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Weekly Meanderings, 13 December 2014

Weekly Meanderings, 13 December 2014

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 10:07 pm by Scot McKnight

Weekly Meanderings, 13 December 2014 2015-03-13T22:07:06-05:00 Scot McKnight

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Megan Wildhood:

Women in church leadership is not a secondary issue because women are not secondary citizens in the reconciliation world, what Scripture calls the kingdom of heaven.

In Philippians 3:20 Paul refers to his brothers and sisters who are pressing hard after the goal, which is Jesus Christ, as “citizens of heaven”, and makes no gender qualifications in the context of the verse. His aim is to spur followers of Christ to keep their eyes only on Him; the division is between those living as enemies of the cross and those who have attained God’s revelation (Phil. 3:15-18).

Those at the front of the Church should represent the face of God as the Church does its work in the world, which Paul urges us to do as mature people of the same mind. The Body of Christ will not do its best work in the world if its leadership is missing parts or there are rifts between them; it will not be able to obtain and maintain all of its parts if it does not mirror the nature and character of God.

Ultimately, women in church leadership is not a secondary issue because the image of God is not a secondary issue.

R2D2 Bot for protection:

Get Silicon Valley’s newest crime fighter: the K5 robot.

As the world grapples with the onset of drones and trembles at the increasing likelihood of sentient machines, a 300-pound bot is being deployed in places like corporate campuses and shopping malls. Like something out of a science fiction movie, the K5 is part of a broader effort to predict and prevent illegal activities.

While they are not quite artificially intelligent, these autonomous robots can see, feel, hear and smell, the man behind the bot told CNBC in an interview this week….

The machines are equipped with 3-D panoramic high-definition cameras, microphones, GPS, weather sensors, lasers, electric motors and alarms. They can also check temperature, barometric pressure and carbon dioxide levels.

However, don’t expect robots to take over human jobs. Instead, they free up humans to do more strategic activities, Li said.

“Humans aren’t all that great at reviewing raw data, raw data footage, video footage,” he said. “So what we like to do is have the machines do the monotonous, dangerous and computational heavy work.”

For a company or a mall interested in the K5, the prices for a “machine as a service” are as rock bottom as it gets. Knightscope offers a “basic version” of the unit at $6.25 an hour—but has a preference for clients that want them 24 hours a day for a year or longer.

April Diaz interviewed by Kara Powell:

You and your husband, Brian, are deeply committed to multi-ethnic ministry and relationships. How have those types of relationships benefitted your family? How, if at all, has your commitment negatively impacted your family?

Being part of a multi-ethnic community has utterly changed our understanding of God and the Gospel. Our family is also very multi-ethnic. I’m your boring white, Midwestern girl who married a 1.5 generation Puerto Rican (meaning his parents were born and raised in Puerto Rico, and Brian was born outside the US but moved here as a kid), adopted a couple Ethiopians, and have one biological mixed baby. Our family is quite the picture of diversity. As our family has grown in diversity, it’s been very important for us to surround ourselves with others “not like us.” After all, the story of the Good Samaritan is really a story about being a neighbor by going toward someone who is not like you. It is in that uncomfortable place where we can lean more into the grace and character of God.

The incarnation even becomes more miraculous through that perspective. As we’ve interacted with and grown in relationships with cultures unlike our first culture, we can see the fullness of God more. It’s allowed our kids to see the family isn’t only about bloodlines but it’s about love and commitment to one another. I believe each person is created in the image of God.

We are his imago dei. And just as each person reflects God’s image, I believe each culture embodies a characteristic or attribute of God. We’ve seen more of how different cultures and ethnicities understand God through their environment, strengths, and especially their pain.

Too confused to choose health insurance? A report about Jonathan Ketcham, one of our regular readers:

That’s why when people cite choice overload as a reason to restrict choices in the name of consumer protection Ketcham winces.

“We’re seeing efforts by influential academics to move psychology and behavioral economics into public policy,” Ketcham says. “What’s been missing is research on how, and how well, people actually make important decisions in markets.”

Certain experts say government regulators should help consumers make better choices by limiting the number of available options. For example, Jonathan Gruber also researched Part D and stated that “Consumers simply err … due to a lack of cognitive ability,” and the complexity of facing so many options. On that basis Gruber concluded, “… consumers would be better off if there were less scope for choosing the wrong plan.”

Another leading proponent of restricting choice is Barry Schwartz, author of “The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less.” Professor Schwartz weighed in on Medicare prescription drug plans specifically, saying “when there are a large number of plans from which to choose, decision-making quality suffers … because the relevant features are too complex to evaluate.” But then he tried to back away, saying, “Has anyone ever suggested that the sensible alternative to too many options is a single option? Absolutely and unequivocally not.”

Ketcham says Schwartz was mistaken. A prior article authored by influential academics and members of the current federal administration called for exactly that. They recommended the government establish “regional monopolies,” where only a single company could offer drug plans, “much like utility companies of the past,” says Ketcham.

But Ketcham’s research found that adding plans to the market didn’t dampen people’s attention but in fact increased the odds that they would switch to a different plan.

The study demonstrates that people choosing Medicare Part D plans are not overwhelmed or confused by too many options. Instead, consumers pay attention to cost and choose new plans when their current plans become more expensive than the others available.

Ketcham concludes, “People looking for a justification to restrict consumers’ choices will have to look elsewhere.”

For Paul interpreters, Andrew Wilson has a nice summary of the major SBL session with NT Wright and others.

Reasons to exercise outdoors in the winter:

Let’s face it — it’s tough to find the motivation to exercise outside these days. During the work week, sometimesboth legs of our daily commutes are completed in utter darkness. And while weekend sunshine is appreciated, it doesn’t do much to warm up our wintry surroundings. But before you throw in the towel and restrict yourself to the crowded, stuffy gym for the next few months, it may be worth giving the idea of a winter workout a second thought.

Exercisers are often concerned about the internal safety hazards that come along with chilly sweat sessions, but there is surprisingly little to worry about. Simply suiting up appropriately with enough layers made of moisture-wicking fabrics keeps the body at a healthy temperature and functioning the same way it would in any other workout environment. Sure, a slippery moment on an icy running path could lead to injury, but circumstantial (and potentially clumsy) moments aside, exercising outside during the wintertime actually boasts benefits that may not be achieved as efficiently elsewhere.

If you can pull yourself away from that cozy seat in front of the fireplace, you’ll reap these seven bonus benefits of sweating it out in the cold weather — and you might even learn to love it.

Is “Exodus” a white-wash? Yes. Does that matter? Yes.

CNN) — The new biblical epic from director Ridley Scott, “Exodus: Gods and Kings,” has a race problem.

We’ve known since the moment the full cast was announced: nearly every major role in the movie is played by a white actor.

What makes it worse for many observers is that, on the flip side, virtually every black actor in the movie is playing a part called “Egyptian thief” or “assassin” or “royal servant” or “Egyptian lower class civilian.”

In the weeks before “Exodus” opens, on December 12, a number of people, from African-American activists to Jewish journalists, have called for a boycott of the potential blockbuster.

“As much as I love a good Bible movie, I’m going to go ahead and boycott this one,” wrote Sigal Samuel in the Jewish Daily Forward. “And I invite my fellow Jews to join me.”

If “Exodus” were a tale set in the antebellum South, such a disparity might be historically justifiable. But this story is set in Egypt (which was part of Africa even back then), with characters of exclusively Middle Eastern origin. According to the Bible, Abraham, and therefore all subsequent Jews, were of Mesopotamian — that is, Iraqi — descent.

Before we start skewering Scott too thoroughly, we should probably remember that the whitewashing of Bible movies is a well-established tradition. Cecile B. DeMille’s “The Ten Commandments” should probably get a pass, as it was made in 1956, before Hollywood was integrated to any substantial degree.

Ferguson, Staten Island:

There are two major dimensions of systemic racism in the USA: diagnosis of the reality so that is laid bare before all eyes, and prescription of solutions, for which there is not one but many — in all directions. Anthony Evans below does the first and Michael Emerson points toward one solution.

For the most part, black clergy and Christians have appreciated the response of their white brothers and sisters in Christ, but few see it as leading to any widespread change in America’s persistently monochromatic pews. Rev. Anthony Evans, president of the National Black Church Initiative, thinks the integration of American churches won’t happen, “until Jesus comes.”

For Evans, the divide comes down to a perspective on police brutality.

“The white church does not have the moral intuition to stand with the black church on this issue,” he said, calling for a legal boycott of any voluntary cooperation between clergy and law enforcement in this country, which he describes as unambiguously evil, beyond what is required by law. “We know the white church won’t follow us on this, but until they give up that notion that the law is always right, we will always have a moral and philosophical problem with our white brothers and sisters.”…

For [Michael] Emerson, the consequences are clear and dire. In an email he wrote, “Integrated congregations would dramatically alter the overall racial conversation. There will be no racial healing in this nation as long as we have racially divided churches.”

Bill Gates’ top ten books.

Very sad but true reality about our oceans. Colossal garbage dump.

What never happens? This!

Saying good-bye to “Hurry up!”

When my daughter and I took walks or went to the store, I allowed her to set the pace. And when she stopped to admire something, I would push thoughts of my agenda out of my head and simply observe her. I witnessed expressions on her face that I’d never seen before. I studied dimples on her hands and the way her eyes crinkled up when she smiled. I saw the way other people responded to her stopping to take time to talk to them. I saw the way she spotted the interesting bugs and pretty flowers. She was a Noticer, and I quickly learned that The Noticers of the world are rare and beautiful gifts. That’s when I finally realized she was a gift to my frenzied soul….

Whether it’s …

Sno-cone eating

Flower picking

Seatbelt buckling

Egg cracking

Seashell finding

Ladybug watching

Sidewalk strolling

I will not say, “We don’t have time for this.” Because that is basically saying, “We don’t have time to live.”

Pausing to delight in the simple joys of everyday life is the only way to truly live.

(Trust me, I learned from the world’s leading expert on joyful living.)

What makes a place great to work for?

Entrepreneur of the Year:

SAN FRANCISCO – A company founder focused on helping Americans nurture the growth and evolution of their biggest asset – their homes – has been named USA TODAY’s Entrepreneur of the Year.

Matt Ehrlichman, 35, CEO of Seattle-basedPorch.com, won the honor after a team of USA TODAY editors sorted through 10 finalists that ranged from a Virginia software engineer focused on improving the user experience in dealing with the Affordable Care Act to an Indiana brewer whose distinctive ales have mushroomed in popularity and attracted a cult following.

“I’m surprised and humbled, and all credit really goes to our team,” says Ehrlichman, whose company rocketed from 30 to 300 employees this year.

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