by sarahmfry, October 31, 2005
APPEARANCE STUDY #1 - BIBLE & THEOLOGY: For some time now I have sought to establish biblical guidelines and principles for outward appearance. Does outward appearance matter to God? The generic evangelical response is no - all that matters is the heart. In recent discussion (the Aldersgate Forum) there was general agreement that while content (heart condition) is of supreme importance, the form (outward appearance) is also significant. The million-dollar question is, "What happens to the content when the form is lost?"

I will not at this time attempt to answer this question, but I want to at least begin with some basics. First, does outward appearance matter to God?

1 Thessalonians 5:22 says, "Abstain from all appearance of evil." The key word is "appearance" or eidos. This word only appears five times in the New Testament. Consider its uses:

1. At Jesus' Baptism in Luke 3:22, "And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape (eidos) like a dove upon him (Jesus)..."

2. At Jesus' Transfiguration in Luke 9:29, "And as he (Jesus) prayed, the fashion (or appearance) of his countenance was altered..."

3. Jesus speaking of His Father in John 5:37, "You have never heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape (appearance)."

4. Paul speaking in reference to Jesus' absence in 2 Corinthians 5:7, "For we walk by faith, not by sight." That is, faith that Jesus is risen though we do not physically see him at this time.

BDAG (a Greek dictionary) says that in 1 Thessalonians 5:22 the meaning is "all kinds of evil," which is how the NIV translates it. However, this translation and definition does not seem to do justice to the the fact that this is specifically visible kinds of evil. In other words, Paul unambiguously states that our outward apperance matters. So the question, "Does outward appearance matter?" is answered by Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:22 and the answer is yes!

However, I have hardly begun answering the question about the relation of form to content. That will come later.

Thanks for reading,

David

by sarahmfry, October 31, 2005

Hello from Alabama! We're brand new to blogging. We think it will be a fun way to stay connected with friends and family. We'll share pictures and stories about the girls, church & school - and who knows? We may think of something brilliant to say.
("Blog" is short for Web log, which can be anything from a news site to an online journal. Blogs allow you to instantly publish your thoughts and ideas from anywhere.)

by sarahmfry, October 31, 2005

BRIGHT BUBBLEGUM MORNING
We're not too nuts about this time change situation, simply because the sun comes up at our house before it does anywhere else in Alabama! Our room is bright with sunshine BEFORE SIX AM! This, of course wakes the girls up early. Kayla woke up at 5 something this morning and wallered around in our bed until I sent her to her room with some crackers to play. A couple of days ago the girls rose early again. David was still asleep, and I was trying to either sleep more or wake up, I'm not sure which. The girls came down the hall giggling and into our room with their arms stuffed full with homemade rolls. They had found them somewhere in the kitchen and were walking around the house taking a bite out of each one - happy as larks. They disappeared, and the house got strangely quiet. I lay there worrying for a bit, then decided that it was definately a dangerous quiet, so I searched the house and found them in the living room. They were perched happily in their daddy's favorite chair, munching down on an entire bucket of Kidz Klub bubble gum (the big, pink, sticky kind). They were stuffing it in (paper and all for Karissa) as fast as they could. Kayla had acquired quite a wad. You couldn't ask for more - a mouthfull of endless pink bubblegum mixed with yeast rolls.

by sarahmfry, October 31, 2005
The girls are doing great. They love to play together (from sand box to tea parties), and they also fight like cats! The other day we heard some hollering in the living room. They were duking it out - taking turns socking each other in the nose. We took a second in the kitchen to compose ourselves before going in to mediate when we heard a truly desperate scream. These are their most recent Pennys pics, taken this summer. Karissa had just turned 1 in July and Kayla turned 3 in June. By the way...for those of you who haven't heard, we're expecting small fry #3 on June 8. Kayla is very excited. She's named it "Baby Dear." Karissa doesn't have a clue, but we're sure she'll be glad to have a new head of hair to pull.

We'll try to keep some new info posted now and then.
Good night and God Bless!
© This Beautiful Grace · THEME BY WATDESIGNEXPRESS