My friend, Kasey

Today, I had lunch with one of my best friends I've made here at Fuller. He is leaving tomorrow to be a pastor at a church down in Canyon Lake, CA on the way to San Diego and has a great opportunity. I'm really excited for him as he gets a chance to lead a younger church community within a bigger church community there and the pastor has a great heart. He said they were talking recently and the pastor (60 years old) said, "I wonder if anyone in Canyone Lake would notice if we no longer existed?" and he answered his own question by saying- "i don't think many people would besides our members." Before he retires, he wants to see that change and is hoping that Kasey can help make that transition to permeate and preserve the community as the salt of the earth and the light of the world. I wished more churches and leaders asked these kinds of questions and were willing to make courageous changes rather than maintaing and growing their own institutions.


Kasey is a friend of mine who has made seminary learning worthwhile as we've got to really share this process of learning and growing together.

May the Lord use you to unleash the gifts of the church to show another way of living is possible through the Spirit my friend.

Bryce Comes to Town

Uncle Bryce came to town yesterday, and Hannah LOVED him. She woke up this morning and said, "see bryce," and we said "do you love bryce," and hannah said, "yeah."

It was so good catching up and laughing with Bryce. It made us miss our friends in Williamsburg, and we just had a lot fun together.

This Makes Me Laugh

We have been watching the office recently, and it is my new favorite show. This is my favorite scene. I

You are a Theologian?

Right now, I am taking a two-week intensive class on Systematic Theology 3: Ecclesiology and Eschatology.

Even the name of the class sounds terrible. What does that even mean anyway?

The traditional discipline of systematic theology has been ripped on for trying to put God in a box, for creating a system through which we can understand God, ourselves, and the world in nice, neat systems.

We intuitvely know this is not possible and is a waste of time if the God of the Bible is living and active. How could we ever put the God who created heaven and earth in a box?

So, why take this class? Why waste my time?

The purpose of the class is not to box up God, but to understand how the church has understood huge questions about what it means to be the church (ecclesiology), how God is active in the world and what is the destiny of humanity and the cosmos (eschatology). Basically, I will be studying how the church has understood the complex issues that surround these questions from the beginning of the christian movement to present in two weeks. Actually pretty interesting.

Systematic theology can be helpful because each of us is a theologian. We answer these questions all the time. Statements such as.....

.....I would never go to church or I am going to church this morning is a theological statement (meaning church is a place we go)

....If I could just win the lottery, my life would really be great is a theological statement. (life is better if i have more money)

.....God has really blessed you with that house. He has really rewarded me for my hard work is a theological statement. (houses are rewards)

.....God doesn't want me to go to church, but to be the church is a theological statement. (church can be an individual thing I become)

.....what really matters is that we just all get along and love each other is a theological statement.

.....If everyone just took care of their family, the world will be a better place is a theological statement...

I'm sure you could think of a lot of other ones that we hear or say on a daily basis. One tendency we all have is to fit God neatly into our precoceived ideas rather than letting Him shape our minds, hearts, values, and lives with His character and purposes.

What informs our ideas about God and our place in the world?

How can we do better theology that is more faithful to what God desires?

I think understanding the ways the church has understood these difficult issues throughout history can help us move beyond endless questions and a faith in which God baptizes our priorities into a faith that God brings us into His purposes and priorities in the world.

I am hoping to take away some tools to help ordinary theologians follow God more fully in our time and place.

I love my family

Hannah is still scared of the ocean water, but we had some amazing mornings going down and looking at the water and seals together

Got free Sea World tickets where we.....

First Paxton Family Vacation: San Diego

We had to make it down to San Diego with the short time we had remaining, so we took our first family vacation for three days, and had a great time.

We reconnected with the Kerkoffs and Hannah's friend Brighton

80's Birthday Party

We had a fun night last night celebrating our good friend Shirley's birthday.

Africa Hope Center Pics

My friend Joseph just arrived in Kenya this week to be there for the summer and sent me these pics: