As I leave today and allow my parents to spend entirely too much money for me to spend a week in the Mayan Riviera for my cousins wedding I am reminded of my own hypocrisy.
As it is I look forward to spending the traveling and the week reading as much as my brain can handle, hiking some Mayan ruins, spending time with family, and taking a faith journey while high on peyote (I'm still trying to decide on that last part).
Hopefully I will have plenty to talk about when I return. Also the library will be open and I can finally research Prayer and Baptism.
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Home(less) for the Holydays
I know among the many terrible things Christmas can be, that it is often a wonderful (yet stressful) time with family and friends. I ask that in the coming week you would not forget our homeless friends. The holydays are a terrible time for the homeless. Many homeless people have no family, or have been disowned. Those who do still have family have most of the time at least lost contact with them.
While we enjoy time with family, or phone calls with family, we should remember our friends. It is cold out, and most shelters only allow visitors to stay for 7 days a month. Take some time to gather some of your abundance, some clothes that are going to waste, some of God's goodness that we hoard to ourselves. Take the time to gather it, and give it to those who don't have. Take some time away from your family (or with it) and go be the family of a homeless person. Don't use ignorance as your excuse, call any homeless ministry in your area and they will give you some advice.
If you are reading this blog, chances are you have been economically blessed amazingly by God (as I have). God doesn't give us wealth so we can enjoy it. (now don't get me wrong, there is nothing inherently wrong with money, or possesions) God gives to us, that we may be his hands and feet and bless others. Israel always viewed her role as God's redemptive hand on earth, and while she often fell (as we do) and while she often failed in her job (as we do) she did, in the end, produce the redeemer.
Too often the church sees Christ as only saviour, when we attempt to be his hands and feet we try only to save. When the church views Christ as redeemer, friend, lover, teacher, God and saviour she can become the manifestation of God on earth, being his hands and feet, serving those who God has given us to serve.
Think about ways you can be God's hands and feet to the world in the coming week. And then act on it.
While we enjoy time with family, or phone calls with family, we should remember our friends. It is cold out, and most shelters only allow visitors to stay for 7 days a month. Take some time to gather some of your abundance, some clothes that are going to waste, some of God's goodness that we hoard to ourselves. Take the time to gather it, and give it to those who don't have. Take some time away from your family (or with it) and go be the family of a homeless person. Don't use ignorance as your excuse, call any homeless ministry in your area and they will give you some advice.
If you are reading this blog, chances are you have been economically blessed amazingly by God (as I have). God doesn't give us wealth so we can enjoy it. (now don't get me wrong, there is nothing inherently wrong with money, or possesions) God gives to us, that we may be his hands and feet and bless others. Israel always viewed her role as God's redemptive hand on earth, and while she often fell (as we do) and while she often failed in her job (as we do) she did, in the end, produce the redeemer.
Too often the church sees Christ as only saviour, when we attempt to be his hands and feet we try only to save. When the church views Christ as redeemer, friend, lover, teacher, God and saviour she can become the manifestation of God on earth, being his hands and feet, serving those who God has given us to serve.
Think about ways you can be God's hands and feet to the world in the coming week. And then act on it.
Thursday, December 21, 2006
I don't hustle, I just turn tricks for money.
he said as he couldn't even bear to make eye contact with me.
If you want to see Jesus, if you want to meet him, in the flesh, go tomorrow night, go to a certain corner in Montrose, and look for the people with the little white name placards on. And meet Jesus.
My friends at Emmaus Ministries are God's hands and feet on earth. They are reaching out to redeem the parts of society that nobody else reaches out to. If you don't want your heart broken, I suggest you skip over this post.
Emmaus Ministries reaches out to male prostitutes in the Montrose area of Houston. These gentlemen (though often hard to tell which sex they are) are referred to as hustlers. Tonight I got to step into the realm of the hustler and just catch a glimpse into his world. I walked the streets tonight with my good friend Dan from Emmaus. We wandered from 1030 until 230, spending some time on busy street corners, and some time at a bar.
The scene is unreal. The first person we encountered was walking alone. Dan said hi and the gent was willing to talk a bit. Dan lovingly asked some questions to show him that he cared for him. The thing that struck me was that every answer was ended with the phrase, "I'm just depressed, I just get depressed." I felt more pain coming from this person than I have ever felt from another human being before.
We arrived at the corner of Stanford and Hyde Park and it is unlike anything I have ever scene before. Dan immediately sees multiple people that he knows.There are plenty of gentleman (dressed as either sex) standing around talking, or walking to and fro. There is also a strong police presence. An undercover car sits at one corner while multiple police patrol the area regularly.
The intersection is out of the way, yet sees more traffic than most at this time of night. I had seen plenty of cars drive by slowly looking around when one came to a complete stop just next to us, and an agitated and frenetic man entered the car. I had seen him walking around and something was definitely not working well in his head. His movements were jerky, almost palsied and he seemed nervous. As he entered the car I got a good look at the driver. He was in his early 30s driving a nice truck, looked fairly clean cut. As I glanced his direction he put his hand to his face and looked the other way.
The car couldn't have been gone more than 5 minutes when I saw the frenetic hustler again on the corner. I also noticed the same truck drive by twice more. I was amazed at how quickly a trick could be tuvrned here. But the sadness continued to grow. I started noticing this older (late 50's) little white man with a white goatee driving by over and over staring at the hustlers. He looked like a philosophy professor. I even saw him try to pick up a hustler directly in front of the undercover police officer.
Then I met Anthony.
He couldn't have been more than 30, and I suppose being on the street makes you look even older. He wanted to sell me his watch (it was a nice watch!) for 15 dollars, needed a place to stay for the night because he heard it was going to rain. He didn't want to turn a trick for the 12 dollars he needed for a bed at a shelter because as he said "I don't hustle, I just turn tricks for money when I have to." He told me his story, how is only relative was his mother, who is in the state pen in Alabama. He said he lost everything in Katrina (he was from new orleans). Without an ID or a relative to vouch for you, you cannot get a birth certificate, Social Card, or a job. He didn't want to be on the street, and surely didn't want to be turning tricks for food.
It just breaks your heart. I have much more to write, but am pooped. I'll do an edit friday.
If you want to see Jesus, if you want to meet him, in the flesh, go tomorrow night, go to a certain corner in Montrose, and look for the people with the little white name placards on. And meet Jesus.
My friends at Emmaus Ministries are God's hands and feet on earth. They are reaching out to redeem the parts of society that nobody else reaches out to. If you don't want your heart broken, I suggest you skip over this post.
Emmaus Ministries reaches out to male prostitutes in the Montrose area of Houston. These gentlemen (though often hard to tell which sex they are) are referred to as hustlers. Tonight I got to step into the realm of the hustler and just catch a glimpse into his world. I walked the streets tonight with my good friend Dan from Emmaus. We wandered from 1030 until 230, spending some time on busy street corners, and some time at a bar.
The scene is unreal. The first person we encountered was walking alone. Dan said hi and the gent was willing to talk a bit. Dan lovingly asked some questions to show him that he cared for him. The thing that struck me was that every answer was ended with the phrase, "I'm just depressed, I just get depressed." I felt more pain coming from this person than I have ever felt from another human being before.
We arrived at the corner of Stanford and Hyde Park and it is unlike anything I have ever scene before. Dan immediately sees multiple people that he knows.There are plenty of gentleman (dressed as either sex) standing around talking, or walking to and fro. There is also a strong police presence. An undercover car sits at one corner while multiple police patrol the area regularly.
The intersection is out of the way, yet sees more traffic than most at this time of night. I had seen plenty of cars drive by slowly looking around when one came to a complete stop just next to us, and an agitated and frenetic man entered the car. I had seen him walking around and something was definitely not working well in his head. His movements were jerky, almost palsied and he seemed nervous. As he entered the car I got a good look at the driver. He was in his early 30s driving a nice truck, looked fairly clean cut. As I glanced his direction he put his hand to his face and looked the other way.
The car couldn't have been gone more than 5 minutes when I saw the frenetic hustler again on the corner. I also noticed the same truck drive by twice more. I was amazed at how quickly a trick could be tuvrned here. But the sadness continued to grow. I started noticing this older (late 50's) little white man with a white goatee driving by over and over staring at the hustlers. He looked like a philosophy professor. I even saw him try to pick up a hustler directly in front of the undercover police officer.
Then I met Anthony.
He couldn't have been more than 30, and I suppose being on the street makes you look even older. He wanted to sell me his watch (it was a nice watch!) for 15 dollars, needed a place to stay for the night because he heard it was going to rain. He didn't want to turn a trick for the 12 dollars he needed for a bed at a shelter because as he said "I don't hustle, I just turn tricks for money when I have to." He told me his story, how is only relative was his mother, who is in the state pen in Alabama. He said he lost everything in Katrina (he was from new orleans). Without an ID or a relative to vouch for you, you cannot get a birth certificate, Social Card, or a job. He didn't want to be on the street, and surely didn't want to be turning tricks for food.
It just breaks your heart. I have much more to write, but am pooped. I'll do an edit friday.
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
The Diary of Snod
I've probably posted this before.
I love my church. And by church, I mean gathering of local christ-followers.
For those of you in blogland who don't know me, after I graduated from college I went to work for some dear friends at a church I had been involved with in high school. I was brought on staff as a wide-eyed kid (like I'm much older now) to run the middle school ministries. I enjoyed my time at the church. I really did. Eventually however, my eyes truly began to open. To a number of things: the consumerism of the church, hyperspiritualization, denominationalism.
As I started to see how I had lost track of the world, my spirituality, and life in general, the weight of my disappointment and disgust of myself started to bring me down.
The last three months at the church were not pleasant, and looking back, I should have left earlier. What few positive effects I had been having on the kingdom began to disappear as I sunk lower into sheol.
Finally, through some dramatic and unfortunate experiences at the church I realized I had better just go.
All of this is just to explain where I am coming from.
I was really depressed with the state of the church, and even embarrassed to face God because I knew I had been a leading proponent of much of what was depressing.
It was time to change. I knew it was time to leave ministry for a while. And I promised myself I would never work for a church I wouldn't attend.
That made me think about what kind of church I wanted to attend.
I was searching for truth, I wanted a church that was doing that as well. I desparately needed people to love, and people to love me. I was starting to care for the world, it would be nice to find others who do.
Well, I started looking, and I got lucky on my first try. The church I am attending doesn't like to be called "a church." In fact, they call themselves a community of christians. They are also passionately seeking truth, sometimes that means breaking down old walls. They care deeply about the world around us, they have more passion than I in this area, and constantly drive me to see the world with different eyes. They also immediately loved me. And I had found my group of people love as well.
Here is my new "christian gathering's" mission statement (if you even want to call it that).
Holistic Missional Christian Community
Holistic: We believe that the Gospel impacts every area of a person's life and culture. We reject unfounded categories that divide the world into uniquely sacred or purely secular. God is redeeming all of creation through Jesus.
Missional: We believe that the church exists for the world and not for herself - she is to introduce and usher in the Kingdom of God into every part of this world.
Christian: We embrace the teachings and divinity of Jesus Christ as well as His unique role as the means of salvation from sin for all who believe. We embrace the Scripture as God's primary instrument by which He introduces this message to the world.
Community: We believe that salvation brings people together as a reflection of a triune God: Father, Son and Spirit. Saved from sin by faith through grace, the people of God are able to live in unity as was intended by God in the beginning.
Here is some more beliefs of the community that are beautiful.
Struggle
A worldview that does not see culture as sacred or secular, but redeemed or in need of redemption.
Community
We value other churches.
Justice
We are the voice for the helpless, understanding that God's Word says, "pyre religion is to care for the widow and the orphan."
Hope
The next generation of leaders are called out now.
History
The ancient story of God is retold and lived out.
Mission
Culture is met, transformed, and embraced.
Beauty
Beauty, art, and creativity, are valued, utilized, and understood as coming from our Creator.
I have found my place of healing and rest. And at the same time it stretches me and challenges me and pushes me to higher heights. It is a place I can feel comfort, but not complacency. Love but not apathy. Justice but not vengeance. Tradition but not religiousity.
I love my church. And by church, I mean gathering of local christ-followers.
For those of you in blogland who don't know me, after I graduated from college I went to work for some dear friends at a church I had been involved with in high school. I was brought on staff as a wide-eyed kid (like I'm much older now) to run the middle school ministries. I enjoyed my time at the church. I really did. Eventually however, my eyes truly began to open. To a number of things: the consumerism of the church, hyperspiritualization, denominationalism.
As I started to see how I had lost track of the world, my spirituality, and life in general, the weight of my disappointment and disgust of myself started to bring me down.
The last three months at the church were not pleasant, and looking back, I should have left earlier. What few positive effects I had been having on the kingdom began to disappear as I sunk lower into sheol.
Finally, through some dramatic and unfortunate experiences at the church I realized I had better just go.
All of this is just to explain where I am coming from.
I was really depressed with the state of the church, and even embarrassed to face God because I knew I had been a leading proponent of much of what was depressing.
It was time to change. I knew it was time to leave ministry for a while. And I promised myself I would never work for a church I wouldn't attend.
That made me think about what kind of church I wanted to attend.
I was searching for truth, I wanted a church that was doing that as well. I desparately needed people to love, and people to love me. I was starting to care for the world, it would be nice to find others who do.
Well, I started looking, and I got lucky on my first try. The church I am attending doesn't like to be called "a church." In fact, they call themselves a community of christians. They are also passionately seeking truth, sometimes that means breaking down old walls. They care deeply about the world around us, they have more passion than I in this area, and constantly drive me to see the world with different eyes. They also immediately loved me. And I had found my group of people love as well.
Here is my new "christian gathering's" mission statement (if you even want to call it that).
Holistic Missional Christian Community
Holistic: We believe that the Gospel impacts every area of a person's life and culture. We reject unfounded categories that divide the world into uniquely sacred or purely secular. God is redeeming all of creation through Jesus.
Missional: We believe that the church exists for the world and not for herself - she is to introduce and usher in the Kingdom of God into every part of this world.
Christian: We embrace the teachings and divinity of Jesus Christ as well as His unique role as the means of salvation from sin for all who believe. We embrace the Scripture as God's primary instrument by which He introduces this message to the world.
Community: We believe that salvation brings people together as a reflection of a triune God: Father, Son and Spirit. Saved from sin by faith through grace, the people of God are able to live in unity as was intended by God in the beginning.
Here is some more beliefs of the community that are beautiful.
Struggle
A worldview that does not see culture as sacred or secular, but redeemed or in need of redemption.
Community
We value other churches.
Justice
We are the voice for the helpless, understanding that God's Word says, "pyre religion is to care for the widow and the orphan."
Hope
The next generation of leaders are called out now.
History
The ancient story of God is retold and lived out.
Mission
Culture is met, transformed, and embraced.
Beauty
Beauty, art, and creativity, are valued, utilized, and understood as coming from our Creator.
I have found my place of healing and rest. And at the same time it stretches me and challenges me and pushes me to higher heights. It is a place I can feel comfort, but not complacency. Love but not apathy. Justice but not vengeance. Tradition but not religiousity.
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Prayer and Baptism
So I'm finding myself in need of much more study than I had originally thought. (I guess it makes sense when after two thousand years intelligent minds still disagree)
I'll try to have prayer at least approached messily by week's end. These days I find myself enjoying reading very much and also enjoying the near silence of a library.
It's also weird that I wonder if I should be praying about my study of prayer.
As we get deeper into advent remember that the holydays can be a lonely time for any of us, especially those in need of love. Forget "goodwill" (the idea not the organization) and start loving. Spend some time with a homeless person this week.
I'll try to have prayer at least approached messily by week's end. These days I find myself enjoying reading very much and also enjoying the near silence of a library.
It's also weird that I wonder if I should be praying about my study of prayer.
As we get deeper into advent remember that the holydays can be a lonely time for any of us, especially those in need of love. Forget "goodwill" (the idea not the organization) and start loving. Spend some time with a homeless person this week.
Saturday, December 16, 2006
Suburban Myopia
If you have any thoughts on this I really want to hear them.
As many of you (should) have gathered I am a bit frustrated with the consumer church and the suburban psyche. This has led me to start living missionally (the belief, and lifestyle that represents that I know I exist, as a part of the church, not for myself, but to usher in the kingdom of God into this world) and part of that means leaving the suburbs (not that moving is always required).
I remember talking to people about how frustrated I am with the self-centeredness and lack of community in the suburbs. How the idea of a suburb in the first place was moving out of the city and away from the poor and minorities. The thought process that living in a community of only white upper class people will keep the land values high and family values intact makes me sick. We have allowed finances and comfort to dominate our lives, and have removed compassion and diversity. As a part of these conversations I often mentioned that I knew that my frustration meant I ultimately would be back in the suburbs ministering to suburbanites, trying to open their eyes to some of these problems.
Well the time has come sooner than I anticipated (God has a funny way of doing that doesn't he?).
Here enters my new brainchild, Suburban Myopia.
I will define the term (I haven't coined it, and do not know who did, but as it is not commonly used, I will take the liberty to put my own spin on the definition) simply as "the purposeful inability of suburbanites to see problems in their city because they sequester themselves from them."
The definition needs to be tightened up, I know.
So SM is my idea for a ministry, which might in fact begin to exist next weekend. The ministry would exist to bring awareness about the plights of the poor and oppressed in the very cities which the suburbanites have fled. As awareness is raised, opportunities will be created for suburbanites to do something to help as well (giving money alone will probably not be an encouraged option).
SM will strive to put a face to poverty and challenge inaction and unconcern.
So for the first "mission" of SM I want to get together a group of 40 or so people together, all dress up like homeless people (making sure not to belittle the homeless or reinforce harmful stereotypes) and hold signs on the streets of a suburb.
Here are a few ideas for some of the signs.
If Christmas is Jesus' birthday how come you get more presents than him?
'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
Just because you don't see me doesn't mean I don't exist.
There are 14,999 more of me in Houston.
Why is it illegal to be homeless?
These are just some thoughts. More will need to be brainstormed. If 40 "homeless" people showed up at a busy intersection in a suburb it would make some noise.
To help you get a feel for the ministry I want you to think of the brilliant anti-smoking campaign, the truth. If you haven't seen their commercials go here and click on the white tv button just above the center of the page. There are three commercials available to view, but they have had many more. The campaign is pure brilliance. Doing public service announcements in public. Drawing as much attention as possible in busy areas. This is the feel I would like to have only for poverty and oppression awareness.
Of course I would like the ministry to have a more practical side as well. It would be necessary to connect the ministry with trustworthy organizations that aide the poor an oppressed.
Again, any ideas would be greatly appreciated. As well, if you are in the Houston area (there goes my semi-anonymity) and are interested in taking part in the homeless street corner gig on December 23 please email me here.
As many of you (should) have gathered I am a bit frustrated with the consumer church and the suburban psyche. This has led me to start living missionally (the belief, and lifestyle that represents that I know I exist, as a part of the church, not for myself, but to usher in the kingdom of God into this world) and part of that means leaving the suburbs (not that moving is always required).
I remember talking to people about how frustrated I am with the self-centeredness and lack of community in the suburbs. How the idea of a suburb in the first place was moving out of the city and away from the poor and minorities. The thought process that living in a community of only white upper class people will keep the land values high and family values intact makes me sick. We have allowed finances and comfort to dominate our lives, and have removed compassion and diversity. As a part of these conversations I often mentioned that I knew that my frustration meant I ultimately would be back in the suburbs ministering to suburbanites, trying to open their eyes to some of these problems.
Well the time has come sooner than I anticipated (God has a funny way of doing that doesn't he?).
Here enters my new brainchild, Suburban Myopia.
I will define the term (I haven't coined it, and do not know who did, but as it is not commonly used, I will take the liberty to put my own spin on the definition) simply as "the purposeful inability of suburbanites to see problems in their city because they sequester themselves from them."
The definition needs to be tightened up, I know.
So SM is my idea for a ministry, which might in fact begin to exist next weekend. The ministry would exist to bring awareness about the plights of the poor and oppressed in the very cities which the suburbanites have fled. As awareness is raised, opportunities will be created for suburbanites to do something to help as well (giving money alone will probably not be an encouraged option).
SM will strive to put a face to poverty and challenge inaction and unconcern.
So for the first "mission" of SM I want to get together a group of 40 or so people together, all dress up like homeless people (making sure not to belittle the homeless or reinforce harmful stereotypes) and hold signs on the streets of a suburb.
Here are a few ideas for some of the signs.
If Christmas is Jesus' birthday how come you get more presents than him?
'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
Just because you don't see me doesn't mean I don't exist.
There are 14,999 more of me in Houston.
Why is it illegal to be homeless?
These are just some thoughts. More will need to be brainstormed. If 40 "homeless" people showed up at a busy intersection in a suburb it would make some noise.
To help you get a feel for the ministry I want you to think of the brilliant anti-smoking campaign, the truth. If you haven't seen their commercials go here and click on the white tv button just above the center of the page. There are three commercials available to view, but they have had many more. The campaign is pure brilliance. Doing public service announcements in public. Drawing as much attention as possible in busy areas. This is the feel I would like to have only for poverty and oppression awareness.
Of course I would like the ministry to have a more practical side as well. It would be necessary to connect the ministry with trustworthy organizations that aide the poor an oppressed.
Again, any ideas would be greatly appreciated. As well, if you are in the Houston area (there goes my semi-anonymity) and are interested in taking part in the homeless street corner gig on December 23 please email me here.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Hit the road jack
If I haven't lost my 6 faithful readers by now (because I have nothing worthwhile to say, and its been 8 days since my last blog) then I'm sure I will this week.
I want to touch on a few hot topics this week. The first is baptism, everyone likes to talk about it, but nobody really has a clue what is going on (myself included). I want to look at baptism from a very scripturally and historically grounded point of view. This means I will be trying to study more in my free time, which dwindles as we near the holydays.
Secondly, I have for years now had a serious problem with prayer. Every book on prayer I've read (including the popular disciplines books by foster) has seemed vapid and has done nothing but make me feel like a spiritual failure. Again I would like to take a very scriptural and somewhat traditional look at prayer. I'm not sure how I feel about public prayer at all, much less the way we pray in church today. We also have lost so much of the meaning of prayer as our consumeristic society has taken it and made it into the thing that separates us from secular society.
Things might get a bit heated, as they often do, but I hope we can tear down some old, modern, american, self-centered, consumeristic, divisive walls and reconstruct a beautiful portrait of how these ideas fit into God's plan for creation.
I want to touch on a few hot topics this week. The first is baptism, everyone likes to talk about it, but nobody really has a clue what is going on (myself included). I want to look at baptism from a very scripturally and historically grounded point of view. This means I will be trying to study more in my free time, which dwindles as we near the holydays.
Secondly, I have for years now had a serious problem with prayer. Every book on prayer I've read (including the popular disciplines books by foster) has seemed vapid and has done nothing but make me feel like a spiritual failure. Again I would like to take a very scriptural and somewhat traditional look at prayer. I'm not sure how I feel about public prayer at all, much less the way we pray in church today. We also have lost so much of the meaning of prayer as our consumeristic society has taken it and made it into the thing that separates us from secular society.
Things might get a bit heated, as they often do, but I hope we can tear down some old, modern, american, self-centered, consumeristic, divisive walls and reconstruct a beautiful portrait of how these ideas fit into God's plan for creation.
Monday, December 04, 2006
Chasing Daylight
I just want to share the gist of the book and pass some good quotes along. I was chatting about the book a bit over dinner last night and it made me think more about it.
McManus basically says that we are continually presented with "divine moments" (moments where God presses us to act) and that we must learn to seize them to fully be a part of God's will.
I think that is a fair assessment of the book.
Anywho, it was one of those books that has tons of little gems buried in it, but the gems really didn't amount to anything life changing. However, it was probably what I needed in answer to my post about "do"ing last month.
He challenges us to recognize and take advantage of these moments to keep bringing the kingdom of God to earth.
Here are some great quotes from the book. Some are long, but I hate short quotes that give no context.
"Has it ever been in your power to do good, but you chose in stead to do nothing? You didn't choose to do evil; you just chose not to get involved- you chose to be neutral, to be a nonparticipant, to do nothing. For years the dominant focus of Christianity has been on the elimination of sin from our lives. Yet on the whole, I find the choices between good and evil to be pretty clear in the minds and hearts of those in relationship with Christ. It is not here that we become paralyzed. Once I am willing to turn from my sin and live a life that honors Gods, what do I do next? How do I distinguish between all the good choices in the world?
You would think that having unlimited options would be the platform for freedom, but that is often not he case. We have put so much emphasis on avoiding evil that we have become virtually blind to the endless opportunities for doing good. We have defined holiness through what we separate ourselves from rather than what we give ourselves to. I am convinced that the great tragedy is not the sins we commit, but the life that we fail to life. You cannot follow God in neutral. God has created you to do something. It is not enough to stop the wrong and then be paralyzed when it comes to the right,. God created you to do good. And doing this requires initiative. There is a subtle danger of hiding apathy behind piety. Getting rid of the sin in your life? Great. Now its time to do something."
"One of the most asked questions among sincere followers of Jesus Christ is, 'What is God's will for my life?' We want a detailed map or plan. We want God to spell it out so we can follow the instructions. Too often we want it clear and uncomplicated, but God simply does not work like that. For a lot of us the most spiritual thing we can do is to do something- to turn right when we want to turn left."
I think I missed the quote in the book on my way back through to get the good quotes, or maybe it is another book and author altogether. There is a quote somewhere that says that we always seek God's will for us. And thats the problem, God doesn't look at it like that. God has a will. That will dominates the very particles that create matter (hello string theory!). We don't need to be asking what God's will for our lives is, rather what God's will is and how we fit into it.
"I am convinced God longs to put His fingerprint in our lives, to act on our behalf and surprise us with His magnificence. I am equally convinced that most of the time we do not give God a context in which to do this."
"The information given us in the Scripture is there for the purpose of formation. God never intended to give us a Book with every detail needed to live our lives. He gave us a Book with everything necessary to shape our lives. He was trying not to download heaven's database, but to make us user-compatible. The fuel for a life of faith is more inspiration than information."
(Talking about a failing church plant system)
"If I were Cinderella, I could finish this story by telling you that the handsome prince showed up and made all my dreams come true. If I were Snow White, I could finish the story by telling you I finally woke up from my horrible nightmare. But in between 'once upon a time' and ' they lived happily ever after' is called now. And in the now there are all kinds of failures we have to live with. Failure can change us, shape us, teach us, and motivate us. Failure can be our friend. Failure is closely related to risk, which is closely related to success."
"Prayer is not about informing God of your needs, nor is it even about trying to convince God to helped you. Prayer is about connecting to God. It is about experiencing His presence and moving with Him in intimate communion."
"For some people being on the right side is about what is right, but for others being on the right side means making sure you win. We certainly live in a culture that glamorizes whoever wins regardless of character. You can have a criminal record and live an unsavory and notorious life, but if you win the Super Bowl, you're the hero. We've convinced ourselves that the content of a person's character has nothing to do with his effectiveness or stature."
McManus basically says that we are continually presented with "divine moments" (moments where God presses us to act) and that we must learn to seize them to fully be a part of God's will.
I think that is a fair assessment of the book.
Anywho, it was one of those books that has tons of little gems buried in it, but the gems really didn't amount to anything life changing. However, it was probably what I needed in answer to my post about "do"ing last month.
He challenges us to recognize and take advantage of these moments to keep bringing the kingdom of God to earth.
Here are some great quotes from the book. Some are long, but I hate short quotes that give no context.
"Has it ever been in your power to do good, but you chose in stead to do nothing? You didn't choose to do evil; you just chose not to get involved- you chose to be neutral, to be a nonparticipant, to do nothing. For years the dominant focus of Christianity has been on the elimination of sin from our lives. Yet on the whole, I find the choices between good and evil to be pretty clear in the minds and hearts of those in relationship with Christ. It is not here that we become paralyzed. Once I am willing to turn from my sin and live a life that honors Gods, what do I do next? How do I distinguish between all the good choices in the world?
You would think that having unlimited options would be the platform for freedom, but that is often not he case. We have put so much emphasis on avoiding evil that we have become virtually blind to the endless opportunities for doing good. We have defined holiness through what we separate ourselves from rather than what we give ourselves to. I am convinced that the great tragedy is not the sins we commit, but the life that we fail to life. You cannot follow God in neutral. God has created you to do something. It is not enough to stop the wrong and then be paralyzed when it comes to the right,. God created you to do good. And doing this requires initiative. There is a subtle danger of hiding apathy behind piety. Getting rid of the sin in your life? Great. Now its time to do something."
"One of the most asked questions among sincere followers of Jesus Christ is, 'What is God's will for my life?' We want a detailed map or plan. We want God to spell it out so we can follow the instructions. Too often we want it clear and uncomplicated, but God simply does not work like that. For a lot of us the most spiritual thing we can do is to do something- to turn right when we want to turn left."
I think I missed the quote in the book on my way back through to get the good quotes, or maybe it is another book and author altogether. There is a quote somewhere that says that we always seek God's will for us. And thats the problem, God doesn't look at it like that. God has a will. That will dominates the very particles that create matter (hello string theory!). We don't need to be asking what God's will for our lives is, rather what God's will is and how we fit into it.
"I am convinced God longs to put His fingerprint in our lives, to act on our behalf and surprise us with His magnificence. I am equally convinced that most of the time we do not give God a context in which to do this."
"The information given us in the Scripture is there for the purpose of formation. God never intended to give us a Book with every detail needed to live our lives. He gave us a Book with everything necessary to shape our lives. He was trying not to download heaven's database, but to make us user-compatible. The fuel for a life of faith is more inspiration than information."
(Talking about a failing church plant system)
"If I were Cinderella, I could finish this story by telling you that the handsome prince showed up and made all my dreams come true. If I were Snow White, I could finish the story by telling you I finally woke up from my horrible nightmare. But in between 'once upon a time' and ' they lived happily ever after' is called now. And in the now there are all kinds of failures we have to live with. Failure can change us, shape us, teach us, and motivate us. Failure can be our friend. Failure is closely related to risk, which is closely related to success."
"Prayer is not about informing God of your needs, nor is it even about trying to convince God to helped you. Prayer is about connecting to God. It is about experiencing His presence and moving with Him in intimate communion."
"For some people being on the right side is about what is right, but for others being on the right side means making sure you win. We certainly live in a culture that glamorizes whoever wins regardless of character. You can have a criminal record and live an unsavory and notorious life, but if you win the Super Bowl, you're the hero. We've convinced ourselves that the content of a person's character has nothing to do with his effectiveness or stature."
Crumbs from your Table
Bono's latest and greatest. A wonderful picture of the shortcomings of the American church from the view of the underprivileged.
Comes the blackest hole
You had so much to offer
Why did you offer your soul?
I was there for you baby
When you needed my help
Would you deny for others
What you demand for yourself?
Cool down mama, cool off
Cool down mama, cool off
You speak of signs and wonders
I need something other
I would believe if I was able
But I'm waiting on the crumbs from your table
You were pretty as a picture
It was all there to see
Then your face caught up with your psychology
With a mouth full of teeth
You ate all your friends
And you broke every heart thinking every heart mends
You speak of signs and wonders
But I need something other
I would believe if I was able
But I'm waiting on the crumbs from your table
Where you live should not decide
Whether you live or whether you die
Three to a bed
Sister Ann, she said
Dignity passes by
And you speak of signs and wonders
But I need something other
I would believe if I was able
I'm waiting on the crumbs from your table
U2 Lyrics - Crumbs From Your Table
From the brightest starComes the blackest hole
You had so much to offer
Why did you offer your soul?
I was there for you baby
When you needed my help
Would you deny for others
What you demand for yourself?
Cool down mama, cool off
Cool down mama, cool off
You speak of signs and wonders
I need something other
I would believe if I was able
But I'm waiting on the crumbs from your table
You were pretty as a picture
It was all there to see
Then your face caught up with your psychology
With a mouth full of teeth
You ate all your friends
And you broke every heart thinking every heart mends
You speak of signs and wonders
But I need something other
I would believe if I was able
But I'm waiting on the crumbs from your table
Where you live should not decide
Whether you live or whether you die
Three to a bed
Sister Ann, she said
Dignity passes by
And you speak of signs and wonders
But I need something other
I would believe if I was able
I'm waiting on the crumbs from your table
Friday, December 01, 2006
Cold
Its cold out. Bitter. Just about as bad as it gets in these parts in the average year. I used to love winter, the cold, and I guess I still do. But I can't forget about my friend Curtis. He told me to leave stuff for him at the gas station if he wasn't there. I left him a few jackets and some gloves. I hope he got them.
I am very conscious of the cold weather now, how it affects the homeless, or even families that can't pay their gas bills.
But really, the fact is, I know little of their pain.
I left the thermostat on cool last night on accident. The stupid thing doesn't have an auto switch.
Needless to say (unless you aren't from Houston, then I do need to say it) it was 58 degrees inside when I woke up this morning. I was wrapped up in 3 blankets so I was fine.
I started thinking how tough it must be to sleep outside on nights like these. Cold, maybe damp concrete. Nothing but your jacket to keep you warm. Trying to find the most windless place in the city. At the same time avoiding the cops. I think I need to sleep downtown soon.
Isn't it funny how we won't help the homeless, but then we take it a step further and make it illegal for them to live the way they live, when most of them don't have other options.
I hope Curtis got his jackets, it was 45 out last time I saw him and his heaviest clothing was a flannel shirt.
Its getting cold enough to die. Not just misery, but death. I wonder how cold it has to be before the human body can't survive 12 hours in the elements.
So what, people are freezing, what can I do about it?
I can help Curtis sure, and some others. But in the end how much am I doing?
I got to thinking yesterday, reports guess that around 1% of the US population will experience homelessness in a year. Thats crazy. 3 million people will experience homelessness this year?
Seems like a a lot.
Then you realize that 20% of America makes more than 75k a year as a family. I don't even make it into that category and I know I could live off of half of my income easily.
So what if those 20% started helping out the 1%. That means 20 of the upper classers help out each homeless person.
20-1 So if each of those 20 could find just a thousand dollars a year to give...
That would mean that the lower class would be eliminated as far as the government defines it.
One of my favorite stats I think I heard from Tony Campolo, a brilliant and controversial sociologist from Eastern University.
He first defines extreme poverty. It is considered poverty in which a person has a chance of dying because of a lack of access to necessary resources due to poverty.
Then he quotes some number. This number he says, is the amount of money it would take every year to end extreme poverty. The number seems huge, I want to say 300 billion or something.
Then he goes on to explain that between the US and Europe, nearly the same amount of money was spent on ice cream last year...
Ouch...
I can't do too much for the big scheme of things by myself.
I can make a huge impact on a few peoples lives. Which is all I'm called to do. If we would all start realizing this we could end hunger, we could end water related disease, we could end AIDS.
But we find comfort in knowing that we never have to try to help out and we take the humanity out of homelessness. Its easy to ignore when I can't attach a face to it.
After all, how much of an impact can I make?
I am very conscious of the cold weather now, how it affects the homeless, or even families that can't pay their gas bills.
But really, the fact is, I know little of their pain.
I left the thermostat on cool last night on accident. The stupid thing doesn't have an auto switch.
Needless to say (unless you aren't from Houston, then I do need to say it) it was 58 degrees inside when I woke up this morning. I was wrapped up in 3 blankets so I was fine.
I started thinking how tough it must be to sleep outside on nights like these. Cold, maybe damp concrete. Nothing but your jacket to keep you warm. Trying to find the most windless place in the city. At the same time avoiding the cops. I think I need to sleep downtown soon.
Isn't it funny how we won't help the homeless, but then we take it a step further and make it illegal for them to live the way they live, when most of them don't have other options.
I hope Curtis got his jackets, it was 45 out last time I saw him and his heaviest clothing was a flannel shirt.
Its getting cold enough to die. Not just misery, but death. I wonder how cold it has to be before the human body can't survive 12 hours in the elements.
So what, people are freezing, what can I do about it?
I can help Curtis sure, and some others. But in the end how much am I doing?
I got to thinking yesterday, reports guess that around 1% of the US population will experience homelessness in a year. Thats crazy. 3 million people will experience homelessness this year?
Seems like a a lot.
Then you realize that 20% of America makes more than 75k a year as a family. I don't even make it into that category and I know I could live off of half of my income easily.
So what if those 20% started helping out the 1%. That means 20 of the upper classers help out each homeless person.
20-1 So if each of those 20 could find just a thousand dollars a year to give...
That would mean that the lower class would be eliminated as far as the government defines it.
One of my favorite stats I think I heard from Tony Campolo, a brilliant and controversial sociologist from Eastern University.
He first defines extreme poverty. It is considered poverty in which a person has a chance of dying because of a lack of access to necessary resources due to poverty.
Then he quotes some number. This number he says, is the amount of money it would take every year to end extreme poverty. The number seems huge, I want to say 300 billion or something.
Then he goes on to explain that between the US and Europe, nearly the same amount of money was spent on ice cream last year...
Ouch...
I can't do too much for the big scheme of things by myself.
I can make a huge impact on a few peoples lives. Which is all I'm called to do. If we would all start realizing this we could end hunger, we could end water related disease, we could end AIDS.
But we find comfort in knowing that we never have to try to help out and we take the humanity out of homelessness. Its easy to ignore when I can't attach a face to it.
After all, how much of an impact can I make?
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