GLENN'S PODCASTS!

PROJECT 12 TEAM HOME FROM MISSIONS TRIP- JOURNALS & PICS ONLINE...

At:

http://www.project12.us

-you'll find Jon Trott's journal of our amazing journey, my blog a bit further down, and a number of pics linked within my blog (more about to be added) all in the center-of-page blog as you scroll down.

Thanks SO much for your prayers, it was an incredible missions trip!

Blessed Easter to all who read this- and remember: Jesus is LORD of ALL!!

Love and Hugs,
-Glenn

THEORY & EXPERIENCE (PRACTICE)

There is a tendency that many a Christian falls into, and not only the very new or immature believer: "getting" a theory equals getting a life. Not so.

Then there's "the other side of the coin": "If I experience it, it's real and somehow Always lines up with what the Bible ultimately says and God is therefore automatically pleased". This is also flawed.

If you think about it, even the second concept concept leans on a theory.

An attempt to build a lifestyle (spiritual or quasi-spiritual) on either of these alone will prove deficient!

Before I go further, some definitions might be helpful...

"Theory" comes from the Greek word "theoria"- contemplation, speculation, a looking at, things looked at

And- "theorein"- to consider, speculate, look at

Which comes from "theoros"- spectator

From "thea"- a view

And "horan"- to see

These are principles or methods of a science or art rather than its practice...

Then let's consider "practice" which of course feeds into our concept of experience rather than mere "theory":

"Practice"t- the actual doing of something, as opposed to the theory or idea

From this we get words like "practical".

I doubt anyone can successfully argue that experience is useless and without value, or that theory always "trumps" it. Having said that, it's also true that my Dad used to often remind me "Glenn... THINK"! He meant to say that I really needed to get some sense going in my brain, that I needed to consider what might happen, good or bad, as the result of my actions.

Theory is important and cannot be left out of the tool kit for Christian living.

I'm a musician, a singer and guitarist, harmonica player and overall a songwriter. I'm a communicator. All of these take BOTH theory AND practice. If I'm not thinking very deeply about what I'm doing it often shows in my work and in the lyrics I write. All of that is going to affect (for good or ill) those who listen to and view my work. If I only think about tuning and do not tune my guitar, the experience of hearing me play is less than positive. The more songs I write, the more experience I get in learning how to craft quality songs... living, like songwriting, must go beyond mere thought.

Without experience one can fall into a trap of believing one's untested, unproved theory. Then again, experiencing failure has been God's way of teaching me some of the most important lessons. Please read that last line again... it'll save you and perhaps others! By the way, the vast majority of my songs landed in the trash bin and were (you should thank me!!) never recorded or played for an audience.

As a creative person, a person with imagination (just like most of you who are reading this) I LOVE theorizing how something might be made, done or applied. Sometimes little harm is done by the application, other times I have learned a "throw caution to the wind" attitude has caused more damage than I'd have let it... but I either had little experience OR at times, relationships and the willingness and humility needed to either seek or accept godly counsel (accountability) from good people around me who had more experience with thing(s) I had only theorized about.

Then there is the concept that one "has already learned" X, Y or Z.

A person may have gone to Bible School and even seminary yet truly learned little due to lack of practice or real application, that is, practice of the teachings. We might memorize information but be untested (at least in terms of real-world experience) with regard to a spiritual truth or
half-truth. In only reading and memorizing scripture, one might be the devil himself... who surely (at least, in a sense) "knows" -but does not practice the word of God rightly.

Arrogance is a core problem in all of this. The verse comes to mind "If anyone thinks he knows, he knows not yet as he ought to know".

We gain wisdom from experience, failures, accountability, having to live one's theories out in everyday life and various situations over the long haul. Knowledge is the ground of wisdom, but is not wisdom in itself.

Many believers know a fair bit- but aren't any wiser for the knowledge. Some think they know when in fact they only play with theories.

Again, practice, actual practical application of knowledge brings a wisdom that happens as one's theories are tested in the crucible of life, outside a classroom and into a world often harsh, unfeeling and sometimes uncaring.

Followers of Jesus work in theory like everyone else but in many cases due to daily study of the word of God as well as good advice and mentoring from accountability partners while growing in a basic humility, we have potential to truly learn, apply and therefore practice and experience a
life quite differently than those who do not yet experience the love and ultimate will of God for themselves.

In the end, both theory and practice contain "speed bumps" and neither should be considered the "final word" without the other.

[Here's the intro. to a blog I've just posted at our Project 12 site:]

TOURIST someone who travels for pleasure.

SCAMMER a person who swindles by means of deception or fraud.

SWINDLER from the German word “schwindler”, meaning an irresponsible person, promoter of wildcat schemes, cheat, derivative of “schwindeln” to be dizzy, dizzy-minded, irresponsible.

SLACKER one who evades their duty or work, shirker, educated young person who is purposeless, apathetic.

DISCIPLE follower, actively embracing and assisting in spreading another’s teachings, to grasp intellectually and analyze thoroughly. Biblical Greek: “listener, learner, pupil”.

I’m thinking of the rather negative words here and remembering the scene in “Raising Arizona”… “That’s one bone-head name… but that ain’t me no more, no way!”.

First, this is no diatribe against “the younger generation(s)”!

--if you wish to read more, the entire blog is at: http://www.project12.us