as a preface to the second part of my ‘growing up christian’ post i’d like to make it clear that i am in no way attempting to be negative or overly critical. i am simply interested in digging up my past in a way that will move me forward to being more Christ-like. if it ever comes of like i’m preaching, it’s because i’m pleading with myself to keep going. i got way off track in my first post and didn’t bother to edit it, so i will try to be more focused in this one. preface done. so much of what we learn as evangelicals is that there are a specific set of core beliefs that one must affirm in order to be considered “in the fold,” so to speak. this list includes the following doctrinal affirmations: God created the world in six days (literal or figurative), we are… [Read More]
Posts Tagged ‘death’
growing up christian (part dos)
August 5th, 2011 
dave 
Posted in American Christianity 
Tags: angel, bullhorn, Christ, Christian, cross, Dave Capozzi, death, disciples, eternal, faith, faithful, God, Jesus, Jesus Christ, life, love, religion, resurrection, scripture, sin, sinner, sins, struggle, turn or burn, war 
No Comments »Love lacks a deadline
July 4th, 2011 Dana Fisher When I was a young teenager my uncle came out and told us he was gay. I remember some shock from family, but I don’t remember too much overall. There were no mass hysterics(at least not visibly amongst us kids) and he certainly wasn’t ostracized. In essence, nothing really changed inside the family dynamic. The foundation of love still existed. Years later at 19 years old I took a job as an intern at Bayer Diagnostics working with my dad. Not long before that my uncle had been diagnosed with lung cancer after smoking most of his life. He lived fairly close, and having worked there himself at one point, would come down often to visit former friends and co-workers. I spent quite a few lunch breaks walking to the local pizza shop with him and my dad, hanging out and just chatting. That summer means a lot to me. … [Read More]
Sacrifice for a King
March 10th, 2011 Dana Fisher “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter- when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; Isaiah 58: 6-8 I would encourage you to read the whole chapter of Isaiah 58. What a cool picture of true fasting. A day removed from the beginning of lent I started to reflect on the beginning of my journey. Not yesterday, but my journey from my previous thoughts on fasting to where I am now as I start out on my 40 days. I humbly… [Read More]
Shooting Ourselves in the Foot
March 4th, 2011 Dana Fisher What will it take for us to get it through our thick skulls that bringing a fight is not the answer? That anger only begets more anger? That hatred has no place in the life of a Christian? That Jesus would never hold a picket sign of malice and in fact would be comforting those in pain and hurting. That he would be crying with them. I normally brush aside silly antics by misguided religious folk. The last thing they need is attention. If I’ve learned anything I’ve learned that attention just feeds the drama, causing it to grow unnecessarily. But sometimes it pushes the envelope to the point I’m embarrassed to say I’m a Christian and feel the need to defend the faith I’m passionate about. This is not how Christianity is! A few misguided people taint the whole bunch. Westboro Baptist Church is doing just that. A sign… [Read More]
Posted in American Christianity, Non-Violent Resistance Tags: baptist, Christ, Christian, Christianity, christians, church, death, faith, Father, God, Jesus, life, love, pain, pray, revenge, sin No Comments »Everyone gets to Heaven
February 26th, 2011 Dana Fisher A little discussion for your minds: Who gets in to heaven? Take a look at the article on Rob Bell, written by Justin Taylor. If you don’t want to read the article, at least scroll down and watch the video(the most important part). Many know that I am a believer in non-violent resistence, and am frequently called a pacifist. Having a background laced with anger and violence and continually struggling with my temper it took 27 years to come to the realization that Jesus really did call us to something drastically different than how we operate as people and nations. I want to discuss this, not because I side with Rob Bell or find truth in his statements, but because I see those believing in nonviolent resistance and a loving God getting lumped into this ‘other’ group which, in my opinion, is veering off the path into a scary realm…. [Read More]
Posted in American Christianity, Non-Violent Resistance Tags: believer, Christ, death, God, gospel, heaven, hell, Jesus, Jesus Christ, justice, Lord, love, nonviolent resistance, rob bell, romans, salvation, Thessalonians, truth, violence Comments OffJesus Creed
February 23rd, 2011 Dana Fisher This was originally authored by John Shorack and posted by a friend of mine, Tim Colegrove on his blog site Tanks to Tractors. I couldn’t help but repost again. Manifesto We confess that Jesus is Lord, the full revelation of the God of the Old Testament and that before Him every knee will bow. We confess that Jesus is Christ, Israel’s Messiah, and Savior of the world who conquered the power of evil on the cross. We agree with Jesus’ call to undivided allegiance to God: “No one can serve two masters…” (Matt 6:24), and “Love the Lord your God with all your heart…and your neighbor as yourself.” We also reaffirm that: “God so loved the world…” and has sent us with that love to society’s outcasts and our country’s enemies. Like Jesus, we must say ‘yes’ to the kingdom of God, and ‘no’ to all allegiances that compromise the furthering of… [Read More]
Posted in Non-Violent Resistance, Prayers Tags: America, Broken Stones, change, Christ, Christian, christians, church, cross, death, evil, forgiveness, God, heart, Holy, Holy Spirit, israel, Jesus, Jesus Christ, John, kingdom, kingdom of God, life, Lord, love, messiah, old testament, peace, power, Repent, resurrection, revelation, satan, Savior, sin, sinner, Spirit, violence, war, witness No Comments »Suffering for Christ
January 30th, 2011 Dana Fisher But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. ~1 Peter 4:13 You ever notice the more you veer towards the Lord the harder life becomes? That straight and narrow path is narrow for a reason and sometimes, certainly for me, it feels as if either side is a ledge. When I look back at some of the big trials in my life I see a moment in time on that same point where I made a decision for Christ and against the World. We don’t teach that in Sunday School. We teach hey come give your life to Jesus and watch the blessings flow. I believe Christianity need come with a warning. Those blessings do abound but they come at a price. They also often come inside peace that surpasses understanding. I realize this is hard… [Read More]
Posted in American Christianity Tags: 1 peter, 2 timothy, bible, blessings, Christ, Christian, Christianity, christians, death, devil, evil, fear, glory, God, Isaiah, Jesus, Jesus Christ, joy, life, Lord, love, Luke, peace, Peter, Psalm, satan, scripture, sin, Spirit, spiritual, Timothy, trial, trials, trust, truth, war Comments Offsubmit
January 28th, 2011 dave Jesus became one of us, even a lowly rabbi in the middle of one of the most powerful empires in human history (solidarity). Jesus took on our curse and submitted to death by way of a torturous and bloody crucifixion (submission). i have begun to realize something that should have been obvious to me long ago. that which is systemic and oppressive can only be truly defeated through solidarity and submission. if there’s anything that the history of human poverty and war has proven to us is that we cannot combat such diseases with that which is easy or seemingly most effective (money or force). Jesus taught us a more narrow, more difficult, more life-giving way. it is true that we will always speak of war and that “the poor will always be with us,” but we are told that there was one who came to free us from both… [Read More]
Posted in American Christianity, Radical Christianity Tags: blood, Christ, curse, death, faith, faithful, Jesus, kingdom, life, money, pain, poverty, power, resurrection, sin, solidarity, submission, violence, war No Comments »The Sin you Love
November 16th, 2010 Dana Fisher But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. ~James 1:14-15 The sin you hate is the sin you love. Seems a little confusing right? Sin is always enticing, otherwise why do it? Each of us struggles with different things and while one thing may stumble you, it may not weaken me. Those things which stumble us most often are those that we can easily pick out in others. They drive us crazy. It’s impossible to save someone from themselves when you haven’t looked into yourself first. Matthew 7: 3-5 tells us this plainly. Yet for me, I’m constantly in the mode to critique others without first coming before God on my knees for my own struggles and inadeqacy. If you’ve ever played any… [Read More]
fuzzy lines
June 18th, 2010 dave hola friends, i had a brief, but great, conversation with my friend jeremy yesterday when he visited my workplace. we were talking about the bible and some of its apparent contradictions. since jeremy is the pastor of his own community in hingham i will not speak to anything he said, but as you might assume, i am not too shy to let the world wide web know my current thoughts on the matter. a little background to start…i have, for a few years now, come to embrace the teachings, life, death and resurrection of jesus as the benchmark for which my life should be patterned (of course i fail. of course i cannot do it on my own). this is certainly not anything groundbreaking, but when it first occurred to me that jesus actually meant for us to take his word seriously my whole life changed. as one who grew up… [Read More]
Posted in American Christianity, Mercy, Radical Christianity Tags: America, angel, bible, change, Christ, Christian, christians, Community, Corinthians, death, disciples, evangelicalism, fear, God, grace, Jesus, kingdom, life, light, Lord, love, Mark, Matthew, mercy, old testament, patience, peace, pray, resurrection, revelation, romans, Savior, scripture, sermon on the mount, sin, sins No Comments »
