March 29, 2008
March 27, 2008
March 24, 2008
March 23, 2008
Easter Dance
"With Easter the laugher of the redeemed, the dance of the liberated and the creative play of fantasy begins. According to Hippolytus the risen Christ is the 'leader of the mystic round-dance' and the church is the bride who dances with him." - Jurgen Moltmann, Church in the Power of the Spirit, 110.
March 22, 2008
Evangelism Tools
David Fitch, the author of the Great Giveaway, has an interesting post on the creation of a more "missional evangelism tool." I'm not sure how I feel about this, I mean, I think evangelism should be much more fluid than we often make it out to be. For instance, why don't we need tools or cubes to explain our love for baseball, cars, jobs, etc. Those things we seek after and care about are simply natural parts of our lives and conversations, but because we've bifurcated our faith we need some tools for evangelism.I did find a few things interesting in his post though. One commenter has created a website for a tool, and I kind of like this video on sharing your faith using a legal pad. Also, here's a church's "umbrella metaphor" video that I find particularly unhelpful.
What do you think? Should we or do we need tools for evangelism?
March 21, 2008
Good Friday
In Christianity the cross is the test of everything which deserves to be called Christian. (p. 7)
Christian identity can be understood only as an act of identification with the crucified Christ, to the extent to which one has accepted the proclamation that in him God has identified himself with the godless and those abandoned by God, to whom one belongs oneself. (p. 19)
Christian identification with the crucified Christ means solidarity with the sufferings of the poor and the misery of both the oppressed and the oppressors. (p. 25)
-Moltmann, The Crucified God
Picture of Brazilian sculptor Guido Rocha's art revealing that Christ really did suffer. via.
What Would Jesus Eat?
My buddy Lucas has launched a new blog called What Would Jesus Eat? There's no one I know that I would trust more on this issue, I mean, he helped inspire my family's Lenten fast from meat (there's poo in that patty). In years to come following his mastering of the divine from this place, Lucas and his wife Sarah plan on loading up the family and moving to the World Hunger Farm to serve the Kingdom and work with food issues.
Go check it out, he has some really good thoughts on what we're eating and how following Christ might just affect that.
Go check it out, he has some really good thoughts on what we're eating and how following Christ might just affect that.
March 15, 2008
Perception
Here's a few videos that I hope to draw up some lessons on perception, enculturation, ethnocentricism, and learning to listen and open ourselves up to the world.
Subliminal messaging: interesting video on how our surrounding culture and context shapes our perception, imagination, and world.
Blind Painter: this is one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. Esref Armagan is a painter from Turkey who paints beautiful landscapes and architecture- and he was born BLIND.
EDIT: Sorry, I didn't mean to post it originally in a foreign language. Above is the English video.
Awareness Test: if you only have a few minutes, you definitely need to watch this one:
Subliminal messaging: interesting video on how our surrounding culture and context shapes our perception, imagination, and world.
Blind Painter: this is one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. Esref Armagan is a painter from Turkey who paints beautiful landscapes and architecture- and he was born BLIND.
EDIT: Sorry, I didn't mean to post it originally in a foreign language. Above is the English video.
Awareness Test: if you only have a few minutes, you definitely need to watch this one:
March 3, 2008
Praying the Hours
Since my trip to New Mexico to pray with monks in the desert, I've been drawn to rhythmic, orderly prayer. Tim Keel, pastor at Jacob's Well has posted some excellent resources for praying the hours. Tim says this,The discipline of fixed-hour prayer is a challenging practice for most people to begin to engage because for many of us it is such an alien orientation to a spiritual practice that has largely been individual, spontaneous, and self-directed.Hope this help in some way. I highly recommend fixed hour prayer, although I suck at it. There is something about moving in and out of prayer towards work and life, instead of the other way around.
Everybody Wants to go to Heaven, but Nobody knows it's a Lie!
It seems that the gospel for too long has been about where we'll end up after we die. Sadly, we begin evangelism with the question (and not relationship), "if you were to die today, would you go to heaven?"Obsession. Failure. Misguided. Irrelevant.
N.T. Wright has become one of the most formidable and brilliant N.T. scholars of our generation. I agree with him in many ways on his recent book. You can see what he has to say about why heaven doesn't exist in this piece for Time (I really recommend the read, it's well worth it). Because of our unseen Greek influences, heaven has become a matter of discourse for anyone who would dare call themselves a Christian. In the end this leads to a dualism never intended by the N.T. writers or God, I think.
The final book of the Bible, Revelation declares that when Jesus comes back, believers won't be swooped into heaven while the rest experience some tribulation-like some whacked out authors have written. Jesus was resurrected with his new body bearing the marks of crucifixion. This earth too will experience new creation, a resurrection bearing the marks of the crucifixion that it is suffering at the hands of its so called caretakers.
Being Christian does not exempt us from being human. We must ca
re for this world and for people (not simply their souls). It is time we rethought heaven, earth, resurrection, and the future plight of creation intended by God. Towards the earth, we must take care of God's creation for it is on loan from our children. Towards our neighbor, we must seek and create meaningful relationships that care for and allow for that person to share who they truly are and care for their real needs. Towards God, we must be humble enough to allow him to break the boxes we force him to reside in.
March 2, 2008
Religion Engaging the Secular
Here's a short video of one of my favorite New Testament scholars, N.T. Wright from Allelon.
February 29, 2008
February 28, 2008
Please READ...
There is nothing like religion, politics, and parenting to bring out people's ignorance. I'll admit, in reverse order to the above list, I am ignorant. But something I have learned is to listen. When my brother and sister-in-law talk about parenting, I listen. When my pastor talks about church, I listen. When the media talks about politics, I listen. And here is the rub, I disagree with all three of the mediums I justed listed in certain respects.
So I ask you whether or not your values line up with mine, or your beliefs about religion line up with mine, please just listen. For the first time in my life, I have really been involved and tried to learn about our presidential hopefuls. I in no way declare political allegiance, because my allegiance lies elsewhere.
But, this race is clouded by ignorance especially concerning Barack Obama. I've received enough emails to publish a small book declaring "Don't vote for Obama, He's a Muslim!!!" This my friends and family is trash. Any Christian who passes this email is in desperate need of repentance, because I can think of no clearer case of slander and unwholesome talk.
I'm just going to say this once, Obama is in no way a Muslim. To refute this is to reveal your ignorance, so please stop. Here's his church, which by the way, is pastored by one of Ebony magazine's best 15 US pastors, oh and yes the church is confessionally black, but not "black nationalist" (if you react against this statement, then yes you are more racist than you realize). And yes, white folks do go and are welcomed in this community.
But what about these alleged and fallacious claims that Obama is tied to the Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan in Chicago (Obama's home)? Or his upbringing in a Muslim home attending the madrassa Muslim school? REALITY is is that Obama talks about coming from an AGNOSTIC home and while working alongside Christian churches in Chicago doing community development. As he relates in The Audacity of Hope, Obama retells how he walked the aisle and personally gave his life to Christ. And he has constantly tried to separate himself from Farrakan. "I live in Chicago. He lives in Chicago. I've been very clear, in terms of me believing that what he has said is reprehensible and inappropriate. And I have consistently distanced myself from him," Obama relates.
I do not write this as a political piece in order to promote or even endorse Obama. I write this as a Christian who believes that we are called to live above reproach and purity, and to speak with wholesome, pure, and truthful words. As write this as a brother in Christ who hopes this will be a step in removing the log in our own eyes, before pointing out the splinters in everyone else's.
Inspired by Jim Wallis, a CHRISTIAN political leader who recently defended Obama.
So I ask you whether or not your values line up with mine, or your beliefs about religion line up with mine, please just listen. For the first time in my life, I have really been involved and tried to learn about our presidential hopefuls. I in no way declare political allegiance, because my allegiance lies elsewhere.
But, this race is clouded by ignorance especially concerning Barack Obama. I've received enough emails to publish a small book declaring "Don't vote for Obama, He's a Muslim!!!" This my friends and family is trash. Any Christian who passes this email is in desperate need of repentance, because I can think of no clearer case of slander and unwholesome talk.
I'm just going to say this once, Obama is in no way a Muslim. To refute this is to reveal your ignorance, so please stop. Here's his church, which by the way, is pastored by one of Ebony magazine's best 15 US pastors, oh and yes the church is confessionally black, but not "black nationalist" (if you react against this statement, then yes you are more racist than you realize). And yes, white folks do go and are welcomed in this community.
But what about these alleged and fallacious claims that Obama is tied to the Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan in Chicago (Obama's home)? Or his upbringing in a Muslim home attending the madrassa Muslim school? REALITY is is that Obama talks about coming from an AGNOSTIC home and while working alongside Christian churches in Chicago doing community development. As he relates in The Audacity of Hope, Obama retells how he walked the aisle and personally gave his life to Christ. And he has constantly tried to separate himself from Farrakan. "I live in Chicago. He lives in Chicago. I've been very clear, in terms of me believing that what he has said is reprehensible and inappropriate. And I have consistently distanced myself from him," Obama relates.
I do not write this as a political piece in order to promote or even endorse Obama. I write this as a Christian who believes that we are called to live above reproach and purity, and to speak with wholesome, pure, and truthful words. As write this as a brother in Christ who hopes this will be a step in removing the log in our own eyes, before pointing out the splinters in everyone else's.
Inspired by Jim Wallis, a CHRISTIAN political leader who recently defended Obama.
February 26, 2008
February 25, 2008
Updated Blog
As you can tell, I've updated my blog which has been long overdue. I was quite tired of the last template and I really like this one. I was just about ready to give up on Blogger when my first template totally screwed up and wouldn't work after working on it for hours.
The header is a great picture of my journey last summer to Christ in the Desert Monastery in the desert of New Mexico where I prayed the hours with a the monks. The trip was refreshing, but at the same time brought up the questions of how we may this life accessible to everyday people, what seems like the colliding of two worlds.
The painting on the right was hijacked from Flickr, which is a public photo sharing community so I hope its legal even though the painting is copy righted. Check out the artists other works. The name of the piece is LABYRINTH: Maybe I am Crazy. I chose it because after searching unsuccessfully for a good Kaleidoscope picture, I came across this one and it expresses well my faith journey. As the blog is titled, my faith has been a collision of sorts resulting in myriad shapes, forms, and colors in my life. In my head these are the things I want so much to bring together: faith, life, culture, community, nature, the world, and Christ; but I have such a difficult time doing. When these various pieces amalgamate the effect is often a crash resulting in the perspective I call collideOscope.
The header is a great picture of my journey last summer to Christ in the Desert Monastery in the desert of New Mexico where I prayed the hours with a the monks. The trip was refreshing, but at the same time brought up the questions of how we may this life accessible to everyday people, what seems like the colliding of two worlds.
The painting on the right was hijacked from Flickr, which is a public photo sharing community so I hope its legal even though the painting is copy righted. Check out the artists other works. The name of the piece is LABYRINTH: Maybe I am Crazy. I chose it because after searching unsuccessfully for a good Kaleidoscope picture, I came across this one and it expresses well my faith journey. As the blog is titled, my faith has been a collision of sorts resulting in myriad shapes, forms, and colors in my life. In my head these are the things I want so much to bring together: faith, life, culture, community, nature, the world, and Christ; but I have such a difficult time doing. When these various pieces amalgamate the effect is often a crash resulting in the perspective I call collideOscope.
Is the Gospel Startling?
I recently came across this post. It's more or less a midrash on John 4, the story of the Jesus in Samaria and the woman at the well. I've posted the Scripture midrash in its entirety because, well, it's just that good.
"Jesus Talks With A Gay Man - (John 4:1-33, 39-42 - more or less...)
1 In late July, the Metro Chicago Synod heard that Jesus was attracting more first-time visitors and baptizing more adults than any other ELCA pastor in the city, 2 although in fact it was not really Jesus who had baptized them, but his irregularly-commisioned staff of unordained lay ministers. 3 Now when Jesus learned of this, he left the seminary community in Hyde Park and went back once more toward the ELCA headquarters on Higgins Road.
4 Now to get there, he had to go through an area just north of downtown called Boystown. 5 So he came to a part of Boystown called Northhalsted, not far from the plot of ground whereEmperor Mayor Daley had ordained that the Chicago Cubs should play baseball. 6 Cub's Stadium was near there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey on the Red Line, sat down at a sidewalk café table outside the bar called Hydrate. It was just about lunch-time, and though the rainbow flags were fluttering in the breeze and the music inside the bar was pumping, there weren't many people around (because it's often hot and miserable outside, at mid-day in late July, in Chicago).
7 A waiter came to the table, wearing a bright pink "His+His" t-shirt and a "Silence=Death" armband, and raised one eyebrow at the man seated at the table in front of him in the "Come Follow Me" t-shirt. Jesus said to him, "Will you give me a drink?" 8 (All the lay ministers had gone down the street to pick up Subway sandwiches for the rest of the journey.)
9 The gay man said to him, "Hey...you tell me. After all, you appear to be a straight Christian, and I'm a gay man. Let's face it - we don't get many religious folks in Boystown, let alone places like this. And I'm not only a gay man, but I'm a Muslim gay man. So where does a guy like you get off asking someone like me for a drink?" (For Christians do not associate with gays, nor with Muslims if they can help it.)
10 Jesus answered him, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."
11 "Hey, mister," the gay man said, "I'm the waiter here. I don't see you with an order pad or a serving tray, and it's tough for customers to even get close to our fountain-drink station, let alone our bar. So how are you going to get anything for me to drink, let alone 'living water'? Where can you get this living water? 12 Are you somehow greater than the folks who own this place, who let us drink have free water and soda (and snitch the occasional mixed drink) whenever we want?"
13 Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks your water, or your soda, or your beer will get thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
15 The gay man said to him, "Yeah? Mister...you know what, I have no idea who you really are, or even what the heck you're talking about. But you're the first Christian man in 20 years that hasn't spit on me, or called me 'an abomination' to my face. Somehow, I think I want some of what you're offering. Give me some of this water you keep talking about, so I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to get something to drink."
16 Jesus told the man, "OK - just call your wife and come back here, and we'll talk."
17 "Who are you kidding?" the gay man said. "Don't you know where you are? You're in Boystown, for cryin' out loud. I don't have a wife, or a girlfriend. Heck, right now I don't even have a boyfriend," he replied.
Jesus said to her, "You're right when you say you have no boyfriend. The fact is, you've had five boyfriends, and the guy you're living with now isn't even your boyfriend. He's just a guy you picked up in the club - some guy who doesn't even know your real last name."
19 Whoah, buddy," the gay man said, "that's pretty intense! How'd you know that about me?" Jesus was silent. "OK...I get it. Maybe you're one of those folks who can see right through people - maybe one of those guys with 'second sight.' Maybe you're one of those folks who 'have the Spirit,' like those televangelists say. 20 I don't know anything about that. My family - my people (the ones who are observant, anyway) - think that you have to pray five times a day to Allah to get that kind of power. The rest of the people I know don't even bother with that spiritual mumbo-jumbo...they just think you have to work out a lot, look good, live fast, die hard and leave a good-looking corpse. And all the Christians I've met think that I have to pray their way, and start living life their way, or I'm 'going to hell.' Either way, my day-to-day life is so empty, I'm not convinced that I'm not already in hell. What's a guy supposed to believe?"
21 Jesus said, "Believe me, my friend, a time is coming when you won't worship God in Mecca, or in the gym, or in the club, or in a church sanctuary. 22 You and your friends worship what you think you know, but do not know. Christians worship what they do know, for salvation is promised in Scripture. 23 Yet a time is coming - and has now come - when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."
25 The gay man said, "I know that the church folks say that their Savior is coming. Maybe when he finally gets here, he will explain everything to us."
26 Then Jesus declared, "Then wait no longer. I'm the one they're waiting for."
The Irregularly-Commissioned Lay Ministers Rejoin Jesus
27 Just then the lay ministers returned and were more than a little surprised to find Jesus apparently talking with a gay man - one who appeared to be Middle-Eastern in origin, to boot. But no one asked, "What do you want?" or "Why are you talking with him?"
28 Then, leaving his tray and his order pad behind at the table, the gay man went back to the bar, and even next door to the gym and to the other clubs, and said to the people, 29 "You gotta come and see this... come see a guy who told me everything I ever did, and didn't run away or act disgusted. Could this possibly be 'the Christ' all those religious folks keep talking about?" 30 People came out of the gym, and out of the bars and clubs, and made their way toward him.
31 Meanwhile the lay ministers (the ones who considered themselves Jesus' disciples) kept saying, "Hey, padré, you may walk on water, but come on - even Michael Jordan's gotta eat something." 32 But Jesus said to them, "I have a source of energy that you know nothing about."
33 Then his disciples said to each other, "Did someone slip him some Mrs. Field's cookies while we weren't looking?"
....
Many Gays and Lesbians Believe
39 Many of the gays and lesbians who gathered from all around Boystown believed in Jesus because of what the waiter said: "You gotta come and see this... come see a guy who told me everything I ever did, and didn't run away or act disgusted." 40 So when the people of that area - gay men, lesbians, bisexuals (even people in civil unions from Vermont and Episcopalians visiting from New Hampshire) came to him, they urged Jesus to stay with them. So rather than continuing the ride out to Higgins Road, the irregularly consecrated lay ministers found some rooms at a nearby bed-&-breakfast, and he stayed in Boystown - amidst the people with whom most Christians would not associate - for two days. 41 And because of what Jesus spoke to the men and women there, many more became believers.
42 The people who heard Jesus said to the gay man who first encountered him, "We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world."
+ + +
Yes, Virginia - yes indeed...the Gospel really IS that shocking."
"Jesus Talks With A Gay Man - (John 4:1-33, 39-42 - more or less...)
1 In late July, the Metro Chicago Synod heard that Jesus was attracting more first-time visitors and baptizing more adults than any other ELCA pastor in the city, 2 although in fact it was not really Jesus who had baptized them, but his irregularly-commisioned staff of unordained lay ministers. 3 Now when Jesus learned of this, he left the seminary community in Hyde Park and went back once more toward the ELCA headquarters on Higgins Road.
4 Now to get there, he had to go through an area just north of downtown called Boystown. 5 So he came to a part of Boystown called Northhalsted, not far from the plot of ground where
7 A waiter came to the table, wearing a bright pink "His+His" t-shirt and a "Silence=Death" armband, and raised one eyebrow at the man seated at the table in front of him in the "Come Follow Me" t-shirt. Jesus said to him, "Will you give me a drink?" 8 (All the lay ministers had gone down the street to pick up Subway sandwiches for the rest of the journey.)
9 The gay man said to him, "Hey...you tell me. After all, you appear to be a straight Christian, and I'm a gay man. Let's face it - we don't get many religious folks in Boystown, let alone places like this. And I'm not only a gay man, but I'm a Muslim gay man. So where does a guy like you get off asking someone like me for a drink?" (For Christians do not associate with gays, nor with Muslims if they can help it.)
10 Jesus answered him, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."
11 "Hey, mister," the gay man said, "I'm the waiter here. I don't see you with an order pad or a serving tray, and it's tough for customers to even get close to our fountain-drink station, let alone our bar. So how are you going to get anything for me to drink, let alone 'living water'? Where can you get this living water? 12 Are you somehow greater than the folks who own this place, who let us drink have free water and soda (and snitch the occasional mixed drink) whenever we want?"
13 Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks your water, or your soda, or your beer will get thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
15 The gay man said to him, "Yeah? Mister...you know what, I have no idea who you really are, or even what the heck you're talking about. But you're the first Christian man in 20 years that hasn't spit on me, or called me 'an abomination' to my face. Somehow, I think I want some of what you're offering. Give me some of this water you keep talking about, so I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to get something to drink."
16 Jesus told the man, "OK - just call your wife and come back here, and we'll talk."
17 "Who are you kidding?" the gay man said. "Don't you know where you are? You're in Boystown, for cryin' out loud. I don't have a wife, or a girlfriend. Heck, right now I don't even have a boyfriend," he replied.
Jesus said to her, "You're right when you say you have no boyfriend. The fact is, you've had five boyfriends, and the guy you're living with now isn't even your boyfriend. He's just a guy you picked up in the club - some guy who doesn't even know your real last name."
19 Whoah, buddy," the gay man said, "that's pretty intense! How'd you know that about me?" Jesus was silent. "OK...I get it. Maybe you're one of those folks who can see right through people - maybe one of those guys with 'second sight.' Maybe you're one of those folks who 'have the Spirit,' like those televangelists say. 20 I don't know anything about that. My family - my people (the ones who are observant, anyway) - think that you have to pray five times a day to Allah to get that kind of power. The rest of the people I know don't even bother with that spiritual mumbo-jumbo...they just think you have to work out a lot, look good, live fast, die hard and leave a good-looking corpse. And all the Christians I've met think that I have to pray their way, and start living life their way, or I'm 'going to hell.' Either way, my day-to-day life is so empty, I'm not convinced that I'm not already in hell. What's a guy supposed to believe?"
21 Jesus said, "Believe me, my friend, a time is coming when you won't worship God in Mecca, or in the gym, or in the club, or in a church sanctuary. 22 You and your friends worship what you think you know, but do not know. Christians worship what they do know, for salvation is promised in Scripture. 23 Yet a time is coming - and has now come - when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."
25 The gay man said, "I know that the church folks say that their Savior is coming. Maybe when he finally gets here, he will explain everything to us."
26 Then Jesus declared, "Then wait no longer. I'm the one they're waiting for."
The Irregularly-Commissioned Lay Ministers Rejoin Jesus
27 Just then the lay ministers returned and were more than a little surprised to find Jesus apparently talking with a gay man - one who appeared to be Middle-Eastern in origin, to boot. But no one asked, "What do you want?" or "Why are you talking with him?"
28 Then, leaving his tray and his order pad behind at the table, the gay man went back to the bar, and even next door to the gym and to the other clubs, and said to the people, 29 "You gotta come and see this... come see a guy who told me everything I ever did, and didn't run away or act disgusted. Could this possibly be 'the Christ' all those religious folks keep talking about?" 30 People came out of the gym, and out of the bars and clubs, and made their way toward him.
31 Meanwhile the lay ministers (the ones who considered themselves Jesus' disciples) kept saying, "Hey, padré, you may walk on water, but come on - even Michael Jordan's gotta eat something." 32 But Jesus said to them, "I have a source of energy that you know nothing about."
33 Then his disciples said to each other, "Did someone slip him some Mrs. Field's cookies while we weren't looking?"
....
Many Gays and Lesbians Believe
39 Many of the gays and lesbians who gathered from all around Boystown believed in Jesus because of what the waiter said: "You gotta come and see this... come see a guy who told me everything I ever did, and didn't run away or act disgusted." 40 So when the people of that area - gay men, lesbians, bisexuals (even people in civil unions from Vermont and Episcopalians visiting from New Hampshire) came to him, they urged Jesus to stay with them. So rather than continuing the ride out to Higgins Road, the irregularly consecrated lay ministers found some rooms at a nearby bed-&-breakfast, and he stayed in Boystown - amidst the people with whom most Christians would not associate - for two days. 41 And because of what Jesus spoke to the men and women there, many more became believers.
42 The people who heard Jesus said to the gay man who first encountered him, "We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world."
+ + +
Yes, Virginia - yes indeed...the Gospel really IS that shocking."
February 24, 2008
February 23, 2008
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
