tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22155331099063846572024-03-13T13:09:59.445-05:00Mene Mene Tekel TodayGod has numbered the days of our kingdom and brought it to an end. We have been weighed on the scales and found wanting. - Inspired by Daniel 5, the Bible. In our case, God is merely letting us reap what we've sown.
We live in the most important time since the life of Jesus. Climate change and peak oil will change everything. Can we adapt in time to lessen the impact? I feel the prophet's call to cry out and fear the usual reaction to the prophet: denial leading to destruction.VoiceInTheWildernesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07161023924191602286noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2215533109906384657.post-74537393693932093582012-02-04T12:31:00.000-06:002012-02-07T11:39:47.857-06:00The Quest for the Holy Cold Frame - Extended Edition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is the long, detailed version of an article that I contributed to my wife's blog (<a href="http://www.lovingourguts.com/2012/02/quest-for-holy-cold-frame.html">Loving Our Guts</a>).</div>
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A while back, I was cleaning out some old lumber under our back deck and ran across a nice big sheet of 1/4 inch thick glass. In the spirit of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000CPO22/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=lovourgut-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0000CPO22">The Big Clean-Up</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=lovourgut-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0000CPO22" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
(a favorite of mine from my childhood and arguably a factor in my hoarding instinct), I decided to build a cold frame so that we could garden into early winter and start again in the very early spring (actually, I'm giving January a shot for a starting point this year). In this post, I'll describe the process with lots of pictures and lessons learned along the way.</div>
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Since I like flashback, I'll start with the final result:<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1nduaX_wS6I/Tynzrmaa45I/AAAAAAAAAGw/PnWEyNYqAt8/s1600/397314_10150480303634685_665989684_8973558_483800556_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1nduaX_wS6I/Tynzrmaa45I/AAAAAAAAAGw/PnWEyNYqAt8/s320/397314_10150480303634685_665989684_8973558_483800556_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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First off, I figured I should attempt a bit of research. I procured <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001SEQHD6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=lovourgut-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001SEQHD6">Building & Using Cold Frames: Garden Way Publishing Bulletin A-39</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=lovourgut-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B001SEQHD6" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
(the Kindle Edition will save you 79 cents off the budget busting $3.95 list price) and skimmed an article on Mother Earth News on the topic. I'm enough of a guy that I wanted to forge my own path, so I decided to make my own plans. So armed with a decent recollection of my high school wood shop class, I set out to design my cold frame. You may wonder how I arrived at my design. I used the following design parameters:<br />
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<li>The frame should be designed to fit the sheet of glass I happened to have on hand.</li>
<li>I skipped the suggested angle from the above e-book and decided to draw inspiration from articles that I've read on planning solar heating or electrical systems - namely, the angle of surface should be either exactly, or at least generally, perpendicular to the sun for your growing seasons. The more precise method involves taking your latitude into consideration but I remember reading that a 30% slope is a good guideline for the U.S. So I did a bit of math and came up with height and width required to get that angle. 30% has the advantage of being twice as deep as tall so that kept the math simple. I then added an extra layer of boards along the bottom so that the plants in the very front wouldn't bump their heads as soon as they emerged. This also allows me to slightly inset the frame into the ground.</li>
<li>I wanted to use standard dimensional lumber, so I decided on 1x8s and 1x2s. </li>
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In the below drawing, you can see a top view (upper left), side view (lower left), front view (lower right) and finally a view of the lid on the upper right (laying flat, not on the slope). The squares inside the top view are 1x2s that run vertically. I used these to tie the horizontal pieces together. If anyone wants the plans as a Visio to adapt to their needs, let me know and I'd be glad to share them.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4KO06a7_Po0/TyjOgCSGJMI/AAAAAAAAAGo/jdzOaqipAzs/s1600/coldframe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="382" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4KO06a7_Po0/TyjOgCSGJMI/AAAAAAAAAGo/jdzOaqipAzs/s400/coldframe.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I also wanted to limit the potential from anything untoward leaching into the soil from wood preservatives, so I decided to try to find a source of wood that is naturally rot resistant and then stain with the lest toxic stain possible it to increase the rot resistance. Since I wasn't going to use the most effective chemical treatment, using a naturally rot resistant wood was of the essence. I did a bit of searching and found that <a href="http://www.mwanzi.com/">MWANZI</a> would sell me local, sustainable wood. They didn't have cypress, which is the best option for rot resistance, but we eventually ended on walnut which should fit the bill and it's very pretty. I found the owner to be very nice to work with. Their main business is furniture, cabinets, flooring, etc. but he was open to selling plain lumber. He even cut it to order. So our local produce will be grown in a locally sourced cold frame made with local labor. How's that for cool? It's a shame I can't get local hardware. For finish, I eventually found <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003YP1AFW/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=lovourgut-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B003YP1AFW">BioShield Aqua Resin Stain - Clear .75 Liter</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=lovourgut-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B003YP1AFW" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> from Home Eco (a local store). Not only does this stain include an ingredient list, but it's pleasantly simple and non-toxic.<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=mene-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B003YP1AFW" style="border-bottom-color: currentcolor !important; border-image: initial !important; border-left-color: currentcolor !important; border-right-color: currentcolor !important; border-style: initial !important; border-top-color: currentcolor !important; border-width: initial !important; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
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Here's some of the lumber that I started with:<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OWU1g0Wswv8/Tyn0iJ_XbSI/AAAAAAAAAG4/wZ9HtVi5GjA/s1600/381747_10150466564719685_665989684_8904863_1279366431_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OWU1g0Wswv8/Tyn0iJ_XbSI/AAAAAAAAAG4/wZ9HtVi5GjA/s320/381747_10150466564719685_665989684_8904863_1279366431_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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I actually built the lid last summer. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures during the process. The process was simple if a bit slow due to lack of practice. I borrowed a friend's table saw and cut channels down the narrow side of each board. I measured to make sure that the depth was sufficient to allow the glass to nest inside when the four sides are to be butted together. Since the blade wasn't 1/4 inch wide, I cut multiple channels to allow the glass to fit. I made the same cut in every board before moving to the next board to ensure that they came out even when assembled (the channels didn't end up being quite centered). I probably made it more work than necessary by attempting to not cut channel into the very ends of the boards. My theory was that would help keep water out and reduce rot (and look better). To facilitate that, I also ended up purchasing a 1/4 inch wood chisel. I don't know that it was necessary, but it was enjoyable and it's always nice to have an excuse to acquire a new tool. The four boards were placed around the glass and fastened together with flat brackets and thick wood screws that were just short enough to not protrude through the wood. I pre-drilled all of the holes for this project before attempting to install the screws. I also used screws instead of nails for extra strength. Here's a glimpse of one of the brackets in the corner of the lid.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gLS8uJ1oXRY/Tyn4x1554iI/AAAAAAAAAHA/z99VLMQKD8Y/s1600/387880_10150468480764685_665989684_8920888_382226165_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gLS8uJ1oXRY/Tyn4x1554iI/AAAAAAAAAHA/z99VLMQKD8Y/s320/387880_10150468480764685_665989684_8920888_382226165_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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I started on the main body by attaching the 1x2 tie pieces to the front panel and the back panel. In the case of the back panel, I then proceeded to attach the 2nd and 3rd piece to complete it. Here's one of the front boards after affixing the tie piece. The girls' sand bucket made a decent stand.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sYGyLsygVJ0/Tyn5-Zt59hI/AAAAAAAAAHI/5pZJEQeGxS0/s1600/404715_10150466568384685_1773890135_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sYGyLsygVJ0/Tyn5-Zt59hI/AAAAAAAAAHI/5pZJEQeGxS0/s320/404715_10150466568384685_1773890135_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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For the back panel, I caulked between each board to limit air leaks.<br />
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Walnut is strong. I predrilled each screw hole and I still broke a couple of screws in the final tightening (and stripped the heads of a few). I'm wondering if I should have used something stronger than zinc screws. If I remember right, zinc is considered to be a soft metal.<br />
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Finally, I attached the bottom layer of side boards to rough out the final box form before attempting to saw the two sloped side pieces.<br />
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<span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">I got to use most of my tools on this project. Clamps are a most wonderful invention. At times, I wished I had 4 of them (I have two but was too lazy to run upstairs to dig up the one stashed up in the office).</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YI3IXYhFvUY/Tyn7QvBvwaI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/nh5wL8R8Zdo/s1600/407483_10150466567569685_665989684_8904871_1981604934_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YI3IXYhFvUY/Tyn7QvBvwaI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/nh5wL8R8Zdo/s320/407483_10150466567569685_665989684_8904871_1981604934_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">Speaking of tools, I was so happy that I had broke down a few months previously and acquired a good corded drill. Walnut is pretty hard and even with pre-drilling the screw holes it took some oomph to drive in the screws. I ended up using this drill both to pre-drill the holes and drive the screws and the other drill with a bigger bit to drive the counter sink wider parts. I found myself wishing that I had a third drill so that I didn't have to incessantly switch the bit and driver. I may eventually break down and have this upgraded to a keyless chuck.<br />
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This drill also has an adjustable depth gauge that I used extensively to enable me to consistently drill holes that were the exact depth that I wanted them.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ei6iQG-3D70/Tyn75UIPDfI/AAAAAAAAAHY/SMZFBurvXFY/s1600/384462_10150468467544685_665989684_8920804_1421504632_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ei6iQG-3D70/Tyn75UIPDfI/AAAAAAAAAHY/SMZFBurvXFY/s320/384462_10150468467544685_665989684_8920804_1421504632_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Next, I sawed the two angled boards for each side. Walnut is hard. The wood was smoking from the effort to cut through it and you'll see char from the heat coming up. I'm grateful to a friend for the use of his saw.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XfNr0f-vwEk/Tyn9oxA312I/AAAAAAAAAHg/Uf5zFpORlHE/s1600/408392_10150467701169685_665989684_8915024_1746871557_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XfNr0f-vwEk/Tyn9oxA312I/AAAAAAAAAHg/Uf5zFpORlHE/s320/408392_10150467701169685_665989684_8915024_1746871557_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">See the shiny part on the side? That was daughter W's idea. It's a screw to tie one side board to another. I had planned on attaching strap iron pieces on the inside to tie them together but this seems to be working.</span><br />
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<span class="fcg">Here's a closeup of the verticle 1x2s that I used to tie the sides to the front and back.</span></div>
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<span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">And here's the screws coming in from the sides. I tied into both the tie pieces and the front/back directly. The only trick was avoidng the screws that ran perpendicular to these.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TvF2EANZeGg/Tyn_Sn37E2I/AAAAAAAAAHw/cvMWAfSYOX8/s1600/396055_10150467669704685_665989684_8914799_495293400_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TvF2EANZeGg/Tyn_Sn37E2I/AAAAAAAAAHw/cvMWAfSYOX8/s320/396055_10150467669704685_665989684_8914799_495293400_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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It turned out to be very strong. I was afraid that the corners would flex and that I'd have to handle it with kid gloves but they don't flex at all. I could have hidden the screws on the inside like I did with the front and back screws by only screwing into the 1x2s but this was stronger.<br />
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I really want to weigh this. It's very substantial. I'm even considering adding handles on the sides to make it easier to move it around.<br />
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The total size is nearly 5 feet wide by 2 1/2 feet deep and about 2 feet tall.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4UkVPADk2YE/TyoAiOSOS5I/AAAAAAAAAH4/qX03sXE_Wdc/s1600/386557_10150467661394685_1854013133_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4UkVPADk2YE/TyoAiOSOS5I/AAAAAAAAAH4/qX03sXE_Wdc/s320/386557_10150467661394685_1854013133_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I ended up beveling the back with my reciprocating saw. I probably should have used my friend's bench saw but it turned out pretty nice for free hand.<br />
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I hadn't intended to bevel the edge but I did need to trim the tops of the 1x2s that I used to tie the sides to the back and one thing led to another. It ended up being the right decision for the lid to close properly.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AEw5BeFdoEY/TyoBGe_nFqI/AAAAAAAAAIA/21LV869skcs/s1600/409074_10150467665439685_665989684_8914745_1534748566_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AEw5BeFdoEY/TyoBGe_nFqI/AAAAAAAAAIA/21LV869skcs/s320/409074_10150467665439685_665989684_8914745_1534748566_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Now, it's time to see how the lid works. Here's one of the hinges. I had to add a washer to one hole on each hinge to keep from hitting the glass. The glass is in a channel that I cut into the lid frame. The lid took an entire day all by itself.</div>
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Do you think I might need to clean the glass?<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2jTlFbOgA2g/TyoB1SofK8I/AAAAAAAAAII/Mjd3HOPcwLI/s1600/377150_10150468471274685_665989684_8920821_243561935_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2jTlFbOgA2g/TyoB1SofK8I/AAAAAAAAAII/Mjd3HOPcwLI/s320/377150_10150468471274685_665989684_8920821_243561935_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
And here it is attached! Thank you lovely helper Patty for holding the lid while I attached it.<br />
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You'll also notice the grey strip to the right of the hinge. That is a strip of weather sealing tape that I installed all around the inside of the lid. This prevents the warm air from leaking out overnight (at least to some degree).<br />
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Hinges from the back. I wasn't able to use the matching screws that came with them since they would have been slightly too long. But that gave me an excuse to use slightly larger screws with deeper threads so they should be stronger despite not being as deep.<br />
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The lid is heavy. A handle helps a lot.<br />
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I put it kind of low to avoid running into the glass inside the frame. The center of the holes is 15 mm from the edge of the wood, but I think it'll be strong enough.<br />
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A little vinegar, water and judicious application of elbow grease and voila, you can see through the glass. More importantly, the sun can do its magic on plants.<br />
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To prepare for the stain, I needed to remove some excess caulk that had seeped out.<br />
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The addition of a black lab is optional.<br />
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Next, it needed some sanding. I did a bit by hand and borrowed a friend's belt sander for some larger sections (such as removing the burns from the sloped sides.<br />
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No better way to spend lunch hour than staining the cold frame. It requires three coats of stain.</div>
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Note the piece of scrap unfinished wood in front of the stained. The stain is untinted, but it still imparts a gleam and brightens the wood. </div>
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I can't forget the bottom - it will bear the brunt of contact with the elements.<br />
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Finally, we just needed to prepare a bed, firstly be removing the sod...</div>
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... and then mixing up some quality soil. We used peat moss (10%), sifted soil from the location (20%) and the remainder finished compost.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CQu5Tok77uQ/TyoHlIrZiHI/AAAAAAAAAJg/L5N2dKPfiis/s1600/388205_10150480027114685_665989684_8972707_59150258_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CQu5Tok77uQ/TyoHlIrZiHI/AAAAAAAAAJg/L5N2dKPfiis/s320/388205_10150480027114685_665989684_8972707_59150258_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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We planted some radish seeds immediately since we had them on hand and placed an order with <a href="http://seedsavers.org/" target="_blank">The Seed Saver's Exchange</a>. I also purchased a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004I08CEO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=lovourgut-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004I08CEO">Wireless Thermometer</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=lovourgut-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B004I08CEO" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
with an external sensor (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004K6LOR8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=lovourgut-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004K6LOR8">two actually</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=lovourgut-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B004K6LOR8" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />)
so that I could compare the temp inside the cold frame with that outside. I was surprised to discover just how humid it stays in there. These also keep track of high and low readings for both temperature and humidity for each sensor (including indoor reading).<br />
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Yes, that's right. It's 94% humidity inside. I find that at least at this time of year, the maximum temperature rise (compared to the outside temp) is a bit over 20 degrees.<br />
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Besides radishes, we planted arugula, lettuce, turnips and dinosaur kale. So far, at least some of everything is up and a couple of rows look like we need to start thinking about thinning. I think we're all having to go outside and check on them daily out of sheer enjoyment. Planting this early, there's still a chance that we'll lose everything, but seed is cheap and it's worth the gamble if it pays off. Everything we planted is cold weather tolerant. I've also got a couple of ideas on how to further tweak the overnight heat loss. I already place an old blanket on it on cold nights but I'm going to get a piece of rigid insulation. That will also protect the glass from hail. I've also placed old bricks in the back of the cold frame to absorb heat during the day to be released overnight.<br />
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It does get quite beautiful when it frosts:<br />
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And here's what it's all about. We can literally see them grow day by day, even noticing differences from morning to evening.<br />
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</div>VoiceInTheWildernesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07161023924191602286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2215533109906384657.post-9661630582275939392010-11-27T23:33:00.002-06:002010-11-27T23:34:41.606-06:00Matthew 25, Modernized<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px;">A while back, I shared these thoughts with my church.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px;">It is interesting that there are two sermons on mounts that bookend Jesus' ministry. The classic sermon on the mount really launches he teaching, But just before the cross, there is a sermon on the Mount of Olives that seems to build higher and higher as he draws his listeners in. In chapter 24, he starts getting his listeners ready to think of ends and being prepared for judgement. Then in chapter 25, he starts on a series of parables that each dig deeper. The parable of the Bridesmaids is pushing them to be ready. The parable of the talents goes deeper, saying in effect that its not enough to just don't do anything wrong. Instead, success is found in also doing things (the work of the Father) right. Sin avoidance isn't enough. But then in verse 31, he raises the bar by fleshing out a bit of what the Father wants. This seems to be the culmination of his teaching ministry. So a couple of years ago, I worked up a rough approximation of what I think he may say today (in addition to the topic in the original teaching).</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px;">Here's a possible update of Matthew 25:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 13px;"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 13px;"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 13px;"><a name='more'></a></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 13px;">Verses 35 and 36</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px;">I was lonely, and you befriended me,<br />
I was born into a cycle of poverty, violence, and despair and you invested your life in me and brought me out,<br />
I was born in a fragile land and you taught us how to care for it,<br />
I was abused and you stood with me,<br />
I was born under an oppressive government and you fought your governments support of it and stood with me,<br />
I was born in a violent land and you stood with me for peace,<br />
I needed work and you sent fair labor,<br />
I walked the mountains and you joined me to enjoy God's beauty,<br />
I was sick and poor and you lobbied to provide insurance to save me,<br />
I moved into your neighborhood and you welcomed me,<br />
I was broken and you asked how you could help me today.<br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px;">And the king would respond to those sent away:<br />
I was lonely, and you only had time for your TV,<br />
I was born into a cycle of poverty, violence, and despair and you avoided me,<br />
I was born in a fragile land and your pollution destroyed my home and brought famine and drought,<br />
I was abused and you looked the other way,<br />
I was born under an oppressive government and yours supported it further your fortunes,<br />
I was born in a violent land and you brought war,<br />
I needed work and you supported sweatshop labor,<br />
I walked the mountains and you stripped to tops of them to fuel your lifestyle,<br />
I was sick and poor and you left me to die in an overcrowded emergency room,<br />
I moved into your neighborhood and you moved out,<br />
I was broken and you said that all will be better in heaven.<br />
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"Whatever you did to the least of these..."</span>VoiceInTheWildernesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07161023924191602286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2215533109906384657.post-2811592031160923322010-11-24T23:34:00.002-06:002010-11-27T14:28:26.349-06:00The whole world is Tekel - Peak oil has officially hitAt least the cheap, conventional stuff. From now on, it gets ugly. <br />
<br />
Chris Martenson says it well (as usual): <br />
<a href="http://www.postcarbon.org/blog-post/188069-it-s-official-the-economy-is-set">http://www.postcarbon.org/blog-post/188069-it-s-official-the-economy-is-set</a><br />
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From now on, we'll probably keep going through more cycles of economic decline as energy prices rise (and our mountains of debt weigh us down (see my link to Chris Martenson's site). There will be mini-recoveries, but the long term trend will be downward. John Michael Greer gives me some comfort in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Long-Descent-Users-Guide-Industrial/dp/0865716099?ie=UTF8&tag=mene-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Long Descent</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=mene-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0865716099" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />. His view is that civilizations tend to take as long to decline as they took to arise, dropping a generally stair step manner. He believes that our children's lives will be poorer and probably shorter than ours. But it will probably be a few generations until are cities are mysterious ruins to those that remain.<br />
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My biggest concern is how bad the population declines will be. We don't realize how dependent the most productive farmers in the world are on fossil fuels. Some of them come in the form of natural gas (which looks better with shale gas, but there are risks there as well) and coal via electricity, but the need for diesel alone is crucial. Add the stresses from climate change (drought, flooding, increased evaporation/heat, etc.) and those in the margins will have their life expectancies shortened first. For instance, as food prices rise, poorer nations will be priced out of the market first. So there will be more famines, but we won't see them for what they are. We're used to famines. Will we even notice? And at what point do they realize that their children are doomed to starve? Will wars ensue? Terrorism increase?<br />
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I'd love to see us tackle something like <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Transition-Handbook-Dependency-Resilience-Guides/dp/1900322188?ie=UTF8&tag=mene-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Transition Towns</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=mene-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1900322188" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />, but I'm afraid that too few will. We're too swamped with our daily lives. I'd love to try starting one, but I can't with my current family situation. I'm hoping to when the children are older, but I have to ask myself if this isn't a shot across the bow, warning me that time is out. I felt when we moved in 2005 that we should rent instead of buy, that things were bound for a crash but I didn't follow my better discernment. Am I repeating that pattern? I'd love to get a few acres near my in-laws and start a farm. I grew up on one, I know a fair amount about raising animals. Low-input (e.g. organic) gardening is a bit more out of my realm, but I'd like to learn.<br />
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In Matthew 6, Jesus tells his audience not to worry, God provides even for birds and flowers. But with record bird populations facing threats of decline, and flowers facing droughts, how much comfort can I draw from that? I feel that God will always be present and work with us in any situation, drought, famine, disease, homelessness or death, but just the same there will be misery. Comfort when your child dies still leaves you with a dead child.VoiceInTheWildernesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07161023924191602286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2215533109906384657.post-89657444546330894672010-11-24T12:04:00.001-06:002010-11-24T12:38:08.250-06:00Cow 3.0, a climate change solutionCow 1.0 ate mostly grass for the last few thousand years.<br />
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Then after World War 2, the U.S. inadvertently created Cow 2.0 by creating cheap grains.<br />
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As <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/05/us/05cows.html">this</a> (free registration required) great New York Times article describes, cattle methane emissions can be cut somewhere in the range of 18% just by switching them to the diet that they're adapted for - mostly grasses. So everything old is new again.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2058/1846375599_cec42383dd_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2058/1846375599_cec42383dd_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo creative commons licensed by publicenergy, some rights reserved at </span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/publicenergy/1846375599/sizes/z/in/photostream/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">http://www.flickr.com/photos/publicenergy/1846375599/sizes/z/in/photostream/</span></a><br />
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So what's the takeaway? Get your beef from a (preferably local) grassfed producer and if possible, your dairy as well. I think the latter is harder to find. And when someone tells you that beef should be avoided, point out that there at least less bad options. Besides, grain fed usually goes with confined feedlots which are also linked to antibiotics resistance in humans, water pollution, and poor animal health. I don't think that the God that mandated a day off for livestock per week and letting threshing animals eat their fill would care for confined feedlots.VoiceInTheWildernesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07161023924191602286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2215533109906384657.post-10745697933010601012010-11-23T17:59:00.004-06:002010-11-24T08:38:37.516-06:00Maasai Adapt to Survive - Great example of climate change impacting people today... err yesterday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.heifer.org/atf/cf/%7BE384D2DB-8638-47F3-A6DB-68BE45A16EDC%7D/WA_Maasai_Adapt_To_Survive1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="http://www.heifer.org/atf/cf/%7BE384D2DB-8638-47F3-A6DB-68BE45A16EDC%7D/WA_Maasai_Adapt_To_Survive1.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<a href="http://www.heifer.org/site/c.edJRKQNiFiG/b.6351579/">Maasai Adapt to Survive</a><br />
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</div><div>Great article in Heifer International's magazine (great group to donate to) on how they are helping the Maasai replace their cattle herds with camels. Why? Because climate change has transformed their land to a state too dry to support cattle.</div><div><br />
</div><div>This will be coming to the American plains before too long. See <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Six-Degrees-Future-Hotter-Planet/dp/1426203853?ie=UTF8&tag=mene-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Six Degrees</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=mene-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1426203853" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/National-Geographic-Degrees-Could-Change/dp/B0012Q3T72?ie=UTF8&tag=mene-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">National Geographic's Six Degrees Could Change the World</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=mene-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0012Q3T72" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> (if you don't do the whole book thing and you can stand Alex Baldwin). Or if you're cheap, you can always head over to the Six Degrees link on my influential links list on the right or hit the library.<br />
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I thought about titling this "You killed Jesus' cow!" I'm thinking of Matthew 25:<br />
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<blockquote><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum" id="en-TNIV-24037" style="vertical-align: text-top;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">31</span></sup> “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne.</span> <span class="woj"><sup class="versenum" id="en-TNIV-24038" style="vertical-align: text-top;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">32</span></sup> All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.</span> <span class="woj"><sup class="versenum" id="en-TNIV-24039" style="vertical-align: text-top;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">33</span></sup> He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.</span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><blockquote> <span class="woj"><sup class="versenum" id="en-TNIV-24040" style="vertical-align: text-top;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">34</span></span></sup> “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.</span> <span class="woj"><sup class="versenum" id="en-TNIV-24041" style="vertical-align: text-top;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">35</span></span></sup> For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,</span> <span class="woj"><sup class="versenum" id="en-TNIV-24042" style="vertical-align: text-top;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">36</span></span></sup> I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’</span></blockquote><blockquote> <span class="woj"><sup class="versenum" id="en-TNIV-24043" style="vertical-align: text-top;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">37</span></span></sup> “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?</span> <span class="woj"><sup class="versenum" id="en-TNIV-24044" style="vertical-align: text-top;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">38</span></span></sup>When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?</span> <span class="woj"><sup class="versenum" id="en-TNIV-24045" style="vertical-align: text-top;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">39</span></span></sup> When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’</span></blockquote><blockquote> <span class="woj"><sup class="versenum" id="en-TNIV-24046" style="vertical-align: text-top;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">40</span></span></sup> “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’</span></blockquote><blockquote> <span class="woj"><sup class="versenum" id="en-TNIV-24047" style="vertical-align: text-top;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">41</span></span></sup> “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.</span><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum" id="en-TNIV-24048" style="vertical-align: text-top;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">42</span></span></sup> For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,</span> <span class="woj"><sup class="versenum" id="en-TNIV-24049" style="vertical-align: text-top;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">43</span></span></sup> I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’</span></blockquote><blockquote> <span class="woj"><sup class="versenum" id="en-TNIV-24050" style="vertical-align: text-top;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">44</span></span></sup> “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’</span></blockquote><blockquote> <span class="woj"><sup class="versenum" id="en-TNIV-24051" style="vertical-align: text-top;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">45</span></span></sup> “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’</span></blockquote><blockquote> <span class="woj"><sup class="versenum" id="en-TNIV-24052" style="vertical-align: text-top;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">46</span></span></sup> “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”</span></blockquote>I think its a clear application of this passage that causing drought makes "the least of these" both hungry and thirsty. So when we oppose Cap and Trade (out of selfish fear) or idle our SUV while waiting to pick up the kids, we're not only not feeding the hungry, but we're actively making them hungrier.<br />
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America has become a nation of goats. Our churches cry "Lord Lord" while wasting their money on fancy buildings and steering their members to praise services instead of living lives of righteous justice. Reread the old testament prophets - they frequently criticize the nation for substituting praise and sacrifice for justice for the weak. Many churches today instead focus on praise and sacrifice (giving to the church) instead of care for the weak. We haven't become the change we want to see, we've become the Old Testament nation and the New Testament pharisees that we criticize.</span></div>VoiceInTheWildernesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07161023924191602286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2215533109906384657.post-15479720614348899382010-11-21T21:55:00.005-06:002010-11-22T10:18:12.637-06:00The Law of Love vs. The LawGod created a very boring version of "Rock, Paper, Scissors". You see, the Law of Love always trumps the Law of Condemnation. This was brought home to me tonight as I read Acts 10 to my eldest daughter and it jumped into relief against a verse that I'd quoted to my band of brothers on Friday. <br />
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In Matthew 23:15 Jesus lambastes "Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cross the sea and land to make a single convert, and you make the new convert twice as much a child of hell as yourselves." <br />
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But here in Acts, we see the new "Law" in action. This Law of Love shatters the old expectations of Jews and the old law by tearing down the old law's requirements for citizenship in the Kingdom. It grants citizenship to Gentiles who feared God and participated in charity. All of the old requirements collapse in the face of the two greatest commands: 1) Love God and 2) Love your neighbor (everyone really) as yourself. <br />
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To my previous post today: if our churches stuck to these two simple commands and tried to figure out how to apply them today, the Body would amaze all, Christian and non. <br />
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Food for thought: is it loving our neighbor in low lying cities (half the world population is on the coasts) to condemn them to flooding? Do we love the hungry by condemning them to greater hunger as climate change sparks droughts interspersed with flooding to the world's bread baskets? As we push the world to the point that climate change's nasty feedbacks kick in, are we loving the next few thousand generations that we are condemning to massive die off, starvation, war, flooding and worse? <br />
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We probably less than 10 years to get moving by the best estimates that I've read. The longer we wait, the harder and more expensive it gets. Tick, tock. <br />
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Get moving.VoiceInTheWildernesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07161023924191602286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2215533109906384657.post-87522904490668185932010-11-21T14:45:00.006-06:002010-11-23T14:34:18.712-06:00Physician, Heal ThyselfOur congregation of Christ's Body has been studying Francis Chan's <u><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Crazy-Love-Overwhelmed-Relentless-God/dp/1434768511?ie=UTF8&tag=mene-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Crazy Love</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=mene-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1434768511" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></u>. He raises the same question that I wanted to raise as a teen: "Do the words addressed to the church in Laodicea in Revelation 3:14-23 apply to us today? Are we lukewarm Christians?" Or to use the parable of the sower, "Are we the soil choked out by weeds, by the distractions and complications of daily life?" I always wanted to read the message to the Laodiceans to my home congregation when I was a teen, now I find that the text applies to me. Unpleasant irony.<br />
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While its right to read those passages and ask if they apply to me individually, we must also read them and ask if they apply to our congregation or even to the worldwide body of Christ. There is a book that I own that I've never gotten very far in, but the major premise can be found in its title: <u><a href="http://www.amazon.com/2nd-Incarnation-Theology-21St-Century-Church/dp/0891124845?ie=UTF8&tag=mene-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The 2nd Incarnation</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=mene-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0891124845" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></u> (Rubel Shelly, Randall Harris). The basic thesis is that the Church is Christ's second incarnation on Earth. We are Immanuel (God With Us) to the world today.<br />
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This brings me to an uncomfortable dilemma. The greatest attraction to Christianity for many people is Jesus, his life, his teachings, and yes, his death and resurrection (even if the latter creates its own stumbling blocks). But the greatest turn off to Christianity is Christians. If we are the second incarnation, why is our impact so often diametrically opposed to the first incarnation?<br />
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In our lesson today, it came home to me. The body of Christ, the church is unhealthy. Its flabby, out of shape, and bedridden. Its in adult day care - not able to fully function in the real world. Here's a few metaphors that came to mind (after the jump):<br />
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<ol><li>The church is in a coma, asleep most of the time.</li>
<li>The church has multiple organ failure. Paul compares the church to a body with the whole dependent on many different parts. But it seems to me that the church is underdeveloped in many areas (e.g. simplicity, service, and standing up to the power structures, especially religious ones that oppress the weak) and lacking critical involvement in the pressing issues of today and tomorrow (e.g. Climate Change).</li>
<li>The church has morphed into Frankenstein's Monster: its got a good heart, but its thinking is weak and its prone to react in fear.</li>
<li>Its turned inward and shut out the outside world. It has a well developed inner life with imagination and beauty (e.g. praise services) but almost no connection with the outside world.</li>
<li>Its done such a good job alienating the youth in some areas that it has entered a hospice program as its membership shrinks to only the older generations.</li>
<li>Its become a zombie, the living dead. It keeps putting one foot in front of another out of a distantly remembered goal to move forward, but its forgotten its real purpose. The "abundant life" has been replaced with "slog through until the 2nd coming".</li>
<li>Its a kindergartener, more obsessed with "Mine" than the old testament striving to care for the weak or the new testament patterns of sacrifice, sharing and above all love. This can be seen in Christians that find common cause with libertarians. My heart is a libertarian, but my teacher calls for me to a much higher life. The Bible looks far more socialist than libertarian.</li>
<li>Its an ivory tower academic, distracted by the fascinating books on theology, Greek grammar, etc. from its real calling. Scot McKnight's wife has a wise question in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Parakeet-Rethinking-Read-Bible/dp/0310284880?ie=UTF8&tag=mene-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Blue Parakeet</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=mene-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0310284880" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> when he told her about his day at work translating the Great Commission as "Go make disciples...". She asked "So did you make any disciples today?" Ouch. I'm guilty of many of these, but this one can be a particular personal failing. Its much easier to talk (or blog) about Jesus than to live as him.</li>
</ol><div>So if the church can look like the above, what do we see in Jesus?</div><div><ol><li>Love</li>
<li>Sacrifice/service</li>
<li>Getting mad when people were being oppressed in the name of God.</li>
<li>Forgiveness with a challenge to live better.</li>
<li>A simple life centered on people, never things.</li>
<li>Did I mention Love? Love for the oppressed, love for fellow religious companions, love for the outsider.</li>
</ol><div>So why doesn't the 2nd incarnation look more like the 1st? Why are we luke warm? Why do I feel a resonance when I hear the song <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Carried-Along-Andrew-Peterson/dp/B00004RD6U?ie=UTF8&tag=mene-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Andrew Peterson</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=mene-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B00004RD6U" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />'s lyrics "Sometimes I feel like the church has become the second coming of the Pharisees." Ouch. Why do I feel attracted by Jesus and repulsed by those who cry "Lord Lord"?</div></div><div><br />
</div><div>Why don't Christians serve life (after the birth event) and tackle climate change and the problem of war? Why do we come up theologies to use up creation instead of embrace our calling as stewards entrusted by God? Why do we live beyond our means, beyond creations means?<br />
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Or as Isaiah says:<br />
"Why do you seek further beatings?<br />
Why do you continue to rebel?<br />
The whole head is sick,<br />
and the whole heart faint."<br />
Isaiah 1:5<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Caveats: Yes, I know there are breakouts of Christians and Christian groups that do better than what I've conveyed. I'm grossly generalizing, with a focus mostly on evangelicals (my background). Since the world generalizes Christianity based on similar observations, I believe this is a valid critique.</span></div>VoiceInTheWildernesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07161023924191602286noreply@blogger.com3