Words'nTone

Again, a pause in my streaming of babble and other streams of consciousness.  It is always good for me to thank all of you who check on my site regularly and to those who ever stay to read a little after bumping, browsing, or googling into Words’nTone.  Whenever there is a pause in post, it is most likely related to an overload of writing projects and due dates for reports at my regular 9 to 5.  And, yes, it has been busy.  Plus I have started our triennial community needs assessment to help our agency respond to the needs of low-income area populations and to the community.  Plus I do have some writing projects in the works and I am participating on two interesting church related projects as well.

My writing project is the development of a paper on Mark 1:17, and in particular the use of the phrase “fishers of men.” Unlike most commentators and preachers, I do not hear this term as solely a positive one (that is, go save people, go witness and lead people to Jesus, i.e., fishing for sinners to be saved).  I hear it in its Old Testament context as a negative, harsh term of calling agents of God’s pending judgment on the unjust.  Personally, it fits the text and the purpose in Mark’s flow of thought and should receive a better hearing—and application.  Thus, my paper, “Designed for Discipleship: Fishers as God’s Agents of Judgment (Mark 1:17).” I hope the draft of the paper is done to present in mid-April.

I am also volunteering to help establish a new Church in my neighborhood.  It’s called Church at the Seaside.  This project surrounds me with good people who have a heart for those living in the urban setting.

On top of that, some crazy person at Church approached me with the ridiculous idea of start a Bible College/Seminary here in Southwestern New England and specifically right in the middle of Fairfield County.  With this too, I am surrounded by good people attempting the almost impossible.  But there is a need to have a biblically focused institution of higher Christian learning to training committed Christians in SW NE and Fairfield County CT to reach this particular arena and social setting.  So, I am part of this crazy idea as well.

Plus there is my every present concern for those in poverty and for the multiple non-poor Christian and evangelical churches living nearby to address the issues of poverty as they should as bible believing Christians…to that end I continue to study and write.  I am hoping after all these papers on the Gospel of Mark, I will produce a book on evangelism and social action—at least before I am 92.

In the coming days, I will have more on both more to say on Mark 1:17 and the fishers of men concept, as well as the other small adventures my family is involved with.  Again, thanks for dropping, browsing, or googling by the site.

Peace,
Chip