Greetings All! First off, I apologize for letting the judging go on a few days past the stated deadline. I can only excuse myself with this: It wasn’t easy to make the call! Every response was thought provoking. Some were hilarious. We even had one subreference to “They Might Be Giants” by MacGuyver (which of us wouldn’t love a prosthetic forehead!?!). In some ways, I’m not being fair to anyone by picking just one winner. But my supply of mugs is limited. So…
A quick word about standards: First, I was looking for a thoughtful response that actually dug into the implications a bit and elaborated on a basic point. Second, I was looking for someone to cut to the heart of the issue and remove it for inspection. Third, I was looking for a well-put-together, creative comment.
The “heart” of the issue is this: Humans, created in the image of God, are called to exhibit God’s created purpose for life. Sin radically distorts this calling. In Western culture, the right to “self-definition” has spun completely out of control, as this case illustrates so powerfully.
That said, here are my top picks:
Dug B (Post #5)–His “I am the potter and I am the clay” response nailed it! Dug B hits the key points with some very funny comments.
Brian (Post #11)–Brian comments on the “spiritual blueprint God has already mapped out for us” and the sin of thinking “we can map out our own destiny.”
Tony Woodall (Post #20)–Tony takes the cake for a fleshed-out, Scripturally rich response. He indicates the “mess” postmodernity hands us with this comment: “The best answer our post-modern world can come up with to the question of purpose is self-identity.” Great!
DRUM ROLL PLEASE…
The mug goes to Tony Woodall. Drawing lines of connection between Scripture, the story, and our fallen condition, Tony crafted a great response that earns him a really sweet Borderlands travel mug. Enjoy it, Tony, and sip with care (unless you want to get a pair of prosthetic lips). E-mail your address to me, and the mug’ll be delivered by our faithful postal service.
SOME HONORABLE MENTIONS:
MOST PITHY (YET SPOT-ON) RESPONSE: DJ (#1): “We were created in the image of God..with two legs, with purpose.”
MOST FUNNY RESPONSE: McGuyver (#14): “As a Child, I dreamed that I was a roll of duct tape.”
R you sure you want to give that to Woody? You will only encourage him.
Steve Van Denend
March 1st, 2007
I worried about that too, but…
Administrator
March 1st, 2007
Funny? You think my response was funny? Here I go sharing my heart and soul on this blog thingy and y’all think I was funny. Some people will just never understand the irresistible urge of duct tape… Good job, Tony (let’s see him get out of any life-threatening situations with a stinking coffee mug).
oh yeah, I forgot. All the homies are calling me mac g. and look for the new “mac g” super industrial line of duct tape.
word
MacGuyver
March 1st, 2007
Good job Mr. Woodall!!!! I will give you a run for the next mug. Pretty sharp audience. I might start studying….
Houston Steve
March 2nd, 2007
Man! Wow! I never win anything!
Who ever thought that a ‘Fan of Rand’ turned ‘Fan of the Son of Man’ would ever win anything?!? It’s been a long and winding road indeed.
I really thought MacGuyver had me beat! Question: Can you make a coffee mug out of duct tape?
Address:
579 Conservatory Lane
Aurora, IL 60502
Additional pointed comments:
Steve: You know what you got me into by getting me hooked on this site.
Houston Steve: If there’s a study guide for this site, make me a copy!
Tony Woodall
March 6th, 2007
Tony. Dude, are you a fan of the Robert Jordan series (Wheel of Time)?
Thanks for the address. Your mug will be in the mail shortly!
Congrats.
Administrator
March 6th, 2007
I’m a little familiar with him but I don’t really get into the Christian Allegory stuff too much. Though I do like LOTR and Narnia. Maybe I would like Jordan too. I just don’t have a lot of time to read fiction. I am trying to read some textbooks that I picked up from Wheaton.
later
Tony Woodall
March 6th, 2007
Jordan’s not a Christian writer. He’s published with Tor and has birthed an enormous world in the fantasy-sci-fi universe. Definitely not Christian allegory. anyway. The central character in his books is named Rand al’ Thor. I thought that’s what you might be subreference in the “fan of Rand” comment.
Sweet. Enjoy the textbooks. Do you think there is any interest out there for an on-line, college-level worldview course? I was thinking about what it might take to get something like that going and whether enough people would be into it to make it fly.
Administrator
March 6th, 2007
I just listened to the new podcast…skating the Edge. Dude, what did you mean about how everyone has the same facial hair? YOu know the soul patch rules. But i’ll let you in on a secret. the followup to facial hair feburary where i sported a full beard for 3 weeks, was the astounding and not to be duplicated Moustache March (the real march madness if you ask me). Anywho, i managed to have a fu-manchu for a couple of days. If we’re part of the late 20s early 30’s that do this stuff, there is more than enough room on the train.
Btw, good video of the Manna. I hope to see more soon.
Also I never got a chance to post, but Prov 3:5 sums it good too. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. Its my impression that the lady was not jiving with this.
peace out w2
w2
March 7th, 2007
Oops, my bad. Rand as in the objectivist Ayn Rand. And in regards to labeling Robert Jordan a christian allegorists…well…shows you how little I know about the guy. Sorry.
Dude…I would love to take a college-level worldviews course!!! I could also maybe help you in putting it together. I know a little bit about such things…always been a big fan of Ravi Z. and the like. And I think I could get some Edge leaders involved in this too. I am always pushing for higher-education as a means to equip us for the ministry.
Do you have a cirriculum set up for this yet?
Very interesting.
Tony Woodall
March 7th, 2007