The Art of Cutting Potatoes

I started Culinary School this week. Prior to this week the only experience I had was in my home kitchen (unless you count Taco Bell or KFC). Needless to say, I am a little overwhelmed. This week we mainly concentrated on beginning knife skills. There are some people in my class who have been working in professional kitchens for years. They have skills. Me, well, I'm trying to get down the basic chopping a potato at a 90 degree angle. It's harder than it looks to get a perfect cut. But I'll get there. Practice makes perfect as the saying goes. The instructors are great though, they know many of us have never been in a professional kitchen and are patient with us. I'm having fun and learning lots.

Easter is coming

So Easter is coming up here pretty soon. I haven't been to church in a while, and don't really have a church I go to. Should I feel like I have to go to church on Easter? Will God be offended if I don't? The church is not a place I've felt comfortable in for a long time. Does that mean I'm not a Christian? I don't think so. I graduated from Bible college so I should understand the church's importance in society right? Yes, I do. But I believe the church in many places has gotten so political that it's no longer about God but more about an agenda. You hear as much talk about being pro-life or anti-gay marriage as you do about the Bible in many places. Hey pastor, why not tell us what God thinks we should do instead of spending so much time harping on the things people shouldn't do? Plus, I've been burned by the church and it's hypocrisy. I know I should go and fellowship with other believers, but other then being with friends who are Christians, I really don't want to hang out in church. Maybe someday God will give me the desire to go back. But I don't know if it will be for Easter.

Christian Vs. Christian

I was just reading an article last night about how a guy named Mark Coppenger of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary did a whole sermon ripping apart Donald Miller (author of Blue Like Jazz) basically for being too liberal for a Christian. I was thinking, this is the problem with Christianity. We can't spread a gospel of love when we hate amongst each other. It doesn't work. People can see through hypocrisy. Miller's book is about his personal journey. It reads somewhat like a personal journal- not some bold theological statement. Coppenger comes off as a guy who just wanted to pick a fight. In my opinion there is no place for this within the body of Christ. We can agree to disagree, but public bashing of another believer is shameful and uncalled for.