Tall Monastic Guy

the camera is rolling...

This past Saturday I had a first as a pastor. I had the awesome privelage of facilitating a spiritual blessing/child dedication for some good friends of ours. We held it at a neutral non-church site, at a park in Denver. Those friends and family who'd be more hesitant to enter a church for this occassion were all present to hear just how important Jesus is to these young parents.
I've spent a lot of time with this 3 year old and 4 month old which made my words meaningful to the parents and to me. Despite the beauty of the time, the family, the ceremony, I'm not sure I realized the significance of the experience...until about 12:30am last night.
Soon after drifting off I awoke thinking about this 3 year old who has this easy way of lightening the mood and brightening the face of anyone who happens to notice him.

I awoke and I was drawn to my knees to pray for him. I began thinking about Mark 10:13-16 and how ticked off Jesus became when the disciples were hindering the children and probably their young parents as well who were trying to get Jesus to touch them and bless them.
In preparing for last Saturday I learned that God is crazy about kids.
And it humbles me when I'm reminded that he calls me one of his. Hugh gave me a profound image during the gathering a couple weeks ago. He said God was like the pround parent at the baseball game holding the video camera hoping to capture our every move because we were his beloved children.
What a thought...What a truth...Do i get it? Do you?
We are his beloved kids and when I really get it, it changes the way I see everything.
Abba, our heavenly, yet powefully present Lord, has his camera proudly rolling. And there's nothing you can do to take that feeling away from him.
So... Smile!

"And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them."

Missio Intensive, Oct 5 & 6

There is still spaces left for the October 5th and 6th Missio Intensive hosted by Denver Seminary . If you're passionate about the direction of the church in America, you'll want to check out what Alan Hirsch, Mike Frost, and Hugh have to say on the matter. Angie and I still have 2 sleepingbags and some floor space left for lodging!
Register at www.missio.us or give me a call to talk about it.

Kanye West & the church...

I have a confession... I've had a love-hate relationship with hip-hop music for much of my life. I gotta admit, I like some of the old-school stuff. At it's roots, I believe rap music was decent creative timely artistic self-expression. (I know, I know, a self-described monastic from rural Indiana farm country has no place talking about hip-hop music.) Although some rap was produced simply as fun party music, some of it has had a strong social, political, ethnic, satirical, meaningful message at times.

Some of this post is simply me attempting to justify the fact that I just purchased Kanye West's newest album off of i-tunes. So, bear with me as I try to explain why i like Kanye and why I think the church could learn a thing or 2 from him.

First of all, if you haven't heard of him, he's a multi-platinum record selling rapper. His name became widely known after he said some bold things about the president regarding the government's post-Katrina relief efforts. And his style is quite unconventional compared to most hip-hopsters. But here's how I think he informs the church...

1) He has cross-cultural relevance & rhythm... His style is versatile enough that he has appeal to both lower class inner city as well as upper class suburban.

2) He's not afraid to partner w/successful artists of other genres... On his latest album, with the song, "homecoming", he collaborates with Chris Martin of Coldplay who appeals to a primarily white "alternative" audience. He also has a song with a punk-techno beat which helps his universal appeal.

3) He's very honest and self-reflective in his lyrics... He's not afraid to acknowledge his insecurities, his occasional hypocrisy, and often speaks of how materialistic himself and our culture can be with our clothes, jewelry, cars, etc. He's also honest about his love for Jesus but also about how difficult it is to remain faithful.

4) Along w/ his honesty, he has the ability to make fun of himself...a rare but needed attribute in relating to others. He throws in some random goofy verses just for humor.

5) Like most in his genre, he's bold and unashamed about his artistic expression. Nothing gets sugarcoated.

6) Last but not least... He's toured with U2.

Don't interpet this as an endorsement. Kanye's lyrics are not youth group friendly. But Kanye's appeal to so many different types of people makes me wonder about what he understands about art & culture (& Jesus?) that most church leaders don't. 

Prayer of Examen

Often, this time of year, I've noticed myself struggle with thoughts and emotions that feel fragmented and disordered like scattered puzzle pieces after the box got flipped upside down. It could be old anxieties associated with school starting or a new basketball season on the horizon but really, who knows?
With this in mind, I read something about prayer last week in a book called The God of Intimacy and Action that I thought I'd give a whirl. The particular type of prayer I was reading about is called the Prayer of Examen. (Richard Foster in his book titled, Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home, also has a good chapter devoted to this type of prayer). This particular prayer is a simple discipline that seeks to take detailed inventory of all thoughts that were processed throughout the course of one's day.
I stayed faithful to the practice for 2 whole days, struggled the third, and only considered doing it the fourth and fifth days of this week. But looking back, it has been a good practice for me and I've crossed paths with at least a couple others who I've recommended the prayer to.
In light of all the discussion surrounding cultural captivity, consumerism, etc. the Prayer of Examen has encouraged me to sift through and keep what is good and what lasts and toss out the unnecesary garbage. Reminding me of Proverbs 4:4...
"Remove the dross from the silver, and out comes material for the silversmith;"

For anyone interested, I'll list what the prayer entails (based on p.97 of The God of Intimacy and Action by Tony Compolo and Mary Albert Darling),

Step 1. Prepare yourself by quietly focusing your attention on God.
"In him we live and move and have our being. (Acts 17:28)

Step 2. Review your day with thankfulness and a spirit of reconciliation.
"When the Spirit of truth comes he will guide you into all truth. (John 16:13)

When did you live out of love and freedom in Christ?
"Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence or if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Philippians 4:8)

When did you not live out of love and freedom in Christ?
"Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the Lord. (Lamentations 3:40)

Step 3. Thank God for what is happening through this exercise, and ask for guidance and grace for tomorrow.
"Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20)

"Through the years saints have taught that the "things" that distract us from living a holistic gospel are anything we value or desire that takes us away from more fully loving and serving Jesus, from possessions to pleasure to prestige to power."

                                        -Mary Albert Darling (p.107)

more consumerism thoughts...

For those readers feeling passionate or provoked about the conversations involving the issue of consumerism, cultural captivity, consumerism in the church, etc. I think you'll find this progression of articles interesting. My friend Jason, who recently took a job as lead pastor of a church in rural Nebraska and who helps me with all my desperate computer needs, posted this article. Follow it back to the article that sparked both blog posts.

Sold!

After trying a month without it, Angie and I decided we could go without a second car. I put it on Craig's List on Tuesday morning and as of this Friday morning it's sold. That little Civic coupe (way too small for a dude my height) was my mobile sanctuary for 4 years, so I was a bit sad to watch it drive away this morning. At the same time, it's cool to see a dream of mine come to fruition. Last winter a dream began brewing that we'd find a home in a specific neighborhood. The thought was, I'd get a part-time job in that neighborhood to supplement the ministry funds and one that was within a long walk or a short bike ride. We'd be in close proximity to friends, grocery, job, and therefore we could get along ok without the Civic. So, it's been facinating to see that vision come into reality.

Praise be to God.

Review of "Justice In The Burbs"

Today I finished Justice In The Burbs by Will & Lisa Samson. This is an important book and a great follow up for someone like me who recently read The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne. I loved Claiborne and was deeply inspired but there were times I wanted to ask more specifically how this super activist would translate his work for "the rest of us" who may not end up making our own shoes or fueling our cars with left over cooking oil.  I felt like Will and Lisa's characters, Matt and Christine, represents the rest of us quite well.

In similar fashion to McLaren's, A New Kind of Christian, the Samson's communicate their heart and soul for social justice issues through the allegorical tale of a suburban family who begin sensing the call of Christ to intentionally and holistically fight for social justice. I thought it to be a very well written book but thats not why I believe it to be an important read. This book provides a gentle yet clear introduction to the importance of fighting for social justice amidst a culture held captive to consumerism. As Will states on page 43,

"...the stuff of this normal life so dominates our time and attention that we fail to see issues greater that ourselves. If we are never interrupted, and if we do not intentionally strive to raise people to value the stranger and the needy in the ways God does, everyday activities will crowd out God's call on our lives."

While reading this book, I began sensing a holy annoyance asking me to take a closer look at where I buy my clothes and even my groceries. How might those purchases effect individuals or the environment involved in the production process? And do I sincerely value my relationships over my stuff?

"How is it that the disciples of a great caregiver came to care so little for those in need? If we are to be making disciples in the model of Jesus, those disciples should want to care for those at the margins, just the way Jesus did." (p173)

Will and Lisa direct the reader back to the powerful words of Micah 6:8 which is what you see on my banner, to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God.

"When we focus too much on thinking right, we can forget to do right in ways that follow after God's heart. This can manifest itself in busyness of conversation, multiple Bible studies a week, and feeling so secure in our rightness that we don't naturally seek areas where we might be lacking." (p79)

The book does a wonderful job of communicating the reality that submerging in issues of social justice runs contrary to most church growth/seeker sensitive marketing strategies. Investing in social justice which can be done in one's own neighborhood is typically inconvenient and potentially frustrating but it is the calling of a church who seeks to follow Jesus.

I am thankful for Justice In The Burbs and again for Irresistible Revolution, two of my powerful summer reads that have been shaking, haunting, and calling me back to reading, studying, and most importantly doing the life of Christ.

Birthday Sabbath

Feels weird. I turned 30 on Saturday. Any coolness I had when I identified myself as a 20-something has all faded away. Is there anything cool about being 30?

On Saturday I talked to some friends and family members and everyone wanted to know what we were going to do to celebrate. And my reply? Absolutely nothing. Well, we did walk over to Pete's @ DU for breakfast but thats the only time we got out all day. I laid around and watched some college football. (And loved watching highlights of "THE upset" over and over again.) I tinkered around with the blog, I strummed the guitar a little. Late in the afternoon I went to the park and lazily shot some hoops and soaked in some sun. Came back put some burgers on the grill. After dinner we watched a deeply spiritual movie called Wild Hogs. And that was it.

At the end of the day, Angie and I looked back and couldn't believe how great that day was. I couldn't remember the last time I just went to the park and shot some hoops like that. We realized we, without knowing it, just took a serious sabbath rest. It felt quite unusual but a good and refreshing unusual. So, we decided to try it again yesterday and since today's labor day we're going to do it all over again.

You'd think that a guy who describes himself as a pseudo-monastic would know a bit more about a sabbath. I guess sabbath is doing what refreshes you most and I hear you're supposed to actually do it once every week. Wow. What a concept, God. Thanks.