Inhabitation | [Re]oriented Parks

 

Job Hunting

Apparently finding a job is much more difficult than I remember.  No one really wants to hire seasonal people. Except for Publix, but they require you to take this hour long application and questionnaire at a kiosk. So I did that, wasn’t too bad, but how can they understand who you are from a simple questionnaire? One of the questions went like this: “How would a previous supervisor rate your self discipline?”  A) Superior  B) Above average C)Average D)Poor.  First, who in their right mind would pick “poor?” Second, I would have to say that my self discipline is quite good, especially in the realm of work, but do I go as far as to pick “superior?”  If I do, am I being arrogant in saying that I have no room for improvement? But if I pick “above average” does that say I have low self-esteem or does it just kill my job opportunity right then and there because I didn’t pick “superior?”

This is my predicament.  What ever happened to the old fashion interviews where one could speak naturally and reason through questions? What’s the likelihood that every customer altercation is going to be the exact same, thus warranting the same reaction? Not likely….but I digress.

I have found that asking for a job is much like cold-turkey evangelism or the invite team for VFC. At first your flesh makes up every excuse not to walk in and ask if they’re hiring, but after doing it 5-10 times it becomes the norm and rejection isn’t so disturbing. It is very difficult to find a job, and I believe I have taken it for granted that for the last three years I had one waiting for me when I got home. God is kind, let’s not forget that. Let’s also not forget that God is sovereign, so somewhere out there in this big bleak world there’s a job with my name on it. Then again, maybe not, but none the less God establishes the steps of man. I can rest assured through Christ.

That’s my interesting revelation for the day.

 

Piranesi on Architectural Beauty

“I believe that in building, beauty consists of giving to the entire work a form which is truly proper and attractive, and in distributing the parts in a clean and tasteful manner, so that there is a lawful agreement among them, and so that a certain natural beauty and ornateness is produced, which holds the gaze of whoever looks at it. But I think that regarding this kind of work, one must consider above all its nature and its purpose, for the reason that since the beauty of boys is different from that of men, so in buildings requiring gravity and dignity the ornaments must be used sparingly, inasmuch as this very gravity  and dignity serves as their adornment. In ‘charming buildings’ of a less serious nature ['fabbriche delizoise'], however, if a free hand is used in the decoration, no one is likely to object….”

-Piranesi

 

A Generation Gone Soft on Prayer

I just posted an article on ManSpeak about prayer entitled System Analysis [Pt.2] | Where’s the Prayer?  I’ve talked about prayer before on B2C, but this time it is more directed at men. After hearing a sermon by my senior pastor, Bill Kittrell, about earnest prayer, I came to realize my lack of gusto in my prayer life. Was I praying so hard as to cause a sweat? Or was I merely praying the simple repeat phrases that mark so many peoples’ prayers?

I highly encourage you to listen to Bill’s message on earnest prayer, it was challenging. More men in our culture need to pray more often, or else how are we to lead a family if we can’t even pray? How are we to expect God to save our families, and fill us with the spirit, and move the gospel if we will not pray? How are we to converse with our Father in heaven if we do not pray? We need a generation of young prayer warriors who are unashamed to pray the Christocentric prayer, and to pray it often and hard.

Prayer is one of our first steps in knowing God. And it is a step that must be continually taken lest we fall to the wayside.

 

Summer’s Coming with a New Name

So everything about my summer is still up in the air. One thing I do know, though, is that I am excited to start bloggin again on [Re] (my personal blog that I used to call “Elements of a Human Architect”), Bound2Christ, and Manspeak (that is if the guys in VFC keep me on board.)

After much thought and a new desire to start writing again, I have given the blog a new name. I renamed this blog for several reasons:

(1) People couldn’t get the old name. Too many questions.
(2) I think the new name speaks more to what this blog is about. More than about me, per say, this blog is about exploring the extents and abilities of architecture and design in general.  In addition to just merely the design aspects, it is about understanding its finite role on earth and subduing design, making it a bond-servant unto Christ. It’s about re-orienting design so that it holds a Christocentric focus; rendering the servant architect.
(3)I wanted a snazier name…I think this gets it.

So I’m excited. Maybe I will get a cool logo. Maybe not. Who knows? Until I start again in a few days…peace and grace.

 

Nextin’ it…

I’m going to Next. You should too…

 

The New Calvinism

TIME has published a “10 Ideas Changing the World Right Now” list for the year 2009. The interesting thing is that among businesses, jobs, and reworking the infrastructure of our country, “The New Calvinism” ranks third in what’s changing our world.

What makes the ideas found in New Calvinism so powerful? Why is it different?  Essentially, Reformed theology is spreading because the focus is the gospel, the power of God to save. We want to see God save people, thsu New Calvinism is missional in nature.  Where in the past, Christians withdrew from the world, New Calvinism is invading it. Yet, New Calvinism holds fast to scripture, the most important thing we have on this earth. The message is simple, the doctrine steady, the focus is love through Christ.

It is interesting that this has become a sort of fad in our culture.  So much so that a secular magazine would declare it the 3rd most influential idea in our world. Here are some really interesting articles to read:

3. The New Calvinism – 10 Ideas Changing the World Right Now

Time Magazine Names New Calvinism 3rd Most Powerful Idea

More Thoughts on Time Magazine and New Calvinism

 

The Weak Demonstrate Power

I was thinking about one of my favorite quotes yesterday. And it’s interesting because my church is currently going through a 1st Corinthians series, where Paul explains that God uses those who are weak, poor, and bad communicators to demonstrate the power of the Spirit. In most instances He doesn’t use the eloquent, but the one who offers nothing. For the past three weeks, I have become increasingly aware of my need for grace, which is cool. I am sure we have all come to many points in our Christian lives where we say, “Wow, why in the world did God save me? I’m useless.” And if you haven’t thought something like that, I bet you’re not thinking hard enough.

But the coolest part of all this, is that all things are redeemed through Christ. As Romans 8 says, “…all things work together for good.” All things, through Christ, will not be able to thwart God’s will, so rest. This mindset has to produce hope in Christ and God’s supreme sovereignty, if it doesn’t, perhaps we aren’t looking to the cross for our hope. And that is where this quote comes into play. The quote is from John Owen’s “Communion With God.”

“For our salvation, all fulness was communicated to Christ, ‘for it pleased the Father that in him all the fulness should dwell’ (Col. 1:19). And Christ did not receive the ‘Spirit by measure’ (John 3:34). So from this fulness, Christ is all-sufficient to supply all the needs of his people (John 1:16). Had the Spirit been given to Christ by measure, we would soon have exhausted all his supplies. So because of his fulness, Christ has all sufficiency in himself to be to the soul all that the soul desires. Is the soul dead? Christ is its life. Is the soul weak? Christ is its strength. Is the soul ignorant? Christ is its wisdom. Is the soul guilty? Christ is its righteousness and justification.”
[John Owen - Communion With God]

I specifically love the questions and answers given by Owen at the end of that quote. Am I weak? Yes, but Christ is my strength. Am I ignorant? Oh yeah, but Christ can give me wisdom. Is my soul guilty? Yes it is, of cosmic treason against the creator of the universe. Yet, Christ is my righteousness and justification, and on the day I stand before God, He will welcome me as his adopted son. So, in light of these things, my hope doesn’t rest in anything but Christ. I don’t trust myself, but I trust God’s sovereignty and His grace.

 

The Problem of Architecture: Of what Good is Experience?

I have said many times that architecture is defined by an experience that communicates an idea. This may be true, but I must admit that it is a shallow statement. It is eloquent in language to the world of architecture, but it serves no greater purpose than the idea itself. It cannot transcend the idea, and often it cannot even reach the ideal.

To the public eye, I may seem flippant. Even to those close, I may appear indifferent about architecture. But what many do not know is that this assumed flippant attitude is actually a calculated resolve. It is not that I don’t care or cannot achieve. It is not a potential not realized, but potential re-allocated. I understand the limits of architecture and trust in the extents of power.

To understand this most simply, it is best to use a logical analysis of architecture. As I have written before, architecture is about space that creates an experience which becomes the vehicle by which an idea is communicated. This is the deepest essence of philosophical architecture. The embodied idea could be about connection, metaphor, space, time, memory, or anything the philosophical mind can think of. And often this idea is rooted in the “spirit of the place.”

But can architecture embody the ideas of God? Most importantly, the gospel of Christ Jesus? Can man walk into a building, experience a space, and receive the gospel?

The answer must be an unequivocal no. (Unless, that is, the building includes the gospel engraved in a floor or written on a wall.) How could it ever be that man would receive the gospel by simply entering a place? The gospel has not been spoken and thus not communicated. In the temporal field, this question holds no weight. For in the temporal the philosophical nature of architecture is enough. The idea glorifies the architecture and points towards the architect, who may receive much glory.  There is no more needed of architecture in light of the temporal. It exists. One day it will fade away, and that is enough and good. However, what man must concern himself with is not the temporal, but the eternal.

In light of eternity, of what good is experience? It is of little use if it does not point the patron towards the cross at Calvary. More than good architecture, the gospel should be of concern to the regenerated architect. Thus architecture must take the form of service. We serve Christ as we serve our patrons. How much more worth is an architect who can serve and share the gospel than the architect that only concerns himself with design and good architecture. I do not denounce good design and architecture, but I put it in its place. Bettering society through the good use of materials and informed design is worthless and of no use in the eternity if the cross is not at the heart. So I say, an architect that serves the needs of the patron with the heart of the gospel is more valuable than the best designer to walk the earth.

If the servant architect worries himself on design and cannot function as needed for daily interaction, accountability, and fellowship, then he is failing to see the most important things in eternity. How can we love our God with all our soul, heart, mind and strength if we are drained, tired, and weak? Does architecture, the most influential of all arts, demand more than most occupations? Yes. But we must guard ourselves, less architecture and design become idols in our daily pursuits.

Architecture must be service oriented, and informed by a desire to share and live the gospel. For a building that is created without service interaction between architect and patron has no eternal value. The absence of the purposeful and intentful architect results in the absence of the gospel. The building is reduced to merely a temporal shelter. But a building created where service interaction results in a saved soul, that building becomes architecture that stands as testimony to the grace and glory of God! So of what good is architecture without a mindful architect? And of what good an architect without a merciful God?

So to those who see me as indifferent and with potential unapplied. Understand that there is a sense of resolve in my actions and decisions. I invest my potential into the things concerning Christ.

 

She

She dwells on His mercies,
and revels in His grace.