At a birthday brunch this past weekend a couple friends and I decided what a great idea it was to make goals for the year. I now have 24 goals to complete by next June. One of my goals (although not an original, for it only became a goal 2 minutes ago) is to blog regularly.

The thing about goals is that it is automatic accountability, if you share them that is. I like the motivation and competition behind it. They have been written on paper, shared with friends and there's no turning back. I'm not going to write my goals out, I'm just sharing that I am going to attempt a more regular blog.

Today is the first attempt of such.

I have been having a few conversations lately on open-theism. Please excuse my ignorance, but my best attempt to explain it is that it is a spectrum. On one side you've got open-theism, which is the belief that your fasting and prayers change God's mind, that the amount of heart, time and discipline of a prayer determines the outcome. Where as the complete opposite side of the spectrum, let's call it closed-theism, more for laughs then reality, is God is sovereign and in control of all and there is no amount of prayer or fasting one can do to change anything for He alone is God.

Both sides scare me.
Side A, can result in self-righteousness and playing God. If we believe that God is Creator, Governor and Preserver of all things, then I don't know how we can even for a second think that us, mere mortals, can do or make anything happen or not happen.
Side Z, can result in a really apathetic and undisciplined lifestyle and a prayer life that is dead - and really wonder in this case, what is the point of praying.

Though, if given only those two extremes, I think I would tend to lean far more towards open-theism then anything.

I guess balance is really key here. To know that God is sovereign but to believe that prayer is necessary for world changing results.

This has all got me thinking about prayer, and thinking about how I have experienced prayer. There was a time in my life when I was a disciplined list prayer. I would get my prayer list out everyday - pray for people by name and for specific situations. When I think about those days, or read journals from those days I really see where God has answered prayer. And I wonder if my fasting and praying did something to make that happen, is it why God did what I asked him to, or, here's the kicker, was it simply that because of the discipline and intensity, were my eyes open to it more.

I don't know. I still think it is better to think like an open-theist then a 'closed'-theist, but I don't see how it lines up doctrinally. Can you be an open-theist, yet still honor God in fullness as Creator, Governor, and Preserver of all things?

On a lighter note, saw my second Coldplay show last night, which actually has me in thought about worship...stay tuned.

You'll want to check out 100 Huntley Street, Tuesday 6AM (BC Time) Major Winn Blackman is on talking about Human Traffiking.