The past three weeks have been a whirlwind of traveling all across the country as I'm trying to enjoy one month of freedom between the end of CPE and the beginning of my last year of seminary. First I went back to Colorado, where I preached twice - once in the Eckert Presbyterian Church, which was founded by my great grandfather nearly a century ago, and once in Delta Presbyterian Church, the church I grew up attending. I also spent a lot of time visiting family. Every time I go back to Colorado, I come back with something new that I've learned about members of my family. This time I found out that one of my great-aunts grew up in Pittsburgh, and that one of my dad's cousins had been the first female moderator of her Presbytery. While I knew she was very active in the Presbyterian church, I had no idea how much work she had done at the presbytery level until this most recent visit. Anoher highlight from Colorado was visiting some of the wineries in my home county with my dad and uncle John. Western Colorado has been gaining a reputation as a wine-growing region for the past few years, and I have to say that the wines we tried there were definitely higher quality than some of the ones that Eileen and I tried in Erie on our anniversary trip. My personal favorites were from Alfred Eames Cellars (which is owned and operated almost single-handedly by an amazing guitarist who used to play in a band with the woman who taught me to play guitar), and Jack Rabbit Hill, which produces some incredible organic red wine.
After that trip, Eileen and I came back to Pittsburgh for three days, then drove to Bethlehem, PA, to visit my mom and her side of the family. Our time there was packed as well, as we took trips to the beach in New Jersey, watched my newest baby cousin be baptized, and toured the Martin Guitar factory in Nazareth. At Martin, I was amazed to see how much expert work goes into building a guitar. It struck me as an incredible metaphor for how fragile yet beautiful life is in general (perhaps a topic for a later blog post . . .). At the end of the tour Eileen and my mom and I went into a special room where they let you try out some of Martin's finest guitars. Out of the five or six I tried, there was one in particular which I just fell in love with. The D-45 Koa has officially become my dream guitar . . . at the startling price of $9599!! I will never be able to afford that, nor could I in good conscience justify spending that much on a guitar for myself, but it just sounded so good.
Last of all - I have to put in a quick ad for two new cds that are coming out. First is the new Caedmons Call cd, which will feature again their former band-member and one of my all-time favorite musicians Derek Webb. The second cd that I'm excited about is Songs for a Revolution of Hope vol. 1: Everything Must Change. As the Brian McLaren's preface on the website explains, the cd is designed to present worship songs that reflect themes of justice and hope, rather than individualistic me-centered Christianity. I've often wondered why there wasn't a more explicit connection between the emerging church movement and musicians such as Enter the Worship Circle who so obviously share common values. Part of the reason this cd excites me so much is that connection is being made. Plus, it features some of our favorite artists from Boulder - Aaron Strumpel and The Blackthorn Project. I started listening to Aaron Strumpel last year when he did a cd in the Enter the Worship Circle "Chair and Microphone" series - it's filled with raw, beautiful, simple, emotional, and intense songs of lament. As for the Blackthorn Project, Tim and Laurie used to be members of our favorite local band in college: "Newcomers Home". We were sad when Newcomers disbanded, but Blackthorn's music is amazing as well, and much more bluegrass than Newcomers were. I hope someday to use their hymn arrangements in church . . . . Anyway - thank you for reading so far in this long post, buy these cds and support these amazing musicians. Amen!
Monday, August 20, 2007
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
CPE & The Problem With Clinical Distance
A few years ago, a spot appeared on my right foot. It would bleed, just a little bit, leaving spots on my socks. Over time, it got worse. No amount of bandaids and neosporin led it to heal, and after a few weeks, it actually seemed to be growing. It bled more, but it also turned into a little mound, a lump. Thinking it was either cancer or stigmata, I decided to go to the doctor. I made an appointment at the student health center of my college and showed up expecting a full diagnosis and prescription for treatment. Instead, the intern who examined my foot sat six feet away from me, on the other side of the room, squinting at my foot through her thick glasses. After a moment, I asked if she wanted to see it closer-up. She ignored my question and simply said, "Well, it looks like a wart, but warts don't bleed."
That was it. No ideas on what it was, where it came from , or how to care for it. All that medical training sure went a long way.
What went wrong? She wouldn't get close enough to see my wound. As I've gone through CPE this summer, I've realized how important it is to get close to people emotionally and spiritually to effectively minister to their wounds. The professors at my seminary who taught my pastoral care class talked about how empathy and compassion are impossible for anyone but Christ. I do believe this is true, but I've discovered that I honestly use it as a cop-out to avoid truly getting close to people in my life. I've long savored the depiction of God given in Psalm 139 as the only One who knows everything about me, but I'm learning that this image of God was never meant to prevent us from experiencing intimacy with other people as well. My biggest struggle with CPE this summer, and in turn where I am growing the most through the program, is that it's making me less afraid to get close to other people's pain, and in turn I'm growing less afraid to show other people my pain. It's interesting that what I've talked about here more in terms of ministry and mission is really teaching me about authenticity and how genuine ministry and mission can't be done without authenticity.
In the end my foot ended up being ok. I went to a podiatrist who, after a much more careful analysis, said "Well, I don't know what that is, but I can cut it out of there for you, if you'd like." Trusting her expertise this time, I agreed. The mini-surgery took place that day, in a couple weeks my foot was healed, and I've never had a similar problem since then. I never found out what the source of the bleeding spot was and I never knew what to make of it until now. Surely ministry is both more effective and more rewarding when you're next to someone instead of squinting at them from across the room.
That was it. No ideas on what it was, where it came from , or how to care for it. All that medical training sure went a long way.
What went wrong? She wouldn't get close enough to see my wound. As I've gone through CPE this summer, I've realized how important it is to get close to people emotionally and spiritually to effectively minister to their wounds. The professors at my seminary who taught my pastoral care class talked about how empathy and compassion are impossible for anyone but Christ. I do believe this is true, but I've discovered that I honestly use it as a cop-out to avoid truly getting close to people in my life. I've long savored the depiction of God given in Psalm 139 as the only One who knows everything about me, but I'm learning that this image of God was never meant to prevent us from experiencing intimacy with other people as well. My biggest struggle with CPE this summer, and in turn where I am growing the most through the program, is that it's making me less afraid to get close to other people's pain, and in turn I'm growing less afraid to show other people my pain. It's interesting that what I've talked about here more in terms of ministry and mission is really teaching me about authenticity and how genuine ministry and mission can't be done without authenticity.
In the end my foot ended up being ok. I went to a podiatrist who, after a much more careful analysis, said "Well, I don't know what that is, but I can cut it out of there for you, if you'd like." Trusting her expertise this time, I agreed. The mini-surgery took place that day, in a couple weeks my foot was healed, and I've never had a similar problem since then. I never found out what the source of the bleeding spot was and I never knew what to make of it until now. Surely ministry is both more effective and more rewarding when you're next to someone instead of squinting at them from across the room.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Help Kensington & The Simple Way
Two days ago, a seven-alarm fire destoryed a large warehouse in the Kensington nieghborhood of Philadelphia, home to The Simple Way. The fire and its aftermath left eight families homeless, did other damage to the neighborhood, consumed all the belongings of two of The Simple Way's members, and destroyed the facilities of the after-school program run by The Simple Way. More information and details, including pictures, are available on their website. Please consider donating to help provide relief for the members of the community and for the The Simple Way - this is an incredible chance to take tragedy and turn it into something that shows Christ's love for the world!!
Friday, June 15, 2007
CPE as a Missional Experience
A lot of people I talk to see CPE as a hoop to jump through on the the way to ordination - some sort of extra hurdle that ministry preparation committees place in front of seminarians as a nightmarish hazing ritual.
For me, that is (now) not the case.
While my committee on preparation for ministry "strongly recommended" that I complete CPE, and while I wasn't exactly looking forward to an emotionally stressful summer, I'm now learning to love my CPE experience. Part of that love has come from seeing CPE as a chance to be missional in my ministry.
This works two ways. The first is that in visiting the sick we are following Christ's example in mission. Applied to pastoral care in a hospital, Thomas Oden wrote "As God himself came to visit and redeem his people (Luke 1:68), so we go on behalf of God's Son to visit and share that redemption in our own arena of service" (Pastoral Theology p. 171). For a Christian to walk into a sick patient's room, unexpected and likely unwelcomed, is to literally follow Christ in the incarnational way in which he visited us. Nevertheless, we are called to do this. In John 20:21, Jesus says to his disciples, "As the Father has sent me, so I send you." We are sent into the world with a mission to participate in God's redeeming work, and every part of a Christian's vocation has potential to be a part of that mission. This summer, I am learning to participate in God's mission through the emotionally trying but incredibly rewarding practice of CPE.
Second, we are promised not just that we follow Christ in visiting the sick, but that we meet Christ in the experience. In Matthew 25:34ff., Jesus is speaking about the final judgment and he says:
For me, that is (now) not the case.
While my committee on preparation for ministry "strongly recommended" that I complete CPE, and while I wasn't exactly looking forward to an emotionally stressful summer, I'm now learning to love my CPE experience. Part of that love has come from seeing CPE as a chance to be missional in my ministry.
This works two ways. The first is that in visiting the sick we are following Christ's example in mission. Applied to pastoral care in a hospital, Thomas Oden wrote "As God himself came to visit and redeem his people (Luke 1:68), so we go on behalf of God's Son to visit and share that redemption in our own arena of service" (Pastoral Theology p. 171). For a Christian to walk into a sick patient's room, unexpected and likely unwelcomed, is to literally follow Christ in the incarnational way in which he visited us. Nevertheless, we are called to do this. In John 20:21, Jesus says to his disciples, "As the Father has sent me, so I send you." We are sent into the world with a mission to participate in God's redeeming work, and every part of a Christian's vocation has potential to be a part of that mission. This summer, I am learning to participate in God's mission through the emotionally trying but incredibly rewarding practice of CPE.
Second, we are promised not just that we follow Christ in visiting the sick, but that we meet Christ in the experience. In Matthew 25:34ff., Jesus is speaking about the final judgment and he says:
34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ (ESV, italics added)
There Jesus is, hidden in the skin of the oppressed, the sick, the hungry, and the imprisoned. Do we grasp the incredible power of this idea as a practical spirituality? I didn't until this summer, and after three weeks of CPE, I'm still just beginning to. So now I go to CPE each day expecting to see Christ in the patients whom I visit. Often, I find that I leave patients' rooms having been ministered to by them as much I sought to minister to them.
One last thought: Four years ago, I spent a summer in Chiang Mai, Thailand, where I taught English and did relational evangelism with Thai, Buddhist, college students. Though I did not then and still do not feel called to a career as an overseas mission worker, that summer transformed my life. In the same way, though I do not feel called to chaplaincy as my specific ministry in life, I know this summer will change me as well. There's something about living in a different culture, being immersed in community, and engaging in service for Christ, all for a short period of time, that opens the doors for the Holy Spirit to transform lives. I look forward to seeing what sort of mischief God will be up to this summer and in months to come as I process the whole experience!
Saturday, June 09, 2007
Father's Day Prostate Cancer 5K
On Father's Day, Eileen and I will be running in a 5K race here in Pittsburgh to raise money for Prostate Cancer research. Most people are familiar with the Race for the Cure for breast cancer, which functions in a similar way. This particular race is especially important to us, though, because I have an uncle who is a prostate cancer survivor and we want to support efforts to help more men like him fight against this cancer. If you're at all able to donate, please click here. Thanks!!
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Outlook Article
For anyone who's interested, an article I wrote for the Presbyterian Outlook is available at The Miracle of Preaching. (Thanks for the compliment, Reformed Catholic!)
Five Days in Colorado . . .
As I typed this, I was sitting in the Denver airport, on my way back to Pittsburgh after spending five days back in Colorado. In addition to visiting with my family, admiring the mountains, and sipping 1554 (one of my favorite New Belgium brews), I spent time with my Presbytery’s Committee on Preparation for Ministry and was approved as a candidate for ordination in the PC(USA) . The whole time was refreshing and encouraging – a true retreat which I desperately needed at this time.
First, this trip really gave me the confirmation that I needed to know I’m headed on the right path to be ordained in the Presbyterian Church. During the three and a half hour flight from Pittsburgh to Denver on Wednesday night I read Tim Conder’s chapter in Emergent Manifesto of Hope. This essay on “The Existing Church / Emerging Church Matrix” gave me a framework in which I could better understand my identity as a Presbyterian with interest in conversation of the emerging church. Conder suggests three practices for building mutual credibility between emerging and existing church structures. The second of these three is a “less selective appropriation of history” (p. 105), where Conder suggests that the emerging church dialogue should feel free to draw upon the theologians of the Reformation. Up until reading this, I had felt as though there was little way to bridge the elements of the Presbyterian tradition which I do affirm and the new context of the emerging church. Of course I recognize the limits of modernist theology and would critique much of Calvin, but now I see space for me to discuss the elements of Presbyterian theology which I think do lend themselves to the emerging church. Those will be discussed in later blog posts.
Second, and this actually has to do with my time in Colorado, I love my Committee on Preparation for Ministry. Mary, our moderator, puts in hours upon hours to make the experience both enjoyable and fruitful for the inquirers and candidates and this weekend was both. My care team was very encouraging and affirmed the calling I felt to work with young adults or college students, possibly even in the context of a church-plant. To my delight they suggested that Eileen and I would be a good fit for a church in a college-town. They also made it clear that I need to learn how to rest – a project which I’ll start working on as soon as finals are over. I especially appreciated time with Tom Hansen, the pastor of First Pres. Grand Junction , whom I look forward to getting to know better. Another new friend is Russel, the youth minister at First Pres Durango. It was refreshing to interact with pastors and seminarians from places other than Pittsburgh – from outside of the traditional Presbyterian bubble that seems to cover so many churches in the city, as well as the seminary.
Third, I learned that I actually have Mennonite ancestors. This was a surprise to me, given that neither I nor my dad knew this before my uncle told us on Saturday, but I’m excited by it. Since coming to Pittsburgh, we’ve meet many Mennonites whom I admire and whose tradition I’ve wanted to learn more about. Now I also have a family connection! My great-grandfather J. A. Hunsicker, who founded the Eckert Presbyterian Church near my hometown, grew up in a Mennonite family. In seminary he was attracted to the Reformed tradition, and the church he pastored in Kansas before moving to Colorado was simply a “Reformed” church. It wasn’t until his arrival in Eckert that the new congregation he pastored there decided it wanted to be affiliated with a Presbyterian denomination. So now that I’ve learned to embrace my Presbyterian heritage, perhaps its time for me to learn more about the Mennonite tradition as well.
That’s all for now – more to follow when I have time, as I process through the events of the past few days. . . .
First, this trip really gave me the confirmation that I needed to know I’m headed on the right path to be ordained in the Presbyterian Church. During the three and a half hour flight from Pittsburgh to Denver on Wednesday night I read Tim Conder’s chapter in Emergent Manifesto of Hope. This essay on “The Existing Church / Emerging Church Matrix” gave me a framework in which I could better understand my identity as a Presbyterian with interest in conversation of the emerging church. Conder suggests three practices for building mutual credibility between emerging and existing church structures. The second of these three is a “less selective appropriation of history” (p. 105), where Conder suggests that the emerging church dialogue should feel free to draw upon the theologians of the Reformation. Up until reading this, I had felt as though there was little way to bridge the elements of the Presbyterian tradition which I do affirm and the new context of the emerging church. Of course I recognize the limits of modernist theology and would critique much of Calvin, but now I see space for me to discuss the elements of Presbyterian theology which I think do lend themselves to the emerging church. Those will be discussed in later blog posts.
Second, and this actually has to do with my time in Colorado, I love my Committee on Preparation for Ministry. Mary, our moderator, puts in hours upon hours to make the experience both enjoyable and fruitful for the inquirers and candidates and this weekend was both. My care team was very encouraging and affirmed the calling I felt to work with young adults or college students, possibly even in the context of a church-plant. To my delight they suggested that Eileen and I would be a good fit for a church in a college-town. They also made it clear that I need to learn how to rest – a project which I’ll start working on as soon as finals are over. I especially appreciated time with Tom Hansen, the pastor of First Pres. Grand Junction , whom I look forward to getting to know better. Another new friend is Russel, the youth minister at First Pres Durango. It was refreshing to interact with pastors and seminarians from places other than Pittsburgh – from outside of the traditional Presbyterian bubble that seems to cover so many churches in the city, as well as the seminary.
Third, I learned that I actually have Mennonite ancestors. This was a surprise to me, given that neither I nor my dad knew this before my uncle told us on Saturday, but I’m excited by it. Since coming to Pittsburgh, we’ve meet many Mennonites whom I admire and whose tradition I’ve wanted to learn more about. Now I also have a family connection! My great-grandfather J. A. Hunsicker, who founded the Eckert Presbyterian Church near my hometown, grew up in a Mennonite family. In seminary he was attracted to the Reformed tradition, and the church he pastored in Kansas before moving to Colorado was simply a “Reformed” church. It wasn’t until his arrival in Eckert that the new congregation he pastored there decided it wanted to be affiliated with a Presbyterian denomination. So now that I’ve learned to embrace my Presbyterian heritage, perhaps its time for me to learn more about the Mennonite tradition as well.
That’s all for now – more to follow when I have time, as I process through the events of the past few days. . . .
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Earth Day, Hebrew, and Creation-Care
As I've learned Hebrew this year, I've had fun picking up on the various meanings of words that get lost when we translate the scriptures into our own language. One of my favorite words has been shamar. It means to keep, protect, preserve, watch, and guard. Often, the word is used to talk about how God takes care of humanity. Psalm 121 has the most beautiful expression of this idea in verses 5-8: "The LORD watches [shamar] over you— the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep [shamar] you from all harm—he will watch [shamar] over your life; the LORD will watch [shamar] over your coming and going, both now and forevermore." (TNIV).
Another place this word shows up, which is appropriate for the events of this weekend, is in Genesis 2:15: "The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care [shamar] of it." (TNIV). In this part of the creation story, The Lord tells humanity to shamar the land - to watch over it, protect it, guard it, and keep it. How often we've gone wrong thinking our purpose was to dominate the earth God gave us, when instead we're supposed to be good stewards of it!
Tomorrow is "Earth Day" - a day when environmentally conscious people across our country will join in recognition of the fact that we need to take care of the planet that's been given to us. How many Christian churches, however, will actually celebrate it as a day to care for God's beautiful creation? I just finished watching Al Gore's movie An Inconvenient Truth, and I can say that it is certainly worth your time to see. My friend John has some great reflections on eco-theology posted on his blog, which I would certainly recommend (most were published last August, in a five part series.) For some other reference sites, check out Allegheny Front, a local environmental radio show, and Ideal Bite, which has quick tips on practical things ordinary people can do. May God help us be faithful to shamar this beautiful world!!
Another place this word shows up, which is appropriate for the events of this weekend, is in Genesis 2:15: "The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care [shamar] of it." (TNIV). In this part of the creation story, The Lord tells humanity to shamar the land - to watch over it, protect it, guard it, and keep it. How often we've gone wrong thinking our purpose was to dominate the earth God gave us, when instead we're supposed to be good stewards of it!
Tomorrow is "Earth Day" - a day when environmentally conscious people across our country will join in recognition of the fact that we need to take care of the planet that's been given to us. How many Christian churches, however, will actually celebrate it as a day to care for God's beautiful creation? I just finished watching Al Gore's movie An Inconvenient Truth, and I can say that it is certainly worth your time to see. My friend John has some great reflections on eco-theology posted on his blog, which I would certainly recommend (most were published last August, in a five part series.) For some other reference sites, check out Allegheny Front, a local environmental radio show, and Ideal Bite, which has quick tips on practical things ordinary people can do. May God help us be faithful to shamar this beautiful world!!
(This picture was taken by my wife Eileen on our honeymoon. It's of Peyto Lake, from the Icefields Parkway near Banff. Lakes like this are created by the melting of glaciers on the mountains seen here. When we were in Banff two summers ago, we saw ominous pictures comparing the size of the glaciers decades ago to their current sizes.)Monday, April 16, 2007
How (Not) To Speak of God
A review which I wrote of Peter Rollins' book How (Not) To Speak of God has been posted at The PTS Logos. Check it out.
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Tim Keel, Henri Nouwen, Immagination, and Solitude
The past weekend was an amazingly busy mix of activities where I saw God at work in my life and the world around me. The first was the event hosted by Emergent Pittsburgh on Saturday which was led by Tim Keel, pastor of Jacob's Well, talking about leadership in the emerging church. Sarah Louise talked a little bit about the day on her blog and included a link to an article by Henri Nouwen that Keel recommended. Nouwen's article, titled "Solitude to Community to Ministry articulated much of what I've been feeling this year as I've been so busy with seminary, church work, and the stresses (and joys) of living in community. As Nouwen's article articulates so well, we need time alone with God, to hear God's voice telling us that we are the Beloved, before we can function appropriately in community and ministry. As an introvert, I have discovered this year just how much time I need to spend alone with God in order to maintain my sanity. What I am discovering now, though, is that frustrations with church, with housemates, with school, and so on, are all tied to the fact that I so often fail to listen intentionally to God in silence and in solitude. Silence and solitude. Over spring break I also finished reading 12 Marks of the New Monasticism, the final chapters of which convicted me strongly that I am not disciplined enough in my own "devotional" life. My morning readings of scripture often devolve from times of prayer into times of study, turning my quiet time into just another seminary exercise. My prayer life has grown dry. Altogether, I need to return to a more disciplined time of spiritual formation. I need to create a place where in silence and in solitude I can learn to listen to God's voice. Incidentally, this makes me think I need to read more Nouwen and Merton, but I'm honestly too wary of buying one more book to clutter my nightstand or interrupt the readings I have to complete for school.
And there's the rub: I am being convicted of the fact that I have neglected spirituality and imagination for the sake of the academy, but I won't let go of the academy. Either way, I need silence and solitude, places where I can hear God's voice so that I can stay nourished in lives of community and ministry.
The other point that Tim Keel made which struck me the most was the need for imaginative leadership. I used to be a creative writing major in college, but my love of poetry and fiction has been sapped by dense theology books (which I honestly do also love). I need to seek new ways of opening my imagination up to be creative again. I need to learn how to think in terms of narrative and use narrative in my preaching. I need to reawaken my right-brain.
And again, there's the rub: too many first person singular pronouns.
This need for creativity and a reawakened imagination is obviously tied to the need for more intentional spirituality. I can do none of these things by my own effort, but only by the work of God in me and through me. And that is best realized (at least for me now) in practicing silence and solitude. This doesn't mean that I'm going to ignore my wife or housemates or go join a monastery - it means that I need to change the wake I approach spirituality, the way I pray, read scripture, think and live, both in community and alone.
Tim Keel of course had many other valuable points on Saturday, many about church organization, the story of Jacob's Well and his own time at Denver Seminary. Another point which struck me was the idea of stability - but that will be covered in another post. I thank God for this weekend and for the Holy Spirit's work in all of it.
And there's the rub: I am being convicted of the fact that I have neglected spirituality and imagination for the sake of the academy, but I won't let go of the academy. Either way, I need silence and solitude, places where I can hear God's voice so that I can stay nourished in lives of community and ministry.
The other point that Tim Keel made which struck me the most was the need for imaginative leadership. I used to be a creative writing major in college, but my love of poetry and fiction has been sapped by dense theology books (which I honestly do also love). I need to seek new ways of opening my imagination up to be creative again. I need to learn how to think in terms of narrative and use narrative in my preaching. I need to reawaken my right-brain.
And again, there's the rub: too many first person singular pronouns.
This need for creativity and a reawakened imagination is obviously tied to the need for more intentional spirituality. I can do none of these things by my own effort, but only by the work of God in me and through me. And that is best realized (at least for me now) in practicing silence and solitude. This doesn't mean that I'm going to ignore my wife or housemates or go join a monastery - it means that I need to change the wake I approach spirituality, the way I pray, read scripture, think and live, both in community and alone.
Tim Keel of course had many other valuable points on Saturday, many about church organization, the story of Jacob's Well and his own time at Denver Seminary. Another point which struck me was the idea of stability - but that will be covered in another post. I thank God for this weekend and for the Holy Spirit's work in all of it.
Friday, March 02, 2007
Remodel
Tired of and bored with the appearance of my blog, I decided to do some remodeling today. It looks a little cooler (at least to me). Also, I finally fixed the misspelling in the title: For the past year, I've lived with the knowledge that I had omitted an iota in poiesis, the Greek word for the process of doing, making, or building, but it took until now for me to fix it. An iota may not seem like much, but it was significant to Jesus (see Matt 5:18 ESV), so it deserves its rightful place in my blog title.
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Outsourcing evangelism.
While using my handy Logos software to do a little background study for a paper at school, I came across something disturbing in Nave's Topical Bible. As if I needed a reminder of the negative effects of Christendom models of churches, I was shocked to discover that Nave's has no entry for "Evangelism" in its catalog of Biblical subjects. Instead, the evangelism entry reads, "EVANGELISM. See Minister, Duties of."
Evangelism is part of the pastor's job description because it is a part of every Christian's job description. Instead, most Presbyterian churches I've been a part of operate in a model of church where we still expect unchurched people to magically show up on Sunday morning if God wants to save them. Forget going out to spread the good news of the Kingdom in the world - that's the pastor's job. It seems that many church members outsource their duties as ordinary Christians to the staff of the church. We outsource children to youth pastors. We outsource responsibilities to ensure social justice to mission committees. And as this example blatantly shows, we outsource the work of evangelism to the pastor. All the while, we forget that the job of the pastor is to "equip the saints for ministry" (Eph. 4:12), so that all of the Church, pastors and lay-people, ordained and non-ordained, engage in ministries like evangelism, witnessing to social concerns, and nurturing their own children in faith. I pray that more and more church-members will start to realize their own responsibilities and that God will grant me the grace to lead congregations this way.
Evangelism is part of the pastor's job description because it is a part of every Christian's job description. Instead, most Presbyterian churches I've been a part of operate in a model of church where we still expect unchurched people to magically show up on Sunday morning if God wants to save them. Forget going out to spread the good news of the Kingdom in the world - that's the pastor's job. It seems that many church members outsource their duties as ordinary Christians to the staff of the church. We outsource children to youth pastors. We outsource responsibilities to ensure social justice to mission committees. And as this example blatantly shows, we outsource the work of evangelism to the pastor. All the while, we forget that the job of the pastor is to "equip the saints for ministry" (Eph. 4:12), so that all of the Church, pastors and lay-people, ordained and non-ordained, engage in ministries like evangelism, witnessing to social concerns, and nurturing their own children in faith. I pray that more and more church-members will start to realize their own responsibilities and that God will grant me the grace to lead congregations this way.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Black Gold: Fair Trade Coffee
After not blogging in a while, several things are happening this week that are making me want to write more. The first has to do with coffee. Last night Eileen and I watched the movie Black Gold with our friends Ben and Megan. It's a very well done documentary regarding fair-trade coffee and it gives faces and names to the farmers who produce the commodity which we so mindlessly consume billions of cups of every day. Perhaps the most moving scene in the film for me was seeing the Ethiopian farmers who produce the coffee we drink praying to God that they would be paid a fair wage for their work. To find out more, or learn how to get a copy of the movie, click the link above.
While I have known about fairly traded coffee and other products for a while, I have to confess that I am by no means consistent in buying them. I always buy fairly traded coffee to drink at home in the mornings - that I have done for a while. But when my middle-of-the-day caffeine craving hits, I find myself buying whatever I can get from whatever coffee shop happens to be most convenient. The most common of these places is the seminary's cafeteria, where the coffee doesn't even taste good!
So, I repent. Starting today I will no longer buy coffee at the seminary's cafeteria or at places which I know do not pay fair prices for their coffee beans. At some point I hope to talk to Mike, the chef at our cafeteria to find out if it's possible to get fair-trade coffee at the seminary - perhaps Pura Vida, or some other company which sees fair-trade as a Christian vocation. In the mean time, though, I'm cut off. Hello caffeine headaches.
While I have known about fairly traded coffee and other products for a while, I have to confess that I am by no means consistent in buying them. I always buy fairly traded coffee to drink at home in the mornings - that I have done for a while. But when my middle-of-the-day caffeine craving hits, I find myself buying whatever I can get from whatever coffee shop happens to be most convenient. The most common of these places is the seminary's cafeteria, where the coffee doesn't even taste good!
So, I repent. Starting today I will no longer buy coffee at the seminary's cafeteria or at places which I know do not pay fair prices for their coffee beans. At some point I hope to talk to Mike, the chef at our cafeteria to find out if it's possible to get fair-trade coffee at the seminary - perhaps Pura Vida, or some other company which sees fair-trade as a Christian vocation. In the mean time, though, I'm cut off. Hello caffeine headaches.
Monday, December 11, 2006
Advent Hope: As Christ came to us . . .
We are called to come to Christ in the same condition that Christ came to us: vulnerable and wounded.
In the incarnation, Christ came to us in one little mass of vulnerability, a baby. Born in unsanitary conditions, susceptible to disease, that little child was defenseless against the harsh realities of this world. Matthew 2:13-18 tells us that Herod even commissioned the murder of all the male children in Bethlehem to try to kill the Christ-child. Of course, Jesus grew up to be the Man of Sorrows, suffering and dying for our sake: Jesus was no stranger to pain and brokenness. As I drove home from the church today, I was struck by how aptly the words to the Derek Webb song “We Welcome You” (#6 on i see things upside down) describe this:
“as You came to us so we come to You, fragile as a baby hopeful and new,
but learning fast that to walk is to fall, soon we’ve done it all”
It’s no secret that we’ve fallen – the pain we experience every day bears witness to that. Christmastime brings out the wounds we all bear as a result of sin, whether our own or the effects of another person’s sin which have been afflicted upon us. Shattered families, addiction, depression, etc., all inflict pain upon the world’s population, and the idyllic images we see of perfect families, happiness, and excesses of material gifts create simulacra in our minds to which reality cannot live up. Life here is flawed and painful, no matter what the movies tell us.
The miracle of Christmas is that Christ comes to meet us, to be God-with-us, in the midst of that very brokenness and accepts it himself. That is why we are able to come to Christ just as we are, waiting to be transformed by his power:
“we come broken and we come undone, we come trying hard to love everyone
but we come up short in all that we do, because we do, so we come to You”
At youth group last night, as I listened to a group of teenage guys talk in allusions and hints about the deep pains in their lives that surface at Christmas, I tried to point them to our only source of hope. I quoted Psalm 42:5, “Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise him for the help of his presence.” To that suggestion, one of the kids responded with, “I’ve given up on hope.”
I’m writing this because I’m convinced that in times when the circumstances of life make us despair that much, the absolute most important thing to do is to look to Christ. Only in Christ do we have the hope of becoming new creations, of making this world a new creation, of finding the forgiveness, love, grace, and freedom that allows us to extend the same mercies to others. The part that hurts, and the reason that boy said he was giving up on hope, is because hoping in Christ does not alleviate all our pain. Sometimes the pain intensifies, like a surgery that rips us open so that healing can begin. Sometimes the pain sticks with us like Paul’s thorn in the side, haunting us, humbling us, reminding us of our need for Christ. Again, Webb’s words speak the simple truth about this:
“You came to show the way not around but through, so through it all we come to You”
Not a way around the pain, not medication (cf. Webb's song "Medication"), not anything that blurs our vision of reality now, but a way to endure thanks to the even more real redeeming power of our God, who came to us fully exposed to the pain we feel.
“as You came to us so we come to You, dirty and hurting, then dead in the tomb
but raised redeemed to show off the scars, ‘cause You’ve brought us this far”
This Advent, I pray that God will grant us (me, you, our families, the kids at Northmont) all the grace to realize that in Christ we’re “raised redeemed,” even if we still bear the scars of this world, because our hope is Christ.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” -1 Peter 1:3 -
In the incarnation, Christ came to us in one little mass of vulnerability, a baby. Born in unsanitary conditions, susceptible to disease, that little child was defenseless against the harsh realities of this world. Matthew 2:13-18 tells us that Herod even commissioned the murder of all the male children in Bethlehem to try to kill the Christ-child. Of course, Jesus grew up to be the Man of Sorrows, suffering and dying for our sake: Jesus was no stranger to pain and brokenness. As I drove home from the church today, I was struck by how aptly the words to the Derek Webb song “We Welcome You” (#6 on i see things upside down) describe this:
“as You came to us so we come to You, fragile as a baby hopeful and new,
but learning fast that to walk is to fall, soon we’ve done it all”
It’s no secret that we’ve fallen – the pain we experience every day bears witness to that. Christmastime brings out the wounds we all bear as a result of sin, whether our own or the effects of another person’s sin which have been afflicted upon us. Shattered families, addiction, depression, etc., all inflict pain upon the world’s population, and the idyllic images we see of perfect families, happiness, and excesses of material gifts create simulacra in our minds to which reality cannot live up. Life here is flawed and painful, no matter what the movies tell us.
The miracle of Christmas is that Christ comes to meet us, to be God-with-us, in the midst of that very brokenness and accepts it himself. That is why we are able to come to Christ just as we are, waiting to be transformed by his power:
“we come broken and we come undone, we come trying hard to love everyone
but we come up short in all that we do, because we do, so we come to You”
At youth group last night, as I listened to a group of teenage guys talk in allusions and hints about the deep pains in their lives that surface at Christmas, I tried to point them to our only source of hope. I quoted Psalm 42:5, “Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise him for the help of his presence.” To that suggestion, one of the kids responded with, “I’ve given up on hope.”
I’m writing this because I’m convinced that in times when the circumstances of life make us despair that much, the absolute most important thing to do is to look to Christ. Only in Christ do we have the hope of becoming new creations, of making this world a new creation, of finding the forgiveness, love, grace, and freedom that allows us to extend the same mercies to others. The part that hurts, and the reason that boy said he was giving up on hope, is because hoping in Christ does not alleviate all our pain. Sometimes the pain intensifies, like a surgery that rips us open so that healing can begin. Sometimes the pain sticks with us like Paul’s thorn in the side, haunting us, humbling us, reminding us of our need for Christ. Again, Webb’s words speak the simple truth about this:
“You came to show the way not around but through, so through it all we come to You”
Not a way around the pain, not medication (cf. Webb's song "Medication"), not anything that blurs our vision of reality now, but a way to endure thanks to the even more real redeeming power of our God, who came to us fully exposed to the pain we feel.
“as You came to us so we come to You, dirty and hurting, then dead in the tomb
but raised redeemed to show off the scars, ‘cause You’ve brought us this far”
This Advent, I pray that God will grant us (me, you, our families, the kids at Northmont) all the grace to realize that in Christ we’re “raised redeemed,” even if we still bear the scars of this world, because our hope is Christ.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” -1 Peter 1:3 -
Monday, November 20, 2006
Jumonville!
Keith Kaufold told me last week that there’s something different about Jumonville (http://jumonville.gospelcom.net) , something that you notice in the air as soon as you step out of the van, something that is definitely spiritual. And he was right. The weekend that Eileen and I spent hanging out with Northmont’s Youth Group at Jumonville went far better than I could have ever imagined. (Thank you to all of you who knew I was nervous and intimidated by the prospect of spending the weekend with high-schoolers and who prayed for us – we felt your prayers for us up there!)
We arrived Friday night after a lengthy bus-ride, including some confusion about directions. The rest of the night is a blur in my memory now, going to Club (worship), running across the campgrounds in the dark, drinking hot chocolate with kids at the top of a mountain. Of course, we knew better than to expect sleep. My cabin didn't even attempt to fall asleep until 2:00AM on Friday night. At 3:30 Corey (one of the other leaders) and I were awakened by the sound of stereo blasting "Veggietales!, Veggietales!" at full volume throughout the whole cabin. The guys in our group, especially Mark, Caleb and Chris, made all kinds of mischief over the weekend, often ticking off the leaders and making us laugh out loud at the same time.
By Saturday, I was settling in and having a great time with the kids. Realizing that the order and structure of the camp were exactly like the Young Life camps (http://www.younglife.org) that I attended multiple times in high school. Saturday night, just like at a Young Life camp, a message about the cross of Christ and how Jesus heals our brokeness was followed by sending all the kids and leaders outside for twenty minutes of silence, alone in the cold night. During that time I prayed for all of the guys in our cabin, and when we all arrived back at the cabin that night, it was clear that God was at work in their hearts. For over an hour, we talked as a group honestly, genuinely, and emotionally about struggles, pain in our lives, and the need for God's help. At one point I had a flashback to the Young Life camp at which I "accepted Christ" nine years ago. I remembered hearing my Young Life leader quote Philippians 1:6 to me, "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." After hearing one of the guys share his own particular struggles, I realized that he needed to hear it as well, and so I payed it forward, pointing him to this encouraging verse the same way Todd Laws had done for me years ago. (Thanks Todd!)
That night it was easier for everyone to sleep, worn out physically and emotionally from such an intense day. I went to bed overjoyed at seeing how God was transforming these lives that weekend. As I've mentioned before on this blog, I've had a love/hate relationship with youth-ministry this year, at times being intimidated by all the kids and yearning to give them something deeper than just games, and at other times being delighted by the fact that a 6th grader asked me a deeper question than any adult at Northmont still has. This weekend, I loved every minute of the time we spent ministering to these teenagers, and I hope they know that. More than anything, I hope they will one day look back at this camp experience and be able to point to it as a stepping stone on the way to a lifetime of following after our Lord Jesus Christ, knowing that "He who began a good work in [them] will continue to perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus."
We arrived Friday night after a lengthy bus-ride, including some confusion about directions. The rest of the night is a blur in my memory now, going to Club (worship), running across the campgrounds in the dark, drinking hot chocolate with kids at the top of a mountain. Of course, we knew better than to expect sleep. My cabin didn't even attempt to fall asleep until 2:00AM on Friday night. At 3:30 Corey (one of the other leaders) and I were awakened by the sound of stereo blasting "Veggietales!, Veggietales!" at full volume throughout the whole cabin. The guys in our group, especially Mark, Caleb and Chris, made all kinds of mischief over the weekend, often ticking off the leaders and making us laugh out loud at the same time.
By Saturday, I was settling in and having a great time with the kids. Realizing that the order and structure of the camp were exactly like the Young Life camps (http://www.younglife.org) that I attended multiple times in high school. Saturday night, just like at a Young Life camp, a message about the cross of Christ and how Jesus heals our brokeness was followed by sending all the kids and leaders outside for twenty minutes of silence, alone in the cold night. During that time I prayed for all of the guys in our cabin, and when we all arrived back at the cabin that night, it was clear that God was at work in their hearts. For over an hour, we talked as a group honestly, genuinely, and emotionally about struggles, pain in our lives, and the need for God's help. At one point I had a flashback to the Young Life camp at which I "accepted Christ" nine years ago. I remembered hearing my Young Life leader quote Philippians 1:6 to me, "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." After hearing one of the guys share his own particular struggles, I realized that he needed to hear it as well, and so I payed it forward, pointing him to this encouraging verse the same way Todd Laws had done for me years ago. (Thanks Todd!)
That night it was easier for everyone to sleep, worn out physically and emotionally from such an intense day. I went to bed overjoyed at seeing how God was transforming these lives that weekend. As I've mentioned before on this blog, I've had a love/hate relationship with youth-ministry this year, at times being intimidated by all the kids and yearning to give them something deeper than just games, and at other times being delighted by the fact that a 6th grader asked me a deeper question than any adult at Northmont still has. This weekend, I loved every minute of the time we spent ministering to these teenagers, and I hope they know that. More than anything, I hope they will one day look back at this camp experience and be able to point to it as a stepping stone on the way to a lifetime of following after our Lord Jesus Christ, knowing that "He who began a good work in [them] will continue to perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus."
Friday, November 03, 2006
Thinking Aloud About Rest and Stress
For the very small number of people who have asked for an update on the youth group kid in my last blog, suffice it to say that nothing new has happened. Youth group stuff is still interesting, although I've lost the momentary passion I had during that blog post and have retreated to wishing I could just do the couple things I do well: preach and play guitar.
Stress seems to be taking over my life right now. Finals, papers, work, church, commuting, relationships, and the lack of time to adequately handle all of those have frankly left me feeling a bit depressed this week. Why do we work ourselves to death like this?
Monday morning I preached at our student-led contemporary worship service, talking about how a recent death in Eileen's family had reminded me of my purpose for ministry: proclaiming the resurrection life that comes with following Jesus Christ. That's a very broad purpose-statement, applicable supposedly to any Christian. Even so, in the midst of my more specific life situations and ministries in which I'm involved, I'm coming up short on motivation right now.
Dr. Son, my Christian Education professor, made a comment on Tuesday that caught my attention: "Rest is not the absence of labor. It is to rediscover the purpose of our labor." I have a short period absent from labor every Friday night and Saturday morning - but that hasn't been providing the rest I need this year. What I need is to reconnect with the very One whom I preached about as the purpose for ministry: Jesus.
I'm learning now that I need a Sabbath that is specifically focused toward God. I need to pray. I need to practice spiritual disciplines like fasting, silence, mediation and reflection. But my early mornings now are spent in Hebrew homework rather than in prayer. One solution might be "practicing the presence of God", a la Brother Lawrence. The first time I read that book it changed my whole view of spirituality, yet it's remarkably hard to follow through on, especially when you aren't doing manual labor such as dish-washing or gardening the way he did. Lord God, please help me now - I need You alone to pull me through times like this.
"Strangely out of place
There's a light filling this room
Where none would follow before.
I can't deny it burns me up inside.
I fan the flames to melt away my pride.
Do I want shelter from the rain,
Or the rain to wash me way?
Face to the ground to hide the fatal cut.
I fight the weight; feel you lift me up.
Can't deny it burns me up inside.
I fan the flames to melt away my pride.
Only had a second to spare
But all the time in the world
To know You're there.
You are the shelter from the rain
And the rain to wash me away
I need You, I need You, I need You."
-Jars of Clay-
Stress seems to be taking over my life right now. Finals, papers, work, church, commuting, relationships, and the lack of time to adequately handle all of those have frankly left me feeling a bit depressed this week. Why do we work ourselves to death like this?
Monday morning I preached at our student-led contemporary worship service, talking about how a recent death in Eileen's family had reminded me of my purpose for ministry: proclaiming the resurrection life that comes with following Jesus Christ. That's a very broad purpose-statement, applicable supposedly to any Christian. Even so, in the midst of my more specific life situations and ministries in which I'm involved, I'm coming up short on motivation right now.
Dr. Son, my Christian Education professor, made a comment on Tuesday that caught my attention: "Rest is not the absence of labor. It is to rediscover the purpose of our labor." I have a short period absent from labor every Friday night and Saturday morning - but that hasn't been providing the rest I need this year. What I need is to reconnect with the very One whom I preached about as the purpose for ministry: Jesus.
I'm learning now that I need a Sabbath that is specifically focused toward God. I need to pray. I need to practice spiritual disciplines like fasting, silence, mediation and reflection. But my early mornings now are spent in Hebrew homework rather than in prayer. One solution might be "practicing the presence of God", a la Brother Lawrence. The first time I read that book it changed my whole view of spirituality, yet it's remarkably hard to follow through on, especially when you aren't doing manual labor such as dish-washing or gardening the way he did. Lord God, please help me now - I need You alone to pull me through times like this.
"Strangely out of place
There's a light filling this room
Where none would follow before.
I can't deny it burns me up inside.
I fan the flames to melt away my pride.
Do I want shelter from the rain,
Or the rain to wash me way?
Face to the ground to hide the fatal cut.
I fight the weight; feel you lift me up.
Can't deny it burns me up inside.
I fan the flames to melt away my pride.
Only had a second to spare
But all the time in the world
To know You're there.
You are the shelter from the rain
And the rain to wash me away
I need You, I need You, I need You."
-Jars of Clay-
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Eating My Words About Youth Ministry
"I'm not made for youth ministry."
"I can't play the silly games."
"I don't know how to talk to kids."
These are excuses I've made since I was in high school about why I could never go into youth ministry full-time. Even at that age, I hated the egg-smashing, oreo-cream-smearing, gallon-of-milk-chugging, and gluttonous-junk-food-consuming thing that I thought youth ministry was. I said I wanted substance, which Todd Laws happily delivered in Friday morning Bible Studies at Starvin' Arvin's. Of course, part of the reason I didn't like the games was because I wasn't good at them, I was afraid of getting messy, and all my friends already thought I was a dork - why prove them right? So when people like Andrea Howard told me in high school that I should consider youth ministry, I laughed.
Now, though, I'm being forced to reconsider.
Last night I spent a couple hours hanging out with the youth group at Northmont. Two things happened. First, an example of a game I enjoyed: There is a hyper-active sixth-grader named Nick who goes to Northmont's youth group. He's constantly bouncing off the walls and maintains a perpetual sugar high by chugging Pepsi and eating candy. Last night, when he started hitting me in the head with a pillow, I jokingly whined to Sean, the youth minister, "Sean, Nick's picking on me." The response came back, "So, hit him." So I did. With a pillow of course. But it was hard enough to knock him over and we all, including Nick, busted up laughing. I did not know there were such simple pleasures in life.
Second, something of substance: Over our dinner of cheese pizza, Nick started complaining to me about the war in Iraq. Eventually he told me that he wanted to be Buddhist because he believes in peace. I told him Christians believe in peace, too - it's a lot of what Jesus taught. He responded with, "But W. doesn't believe in peace, and he says he's a Christian." Wow. There's a lesson in that for us to learn about the witness our supposedly Christian nation sends not just to other countries but to youth as well. But what I want to focus on is the depth of his words. This sixth grader is well-aware of world events, aware of other religions, aware of Christian hypocrisy. An hour later, the discussion of the whole boys small group (middle and high school) turned to the war in Iraq and the guys voiced opinions from every position on the spectrum. This conversation about the ethics of war, basic theology and missiology, and the connection between the teachings of Jesus and teachings about Jesus, was deeper than any interaction I've had with the adult members of the church.
When I met Eileen at Starbucks later, I was beaming. She smirked, knowing that I enjoyed my time with the youth group - a prospect that months ago had intimidated the crap out of me. God's doing a lot in my heart right now, and I've noticed it the most in the past couple days. It's going to be interesting to see what will happen through the rest of the year. My next interaction with the youth is the "Harvest Day" activity on Sunday - maybe I'll have more to share then. Praise God for the way His Spirit changes our hearts and transforms our lives.
"I can't play the silly games."
"I don't know how to talk to kids."
These are excuses I've made since I was in high school about why I could never go into youth ministry full-time. Even at that age, I hated the egg-smashing, oreo-cream-smearing, gallon-of-milk-chugging, and gluttonous-junk-food-consuming thing that I thought youth ministry was. I said I wanted substance, which Todd Laws happily delivered in Friday morning Bible Studies at Starvin' Arvin's. Of course, part of the reason I didn't like the games was because I wasn't good at them, I was afraid of getting messy, and all my friends already thought I was a dork - why prove them right? So when people like Andrea Howard told me in high school that I should consider youth ministry, I laughed.
Now, though, I'm being forced to reconsider.
Last night I spent a couple hours hanging out with the youth group at Northmont. Two things happened. First, an example of a game I enjoyed: There is a hyper-active sixth-grader named Nick who goes to Northmont's youth group. He's constantly bouncing off the walls and maintains a perpetual sugar high by chugging Pepsi and eating candy. Last night, when he started hitting me in the head with a pillow, I jokingly whined to Sean, the youth minister, "Sean, Nick's picking on me." The response came back, "So, hit him." So I did. With a pillow of course. But it was hard enough to knock him over and we all, including Nick, busted up laughing. I did not know there were such simple pleasures in life.
Second, something of substance: Over our dinner of cheese pizza, Nick started complaining to me about the war in Iraq. Eventually he told me that he wanted to be Buddhist because he believes in peace. I told him Christians believe in peace, too - it's a lot of what Jesus taught. He responded with, "But W. doesn't believe in peace, and he says he's a Christian." Wow. There's a lesson in that for us to learn about the witness our supposedly Christian nation sends not just to other countries but to youth as well. But what I want to focus on is the depth of his words. This sixth grader is well-aware of world events, aware of other religions, aware of Christian hypocrisy. An hour later, the discussion of the whole boys small group (middle and high school) turned to the war in Iraq and the guys voiced opinions from every position on the spectrum. This conversation about the ethics of war, basic theology and missiology, and the connection between the teachings of Jesus and teachings about Jesus, was deeper than any interaction I've had with the adult members of the church.
When I met Eileen at Starbucks later, I was beaming. She smirked, knowing that I enjoyed my time with the youth group - a prospect that months ago had intimidated the crap out of me. God's doing a lot in my heart right now, and I've noticed it the most in the past couple days. It's going to be interesting to see what will happen through the rest of the year. My next interaction with the youth is the "Harvest Day" activity on Sunday - maybe I'll have more to share then. Praise God for the way His Spirit changes our hearts and transforms our lives.
Friday, September 01, 2006
Free Derek Webb Music
One of my favorite musicians, and one of the few Christian musicians exercising a prophetic voice today, is Derek Webb. So I'm happy to announce that, as of today, you can download Derek Webb's latest cd, Mockingbird, completely free at FreeDerekWebb.com. I've been a fan of Derek's music ever since he was a member of Caedmon's Call, but even more so since he started his solo career and began dedicating his songwriting talents to speaking challenging truths to the Church today. As Christians we have a responsibility to be concerned about politics and society, and the songs on this cd speak a convicting message to a Church that often fails to think critically about these issues. Please check it out - it's free and it's great music!
Monday, August 28, 2006
Starting a Season of Community
"How good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity!" Psalm 133:1 TNIV
Last night Eileen and I met our two new roommates, who together bring the house total to six, or five and a half. Explanation: Oliver, a longtime friend of Kendall with only two classes left in a Masters program here is going to be staying at the house from Sundays through Wednesdays, while commuting home to New York state to be with his wife of one year during the rest of the week. Since he's only living there half the time for half the year, we jokingly say he's half a housemate. Allison, a friend of Jen from her college ministry years with CCO at Chatham, will be living there all the time, having just finished Mission Year in Oakland, California. Together the six of us will be living in community, sharing the house, our possessions, and all the joys and trials of life in the coming year.
Before going to sleep late last night, the six of us gathered downstairs in the living room and spent close to half an hour praying for each other and for the house. Looking around the room at every different face, I knew that this was one more reason why God brought us to Pittsburgh. The connection with our housemates that I felt last night while we prayed was strikingly similar to the feeling I had when Jonathan and Michael and I gathered for prayer every night of our summer in Thailand. Praise God for the gift of brothers and sisters who are passionate about living out their faith together! I look forward to the adventures that are ahead of us!
Last night Eileen and I met our two new roommates, who together bring the house total to six, or five and a half. Explanation: Oliver, a longtime friend of Kendall with only two classes left in a Masters program here is going to be staying at the house from Sundays through Wednesdays, while commuting home to New York state to be with his wife of one year during the rest of the week. Since he's only living there half the time for half the year, we jokingly say he's half a housemate. Allison, a friend of Jen from her college ministry years with CCO at Chatham, will be living there all the time, having just finished Mission Year in Oakland, California. Together the six of us will be living in community, sharing the house, our possessions, and all the joys and trials of life in the coming year.
Before going to sleep late last night, the six of us gathered downstairs in the living room and spent close to half an hour praying for each other and for the house. Looking around the room at every different face, I knew that this was one more reason why God brought us to Pittsburgh. The connection with our housemates that I felt last night while we prayed was strikingly similar to the feeling I had when Jonathan and Michael and I gathered for prayer every night of our summer in Thailand. Praise God for the gift of brothers and sisters who are passionate about living out their faith together! I look forward to the adventures that are ahead of us!
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