Lower Cases and Capitals

Jesus and Jerry Springer

2011-12-16T11:02:00.002-05:00

It seems Jesus had a pretty messed up family. Obviously we know about the "uniqueness" of the whole un-married teen mom thing, but it gets much weirder than that. One of his ancestors was a woman named Tamar (Genesis 38). Tamar was married, but before she could get pregnant, her husband died. So, as her culture suggested, she then married her brother-in-law, who, again, died before she could get pregnant. So her father-in-law told her to wait until his next son was old enough and then she could marry him as well. This didn't jive with Tamar. She wasn't ready to wait another few years before becoming a mother. So she went with the obvious solution to this problem: She disguised her self as a prostitute and became pregnant through her unsuspecting father-in-law. Jerry Springer, call your office.

A few generations later in Jesus' family tree comes a woman named Ruth. She was a very noble woman with a great story to tell. Sounds like the perfect ancestor - except for one little problem: She was a Moabite. This doesn't mean much to us, but to a biblical Jew, this is a pretty big deal. The Moabites are decedents of (surprisingly) Moab. Moab's father was a guy named Lot - who also happened to be his grandfather. You see where this is going. Lot's daughters weren't able to have children, so they come up with a great idea (a chip of the ol' Tamar block) to get their father really drunk and...you can figure out the rest.

Disgusting? Yes. Immoral? Yes. Against the Law of God? Yes. A true part of our Savior's family history? Yes.

Then there is Bathsheba. We can tend to think of her as a victim of an immoral king - and their may be some truth to that. But I suggest that she knew exactly what she was doing. Bathsheba's husband was a nobody named Uriah. When he was called off to war, Bathsheba starts to think about how better her life could be. She lived right next door to the most powerful and famous man in Israel. So she takes a bath in a place where David could easily see hoping he would come calling. Her plan works perfectly and David, in a selfish and sinful act, brings her to his palace. When she is found to be pregnant, they have to find a way to cover it up so eventually David sends her husband to the front line where he is killed. Adultery, lust, manslaughter, lying. All in Jesus' family.

So why does Matthew open his gospel by telling us this? This genealogy of Jesus is impressive and royal. Jesus can trace his lineage through many great men of God - but it also goes through Tamar, Ruth, and Bathsheba? Why is this significant? I think what Matthew, through the inspiration of God, is trying to say is this: God has used incest, adultery, murder, and foreigners to do his work in the world - and just wait until you see what's next. God doesn't need the best and most talented. Some of the greatest moments in the story of salvation come through normal, flawed people. People who are unprepared and unqualified. People like Mary and Joseph. People like you and me.

So, if God can use that, what can he do with you?

Reflections from Common Prayer

2011-09-29T19:30:00.000-04:00

Today in Common Prayer, we reflect on the words of Psalm 139 which reminds us of the depth and mystery of a God who knows us better than we know ourselves. The Psalmist writes "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it." While this may come across as a simple road away from wrestling with deep questions of God and existence, I read it as reaffirming something that we all know to be true - there is a God who is approachable, yet still beyond our reach. The God of Christianity is one that comes near to us yet is unknown. Because of this, fully following this God means embracing the mystery - not as a puzzle to be solved, but as an ocean to swallow you.

Yesterday I got a call from a local youth ministry about an event they were planning. Apparently they are bringing in a riveting speaker who will be talking to students about "debunking evolution." The caller explained to me that it is an attempt to give facts and answers to these students so that they can talk to people who question their believe in Theistic creation. Let me first say that I think it is very profitable for young people to search for answers to questions they or their friends may be asking. I believe in a Creator God and think it is good for students to learn more about this aspect of our faith. However, what I find interesting about this is the thing behind the thing. Like I said, searching for answers about creation is well and good, but I think this conference actually speaks to a deeper, more fundamental issue. We, as humans and as Christians, have a tendency to not want to fully commit to things when we don't have a firm grip on the end results. If we have questions, before we discuss and dialogue, we need answers. Before we set out on a journey we need Google maps and a GPS. Before we take a step in the direction of God's work, we need to see the other side. We tend to be hesitant if we don't have all the answers.

But I'm not so sure this is what following Jesus is about.

We read in Hebrews 11 about generations of people who devoted themselves to the work of God on faith. Noah, Moses, Abraham, the prostitute Rahab, David. These people understood that following God doesn't always mean having the answers but instead often means diving into the mystery. This chapter is referred to as the "Faith Hall of Fame" and for good reason. The examples that they men and women leave are stunning.

Yet, as we learn more about these people, we realize that their following after God was not always roses. In fact, their lives were littered with hardship. Accepting the mystery sometimes (often) means fumbling around. But then we get to Hebrews 12. After the author encourages us to look to these examples - fully aware what that entails - he says

Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.

We are called to be people who have a "passion and courage to answer the call to peace and justice, no matter where it might lead us." We don't always need to have everything sorted before we follow Jesus. We don't need all the answers. We don't need to see the end. We simply need to follow.

May we be reminded that we are called to be people who throw ourselves at God's work, even though we may not have a firm grip on the end result. May our faith and our passion define us.

2011-09-15T19:30:00.000-04:00

Tonight, a group of friends and I are going to get together in one of the rooms of our church and explore something awkward, uncomfortable and ancient. For a bunch of people who grew up more/less conservative evangelical, the prospect of spending the next 12 months diving to the world of liturgy conjures up all of these words are more. But as different as it promises to be, I believe our commitment will have a profound impact in our lives.

The church calendar is not something I grew up observing. In fact I probably didn't even know what it was until I got to college - the idea of having a set of guidelines that directed your faith was so foreign to the grace-centric Christianity I grew up in. Clearly, these two are not in any way exclusive - they just didn't seem to mingle with one another during my formative years. So as I embark on teaching the purpose of the church calendar, I find myself constantly learning.

Simply, the purpose of the church year is to bring order to our lives, and to center that order around the person and life of Jesus. Just as we order our months and weeks around the western calendar, we begin to find our seasons take root (most comfortably, it seems) within the liturgical year. It's going to be (like I said) uncomfortable at times, but I believe that is the whole point.

I vividly remember the evening before my final Hebrew paper was due during my last semester of college. While intentions were good, it naturally came down to an "all-nighter" that was dedicated to writing this monstrosity. During the night there were several times when I simply could not focus anymore (too many shva's!). The multiple hours of staring at a screen trying to write something that loosely resembled exegesis took its toll. So I got up. I forced myself out of my chair and walked around a bit. This intentional movement awakened me and brought my senses back in order. However, it didn't help my grade at all, but that's another story)

I think our Christianity is often like this as we sink into a grove of existing with a knowledge of Jesus, Abraham, yada, yada, yada. It is in these moments that the stiffness of liturgy can reawaken us. When we force ourselves to get out of our chairs and read a paragraph as a group (something not usually done), pray together (often done alone) and sing an unaccompanied song it brings our senses back in order. It refocuses, recenters, revitalizes us. It reminds us that our Christianity is vibrant, relevant and communal (it's beautiful to know that Christians around the globe are following the same calendar as our little group in West Michigan). We will use liturgy, specifically dedicated prayer, to stay connected with our faith, our Savior, and our community.

I'm looking forward to this year. I'm nervous that I may slip up. I'm nervous that others won't connect with what we're doing. But I look forward to this 12 month journey through an ancient practice that is thankfully reemerging as a regular part of evangelicalism.

A Response

2011-08-25T11:21:00.004-04:00

My friend Mason wrote a thought provoking post on why the language we use in songs matters - specifically in reference to the old hymn "When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder." You can check it out here.

I appreciate Mason's sentiment. The issues he is bringing up resonate with me as someone who's job it is to present worship music for a group of Christians to sing along to. I grew up in a fairly traditional church, and because of that, many of the hymns of our faith have a strong place in my own spiritual formation. These are songs I have sung hundreds of times and feel deeply about preserving for the current and future generation. But, like Mason says, as we sing these hymns we will inevitably come across wording and ideas that don't quite jive with (post?)modern theological thought. With so much work being done in New Perspectives (both of the Old and New Testament), we have started to revisit some of the theology that the western church has preached for the better part of the 20th century - things like the rapture, our purpose in this life on earth, our eternal state. We've perhaps widened our lens a bit and rediscovered the importances of reading scripture in its social/cultural context. Because of this, when we sing "...and time shall be no more," we don't sing it with full bodied agreement.

But, we must continue to sing these songs.

Not because we want to confuse people. Not because we want to sing things that we don't mean or believe. But we must continue to sing these songs because it reminds us of our history - our story, our journey, our past as a church. Many of these hymns, especially the ones that we would put in the county/gospel category (think Carter Family) come out of a time when the thought of leaving the world of dust bowl, back breaking farm work, coal mines shutting down and incurable influenza was a comforting ideal. When you live under conditions like that, you sing "I'll fly away, oh glory!" and you mean it. These are not songs of uninterested, unschooled people. These are songs that are based on a specific cultural mindset - which played deeply into their reading of scripture. In the same way our 21st century worldview plays into how we read eschatological passages, 19th and 20th century culture played directly into the writing of songs about meeting on the other shore. We see the same thing with the Negro spirituals. How many of these songs sing about the Promised Land, Canaan, the other side of the Jordan? These are songs about exodus coming from a culture that could feel a deep need for leaving their current life and moving to something better. The culture plays a staring role in how and why songs, hymns and spiritual songs are written.

And so we need to keep singing these songs. But maybe now, we take a bit of time to remind ourselves (and the congregation we are leading) why they say what they say. What was their culture saying? What were their lives like? What can this say to us 50, 70, 100, 500 years later? We need to be aware of what we now feel scripture says on the matter, but we cannot throw away a huge portion of our heritage as a church just because we don't agree with one of the lines. Let us continue to wrestle with the words that we use and the impact they have on us and our communities, but let us also remember where we have come from. It is only then that we can fully see where we are going

The Gospel of Self

2011-07-27T13:50:00.002-04:00

I'll spare you the long and slightly-incriminating story, but this morning I was told (not by someone in my congregation):

"Just because I'm a Christian doesn't mean I have to be nice to everyone. I won't be a doormat."

This statement hit me hard. It's been hours and I can't get it off my mind. It's stung and I'm not sure why. As a pastor, perhaps I sometime get jaded to the world outside of commentaries and sermon prep. Maybe it stung because I'm not as in touch with the "everyday" Christian as I should be. Maybe it stung because my hope in people's life-altering commitment to Jesus is unrealistic. Maybe it stung because it was a look into how people misinterpret Christian humility.

But mostly, I think it stung because it reminded me how self-gratifying 21st Century Western Christianity has become. Living with the mind of Christ is fine when I am on the receiving end, but when it prevents me from getting something I feel I deserve, it's my right to be assertive. I'll being a Christian when it is convenient, but if it means sacrificing these rights, I'll take a pass.

Essentially what this guy was saying is that he will chose to define Christianity not by the commands of Jesus to love your neighbor or the writing of Paul to cloth yourself in humility but by his own rules of what is fair and what is not. His sense of justice is more important to him than his obligation to God's sense of justice.

I'm not saying this to bash this man or the Church as a whole, but instead as a reminder of how much work is still left to do. In my short 26 years, I've seen so many beautiful, hopeful things happening in the American church, but as long as this mentality exists, there is still work that needs to be done. There are still scriptures that need to be expounded and applications that need to be given. There are still actions that need to be seen and words that need to be heard. The Gospel of Peace is alive and well and must be preached if it is to overcome the Gospel of Self that we see every morning, afternoon and evening.

May we be the ones with this message on our lips and fingertips.

Brief Thought on Psalm 27

2011-06-30T11:40:00.003-04:00

I remain confident of this:

I will see the goodness of the LORD

in the land of the living

Wait for the LORD;

be strong and take heart

and wait for the LORD.

Psalm 27.13-14 (the late TNIV. RIP.)

David's confidence is not that God will just take him out of the trouble that he is in, but that God will intervene in a divinely-earthly way. While our hope as the church might be slightly more revealed, we patiently await the return of the LORD, yet live with confidence that his goodness and presence be a real part of the land of the living.

Words and Hammers

2011-06-23T11:36:00.002-04:00

When language is personal, which it is at its best, it reveals; and revelation is always formative - we don't know more, we become more. - Peterson, p24

As a pastor, my tool is my words. When I need to teach or preach, I use words. When I need to show someone they are an important and cherished part of our church community, I use words. When I need to remind someone that perhaps the path they are on is not God's path, I use words. Language is at the crux of my vocation.

So I need to be aware and intentional of what words I choose to say what I feel needs to be said. And sometimes, maybe my language isn't as personal as it needs to be. In The Pastor, Peterson speaks of using language "from the land of the living" - words that are used in super markets, bike shops and bus station. Sometimes, maybe my language comes more from books than side walks. I strive to connect with people when I teach, but maybe while the content is accessible, the words that I use are not always from their land. Maybe sometimes I speak in a way that lets people know more but fails to help them become more.

So, I'll keep trying. I'll keep being careful that my language is from the land of the living. I'll continue to join the 6000 year old tradition of translating God's timeless truth to words and phrases that resonate and take root. I'll continue to find ways to harness the power of language as a revelatory, formational tool.

Reading and Eating

2011-06-22T13:14:00.002-04:00

After finding a hardbound edition for a whopping $6 at the Eerdman's bookstore last week, I've just started reading Eugene Peterson's Eat This Book: a conversation in the art of spiritual reading. I admit that my first formal introduction to Peterson's work was during my recent read of his memoir - and I regret it took me so long to find him. His personality and pastoral call is so clear in his writing. It is calm and placid, yet prodding and alive. This particular book focuses on his yearning (see: pastoral vacation) for Christians (I think North American christians is implied) to embrace their scriptures not as a text for reading and studying, but as a life giving, transformational faucet. It the early chapters he frequently mentions John (of Patmos fame) and his eating of the scroll in Revelation. This is the metaphor he launches from. When we eat, the nutrients that enter our body eventually reveal themselves in the actions and words that they empower us to make. But unfortunately read-eating is not the way 15-20 years of education has taught us.

Sometime in mid-elementary school the process of reading for information is learned. This is how you get only what is necessary out of books so that you can pass the test. After the test has been past, the book goes back onto the shelf, rarely to be thought of again and its content remains to be covered in dust. Through high school this worsens as we begin to feel pressure to read several books on several topics for several tests during the same week. So we take just what we need and move on. College, while there is the redeemingness of the coming-of-age that often happens during this time, does not do much to correct this.

We learn to read for information. What are the instructions. What do I need to know. And then we move on. This reading. But as Peterson writes, "(t)he act of eating the book means that reading is not a merely objective act" (p.20). It's an engagement. It's allowing personal experience to be seen in, thought not to definw, the text. How do we read scripture? How do we unlearn the way of reading we have known for so long? How do we make it more information gathering? We learn to eat, mull over, digest, gnaw, stew.

Berea Pt. 2

2011-05-27T14:31:00.003-04:00

Last night at our young adult worship gathering I ended up teaching through the Acts 17 passage. A few things came up that I thought would be worth commenting on.

First, I was fairly disagreed with on my assertion that Paul was not given a chance to speak in Thessalonica as he was in Berea. I perhaps over emphasized that, but I don't think it takes away from the point of this passage. It was the nobility of the Bereans that should be focused on, and this is evident regardless of how much or little time he was given in his previous city. To me, this passage show the knee jerk reaction of the Thessalonian Jews that was triggered by Paul teaching something they were not familiar/comfortable with in contrast to the Bereans allowing him to speak and then coming to an informed, but gracious decision (again, not everyone in Berea agreed with Paul but they did take him seriously). As my friend Mat brought up it wasn't their studying of scripture that made them noble, but it was their being noble that caused them to study scripture. The emphasis is on the open minded, humble (they were opening themselves to be wrong), God-fearing virtue that was made the culture in Berea.

Secondly, I think there broader implications to this text that I originally saw. While there is the obvious call to allow different ideas and interpretations of scripture to be heard, maybe this passage says something to how we interact with people in general. Last night, someone share a very relevant experience. She works with college students - especially new freshmen - at the school I graduated from. She say that each year they have problems with upperclassmen telling the new freshmen about what professors to watch out for - which ones are mean, which ones are push overs, which ones to avoid. By doing this, they are essentially causing the new students to form an opinion about someone based not on their own experiences but on reputation and rumor. I'm sure the Bereans could have done the same thing. Here is a guy from another part of the Empire with different ideas. Perhaps his accent, clothing or other external factors where different from their own. They may have even heard about what he was going around and doing. They probably had preconceived notion about who this guy was that could have very easily informed what they thought about him before they even met him. But they didn't. Their virtue was seen in the way they accept him first and then got to know what he stood for.

So what about us? What external factors do we use to form opinions on people before we meet them? Clothing? Race? Doctrinal background? Education level? Job/Lack of job? Age? Justin Beiber tattoo? (ok, that one is legitimate).

We would all like to think we don't do this often, but I'm sure if we are honest with ourselves they are more prevalent than we care to admit.

So may we be like the Bereans and strive for a nobility that informs everything about who we are and how we interact with those around us.

Berea

2011-05-26T19:30:00.001-04:00

As a child in Seattle I attended a church called Berean Bible Church. At a certain age, the children the grew up with me at BBC began to realize that it is a slightly odd name for a church - especially when the other churches near by were named after the area we were in or the denomination they were a part of. So we would ask and without fail be directed to Acts 17. On one of their missionary journeys, Paul and Silas are run out of Thessalonica by a grew of Jews who were not their biggest fans. Paul was teaching his normal schtick and pointing out that the Hebrew scriptures prophesied the Messiah would have to be killed, but would then rise again - and they weren't buying it. So, they snuck away at night and arrive in a town called Berea. When they got there they again began to preach their message of the necessary death of the Messiah, but this time the response was much less riot-inciting. The Bereans, Luke tells us, were "more noble than those in Thessalonica" and studied their scriptures to see if what Paul and Silas were preaching was true.

This, we were told as young, inquiring minds, is why we call our church Berean. We want to follow the model of these believers and test every message we hear against scripture to see if it is true. This is a noble goal and one that I am proud to have as my church heritage. The desire to let scripture teach is firmly at the heart of Berean Bible Church in Seattle.

But I think there is actually something more going on here that makes the original Bereans "more noble." I think it would be fair to assume that the message that Paul was preaching during his missionary journeys was a radical departure from an orthodox faith in the God of Abraham. Not only would he state that the Messiah had to be killed in order to be a true Messiah, but that Messiah had in fact been a poor carpenters son who dismissed the religious leaders and customs of the day and was pathetically executed by Rome. If they would let him, he would go even farther and say that Israel was no longer uniquely God's people but the dividing wall of hostility had been torn down allowing the unclean, disrespectful Gentile peoples to now be on equal terms!

This was not something that was taught in Hebrew school.

This was not something that was being written about by the top rabbis.

This was not the topic of plenary session at the local Jewish theological conferences.

In our 21st century church we have a word for people who teach this kind of thing. And it starts with an "H."

And in Berea, they had a fair chance to talk and were listened to with open and respectful minds. Not everyone agreed with Paul, but it appears that everyone at least let him share as he felt compelled by God. They did the correct thing of testing and discerning. Some dismissed them, some joined them. But all let him speak.

Who are the Paul's among us today? Who do we pre-emptively dismiss because of a supposed departure from and orthodox understanding of the God of Israel?

Phil on Bob

2011-05-24T17:46:00.002-04:00

I was going to post on one of the most influential men in my life today, but my friend Phil of Reading Acts fame beat me to it. He did a good job, so I'll just rip him off. Happy Birthday, Bob. Thanks for everything.

Most people who know me are well aware that Bob Dylan has been the background soundtrack of my life since my early teens. Blood on the Tracks and Street Legal were the first albums I remember, although it was Slow Train Coming which really influenced me. I was raised in a Christian home and went to a Christian high school, but I never was attracted to the Christian Music which was coming out at that time. To be honest, it was really bad. With the exception of Larry Norman and the very young Randy Stonehill and Phil Keaggy, there was not much to draw my attention. Then came Slow Train. I got a copy on 8-track tape and wore it out. (Alright, wearing out an 8-track is not that big of a deal, but I did listen to it over and over!). Dylan followed that up with Saved, some of the most honest gospel music every written. There was no doubt in my mind that Bob Dylan was (as is) a brother in Christ. But then came Shot of Love and Infidels, albums which made people doubt he was “really saved.” What kind of a Christian writes songs about Lenny Bruce? What could “Dark Eyes”mean?

I have seen video concerts from the Gospel years in which Dylan tells the crowd that the end times are coming and even asks for prayer requests. He refused to play the old songs, considering them the Devil’s music. His 1981 shows integrated more of his “hits” but still included healthy doses of Gospel songs. But like most good things, Evangelical Christians failed to understand Dylan’s conversion and subsequent lack of Christian commitment. What did they expect, Bob Dylan covering Sandi Patti songs? (He actually did cover a Dallas Holm song, but that was an exception!) Dylan has always been his own man, and he would not be co-opted by anyone (he does not work on Maggie’s Farm, ever). I am not sure Evangelicals were well-equipped mentally to deal with what it means for a secular Jewish Rock Star to convert to Christianity. So much was going on in his life, spiritually and emotionally, that it is remarkable he was able to emerge from those years and produce some of the best music of his career.

But for me, Dylan remained a spiritual beacon light. While not overtly Christian (like Saved), his lyrics continued to be spiritually motivated. Every “Grain of Sand” is one of his best songs, and probably his best “spiritual” song. “The Groom’s Still Waiting” has an apocalyptic worldview worthy of Revelation. He has never really stopped playing songs from the Gospel Years in concert, opening his controversial China concerts with “Gonna Change My Way of Thinking,” a highlight from Slow Train. As I get older with Bob, I hear much more Christianity and Judaism in his lyrics than ever before, and I amazed at how much I missed when I was younger. Maybe I am hearing him through my Christian lens, but with only a few exceptions, his resonate with the important questions of life and my ear hears echoes of eternity in them.

So here’s a happy birthday wish to Bob Dylan, may you continue to walk the paths of victory.

Worship and Mission

2011-05-18T15:07:00.002-04:00

This afternoon I am working on putting together a 5-week Sunday School course. With essentially no perimeters to fit within, this can be kind of a daunting task. I've settled on a topic that I have recently found myself returning to again and again - the purpose of the church and our role within it. The problem now is trying to whittle down the expansive implications of this topic into something that is manageable, worthwhile, and applicable to a very mixed audience.

I think I'll start with the makeup of the church. I'll touch on the historical significance of a global, egalitarian People of God (as opposed to the tribal community that was Israel) and move on to the specific roles each person plays in relation to their own passions and abilities. I also know that I will want to spend significant time on worship and service, but outside of that I'm still playing with a few ideas.

And like always, Tom Wright comes to the rescue. I've just started After You Believe and have already been inspired. In his preface, Tom speak of his reasons for writing this book. One of these reasons is to join the conversation regarding Christian life in the here and now as a reflection of future events. As part of this, he states his hopes to return "character" to it's context of early Christianity's main goals - worship and mission.

It seems so simple. Maybe even too simple. But is it possible that the existence of the church as a whole, as well as individual Christians, could be hinged solely on these two elements? I don't want to speak for Tom before actually reading what he has to say, but I will be very interested to see where this leads...

My Time In An English Mansion

2011-05-13T14:55:00.003-04:00

Hey folks. I'm back from a whirlwind (né world wind) trip to England. It was a great time and a very full week. We spent the majority of our time in the north of the country, including Birmingham, which I found out was the 2nd largest city in the country. There is a distinct different from the uber-metro London, as the whole city seems to carry a sense of Midlands industrialism. This is not to say that it is not multicultural or intriguing, which it is - just different. I really liked the city and their offering of fish and chips, of which I had many. On the weekend, we traveled north to a picturesque countryside mansion (that now acts as a Christian conference center) where we spent time meeting people that are a part of a small church fellowship in Birmingham.

This group is by no means large. Though years ago they were a congregation of 70 or so, in recent years, through various circumstances their numbers have drop to a regular group of just 5 or 6. You can tell that this is something that weighs heavily on the members as they often reminisced about past conferences and the people who were a part of it. It would be very easy to look at this group and dismiss it as a 'dying' church that is simply biding it's time - and honestly, before actually being there and meeting the people, this was my presumption. But the weekend at Cloverley Hall reminded me of something that is fundamentally true of the church.

A group of believers must never be quantified by numbers, but instead by the impact the community has on those who are a part of it.

It didn't take long for me to realize that though their numbers were small, the people who made up the fellowship were committed to one another and to the study of scripture in a way that is refreshing. Their church was not something to be taken from when they needed it, but a community to invest their lives in. Their size necessitated that - if it is to function at all, everyone must be involved. While there is clearly room for them to push forward to grow numerically, it would be wrong to simply allow numbers to define their health. Meeting and sharing with the people of Grace Gospel Fellowship was an encouragement that reminded me how powerful it can be when people, no matter how few, commit to and align themselves with the community of God.

Last Thoughts on ChurchMorph (from Amsterdam)

2011-05-05T05:54:00.001-04:00

In ChurchMorph, Eddie Gibbs takes a bold look at the state of the 21^st century church in Western Culture. His angle is refreshing as his goal is not to propagate a specific movement, agenda or practice, but instead to give a level headed view of where we are culturally and how various church groups have attempted to morph their mode and mindset to be present, applicable and, as Paul says in his letter to Titus, beautiful (2.10) within their community. Sitting on this side of the decade, I think we can say that in ways the American church has emerged from the Red Scare of early 21^st century. Across the board, people are accepting that the cross-denominational, cross-geographical decline in church involvement is not a result of this or that worship style, doctrinal nuance or program but is a deeper issue that must be addressed. While different groups have tried different things to various degrees of success, it is at least refreshing to know that the church has waken up to the needs of the current generation. As Gibbs states early on, the Lord has not abandoned his church, but in these days, God is up to something.

That “something” is the shifting, revisiting, awakening and emerging of a community of Christ followers who are passionate about being the hands, feet and words of Jesus. That “something” is a realization that people are not necessarily “anti-Jesus” but maybe have not had a positive encounter with the transformative power of the Gospel - or more specifically the embodiment of the Gospel in the lives of people of faith.

As I leave this book, there are many things I will take with me. First and foremost there is a reassurance that the church has not and will not abandon the power of the scripture. On the contrary, the revisiting of tradition and liturgy points strongly towards letting scripture do much of the teaching while we simply respond in worship and action. The rethinking of the mega-church model is also refreshing. Community is of paramount importance to Mosaics and this is translating into a rediscovering of benefits of the house church and intentionally small congregation. As community sizes shrink, the ability to invest in one another grows. When churches reach the 50-75 range, Gibbs notes that they are small enough to have a common vision and large enough to do something about it. Along with smaller sizes, we are also seeing the reemergence of the parish mentality of churches. Factors like gas prices and ecological awareness are caused Christians to rethink their driving habits which may ultimately lead to deciding to go to church down the street rather than 40 minutes away. Communities are become local again and as a result are able to be a much stronger presence of service.

There is too much brilliant material to even begin to recap here, but a thought that I end with is one that Gary brought up yesterday. A reoccurring issue within these chapters is that of the churches need to speak to, in a prophetic sense, the consumerism that has gripped every inch of western culture. As people get more and more used to interacting with life as they do vending machines, the church has become a victim. We go to get what we need and no more. If the church doesn’t meet our preference, instead of diving into the community, we escape until we finding something that is our cup of tea. Obviously there is something to be said about being in a place where you are comfortable and can be yourself, but when that becomes your only concern, you will soon engage in a hunt for Ahab’s white whale. As leaders in the church, we need to be finding ways to break people of their addiction to consumerism. How this looks, I’m not entirely sure, but I do know it is worth our prayerful devotion and we seek to show the world what God is like.

A Few Words on Romans 12.1-2

2011-05-03T22:14:00.003-04:00

Gary writes a few thoughts on the conclusion of ChurchMorph HERE. Tomorrow, three of us will give a final reflection on our time in this book.

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Tomorrow afternoon my wife and I leave for England where I'm speaking at the 40th anniversary celebration of a sister church in Birmingham. We are really looking forward to the conference and being in Britain for a week, but my busyness and preparation hasn't given me much time to think of anything too deep today, so here is a quick reflection on a passage that has come up in my studies recently.

Roman's 12 is brilliant. The whole chapter lays out so beautifully what the life of followers of Christ should look like - first in our relation to other who share our faith and then how this faith should translate into loving, forgiving and humble relationships with all those around us. This passage is full of vivid action words. At times it almost feel like Paul's thoughts are moving faster than his pen/scribe can write. He seems to be passionately and fervently relaying his desire for Christian's lives to reflect Jesus himself. There are many verbs of doing - starting with verse 1's call to be 'living sacrifices'. Yet in the among all of this doing, Paul tells us to make sure out thinking is just as Christ-centered. We are to renew our minds. To stop, reflect, meditate, reassess. In the process of focusing our lives, actions and words on a God-way of living, we are, in the same way, to refocus our thoughts. Action is always a result our thoughts and to Paul, these two should be intertwined.

Like I said, nothing deep, but for me this has been a good reminder to keep both my actions and the thoughts that determine those action centered on the cross and empty tomb.

churchmorph blog tour continued

2011-05-02T18:56:00.002-04:00

We are almost down with the blog tour. All we have left is the wrap-up reflections tomorrow. Until then, Mason writes on expanding networks HERE.

And now, back by popular demand, here are the thoughts of Josh Kessler. Enjoy!

In this final chapter Gibbs talks about the important interconnectedness between worship and mission, “The heart of worship must never be separated from the legs of mission” (196). Gibbs points to the alternative worship movement (Alt. Worship) as an example of interconnected worship and mission. In his description of Alt. Worship, Gibbs stresses its focus on relating the gospel to groups of people who are deeply immersed in postmodernism through worship that communicates directly to cultural values implicit in postmodernism (creativity, togetherness, etc., see pp. 183).

One of the more interesting features of Gibbs description of Alt. Worship is in its emphasis on right living rather than right believing, “we show what we believe rather than what we say we believe” (183). I will admit to conflicting feelings about this emphasis. On the one hand, no one has it all figured out in terms of doctrine, to pretend we do is arrogant and dangerous. As well, the truest test of what we believe is what we actually do. And so I find that I am sympathetic, in many ways, to a focus on orthopraxis. But, when we call into questions our ability to saying something true and beautiful about God and what he is doing (while admitting our limitations), something seems to me to be lacking.

As I read about Gibbs description of Alt. Worship the thing that strikes me is that it appears that the people who are starting and leading these communities don’t intend to be “missionaries” who are assimilating into another (foreign) culture to reach people within that culture. Instead, it appears to be that the people who are starting and leading these communities are themselves those who are squarely within the “psychographic” group they are attempting to reach. They are Christians who do not share a cultural affinity with most of the other Christians around them, and so they are starting communities (many of which are still connected with existing denominations/groups) that work within the construct of their culture and seek to communicate the gospel (through worship and other means) to those around them that also find themselves culturally estranged from the gospel and from the majority of Christians.

Any thoughts?

A few questions to leave you with:

How much does what we usually describe as “worship” in our churches have anything to do with mission?

How do we encourage those in our churches who have a different “cultural orientation,” toward mission with those who share their culture?

Josh

churchmorph blog tour

2011-04-30T08:40:00.001-04:00

Continuing our churchmorph blog tour, Dan Baker write a great reflection on the resurgence of monasticism HERE. Check it out!

Church In The City: Urban Engagement

2011-04-29T10:41:00.004-04:00

It's my turn to reflect on chuchmorph for the blog tour some friends and I have been doing this week. If you have not yet, check out the previous installments (links are at the top of my last 4 posts).

In his continuing exploration on culture and the church, Eddie Gibbs turns to the recent rise in urban engagement. While I am tempted to launched from his concepts of a resurgence in the concept of parish congregation and 'clusters' I will save that for another post and instead focus on the major theme of this section. He begins and ends this chapter with specific examples of how various churches have become an intentional presence in their local communities. Gibbs' style of letting story make his point is powerful as we can see real incidents of Christians being salt and light in their social context. While he admits that these should not be viewed as instructional cases to be duplicated (remember, birth not clones), it is good to see how other communities have been doing in urban engagement - rather than just hearing "this is a good thing to be a part of." However, while some cases are clearly marked by the unmistakable presence of the gospel, others run into the same dilemma that the church has be dealing with for years - at what point does urban engagement cease to be missional and begin to be 'community service'. To some, the answer to this question is 'never,' as it could be argued that any time you enact the values of God in the world you are living the gospel. Others will say that unless you have a concrete, identifiable moment where you verbally spoke of the gospel, your work was in vain. Personally, I think I fall somewhere in the middle. I understand the benefit and value of serving simply because it is the 'right' thing to do. We should first are foremost be incarnational examples of Christ in our actions. This will play out in serving a those on the fringes of society with no other agenda than to express the justice of God. However, I also feel that at some point in a relationship there needs to be distinguishing factor that points to Christ. Like Gibbs', I agree that the most powerful witness that can be given is evidence of personal transformation and we should be able verbalize this.

Recently I did a teaching series based on a phrase in 1st Peter 3 where he tells his readers to always be prepared to respond to anyone "who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you." Notice that he does not say "always be prepare to defend your view of justification" or "always be prepared to show people how their refusal to believe will result in eternal damnation" or "always be prepare to tell people the 4 things they need to know and do to be saved." Instead, he tells them to always be ready to verbalize how their lives have been transformed; always be read to talk about how following Jesus actually affects their here and now life (a hope for tomorrow must bleed into living today); always be ready to tell your story. This needs to be at the heart of any type of urban engagement. Simply being a positive presence is a fantastic thing to do and can be done without words, yet we should remember Peter's words and always be ready to share about the hope we find in Christ.

What do you think? Is it necessary to use words? How have you experienced either side of this?

Maybe. Maybe Not.

2011-04-28T17:29:00.004-04:00

My cousin Gary is reflecting on chapter 4 of churchmorph HERE.

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What is more important? Our relationship with Christ or our commitment to the church, or more specifically a church.

Most of us have been taught to quickly answer "Jesus". Our 'personal relationship' (someone give me a scripture with that phrase, please) with Christ is of far more importance than being involved in a small group, serving in children's church or being part of the music team. Right?

Maybe.

Maybe not.

We need to make a distinction between being a part of a church community and simply involving yourself in tasks. It's possible to do the latter without the former, but the former always leads to the latter. It's not the amount of hours that a person logs, but it's the relationship of people within the body that Paul so frequently write. Just a quick scan of the New Testament church writers will show you that serving, loving, teaching, learning and generally being in a local congregation was not an optional part of having faith in Jesus as Messiah. There was no 'I just kind of do my own thing.' Being a follower of Christ meant being in a community. And being in a community meant more than just showing up for the Love Feasts, but having a commitment to making this body a central part of daily life. So, scripture shows us that having a commitment to the church is essential.

However, what fuels that desire and need to be part of the body is a personal recognition of Jesus as Savior and the path to a new way of being human. Without this individual understanding, the need for involvement in the church is silly. Without this individual understanding, music team practice and children's church are tasks. Paul's letter to the house church in Rome, among many other scriptures, is ripe with examples which show us that having an individual commitment to Jesus is essential.

And this has some implications. What does an understanding of the Christian life as more than just a personal commitment do to our 'evangelism'? If this is true, it must begin to spill out in our presentation of the gospel. Instead of starting with "You are dead in your sins" maybe we start with "We all like sheep..." Maybe instead of ending with a promise of everlasting life in the clouds, we end with a promise of involvement in a broken but beautiful community on earth. Obviously, being a part of the church here on the Old Creation is not the ultimate destination of the Christ people (Rev 21!), but maybe sometimes the too much emphasis on the there and then can cause tension to the reality of the here and now - but this is a discussion for another blog.

What do you think? If both are equal (Personal commitment to Christ and communal commitment to the church), how should that bleed into our living/sharing/believing of the gospel?

Church Birth, Church Clones

2011-04-27T13:57:00.002-04:00

It's day three of the churchmorph blog tour, and Dr. Matthew H. Loverin, PhD reflects on Fresh Expreshions HERE

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I'll let Mat do the talking on this chapter, but there was so much brilliant material that I think there's still room for a more discussion. Mat does a great job laying out the "tension" that missional/emergent church planters might find themselves in, between upholding the values of their denominational tradition and embracing an independent stance. But regardless of where a prospective church planter falls on this questions, the underlying and extremely important issue at hand is this: is your new community a church birth (Gibbs' words) or a church clone?

If you were to ask this question 15-20 years ago, your answer would probably be (though not in these words) 'church clone'. As victim of the consumerisation of western culture, the church infamously adopted the idea that a christian community should have structures and programs that are easily replicated in a neighboring suburb or new development. Churches were intentionally designed to be essentially void of any distinguishing factors that would limit them to being location/congregation specific. Maybe this worked 15-20 years ago, but the fluidness of our 21st century culture where tailor made is an expected reality demands that the one-church-fits-all method be shirked aside.

Churches need to be connected to their community in a way that the people involved can specifically identify and claim in a unique way. When new churches begin, it would be good to come into the project with an idea or concept, but this must be ready to shift and morph when needed. The church needs to come into existence serving with eyes-wide open (*assist, Livermore) - ready to adapt and meet the needs of their immediate context, regardless if that method did or did not work in borough down the tracks.

It is at this time that some questions need to be asked of the extent of this adaptation. Worship style, definitely. Liturgy (or lack there of), sure. Leadership structures, possibly. But what about theological emphasis? Participation (or lack there of) in church practices? How far should we stretch in order to be a presence in our local community? What do we lose if we become to loose? What do we lose if we stay to rigid? What did the early church apostles do in these situations? At times, Paul seems to be elastic in his emphasis on keeping elements of the mosaic law if it was a help rather than a hinderance to the churches he was dealing with. Church practice needs to look different for each specific congregation, but what are the issues that we must not bend on?

The Time between the Times

2011-04-26T13:23:00.004-04:00

Mason has the second entry in the churchmorph blog tour. Check out his post and join the conversation HERE.

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As we all come down from the high of the Passion week/Easter Sunday celebrations and reflections we are faced with the very realness of Christian life between the festivals. As soon as the Advent season is over, we look towards the short 2.5 month lull until Lent begins. But when Easter is over there is a whole lot of nothing as far as big Church holidays go (unless you count the 4th of July (just in case it doesn't translate, this is deadpan and sarcastic)). We are now officially in the valley of the church year. Maybe I speak only for myself here, but I find that in these times it is increasingly hard to stay engage with the scripture and God's mission as I don't have anything concrete to fix my attention on. No incarnation, no intentional fasting, no celebration of resurrection - just plain old Sunday.

It's kind of like that day after you get back from youth group summer camp. You have just been connected to an entirely different world where you are constantly involving yourself with the Christian community, worship and scripture...

...and then you get home. Your house, school and job are all too familiar and inevitably draw even your best intentions of remaining zealous out of you by the next Thursday.

It's possible that this is more of a reflection on a lack of spiritualness on my part, but I hope that's not the case and I'm not alone in this.

If you have ever had these similar feelings, what did you do?

How do you keep your engagement with God active during the valley of the year?

Do you have any tips for the rest of us?

churchmorph review: pt 1

2011-04-25T18:22:00.002-04:00

Over the next 10 days (or so) some friends and I will be posting reviews and reflections on the 2008 book churchmorph: how megatrends are reshaping christian communities by one of my favorite authors, Eddie Gibbs. I will post some of the reflections in their entirety on this page, but for most I will provide a link for anyone who may be interested in interacting with this book along with us. The first post is by an old friend, aspiring missionary, and Zondervan bounty hunter Josh Kessler. Enjoy!

-Jim

In any good story there is the crisis or dilemma that sets a course of events in motion, giving rise to the main action of the story. In the first chapter ofChurchmorph Eddie Gibbs crafts a picture of this crisis and leaves the reader saying, “Ok Eddie, where do we go from here?”

The “crisis” Gibbs describes is the decline of churches and denominations in the Western world (primarily focusing on North America) and their corresponding increase of a lack of relevance to and understanding of the culture and people around them. To explain the decline and the seeming aloofness of most churches and denominations Gibbs sketches the shift of five cultural megatrends; from modernity to postmodernity, from the industrial age to the information age, from the Christendom era to post-Christendom, from production initiatives to consumer awareness, and from religious identity to spiritual exploration. For all of these shifts Gibbs offers a socio-historical explanation of the shift and details how it has impacted churches ability to interact with culture.

The biggest issue that Gibbs points toward in this first chapter is that though these major shifts have taken place in culture at large most churches and denominations are still operating (structurally and philosophically) in paradigms that many within culture simply no longer find themselves in. And so he begins the discussion of how churches and denominations might ‘morph’ structurally and philosophically to even begin to communicate with those that find themselves squarely within these new paradigms.

A few thoughts/insights/questions to finish with:

I greatly appreciate Gibbs’ insightful socio-historical explanation of these megatrends and how these shifts not only came to be, but how they are presently manifested in society. The explanation was even a helpful reminder for me to remember that expressions that I currently see in churches that I get frustrated with, were once once themselves the morphing of another structure into something relevant for the surrounding culture.

One dimension of Gibbs’ description of the present state of things that I was not enamored with was his use of negative perceptions by non-Christians of Christians (pp. 13-14) to make a point about the need for change. I will say at the outset that I think being a Christian means living a beautiful life that adorns the Gospel and attracts others to the God. But, to use negative perceptions as a basis for saying we need to change seems a bit shaky, since people’s perceptions (ours included) can be skewed by any number of past events.

So the biggest question that I am left with as I wave goodbye to chapter 1 is, what are the first steps in morphing when an established church/denomination/movement views its current structures and/or philosophy as “the” biblical mode instead of a function of the specific cultural context in which that church/denomination/movement was birthed?

Josh

I am Peter

2011-04-22T15:44:00.003-04:00

When I look with contempt

I am Peter

When I think of her after me

I am Peter

When my Bible is a textbook

I am Peter

When my worship is simply music

I am Peter

When my phone trumps my company

I am Peter

When I do not speak

I am Peter

When I speak too much

I am Peter

When my vocation is a job

I am Peter

When my money is mine alone

I am Peter

I have betrayed my Lord

I have denied my friend

I have ignored my God

Tonight, we are all Peter

A Reflection on the Passion

2011-04-22T12:44:00.004-04:00

To me, one of the most intriguing event of the passion story is found in John's telling of Pilate's interview of Jesus. Jesus is presented to him as a criminal and revolution leader, so decides to speak with him in his headquarters to find out if what the crowd says is true. It is here, inside the heart of the Roman Empire in Jerusalem that we see a vivid example of the conflict between the kingdom of Jesus and the kingdom of The Empire.

Pilate asks' Jesus if he is the King of Jews. Jesus answers him by saying that his "kingdom is not of this world." If it were, Jesus followers would be acting in a predictable, imperial manner by fight and killing to claim his right to the throne. Instead, Jesus' actions say the exact opposite - that the way of his kingdom is not the way of the murder but of sacrifice. Jesus understands that it is only through his death that he will triumph. This is completely foreign to Pilate - a man who rose through the ranks of the Empire that was built on the sword that Jesus denies. Pilate had surely seen Jewish revolutionaries before making a bid for the overthrow of Rom. However they all had one thing in common - they meant to usher in God's reign through the blood of their enemies. Jesus however, seems to have something entirely different in mind. Instead of the blood of Romans, it is his own blood that he intends to shed. To Pilate (and to be fair, ourselves as well) this is about as backwards as could be.

As their conversation ends, Jesus says that he has "come into the world to bare witness to the truth" to which Pilate infamously responds "What is truth?"

Jesus is directly confronting the self-indulgent, arrogant, violent and consumerist ways of The Empire with the the self-sacrificing, humble, peaceful and giving ways of God. In this short interaction we see a vivid image of the counter-cultural ways of God. It easy for us to read this story and condemn the bewildered Pilate, the raucous mob of Jews, the indifferent Caiaphas and the denying Peter, but we should be careful. In an age where consumerism, self-indulgence and personal comfort are praised, how often are we just as guilty of missing the entire point of God's reign? How often do we reject peace, forgiveness and humility as 'wimpy' or 'weak' because they are so backwards to how our world works? How often to we put our own preferences over that of our neighbor? How often do we forsake the way of God for the way of Empire? And this isn't just a condemnation of our interactions outside of the church walls. How often to we engage with church in the same way we would a supermarket - going in to pick and choose what we need to get through our week and not thinking about it until we need to refill? We neglect the community for personal time. We, like Pilate, miss the point as we try to find truth by taking what we need, rather than giving what others need.

As we reflect on the death of our Messiah, let us not stand in the back and throw stones at the characters in the text, but let's remember how often we are in the shoes of Pilate, questioning Jesus and the ways of his kingdom.

The Middle of Romans

2011-04-20T13:38:00.003-04:00

I was reading through N.T. Wright's paper on Justification (delivered last November at ETS, printed in the most recent JETS) and was prompted, by an aside from him, to reread Romans 9-11. These chapter, Wright correctly points out, are unfortunately often left to the side as we get excited about the theological feast of 1-8 and the practical brilliance of 12-16. The middle, however, doesn't seem to pertain to our context so we move on. In rereading these, it reminded me why I am happy to be a part of the theological stream that I am in. Our non-denominational fellowship of churches has always put a lot of worth in these chapters as pointers towards never-changing faithfulness of God. Though Paul makes it clear that something new is happening (the mystery of gentile equality) he also makes a passionate and emotional case for us to remember God's continued faithfulness to Israel. Paul understands that he has been called to unique role - part of which includes intentionally trying to 'somehow make (his) fellow Jew jealous, and thus save some of them' (Rom 11.14). This is a strange calling, but it seems to be woven into his mission. Not only is he to spread the hope of inclusion (righteousness) to the nations, but also to try, in a backwards way, to show the truth of Jesus as Messiah to his countrymen. God's good news to the world does not mean bad news for Israel. Before judging Israel for it's unfaithfulness and blindness to God's action in the world, it would be good to look at our own lives and the uncountable times we disregard God work right in front of our face. Despite a failing to see the Messiah, Paul reminds us at the end of chapter 11, there is coming a time when God will fulfill all the promises that he made to his people. He has not cast aside or past over the nation whom his story was centered on for thousands of years.

I'm happy to be part of a tradition that does not disregard the central role of Israel in the salvation story past, present and future. The gospel is a good news for all mankind, and this includes God's Chosen People. He is faithful and will continue to be so.

*disclaimer - this is not a political post, as we remember that boarders on a map and colors on a flag are man made. There are people who are right on both sides just as there are people who are wrong on both sides.

A Tale of Two Spaces

2011-04-19T10:19:00.003-04:00

In Church in the Present Tense Peter Rollins lays out the ideas of Transformance Art. In one of his chapters, Rollins suggests that it is one thing to be missional to people in and around our community, but we also need to be missional to things in and around our community. If we truly want to embrace the culturally-present church we need to be intentionally changing the physical elements that make up the church. We can preach the gospel to people, but we also need to preach it to the pews and pulpits and beams of the churches. Obviously these things on their own don't have the ability to understand the transformational and ever-nowness of the gospel, but we can help. His suggestions of church in the cafe and pub (remember, he's N. Irish) are aimed at embodying the Christ-community in places where people naturally feel comfortable talking about their lives, struggles and joys. Along with this, he suggests that instead of trying to force church into these spaces (setting up a structured meeting in a cafe), simply bring people into these spaces and let the spaces do what they do best - naturally draw comfortable and candid conversation from people. For Rollins, when you take away the foreign elements of 'high church' you take away the baggage they carry with them.

In The Pastor, Eugene Peterson recalls the process of designing his church's building. Working on inspiration from traditional sacred spaces around the world, he intentionally moved away from the generic multi-purpose building model to something steeped in sacredness. From the high arches to the prominent cross to the elaborate marble pulpit, Peterson and his church were purposefully reclaiming the elements of 'high church'. Peterson feels that these things carry with them a sort of unmistakable sense of the divine presences. In a complete turn from Rollins, Peterson creates a space that in most definitely not something that is encountered during ones weekly routine. The point of this is to build a physical building that can be a refuge from the consumer liturgy of western culture. Oddly, this is much likes Rollin's idea of church as suspended space - a designated time to put off any outside identity and labels in order to put on the ideals of the church. This is not to compartmentalize spiritual life and normal life but to encourage a time and space where there are no preassigned roles and their built-in limitation. Peterson's church is intentionally other in order to revoke reverence for a God that is wholly other, yet wholly here.

And now for a silly question: Which one is better?

I suspect the proper answer is 'neither' as each of our particular environments may call for a unique incarnation of church, but maybe not. Maybe one of these is actually better.

What do you think?

How do you interact with your physical church space?

What limitations does it put on you?

What enablements does it bring to you?

Social Mediaites Anonymous

2011-04-15T15:15:00.002-04:00

Hi. My name is Jim. I live in Grand Rapids.

And I'm a social media addict. But as of today, I'm 38 days clean. (spattering of applause)

I started when I was in high school. Some friends and I started experimenting with Live Journal. At first it was basic. Simple 'blog' posts that we were able to interact with. That was were I got my first high of publishing and acknowledgment. People were reading my thoughts and seemed to care. It was thrilling. Pretty soon, one thing led to another and Live Journal wasn't enough, so we moved up to Xanga. It was the similar. And I loved it. After a while longer, MySpace came on to the scene and we had to try it. It was crazy! All the high of getting comments on Xanga but with pictures, music, awesome page backgrounds (!) and you didn't even have to write anything. No loss, all reward. Brilliant. After a year or so in college, my friends and I began to realize that MySpace was doing it for us anymore. Those backgrounds and autoplay songs started to get to us. So we started hitting this hot new network called Facebook. Again, all the highs of acknowledgment without having to complete thoughts that were longer than 2 or 3 sentences. Our community grew and grew and soon I was checking my page at an ridiculous rate. But the buzz started to wear off when I found out about Twitter. Now my thoughts were limited to less than 140 character - but the interaction was lightning fast. Even less output for even more input. Once I had and iPhone, the world changed. Facebook and Twitter in the palm of my hand literally whenever I wanted it. Soon I couldn't resist taking a quick hit during dinner, board meetings or dates. Constant gratification.

Then I decided to unplug, just to see what happened. See the thing about social media addiction is that you don't realize what it's doing to you until you stop letting it. For example, I had always been a theoretical reader. By that I mean I always bought books and planned to read them but rarely got through the first chapter or so. They were great and I really enjoyed the idea of reading, but every few sentences I'd begin to wonder what was happening on Twitter. I always just figured I wasn't meant to be a reader. Just not in my DNA. I didn't input information well.

Until I unplugged and read 4 books in a month. Maybe it wasn't my DNA after all. Maybe it wasn't that I don't input information well, but the information I was choosing to input was status updates and tweets. So I've been clean for 38 days and I don't know if I'll go back. I like this place. I like being clean. I like what I'm taking in and I like how it effects what I'm putting out.

But that leads me to some questions. If you've been reading this blog at all, you know I am very interested in the church being present and engaged with culture. So, if the culture is synonymous with social media, do I need to keep that as part of me life? Is it necessary to be a presence on facebook/twitter etc. if I want to be a presence in the lives of the people around me? Is it possible to be counter cultural (in regards to SM) and still be an effective part of the 21st-century body of Christ?

Thoughts?

Jason Clark and Embracing the Church

2011-04-14T16:07:00.003-04:00

I think this current decade will be a telling one for the church. During the last 2o years, we've seen the rise and (not quite) fall of the purpose-driven mega church as well as the emergence of its antithesis. But as things begin to settle and the novelty/shock of the emerging church begins to wear down, I think the 21st church is finding its voice. As is the case with any great shift, there needs to be the initiating blow that gets the whole thing moving. This usually involves a sharp and drastic movement from one side to the polar opposite. The last 10 years seemed to have been that. Now, the dust has settled and leveler heads are prevailing, giving a credible and constructive voice to fresh expressions of church.

From these voices we are reminded that critiquing existing structures does not necessarily, and should not necessarily, mean dismantling the thing all together. Instead, a healthy approach involves embracing the oft misshapen, oft misguided church of recent western culture and reclaiming the good in order to recenter it on the purpose and mission God has always had it mind for her. It is from within this institution, not outside of, that followers of Christ find their identity - not as consumption-driven, individuality-obessed people, but as members of a large, historical, divinely-ordained communal entity that manifests itself in various way - but always as a group. As Jason Clark points out in Church in the Present Tense, a healthy vision of the church is not one that becomes "fashion victims of emerging culture," but instead understands the church embedded in the past while also engaging the present.

So we look for ways to embrace who we are as a historical institution - flaw and all! - while continually being engaged with our cultural surroundings. Our task, then, is never to abandon the church but instead to embody her true calling - to show the world what God is like and by doing so bring hope of reconciliation. Again, Clark:

The future of the church resides with those who, though critical, are nonetheless devoted to living within it.

Searching for the Line

2011-04-13T15:22:00.003-04:00

Mason, referencing the I'm-only-2-chapter-in-but-it's-already-great Church in the Present Tense, talks about creeds and their place in the 21st century church here .

Which gets me thinking about worship in general. How do we take the concept that "creeds are simply the least silly things we can say about God" and apply it to how we interact as a Christian community? While it is very true that our choice of words and the images that they carry with them are of vital importance to our worship, is there ever a time to move past that? We know that we cannot fully encapsulate an undefinable God. We know that the words that we use are impotent shells of truth that, when exposed next to an omnipotent God, would seem hardly adequate.

But I think sometimes that's OK.

Jesus talks about his followers needing to become like children. Have you ever seen a child not say something because they realized that it was not accurate enough? More often, children babble on with no intention other than to be involved with a conversation. There is no time when a child says "My 6-year old mind can't begin to process what is needed to carry on an adult conversation, so I will not even try." They speak and we listen and encourage them to explore new ways of saying what they intend.

So yes, we accept that we cannot talk about or to God in ways that are adequate or even sometimes accurate, but we still talk. We accept that our efforts are in themselves vain, but we also accept that the Holy Spirt has the ability to translate these things in ways that are essentially mystical.

So what about worship? We need to find the line. We want to be both extremely thoughtful about the words, songs and creeds we use in worship while at the same time empowering those in our community to speak to our present and involved God in ways that are meaningful. We remember Moses, who understood the unspeakable reverence that God commanded, yet also spoke with him from his heart.

Any thoughts?

How do we do this?

How to you do this?

Is it more important to be reverent or childlike?

Where is the line and how do we live it?

To Be The Church Is To Be Present

2011-04-12T10:41:00.003-04:00

Steve Taylor writes a great article on the church and its duty to be active within present, local culture here (starts on pg 3). Thanks to Jonny Baker for the heads up.

In the article he references a book that is referencing several books, so I'm not sure where to attribute this original thought, but in Steve's words:

The most important duty of the church is to be present. Flexible structures, in both new and existing forms of the church, are expected.

What a profound reminder. The task of the church is multifaceted. We are to be the hands and feet of Christ. We are to share the hope that is alive in the cross and empty tomb. We are to relieve suffering and enact justice. We are to be salt and light. We are to fellowship with one another. We are to present a tangible and accessible venue for worship. We are to love. We are to forgive.

But none of this can happen if we are detached or irrelevant to the culture within our locale. While we can still be unique, we must be present. We must have an ear to the ground if we are to find needs that we can engage with. We must, as Peterson claims in The Pastor, learn how to speak of God using language from the 'land of the living.' We must contextualize worship and the gospel. We must be flexible. But this doesn't always mean 'new'. As Taylor points out, being present often means engaging with existing forms of church - both modern and ancient - which is necessary if we (rightly) desire to tap into the rich history of our faith.

May we as the church remember that our call to be ministers of reconciliation is firmly hinged on our call to be flexible and present within our local culture.

The P-word

2011-04-08T17:13:00.003-04:00

Reading Eugene Peterson's memoir is helping me to come to terms with my vocations. For the last 3 or so years, I've try to keep the fact that I was a pastor under wraps - avoiding it as if it was a dirty word. My reasons, I still feel, were valid. With so many bad experiences that people have had, that little word carries with it a lot of baggage. I didn't want to be linking myself to the ill-fitting suits, chips on shoulders, being socially awkward or obsessed with verbal affirmation and a disembodied heaven. But over the last few days that I have been reading The Pastor I feel that I have been reclaiming the word. The pastor that Peterson presents is someone I connect with. Someone who cares about and understands people. A person who is aware of perceptions, but doesn't let that dictate who they are. A person who engages with tradition in a way that is healthy and holistic. But mostly, a person who has a realistic understanding of the world and people around him. He remind me a lot of my dad.

I'm glad I'm a pastor. I've actually thought many times that I don't know what I would do if I wasn't. Maybe run a cash register at a coffee shop? But I'm glad I'm a pastor and I hope that I convey a real picture of Jesus, the cross and new creation to the world. I hope that when people think of me, it is more about teachings on how Jesus changes life in a real and practical way here and now rather than "instructing them how to get across the street without stepping in moral mud puddles" (p.226).

I'm glad I'm a pastor and I hope that it translates.

Ecclesiastes 11.4

2011-04-07T17:52:00.004-04:00

He who observes the wind will not sow,

and he who regards the clouds will not reap. [Ecc 11.4 - ESV]

With this slightly odd metaphor, the author of Ecclesiastes captures something that is fundamentally true, yet maybe for some of us fundamentally scary, about following God.

Since planting seeds usually requires someone to toss the seeds from the bag or pouch on to the soil below, it is usually better for the breeze to be very minimal. For proof of this, next time you have 20mph gusts, go outside and try to drop a handful of seeds on the ground. It's not going to work very well. When you plant, you usually want to wait until the whether is perfect. At the other end of the season, when it is time to harvest, it is much easier and enjoyable to do so when it is dry and warm. Living in Michigan, I can attest to this. When going out to reap, you want to wait until the whether is perfect.

But the thing about the whether is that there is always going to be a perfecter day. There is always going to be something not quite right. Maybe there is a slight breeze. Maybe there are a few ominous looking clouds in the distance. Maybe it's a little too hot. There is always something, and if you are waiting for the perfect day, it's never going to come.

And the same is true with us. I think we all have hopes/dreams/plans that have been built into us. Maybe it's tangible like getting deeper involved in a local church community, engaging in your neighborhood, traveling and seeing the world and people that God created, building something with your hands. Or maybe it's less-tagable like making steps to beat an addiction, becoming more generous with time and money, observing a weekly Sabbath, being more compassionate. Whatever it is, we all have these things that, when talked about are usually prefaced with

After that, then I'll _____.

Once I get this taken care of, then I'll _____.

Maybe in a few years I can ______.

When this happens, then _______.

I don't doubt that. I'm sure your intentions are good.

But the one who observes the wind will not sow.

There will always be a better time to get involved, get grounded, get serious, engage, work on, break ground. There will always be a better time. But what if you didn't care? What if you stopped observing the wind, trusted that God will honor your heart, and just jumped in? What if instead of saying 'After that, then ____' you said '____'.

Period.

There is a time for everything under the sun, and sometimes it's time to do.

Not By Words Alone

2011-04-06T11:13:00.004-04:00

Last night I started reading the first volume of Winston Churchill's History of the English Speaking People. I only had time to make it through the intro but I already feel confident enough to say that Sir Winston was one of the greatest communicators of the 20th century. The term 'wordsmith' seems to me the closest descriptor for the way he crafts simple letters and syllables in to art.

Churchill was and still remains a historical giant - one of those guys who will be a household name indefinitely into the future (i.e. Julius Caesar, Henry VIII, George Washington, Martin Luther King, etc). His leadership of Britain during their darkest hour is stuff of legend. His demeanor was empowering and his determination was contagious. Yet most of our thoughts of Churchill center around his speeches - his words and phrases that were so elegantly crafted and delivered - that seemed to be just what his people needed at just the right time. His words affected real change.

But I think there was more to it than that. There have been plenty of brilliant speakers throughout history. Great speeches and radio addresses have be delivered for thousands of years without necessarily establishing the deliverer as an icon. Words are powerful, but words alone do not assume respect.

I think Winston understood this. We've all seen the photos of Churchill. Not the ones of him in his study wearing a tuxedo and top hat (though those are quite dashing) but the ones of him walking through the ruins of bombed cathedrals, talking with normal Britons, chatting with soldiers and officers. Churchill didn't expect that his title and words alone were enough to gain the respect of the people. He realized that it required him to earn it by showing that he truly cared about them. His words weren't empty and because of that he was able to lead his nation.

For the last century or so (at least in North America) the occupation of pastor seemed to come with built in authority. It was something your title gave you, not something that you earned. These were different times, different people, different needs.

What the church/world needs now (and I think this is happening in many Christian communities around the globe) are leaders who don't expect that people care what they have to say just because they went to a church planting boot-camp or graduated from seminary. Instead, we need leaders who care what other people have to say. Only then can a can the pastors words affects real change.

A Community of Hope

2011-04-05T12:32:00.002-04:00

A church can never be reduced to a place where goods & services are exchanged. It must never be a place where a person is labeled. It can never be a place where gossip is perpetuated. Before anything else, it is a place where a person is named & greeted, whether implicitly or explicitly in Jesus's name. A place where dignity is conferred.

E.Peterson, The Pastor, p40

I don't think I can add much to this quote. How brilliantly simple is this concept. When we stop treating church like a magical, anthropomorphic answer book and instead begin to understand the divine beauty of establishing a community of hope, we see traces of heaven on earth.

The church can be a place to grow and learn about God and his mission, but, as Peterson says, before anything else it must be a place of inclusion, safety and love.

Final Thoughts on Suffering and The Crown and the Fire

2011-04-03T05:30:00.002-04:00

I just (read: finally) finished The Crown and the Fire. I have yet to read something by Wright that I didn't think was brilliant and this was no exception. So much of this book resonated with me on many levels - I might even say divinely ordained levels. It was one of those books that hit me right where I am in a way that I couldn't have planned if I wanted to. If you get a chance, especially during this Lenten season, give it a read.

Among other things, Wright helped me to expand my thinking of suffering and I'll finish this blog 'mini-series' with this.

In one of his books, Rob Bell brings up the brilliant aspect of the cross that is seen in the profound phrase 'me too.' In his suffering - literal, physical suffering - Jesus brings himself to a place where he can truthfully utter those simple, yet immensely powerful words. When we suffer; when we experience loss or heartbreak; when we feel alone; when we just want everything to stop - Jesus says 'me too.' And in that moment, we realize that we are not alone. We are not the first person to experience this type of suffering and we won't be the last. We worship a God who can relate and in that we can find strength. In our suffering, God says 'me too.'

So here we are. A community of people who can look to a God who suffered and in doing so find hope. But once we step outside out front door, it is impossible to miss the fact that we are living amidst a world that is experiencing these exact same things.

Loss. Heartbreak. Grief. Loneliness. Rejection. Break Ups. Break Downs. Lay offs. Injustice. Oppression. Fear.

And we, as the Community of God have some decisions to make. Do we bunker down and comfort one another? Do we wait, much like 1st century Jews, for God to come and rescue us from the heathen world around us? Do we accept the fact that our faith is nonsense to those who have not been enlightened and the best we can do is keep to ourselves? Do we live in so much fear of being labeled that we try to shed our external life of all forms of Christian truth?

Or do we embrace who we are, in light of the cross, and dive in? Do we avoid the despair and suffering of the world or do we identify ourselves as people who suffer as well, yet have a hope that transcends?

Perhaps the most helpful thing that we can do is embrace our own suffering so that when we encounter the people around us we can truthfully utter those simple, yet immensely powerful words: Me too.

Because the cross was strong, but the empty tomb is stronger.

May we learn to embrace the suffering of the cross, place faith in the hope of the resurrection, and extended the life of God to the world around us.

Pete's Intro

2011-04-01T18:35:00.004-04:00

Sorry for the lack of post. Big day yesterday.

After reading my last post, my good friend and cousin Gary T. Hansen began talking to me about some studies that he has done about suffering. The texts that he seems to center on is the first letter from Peter. He told me to take a look and get back to him.

So I started to take a look and got 2 verses in.

[1:1] Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who are elect exiles of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, [2] according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:

May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

(1 Peter 1:1-2 ESV)

I haven't done any greek study on this, so if anyone out there wants to chime it, I'd love it - but from a surface-English reading, it seems that Peter is using very suffering-centric language to describe his audience. Right away he labels them as exiles. I am assuming that someone who is in exile would identify with suffering. When you are far off from where you are supposed to be, you can identify with suffering. When you are living under the boot of someone who doesn't respect or understand your culture or beliefs, you can identify with suffering.

To be in exile is to not be who you are.

And that leads to suffering. But then Pete takes this further by saying that the reason for this exile is not because of bad luck, a really strong enemy or rebellion but it is actually within the 'foreknowledge' of God himself. Peter's audience is not able to be who they truly are and God knows about it, is OK with it and in a way is behind it.

That's quite the way to start a letter.

Dear friends,

You're life stinks, and God is OK with it.

Grace and peace,

Peter

So when we think about suffering, it seems that we somehow need to factor in God's foreknowledge. God understands and maybe even wants(?!) this to happen. This would lend itself well to the idea that suffering is in a odd, mysterious way actually an act of worship. When we are not who we are supposed to be or where we should be or with who we want to be with, we know God better.

Suffering, then, is an act of worship.

Beds vs Sleeping Bags

2011-03-30T16:54:00.005-04:00

I'd like to spend a few days thinking about suffering. I know much has been written on this, but I have not done much work on this issue. This, hopefully, will help me work through some things. Feel free to add.

Wright, in The Crown and The Fire spends a good number of pages on the Church's role in suffering. He draws a connection (obviously) to Christ's sufferings and the resulting obligation that the Church has been given to embrace suffering.

Last night, I heard a speaker refer to 1 Peter 3.17 as a Christians call to endure suffering.

Jesus launches his great sermon with a list of statements that are rife with suffering language.

This is a concept that constantly comes up in Christianity. Suffering seems to be woven into the fabric of faith in Christ. This is something we have all heard. Some of us have even experienced it first hand. But maybe some of you are like me and it just doesn't connect. Why do we have to suffer? How would suffering in my life in any way help to progress the message and mission of God? It seems counterintuitive. Wouldn't it be more beneficial for people to see happiness, success and joy in the lives of the people of God?

But maybe it's actually about something more that this. Maybe the Church's role in suffering is not simply about what people are perceiving and more about playing a role in a sort-of participatory meta-parable where the Church is called to take part in a drama with the goal of being able to more identify with Christ so that, in the end, we can more appreciate his work. Maybe it's actually about us.

In the story of Israel's exodus there is a 40 year period where they have already been delivered, but they are not yet in their promised land. 40 years of being saved. But also 40 years of suffering.

I can imagine the feeling of relief that those Israelites had when then finally were able to end their journey. I can imagine that house and beds seemed just a little bit better after 40 years of tent pegs and sleeping bags. Their wandering made their arrival that much better.

And maybe this is our story too. Maybe we are living in the desert right now. Maybe the suffering we encounter in this act will make the next one that much sweeter.

Maybe it's actually about us.

A Blatantly Self-Revealing Post About Being A Pastor

2011-03-29T10:33:00.003-04:00

*note to anyone who is interested* I’m aware it’s been a few days, but I’m going to try to establish this writing schedule (Tues-Fri ON, Sat OFF, Sun OPT, Mon OFF) So, at least you know what to expect now.

Sometimes I need a kick. Last week I was talking to my friend Josh (and by “talking” I mean “I was dumping a weeks worth of ministry frustration on him and he was graciously listening and responding with tact”) and he reminded me of something I tend to forget.

The Church needs to be a place of refuge

Now when I say that, I’m not talking about a safe place for those who are on the fringe of society - though it is that too. I’m not talking about a place that those who have been beaten down by societal structures can come to find relief - though it is that too.

In this case I’m not about talking about the Church, but rather my church (or your church). See, at times it’s easy for me to begin to feel sorry for myself. I mean, is it really worth all the study and preparation when what I have to say is heard by 3 other people? Couldn’t my time be better spent on something else? Something more *Josh’s words* sexy?

Maybe. But last Thursday while sitting on a pile of self pity, Josh reminded me of something that is fundamentally true about church ministry. Part of my job is to pour myself out without any desire for return. Part of my job is to create a place where my friends who have just spent their whole day dealing with emails and grading papers and writing papers and helping terminally ill parents and building a strong marriage and and and and and - part of my job is to create a place where these people can come and simply do nothing. A refuge and a shelter. If I truly feel God has called me to this place that means giving so other don’t have to.

Besides, I get Mondays off, so I can sleep in then.

A Rich Man and His Field

2011-03-25T09:53:00.004-04:00

A rich man bought a field. Wanting to produce a good harvest, he divided the land in half and put his two servants in charge. He gave them each a large sum said to them both "Take this money and your half of this field and grow as much as you can so that I may have a good harvest this year."

The first servant, being well schooled in the science and technique of proper farming decided to spend his money on constructing a state-of-the-art greenhouse. Inside this greenhouse were many structured compartments. Within each compartment he planted a certain crop. He took great care to water and tend his crops and when the harvest came he reaped all that his greenhouse had produced and prepared it for the rich man.

The other servant spent his money on equipment to prepare the soil of his share of land. He spent many weeks working with his hands and learning every inch of his field. When the land was ready, he freely planted his seeds. As they grew, some of the plants exceeded the area he had originally planned while other stayed relatively small. Without walls, some his harvest was bountiful and he prepared it to be given to his master.

When the harvest had come, the rich man returned to his field where his servants had prepared their crop. To the first servant his said "You foolish man! Don't you know that a crop can grow only as large as the compartment it is in? You have contained something that was meant to be overflowing. As your punishment, you must now submit to my other servant so that he can teach you how to farm without walls."

But to the other servant he said "You foolish man! Don't you know that all crops need some structure! By planting so freely you have overlooked some of your crops and have become overcome by others. As your punishment you must now submit to my other servant so that he can teach you to farm with some structure."

Mustard and Kids

2011-03-24T22:42:00.001-04:00

A couple weeks ago I wrote about Andy Warhol and the importance of just enjoying the painting. Let's stretch that idea a bit more.

Go open your freezer. If you have an old school one like me, you will naturally find one or two ice trays at varying states of fullness. Chances are in the last week or so, you had the delightful task of filling these ice trays with water. As you did so, probably without even realizing it, in a way you took part in the act of conforming boarder-less, shapeless resources into perfect little cubes. Hold that thought.

The author of Ecclesiastes reflects on the ironic reality that there are times when knowing more actually puts you at a disadvantage - it brings "vexation" (I'll give you a dollar if you can prove you used that word in a sentence tomorrow). Again, this is contrary to the majority of Biblical wisdom - specifically the cut and dry sound bytes that make up the Proverbs (i.e. Prov 16.16). But maybe he's on to something.

Of all the illustrations that Jesus uses to talking about the Kingdom of God, two are particularly interesting -mustard seeds and children. Both of these, in essence, are simple. From an outside perspective they are unassuming - the mustard seed is small in size and drab in color, while children don't care much about how their appearance or how they present themselves. This causes both have a aura of humility - not in the lacking pride kind of way, but in the small country shack kind of way.

So why does Jesus use these to talk about what it means to be the people of God?

I think that Jesus, like the author or Ecclesiastes, understands that there is a great danger in us becoming so adult like in our wisdom that we sometimes misshape what was meant to have a unquantified beauty by forcing it into our systematic religious views. We take something mysterious and we try to make it logical. Now, there is obviously nothing wrong with logic - and for many people it can be a powerful tool in understanding God. But there is something wrong with being so full of "wisdom" that we reject anything that doesn't fit into our logically proof-texted doctrine boxes.

For everything under heaven, there is a time and a purpose. But do we give enough time and purpose to forgetting our ice trays and simply letting the water be water?

A Fine Place To Start

2011-03-23T15:39:00.004-04:00

Let’s start with something rather timely. In The Crown and the Fire, Wright is discussing the implication that the resurrection has on all of us (not to mention all of creation). In doing so, he encourages us to remember that Christ has risen, and by doing so, we (I assume he is implying Christians) have risen with him and, by this, we have been qualified to share in the inheritance that is “heaven”. This is standard-fare evangelical thought. This is a statement that anyone who reads the scripture as truth, despite where they may fall on the denominational/conservative-liberal/theological spectrum, will affirm.

Even a quick reading of the New Testament leads us to see that the resurrection of Christ has great importance to us individually as we think of existences after this life (Phil 3.1-4, 1 Thes 4.13-17, 1 Cor 5.1-10). Paul is adamant about the Christians participation in something to come, and by putting your faith in the work of Christ, you accept that invitation. You phone in your RSVP. I believe that this is true. Neo-Reformers believes this is true. Progressives believes this is true. C.S. Lewis believes this is true. Let’s not forget the beauty of this. As the hymn says “I have a future in heaven, for sure.” The resurrection is about participation in a future existence with God. This, I believe, is true.

“That is a fine place to start,

but it is a sad place to end.”

When we think of our faith as a parachute/life raft/escape clause/flame retardant jumpsuit (though rightly so) but not much more, we suck the life right out of the resurrection. We when fail to see the significance of Jesus, in his resurrected body - having just withstood the temptation to come off the cross and instead bearing the weight of death - standing on the shore “just as day was breaking” (John 21.4) we have completely missed the point. And the grace of God is in vain.

“Just as day was breaking” into a new creation. A creation where love, justice, peace, mercy, grace, kindness and forgiveness actually have a fighting chance. A creation where the good news isn’t simply about getting out, but about diving in (much like Peter coming from the boat). A creation where there is actual significance and purpose to how I take out my trash, buy my coffee, care for my wife and spend my time. A creation where we don’t have to live under the shadow of our past.

At the beginning on John’s gospel we are told that the Word became flesh.

Are we guilty of taking that resurrected flesh forcing it back into words alone.

“That’s a fine place to start, but it is a sad place to end.”

NT Wright on Jesus and Homer

2011-03-22T10:08:00.003-04:00

Over the last week or so I've been pecking through (at an embarrassingly slow rate) Wright's The Crown and The Fire. This morning, in his meditation on the act itself of the crucifixion he draws an interesting connection between Jesus on the Cross and literary character Odysseus in The Odyssey.

There is that unforgettable scene where Odysseus and his crew pass the island of the Sirens. Everyone on board knows that resisting the song of the Siren is impossible - all who have tried before have fail, with their ship and crew being dashed upon the rocks. Yet, with their eventual goal of home getting closer and closer, Odysseus and his men decide to give it a go. In order the not give into the temptation of the Siren song they pack their ears with beeswax. But, since someone must be aware and present during this danger, Odysseus himself is willingly tied to the mast - instructing his men that if and when he tries to loosen himself they are to tie him tighter. There, Odysseus - tied to to the mast and cross beams of his ship - endures a temptation that no man has successfully faced. While everything within him tells him to get free, he endures for the fate of his crew.

Obviously, this analogy is only that - an analogy which is bound to break down at some point. But it still serves as an interesting picture as we consider Jesus' relationship with temptation on the cross. There are many beliefs on Jesus' ability/inability to be actually tempted - ranging from "His divinity prevented him for any actual temptation" (James 1.13) to "His humanity enabled him to endure every temptation" (Hebrews 4.15).

With all theological discussions we could prooftext back and forth and not get anywhere. What I'm more concerned about is how our view of this adds or detracts from the power of the cross. If we take too firm of a stance that Jesus actually was never tempted to stop the train - come down from the cross, save himself and mount a political/military assault on his Roman enemies - what does that do for our view of the power of the cross itself?

Was it all just a formality?

Was it just something to provide a 2000+ year strong advertising campaign?

What does your understanding of Jesus' relationship with temptation do to understanding of the cross?

In Case You Want To Sleep In Tomorrow

2011-03-19T23:12:00.003-04:00

As writing becomes more and more a part of my daily routine, I've tried something new in my processes of preparing to teach in church tomorrow. To help organize my thoughts I wrote out my sermon in a quasi-spoken/written hodge podge. Just in case anyone cares to see it, here it is. Honestly, if I was presented the opportunity to read 3.5 pages of someones blabbing I would quickly decline, but hey, some people are into that kind of thing. So, for those of you who are, I present to you: Smoke, Treasure and Apples

Let’s start in Numbers 12.1.

“Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite”.

First, some background work on this. About 1000 years before Moses there was a guy named Noah. You may remember him and his boat. He had some sons, one who’s name was Ham. You may remember him because his name is ‘Ham’. Ham had some sons, and one was named Cush. When Cush was ready to move out and start his own life, he took his family to the region south-east of Egypt, what we now call the ‘Horn of Africa’. The Horn of Africa contains modern day countries of Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti (a favorite of 12 year-olds worldwide and Somalia (a favorite of pirates worldwide). By the time Moses is on the scene, the area where Cush lived had already developed it’s own culture and it’s people, known ironically as ‘Cushites’ had distinctive features and skin color. The people from Cush had become a different ethnic group - a different race - from the Israelites. Now we are not told exactly who Moses’ wife is (maybe Ziporrah?), but what we do know is that she was a Cushite woman and this leads many scholars to believe that when Miriam and Aaron ‘spoke against’ Moses, this was actually a racially charged confrontation. Moses wife was different, and Miriam and Aaron didn’t like that.

Now, for Miriam and Aaron themselves. As you probably remember Aaron was Moses’ brother - the guy who actually got to say ‘Let my people go’ and got to be in charge of the priests of Israel. Miriam, you also probably recall was Moses sister. We learned earlier in the exodus story that she was a ‘prophetess’ and a pretty wicked tambourine player. So, Miriam, Aaron and Moses. Siblings. Which makes this story instantly relatable to anyone who has had to argue with their sibling about who gets to ride in the front seat of the minivan. But, not only are these three siblings, but collectively they were seen as the leaders of Israel at this time. In Micah 6.4 God refers to all three of them as the ones he sent to lead Israel. This is significant.

Ok, back to the text. So Miriam and Aaron, Moses’ brother and sister, come to ‘speak against’ him because of his wife of a different race. “ ‘Has the LORD spoken only through Moses?’ they asked ‘Hasn’t he also spoken through us?’ ” Wait a second. I thought that this was about Moses wife. I thought they had a problem with her, not his relationship to God. But the only thing that Moses writes down about this encounter is their unhappiness with how God is speaking!

By the 2nd verse we’ve quickly learned that the reason behind Miriam and Aaron’s anger isn’t really Moses’ wife at all - it’s something much deeper than that. Though it seemed like this on the surface, the real reason for their anger actually had nothing to do with her culture or race and everything to with wanting what Moses had. See Moses had the respect of the people as well as a special relationship with God - and Miriam and Aaron wanted that too! Even though all three of them were the leaders of the Israel, Moses had it a little bit better - he had something just beyond their grasp. And they craved it. We have a verb for this sense of dissatisfaction and jealousy - “to covet” and it goes much deeper than simply wanting what you don’t have. But more on that later. Back to verse 2.

So Miriam and Aaron come to Moses and begin to voice their opinion that they should also have what Moses has and that it’s not fair that he is the only popular one. And the end of the verse is, again, something all of us with siblings can relate to. “And the Lord heard this.” This is that moment when we realize that the friendly, sibling discussion that we have been having in the downstairs has gotten just a bit too loud and mom or dad is now aware of what’s going on. This is the moment we hear those infamous and terrifying words that still sends a shiver down our spines “You three come here, now!”

In verse 4 we read “At once the LORD said to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, ‘Come out of the Tent of Meeting, all three of you.’ So the three of them came out. Then the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud (and Moses muttered ‘busted’); he stood at the entrance to the Tent and summoned Aaron and Miriam.”

At this point, you know your in trouble and the only good option that you have is to begin complimenting your mom for her virtue and integrity in child raising and apologizing for your foolishness. But that never works and it doesn’t for Aaron or Miriam. In the rest of the chapter, God affirms that Moses is, in fact, special and asks them what right they had to speak against God’s chosen person. Then comes the punishment. She gets punished with skin disease and has to live outside of the camp for a week. Aaron gets punished by having to deal with her glares when she gets back. Having three sisters, I can speak with authority when I say that I truly don’t know which would be worse. But after the seven days, she comes back and the chapter ends with the whole camp moving on.

But let’s go back to our family dispute. To better understand this we need to talk about mobile phones.

On In the summer of 2007 the world was introduced to a much anticipated new product that claimed its existence ‘changes everything.’ That life altering device has put knowledge, power and the ability to find the nearest coffee shop literally at the finger tips of over 100 million people around the world. Of course, I’m talking about the day we all met the iPhone.

The iPhone wasn’t the first ‘smartphone’ on the market, but there was something undeniable about it. The way it looked and felt. The way it functioned. The way it made everyone who had it feel like a Jetson and everyone who didn’t feel like a Flintstone. There was something amazing about this phone and it couldn’t be beat. Until 1 year and 2 weeks later when Apple introduced the world to the iPhone 3G. Now, the iPhone 3G could do everything your old iPhone could do - except this one was faster and slimmer and could hold more songs. This was the greatest invention of all time. Until 11 months later when Apple introduced the iPhone 3GS. Now, the iPhone 3GS could do everything your old iPhone could, but it was even faster! Anyone (and I’m speaking from experience here) who bought an old, archaic iPhone 3G was left in the dust by this technological specimen. Until June 24th, 2010 when we met the latest and greatest iPhone 4. This thing is brilliant. All the capabilities of the 3GS, expect this one - has a camera on the front.

With the iPhone, Apple has tapped into something that is inherently true about the human condition - and it has made them a lot of money. They realize, that when presented the opportunity, we will naturally want what we don’t have. And we’ll do this even when what we do have is very good - because that one has a camera on the front. Now not everyone does with about technology. Some of us covet wealth. Some of us covet a authority. Some of us covet a perfect family life. Some of us, like Miriam and Aaron, covet a certain relationship. If we leave it unchecked, whatever it is that we treasure with will eventually lead to dissatisfaction with what we have already been given and jealousy for what someone else has.

But the thing about coveting is that, in the end, it effects more than just us. It may start simple and small but if we don’t stop it, it will consume us. Our relationships. Our trust. Our love for God. And God understands this - when he is giving Israel the 10 basic words, or laws, that they should live by - his final statement is for them to not covet. God understands that when we covet something; when we begin to desire what we do not have; when we begin to crave what’s just out of our reach - our priorities start slipping. Soon, a relationship that was once healthy begins to crumble because they have that thing. Soon we find ourselves begging to dislike friends and family because we feel they have what we deserves. Soon, we start picking fights with our own brother over his wife, when really it was about something much more deep the whole time. Soon our relationship stop being about them and start being about us. God understands that craving what is just beyond our reach is dangerous because it causes our priorities - what we treasure - to slip.

Jesus continues this idea in Matthew. In this section of scripture known as the Sermon on the Mount, we see Jesus laying out a brilliant discourse on what it means to truly be the people of God. How to live a life that is full of peace, justice and forgiveness. How to honor God in all that you do. How to pray. How to share His live with the world around you. In chapter 6, he’s talking about wealth possessions, but more than that he’s talking about priorities. Starting in verse 19 he reminds to be careful about how weight we put on the things we accumulate here on earth because our purpose and existence is much bigger than that. He ends this section in verse 21 where he makes this brilliant observation that “where your treasure is, there your heart will be as well.” Jesus is conveying this truth about humanity that what we have and what we want are directly connected. Jesus is reminding us our priorities made realities in the things that we most treasure.

So when the thing that we most treasure is the thing that is just out of our reach our lives stop being about ‘what can I do with what I have been given’ and start being about ‘how can I get that in my life’. Our lives stop being about focusing on the people and relationships around us and start being about the things and relationships that aren’t around us. Our relationships stop being about them and us and start being about me. Our lives stop being about thanking God for what we do have, and start being about ‘that one has a camera on the front’. Because where our treasure is, out heart is there too.

So, now let’s talk about us.

What is it that has become out treasure?

In what ways have our priorities become less about God, people and embracing this live we have been blessed with and more about gaining possessions, respect and authority. What has become our treasure? Is it a thing? A car? A house? A new phone? A bigger bank account? Or maybe it’s something a little less tangible. Is it honor? Respect? A raise? More authority? A Hollywood-perfect family or marriage? Is it a prettier face? Is it, like Miriam and Aaron, a relationship? What is our treasure?

What sort of treasure does our heart reflect? Is it one that is satisfied with who we are or one that is obsessed with what is just beyond our reach? Are we people who thank God and honor what he has already done for us or is it one that just wants more and more? Do the relationships we have mean more about them and us together or me and myself?

How have our priorities slipped? How do we fit right into this story of three siblings who are bickering about this, but the issue is much deeper. How have we missed out on the life we have by being fixated on the life we don’t?

Friday Grab Bag

2011-03-18T17:39:00.003-04:00

NPR plays another strong role in what I'm digging this week.

Music: Here are two lives shows that are good.

1] Jonsi live in DC

2] Raphael Saadiq at SXSW

Books:

1] Short reflections on the cross from my friend and yours, Mr. Tom Wright himself.

Film:

1] Crazy Heart - finally saw it. The dude abides

2] Never Let Me Go - haunting, beautiful, brilliant

Have a good weekend!

Ecclesiastes 2.24 Revisited

2011-03-18T09:42:00.002-04:00

Somewhere along the line I fear we’ve developed a mentality of ‘if we are not dedicating every single second of our day to some sort of specific and concrete evangelistic campaign, we are wasting our lives’. And this indoctrination starts early. There are entire youth group lessons dedicated to convincing teens that fun is not all it is cracked up to be. At some point in the night the youth pastor will pull out their ace in hole - an out of context quote of Ephesian 5.16 - and it’s all over from there. From that night on, everyone feels guilty because they actually secretly like watching movies and/or reading books that don’t have verse numbers. Somewhere along the line we’ve created a subculture that looks more like Medieval monastics than the characters in the New Testament. We equate ‘fun’ with ‘wasting time’ which, we all know, is the worst thing a true follower of Jesus could do.

But what if by ‘wasting time’ we are actually being more God-like than ever? What if by spending time in the kitchen or out in the garden or seated at a piano or writing a poem or sharing a laugh with a loved one or diving into the imagination and writing skills used to author your current favorite book or finding a hobby that just fits or eating a really, really good burrito we are actually being more in God’s image than when we are forcing ourselves read that Christian inspirational book one more time?

This may seem anti-Lent, but this season, in essence is about reclaiming the full and vibrant meaning of the cross, and a huge part of that is the beginning of restoration of all things. So, if we are to not take for granted the grace of God, should we not be constantly looking for ways that we can see the beauty and power in all things? Should we not schedule our days with equal amount of time for “devotions” and drinking a brilliant cup of coffee? Because maybe to God they are equally important.

Time Out

2011-03-16T10:46:00.003-04:00

I just read that during the first council at Nicea in 325, the debate got so heated that at one point, Arius was slapped in the face by St. Nicholas of Myra. Yes, that's right. THE St. Nicholas. The Jolly Old One. Popo Gigo. Father Christmas. Santa Clause himself.

Carry on.

Andy Had a Horrible Hair Cut

2011-03-15T15:26:00.004-04:00

I'm still working through what to do with Ecclesiastes in the grand scope of scripture. The concept of putting it in a nice neat bag labeled 'Life before the work of Messiah' is tempting, but then what do we do when the author says something that is quite profound in a gets-along-with-the-rest-of-scripture way (5.1-7, 12.1-14, etc)? I'll keep working on it. Any thoughts from you are welcomed and encouraged.

With that it mind, let me take a few moments to tackle an interesting line from the opening chapter.

'For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow' (1.18)

This seems so off from the entire thrust of the collection of sayings in Proverbs (for more on this read Proverbs 8), yet again, this author strikes something we all know deep down to be true. I don't find this to be a passage recommending a lifestyle centered around excessive amounts of pork rinds (but really, isn't any amount of pork rinds excessive) and reruns of Two and A Half Men - though that may be a sub point - but instead maybe it's a call to check ourselves.

Last year I was at the Tate Modern Art Gallery where I saw a few Andy Warhol pieces with mine own two eyes. It was a pretty humbling experience to be standing inches from works that were personally created (or at least originally designed) by such an iconic and important figure of the 20th century art world. There were two that specifically stand out to me. One was a screen print of a cow and the other was a repeating print of an massive old west style six shooter. I stood looking at these prints, in typical Warhol neons, for a considerable amount of time before eventually moving on, but I can still vividly recall them months later. There is something about Warhol's work that I really appreciate. But here's the thing. I don't get it. I have no idea about his motives for these prints. I don't know why he made them. I don't know how he made them. I don't get the story behind the story. If I wanted to, I could dedicate my life to studying Warhol's art, life, and motives. I could become an amateur screen printer. I could start wearing striped shirts and cutting my hair in a horrible, horrible fashion. I could parse every inch of these prints to know exactly what he used and why/how he used it. I could do all of this.

Or I could just sit and enjoy the painting.

Please don't write this off as a dismissal of the art of wisdom or the discipline of the academy. That is unspeakably vital in every area of life, not the least of which is doctrine and theology - but one of the reasons we read Ecclesiastes is to jar us back to the raw beauty of simply existing in a God-bathed world. Sometimes we need a break. Sometimes we need to step away from BADG and pick up The Message.

May we be people who understand that 'for everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven' and in doing so may we rediscover simplistic art of the cross.

Friday Grab Bag

2011-03-11T14:05:00.003-05:00

So, if I'm going to make this blog enjoyable, I think I should probably lighten the tone a bit. What can I say, Ecclesiastes can cause even the most jovial to scrape the bottom of the preverbal existentialist barrel of depression.

In light of that, I'll try to make Fridays a little more fun by posting some recommendation of things that I've been digging lately. Take it or leave it - at least it won't make you contemplate the vanity of life.

Last week I purchased the new Adele record '21.' I never really got into her first album, but a friend of mine posted a video of her performing an acoustic set on NPR and her voice and style blew me away. If you are into the whole 60's-diva-redux scene [She & Him, Duffy, etc] you will probably enjoy this record. But give it time. After my first listen I really enjoyed the beginning and end, but could do with out what seemed to be a low spot in the middle, but the more I listen, I am really starting to appreciate what she is doing in staying true to the 60's thing while also bringing in modern brit-softpop sensibility. Check it out and let me know what you think!

Enjoy the weekend.

Post Script - if you are interested, I have been and will be posting every Friday at www.celebrationbible.blogger.com.

This makes it OK.

2011-03-10T19:09:00.000-05:00

Ecclesiastes is an odd fit. In the same way that Ash Wednesday services [complete with repenting and contemplating mortality] are a jarring change from our usual church gatherings, this book shakes things up. It’s hard to know what to do with this portion of Scripture - do we dissect it and look for hidden truth? Do we simply sit in the contrast? Do we read it as a ‘do not do this’ document? I’m not sure yet. But one thing has interested me while reading.

I think, if we are all very honest with ourselves, we have admit that there are times when things just don’t add up. On paper we know that ‘for those who love God, all things work together for good’ but what about when they don’t? What about when we see so much evil in the world? What about when horrible things happen to those who love God? We have trained our minds to immediately jump to ‘well, that is just the effect of sin’ and ‘God is simply being just in the most fair and unbiased way possible.’ I agree with this and I think they are good and healthy ways to think, but I also think that sometimes we know deep down that there is something else mysterious going on. We like to prepackage our answers so our worldview and God-view can stay intact, but when we are honest, sometimes we have to push a little too hard to make it all fit.

The author of Ecclesiastes was a Jew. He was a follower of God and had a good and theologically ‘right’ view of God. More than that, our understanding of Biblical authorship states that he was writing under the inspiration of the Spirit of God - but he still asked questions. He still didn’t quite get it. And by doing so he puts a voice to something that we often try to hide.

And tells us that it’s ok. It’s ok not to have all the answers. It’s ok to be confused. It’s ok to not ‘get’ God. It’s ok to wonder.

Ecclesiastes is about more than taking life for what it is - it is a book that affirms that you are not the only one who loves, follows and worships God, but sometimes just doesn’t get it.

The Experience of the Experience

2011-03-09T16:36:00.003-05:00

Today we begin Lent. We go into this season of fasting and depravity with the aim of fully embracing the power of the resurrection. Some of us at Celebration began our Lenten readings today, which took us through the first 2 chapters of Ecclesiastes. As we begin to study this book, we get our first awakening from the authors defiant statement of the meaninglessness. It’s depressing, disheartening and strange, yet deep down we know it’s true.

But what caught my attention is not so much his dismissal of accumulated goods and wealth [Jesus seems to agree with this] but instead his observation that there actually can be some meaning/joy/usefulness/reward found amidst the vanity of this world. At the end of chapter two he says ‘There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment?’ In this twist of a common Biblical put down [‘eat, drink, be merry’ always seems to have negative connotations, no?] the author instead states that there actually is something to be gained from life - but is not tangible and has no monetary worth. Is it possible that the only experience of value in this life is the experience itself? Should we be reshaping our world/home/bank account around concept?

Maybe, in someways, we already do. Why do we cook or eat out? Would it not be just as advantageous to somehow import all the vitamins and nutrients our bodies needs through a series of pills and exercises? There is intangible worth found in experiencing a really good sandwich. What is the point of hobbies? Why do people garden, build models, draw, play music or write poetry? These are things we do not for accumulation but for the simple joy of experience - and, as the author says, this is from God.

What do you spend time doing just because you enjoy doing it?

May we become people who embrace the God-given reward of enjoying life, hobby and a good Monte Cristo.

Post Script:
Isaiah 58 is a shockingly beautiful work. It should hit deep with anyone who is a follower of Christ. ‘...they seek me daily and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that did righteousness and did not forsake the judgment of their God; they ask of me righteous judgements; they delight to draw near to God.’ Later, God speaks of true fasting like this: ‘Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness. To undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him...?’

A Season of Putting Off

2011-03-04T12:04:00.002-05:00

I just posted this at celebrationbible.blogspot.com and thought I'd give it a repost.

This coming Wednesday, Christians around the world will begin the observance of Lent. Though Lent has been practiced by Christ followers for centuries [it began sometime around the 2nd century AD], many of us 21st century American Christians are not familiar with it. Unfortunately, Lent is some of the rich tradition of our faith that was thrown out with the bathwater of the Reformation and because of that is still seen by many as a strictly Roman Catholic observance. Luckily, over the past decade or so, more and more mainline Protestant churches have started to rediscover the beauty of the 40 days of Lent.

For those unfamiliar, Lent is an observance of the 40 days leading up to Easter Sunday [traditionally the Sunday’s during Lent do not count in the 40 days, as they are viewed as mini-Easters]. The name itself comes from the Latin word for spring and is a call to remember the newness of life that comes through the resurrection. In order to do this - that is, to fully appreciate the power, newness and beauty of the resurrection - those who participate in Lent spend 40 days abstaining or fasting from something that is enjoyable for them. It all culminates on Easter Sunday when we gather together to celebrate, shout, sing, smile and just generally enjoy the hope of our risen Savior. The idea is that when you spend time fasting, the joy of feasting is that much sweeter. The top is always better when you have been at the bottom.

In some traditions, the Lenten fast is abstaining from certain foods [often meat], but recently it has broadened to any type of vice, activity, or object that, while it may be ‘good,’ can still hinder ones closeness to God [facebook, etc.]. A critical aspect of this fast is not that you are simply ‘putting off’ something for 40 days, but that you are equally spending that saved amount of time or energy on things that are good and pleasing to the Lord - namely reading scripture, praying and caring for those in need. If participated with this humble and open attitude, Lent can be the a moving, life changing experience.

Are you planning on observing Lent this season? Maybe it is new to you, but you are interest in giving it a try. This would be a great year to start! Maybe you have done it before and are looking forward to what this year will bring. Either way, I challenge you to pray about whether or not this is a good time for you to participate in Lent, and if so ask God what it is that you should ‘put off’ for the 40-day fast. As we look towards the darkness of the cross, we remember the beauty of the empty tomb - and in a small way, through Lent we live that drama in our lives.

If you are interested in practicing Lent this year, I invite you to join ...this is ACT for our 1st annual Ash Wednesday service this Wednesday at 6.00am. It will be a short [30min] time of reflection as we begin this journey together.

Ecclesiastes Preperation

2011-03-02T14:31:00.002-05:00

Here are some my notes. I'm approaching this study/series with great excitement and total fear. But that is what Lent is about. The top is so much more meaningful when you've scraped the bottom. Join me?

Embracing futility.
Not a meal but a bath.
Not nourishment, but cleansing.

The author has a method of stating apparently contradictory statements & leaving it to the reader to work out how to apply them.

He is aware of the complexities of life in a fallen world which result in many exception to the 'rules' of Biblical wisdom.

True wisdom is acknowledging that we cannon ever fully understand God or life.

MATAIOTES [vanity/futility] is used 38 times in the Septuigent version of Ecclesiastes. This is also the word used by Paul in Romans 8.20...

Rather than a book full of answers this is a work full of questions.

This book tells us what we all already know deep down - life is an uncontrollable mystery and the world will not stay in the neat little filing boxes we make for it - but we are called/forced to live by faith...

Shifting, shifting

2011-02-25T12:06:00.002-05:00

2 years ago I was that guy. You know, the guy with the MacBook and the iPhone and the iPod. The guy who schedules his life using iCalendar, listens to his digitally downloaded music on iTunes and keeps all his contacts in his digital address book. The guy who updates his facebook status at least once a day. You know. That guy. Now, I don't want to come across as degrading or haughty about the use of technology in the 21st century [and hopefully the irony of me writing this on a blog meets some of you], and anyone who knows me knows I am often seen with my MacBook and I never leave home without my iPhone, BUT I feel like things are slowly changing for me. At the beginning of the year I bought a small pocket planner which I have determined to used for 2011 instead of my iPhone in a small attempt to regain my humanity. My purchasing of digital music is a small fraction from what it was. My cousin Traynor put the sickle to his facebook and my friend Mat ditched the thing entirely. I have given it serious thought by I always stop myself with 'my job is to connect with people and this is how people are connecting these days'. In the next few weeks I'm going to do some experimenting with living in a post-FB reality and see if I am still an effective pastor.

I'm an all-in type person [when I go for something, I go for it] and I think that's what has happened in regards to my relationship with technology. But now that the fling is fading [maybe there is some correlation to the fact that I started dating my wife just about this time?] I'm starting to see life on the other side and I like it. Obviously our culture demands some dependence on technology and the internet, but maybe we can all take small steps back. Maybe there are somethings we can do that cannot be replicated with pixels, 0's and 1's.

I don't know. This is just a ramble, but I guess that's what blogs are for.

Cheers.

Watch this space.

2011-02-23T15:23:00.001-05:00

Maybe getting back into blogging will keep me honest. Sometimes it helps to have a reason to read. Sometimes wanting a reason to write is a good reason to read.

Big Letters, Bad Model

2009-03-30T19:45:00.000-04:00

Let’s start with this. In response to a recent post where I openly endorsed the band Fleet Foxes, I was commended by one TFH III, who claims to be a type of ‘music evangelist.’ The fact that I enjoyed the musical stylings of Fleet Foxes was very encouraging to Mr. Hansen III. However, in subsequent days I have equally endorsed the music of the rising pop-country starlette Taylor Swift, whose self-written songs I find to be very catchy, melodically pleasing, and lyrically sweet/cute. In response to this, Traynor has claimed that I should be the target of more ‘music evangelists,’ insinuating Taylor Swift is not worthy of mine [nor anyones] ears. To this, I say, don’t knock it till you tried it. Embrace the teenage girl in you. Then you will see the truth, and the truth will help to have more fun. But I digress…

This Thursday, a group of my friends and myself are going to be holding our first of what is to be a weekly worship gathering at our church in Grandville. Inspired by my friends in Seattle [act], we hope to make this a space where followers of Christ can gather to not only build community with one another, but also to truly grow in their understanding and outworking of what it means to be a Christian. So, in my mind, this is the airport. This is the breeding ground for the Church of tomorrow. This is where we wrestle with, talk about, sing about, laugh about, and learn about what it would look like for a group of people to not just come together once a week as a ‘religious duty’ but as a ‘life-giving’ encounter with the Church in the truest sense of the word [M.Loverin, Response to ‘Cilantro, Tomatillos…’]. So I am coming into this very optimistically, but also very weary of slipping into old habits of what has been so engrained in me as ‘traditional’ worship gatherings. Now, again, there is nothing wrong with traditional church, and in fact, I would argue that there is a lot that is right about it, but this evening worship gathering [which will be called ...this is ACT Evenings - or ACTpm for short] is a chance to try something new in a safe and intimate environment. In regards to being the transition to the Church of tomorrow, I believe that it would be detrimental [both to the current and active Church of today as well as that of the future] to try simply remove the old paradigm from the larger church tradition in one foul swoop, which means that pushing the limits too far in the larger, more heavily attended Church context is probably not the best move at this point. Instead, it is in these small environments that we can begin to explore what it would look like to transform our involvement and commitment to Christ and his work in the world.

During our first leadership meeting of ACTpm, my friend brought to our attention what I found to be a brilliant illustration. He began by explaining that he has a ‘love/hate relationship’ with his current employer. This company is a mid-sized chain of coffee shops based out of Michigan [I’ll give you a hint, they had to change their name from something what was easily confused as a racial slur to simply a ‘big B’]. He has been with this coffee shop for a few years and so he feels that he has had enough experience with the structure and the ideals of company to make some observations about who they are and who they want to be. From his point of view, these two [current reality vs desired reality] are very far from each other, and the result is comical at best but ineffective at worst. See, this company, we’ll call it ‘B’ sees itself as a competitor with other large coffee chains, specifically Starbucks. While everything from locations, quality of drinks and competence of employees is obviously sub-par, B still acts as if it were on the front line of coffee business. In the opinion of this employee, they spend so much time and money on branding, image and attempting to have big-business structure, that the quality of their coffee, and more importantly, the quality of their customer service suffers drastically. B wants so much to be something that it will never be, and because of this it fails at being the best at what it could be the best at - being a local coffee shop that isn’t bound by the politics and structure of huge corporate conglomerates, but is able to focused on providing a great cup of coffee to their immediate community. Instead, it is mediocre coffee from a place that cares more bout themselves then their customers. My friend then went on to relate this unfortunate model to us as a group of people attempting to devote ourselves to ACTpm. It would be really easy for us to want to be the next big thing. It would be really easy for us to spend a lot of time on image and drawing a huge crowd and being helplessly pop [or at least sub-pop-christian-contemporary] culture. But what would be more honest and helpful would be for us as a group to simply commit to being people who come together once a week for no other purpose than wanting to learn more about Jesus and being the people of God in this world. If we can do that, not only will we not be distracted by the peripherals of being ‘cool’, but we will also be able to fully invest ourselves to these simple goals, which in my mind, are a great working definition of what it means to be the Church [and what it will mean to effectively be the Church tomorrow].

So I’m really excited about this. I think there is a lot of potential in who we could become through growing together in ACTpm. But I’m also nervous to see how we will all react to being intentional about being a different type of gathering. If you are in the Grand Rapids area and would be interested in joining us, we would love for you to be a part of this. We have no idea what is going to happen, and that is thrilling. See you on the dark side of the moon.

GnP

Jim

Cilantro, Tomatillos, and a Magic Bullet

2009-03-27T09:36:00.001-04:00

Ok, TFH3, let me break it down for you. There are two things: 1) Whirlwind and 2) World Wind. Separate but equal. And let me just say this. Either one of them would eat you for lunch, so you better check yourself before you wreck yourself.

Alright, before getting into a brief, but poignant thought, I must first promote a new grocery store that I have been introduced to. It’s called Horrocks and its just south of 44th on Breton in Kentwood. It’s as close as GR is going to come to a Trader Joes/Whole Foods. Lots of natural/organic products that you won’t find anywhere else. Also a great selection of produce. Last night we were there and I decided I wanted to make some salsa verde. Apparently a young latino man who was working in the produce section overheard our conversation and realized that we were gringos who had no idea how to make salsa verde, so he graciously gave us step-by-step instructions. He even picked out tomatillos and jalapenos for us. Needless to say, I would now consider myself a aspiring salsa verde master. Next time you are in my neck of the woods, give me a ring and I will slice, dice and have you begging for more.

Alright, moving on.

Yesterday I went to MadCap with a couple friends. MadCap is always brilliant no matter what is happening, but it seems espically conducive to thinking, communicating, and sharing. The conversation ebbed between admiration of the amazing roasts and what it means to devote yourself to full-time church ministry. One of the guys I was with asked me what it was like to work in a church as an occupation. I just started talking and telling him about how it is great to be able to know what I commit my life to is effecting change at the root of the need. I was telling him about how I love knowing that what I put effort into will hopefully touch someone's life on a very real level. But then he began to talk about what he does for a living, and how the people he is working with on a daily basis are people who have the same amount of needs, but just in a very different, yet also very real way. Which made me think about some writings by Dan Kimball that I had read recently which talk about the reality of the American Church existing inside of the ‘Christian Bubble’. Again, this is nothing new, but Kimball tells about how he as a full-time pastor began to realize that every single person in his sphere of influence essentially thought and lived in the same general manner as he did. He didn’t have any friends that weren’t part of a local church somewhere. He had devoted himself to following Jesus and trying to get others to do the same, but his environment was very disconnected from the type of outward vision that he saw in the early church. I think if we all look at our lives, to some extent or another this is true. I think it especially is true with those of us whose lives exist at the local church. Now, there is definitely a place for people to commit to training and teaching others, but should that come at the cost of not being a part of society as a whole and therefore not having any contacts who are different than you? If for no other reason than to simply broaden your understanding of life and give you a new perspective and certain issues. So what is the answer? What do we do? How do we get to a place where we can still be committed to being a key player in the local church while also having an impact in the lives of people around us who are not a part of the local church? What implications does this have on us as the bridge to the Church of tomorrow?

I’ll leave this one with an open door...

GnP

Jim

Feel The Rhythm, Feel The Rhyme, Get On Up, It's Blogsled Time!

2009-03-25T19:00:00.000-04:00

Hello and welcome. I trust that your days are merry and bright.

For my first order of business, I respond to a somewhat legitimate question from one T.F. Hansen III, in which he questions the definition and existence of a ‘world wind,’ as mentioned in my most recent post. In essence the only plausible definition for the term ‘world wind’ is a as follows “noun; a gust that is so powerful it not only circumnavigates the entirety of the globe, but also leaves in its wake billions of miniature universes, or ‘worlds,’ which exist inside of snowflakes [cf the Jim Carey masterpiece ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’]”. As you can see, this is a very apt description of the happenings at ETS ’09. Now, without further adieu, let us blog.

I’ve been reinvigorated to read, write, and learn [hence my return to the blogsphere]. I don’t really know what it was that did this. I’m guessing it had something to do with this past weekends hours of riding in a van, a walk to a local Ashland, Ohio coffee shop, a viewing of Josie and the Pussycats, and/or my most recent trip to Baker Book House. But whatever it is, it seems that at the root of this reinvigoration is the fact that I have simply been ready for change. My life flows in a very organically systematic rhythm of growth and stagnation. I assume this is the case with everyone, but when it comes to my own state of being, I am in a constant process of trying to get to the growth and avoid the stagnation, despite the fact that I understand it is really hard for me to control this. I just have to let it be. Anyways, during this Lenten season, I have been steadily moving forward towards a state of progression, with a few lapse along the way.

One of the books that I have been reading over this past month is called ‘O2’ by a guy named Richard Dahlstrom [it seems that many of you in my circle-of-Twitter-influence have also been reading this]. My friend Paul sent me this book out of the blue, and I, with some skepticism, began reading. I realized quickly that I would enjoy this book for many reasons: 1) Frequent references to Seattle, 2) Communication of theological ideas that I am sympathetic towards without using over-simplifying buzzwords, 3) Defining of two extreme positions and criticizing and defending them both and 4) Aesthetically pleasing font [more important than you may think]. So what I like about this book is not that it is giving me anything that I haven’t been aware of before, but that he seems to be delivering it at a time that causes it to hit me in a more real, more applicable way than before. Which brings me back to the rhythms. Sometimes maybe it’s not about how many times we hear or read or see something but maybe it’s all about timing. Like an eclipse. Every day and year and month the planets and stars are essentially doing the same thing as they rotate on their set axis and all that stuff. And every day and month people look up at the sky. But every now and then things align in just right order and people look up at just the right time and the result is something beautiful [and that, my friends, comes to you courtesy of a semester of a telecourse in Astronomy at Grand Rapids Community College].

When we are totally sold on something, whether it is a concept that is shaping us, a record that is connecting with the depths of our souls, or a specific coffee shop [located on the corner of Monroe Center and Ionia], we tend to do whatever we can to tell everyone we can about it. Last year Fleet Foxes put out a record on SubPop that, according to many sources, was epic. Multiple people tried to force this music upon me and every time I graciously, yet consistently resisted [in all honesty, I thought it just sounded like Pet Sounds, but not as good]. A couple weeks ago I was at one of my favorite local record shops and finally caved. Within the first 4 minutes, I was sold. Brilliant harmonies. Haunting and unique instrumentation. Overall quality on production, recording, and creative levels. So back to the rhythms. If the multiple people who kept telling me about this record would have stopped after the first time, I probably wouldn’t have given it a second chance. But because of their persistence and patience I was able to discover and enjoy what they were so sold on. What is interesting is that my listening to that record in no way could possibly have benefited them. They were already enjoying the music. Whether or not I ever bought the album couldn’t change that. But because they were so convinced about what it could potentially do to me, they endured my ignorance, refusal and snide remarks.

So, let’s talk about the church. You probably think that I am going to weave this into a call to evangelism, because I mean after all, everyone knows that 2009 is ‘harvest time.’ Well, rest assured, I would not stoop to that level. However, what I will do is say that this concept may have a lot to say to us as the airport to Church Next. We may look around and see a church culture that could be completely and radically transformed by various teachings and interpretations that we have been turned on to over the past half decade. Because of this, our normal reactions will be to go out and tell everyone [involved the Church] and try to do whatever we can to convince them of the fact that another Church [and consequently another world] is possible. Most likely, their response will be similar to my reaction to Fleet Foxes [but you also might get punched]. Faced with that type of lack-of-interest, it would be natural for us to get angry and possibly more forceful with our agenda to get everyone to start drinking our KoolAid. This, however, would result to just the opposite result as we would hope for. Instead of dialoguing with us about our ideas, those who have been assaulted with our paradigms and insulted by our blogging will do whatever they can to hold tight to their ways while running as far from ours as possible. This is no good. I think that if we truly want to have an impact in the Church of tomorrow, we need to commit to being respectful and gentle, yet ever persistent as we wait for the planets to align. And even after that happens, we may have to wait for the Church to look up. Just at the right moment. And this, we may have no control over. But I guess when it comes down to it, it’s all about the rhythms.

Sorry about the marathon. Stay hydrated.

GnP

Jim

Nothing Like a Good Old Fashioned Security Pat-Down

2009-03-23T15:17:00.001-04:00

I told you I would do it. I would like to publicly thank one Dr. Matthew H. Loverin, PhD as well as the Reverend Jeremy Herr for their support and faith in me. In a related note, I would like to not thank T.F. Hansen III and Pastor Gary Hansen for not supporting me [interestingly enough, it is my own cousins who don’t have doubted me. Who are my true cousins? My cousins are those who believe in blog]. With these quick orders of business out of the way, let’s git ‘er done. Sorry about that last line. It won’t happen again.

So, these past few days have been quite the world wind of ecclesical pondering. Last weekend I ventured to the metropolis of Ashland, Ohio to attend the Midwest Regional conference of the Evangelical Theological Society. Usually the best part about this conferences are the fact that pretty much every book imaginable is available for 50% off. However, this year was different. There was the awesome refreshment table set up with mini-Baby Ruth bars as well as all the fruit leather a man could ever want [also, there was that one beautiful girl]. So it wasn’t really the sessions of the conference itself that gave me stuff to think about. Instead it was the fact that I was arguably in the hub of the evangelical church [or at least the Midwest offering of it], giving me a great chance to just sit back and observe some of the ideals, motivations, and tactics of those who consider themselves [and rightly so] the scholars of the church. And most of the time I felt myself just saying ‘blah.’ Don’t get me wrong, most of it was at least moderately interesting, but I felt a serious disconnect between what I perceive as some of the tendencies of culture/the church and where there scholars are headed. Even the ones who I think fancy themselves as with it and sympathetic to new church practice and ideas just didn’t quite seem to be of the right path. Instead, it was like they were trying to pour old wine into new wine skins. Just putting a new name tag on ‘Worldview Studies’ doesn’t make it any more applicable to a culture that is trying to break away from the ‘your-life-pardigm-in-a-box’ type thinking.

Now, I’m not trying to say that the old wine is crap. I mean, it gets better with age, right? But maybe sometimes we need to not just change the bottle and the label, but reassess the entire production process. The grapes are the same, but maybe we can get a purer taste with a few tweaks [or we can try this]. Ok, so I know this is nothing new, and maybe I’m just taking another hit at something that is already bruised and battered, but stick with me for a second. I think it is obvious to anyone who honestly looks at the Church today that that things are changing. People are attracted to very different aspects of Spirituality now than they were in the past few decades and it is vital for us as people committed to not only Christ, but also to his Church, to be a part of finding a way to connect with the cultural mindset. As we do this, it is becoming increasingly clear that we may need to create an entirely new winepress if we want to keep moving forward. However, I don’t think we are at that point yet. We’re not quite to the ‘church on the other side,’ but we are still at a pivotal place in history…

Since I went to school about 2000 miles away from the place I grew up, I did a lot of flying. Two or three times a year I would travel cross-country from one home to another. I don’t mind air travel, but one thing I do hate is having to strip down to go through the security check. I have a habit of being a chronic over-packer when it comes to travel. I mean, seriously, you never know when your going to need 3 magazines, 2 books, 4 boxes of candy, 2 notebook computers and/or a spare set of headphone when you are up in the wild blue yonder, so you better be prepared. Anyways, when I am going from Seattle to Grand Rapids, the actual flight itself is really no more than 4 hours, however, there is a lot of necessary pre-travel preparations that have to take place. I get there, have to stand in the not-so-amusement park-ish line to check in and drop off my bags. Then I hike across SeaTac Airport [stopping for a cup of coffee, of course]. I wait in another serpentine line to get to the dreaded security point where the undressing sequence happens. After my 45 minute stay there I redress and finally head to my gate where I sit and am given instructions about what I need to do in order to board the flight. Finally I get on, and yet again am given instruction on how I need to operate while the flight is taking place. About 2 or 3 hours after I first arrived at the airport, we are finally in the air traveling towards the beautiful G-Rap. When I get where I am going, I can look back on the travel process and realize that as unappetizing as the entire airport experience was, it was necessary to get me to where I need to be. The lines, the checking in, the instructions. It all brought me where to the next point in my journey. This is where we as a the leaders of the church of the early 21st century [and this is not relegated to paid positions in church/missions agencies, but anyone who considers themselves involved in the life of the Church] fit in. We are the middle ground. We know we need to be moving, but we are not quite there. So it is our job to prepare for departure. It’s our job to slowly start to incorporate the models of Church Next into the Church today. Gently. Lovingly. With respect to our heritage. With respect to how people are currently connecting with Christ. Yet also intentional and with purpose. This not only applies to the church, but also to theology and doctrine [I am thinking specifically of my own heritage, which is Mid-Acts Dispensational Theology].

So that is where I stand, and that is what may come out a lot in this blog. I would love questions, rebuttals, encouragement, disagreement, agreement and snide remarks. I’ll try to not be so heavy all the time, because I don’t want to bore myself. But, like I said earlier, I’m looking for an outlet, and you are that outlet. Lucky you. Alright, keep things real. Until we meet again…

GnP

Jim

What if I told you...

2009-03-22T19:17:00.003-04:00

...that I was going to start blogging again.

I know, I know. We go through this a couple times a year. It's the brilliant dance we cannot seem to break from. It looks a little something like this: I promise you blog. You doubt me. I don't do it. You never trust me again. So, I'm not making any promises here. I know that it is very likely that my desire for bloggation tendencies may be much loftier than my actual blogging discipline, but maybe, just maybe this time will be a little different. I have been thinking about somethings lately and some of those things will just rumble around in my brain until I actually take the time to give them an outlet. Since the internet is all up in my grill [and I finally have internet access at my place of employment] it seems like his is a logical, easy, and productive way to do it. So there it is. My cards are on the table. I'm not going to get too crazy...I'll still try to stick with the two-day-a-week schedule, but I need you all to know that if you want this to work, it is gonna have to be a two way street. Relationships are hard and you have to work with me. If you are going to be my Internet-readers you have to do Internet-reader stuff [AKA give me feedback]. Otherwise, it's like sowing the wind. And you know what Josh Kessler says about that: Sow the wind, reap the whirlwind. And nobody wants that to happen. So we'll see what happens. Keep yours eyes peeled. Perhaps tomorrow we begin a new era. It seems that only time will tell...

GnP

Jim

4 Days Until Departure

2007-12-06T00:22:00.000-05:00

Today was the first day I have had to start my "goodbye's circuit" (today was Local Coffee & Tea barista and AWANA children) and it is finally starting to sink in that I will probably not see many of these people for a long long time, which is kind of sad.

P,L & R

Jimi the Temp

p.s. - today I was walking home from the cafe and heard a piercing scream, so I looked to from whence it came only to see a baby squirrel (eyes still shut) laying on the pavement by the base of a palm tree. In fear of getting rabies, i didn't want to touch it but stood there contemplating my next action step. It was then that I heard a scampering and looked up to see the mother/father charging down the palm trunk faster then Charael's pinata stick. I jumped back and the parent ran to the baby, curled it up in a ball, grabbed it by the nape of the neck, and ran away. Fin.

5 Days Until Departure

2007-12-04T16:19:00.000-05:00

I am currently sitting on the beach (Gulf of Mexico = 1 meter from me) and this massive beast of a Crane (the bird not the construction tool) decided to be my new fowlicious friend and stare at me from about a cubits length away.

P,L & R

Jimi T. Temp

6 Days Until Departure

2007-12-03T23:37:00.000-05:00

I am convinced that though Jerry Seinfeld is not a very good comedian, and an even worse actor, his show "Seinfeld" will remain unmatched as the funniest adult sitcom in the relatively short history of entertainment television simply because of the now famous cast of characters.

P,L & R

Jimi the Temp

7 Days Until Departure

2007-12-02T23:51:00.000-05:00

The beauty of Craigslist continues to amazing me, because I was able to sell my bike for $80, which is great because I now have $87 - It's a hard knock life for us.

P,L & R

Jimi the Temp

8 Days Until Departure

2007-12-01T23:33:00.001-05:00

Since the interactive posts are the only ones that seem to solicit a decent amount of comments, I will ask for you all to reveal your all-time favorite holiday film and whether or not you have watched it this holiday season.

P,L & R

Jimi the Temp

9 Days Until Departure

2007-12-01T02:13:00.000-05:00

Today I asked a local if it was customary to use a palm tree in place of the traditional holiday evergreen, but he said "it would be hard to decorate them" and I agreed.

P,L & R

Jimi the Temp

10 Days Until Departure

2007-11-29T23:28:00.000-05:00

I have realized that when school is not the omnipresent life calendar, the end of summer and the beginning of fall seem to bleed into one another like an incoming tide, without the pomp and circumstance I have know my whole life.

P,L & R

Jimi the Temp

11 Days Until Departure

2007-11-28T22:09:00.000-05:00

I came home tonight to find the Ron Paul debate party across the street from my home, as well as a supporter of Ron Paul (based on bumper sticker) parked in my temporary parking space.

Poor Form.

P,L & R

Jimi the Temp

12 Days Until Departure

2007-11-27T14:38:00.000-05:00

Today I will ask the question "Do any of you have a favorite Christmas/Holiday song that means a great deal to them around this time of the year, and why is that?"

P,L & R

J t T

13 Days Until Departure

2007-11-26T21:23:00.000-05:00

If Alaska was never purchased I would be able to say I have been to the furthest major city in the northwest of the United States (Blaine, Washington) and (arguably) the furthest major city in the southeast of the United States (Miami, Florida), thus completing the National Criss Cross Apple Sauce.

P,L & R

Jimi the Temp

14 Days Until Departure

2007-11-26T00:04:00.000-05:00

My trek to the great white north is now officially but a fortnight away, and I still have many tasks to accomplish.

P,L & R

Jimi the Temp

15 Days Until Departure

2007-11-24T22:23:00.000-05:00

I just saw the Dylan biopic "I'm Not There" and it was brilliant.

P,L & R

Jimi the Temp

16 Days Until Departure

2007-11-23T17:32:00.000-05:00

Last Tuesday (11/13) I dropped my computer off of a table and my hard drive broke, so I had to order a new one and replace it myself, which actually worked out well because my new hard drive is over twice the size of my old one and I was able to replenish my iTunes library thanks to a third party download.

P,L & R

Jimi the Temp

17 Days Until Departure

2007-11-23T00:46:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving is really strange when it is so warm outside that you don't have to bundle up to run from the car to the house.

18 Days Until Departure

2007-11-21T18:09:00.000-05:00

There are two food things that I will really miss about Florida: Chick-Fil-A and Sweet Tea.

P,L & R

Jimi the Temp

19 Days Until Departure

2007-11-20T14:16:00.000-05:00

In the south, there is such a thing as boiled peanuts which can be purchased in a self-serve style (you get them at gas stations where they are boiled in these massive cauldrons and served in containers that appear to be the same containers live fish bait is served in) and taste/have a consistancy that is unfortunatly similar a soft kidney bean.

P,L & R

Jimi the Temp

21/22 Days Until Departure

2007-11-19T23:20:00.000-05:00

When stopping at gas stations while traveling through Alabama, I saw many shirts themed around the Confederate Flag, including one that depicted Jesus riding on a motorcycle in front of said flag with the words "Rebel Rider" printed above.

P,L & R

Jimi the Temp

22/23 Days Until Departure

2007-11-18T23:12:00.000-05:00

When looking for a haircut, though the low price of a beauty school may seem tempting, be warned that the end product may leave much to be desired.

P,L & R

Jimi the Temp

23/24 Days Until Departure

2007-11-17T18:22:00.000-05:00

It's not the heat, it's the humidity that will kill you.

P,L & R

Jimi the Temp

24/25 Days Unitl Departure

2007-11-16T12:22:00.000-05:00

Quote of the year goes to Bill from Mobile, Alabama who said in a think southern drawl "I'd suck the head out of a crawdaddy, but I ain't eatin' no liver."

P.L & R

Jimi

It's The Final Countdown

2007-11-15T11:07:00.000-05:00

Dear Friends,

I present to you my deepest apologies for not keeping a regular blogging schedule. As my time as Temp at GBF Pinellas comes to an end, my work load becomes steadily heavier, while free time become steadily less. However, I do not want this blog to end having left a sour taste in the mouth of any of the Faithful Few. Because of this, and based on an idea presented by long-time reader MHL ABD, I have decided to end my blog with a countdown of sorts. As of today, Noverber 15, 2007, I have 25-26 days left in my internship(depending on travel plans). On each of these days, it is my intent to leave you all with a "one-liner" consisting of something I have learned while Temping, a funny quib, something I look forward to upon my return, some food for thought, or a snide remark. I hope that you enjoy them, and it cleanses your palette like a fresh Perrier after a cup of coffee.

Yours Truly,

Jimi The Temp

25/26 Days until Departure

I saw a black snake by my car one day after work, and it scared the crap out of me, reminding me that I really don't like snakes.

P,L,& R

Jimi

Boom Shaka Laka

2007-10-31T11:47:00.000-04:00

Well, well, well. What do we have here? A all hollows eve edition of the 1RT? Perhaps. Or perhaps we will take a break from regular scheduled programing and simply recount a tale of amphibious creatures, latin culture, and the high life. I guess there is only one way to get to the bottom of this, and that is for you to continue on in your reading of this “web-log” (and I ain’t talking bout no spider wood). So lets cut to the chase. Hit it and quit it, here is the 10.31 PPNLA.

Before we get to seriously attached to one another/affixed to a tale, lets explore the nether-regions of the newly established “my new faves” segment.

Tazo Tea - My voice has been rather sore and hoarse as a result of my recent acquirement of some sort of virus. Because of this, my tastes have wandered from the realm of the bean to the hostel of the herb. Your local Starbucks offers a variety of teas that range from fruity to mint and all the flavors in between. I have long been a fan of Tazo’s Green Ginger, and will always suggest it as my favorite. However, as of late I have been wandering to the point of sampling and enjoying the minty-love of Refresh and natural delight of Calm (which actually lived up to its name). I think I am ready to make another move, so if anyone of you has a favored Tazo variety, suggest and I will give it a try and let you know of my response.

Moving Picture Shows - Monday I went to a movie alone, which is something I’ve heard people rave about. It was pretty fun actually, though of all the attendees of the 12:15 matinee I saw (there we 9 of us), I was probably the only one under the age of 45. So goes it. I saw the new Steve Carell flick Dan In Real Life, and it was right up my RomCom alley. Very well acted and written, but then again I am a very easy-to-please movie goer. But I liked it, and Steve did well. Some very Michael Scott-ish moments. Type casting at its finest. I have 3 other movies on my wish list, which I may soon partake in. They are: Across The Universe, The Darjeeling Limited, and Bee Movie.

Stereo Phonic Music Recordings - I made a purchase of a new album, which is a luxury I am not able to do often on my meager salary of zero. I kind of went out on a limb, but with good reason based on listener reviews and track record and bought the new Jimmy Eat World (J.E.W.) album Chase the Light. Compared to the other J.E.W. Records, it is very produced and poppy, making it catchy and impossible not to dance along to. Those of you looking for pop-rock enjoyment may want to give it a listen.

Starbucks Songs of the Day - They continue to enthrall me while treating me to new music. My top 3 as of yet (I have missed a few) are Rogue Wave - Lake Michigan, Heaven - Bitter:Sweet, and You Picked Me - A Fine Frenzy. There are many honorable mentions.

Yoplait Yogurt - I love this stuff. I have become especially fond of the pineapple flavor, but there are many that tickle my taste buds.

Part Une. Fin.

Now, for what you have all come here for: The main event

Waynes World Flashback Sequence:

It is 10:21 on Monday Night. I receive this phone call at 9:52 on Monday Night.
 Jeff - "Jimi what are you doing tomorrow?" Me - "Um...probably working" Jeff - "Forget about it. You're coming with us to Miami" Me - "When are you going" Jeff - "We are leaving at 3:30" Me - "In the morning?!" Jeff - "Yes" Me - "This morning?!" Jeff - "Yes" Me - "How long will be there" Jeff- "I don't know. A day. Maybe two days" Me - "Well, let me call Ken and see"

So I leave the Starbucks I was at and return the the place where I lay my head. It was one of those times where I knew I should probably get some sleep because, as much as I would like to think, getting some refreshing and substantial sleep in a car probably is not going to happen, yet sleep still evades me. I have to pack, obviously, but don’t have a bag that is small enough, yet also large enough. So my buddy Mat comes through in the clutch with a bright pink tote which seems to be a perfect fit. I load with the essentials and grab a few snacks for secret munching in the car (you never know when Wheat Thins will come in handy). By the time I finally got into bed it was about 12:30 in the AM, which is only 3 hours for departure time. This would be fine, except for the fact that Conan was on, and when I get a-watching Conan, there is no stopping me. So around 1:45 I finally drifted off to a land of sleep, only to be awake at 3:20 by the anticipated wake up call. Let’s cut to the chase.

After loading, a quick gas/Arizona tea stop, we are on the road. Jeff and Mariana up front. My main man Bolivian Mauricio to my left and two very cute kids (2 and 4) sleeping in the back. If that line up doesn’t spell good times, I don’t know what does. Miami really isn’t that far away from St. Petersburg, but when it is the middle of the night, it seems to be much farther. I tried to get a little sleep, but my you got to work with what you’ve got, and what I had was a bucket seat that was too far away from the window to use it as a pillow. Around 7:30 our automobile pulled off the freeway on a stretch of road known as Alligator Alley (no alligators at this time) for what turned out to be a driver switch, with me being the switched driver. I was fine with this because in most cases I would much prefer to drive over riding. On the downside, this meant my shift fell on to the most wretched part of the trip, which I like to call “traffic.”

Around 8 am we entered the Miami city limits, which apparently is the exact time that 3/5 the population of Florida also entered the Miami city limits. I timed it, and it literally took us an hour to travel 14 miles. Like I said, I was pretty excited that I was the one who got to drive this part of the trip. We eventually got through the traffic and dropped Mariana off at the Argentinean Embassy (this was the purpose of the trip) and headed off for an adventure in the city of Miami.

Jeff is an old pro when it comes to navigating this city. I guess he spent a lot of time there, which came in helpful when trying to not be hopelessly lost. It was not long after we were on our own, that the insanity of Miami became clear to us. (This next part is graphic. I’m not trying to make light of it, but it deserves to be told). We saw cop cars buzzing buy us like hot butter on a stainless steal cooking pan warmed to about 350 degrees. This is curious to us, and becomes even more so when we see the entire street ahead of us blocked off by them, save for a small lane for traffic to squeeze through. At the center of the cars we see an civilian automobile. The windshield has a hole in it as if something had be smashed or shot through it, and the driver was slumped over in the front street. I don’t know exactly what went down, but something sketchy part 1. We drove by and hoped we were not next. We were not.

Our next stop was the Buenos Aries Bakery, which was very fitting, since I was the only non-South American in our little convoy. I quickly realized that I was the only one in the shop who could not speak Spanish. Though I tried to hide it when I purchased my Perrier by talking very minimally, I still had English written all over me, and they spoke to me in my native tongue. But it was all OK because I ended up with a fresh, cold bottle of the greatest beverage to ever meet glass. Jeff ordered some churroros, sweet croissant, and croissants with ham and cheese for us to all share, which is apparently a typical latin breakfast. Which apparently is also a tasty breakfast. Around this time is when I began to take in Miami and realized it really is like another country. The people dress differently, they drive differently, they talk differently, the operate differently. It’s like a miniature foreign land which does not require a passport. Around this time is also when I began to accept the fact that I probably wouldn’t be seeing Tony Montana. Anyways, we sat outside the cafe eating and people watching for a couple hours where we met our local link, an amazing human being whom we will name “Frank.” This man is not really one whom I will try to describe, but lets just say he knows how to have a good time. Too good of a time, actually. But not during the work week. Anyways, Frank met us and we hung out with him until he had to go to some sort of meeting around 12, which lined up perfectly with our return trip to the embassy to pick up Mariana.

Anywho, after picking her up we established our home base, which was the home of Frank - a charming apartment in Miami Beach, about 5 minutes from the Atlantic.

PAUSE - I just had to non-lethally dispose of a 4 inch spider from my office. I don’t like things that crawl - UN-PAUSE

We dropped our stuff off in the casa (oh yeah, by this time in the trip I had already begun to speak some sort of “spanglish” by using the minuet amount of spanish words when I could) and changed into our killer ocean wear and headed out to the mighty ocean. It was just us 3 guys and the 2 little children, but we were ready to tear it up, and tear it up we did indeed. The beaches in Miami are amazing. Not only are the waters warm and clear, but the sand is white and cool. And we didn’t see any sharks. So we beached it up. Took the little kids swimming, which meant holding them as the waves crashed into us. We then buried each other in the sand (the kids and myself - not the other grown men and myself) and played a little game called Canshoes, which Frank explained to us is a way that “rednecks” play horse shoes. It involves filling empty cans with sand to make them heavy and drawing a line a certain distance from one of those beach trash cans and tossing them, attempting to get them in. I was really bad, but when I finally made mine I let the whole beach know. It was a great time. My favorite part was when we were playing Canshoes, and we looked over to where the kids were, only to see an entire flock of seagulls (not the band) surrounding them. The kids decided it was a good idea to give chips to the flying fowls, and the flying fowls decided it was a good idea to overcome the children. So we came the rescue and buried the extra chips in the ground. This was about the end of our beach time, and we headed back to Franks abode, awaiting our next adventure in Miami.

After getting back, we all took some much needed downtime, and slept for a half hour or so, but were not able to get much because of our realization that it was about 6 in the evening and all we had eaten were Argentinean pastries at 10. So we finally got everyone moving enough to load up the car and hit up the night life. I had always heard Miami was a cool place to go and hang out in the evening, and this night confirmed. We got in the car and headed out, somehow getting sidetracked, which hindered the eating, but did let something else semi-cool happen. Let me indulge you.

When we were first trying to find Franks house earlier in the day we drove through a very Jewish area of town, complete with shops by the name of “Torah Treasure” and “Kosher World.” I felt like I had finally reached my climax of life. There were synagogues everywhere and lots of stuff written in Hebrew (Phil - I could read most of it!). The crown jewel for me was when we past a little ditty with the words “Shaare Ezra Sephardic Congregation” emblazoned over its entry way. My grandfather came from the Sephardic community in Rhodes, and this was my first time encountering anything from this group (however, I never really looked much). I called my dad and he informed me that there were many Sephardi's in Miami, and actually some Shemarias (we cannot be defeated). I remembered where this place was, hoping to return to it at some point on the trip. So as we were headed to dinner, we happened to be by the SESC and everyone encouraged me to go in and check it out. So I did, hoping to talk to the Rabbi or someone, inquiring if there were any of my kin around. I went in, but the Rabbi was Rabbi-ing in the other room (it was pretty stereotypically funny - thick accent and asking a lot of questions). I waited around for a while, but didn’t want to keep the crew in the SUV waiting, so I had to bid farewell to my possible-kin and headed out. Like it said, it was semi-cool. Could have been better if I had more time, but cool enough to be inside and see all the stuff. I should become a Rabbi. And cover people in my dust.

So after our Jewish-escapades, we finally hit the town at a place known as Lincoln Road. This place is happening, kind of like a Rodeo Drive of Miami, except it was a walking-only street. It was amazing. Shops and restaurants and clubs and people everywhere. My highlight was the first time I was able to experience the Starbucks Hear Music Cafe. There are only four of these in existence. It’s basically a Starbucks plus an overpriced music store mixed into one chic location. There are 2 noteworthy things about this stop. 1 - they have mix CD stations, where you can pick from thousands of songs and then burn your own CD. Apparently the people who do this have never heard of a little contraption called iTunes, but it was cool none-the-less. 2. They had Christmas cups. In mid-October. Christmas cups.

We ended up eating our meal at a place called Pizza Rustica. It was pretty high class, but the best part was the fact that we got to sit outside and people watch. Great times, great lakes. It was around 11 by the time we left Lincoln road (Latins known how to milk a meal for all its worth) and headed back to Franks place. We were talking about going out later and seeing what goes down on Ocean Drive, but we were all really tired, and Frank was...well, he was Frank, so we had a majority vote and decided to stay in for the night. Futons served us well, and we slept like babes.

Morning came, and brought to us (this is graphic) another crime scene. There was a body in the street outside the apartment with blood around. The police and firemen where there to take care of buisness. We don’t know what happened, but sketchy part number 2 had transpired. Miami has a reputation. We left the apartment around 9 and made a few stops on our way out of town, including a little stroll down Ocean Drive (awesome - bought a t-shirt at a cheesy tourist shop) and an extended stay in an Uruguayan restaurant, which served me the absolute best churro ever to be created. So good. With that, our Miami adventure came to an end. We hit the road and took Alligator alley all the way home (and we saw some this time!). I drove us to freedom and the iPod FM transmitter (which never work well enough) helped me until my batteries died.

So that is that. Miami trip. It was a lot of adventure for less than 48 hours, and definitely worth it. If you ever get the chance, take it. Its a fun town and like I said, practically a different country. Will Smith is a genius.

I hope this entertained you all for a few minutes. I really want to try to get on a more regular schedule, so I’ll do what I can. I only have about 5 weeks left in my internship. Crazy, huh? So Grand Rapids get ready cause I’m coming back in a blaze of glory. But for now, I’m going to get get some lunch. Keep things real, and support your local blogger.

Peace, Love, and Recycle

Jimi

(For pictures, visit my Facebook)

A Day Late and a Dollar Short

2007-10-31T00:01:00.001-04:00

Get ready for the spook-tacular.