I am on my way back to internet. We moved last Saturday and the cable guy is supposed to be coming today. That means...more blogaliciousness for all me blogbuds. I am extraordinarily busy right now with life. Pray for me to discern how best to manage my time!
Meanwhile, make my life easier as well as kids in Kenya by setting aside Feb. 7 for our fundraiser! If you choose a fancy restaurant over our dinner and concert for your sweetheart, may it be cursed. May you have nausea, heartburn, upset stomach, indigestion and diarrhea that not even pepto bismol can remedy.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
TOUCHED BY THE KING
Rock and Roll's King is coming out of his 40 year hibernation for a benefit concert to help fund the trip to Kenya that I am leading for 12 young adults. It will be a semi-formal to formal dinner and concert on February 7 at 7:00 p.m. at Wadsworth United Methodist Church.
I haven't posted on the Kenya trip in a while but things are moving along with this. We have a lot of fundraising to do in the next few months and we need your support!
This really is a mission that is life giving and life saving
We will be building a chicken coop for a school in Kenya. The kids there often go 2-3 days without eating anything. How can they focus on education? How can their self-esteem be high? How can they succeed and beat poverty? This chicken coop will provide them with enough meat and eggs to eat daily and receive the necessary nutrition kids require to be healthy. We're not just talking for a day or a week but essentially throughout their schooling. And we're not talking about 50 kids or 100 kids but 500 kids. We will also spend time teaching these same kids about AIDS awareness which is obviously a huge need and life saving message as well.
I can't emphasize the significance of this anymore than I have. The cost for each young adult to go is $3200 and we have been actively pursuing many different means of funding, but it is getting closer to crunch time and this is a big fundraiser for us. Please come support us, but more importantly support these kids. $30 for a ticket. $200 for a table of 8.
The fancy valentines dinners and expensive gifts...the roses that wilt in a week's time...why not do something with your sweetheart that is more worthwhile and come to our event! Or just bring a group of friends and get a table of 8 and have a blast together while impacting the world.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Frosty can of corn
Its frigid here. The very concept of going negative in temperature is funny to think about. It is now so cold that there are officially no degrees to hand out. Even worse, we are removing degrees. We are in debt in the degree category. We owe degrees. I think the windchill has approached -30.
I was leaving my mentor time with John and he pulled up to my car and told me to put it on WTAM 1100 AM radio. I did, and suddenly my heart warmed and the piles of snow melted away from my presence. On the coldest day of the year...and quite possibly of the last few years, Eric Wedge was being interviewed about the Cleveland Indians. That's right. Baseball in January. Forget about the bumbling NCAA division 2 level Cleveland Browns, and lets talk cavs once they have finished owning the East, setting the record for home wins in a season and going straight to the finals...It's baseball season.
Here are my 7 keys to the AL Central Pennant.
1. Travis Hafner returns to form- Pronk must be a healthy productive middle of the line up guy or the tribe suffers.
2. Cliff Lee pitches like the 2008 version and not the 2007 version. The guy was freak nasty last year and still no one really noticed.
3. Carmona pitches like the 2007 version and not the 2008 version. If his sinker isn't sinking, he's sunk.
4. Kerry Wood appears in 60 games. If he makes that many appearances, it means the tribe is winning and he's closing games and it means he is healthy.
5. The bottom of the rotation has a .500 record or better. If Carmona and Lee can be league leaders like they have shown, then Laffey, Sowers, and Pavano (and any number of other youngsters who can compete for those spots) just need to keep the boat from rocking. If they can keep the Indians in the game, then the bullpen and bats can take us to glory.
6. Victor Martinez and Kelly Shoppach need to find their way into the lineup as everyday guys. I'm not sure what this means. I guess the odd man out would be Garko, though, I hear he's working on his outfield skills, but Martinez at 1st and Shoppach calling the game behind the plate makes a lot of sense.
7. Grady has another 30/30 gold glove caliber year. 30 homers and 30 base thefts from your lead off? He can make it happen.
Well, there's my baseball/spring fever fix. I'd go play catch outside now, but I have sensitive skin that prefers warm weather (a.k.a. I'm a wuss.)
Inauguration Day
This is truly a neat week in our nation's history. The timing of inauguration is especially meaningful this week as it happens the day after celebrating MLK Day. What king fought for (nonviolently mind you) is now being realized to some extent today in the initiation of the first African-American President this country has seen. In the words of the profound wordsmith Jay-Z "(Rosa)Parks sat so King could walk so Obama could run." It is a movement in the right direction, but I am leery.
In some areas of this country race still matters. I have heard utterances that black people only voted for Obama because he is black (utterances of white people). I wonder if we are as far as we think. Nonetheless, today is monumental in history.
So, what one issue, global, national or otherwise would you appeal to Obama to most wholeheartedly address?
The two wars?
Immigration?
Global Warming?
Economy?
Others?
Monday, January 19, 2009
MLK Day
I like Martin Luther King Jr. The man of God was a pioneer and revolutionary voice in a time when this country could have turned far more violent.
One of the contributions I value is his notion of the Cycle of Violence.
Over-simplified, The Cycle of Violence is when an aggressor comes on the scene and humiliates another, the humiliated responds violently to stand up for themselves, fight for what's right and defend their dignity and humanity. That violence is reciprocated by the aggressor and violent conflict is the norm. In violent conflict, there is always a loser and a winner. The winner will then humiliate the loser and the cycle will eventually reproduce. Whenever we enter into the power game, there are losers and winners.
MLK, drawing from the message, teaching and life of Jesus, said that one must engage in breaking the cycle of violence. In other words, if someone seeks to humiliate you, you do not respond violently, but you take a nonviolent stand against the oppressor and when they strike you, you get back up and you stand until they strike you again and again and again. Eventually you will either die, or you will provoke the aggressor to begin questioning why they are striking you, or even better, to recognize your humanity. It is this painful and treacherous road that leads to the end of the cycle of violence. It is in struggle that great and lasting change is achieved. This is how change was initiated in the south in the 60's and how change was initiated in India with Gandhi and how change was initiated in South Africa with Apartheid.
Thanks Dr. King for being a modern reminder of the true ethic of Jesus, that no one has power over me if I refuse to enter the power game they are playing. Thanks for reminding us that this way is the better way, but it is the harder way as well. (Jesus, King, and Gandhi all died violent deaths.)
p.s. on a lesser note, thanks for having a day named after you that gets me a day off of classes too!
One of the contributions I value is his notion of the Cycle of Violence.
Over-simplified, The Cycle of Violence is when an aggressor comes on the scene and humiliates another, the humiliated responds violently to stand up for themselves, fight for what's right and defend their dignity and humanity. That violence is reciprocated by the aggressor and violent conflict is the norm. In violent conflict, there is always a loser and a winner. The winner will then humiliate the loser and the cycle will eventually reproduce. Whenever we enter into the power game, there are losers and winners.
MLK, drawing from the message, teaching and life of Jesus, said that one must engage in breaking the cycle of violence. In other words, if someone seeks to humiliate you, you do not respond violently, but you take a nonviolent stand against the oppressor and when they strike you, you get back up and you stand until they strike you again and again and again. Eventually you will either die, or you will provoke the aggressor to begin questioning why they are striking you, or even better, to recognize your humanity. It is this painful and treacherous road that leads to the end of the cycle of violence. It is in struggle that great and lasting change is achieved. This is how change was initiated in the south in the 60's and how change was initiated in India with Gandhi and how change was initiated in South Africa with Apartheid.
Thanks Dr. King for being a modern reminder of the true ethic of Jesus, that no one has power over me if I refuse to enter the power game they are playing. Thanks for reminding us that this way is the better way, but it is the harder way as well. (Jesus, King, and Gandhi all died violent deaths.)
p.s. on a lesser note, thanks for having a day named after you that gets me a day off of classes too!
Sunday, January 18, 2009
It's official
I have taken an additional role at my church. I was simply the director of young adult ministry but now I will also add adult ministry to my responsibilities!
It is an exciting endeavor for many reasons
1. I love leading and casting vision. We have a lot of potential for how to better make disciples in our church and community and I can't wait to dive in to this.
2. Shaina and I have resigned from the pizza shop! That means, for the first time in our marriage we are both only working one job. 5 years of part time gigs, hard work with no pay and crazy hours!
3. We are moving! In two weeks we will be trekking to the edge of Canal Fulton and will be in our first non-apartment living situation in 5 years.
I have a good deal on my plate, particularly until I finish school. If I can get to graduation and then home from Africa at the end of June, the things that consume my time, thought life and waking moments will finally be past! Pray for me to be a strong manager of my time and sense the Lord's leading in each aspect of my life!
Here's to new challenges and adventures!
It is an exciting endeavor for many reasons
1. I love leading and casting vision. We have a lot of potential for how to better make disciples in our church and community and I can't wait to dive in to this.
2. Shaina and I have resigned from the pizza shop! That means, for the first time in our marriage we are both only working one job. 5 years of part time gigs, hard work with no pay and crazy hours!
3. We are moving! In two weeks we will be trekking to the edge of Canal Fulton and will be in our first non-apartment living situation in 5 years.
I have a good deal on my plate, particularly until I finish school. If I can get to graduation and then home from Africa at the end of June, the things that consume my time, thought life and waking moments will finally be past! Pray for me to be a strong manager of my time and sense the Lord's leading in each aspect of my life!
Here's to new challenges and adventures!
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Ed rocks it, Lee...not horrible
Went to After Edmund and Leeland last night in ashland. Two very different bands. After Edmund was a way better performance. At one point, they had two drummers, one banging away on a toddler-esque drumset and the other going nuts on the real set. The last song they did, "Thank God" (below) was great. High Energy, strong vocals and the guitar player chucked his guitar around himself twice using the strap on his neck. The keyboard player was standing on his keys at one point...crazyfun.
Leeland was altogether different. They has almost 0 style as a band, and Leeland struggled (talking...he quoted 1st Colossians...really? lol...and playing...He struggled through a song that was just him and the keyboard.) While his lyrics are more profound and spiritually moving and in general his set was more worshipful, I am just not amped up about their sound. All in all though, a good show.
Leeland was altogether different. They has almost 0 style as a band, and Leeland struggled (talking...he quoted 1st Colossians...really? lol...and playing...He struggled through a song that was just him and the keyboard.) While his lyrics are more profound and spiritually moving and in general his set was more worshipful, I am just not amped up about their sound. All in all though, a good show.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
What is the Gospel...really?
This week in church we will be talking about the Good News a.k.a. the gospel.
Wouldn't you know it, I have an evangelism assignment for class that has me define what the gospel is in 2-3 pages. I typed up a first draft last night. Here it is. I encourage you to engage in this conversation. What is the Good News?
_______________________________________________________________________________
The gospel message of the Christian faith can be summed up in three distinct, yet interdependent frameworks. The good news is eschatological, transformational and missional. Stated another way, the gospel is kingdom, new creation and empowered.
The Eschatological Framework
The message of Jesus is undeniably framed with a new kingdom mindset. In the gospel accounts, Jesus speaks more on ‘the kingdom’ than he does on any other topic, including love and prayer. Thus, our understanding of good news, must be developed in the context of kingdom. Jesus has ushered in a new movement in the metanarrative of God and at the heart of that movement is the reestablishment of God on the throne and his creation recognizing his reign. The good news is that God is sovereign.
The Transformational Framework
This new movement of God is a movement back to Eden. The redemptive act of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection is good news. Humanity has now a new propensity toward redemption and reconciliation with the Most High God and while the cross is the catalyst of this new movement, it is the Spirit that was sent to the world that enables transformation, namely through new creation. The life yielded to the work of the Holy Spirit is one that is truly washed clean and made new. Perhaps an even more significant result of the cross than the atonement of one’s sin is the fruit of the atonement in creation of new and resurrected life. The gospel of Christ offers hope to the hopeless and redemption for the irredeemable. The good news is that God has set the captives free.
The Missional Framework
The gospel message has never been meant for individualistic consumption. It has always taken place in the context of ever expanding community. This is indicative in Jesus’ great commandment (Matt. 22:36-40) and great commission (Matt. 28:18-20). The aim for the people of God is to radically love their neighbor. The primary purpose for the people of God is to make disciples. In other words, the gospel is not designed to exist in a vacuum but is to be intentionally shared and lived out by the people of God so that more and more people can encounter the Most High God. The Holy Spirit empowers the people of God to share the message of hope and truly offer the love and grace that can be found in Jesus Christ. The good news is that God has empowered his people to proclaim Him.
It is in these three settings that one understands the gospel. While the eschatological notion of the kingdom of God is in some ways distinct from the redemptive new creation process guided by his Spirit and the mission God’s people have been called to, it is not separable from the other two aspects. God’s reign is necessarily linked to God’s redemptive work among individuals and communities and is enacted and proclaimed to the nations through the empowering of the people of God. Likewise, God’s redemptive work must be situated in the context of orienting one’s life around God’s supremacy and God’s call to preach good news to the captives. Lastly, the mission of the people of God (the Church) is ineffective unless it is set in the context of redemption and magnification (worship). Thus, the three aspects of the good news of Jesus Christ are individually significant but interdependent nonetheless.
Understanding the gospel in this context greatly informs the individual, as well as the community about how the good news should be articulated and relevant to them. As the person and people of God discover more deeply what it means to worship God in the highest as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, they come in contact with holy God and through their authentic relationship with God become a radiant witness to his majesty. Similarly, as a community yields themselves to the redemptive work of the Holy Spirit and become active participants in the New Creation process, the transformation that takes place can not help but be noticed by those desperate to be set free. Lastly, the people of God who are empowered and anointed by the Living God to proclaim in word and deed the good news of what Christ has done on the cross, are actively and purposefully rubbing shoulders with the people in dire need of a Savior. It is not so much that the people of God develop an effective or strategic plan to evangelize the lost people of the world, but instead, through God’s powerful, life-changing work, the community of Christ followers saturated with the Holy Spirit can not help but drip the hope of the gospel to all they encounter. That is the Good News.
Wouldn't you know it, I have an evangelism assignment for class that has me define what the gospel is in 2-3 pages. I typed up a first draft last night. Here it is. I encourage you to engage in this conversation. What is the Good News?
_______________________________________________________________________________
The gospel message of the Christian faith can be summed up in three distinct, yet interdependent frameworks. The good news is eschatological, transformational and missional. Stated another way, the gospel is kingdom, new creation and empowered.
The Eschatological Framework
The message of Jesus is undeniably framed with a new kingdom mindset. In the gospel accounts, Jesus speaks more on ‘the kingdom’ than he does on any other topic, including love and prayer. Thus, our understanding of good news, must be developed in the context of kingdom. Jesus has ushered in a new movement in the metanarrative of God and at the heart of that movement is the reestablishment of God on the throne and his creation recognizing his reign. The good news is that God is sovereign.
The Transformational Framework
This new movement of God is a movement back to Eden. The redemptive act of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection is good news. Humanity has now a new propensity toward redemption and reconciliation with the Most High God and while the cross is the catalyst of this new movement, it is the Spirit that was sent to the world that enables transformation, namely through new creation. The life yielded to the work of the Holy Spirit is one that is truly washed clean and made new. Perhaps an even more significant result of the cross than the atonement of one’s sin is the fruit of the atonement in creation of new and resurrected life. The gospel of Christ offers hope to the hopeless and redemption for the irredeemable. The good news is that God has set the captives free.
The Missional Framework
The gospel message has never been meant for individualistic consumption. It has always taken place in the context of ever expanding community. This is indicative in Jesus’ great commandment (Matt. 22:36-40) and great commission (Matt. 28:18-20). The aim for the people of God is to radically love their neighbor. The primary purpose for the people of God is to make disciples. In other words, the gospel is not designed to exist in a vacuum but is to be intentionally shared and lived out by the people of God so that more and more people can encounter the Most High God. The Holy Spirit empowers the people of God to share the message of hope and truly offer the love and grace that can be found in Jesus Christ. The good news is that God has empowered his people to proclaim Him.
It is in these three settings that one understands the gospel. While the eschatological notion of the kingdom of God is in some ways distinct from the redemptive new creation process guided by his Spirit and the mission God’s people have been called to, it is not separable from the other two aspects. God’s reign is necessarily linked to God’s redemptive work among individuals and communities and is enacted and proclaimed to the nations through the empowering of the people of God. Likewise, God’s redemptive work must be situated in the context of orienting one’s life around God’s supremacy and God’s call to preach good news to the captives. Lastly, the mission of the people of God (the Church) is ineffective unless it is set in the context of redemption and magnification (worship). Thus, the three aspects of the good news of Jesus Christ are individually significant but interdependent nonetheless.
Understanding the gospel in this context greatly informs the individual, as well as the community about how the good news should be articulated and relevant to them. As the person and people of God discover more deeply what it means to worship God in the highest as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, they come in contact with holy God and through their authentic relationship with God become a radiant witness to his majesty. Similarly, as a community yields themselves to the redemptive work of the Holy Spirit and become active participants in the New Creation process, the transformation that takes place can not help but be noticed by those desperate to be set free. Lastly, the people of God who are empowered and anointed by the Living God to proclaim in word and deed the good news of what Christ has done on the cross, are actively and purposefully rubbing shoulders with the people in dire need of a Savior. It is not so much that the people of God develop an effective or strategic plan to evangelize the lost people of the world, but instead, through God’s powerful, life-changing work, the community of Christ followers saturated with the Holy Spirit can not help but drip the hope of the gospel to all they encounter. That is the Good News.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
addictions
time to get real, there are two things that I spend too much time with.
1. Mountain Dew. It's fresh tastiness from the cold mountain tops of the rockies soothes me...and it adds to my waist line. I have 1-2 cans of it a day.
2. www.pogo.com Usually I use this site as a reward/incentive for getting school work done, or accomplishing a series of things on a to-do-list. I am a scrabble junky...no joke, if you think you can hang with me, let me know and we will battle on pogo...its free, its addictive and it is a monumental waste of time. But I still manage to play from time to time.
So...what's your addiction?
1. Mountain Dew. It's fresh tastiness from the cold mountain tops of the rockies soothes me...and it adds to my waist line. I have 1-2 cans of it a day.
2. www.pogo.com Usually I use this site as a reward/incentive for getting school work done, or accomplishing a series of things on a to-do-list. I am a scrabble junky...no joke, if you think you can hang with me, let me know and we will battle on pogo...its free, its addictive and it is a monumental waste of time. But I still manage to play from time to time.
So...what's your addiction?
Saturday, January 10, 2009
I'm old
I turned 26 in December.
My body aches when I am done playing a sport.
Worse yet, I have to stretch out extensively before I start a sport.
I sprain an ankle and it takes 2 months to recover.
And I discovered something last night. I was hanging out at a sort've mini-college-reunion and we spent the majority of the evening reflecting on the good ol days. I realized that most everyone lives a sort've 'sedated' adult life. We do adult things, act adultly and are generally pretty boring. When did living the good ol days become remembering the good ol days?
Enough of careers, mortgages, Ben Gay and metamucil tablets...I'm gonna live on the edge of life...starting tomorrow, because the sun's going down and that means its almost bed time haha.
What's the tell tale sign that you're not as young as you once were?
My body aches when I am done playing a sport.
Worse yet, I have to stretch out extensively before I start a sport.
I sprain an ankle and it takes 2 months to recover.
And I discovered something last night. I was hanging out at a sort've mini-college-reunion and we spent the majority of the evening reflecting on the good ol days. I realized that most everyone lives a sort've 'sedated' adult life. We do adult things, act adultly and are generally pretty boring. When did living the good ol days become remembering the good ol days?
Enough of careers, mortgages, Ben Gay and metamucil tablets...I'm gonna live on the edge of life...starting tomorrow, because the sun's going down and that means its almost bed time haha.
What's the tell tale sign that you're not as young as you once were?
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Its that time again
Back to school tomorrow. As usual, I've got 16 grueling hours. To be tackled this quarter:
Ethics
Evangelism
Greek II
The Book of Hosea (Hebrew track)
I need to crank it up a notch this quarter as the difficulty and workload for these courses is higher than last quarter.
I also have a few other big things on my plate.
-Stay tuned for these!
Friday, January 2, 2009
Influence-Quantity vs. Quality
Something I have been thinking about recently is who my impact zone is. Who do I have the ability to influence and partly by my leadership (mostly by the Holy Spirit) bring toward a deeper relationship with Christ?
I think there are a couple key things to consider with this. They are, as my unexciting, all revealing, blog title suggest, QUANTITY VS. QUALITY.
For instance, my influence can be felt most quantitatively through the internet. I can 'rub shoulders' with in theory thousands or even millions who could potentially read this very blog, or engage with me on facebook, email, myspace, etc. So if quantity is my main drive, then I need to shamelessly self-promote this blog (and brainwash you to promote this blog as well. If our powers unite we could have an impact the size of Captain Planet.
However, can a virtual world feed one's soul the way God has orchestrated since the beginning? Can internet discipleship or blog influence really bring about the QUALITY of disciples that God wants and the Church desperately needs? I think that this type of influence comes more frequently through one on one discipleship/mentorship times or through small group interaction with a trusted group of spiritual sojourners or simply having coffee or lunch together and seeing how life is.
The tension between the two is dynamic. If I embrace Quantity and believe that maximum reach with minimum impact serves the purposes of the kingdom, then I choose to lock myself in my blogging dungeon and make a more technologically advanced blog with amazing graphic artistry.
If I choose quality, then I make myself intentionally accessible to people at all times. I spend time over breakfast, lunch and dinner investing in people and spurring them on to become more and more the people God intends them to be.
I think I will settle for somewhere near the fence, believing that this blogworld offers some level of love, community and influence, but never abandoning the world of face to face encounters, because that is often where community happens.
What do you think? Quality or Quantity?
I think there are a couple key things to consider with this. They are, as my unexciting, all revealing, blog title suggest, QUANTITY VS. QUALITY.
For instance, my influence can be felt most quantitatively through the internet. I can 'rub shoulders' with in theory thousands or even millions who could potentially read this very blog, or engage with me on facebook, email, myspace, etc. So if quantity is my main drive, then I need to shamelessly self-promote this blog (and brainwash you to promote this blog as well. If our powers unite we could have an impact the size of Captain Planet.
However, can a virtual world feed one's soul the way God has orchestrated since the beginning? Can internet discipleship or blog influence really bring about the QUALITY of disciples that God wants and the Church desperately needs? I think that this type of influence comes more frequently through one on one discipleship/mentorship times or through small group interaction with a trusted group of spiritual sojourners or simply having coffee or lunch together and seeing how life is.
The tension between the two is dynamic. If I embrace Quantity and believe that maximum reach with minimum impact serves the purposes of the kingdom, then I choose to lock myself in my blogging dungeon and make a more technologically advanced blog with amazing graphic artistry.
If I choose quality, then I make myself intentionally accessible to people at all times. I spend time over breakfast, lunch and dinner investing in people and spurring them on to become more and more the people God intends them to be.
I think I will settle for somewhere near the fence, believing that this blogworld offers some level of love, community and influence, but never abandoning the world of face to face encounters, because that is often where community happens.
What do you think? Quality or Quantity?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)