Wednesday, February 25, 2009
grasping for it
great lent post be eugene. gets at a bit of what i am thinking. still working on exactly what this means for me in the Lenten season, but have also been thinking a bit about this passage in Matthew. i hope to share more here from my journal though in the coming weeks. i think it will be good for me to bring my thoughts to a point in which they are more clearly articulated than the jumbled mess that is my journal. blessings as you travel through the Lenten season.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Getting lenten
Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday. Aka the start of Lent. Been thinking a bit about that. Started by asking myself, oh, what do I want to fast? Then moving too, wait, why am I fasting again? And I guess that put everything in a bit of perspective for me. I stumbled across this blog post- http://www.emergentvillage.com/weblog/are-you-giving-up-chocolate-for-lent and thus had ask myself what is going to be an actual sacrifice? What is going to free up time so that I can truly get deeper into prayer and reading the word? I am still trying to figure it out exactly, but I am moving in the right direction. It is probably going to have a lot to do with how much time I spend on the internet. Probably something associated with espn.com (something hard to mess with during March Madness-the NCAA should have really considered the church calendar before scheduling that tournament), but I still have a hard time cutting out reading up on sports a "sacrifice." I mean it's not necessary in the first place, so to give up a unneccesity isn't really a sacrifice is it? But then again I don't think it would be good to give up anything that already works to serve. Hmmm...maybe developing a spiritual discipline. A kind of reverse fast? I know some people who are giving up blogging and internet. But maybe if I develop blogging as a daily spiritual discipline? Hmmm. I suppose we will find out tomorrow if this is what I feel lead to do.
Monday, February 23, 2009
overcoming
been feeling kinda small lately. feeling like i am too small and the world's problems are too big. feeling a bit overwhelmed in regards to how i am supposed to fight poverty, eradicate disease, and end war. feeling a bit confused on how God would have me use my gifts to love others the best i can. feeling like i can do so much more, but not really sure how to do it and what is keeping me from finding out. it's easy for me to let these types of thoughts and feelings work on me and break me down. i am ok with that. i don't want to lose sight of how much work there is to be done, i don't want to become numb and callused to the pain others are experiencing. but i also don't want to despair. and i feel like it's easy to reach that point when you feel the weight of it all. i am reading a mclaren book right now and after he finishes talking about some of these issues, war and inequity in particular, in a chapter of it, he ends with this paragraph.
But despair is boring and uncreative, and to succumb to it is to empower it. So I turn from it and turn to Jesus, to believe his narrative and to join his peace insurgency, to stop figuring out how to get him on our side, and instead to try to cross over to his side.
despair is so boring and uncreative. i know God is calling me to be creative, to be imaginative, to pray, and think, and act. it's good, it's a process. i was encouraged this week to have stumbled across some organizations and people that are creatively seeking to love and embrace Christ's narrative and message...
http://www.micahchallenge.org/english/
http://www.msainfo.org/
http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/
http://onedayswages.wordpress.com/ (this one isn't new to me. be praying for it)
http://www.mochaclub.org/
...and many personal blogs and other things i have been reading.
But despair is boring and uncreative, and to succumb to it is to empower it. So I turn from it and turn to Jesus, to believe his narrative and to join his peace insurgency, to stop figuring out how to get him on our side, and instead to try to cross over to his side.
despair is so boring and uncreative. i know God is calling me to be creative, to be imaginative, to pray, and think, and act. it's good, it's a process. i was encouraged this week to have stumbled across some organizations and people that are creatively seeking to love and embrace Christ's narrative and message...
http://www.micahchallenge.org/english/
http://www.msainfo.org/
http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/
http://onedayswages.wordpress.com/ (this one isn't new to me. be praying for it)
http://www.mochaclub.org/
...and many personal blogs and other things i have been reading.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
good looking out.
i've been encouraged of late. not sure what it is, but i was getting worn down a bit. i think mostly just from work and such. just the day to day wear stuff, but i am feeling refreshed of late. well, actually i have been a little sick so the body hasn't felt refreshed, but the soul, ya know? and as i pause to think about it, it has been because of my community. old friends, new friends, brothers and sisters in Christ, straight up community have blessed and encouraged me. it's good. it's a real good thing.
how are you blessing those in your community? i know it's one of a few good questions i need to be asking myself more often.
how are you blessing those in your community? i know it's one of a few good questions i need to be asking myself more often.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
uh oh...
i have been working full time at Q for less than three weeks now and i am already sipping on straight espresso like its no big thing (quite a change from a few years back when i didn't even drink drip). no caffeine headaches yet though, so i am not really worried. i will keep you posted on that though.
new drink fascination...espresso con panna.
new drink fascination...espresso con panna.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
recognizing the cycle and stepping out
i own one movie. ok, i take that back. i own three. two of which were gifts. actually, i withdrawal the last statement as well. i did purchase a number of "red" market dvds in china. i may or may not continue to have some in storage at home in michigan. and by in storage i mean i put them somewhere and i didn't find them last time i was home. all that said the one movie i have ever like enough to buy was gladiator.
a real "guys film" i was all about gladiator the first time i saw it. somewhere along the line a store had it on sale and i bought it. obviously i don't buy many dvds (i am pretty cheap and i really don't like watching movies i have seen before), but i decided to go for it with gladiator. now it's been a while since i have actually watched it, but i had the opportunity a couple weeks ago (this shows how on top of blogging i am). this time as i watched the movie it had a real different tone. no maybe it was my mood, maybe the books i have been reading, or the discussions i've been having with friends, but i had some major issues with it (and as it turns out, a lot of movies that come out of hollywood). one of the books i am reading right now is jesus for president by shane claiborne and he talks a bit about violence and peoples response to that, particularly the response that society is conditioned to have. the premise of gladiator is betrayal, ruthless murders, senseless killing, and revenge. a major injustice is done in the killing of his wife and son and he is set to have his revenge. now i am all about strong responses to injustice, but the movie rests on the fact that the only response that will satisfy the viewer is the death of the new caeser who ordered the killing of his family. its the predictable typical response. we see it in life and in hollywood all the time. but the question claiborne talks about and that i have is it the only response? in the gospels so many of christ's parables and teachings stand on the idea of a different kind of response. not a response of violence and revenge, but one of love, mercy, and compassion. turn the other cheek-which doesn't necessarily speak to getting hit again, but looking your oppressor in the eye so they recognize your humanness before they go to strike you. or give your cloak AND your shirt, not because you are "generous" but to show how ridiculous greed can be. these responses can stop injustice in its track and that is what we are called to do. its no surprise to anyone that violence really does exist as a vicious circle. can we truly fight injustice with violence?
ok, so i know its entertainment and we can't always take it too seriously, but i guess i feel we too often don't take it seriously enough. christ calls us to be creative in our responses to injustices to hear the cry of the oppressed and come to answer it. he calls us to love and act justly and mercifully. but how will this ever be natural if we just flood ourselves with uncreative responses like that seen in gladiator and so many other films and societal influences out there. how do we foster creativity to fight real injustice. injustices like internally displaced peoples (such as the karen people in burma or the people of eastern congo), women caught up in the sex trade, children dying because of lack of food or clean water, people in our city being denied housing, or people losing their lives as casualties of war. christ calls us to love these people and so many others who are marginalized and oppressed, but we so often lack the creativity to do that. i know i for one just get angry and frustrated. this creativity though, it has to be fostered. if you don't use it, express it, discuss it then it doesn't grow, it atrophies, and it certainly isn't useful.
so abandon hollywood? nah, not completely, but do i see a need to broaden my perspective on exactly how "entertainment" affects me and what i may constitute as a good movie? yeah, i think so. i know good, loving, creative responses aren't always easy to come up with and easy to make it happen, it's probably best i do what i can to advance that rather than exposing myself to the same methods and staying stuck in the same cycle of thought.
"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." -Einstein
a real "guys film" i was all about gladiator the first time i saw it. somewhere along the line a store had it on sale and i bought it. obviously i don't buy many dvds (i am pretty cheap and i really don't like watching movies i have seen before), but i decided to go for it with gladiator. now it's been a while since i have actually watched it, but i had the opportunity a couple weeks ago (this shows how on top of blogging i am). this time as i watched the movie it had a real different tone. no maybe it was my mood, maybe the books i have been reading, or the discussions i've been having with friends, but i had some major issues with it (and as it turns out, a lot of movies that come out of hollywood). one of the books i am reading right now is jesus for president by shane claiborne and he talks a bit about violence and peoples response to that, particularly the response that society is conditioned to have. the premise of gladiator is betrayal, ruthless murders, senseless killing, and revenge. a major injustice is done in the killing of his wife and son and he is set to have his revenge. now i am all about strong responses to injustice, but the movie rests on the fact that the only response that will satisfy the viewer is the death of the new caeser who ordered the killing of his family. its the predictable typical response. we see it in life and in hollywood all the time. but the question claiborne talks about and that i have is it the only response? in the gospels so many of christ's parables and teachings stand on the idea of a different kind of response. not a response of violence and revenge, but one of love, mercy, and compassion. turn the other cheek-which doesn't necessarily speak to getting hit again, but looking your oppressor in the eye so they recognize your humanness before they go to strike you. or give your cloak AND your shirt, not because you are "generous" but to show how ridiculous greed can be. these responses can stop injustice in its track and that is what we are called to do. its no surprise to anyone that violence really does exist as a vicious circle. can we truly fight injustice with violence?
ok, so i know its entertainment and we can't always take it too seriously, but i guess i feel we too often don't take it seriously enough. christ calls us to be creative in our responses to injustices to hear the cry of the oppressed and come to answer it. he calls us to love and act justly and mercifully. but how will this ever be natural if we just flood ourselves with uncreative responses like that seen in gladiator and so many other films and societal influences out there. how do we foster creativity to fight real injustice. injustices like internally displaced peoples (such as the karen people in burma or the people of eastern congo), women caught up in the sex trade, children dying because of lack of food or clean water, people in our city being denied housing, or people losing their lives as casualties of war. christ calls us to love these people and so many others who are marginalized and oppressed, but we so often lack the creativity to do that. i know i for one just get angry and frustrated. this creativity though, it has to be fostered. if you don't use it, express it, discuss it then it doesn't grow, it atrophies, and it certainly isn't useful.
so abandon hollywood? nah, not completely, but do i see a need to broaden my perspective on exactly how "entertainment" affects me and what i may constitute as a good movie? yeah, i think so. i know good, loving, creative responses aren't always easy to come up with and easy to make it happen, it's probably best i do what i can to advance that rather than exposing myself to the same methods and staying stuck in the same cycle of thought.
"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." -Einstein
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
word
Making a point to spend some time in the Word this week. It's (unfortunately) often one of the first things to go when I get busy and it is missed, and it's always gone for too long before I realize how much I need it and enjoy reading it. A couple passages stuck out and I was going to journal about them, but figured, why not put them on the blog.
"As we pray to our God and Father about you, we think of your faithful work, your loving deeds, and the enduring hope you have because of our Lord Jesus Christ" 1 Thes. 1:3 My understanding is always deepened by working the verses out in a different way (while keeping the meaning of course)...because of Christ we are faithful in our work, our deeds are loving, and we have enduring hope.
"We pleaded with you, encouraged you, and urged you to live your lives in a way that God would consider worthy. For he called you to share in his Kingdom and glory" 1 Thes. 2:12 This makes me think of a Francis Chan quote that Abby posted the other day..."Our greatest fear as individuals and as a church should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter."
The theme that is sticking out to me about 1 Thessalonians is that of faithfulness. We serve a faithful God and he desires us to be faithful, righteous, and holy. It is interesting Paul throws out a lot of different things about living this holy life, but none seem all too complicated. Just that same true message of loving others, so thus calling us to be responsible with our lives and the way we interact with others so that people may see how Christ works through us and is present in us. It's always funny (a tactful adjective among many others that could have been chosen) how easily other things are added on to that message.
"As we pray to our God and Father about you, we think of your faithful work, your loving deeds, and the enduring hope you have because of our Lord Jesus Christ" 1 Thes. 1:3 My understanding is always deepened by working the verses out in a different way (while keeping the meaning of course)...because of Christ we are faithful in our work, our deeds are loving, and we have enduring hope.
"We pleaded with you, encouraged you, and urged you to live your lives in a way that God would consider worthy. For he called you to share in his Kingdom and glory" 1 Thes. 2:12 This makes me think of a Francis Chan quote that Abby posted the other day..."Our greatest fear as individuals and as a church should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter."
The theme that is sticking out to me about 1 Thessalonians is that of faithfulness. We serve a faithful God and he desires us to be faithful, righteous, and holy. It is interesting Paul throws out a lot of different things about living this holy life, but none seem all too complicated. Just that same true message of loving others, so thus calling us to be responsible with our lives and the way we interact with others so that people may see how Christ works through us and is present in us. It's always funny (a tactful adjective among many others that could have been chosen) how easily other things are added on to that message.
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