post-16644904883733993722013-04-08T17:57:15.978-04:002013-04-08T17:57:15.978-04:00So its ok pass over the lower class white kid base...So its ok pass over the lower class white kid based on the color of his skin because somehow that will equal out past injustices based on skin color. The rich white kid is elevated out of any issues with affirmative action due to connections, family legacies, etc. that both whites or non-whites who are not members of the privileged class do not enjoy. Power isn't in the color of your skin, but the color of the paper in your wallet.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571296038401395494.post-67567566059855213382013-03-31T20:40:16.650-04:002013-03-31T20:40:16.650-04:00A very thoughtful post -- sorry I am coming to thi...A very thoughtful post -- sorry I am coming to this late. While each of the seven questions you pose give me much on which to think, numbers 5 and 6 are salient in my mind. For five, I have heard of churches playing radio rock music (think Metallica) in order to "draw in" people. That type of "seeker/sneaker" ministry has no appeal to me...but I imagine it does to others. <br /><br />For #6, lately for me this has been on my mind in the concept of our true identity. We are all so quick to label ourselves and each other. Conservative, liberal, contemporary, traditional -- those are the simple ones. Our lives can involve these labels as well. I am often told how much people "admire my advocacy" for people with Down syndrome, just as the Dennehys posting above are known for their many children.<br /><br />But (preaching to the choir here, most likely), if our identity as a person - family - church is not Jesus, first and foremost, then we are letting ourselves come first before Jesus. Why do I advocate? Because I love Jesus. Why do the Dennehys adopt? They love Jesus. Why do we sing and praise God? Jesus. Style comes well after substance (and, no, I'm not going to get into the debate of whether one style has more substance, LOL). If Jesus isn't the first answer, then whether we sing "This is My Father's World" or "God is Not Dead" surely makes our message less honest and valid in a world that, honestly, could care less about chords and much more about a chorus of need for redemption.<br /><br />Carry on, Jon. Preach it. Live it. Struggle with it. If we sing plain chants next week, I'm all for it. Gwen Shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04789368745437031951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571296038401395494.post-7546359936380734542013-03-29T10:35:38.486-04:002013-03-29T10:35:38.486-04:00Hi Jon, I would like to invite closer focus on the...Hi Jon, I would like to invite closer focus on the premise that Jesus chose and would choose the best man for the job. He chose 12 disciples. One can argue that they were not all superstars on their hire date.<br /><br />I have not read Peter Northouse's book but I believe one of the many fundamental requirements of leadership is human development. By this I mean that quality leadership takes human material in the raw and creates a masterpiece. You hire some people not so much because they are superstars but because as a leader you see strong potential in them. Leadership is using your skills, the talent, willingness and ability of the employee with training, exposure and development to create the expert that you saw in the employee's future. To contextualize, Jesus called Peter, a fisherman and made him a fisher of men.<br /><br />I think if we see affirmative action in that light, it changes the vitriolic nature of the discussion in our society. If we see is as an enabler of better human resources rather than a quota process, which I agree with Dr. Edwards is a trivialization and gross denial of historical reality.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16059325758194427503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571296038401395494.post-78228547113469849192013-03-29T10:29:04.888-04:002013-03-29T10:29:04.888-04:00Jon,
thanks for the post script. If you haven'...Jon,<br />thanks for the post script. If you haven't already, a good read is my friend Soong-Chan Rah's book, "The Next Evangelicalism: Freeing the Church from Western Cultural Captivity." It is not a book about affirmative action, per se, but about the broader questions of the "lenses" through which we christians perceive the world and others in it. that is really my more basic issueDennishttp://www.dennisredwards.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571296038401395494.post-4209875757654609952013-03-29T09:34:55.512-04:002013-03-29T09:34:55.512-04:00Jon- let's talk sometime about my experiences ...Jon- let's talk sometime about my experiences with LCF as a woman "in authority over men". <br /><br />I would agree with Dennis. There are ways we as white people have stacked the deck over and against others in big ways and small ways that make it incredibly difficult (not impossible) for other voices to be heard and other people to be represented. Read Soong Chan-Rah's works (a former colleague in InterVarsity) to get a feel for how he sees these dynamics play out in the evangelical world. Affirmative action may not be applied perfectly, but it takes someone in power to invite someone not in power in as an equal in order to begin to change the workplace, the church, and society in the end.Gretchenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09717484664529309973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571296038401395494.post-75845025558961504582013-03-29T08:37:37.132-04:002013-03-29T08:37:37.132-04:00Thanks for your thoughts, Dennis. Appreciate the ...Thanks for your thoughts, Dennis. Appreciate the insights and wisdom.Jon Gibsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14796920086775737813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571296038401395494.post-4479165139451330452013-03-29T08:15:32.573-04:002013-03-29T08:15:32.573-04:00Jon,
i appreciate you and understand your comments...Jon,<br />i appreciate you and understand your comments, but you vastly oversimplify Affirmative Action! Is it not the same as "quotas." It is a myth that Black people are hired "just because they are Black." But it is NOT a myth that white people have typically been hired because they are white. Race is a factor--always has been and may likely always be. The fact that white people, on the whole, have benefited from slave labor and discrimination cannot be denied even if one's own family has a "hard knock" story and doesn't feel that benefit directly. it doesn't change the reality.<br />Society is not colorblind, and neither is God. God made us different and celebrates it. Humans have a legacy of domination and sadly, that is true in the USA as every non-White group has been discriminated against. Affirmative Action requires our society to take that seriously.Dennishttp://www.dennisredwards.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571296038401395494.post-63159428819571395662013-03-27T11:17:44.619-04:002013-03-27T11:17:44.619-04:00#2 (the meal question) is a great analogy. However...#2 (the meal question) is a great analogy. However, if I really don't like brussels sprout by now ( they still taste like old used basketball shoes to me..:) I am likely doomed to not like them forever..but I can learn to love new music and worship styles for a whole variety of reasons....Mike and Sharonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09783983899500404390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571296038401395494.post-57289220580624085552013-03-19T11:48:40.824-04:002013-03-19T11:48:40.824-04:00Thanks for being here and allowing God to use you....Thanks for being here and allowing God to use you. There are probably more readers than you are aware of and we thank you.<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571296038401395494.post-34165348386344415522013-03-18T10:46:22.577-04:002013-03-18T10:46:22.577-04:00As a Realtor, I negotiate on behalf of my clients ...As a Realtor, I negotiate on behalf of my clients who trust me to be their advocate in a legally binding contract that is usually the biggest purchase of their lives. I feel like I do a good job of getting to know those I advocate for, but is it good enough? This line hit me: "I need to spend some more time getting down to the heart of who they are, what they think, how they feel, and what they want." For me, the emphasis is on THEY! What THEY think, how THEY feel and what THEY want. Each buyer & seller is different from the previous one - which certainly keeps my job interesting. God certainly uses these different personalities to keep me humble. Just when I think I've got this Realtor career figured out on my own is about the same time God puts someone in my life that reminds me I'm not equipped to handle it on my own! I sometimes forget to seek His guidance as I advocate for my buyers & sellers. Let THY will be done. Mary Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571296038401395494.post-33622858942750729782013-03-11T19:40:16.740-04:002013-03-11T19:40:16.740-04:00excellent blog Jon. I advocate for the old, and I...excellent blog Jon. I advocate for the old, and I'm talking baby boomers my age 50s and 60s and older. I think it is sad that our culture doesn't embrace the experience , the wisdom, the advice of the older person. In my profession as a physical therapist I often see MDs, therapists and nurses treat older patients with disrespect, not appreciating the value they have in our world. In addition I am an advocate for limited technology. I hate what the mobile phone, computer and texting has done to damage the art of worthwhile conversation & communication. As I write on your blog, I appreciate the opportunity the computer and internet allows for us to have a dialogue, but without the eye contact and non-verbal nuances that occur when face to face, it lacks something.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11342771128119007830noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571296038401395494.post-80541392350556104572013-03-06T12:14:15.638-05:002013-03-06T12:14:15.638-05:00Thinking of the sermon where you asked "What ...Thinking of the sermon where you asked "What are you holding behind your back ?" That caused many people to sever the last objection they had with being "OK" in an environment where Gods word was not paramount.<br />Thats part of what good preaching should do - cause me to change.<br />Thanks brother. - Mike DMike and Sharonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09783983899500404390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571296038401395494.post-29759264642593071942013-02-26T10:08:44.930-05:002013-02-26T10:08:44.930-05:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571296038401395494.post-65988775041356628442013-02-22T11:51:49.302-05:002013-02-22T11:51:49.302-05:00I remember my father several years ago, then 88 ye...I remember my father several years ago, then 88 years old, who experienced worship with Jon Gibson, said to me,"As long as he leads with that kind of heart, he will do fine." My dad was certainly of the era of strait-laced, clean cut (short hair, no beards, etc)church leaders, but he also saw inner genuineness and Christ likeness.<br />Thanks for your heart, Jon. Meant alot to my dad and means alot to my husband (and me).Starryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17919105758561689056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571296038401395494.post-43255509469414801932013-02-12T07:44:49.562-05:002013-02-12T07:44:49.562-05:00I too went to Bethel out of desire...mostly out of...I too went to Bethel out of desire...mostly out of the desire to be obedient to God. I trusted that God was leading me there, and to what end I still don't know. So the learning was out of desire (I have never checked my grades while at seminary) and not a requirement. I too love the experience God has given me, with a family and career and ministry, that I can use to build on. All the seminary training wasn't theoretical, it was practical for me. As I look toward the pastorate someday, I feel that my foundation is well-supported. (keep writing Jon - I want to hear parts II-IV)<br />Peter & Jen Baileyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14616820526555352856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571296038401395494.post-8262800121243680202013-02-06T08:39:42.783-05:002013-02-06T08:39:42.783-05:00First - congratulations!
Second - from one wheel ...First - congratulations!<br /><br />Second - from one wheel who has been the squeakiest on certain issues, I'm reminded of the Kenny Rogers song - you've got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away, know when to run.. <br /><br /> Kevin T. Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14418480646891851859noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571296038401395494.post-81052313283687203892013-02-05T10:25:38.396-05:002013-02-05T10:25:38.396-05:00so what you're saying is if at first you don&#...so what you're saying is if at first you don't succeed, squeak, squeak again? Your thoughts echo mine as I try (sometimes in vain) to communicate with my pastor. About the 6th time I finally get through.Peter & Jen Baileyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14616820526555352856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571296038401395494.post-19863470525064793992013-02-05T10:24:49.515-05:002013-02-05T10:24:49.515-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.Peter & Jen Baileyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14616820526555352856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571296038401395494.post-59087606446319243982013-01-12T10:10:11.599-05:002013-01-12T10:10:11.599-05:00Jon, I could not agree with your sentiments more. ...Jon, I could not agree with your sentiments more. A beautiful tragety. At the end of the day the love that was felt didnt outweigh the greif but certainly rivaled it. It was a privilage for me to be present for the service. You did an amazing job yesterday. Thank you. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com