On Friday night, Brian treated me, Megan, and Becky to a delicious meal at Red Lobster. I spent the rest of the night till about 1:30 in the morning hanging out with people in the coffee-shop and in the dorms. On Saturday, Mom took me to eat at Cracker Barrel. Amanda picked out my new wardrobe; she says, "The girls are going to be all over you now!" My family ate out at Olive Garden for dinner, then Amanda, Ashlie, Dylan and I went to Starbucks to talk. On Sunday, I taught class on David and Goliath, showing a clip from the movie TROY, and after a meal of rice, hung out with Amanda, Ashlie, and Anna. We joined Johnny for Starbucks, then ate dinner at McDonald's before a very beautiful Fuel.
After a very intriguing skit performed by Megan and Chris, Jeff spoke on sexuality for quite some time, telling of how it is a gift to be treasured, not abused. We watched a Nooma that talked about the three Hebrew words for love found in the Song of Solomon. I took notes, so I am probably spelling the translation wrong (I'm no Hebrew scholar), but check this out: the elemental love is raya, which is the love between a friend or companion. This love evolves into ahava, the passionate love that is at the root of heartache. Ahava is a love of the will, much more than temporary urges or sentimental gush. Ahava is commitment. Dode is the loving of fondling and caressing; the Greek work for this is eras, which is translated "erotic." This is the evolution of love: companionship, committed love, then sexual intimacy. When all of these flames burn together, it is true romance. When we leap for the dode love--sexual acts--without the raya and ahava, we entirely miss the point of sexuality. This is how God wired us--for the culmination of these loves in a single individual of the opposite sex. Rob Bell asks the question, "Maybe culture completely misses everything that sex is about?" If you like this train of thought, check out my post on October 26 of last year here.
I love working with 412. The kids are simply amazing, and I feel intimately called to ministry. I think God is telling me to spend the summer in ministry; whether that is working full-time and still helping out with 412, if Jeff would allow such, or becoming an intern somewhere, I am not sure. I keep this in my prayers.
After a very intriguing skit performed by Megan and Chris, Jeff spoke on sexuality for quite some time, telling of how it is a gift to be treasured, not abused. We watched a Nooma that talked about the three Hebrew words for love found in the Song of Solomon. I took notes, so I am probably spelling the translation wrong (I'm no Hebrew scholar), but check this out: the elemental love is raya, which is the love between a friend or companion. This love evolves into ahava, the passionate love that is at the root of heartache. Ahava is a love of the will, much more than temporary urges or sentimental gush. Ahava is commitment. Dode is the loving of fondling and caressing; the Greek work for this is eras, which is translated "erotic." This is the evolution of love: companionship, committed love, then sexual intimacy. When all of these flames burn together, it is true romance. When we leap for the dode love--sexual acts--without the raya and ahava, we entirely miss the point of sexuality. This is how God wired us--for the culmination of these loves in a single individual of the opposite sex. Rob Bell asks the question, "Maybe culture completely misses everything that sex is about?" If you like this train of thought, check out my post on October 26 of last year here.
I love working with 412. The kids are simply amazing, and I feel intimately called to ministry. I think God is telling me to spend the summer in ministry; whether that is working full-time and still helping out with 412, if Jeff would allow such, or becoming an intern somewhere, I am not sure. I keep this in my prayers.
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