Devotion: What is in a name?

..it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called 'Christians.'"  Acts 11:26
 
This is the first time that Christian appears in the Bible.  What is interesting is that this was not a self-given title but something that they were called.
 
While we may choose to take upon the title of Christian, for these disciples this was a descriptor given to them by others.  Therefore it had to be based on the ways they were publically living out their faith.
 
Charlotte is perhaps one of the last major areas in America where the title Christian still contains social benefits and status.  In the Northeast and Western States there is very little prestige to be gained from associating oneself with the Christian religion.  This is similar to the situation in Antioch and the broader region.  For that culture they needed a new name to describe these people because they no longer fit neatly into any other category, since they had placed their faith in Jesus Christ.
 
They stood out in the community.  They were different than their friends and even their family because of their faith.  As a result they had to come up with a term to describe these new people's faith.  And so the name "Christian" was formed.
 
In what ways are you allowing your faith to differentiate you?  Would others look at your actions and consider you a Christian?  Why or why not?  
 

Serious Question: G-6.01016b

With local presbyteries having debated for a fifth time G-6.0106b, and now changed ordination standards, a particular question has sprung up for me. I had the core of my question/argument answered in this article by the LA Times regarding Rev. Saphr. The argument has been made, and upheld, that she is allowed to be openly homosexual and an ordained minister in the PC(USA) because her ordination pre-dated G-6.0106b. Therefore, since during her ordination she did not take a vow to fidelity and chastity (this likewise extends to heterosexual ministers, and has been upheld) these vows cannot be forced upon her.

It is necessary then that the converse would also be true.

Since G-6.0106b is overturned, does it not stand to reason that those of us ordained during its existence are bound by our particular ordination vows? Does not my standing before God, a congregation and my family to make particular vows mean anything (even if those vows are later altered)?

Are the proponents of its removal expecting that this would then “free” up closeted elders, deacons and ministers? It seems to me that this would not be the case for the currently ordained and only apply to the newly ordained.

Boycotts

With all the talk this summer about boycotting Arizona, the PC(USA) boycotting Caterpillar and personally I have stopped buying gas at BP. Does boycotting really work and what constitutes a boycott?

Question 1:
I have heard it argued that boycotting bp stations does not matter because it is detrimental to the local station owner not the multinational corporation. Is this just a "big oil" strategy to keep me using my bp visa card because I feel my actions are inconsequential? Isn't a fundamental of the free market that if the consumer stops buying the product that will force the company to reconsider it's actions? Yet are these companies so sheltered from the consumer by layers of franchisees and distributors that the consumer no longer has any meaningful influence?
Question 2:
Does it count if I boycott a product that I have never purchased? If i have never bought product x but have then learned about questionable practices-does the fact that I will not buy their water for ethical reasons matter? Or am I simply bandwagon-boycotting?

Mountain Adventures

Devotion: Availability

Mark 1:35 ³⁵ In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed.

When I was a youth, I remember going to some church event where they emphasized the importance of morning quiet times. They would quote the above scripture to prove that even Christ woke up before sunrise to read his Bible and pray. Not being a morning person, this always left a twinge of guilt that I could not devote that time to Him.

Recently, I was encouraged by a comment that what God's desires is not a mindless routine, but our constant availability. In our busy and hectic lives, it is often easy and convenient to limit God to a few hours on Sunday—and maybe if He's lucky a few mornings.

In structuring our spiritual life in such a manner we are limiting our availability to hear God speaking to us. He may not want to wait until Sunday to speak. He may be ready to speak words of reassurance before we get called into the boss's office, or words of warning before we step off into a risky venture, or he may wake us up early in the morning to spend time with him in prayer.

How can we make ourselves available to God? If we are willing to stop anything to help a close friend or spouse, what is preventing us from giving God full access to our lives (morning, day and night)? What areas of our lives might we be keeping from him?

One Year