SoUL ApPraisaL

Background music: Without You – Charlie Wilson
Place: At home
With:
of course my beloved family ^_^ and my dog
Clothes: Batik shirt and khaki
shorts (barefoot)

Last Thursday, I attended the Bible Study with my cell mates (my second time for this year, ^_^’). Mam Jumz (BS head) was not around, so some of my college friends presided over the talk. At first, it was kinda odd for them to start the discussion because like the rest of us who were gathered there, they were once a listener too, but that very hour it’s the other way around…hehehe.. I salute them for a job well done!! ^_^ I mean it, though it was hard, they stay put, am proud of you guys. ^_^

Moving along, the highlight of the talk was about the status of one’s Christianity. To cut the long story short, we were asked if we are one: a lukewarm Christian, second: a backslider, and lastly, on a state of abandonment. I’ll start with the state of abandonment, it is turning away from the belief of the existence of our God, total rejection and completely desertion. It’s very obvious that none of us would answer this one, otherwise we will not be attending this BS on the first place. What is confusing is the first two that I mentioned. Very confusing, that it left me undecided, ‘till now. First, a lukewarm Christian is the one who has its fire only when he’s “on the spot”. What I mean is only when he’s on a religious gathering, a Bible Study or a retreat perhaps, and then after that, once at home or in other places, he’ll go back to his earthly being, forgot all about the things he learned on his spiritual lessons, and the like. Meaning, he doesn't live with God’s words, pasok sa isang tenga, labas sa kabila, pakitang tao, if that’s what you call it. Second, a backslider, one who had gone through his worst like drugs, vices, and other evil things but now he’s making a new life, reborn, I might say. If you would ask, can a backsliding recur again? That I’m not sure of, I asked the same question and yet they answered yes. If it’s okay to repeat backsliding, then it would be just synonymous to a lukewarm Christianity, right? This made me confused, I mean all of us confused, that’s why when it was my turn to answer, (umm, actually I was the first one to be asked), so many questions were raised, I cannot finally decide which one speaks of me, ‘til now. At first I answered lukewarm, but then when I asked them for the difference of the two, I answered backsliding. I cannot really decide, coz both were extremes, the other was something like there’s no growth at all, a cyclic event perhaps, while the other one was, as if you’re like a criminal before, hehe, can’t really explain. Anyway, I think this is an evaluation, a challenge for all of us, judging our own selves. It is like you're having your appraisal in your job, the only difference is that you’re the ones to evaluate yourself considering you have your Big Boss up there. Good thing is, whatever state (probationary=lukewarm, regular=backslider, terminated=abandonment) you are into now, even if you resign from his company (Christianity), He will still be willing to search for your resume (soul) and hire you as well. ^_^ apply now!

After the BS, we watched another movie (guess, it's already part of thursday's routine). We watched Hitch, and you'll definitely enjoy the show. Highly recommended to all you guys out there, I mean it. ^_^