Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Fifty years on this planet
The Constructive Curmudgeon (to obnoxiously speak in the the third person about oneself) has now turned fifty years old. Please tell me (back to the first person) what sort of crisis I should have or what manner of theological revelation I should receive or what kind of physical therapy (or psychological counseling) is appropriate. I did manage to hurt my back doing the strenous work of hunching over endless receipts--five months worth--that needed to be sorted out. I'm sure John Eldredge would be proud of my gallantry and warrior spirit in that. I couldn't find any cliffs to leap over or any Hummers to drive fast and burn up three miles a gallon. Wild at heart; sore at back; fifty in age; curmudgeonly in spirit. "The grasshopper drags himself along."
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21 comments:
Happy Birthday, Dr. G! I think 50 is a great age. Enjoy it.
Congratulations Doug! And many more, of course.
Therapy? I suggest a hot shower and a heating pad for the back. And given the weather in Denver, if you don't already own one, it might be time to get a snowblower ...
I haven't been there yet, so I can't recommend anything. Moses started ministry at 80... So there's hope for all of us. Happy birthday!
Doug,
Undoubtedly, you will get many comments on this post. My input?
It is certainly commendable to have a work ethic like Edwards.
But:
1) Also, bike more (have more fun), take up fly fishing.
2) Read more on family systems material related to why people join cults and ...
3) By all means develop some fashion sense. Please no more black socks with the sandals nor white socks with dark shoes and shorts. Buy (and wear) some tennis shoes (with white socks).
Ahhh...you should have already dealt with all that psycological mid-life trauma back in your 30's and 40's. You should be a happy granpa by now! Happy birthday!
No advice here (I am not wise enough to dispense any, and I am yet to hit that milestone.)
Happy Birthday, Dr. Groothuis.
Fab
Fast, fun, facts:
1. On his 50th birthday, Kierkegaard was dead.
2. Pascal was dead.
3. John Coltrane was dead.
4. Eric Dolphy was dead
5. Bonhoeffer was dead.
At 50, Francis Schaeffer had yet to publish a book.
Harlan Sanders hit with Kentucky Fried Chicken after his 65th birthday. Get thee to the kitchen.
Crisis? There's supposed to be a crisis of sorts at/after 50?
Signed,
-- 51 (and counting)
I'll try to skip the crisis and seek first the Kingdom.
Happy birthday. And trust me, 50 is not so bad.
Happy B-Day (a day late)Dr G!!
Perhaps in this midlife stage it is time to purchase a very large and obnoxious SUV, fully loaded with sub woofers. And of couse if you heed my wise advice, please do not drive down my street. :)
You're fifty? There's nothing to worry about. You should be happy to know that you're a half of 100! J/K.
I take Eldredge to be quite off-base and, frankly, embarrassing, because of his reification of a certain sense of "masculine" and "feminine" (thus perpetuating stereotypes) and because of his downplaying of propositional theology in favor of stories. So, it wasn't an off-handed remark.
"Do you disagree with his teaching that man embodies certain aspects of God's character (primarly strength) while woman others (primarily beauty)? "
No! The list of virtues in the Bible is not gender specific; female and male are equally made in God's image; women and men can be morally strong in a variety of ways. Physical strength is not a moral virtue.
Mike - As a women, I want to be strong, physically, emotionally, morally and intellectually. I am very task/accomplishment oriented. Forget the being pursued part. I relegate that to my immature single days. Am I any less of a woman?
Let us drop the stereotypes and simply get to know people, male and female, for who they are. Some generalizations can be made outside of strictly biological differences, but since they are not universal, they cannot be essential differences. Virtues of character are not gendered.
I'll join Nancy and, mutatis mutandis, own a "feminine" quality." I want to be pursued--by people who want me to speak publicly, write books, articles, and reviews; and I want students, journalists, and other professors to pursue me by taking my classes and seeking my advice. I like attention concerning the things that I do well. If women whistled at men, I'd like that too (but would do nothing about it, since I am happily married).
I hate hunting, trucks, motorcycles, football, and violent movies or games--typical "guy stuff" (to some). I am not a sissy, however.
1. Homosexuality is wrong because it comes out of the fall; it perverts the character of God's good, heterosexual creation.
2. Children need fathers and mothers because God designed humans that way. Men and women in marriage and parenting complement each other without the need for hierarchy. Note that last qualification: Eldredge, Grudem, Piper, et all, all think that maleness gives men authority over women. That is what I deny. It is not intrinsic to maleness to have authority over women. "The greatest is the one who serves," as Jesus said. Whatever generalizable differences exist between women and men, they do not ground hierarchy on the basis of gender. These difference do not make a difference for leadership in the church, home, or society.
My wife's niece is a crack engineer and is over many men. There is nothing unfeminine about that. Look for the gifts and callings, not to the gender.
Moreover, if men tend to sin more with lust, then why reserve the the pastoral position to men (as the traditionalists claim)? They are more likely to fall into sexual sin than women.
One could go on...but I'm moving in the next few days. Enough.
You are welcome.
FWIW, Tolkien was 62 when FOTR & TT were published, 63 when ROTK was released. He died before TS came out.
Of course, he did start working on TS & LOTR when he was in his twenties!
Not being a Tolkien fan, I have no idea what these acronyms mean.
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