Bedhead Theology

  The Long Defeat I recently learned of J. R. R. Tolkien’s concept called “the long defeat.” I have been researching this concept for a couple of weeks. I am, by no means, proficient in the study of philosophy. I often read philosophy and scratch my head, saying, “Those certainly are words.” But the long defeat struck a chord with me. It just made sense. The long defeat stands as a philosophical thought that captures Tolkien’s view of history: a slow, inevitable decline in which evil continually re-emerges, beauty fades, and human efforts inside worldly history ultimately end in loss. However, this view is far from a message of despair; the long defeat underpins the philosophy of heroic duty, perseverance, and hope. The question arises: in the face of inevitable defeat, we must decide why we fight. We do not fight for immediate victory; we fight for what is good, true, and holy. We stand as bulwarks against the evil of this age, knowing that we may very well be scarred by the b...

The call for effective evangelistic fervor within the local church is a more apparent need now than ever. Looking at history raises questions about the future of the local church. Sitting in Mission San Agustin de Isleta, one of the two oldest surviving mission churches in the United States, evokes awe, wonder, and curiosity. Most historians believe the building was constructed around 1610. There is awe in efforts to preserve the chapel, and those efforts have persisted to this day. There is wonder in the history of the chapel. Ultimately, the chapel is categorized as a historic landmark rich with a long-lived story. Finally, the chapel piques the curiosity of those who enter. Some questions that come to mind are: to what end does preserving this chapel serve? What is the next chapter in the story of the chapel? Has the chapel lost its original purpose? If not careful, the local church can find itself faced with that last question. The church can be in the same precarious place, servin...

I have been in software engineering for over a decade. It always amazes me how much my theology influences my work. Lately, I have been contemplating whether any aspect of my computer science training could apply to ministry. In the same fashion that Paul employed classical rhetoric in a sanctified way, so too could we apply modern secular principles to the church. One thing I have considered about church evangelism is the necessity for a balance between intentionality and dependence upon the Holy Spirit. We can learn a lot about intentionality through applying the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) principles to local church evangelism. It might sound a bit corporate or tech-heavy at first, but it is actually a brilliant way to approach outreach. At its core, the SDLC is just a structured framework for taking an idea from a vague concept to a fully functioning, sustainable reality. When applied to church evangelism, it shifts the focus from haphazardly hosting random events and hop...