Goony Pigs

I openly confess my failure to keep my poor family adequately updated on the comings and goings of my everyday life. I'm just not used to actually updating a blog for any greater purpose. So, dear Otto and Betty: I'm sorry.

Now that I got that off my chest, I'd like to take a minute to belatedly introduce our newest friends, Obi and Darbi, our beloved guinea pigs.

This is Obi. She has looooong hair, and in this particular picture, it is very spiky because Darbi (the white one) ate a bunch of it.

These are the girls in the "natural habitat." However, after the hair eating incident, we had to put them in separate cages.

Here's a real flattering picture of Jean and Darbi.

Bath time! 

Here's Darbi immediately after a bath. Look how white she is!

Bible commentators are typically boring.

Best comment I've ever read in a commentary:

"After considerable reflection I have concluded that Martin is serious. Incorrect, but serious."

Minneapolis Pt. 2

When I last left you, we had discussed my week through Wednesday. Now it is Saturday, and you deserve the rest of the story.

On Thursday, we decided it would be best to leave the Twin Cities. But before we took off, it was time for one more emergent excursion. We headed down to Solomon's Porch for a "cohort." These are the daily breaths of the whole emergent movement. It's basically a semi-informal gathering of "friends of emergent" to discuss life and faith. This particular week, Mark Scandrette, author of Soul Grafitti was in town from San Fran. Mark is the founder of a community known as Seven. Mark was introduced as the creator of a community that was one splash SoCal, one splash emergent, one splash neo-monastic. He was also called the "Shane Claiborne of San Francisco." He was there promoting his book and sharing what was going on with Seven. He shared some interesting ideas about orthodoxy and orthopraxy. For Mark, there is an imposed distinction between the two, when really orthopraxy is an expression of an orthodox faith. I enjoyed entering this conversation. It tied in very well with our discussion of James here in Warrensburg.

Spending time in the midst of emergent, I found it interesting how little I tended to disagree. I had feared that "heresy" might run rampant in these men's lives. After all, the "orthodox," "authoritative" and "biblically-based" branches of Christianity tend to condemn these guys straight to hell. It was shocking how, though I'm sure there were aspects of their faith I disagree with, their beliefs (and by their own understandings)and their entire lives were defined by their faith in Christ and their hope in the coming of the Kingdom, the "good dreams of the Creator." These men lived in ways that were undeniably marked by a faith in Jesus and a genuine love for all people.

In fact, the only "heretical" thing I heard wasn't even from these men. At the cohort, one guy suggested that Jesus and Buddha are both ways to the same place. I'm not entirely sure whether some of the emergents agreed or disagreed with this guy's logic, but it did seem to me like the air was sucked out of the room. No one attacked the man for saying so, and no one blatantly agreed. While this might signal something bad about emergent as a movement, I think it also signified a refusal to dictate and debate what is "right" and the "only appropriate" way to believe in God. Some might say that this is a weakness of the movement, to not stand up for orthodoxy, and maybe it is. But I know I could stand to learn something about tolerance from these men.

After the cohort, we headed back for Kansas City. We made it back safely after about 7 hours. We stayed the night with Hilary's folks, and on Saturday, I got my taxes filed. Then, on our way back to the 'Burg, we picked up the guinea pigs. It was wonderful to have them back, and Stephanie did a fantastic job of taking care of them. However, she told us that Darbi was eating Obi's hair, and after referencing the book, we discovered that such behavior is very bad. It means they are too crowded and Darbi is essentially beating Obi into submission. So, tomorrow, we'll be getting another cage and unfortunately housing them separately from now on. Hilary was very sad to face these facts, but we just want healthy, happy goonies.

Today, we almost finished the guest list for the wedding. I'll be glad when all this planning stuff is over.  Good golly. It's booooring. But hey, it won't be any fun if nobody shows up. What are you gonna do, right?

Well, Hilary and I are watching Hannibal, so I better go. 

Peace.

For Family

As the two faithful readers of this blog may have noticed, I tend to only blog in intermittence. And then, as of late, I've only blogged about blogging. A slightly redundant and useless endeavor, I admit, but now I have discovered a greater reason to write.

My sister called the other night to ask a simple question about Hilary's birthday. She asked what we were up to, and was completely caught-off guard when I mentioned that we are currently hanging out in Minneapolis. To avoid any unpleasant surprises in the future, I hope to blog more often with the expressed purpose of keeping those who want to know any of the details of my life slightly more informed. I don't expect that category to actually include many people, but at least now when my mom complains I can pass the buck back on her for not checking the blog.

So, this week, Hilary, Ian and I have been hanging out in Minneapolis, Minnesota for spring break. Most people find it incredibly odd that we might come north for spring break when most people flee for the beaches. What can I say? We're freakin' weird.

Here's the back-drop. Last semester, we read a book called Church Re-Imagined by Doug Pagitt. It's the story of a church here in Minneapolis known as Solomon's Porch. It was a wonderful book, and it left us wishing we could visit it. Shortly after that, I heard about a book release and signing "party" for Tony Jones' new book The New Christians also in Minneapolis in the middle of our spring break week. At the same time, I found out that a friend from college got a job in Minneapolis as a designer for an ad firm. And then, there was nothing stopping us from coming at all.

We got here Sunday night and just hung around. It was refreshing to catch up with Casey (the friend) and tell stories about the good old days. On Monday, we went downtown and saw where Casey worked. We also ate at this really cool little Greek restaurant where we had cake. I say this, and it sounds mundane, but I ought to mention that the cake was free. This is a particularly big deal when we learned that the guys who run this place only give cake to people they like, similar to the "Soup Nazi" from Seinfeld. After Casey got off work, we hit up a grown up arcade, followed by a sweet pub called O'Donovan's.

Yesterday, we took the light rail down to the Mall of America. It was... big. We had Sbarro pizza for lunch; very enjoyable. Then we made a quick stop in the Apple Store, which proved to be a personal and financial struggle and an exercise in greedy desire.

Last night, we headed for the book signing in Edina. Being the definition of tourist, we got utterly lost and found it only by the grace of God. We picked up our books, got them signed and then ran into the aforementioned Doug Pagitt. After talking with him for a few minutes, he invited us out to dinner with some folks, including the other aforementioned Tony Jones. We got to sit and talk and laugh with some "respectable" people. What was most inspiring about it was how nice these guys were. They were absolutely the most wonderful and loving people. These two, in particular, are often at the center of controversy and often labeled "heretics," but it can't be said that they don't love like Jesus.

Today, we headed into St. Paul to check out the Common Goods Book Store, owned by one Garrison Keillor of NPR fame. Unfortunately, we didn't see Mr. Keillor himself, but Ian did buy an autographed copy of Pontoon, Keillor's latest Woebegone novel. Then we had lunch at a coffee shop right above it.

Overall, we've loved the Twin Cities. There have been so many awesome things to see, including Ian's favorite, the SkyWay, which is a series of walkways that have essentially been converted into a 2 - 3 mile mall stretching the length of downtown Minneapolis. It's been fun and relaxing.

Tomorrow, we're heading down to Solomon's Porch for a lunch gathering of Emergent that they call a "cohort." Then we'll be heading back on Friday. Then, to finish my taxes.

As the week goes on, I keep remembering this thing called my life. Growing up sucks.

What It Is to Blog

Truth be told, I am not much more than a kid playing make believe, and I'm playing with some pretty dangerous toys.

I like to pretend that I'm a real writer. Heck, we all must. That's why we blog. We want to be read and to feel somehow validated by the comments of our plethora of readers. In my own mind, the approval of readers proves that my opinions are not worthless.

The more time I spend roaming around the blogosphere, admiring the words and works of much more widely read writers than myself, the more reasons I can think of to not blog.

1. Blogging to Scratch an Itch
I'm sure that it is not entirely uncommon to want to be well-known, respected or even "famous." It gives me an "oh-so-special" feeling to know that someone might be reading my thoughts and appreciating them. But sometimes when I sit down to blog as a discipline to achieve greatness, I notice that I hate it. I've read more than a couple posts about blogging. One thing that always stuck with me was one writer's claims that an effective blog requires a write-often-about-everything mentality. As I think about how I really feel about the art and philosophy of writing, I can't help but believe that it should be something slightly more noble than writing for writing's sake.

2. Blogging to be Heard
I read a lot of blogs, a lot of which are written by some pretty well-respected scholars. Often, these people have incredible things to say. I read posts about biblical interpretation, philosophy, church leadership and congregational issues, politics, writing, pop culture and just about anything else I can find. Their voices challenge, inspire and educate. They deal with the issues in critical manners, reviewing written works, movies and even events with a delicate precision and excellence, generally speaking. When it comes time to put myself out there with my thoughts and opinions, I either feel that what I might say doesn't compare or would not be much more than an adding to the great "noise" of the blogosphere.

3. Blogging to be an Author
For as long as I can remember, I've been fascinated with books. Probably because my mother was a librarian and didn't give us the option. Either way, I love to read and am excited by the prospect of writing. There are several that I have experienced in my very limited encounters with the land of Blog who have used their sites to accomplish such desires. I think of Tim Challies and his new book deal, for example. There are several reasons that I can't justify using a blog to accomplish my inkling towards authorship.

The first probably has something to do with my mother's imparted love of books. When I think about Twain, Hemingway, Eliot and the other classic authors I have grown to love, I can't help but feel that blogs are cheap imitations. I miss holding something. I miss crinkling the pages. I miss the new books smell. And no matter what I might learn from a blog, reading a book feels so much more productive. Reading books is always good. It seems that the addiction to the blogging world just promotes and endorses a continued dependence on technology over the real world.

The second is the availability of the blog. Anybody can get one. Writing is something that requires work. Before the blog, one had to be excellent to become a writer. Now, one must only sign up. The whole concept just seems to cheapen the whole affair. And not only are blogs incredibly easy to acquire, there is absolutely no accountability. Not only can anyone start a blog, they can say literally anything they want to.

Why would I blog?
This post is, of course, somewhat of a paradox. But despite all of these reasons not to blog, I have one great reason that I do. It allows me to sort out my thoughts. Try and try as I might, I can't seem to journal. I sympathize greatly with Donald Miller who compares it to "schizophrenia." And luckily for me, being young and undiscovered in the electronic world, this blog is virtually a journal. It is my hope, while I strive to keep my conscience clear that someone can be encouraged by these thoughts.

Through the Mist

Yesterday was my future in-laws anniversary. In the spirit of celebration, we spent the day together shopping down at the Plaza, eating at the Cheesecake Factory and traipsing around in the surprisingly not-so-spacious four story Barnes and Noble. After all of that, and a brief stop by Quik Trip for Dwight's second favorite coffee, we decided to go and see a movie. Since we hadn't checked the time, our decision was based on what was playing next. Our options were Steven King's The Mist, or Jerry Seinfeld's Bee Movie. Now, normally a decision between Steven King and Jerry Seinfeld is a no-brainer, but The Mist started sooner and my future mother-in-law is a sucker for a crappy horror movie. And so it was.

This is by no means an attempt to review this movie, as it was everything I am sure you might think. Instead, I just wanted to point out a few little somethings I found interesting.

The premise of this movie, in a nutshell, is that the scientists at a particular army base opened a portal to an alternate dimension releasing an evil horde of giant, ugly bugs to wreak havoc in the midst of the accompanying mist. A small group of individuals from a rural community get trapped together in a grocery store and struggle to survive this invasion.

Inside this grocery store are about 30 boring people and 10 actual characters. There is a small group of individuals who appear sane and rational (though this myth is busted before its all said and done). And there are also the eccentric ones. Of course, as in all Steven King works, there is one crazy Christian with no basis in reality.

Through this particular character, it seems that King has a harsh view of faith to present. This supposedly Christian prophetess convinces the masses that these creatures are the judgment of God, and that he will only be satisfied with expiation. Because of this, the people begin to offer certain individuals as sacrifices to the beasts. The woman is so evil that I actually clapped when Ollie the cashier shot her (not a fact I'm particularly proud of). Her attitude and actions are a harsh critique of Christianity as a sensible system of beliefs.

But even more broadly, King seems to have something to say about religion as an expression of humanity. While discussing what to do about their psychotic spiritual leader, Ollie points out that whenever two or more people are put in one place they immediately choose sides and try to kill each other. This is why, Ollie observes, "we invented religion and politics."

Now, I'm not necessarily concerned with Steven King's theology or personal philosophy. Nor do I believe that his not-so-subtle commentaries are endangering the Christian community at large. I just find it odd that such explicit rejections of faith were entirely ignored while Pullman's Compass was the talk of the town. I suppose the reason for such distinction is the demographic at which these movies are aimed. And knowing this is precisely what concerned me.

It seems to me that some amongst us hold two basic beliefs. The first is that children are too impressionable to be exposed to faith systems varying from our own. There are some in the Christian community who cling to indoctrinating the children as long as what is being forced upon them is "Christian."

The second presupposition is that the "grown-ups" are impervious to all sorts of propaganda. Those over the age of 21 cannot be swayed by a clever presentation of some "truth" that is anti-religious, apparently.

What this says to me is that we either under-estimate a child's ability to think, or we greatly over-estimate an adult's. We fear that the children will believe almost anything that they ever hear, particularly if it's not the gospel. But we, as adults, have become either so arrogant or so stubborn that we have nothing to fear from the media's pathetic attempts to change us.

But I'll tell you what I do know, whether its Steven King or Philip Pullman, the anti-religious in the literary world, for all their agendas and maybe because of them, just cannot seem to make a decent transition to the silver screen.

Witherington's Thoughts on Denver

Check out Witherington's post concerning the tragedies in Colorado:
Deck the Malls with Guns and the Gory

A Link, Early on an Icy Monday Morning

This is a quick reminder for those who are in need:
The Forces that Drive us

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Hold on to your lug nuts, it's tiiiiiime for an overhaul.

That's from the movie the mask. Mhmm.

Becoming a typical blogger

The trend in modern blogging seems to be a diligent effort to post a bunch of links to a bunch of stories that prove the blogger's sick addiction to the internet. So, here goes.

Chocolate is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. See?

Go green at home. Recycle.

The only problem with the new Zune is its dependency on such a crappy operating system. Other than that, it rules.

The writers' strike is going to seriously affect my springtime. Count it down.

The Hives. Black and White.

Wow. I just don't feel insensitive enough to comment.

Um... ok...?


Look for a link to Ian's post about "Erotica" soon.

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Over-Confidence.

Here's what I'm going to ask you to do. First, I'm going to ask you to watch this video. Then, I'm going to ask you to read my incredible insights which will sway your opinions. Finally, I'm going to ask you to leave comments telling me how right I am. Easy enough?

When I first watched this little video, I was simultaneously impressed and disgusted. It's pretty obvious that this man knows at least something about the Bible and history. He could quote Scripture, and he certainly did a good job of "shutting the mouths of the heretics."

What bothered me was the stench of his over-powering spiritual cologne. Granted, I believe that Joseph Smith is the cheapest of imitations when compared to Jesus. But this man's arrogance was so far beyond blatant. It was more forceful and rude than any Mormon mission I've ever experienced. His confidence in the words of Christ was well-grounded, to say the least. But his presentation was dismissive and pushy, particularly for a man claiming to "have a conversation." In this midst of his conversation, he flat-out said, "I don't need to listen to you." Way to be the shining example of what you proclaim.

And there is something almost disconcerting about what he quotes from Luke. Jesus said, "For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict." Does this passage apply in this man's situation? Is this an example of being given words to tear down an adversary? And what does this man's demeanor say about his affiliation with a gospel of radical love, even for one's enemies?

I suppose that my concern comes from experiential knowledge, which I admit is not the safest place to begin a theological observation. However, I have been in places and situations where I have been made to look the fool. Does this mean that my faith or salvation is insufficient because I wasn't "given words"?

Also, isn't it obvious that this man had spent some time studying this issues, preparing for this situation. If it was being video taped, it might seem to imply some prep time beforehand. And didn't Jesus say immediately before the verse quoted above, "But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves"?

I guess what made the most uncomfortable is the short explanation at the end. Here, a supposedly true witness of Jesus Christ, brushes off two utterly confused souls and scoffs as the go. Is it a missional participation in the spreading of the kingdom to prove people wrong and laugh as they retreat with their tails between their legs?

However, all complaints aside, I really do like his response to the Book of Mormon. Does the Bible really need the help?

The Writers Strike Back.

And so it has come to this.

In an era defined by our addiction to entertainment and the media, we are now subjected to the whims and wishes of those brilliant minds who dictate to us what is good, noble and true. The writers of Hollywood have decided that they simply do not receive enough of the "cheddar," as some refer to it, to continue doing their jobs. I wanted to take this opportunity to express my under-appreciated thoughts on such a matter, as I feel like the contents of this blog can and will make a difference.

What I find most striking about the entire issue is the unusual sense of entitlement these writers have. How is it that someone pursuing a career as a writer can honestly come to believe that they deserve large salaries? Better writers than those on Desperate Housewives have died penniless. And its not as if the projected income for the entire writing profession is by any means especially "optimistic." And so, I have to ask our dear friends, the writers, "What did you expect?"

And why punish the viewers? What have we done to deserve this? I understand the cruelty of the producers. They are addicted to their money and power like the main character's three episode story-arc addiction to drugs on a bad teen prime time soap. I am not at all convinced that these proud producers are not robbing you blind, but what happened to your good intentions? What about writing to be heard? Didn't you start out with a goal to entertain people? And yet, all of our romantic ideals have been tainted with the color green.

While I hesitate to say this, it's not as if we need TV writers anymore. The next generation spends more time in front of blogs than they do in front of televisions. There, in the safe haven of cyberspace, is an untouched multitude of writers who haven't yet sold out, not to mention all the fine entertainers of YouTube. And if you're mad about the insane amounts of media being plastered all over the internet, striking is not going to draw the viewers eyes away from our MacBooks and PC screens. You are forcing us into the arms of our forbidden lover.

Now, let's not forget the past. In 1988, we endured a similar strike that lasted 22 weeks. It cost somebody somewhere $500 million. And to what avail? The result was the invention of the reality TV show. To me, this sounds a lot like hell, but (oh faithful blog reader, be warned) if you happen to enjoy torture and reality TV, be prepared to be let down. Not even reality shows are safe from this strike, since they themselves have been unionized! Oh the humanity!

Do you remember those times when crises arose, and your favorite television program was interrupted by a celebrity encouraging you to give all of your hard earned money to match the 2% of their weekly salary that they themselves gave? Now I know that a vast majority of these writers are not famous, but in the grand scheme of the universe, are there not better things to protest? Is an increase in royalties really necessary when people are starving to death even in our own country?

What does all of this say about us as a country? Why do these writers control our lives? How can a pudgy man in Hollywood determine how I'm going to spend my prime time hours? It's simply not fair. I don't have any say in what they do.

This whole ordeal has me relieved that I refused to pay for cable.

What the Fundamentalist?

Read this. Listen to this.
Tell me how you feel.


http://reformedvoices.blogspot.com/2007/10/todd-friel-interviews-doug-pagitt-of_24.html

Is Doug Pagitt (and therefore, the entire emergent movement) a proclaimer of heresy?

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Obey your thirst.

Well, I thought I'd pass along a thought-inspiring little blog I read this morning, seeing as how the only people who read this stinking blog are or will be in church ministry. In this particular blog, Scot McKnight asks just how important image is.

Here's the link.
http://www.jesuscreed.org/?p=3002

First and foremost, I'd like to read this book, if there are any Christmas shoppers out there. Secondly, what are your reactions to this type of thinking? It's very close to a very sensitive subject in my heart. There is such rampant hypocrisy in churches that seem to market the gospel. In my own experience, that marketing comes through an image that the church forces all of its members into. Often, I feel like such an image becomes an idol.

But on the other hand, every community emits a vague representation of itself simply through the relationships we have or those we choose distinctly not to have. Does that justify a concern for our image? Is there a place of balance? And how can we reach people who have no concern and no attraction for church? Can we forget how the world looks at us and still be culturally and socially relevant? What about our identity?

Thoughts? Comments?

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Flock.

We all like sheep have gone astray.

I don't think I like sheep. They're stinky. They're boring. And I'm pretty sure that "bah" is sheep language for some form of complaint.

Maybe I don't like sheep because deep down, I'm just another one.

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I'm Emerging. I like Philosophy.

Love is What Makes the World Go Around
The Commune 10.1.07

The world we live in is filled with constant struggle. As I so very slowly grow old, I am beginning to notice that nearly all of our strife stems from relationships. They say that art imitates life, and if so, TV most definitely demonstrates the difficulty of relationships.
Take Felicity, for example. Over the past couple of weeks, Hilary and I have been watching it on DVD. The show chronicles the college career of one girl, Felicity. She moves from California to New York following a boy she barely knows named Ben. When she finally gets to school, she develops a relationship with her RA, Noel, while her new friend, Julie, dates Ben, the boy from California. They struggle through their relationships for almost a whole year. At the end of spring semester, after having cheated on Noel once, Felicity is forced to choose between Noel, the boy she’s been dating all year, and Ben, who just broke up with her friend Julie. Choosing Noel would be the easy solution and would do the least damage to the world around her. Unfortunately, Felicity chooses Ben, ruining her relationship with Noel and Julie. Ben and Felicity date for exactly two episodes before they break up.
Or think about The OC. Ryan moves to a wealthy neighborhood from the slums. He immediately begins dating his new next-door neighbor, Marissa. After a series of strange events, Ryan and Marissa still have a somewhat romantic relationship even though they have become distantly related.
The point is: relationships are complicated. When our hearts are on the line, there is nearly always trouble. And so, we are going to put our study of the Beatitudes on hold. In its stead, we’re going to spend a few weeks talking about relationships. This will be an open discussion. It won’t necessarily be a Bible study, in as it will be a topical study. Therefore, we’re going to bring in different ideas from philosophy, from literature, from our culture and even from experience, as well as the Bible. In truth, this is an exercise in practical theology.

Disclaimer: This study focuses on all of our relationships, and we will begin by discussing relationships as a generality. When I say relationships, I mean our bonds with any persons regardless of gender or attraction. When I say love, I mean love as is issued in the Divine Imperative.

Plato is one of the founding fathers of philosophy. In his work, the Symposium, Plato puts forth his definition of love, somewhat based on the ideas of his tutor, Socrates. The piece is written as Socrates offering his comments on the playwright Aristophanes’ own views. Aristophanes’ felt that love was the continual striving of the soul for one’s other half. He believed that the gods had split every man in two as an act of judgment. Therefore, each man was forced to seek out his other half, and therefore completion.
Socrates adds that man only seeks such completion, if it is truly good. Therefore, for Socrates, we seek the good, and not simply completion. Love is the pursuit of the goodness inside of something. Plato sums up by saying, “Love is desire for perpetual possession of the good.”
This raises some interesting questions: First, is possession a vital aspect of love? Secondly, how does one define the Good?
One must be familiar with Plato’s allegory of the cave and his idea of Forms. Plato felt that all things are merely a shadowy representation of their true essence. The Good in any object is the metaphysical, lofty reality of what is merely represented in its physical form. So to desire the Good is not simply to desire a relationship, or a person, but the highest in its very essence. What this means for us is that as we seek relationships, we must decide what the Good truly is.
Last week, we talked about Kierkegaard’s understanding of purity of heart: “Purity of heart is to will one thing: the Good.” For Kierkegaard, that one thing, that Good was God. He felt that truly loving someone meant encouraging them, driving into the presence of God in a deep intimacy. What is the purpose of our relationships? What is the purpose of our love? Is it to acquire completion? Or is it the pursuit of the Good, namely God? Are our relationships based solely on our desire to have a craving for affection met? Or is our craving for the Author of life and purpose?
Jesus said, “First search for the Kingdom and the righteousness of [God], and everything else will be provided for you.”
In the Symposium, Socrates goes on to say that the pursuit of beauty and goodness necessarily desires the procreation of beauty: to seek the Good means that we desire that Good to continue into the future. The example that Socrates gives is the desire to have children. People desire to reproduce so that they may have an impact on the future, in Socrates’ mind. True love always desires to produce true love. The Good demands that it perpetuate itself. This brings us back to our question about receiving. Is love about the reception, or the continuation of itself?
In Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis says, “Nothing that you have not given away will ever be really yours.” Or hear to the words of the German poet Rainer Maria Rilke, “This is the miracle that happens every time to those who really love; the more they give, the more they possess.” The reward for our giving love in relationship is the giving of it, and our growth in its understanding and its practicality.
Our understanding of love and relationships must be centered on the Good. Christ must be our reason for loving and the reward. He must be the source and focal point of our relationships. He must be both the motivation and the goal.
Next week, we’re going to discuss humanity’s designed purpose for having relationships. We’re going to talk about the idea of relational theology, and ask the question of the importance and necessity of living in community with our brothers, our sisters and those who live outside of our own bubble.

How to Have a Prolific Blog...

I decided to follow a lead, and title this post with a completely irrelevant (and even misleading) title. So there.

Do you think preachers say dumb things? Check this out:
http://markdroberts.com/?p=200

Do you hate invitations? Check this out:
http://www.internetmonk.com/archive/abandoning-the-invisible-lifeline

Do you like coffee? Check this out:
http://ianscottpatersonblog.blogspot.com/2007/09/cup-of-coffee.html

That's all I got to say about that.

for jean.

I'm teaching about worship at a retreat coming up in October. Here's my rough draft. Be gentle.

At least once a week, we gather. Some goofy lookin’ guy plays guitar and sings in a microphone so the shy kid in the back won’t have to actually make a sound. The songs always start upbeat, less thought provoking. The lyrics aren’t usually quite as clever to these quicker songs. “We praise you for always and ever,” being the general gist. Then, there’s that one song. It’s that transition song. Most of the time it’s a moderately upbeat song with a catchy chorus. Goofy Guitar Man will play the song through straight-up once, and then the inevitable happens. The song should be over, the last chorus sung, the last chord ringing in the ears of the crowd. Yet, for some reason, Goofy Guitar Man keeps playing, only slower than before. Then he says something to the effect of, “I want you to just think about the words to this song,” right before he drags the whole crowd through a painfully slower rendition of what was once a decently poppy song.

And somehow, it seems that this experience or one similar has come to define what worship is. We judge our worship experiences based on how well the music was performed and whether or not we got goosebumps. For some strange reason, the quality of our worship isn’t based on the quality of the One being worshipped, but on our own responses to it. People ask how worship was, and we respond with varying degrees of how much we “felt” it.

So what is worship anyway? I mean, what is it really? Maybe the easiest place to start is to clarify what worship is not. Worship is not a musical style. In fact, music as a medium does not even scratch the surface of what worship truly is. If worship were simply singing songs and doing dances, then every loser in a karaoke bar would be a saint.

Secondly, worship is not defined by a place. Once, Jesus asked a Samaritan woman for a drink of water. She asked him a question about where the worship was best. Jesus told her that the place of worship is irrelevant compared to its genuine nature.

Third, worship is not an over-charged emotional adrenalin rush. It cannot be measured in buckets of tears or squishy, smelly bear hugs at the altar. Because of this, worship is not a competitive sport where one scores points by raising hands or singing harmony. It is not, contrary to popular belief, driven by what we “get out of it.”
This weekend, we are going to discuss three ideas of worship that I believe are essential to its understanding. The first is this: Worship is entrance into sacred space. In the Old Testament, God instructed Moses to build him a tabernacle. This was the place where God would meet with Moses to guide the people. Later, it was the basis for the Temple. In this layout, there were a series of rooms divided from one another. The central room was known as the Most Holy Place. This was the place where God dwelled amongst the people. God even had Moses build him a throne known as the Ark of the Covenant.

When people went to worship, they went to the Tabernacle or the Temple. They went to the place where God dwelt amongst his people. Worship was an act of gratitude and meditation in which they went to the very place that God lived.

When Jesus was crucified, Matthew 27 describes how the veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom. Hebrews 9.11-14 and 10.19-25 tell us that Christ has completed a new covenant, allowing us through his sacrifice to enter the presence of God on a spiritual realm. Any time we worship, our hearts and our spirits are taken into the very presence of God. As we enter his house, we consider his faithfulness and his goodness to us.

Worship is an experience of individuals in a community. I remember sitting in a worship service when I was in high school. It was a well-put together service. The band was on; the atmosphere was prime. As we moved into the more intimate tunes, I closed my eyes and began to focus on what God wanted me to hear. I pushed away all of the distractions of the people around me, what I was going to do later, what happened at school. I did everything I could to find out what it was that God wanted to say to me. I was in a world all of my own. And then God spoke. He told me to look around. I protested. I said, “God, this is our time. You and me. I don’t want to look around. I just spent a lot of energy forgetting that those people were there so I could focus on you.” But God insisted that I look around the room. So, I slowly peeked my eyes open and looked around. I saw the most beautiful thing in the world. It was an entire room of people engaging the same God that I was seeking to engage. We were one. We stood not as a bunch of islands, but as a body. When we worship, it is our common celebration of what God has done for us as his people. His promises, his blessings, his goodness falls on us as a group. And because of the unity we have as God’s church, each one of us is equal. We all came to the point we are at because of what HE did, not what we have done. We stand as a body of equals. None greater. None lesser. And we celebrate the faithfulness of God that gives us grace and life abundant.

Worship is war. The book of Revelation is typically characterized by its incredible amounts of violence. Whether it is the four horsemen killing one third of the human population or giant locusts torturing men without ending for months at a time. Famine, war, disease and death seem to strike without mercy over and over again. But somewhere in each series of injustice and violence, there is a pause. While these horrible things continue to happen on earth, we get small glimpses of heaven. Even though it seems to be hell on earth, in each of the heavenly scenes, God is glorified (i.e. Rev. 7).

I think what the book is trying to teach us is that worship is an act of war. We see the horrible disasters of the world around us, and we mourn. We draw near to God, knowing that through Christ’s sacrifice we can enter God’s very presence. By doing so, we say to God, “I know that life sucks on earth, but wherever you are, God, it is good. You are faithful. You are true to your word.” It is through worship that we ask God to make our realm and his realm one place. We ask God to make our world the same as his place in order to redeem the world. “God come and bring salvation to the whole world! We want the end of death, the end of disease, of pain, of injustice! God come and be in this place!”

Worship is not about what we can receive, but it’s all about what God has given us. It’s not about whom we are with specifically, but it’s about our community. It’s not about a place or a time, but it’s all about being in the very presence of God. Worship is a way of life that lives in the midst of God’s kingdom here on earth.

Broken Records

It's always the same.

Every single day, I have this one little boy who will not participate. It doesn't matter what I do. He really seems to believe that he is a victim to the rest of the world. He does not cooperate. He intentionally breaks all the rules. He has even been known to throw a few punches. When I ask him why he did whatever it is he has done, he makes sure I know that someone else did something completely unrelated that forced his hand. So and so said this, called me this, wouldn't do this.

In his mind, his acts of civil unrest, if you will, are his last ditch efforts to protect his right to live. His "wars" are all entirely justified. I wonder where he got such an idea? Did his society instill in him such a pride in his own rights? Is it the American understanding of selfish materialism? Does this child really believe that the wrongdoings of any other party give him the right to accomplish his own ends by whatever means he deems necessary? ...Isn't that the American way?

Just war theories rule our playgrounds. Children are notorious for deciding that the world isn't fair. We are raised to believe that we have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of some abstract known as happiness that every man decides for himself.

We began introspectively. At first, it was our own rights that we had to protect at all costs. The citizens of this great nation deserved their freedom because they had earned it. They deserve this land because they took it. Those rights must now be maintained, lest someone else steal freedom and land from under our noses.

And so just war pervades our thinking from the get-go. When a cruel tyrant oppresses those we sympathize with, it is our right and our duty to end injustice. We were so impressed by our own abilities to institute democracy, that we feel we must protect the rights we believe in all over the world. Throughout the course of history, we have developed what we believe is true justice. And now, where we once simply took freedom and land from those who disagreed, now we force freedom and democracy on anybody weaker than ourselves. Where was our just war policy for those we robbed and murdered to gain our land?

When did we develop our concept of justice? Is war really an effective policy when all other options are exhausted? Or did the fat kid who pushed off the slide teach us to ignore peaceful resolutions?

This punk kid who always ends up in my office seems to always have a smirk for every act of discipline. Our faith in the democratic system has led our children to be martyrs. They aren't bombing buses or firing guns. They're growing up with the belief that their way is worth dying for. Then they stop playing with toys and start playing with war.

The Grown Up Life

I have finally come fully into adulthood. That's what they tell me anyway. And they have told me quite a bit unto this point. They taught me to always brush my teeth, always pay my taxes, always work hard and follow your dreams. Through the years that once seemed endless, the infamous They has been consistently pouring its experience out onto my life. They told me to learn from their mistakes, and avoid my own. They told me to study hard, to get a good job. They supposedly told me everything I need to know.

And now, I'm sitting in an office doing a job with relatively little to do with my "formal training," making it up as I go. Luckily, They told me it would be like this. They told me so much that I didn't believe. I think the biggest fact I avoided was the hardest lesson They have tried to teach. They told me I would fail. They warned me that I would come flying out of college, fling my whole heart into an endeavor and fall flat on my face. They told me that it would take time to not only find, but to carve my way into the professional world. They told me it would be the farthest thing from easy. And They were right.

And now I am learning the one thing They can't teach: perseverance. I feel so much like giving up. I didn't think it would be this hard. I didn't think it would hurt this much. But it does. And the only way to learn perseverance is to endure. The only way to become strong and accomplished is to stand underneath the weight of the world.

And have faith.