Calvin & Hops: June 2017

Friday, June 30, 2017

July Open Topic Thread

Or: While the cat's away the mice will play

An open thread for comments on what you gentlemen want to discuss July as I'll be travelling. Don't come up with anything too interesting or else I'll be quite bummed to have missed it!

Edit 20 July: I'll be able to attend, so I hope that you've picked a great topic! Another option will be to simply meet up and discuss what comes to mind...a couple things that I thought of the the last couple weeks is the statute of limitations (sinning against God has no timeframe...should crimes?) or Confederate monuments. Regardless, let's get together tonight and I look forward to some good fellowship.

Saturday, June 24, 2017

Launching into Greatness: Post-High School and the Christian

What is the Christian to do after graduation?

Does it matter?

“In effect, the whole economic system is the means by which God gives us our daily bread. Each part of the economic food chain is a vocation, through which God works to distribute his gifts."

--Gene Veith

Thursday, 29 June 2017 from 1800-2000(ish)

The Noble Savage (21 and over)

Questions for discussion:

Is college necessary? Why or why not?
If college is the right choice, does a secular or sacred institution matter?
If college is the right choice, how do (potentially debilitating 5-to-6-digit) college loans square with Proverbs 22:7 (NIV), “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.”?
Are the trades a noble profession for believers?
Is entrepreneurship a better answer?
How do we prepare young men in our church/families for noble service to God?

Resources and Insight:

Avoiding the College Trap - American Vision
College as a Counter-Revolution - Douglas Wilson
College Alternatives

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Why we're here

The Philosophy Behind C&H,

One of my all-time favorite quotations comes from John Wayne. “Life is tough…it’s tougher if you’re stupid.” Though not necessarily related to stupidity, there exists a common failure on the part of Christian men to humbly sharpen their reasoning skills and learn from one another. We, like much of the heathen world around us, fall into the trap of failing to ever challenge one another’s thinking either because of personal cowardice or for unreasonable fear of causing offense. While I do not advocate offense for its own sake, I do advocate the sharpening of one another in the bond of true Christian love, toward the end of excellence in spiritual warfare with the forces of darkness around us. Let us help each other “take every thought captive to Christ!”

Calvin and Hops is a monthly (generally) meeting of men from a variety of Christian churches in the Bossier City/Shreveport area in an informal setting to discuss a topic of general interest. Our primary objective is to grow in knowledge and wisdom and the ability to reason, for the sake of the gospel. Christ is Lord of all, and we need to be able to communicate that to others. This is true whether we are discussing Biblical canon or homosexual "marriage". But, I ask you, which is the more likely subject in your workplace? Which is the more likely "hook"with the unbelievers around you that you can use to lead them to the fear and wisdom of the Holy One?

I will establish the topic of the evening as indicated on this blog. However, the topic of the evening may be trumped by another “hot” topic if it seems appropriate. Please use information posted on this blog to prepare for meaningful discussion. Also, I’m always soliciting for topics of interest; just contact me using the blog contact form, email, text, phone call, carrier pigeon, or just telling me at church/work/other.

Please mark your calendars and feel free to pass this on to other men you think will be interested. If they want to be on the mailing list, they’ll need to send me an email address and a name.

In Him,

RTR

P.S. This is a men-only meeting, as we need to be free to discuss things as men, the way men do. However, for those of you with young sons, I highly encourage you to consider bringing them, as long as you deem it appropriate given their age and maturity level; we would also change the venue if this is an issue. I think that our sons can learn much from the accumulated wisdom of older men, teaching them to follow (and think about) Christ effectively).

How We Work

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT:

1. Don't bring it weak; participate, don't merely spectate

2) Have a thick skin

3) No personal attacks (ad hominem), either given or received

4) No sidebars...it's just plain rude.

5) No texting/phone use (unless you have young children/family that must reach you)

6) Define & clarify your terms - ambiguity serves both the speaker and listener poorly

7) Never, ever, walk out the door offended or offensive - keep short accounts and our spears aimed at the common enemy rather than each other

8) Always think about how this applies to you, your family, church, neighborhood, city, region, state, country, and world (roughly in that order)...change starts in the heart/head and works outwards.