23 February 2012

I am semi-hiatusing

by Dan Phillips

I think I'm the only Pyro who hasn't hiatused very seriously. I've never wanted to. I don't really want to now, so I'm not exactly sure how serious this one will be.

But my time will be limited, something has to give, and this is that something. So I'll only be able to make my usual Tuesday/Thursday deliveries if something bubbles up almost full-formed in my available spare moments.

Which, obviously, hasn't happened yet today.

If you really want you some DJP, you know there are around 650 of them, and they go back for years. So you might check them out.

For those who care, it's all good. I have a really heavy-duty (happy!) project that should take up most or all of my usual spare post-composition time for around a month. After that, I expect to be back, though of course with the usual DV-proviso.

Of course, you know what this means. To Tom Chantry, anyway.

Behave yourselves. Well.

Dan Phillips's signature

44 comments:

Tom Chantry said...

Let the celebrating begin!

OPEN THREAD!!!

David A. Carlson said...

Behave yourselves. Well.


there is a certain nuance to that.

DJP said...

Thanks for noticing, DAC. Raising children is like raising little lawyers. You realize that everything needs to be defined very exactly. "Behave" isn't enough, since everyone by definition is always behaving.

The question is: how?

Merrilee Stevenson said...

So few comments already! The "please prove you're not a robot" test must be especially difficult today.

I have two questions for this open thread, but I'll have to come back later on to see the answers.

1. WHAT is TIWIARN?

2. Is hiatusing basically the same thing as "fasting"? I've heard so many friends/fellow believers who are giving up something for Lent, and I've wondered about that. I'm no former Catholic, so it isn't a habit I'm familiar with, but I'm curious what the deal is with that. (I hope that doesn't make me sound like a dunce.) It kinda seems popular these days. So what's the word?

Tom Chantry said...

"Tiny Iguanas Weaving In And 'Round Narnia."

How could you not know that?

(Alternatively, some use it for "This Is Where I Am Right Now.")

BTW: I love open threads. I have to go soon and preach the gospel to a bunch of kids.

Stefan Ewing said...

Dan:

Enjoy yourself on your project, and may it open doors and new opportunities and interactions for you.

And praise God for the ordinary means of our secular careers through which we can bring Christ to the people around us!

Mary Elizabeth Tyler said...

Well, Tom said open thread, and no one is talking! What happened?

I will say this, I can't see these new words we have to type in the box; it takes me at least three tries before I can get in to comment. Do you guys not want old people here? LOL!

Okay..one...two..

Herding Grasshoppers said...

hiatusing?

Dan, Dan, Dan.

Coming from a man who has been openly critical of verbing nouns, I'm shocked.

Just shocked.

Julie

Stefan Ewing said...

Mary:

After successive failed tries, I was beginning to wonder whether my parents hadn't told me something, and I am in fact a robot myself!

Kerry James Allen said...

Did anybody see that "semi-hiatusing" can be rearranged to spell "feng shui?" I didn't say it did, I just wondered if anybody saw it.

CCinTn said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
CCinTn said...

May you come back refreshed DJP!

Since it’s ‘open line Thursday’, I have a serious question:
The recent posts on hearing a word from God have provided much cud for me to chew on. Along with other sources I’ve been able to tap into, my understanding of scripture has been nuanced to present a much clearer picture to me (bam! References to multiple posts)

So my question: is praying that God would ‘open or close the door’ the same as praying and waiting for God to tell me audibly or otherwise ‘speak in my heart’? Or do we seek direction from God and allow Him to provide this direction by answering this type of prayer.

Certainly scripture does not clearly, if at all perhaps, teach that we are to pray to God for direction, but when I think of incidents in scripture such as Gideon with his fleece and when the apostles cast lots to replace Judas, I see a difference between God speaking to His prophets and inspiring the apostles to do or say so and so and seeing examples of people seeking direction from God.

Do we draw a hard line in the sand and say God does not care whether you buy a blue or red car, marry a certain person or accept a pastorate position in a specific church or do we say that perhaps God does have a say in the matter in somethings? As an example, does God specifically want a man to accept the pastoral position in church A and not from similar calls he may receive at the same time from churches B or C?

On a similar matter, I’ve always been intrigued by the story where Paul was warned not to go to Jerusalem (Acts 21:4). Was this the Holy Spirit speaking through disciples who had the gift of prophecy telling him not to go in which case he was to obey, or was it more like the later warning in verse 11 where God was telling him what would happen when he did go? And what do you think Luke meant in verse 14 when he says that when Paul wouldn’t be persuaded, they stopped saying “the will of the Lord be done”?

DJP said...

Simply, the issue isn't what God "cares" about. It's what God holds us accountable for.

Providentially, He "cares" about everything (Eph. 1:11). But He doesn't hold me accountable for everything.

I am accountable for everything in His Word, His revealed will. I am not accountable for His providential/sovereign will.

If He says "rise, Dan, kill and eat," and I say "I won't until you tell me which burger combo to order," I am discontented, I do not really believe Sola Scriptura, and I am asking God to set aside the Canon to give me personal customized special revelation when He had already determined I didn't need it.

donsands said...

He truly is the Potter, and I am clay. Beloved living clay, which needs much moulding.

In service last night Pastor David Crum preached about sin from 1st John 1
"...if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:5-9

David Crum: "If the truth is that Christ took every sin of all His people, and once and for all blotted them all out, and He bore the wrath that we deserve, then why do we need to confess our sins, and ask for forgiveness? Because God tells us to."

I thought how great our Lord is to be our Propitiation, and to be the Lamb of God, who took all my hundreds of thousands of filthy sins upon His holy body, and suffer the wrath of His loving Father, for His Father's glory, and for me, personally!
And yet this truth has another truth which abides within it's awesomeness, the truth that I sin, and shall sin in different degrees until I die, or the Lord comes back. And so I go to my Lord and Savior and confess my sin, and say, "Father I'm sorry, help me to be more like Jesus. I love that You have forgiven me, for Your Son cried those most holy words: "It is Finished!". Yet, i ask You to forgive me even now as well, for this is Your will.

To our Father, and Jesus Christ His beloved Son be all glory! Amen. All for the Cross. Gal. 6:14.

Have a blessed hiatus my friend and brother.

Darlene said...

Merrilee,

Hiatusing means going on hiatus - taking a break from one's normal activities, so to speak. Don't feel badly, I didn't get it at first either. I thought Mr. Phillips was purposely making a typo for effect.

As far as giving up something for Lent, that also would be an interruption from one's normal/regular activity. My church honors the Great Fast leading up to Pascha, which has a different focus than the Western practice of Lent. Giving up something is not language we would use nor is it a concept that we would embrace. Furthermore, fasting is part of our life throughout the year (or should be) and hasn't fallen along the wayside as in so much of Western Christianity. We fast while our Bridegroom is away and eagerly wait for His return.

For those who observe Lent, have a Blessed Fast!

P. Trey Rhodes said...

I like the term, hiatusing! It's better than the old I'm-more-spiritual-than-you term of sabbatical. It kind of opens the leave up and lets you get back in whenever you want. Here's a question: Should it be limited to a certain time period as to how long someone may "hiatus" or is it completely open-ended. Deep food for thought. Have a great hiatus. I'm all in!

Scot said...

"I am semi-hiatusing"

Say it ain't so!!!

Now that I've sobbed in a corner for the last 3 hours and had my supervisor rolling his eyes at me, I'm not sad about this hiatus. I deeply appreciate the time and energy put into these blog posts, and gracious and firm responses. All of this happening with this blog being a part of Dan's spare time.

Just for myself, the hiatus will force me to read Dan's posts from times before I found this blog.

Just one question: this is project the fabled Calvinistic Dispensationalism book? Or a history of Pyro Idiosyncratic Acronyms? Or a lead role in a movie parody of Haters?

P. Trey Rhodes said...

I like the term, hiatusing! It's better than the old I'm-more-spiritual-than-you term of sabbatical. It kind of opens the leave up and lets you get back in whenever you want. Here's a question: Should it be limited to a certain time period as to how long someone may "hiatus" or is it completely open-ended. Deeeep food for thought. Have a great hiatus. I'm all in!

Rubin O. Wits said...

Looking forward to the next round of posts after your semi-hiatus.

St. Lee said...

OK, since the 4th musketeer declared this an "open thread" I need to get something off my chest.
Dan, I don't think I will miss your posts very much while you are "hiatusing." But wait, before anyone takes offense let me explain.

I find nearly ALL of the posts by ALL of the three principals here at Pyromaniacs to be edifying. I just have a tough time keeping you separated in my mind ...and I blame the three of you for this (rather than blaming my own lack of being observant). After all, two of the three of you have "Phil" in your name somewhere. Two of the three of you sport similar facial hair. Two of the three of you seem to have similar hair styles. Really, and then all THREE of you write edifying Christian material and you expect me to be able to keep track of who is who? Well, excuuuuse me!

Seriously though, may God bless you in your time away from the blog.

DJP said...

OK, now I'm getting confused.

Aaron Snell said...

It's hard to tell middle age white reformed guys apart in general.

DJP said...

|c:'

JG said...

Well, well. The last few days I've been meaning to ask what you were giving up for Lent. Now I know. ;)

Aaron Snell said...

And can I just say (since this IS an open thread), that DJP emoticons are the best.

Sonja said...

Just for fun, can someone with an autocorrect device type "hiatusing" into it and see what comes up?

I'm endlessly entertained by autocorrect. I should get one of those things that have it.

May the Lord bless your hiatusing Dan!

FX Turk said...

This
Is
Where
I
Am
Right
Now

The blog topic which most people utterly fail to handle well.

David Regier said...

I'll miss you, Phil.

Aaron Snell said...

Any creative interpretations of WYWTWIWYWTT out there?

David A. Carlson said...

I think a more important question about "Behave yourselves. Well" is who defines what "Well" is? I mean, it can mean so many things, or perhaps nothing at all. I mean, from the perspective of a dadaist......

Strong Tower said...

How to avoid a hiatus hernia: only be gone as long as you can stomach it.

Rachael Starke said...

I think he's planning the obviously easiest and fastest path to riches and notoriety and planning a Squirrel Room event.

Tom Chantry said...

"What Young Werewolves Thought When I Went Yodeling With Them Tonight"

You're welcome.

Aaron said...

@ rachael: AHA! We'll know what you say is true when Dan announces his Proverbs book is being republished using Scriptures quotes exclusively from the NIV 2011.

DJP said...

Found out!

Thomas Louw said...

Really hope you enjoy the project your on. Will miss your posts.

And seeing this as an open thread:

I have a smallish problem, one I love to have.

I must submit my topic for my Mth thesis by 1st March. Thus far they have not been impressed with my ideas. I'm to fague and general and need it more focused.

I would like to do something on the reliabilty of the Gospel of Mark.

My second choice would be something on the Inerrancy of Scripture.

May Pastor is pushing in the direction of "The Nessesity of Scripture"

My degree was structured that I can do my Mth either in New Testament or Dogmatics

Thomas Louw said...

This is no normal Pyro day.

Wheres Robert.

Darlene said...

Christ be with each of you this day!

Robert said...

Wheres Robert.

Hey Thomas. I missed out on all of the fun yesterday as I was actually booked up all day in meetings...I thought I had snuck in and left a comment, but guess not...or maybe I couldn't prove that I'm not a robot robot.

@Aaron/Rachael - I would actually think it sould be when Dan invites this guy to be a regular guest blogger on his blog.

Tom Chantry said...

I miss this thread. It was so calm. I might just hang out here for a while, alone and in the dark, and pretend that this is today's thread.

Robert said...

HA! Tom, you looking for a respite from the commentary today? Sadly, you're not alone...and definitely not in the dark!

Anonymous said...

Take a very, very, very long time, you really deserve it. Good luck with your project.

Rachael Starke said...

@Chantry

You are not kidding. It was an epic mixture of the glorious (you were channelling Dan with your laser-precise articulation of a problem) and the epic collection of "not getting it", not to mention random James MacDonaldness.

Seriously. If ever this blog get submitted to the Smithsonian, that thread would be up there as the one to put in the museum case.

Tom Chantry said...

I dunno, it's possible Phil killed the thread because I kept talking about shooting tigers in the living room. :>/