Monthly Archive for August, 2006

The Good, The Bad And The Ugly

Published
by
Chris
on August 31, 2006
in Movement In Still Life
. 0 Comments

The good news: We get a four-day weekend. I’ve been needing this for a while now. Don’t know why I say this because work hasn’t been hard on me or anything, I guess it’s just always good to relax, chill out, go places, take photos and video, etc.

The bad news: It’s supposed to rain all weekend. Hurricane Tropical Storm Tropical Depression Ernesto will be greeting the state of Virginia on Friday or Saturday, and it’s going to rain on our four-day parade. This means no disc golf, no football…rats.

The ugly: I got passed over for an upcoming TDY. TDY is short for Temporary Duty. I don’t know why they don’t just call it TD, but oh well. Anyway, to make a long story short, I’m dismayed and a little angry that I keep getting passed over for TDY shoots. Maybe it’s because I’m the youngest guy in the shop and they don’t feel comfortable sending me (which would be BS if that were the case), maybe it’s the office “realignment” (I could explain that but it would take me forever) or maybe they think I’m worthless to them because I’m getting out in 66 days (I’ll take this as the reason). I’d like to leave Langley at least once and go shoot some news stories at another base for a little while. What really irritates me is that they won’t send me on any stateside TDYs but when it was time to send someone out to Baghdad, I was the one to go. GRRRRRR.

Keep me in your prayers, please. For three nights prior to last night, I had only slept four hours a night and it wore on me. I slept like a baby last night but today I felt sluggish and lethargic. Tonight during church I came down with a massive headache and it became too much to bear. It’s feeling better now but my body just feels creaky. I think I’m becoming rundown again and I just need a touch from the Lord. I’m gonna use this weekend to rest up as well.

Peace.

Why We Should Care About the COGOP As A Whole

Published
by
Chris
on August 29, 2006
in COGOP News & Events and Movement In Still Life
. 2 Comments

God used the General Assembly to deal with me about a mindset that I had been holding about the COGOP for awhile. I had always thought that I was a part of the COGOP and yes, I am called to be in the church, but I didn’t really care what’s going on corporately, with COGOP as a whole. I only kept my eyes, mind and heart focused on what was going on in my local church.

Sitting there last week, watching the business proceedings and the timely sermons delivered by willing men of God, I found out that my mindset was dead wrong. Even watching over the Internet, I saw that God is doing something great in many more places than just my local church.

Folks, God is calling our church (the COGOP in general) into something great. The passing of the marriage document as proposed by the Biblical Doctrine & Polity Committee shows that, but that’s not the only thing. We are seeing many young ministers rise up through the ranks and begin to take hold of the calling God has placed into their lives. We’re seeing people who have been stuck in the same doctrine for years and years have their hearts changed by the Lord. We’re seeing a greater number of people willing to serve. And because of all this, we’re going to see growth. It might not be numerical at first, but it will definitely be spiritual.

If you attend a Church of God of Prophecy congregation, learn all you can about the church. Keep abreast of current events. Network with other believers across your state, region, nation and even the world if possible. Pray for one another. Bear one another’s burdens. Share ministry ideas. Join in the vision that God has given our church leaders and pray for wisdom and direction as we all try to follow the will of God in everything we do individually and corporately. If you’re new to the COGOP, take a new members’ class and if God so leads, join the church. You’re coming aboard at a good time.

Let’s all catch the vision our leaders have showed us over the past week and do everything we can to support the COGOP, globally and locally.

Update: For those of you wishing to download the archives of the General Assembly webcast, they are available at www.cogopwebcast.com. Be prepared for a lengthy download, and have at least 9 GB of hard drive space on your computer. You can burn them to 2 DVD-R’s.

COGOP News, Personal News and Newport News News

Published
by
Chris
on August 28, 2006
in Movement In Still Life
. 3 Comments

Big news yesterday in the COGOP…the General Assembly passed the BDP Marriage Document that has been the subject of some talk on this website for the past couple days. Thanks to Debbie Nuttall, who transcribed the basic gist of what was said and done during the business meeting (it pays to be the church clerk!!!), we read that 97 people refused to submit or abstain their vote to the General Assembly, but Bishop Fisher placed them under the counsel of their state/regional Presiding Bishops and declared the document passed. Praise the Lord.

Aside from untying the hands of the pastors who have been affected by the divorce and remarriage teaching in the COGOP, this has much significance. We’ve dealt with an issue that has been plaguing our church since its inception. We’ve shown that we’re focused and driven toward reaching the lost rather than enforcing a strict interpretation of the Bible. And we’ve also taken the burden of repenting to and attempting restitution with everyone the COGOP has driven out of the church and stamped a “damaged goods” label on simply because they are living in double marriage.

So the basic gist of what happened, and Pastor Gary Langley from Jude 2 said it best — is this:

We have recognized that, while divorce is terrible, and, generally, remarriage is wrong, that doesn’t apply across the board. There are hundreds of permutations and complications that demand that we stop making a one-size-fits-all rule, and judge each situation on a case-by-case basis, accepting those whom God has accepting, and receiving those who have received Him.

What a wonderful thing the COGOP has done, and I am very proud of our leadership for stepping up and LEADING.

Now onto news from our local COGOP, Lakeside Church. Cameron preached yesterday and gave some impressive descriptions and visuals of the temples the children of Israel had in the Old Testament days, and basically showed how only a high priest was able to communicate with God for the entire community before Jesus died, but after Jesus died He became the sacrificial Lamb and is now our direct connection to God Himself. How awesome is that.

One thing that blessed me was after church, John, Kevin and Danny started a little praise jam, singing “Open the Eyes of My Heart” and continuing long after most had left. It was incredible to see Cameron and another man whom I have not had the pleasure of meeting yet dance to the Lord in front, not worried about time or their surroundings.

Personal news!!! I don’t want to shut down FirestormLIVE just yet. I want to turn it into a weapon of good. Something ministry-related. I have had it on my heart to turn it into a youth forum and put some serious prayer behind it before I do anything with it. More to come on that, but please pray that if I am to use FirestormLIVE.net as a Christian youth ministry forum that it be beneficial to all who visit and it blesses and touches many.

68 more days until I begin the moving process!!! I’ll be mapping out my route and reserving hotel rooms in places where I plan on staying so I can get them pretty cheap. Question is, should I drive straight through to Portland or stop at a bunch of scenic places, take some photos and relax during the journey???

Newport News News!!! Nothing here, I just thought it would sound cool. Carry on.

Great News From the COGOP General Assembly

Published
by
Chris
on August 27, 2006
in COGOP News & Events
. 0 Comments

This, direct from the COGOP website:

Originally, it was declared the discussion of the Marriage Document would resume at the 95th International General Assembly in 2008. Delegates were encouraged to take counsel with their pastors and state Bishop during the next two years. However, the General Presbytery placed before the General Assembly the option to reopen the floor for a final attempt to resolve the recommendation presented by the BDP. By majority affirmation, the General Overseer proclaimed an additional business meeting would convene on Sunday morning, August 27, 2006.

The morning session begins at 9:00 a.m. (CST) in the Gaylord Entertainment Center.

By this, you can tell the COGOP really wants to get this resolution passed and open a huge door for change in the church worldwide. By the name and grace of our Lord, may God’s will be done!!! Folks pray this morning in your local churches.

Saturday’s Veritable Cornucopia Of Crap

Published
by
Chris
on August 26, 2006
in Movement In Still Life
. 1 Comment

Here’s all the news and views that are fit to print, er, type today:

COGOP General Assembly Will Hold Another Business Session - This is one of the biggest things to ever happen in an Assembly, in my opinion. After yesterday’s debacle, Bishop Fisher read aloud a recommendation by the COGOP Presbytery today to reassess and go over the Marriage document, section 3 again tomorrow at 9 AM CST. This is huge, because it really does mean the leadership of the COGOP wants so bad to move forward, and take a giant step closer to resolving the Divorce and Remarriage doctrine. Pray for the Assembly as they gather tomorrow again. In-depth analysis of this issue will come later tonight.

Beaverton Little Leaguers Fall In The U.S. Championship - Give these kids a solid hand, as they made it all the way to the U.S. Championship. They lost 7-3 to a strong team from Columbus, Georgia, but they showed a lot of fight and tenacity throughout the game (they tied the game at 3 apiece on a homerun by Nix, the catcher, in the fourth inning but later succumbed). No comeback to be had today, but Oregon’s proud of the boys from Beaverton representing the state — and the Northwest — VERY well. Good job guys, we’re proud of you all.

Some Nice House Tracks To Hear Today - Ah, yes, the music player is back. If you wanna dance, check out some clips of these tracks I’ve found to be very fulfilling over the past week. Most of it is brand new to me but it’s growing on me quickly.

Veikka Ercola - “Try To Be Calm” (Veikka’s Original Mix)
[audio:http://mp3.juno.co.uk/MP3/SF113367-01-02-07.mp3]

Alyoa - “It’s Been Too Long” (Lifelike Top Gun Remix)
[audio:http://mp3.juno.co.uk/MP3/SF190988-01-02-01.mp3]

Richard F. feat. Michael Moog - “Thrills, Pills, And Daffodils” (Original Vocal Mix)
[audio:http://mp3.juno.co.uk/MP3/SF188743-01-02-01.mp3]

If only they had good Christian dance music.

God Bless Deadspin! I am a regular visitor to the sports blog Deadspin, as they have some excellent, witty commentary on the wide world of sports and so much more. Yesterday they posted something that had me laughing for some odd reason, I needed it. And no, it’s not Carl Monday. Here it is, for you. As Deadspin called it, your Hans Moleman Special.

I’m off to hang out with Jon Masters and witness the madness that is Saturday Night Basketball. Cheers.

I’m Sure 99% Of COGOP Members Are Fuming Tonight

Published
by
Chris
on August 25, 2006
in COGOP News & Events, General Christianity and Movement In Still Life
. 3 Comments

Today the COGOP General Assembly failed to pass the BDP Marriage Document. In my eyes this is a huge setback for our church and it shows that we are not doctrinally as far along as we’d like to think, no matter how much we convince ourselves otherwise.

I didn’t get to see the video but I have heard second hand reports. This thread on Jude 2 has supplied some of the knowledge I have about the situation. According to Dolfan on J2, section 3, items 2-5 of the document did not pass.

I absolutely despise the way the COGOP “one accord” voting system is set up. In this system, everyone must submit to the Assembly for a ruling to pass. It looks like only a hundred people or so stood in opposition to the document’s passing, and it’s these people that are responsible for holding back the COGOP as a corporate institution for another two years at least. That sickens me, that a small faction of people can block an entire ruling from being passed. I don’t understand it.

I hope to see the day when the COGOP makes the right decision and stops fluttering back and forth on their stance on divorce and remarriage. If people are living their lives according to God’s word and following Jesus to the best of their knowledge and ability, let them be members of the church. We are not the ones to judge people’s spirituality.

Corporately, COGOP has been dealt a blow, but each pastor in the COGOP, and the local church, possesses the power to take in whoever wants to be a member at their discretion. I continue to pray for COGOP leadership from the International Offices clear down to the lay ministers at the local church level, that God blesses them and continues to impart wisdom to them all.

Video: Business Meeting Regarding BDP Marriage Document Section 3
Related Discussion: Jude 2 Forum Thread “Point of order…”

Just Because Of This, I Wish It Were 1955 Again

Published
by
Chris
on August 25, 2006
in Movement In Still Life
. 3 Comments

I received this supposed clipping from a 1955 article in Housekeeping Monthly from a friend today at work. Don’t know if it’s a really good Photoshop job or just what, but it’s pretty good.

Aftan, take heed. (I love you.)

Click on the photo to see it in its full size.

Sliding Into Thursday Afternoon

Published
by
Chris
on August 24, 2006
in Movement In Still Life
. 2 Comments

Here’s a veritable cornucopia of news and events I feel like talking about today.

Beaverton, Oregon Little League Wins Again! It could be the Oregon State Beavers all over again, just morphed into a group of never-say-die Little Leaguers from Beaverton. These guys won last night’s U.S. semifinal game over Lamont, IL, 4-3 to clinch a berth in the Little League World Series, U.S. Championship Game on Saturday. Devin DeJardin threw a no-hitter for the Northwest kids, but a slew of errors and wild pitches allowed Lamont to score three runs. It was Lamont’s turn for a couple errors though in the 6th, as a two-base error allowed the winning run to score. Too bad I missed this one, but I’ll be cheering the team on during Saturday’s game. Remember, just a couple months ago, Oregon State won the NCAA baseball championship after losing the opening game of the tournament. Now, here in the Little League World Series, Beaverton lost the first game but has won three straight. Could they take it all???

How ‘Bout That Bahama Brass Band? These guys are great. They’ve been opening each evening at the COGOP General Assembly by playing some good old hymns, marching-band style. It’s really a sight to behold, seeing a marching band get up on stage at the GA and play their hearts out for their audience and the Lord. Even watching over the Internet, the enthusiasm and fervor they perform with is contagious. It’s a wonderful treat and a huge blessing to be able to watch the Triple B play. If you have a chance to watch it (which you should by accessing archive footage on the COGOP Webcast site), by all means go ahead. I think they’re back on tonight at 6 PM CST. Go to the Webcast site and watch.

Skip Martin, One Heck of a Concert. We had to film the Summer Breeze Concert Series in Williamsburg last night, and I was pleasantly surprised by how good the concert really was. I’m a sucker for smooth jazz, and performing with the USAF Heritage of America Band was Grammy Award-winning artist Skip Martin. Great music, and it was good enough that I didn’t even feel like I was at work shooting the concert for archival purposes. Only drawback to the concert was that I had to miss church, but life goes on.

Come Home, Aftan, And I Mean Now! As stated many times before, Aftan is in North Dakota, where the state tree is the telephone pole. Not only does ND hold that dubious distinction, but it also is a black hole for Verizon cell phone users. As a result, Afty and I have suffered an 87.35% decrease in phone conversation over the past week. It’s killing me and I’m sure it’s killing her. I bought Madden NFL 07 to comfort me though, so I have virtual renderings of my beloved Seattle Seahawks to keep me company. But a CGI of Shaun Alexander can never give me the love that Aftan can, no matter how many TD’s he provides me. So come home soon Afty. And I mean NOW.

That’s it for me, now go watch the insanity that they call the COGOP business meetings at the General Assembly.

Happy Birthday, Aftan!!!

Published
by
Chris
on August 23, 2006
in Movement In Still Life
. 4 Comments

Aftan, here’s a little rhyme I made for your birthday.

You’re now 23.
You’re older than me.
I hope that fills you with glee.
Now you can see,
That I love thee.
I say that on bended knee.

There you have it, my birthday rhyme for Aftan. Like I said, she turned 23 today. She’s hanging out in Bismarck, ND with her dad and grandparents and might not have much of an opportunity to do much in the way of celebrating her birthday. So if you get a chance, leave a comment on here so when she checks it she can not only see my little poem, but she can also see that everyone is thinking about her today.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY!!!

Wednesday Morning Musings

Published
by
Chris
on August 23, 2006
in Movement In Still Life
. 3 Comments

Not much to talk about tonight, but we had a few late games of basketball with just folks from church and friends from everyone’s places of employment tonight. We had eight people show up at the FLC building and ran a couple four-on-four games. First game I sucked and don’t want to talk about it. We still won but I didn’t do what I could to help the team out enough. Second game I caught fire. Well, not fire necessarily, but I cleaned house on the offensive boards and put in seven buckets down low. Then I won it with my first three-pointer of the night, we won 21-17. That second game definitely was good. I had 9 points, a few blocks and a massively crazy number of rebounds.

Before that second game, I was the one picked last for our team. That happens most of the time, and for some odd reason it makes me happy because I’m not really expected to do much, but I do well because I’m motivated to show people I really don’t suck at basketball. Then someone will pick me 2nd in the next game and I’ll suck it up for some reason. Don’t know why.

The best thing about tonight was that it was all people we’re familiar with, and no street balling crybabies ruining the experience of the game. It was good to get a few of us together who had run a few games before, with a relaxed atmosphere and not having to deal with potty mouthed 12-year-olds or hecklers from the bench who have nothing better to do than jeer everyone on the court.

So it was a great night of basketball.

UPDATE: Clarification on the middle part of this post. I found out my friend Danielle is getting married by reading her MySpace page, and my mom telling me. Simply put, I heard it secondhand instead of from her. Not too happy about that.

Turning to more cheerful news, the girl I hope to get engaged to within the next couple years or so is turning 23. That’s right, faithful readers, Aftan Rehling is nine months older than I am and her birthday is tomorrow. I like the fact that she is turning 23, because that I am dating someone older and wiser (in most regards — love you Afty) than I am. Remember me writing about sending her a Furby for her birthday gift? It was far from that — I bought her a Coach purse that she thoroughly enjoys. She had been wanting it for so long and I did a thorough job of convincing her I couldn’t buy it, and all the time in the Coach store in Washington Square Mall, I was taking photos of the purse she said she wanted with my camera phone and she didn’t even see me. Oh Chris Brewer you are so sneaky.

Sadly for me, Aftan’s in North Dakota now visiting family and they live in the sticks so her cell phone does not get any reception. Which means over the next few days I won’t be talking to her too much at all, and that sucks. I hope I can at least tell her happy birthday.

Anyway, I’ll be posting a special birthday bulletin on here tomorrow for her, so leave her lots of comments, and love.

Speaking of love, I love sleep and it’s time I get to bed.