... Pickeral Lake? Pigeon? Marquette? Mackinaw? ...

A simple meditation on the heart of Everything.

2011-04-20T18:47:00.000-05:00

The Creator of the world and everything in it looks upon us in all our wreckage and filth, yet is simply overwhelmed with Love.

This is Grace.

The One spoke light into existence saw the fullness our hurt and darkness, yet threw himself into the midst of it to know us more.

This is Love.

The Ruler over all things surrendered all power to show us The Way of fully submitting our lives to loving one another.

This is our calling.

When we live out our calling, things become on earth as they are in Heaven.

This is the Gospel.

Lord, let your Kingdom reign.

‎"Snow Day in Nashville" - A Short Story by Jesse Baker

2011-01-20T17:52:00.000-06:00

"Snow Panic" by Callie Ann Starkey

Some rejoice, others roll eyes, Southerner buys bread, milk, and eggs, Northerner mocks Southerner, Southerner tries to explain lack of infrastructure, Southerner wrecks car, Northerner laughs, Northerner wrecks car, salt truck arrives 24-hours later, it's 65 and sunny. The end.

Music Snobbery: My Top Albums of 2010

2010-12-13T15:55:00.005-06:00

20. All Delighted People EP - Sufjan Stevens

Starting with an EP? Yes, because it was just as long as an LP. Some good songs on here, but I can't help but miss the "old Sufjan."

19. Up From Below - Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros

Feel-good album that sounds good too. Low on the list because I don't often enjoy listening to the whole album, but select songs never get old, namely, "Home."

(Apparently this came out in 2009, but I'm leaving it for the sake of nice, round numbers.)

18. Crushes (The Covers Mixtape) - Mates of State

I love Mates of State... I love them so much that them putting out a covers album is almost a strike against them. I enjoy listening to this, but I look forward to their next, true Mates of State album (probably next year?).

17. Sidewalks - Matt & Kim

Carefree music. Good single, pretty good album. Not my favorite to listen to on repeat, but definitely worth buying.

16. Bad Books - Bad Books

I haven't spent a whole lot of time with this album, but I like Manchester and I like Kevin Devine... so I'm pretty happy with the combination of the two.

15. A Beautiful Exchange - Hillsong

Some solid worship songs on this album. Loved incorporating them at sanctuary.

14. Broken Bells - Broken Bells

Oh how I've missed James Mercer's voice. It's not quite The Shins, but I like it.

13. Gorilla Manor - Local Natives

Number 13 enters us into the "man, this is a really great album" portion of the list. Loved Gorilla Manor, and it only settles so far down because there are so many other albums that eclipsed it at some point in the year. This is a must-have though.

12. Volume Two - She & Him

It's fun, it's childish, and it's Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward. I like that.

11. Passion: Awakening - Passion Conferences

This is the only cd on the list on which the vocals of Jesse Baker are featured ... along with over 22,000 other people, but still... I'm technically, kinda-sorta, nominated for a Grammy. But this one's great not only because I was a part of the event, but there's some really great worship songs on here that will affect countless churches as Passion always does.

10. Live at Eddie's Attic - The Civil Wars

As John Paul White says in between songs on this album, "If you're not sad now, you're gonna be." But it is a beautiful, beautiful kind of sadness. It's amazing to me that this young band is already gaining steam so quickly (especially in Nashville) in spite of having only released this live recording and a two song EP. Look for their first studio album near the top of my list in 2011.

9. Age of Adz - Sufjan Stevens

My relationship with this album was complicated until I had the privilege of seeing it performed live. It's weird, it's not for everyone, and it's definitely not the Sufjan we're used to, but it still draws me in now that I've experienced it and not just heard it.

The best way I can explain it is that there's a lot of chaos on the album, but it's a great feeling to reconnect with the familiar voice that pierces through in each song.

8. Flags - Brooke Fraser

This is a surprise for a lot of reasons, but I just can't shake this album. It may be a point of bias because I have a big-fat worship-leader crush on Brooke Fraser, but I also just really love a lot of the songs on this album. There are a couple weak points, and I would never call this the "best" album on the list. But there's something about it that connects well with me.

7. Songs from Jacob's Well Vol. I & II: even the darkness will not be dark to You - Mike Crawford and His Secret Siblings

You probably haven't heard of this unless you've heard myself or one of a handful of others (Thanks Caroline Morris!) that have been lucky enough to catch wind of it, gush over it, but if you are a Christian that loves music, but a Christian that generally hates Christian music... you need to check this out.

Best comparison I can think of is they are like The Decemberists-turned worship band.

6. Brothers - The Black Keys

I think I was a little behind on this one, but it didn't take long to fall in love with the Jimi Hendrix-meets-Jack White vibe of The Black Keys. Just try to keep yourself from air drumming... you can't do it.

5. History From Below - Delta Spirit

Top 5, here we go... You want a solid folk-rock album, they don't get a whole lot better than Delta Spirit. This was my first introduction to Delta Spirit, so if it is for you as well, be sure to get their last album, Ode To Sunshine also.

4. Darwin Deez – Darwin Deez

Another one that not many have heard of, but everyone should. Darwin Deez doesn't spend a lot of time taking himself too seriously, and he will will make you smile. I would venture to say this music is pretty approachable for most anyone. But if you love lighthearted indie rock, I'll go so far as to say you'll love this.

3. Big Echo - The Morning Benders

This album is just really good. I don't even have much to say about it.

2. Shame, Shame - Dr. Dog

If you know me, this is no surprise. I love just about everything Dr. Dog has ever done, and this album was no exception. When it comes down to it, there's no reason this wouldn't be a #1 for the year, but there was just no beating Mumford.

1. Sigh No More - Mumford & Sons

Possibly the most predictable #1 there could possibly be if you've spoken to me within the past six months or so. Technically this album came out in 2009, but not in the States until February of this year... so it totally counts. And I actually didn't catch on until this summer, but since then my last.fm profile shows that I've already listened to these songs fourth most of any other artist, only bested by Dr. Dog, Mates of State, and the Avett Brothers, three favorites with several albums a piece, yet Mumford only has this one album so far... And the best part is, it still hasn't gotten old.

It also doesn't hurt that seeing Mumford & Sons live was the best concert I have ever attended, and it's not possible for me to say that lightly.

This band is a perfect storm of fantastic lyricism meeting with a perfectly-suited musical accompaniment. Like the Avett Brothers on somewhat of a different plain, Mumford & Sons has reinvented the standard for folk and bluegrass music in the mainstream, and I love what they're doing with it.

lent.

2010-02-18T04:02:00.003-06:00

Until recent years, I had little to no understanding of the liturgical calendar, and, although my liturgical education is still in its infancy, it is becoming more and more alive with each significant event on the calendar.

As I said, I am still very much in the learning process, so I will step aside and allow a favorite professor and brother, Dr. John Mark Hicks explain the significance of Lent.

If you are like me, and still learning about liturgy, I would encourage you to dive into this post to see what beauty can be found in its significance, and how the Body is built up by practicing communal acts like the repentance and submission displayed during Lent.

Hungering for God (Lent Reflections)

Text: Luke 4:1-13

Lent is forty days of letting go of some of our normal habits in order to pursue God with a special focus. The pursuit of God during these forty days comes in various forms: repentance, meditation, Scripture reading, prayer, immersion in sacred music, communal worship, almsgiving, etc. Lent was originally named “Forty Days” (quadragesima) and only became known as “Lent” (meaning Spring) in later years.

Lent is a season where we, in some sense and to some degree, follow Jesus into the wilderness for forty days. We followed Jesus into the waters of baptism and so now, in the narrative of Luke, we follow Jesus into the wilderness. Before Jesus’ forty days in the wilderness, Moses spent forty days on the mountain with God (Exodus 32; Deuteronomy 9:9), Israel spent forty years in the wilderness where God probed and tested their hearts (Deuteronomy 8:1-5) and Elijah devoted forty days to God at Mt. Sinai (1 Kings 9:8).

It is not surprising, then, that the ancient church decided “forty” was a good number for a season of renewed dedication to God. The roots of this practice are baptismal, though there are also penitential backgrounds where those seeking reunion with the community fasted for a period of time. Those preparing for baptism would spend a specified time (usually three days or 40 hours) fasting. As Easter Eve became an annual baptism festival, the practice of “forty days” of preparation emerged. Eventually, the whole church was invited to fast for forty days before Easter (late fourth century). The form of this fasting varied and was not necessarily a total fast on every day of the forty. Indeed, the tradition arose that Sundays during Lent were “mini-Easters” which celebrated the resurrection of Jesus and thus were not fast days. Consequently, “Ash Wednesday” arose in the West (probably eighth century) as a way of adding days to compensate for the loss of fast days due to Sunda. This kept the number of fast days at forty. It is called “Ash” Wednesday because ashes are used as symbols of penitence and death as we humble ourselves in preparation for the Forty Days.

The Forty Days, most significantly, connects believers with the life of Jesus as they join Jesus in the wilderness in some small measure. Just as Jesus was led to fast for forty days, so believers seek to follow Jesus into the wilderness for forty days. It is a specified time dedicated to seeking God. It was valuable for Jesus, and many believers find it valuable for their own relationship with the Father.

Though Jesus had regular habits of spiritual discipline (e.g., being alone with God), it was nevertheless important for Jesus to experience these forty days as a way of probing his own heart, being tested by Satan, and hungering after God. We, too, need special moments, days or seasons to devote ourselves to probing, testing and hungering. Lent is a season which many believers choose to practice for this very purpose.

What did Jesus discover about himself in these days of probing, testing and hungering? He learned existentially what perhaps he only knew provisionally or intellectually previously. He learned to feed on the word of God rather than bread. He learned that devotion to God is more important than power among the nations. He learned trusting God rather than testing God is the way to peace and joy. He experienced the wilderness—he experienced his faith in action as he connected with the Father and his own soul.

He had other options. Satan provided opportunity and attempted persuasion. But Jesus chose God. He quoted Scripture, but the effect of quoting Scripture was not the cognitive information he articulated. Rather, Scripture pointed to God. Jesus hungered for God rather than food, power or fame.

Jesus chose the way of the cross rather than the spectacular, the power and the luxury. He owned his baptismal vocation when he rejected the Satanic offers and embraced his identity as Son of God.

Lent is an opportunity, not an obligation. No one is forced to practice the Forty Days. We are led into it for the sake of embracing our vocational identity as children of God. These are days when we seek and hunger after God; days when we spend time with Jesus in the wilderness; days when we, too, may discover again our own souls, own our baptism and encounter God anew.

1. Read the text of Luke 4:1-13 slowly several times. What are the significant lines and repeated ideas in the text?

2. How do you think Jesus experienced the different temptations or testings? What was the draw or allure of each?

3. What do you think Jesus “learned” through this experience? Why was it important for the Spirit to lead Jesus into the wilderness? Why do we need wildernesses in our own faith journey?

4. How does Lent pattern itself after Jesus’ own experience? How does this deepen the significance and importance of Lent for those who choose to practice it? How is Lent similar and dissimilar to the experience of Jesus?

purpose.

2010-02-01T01:49:00.005-06:00

I hated The Purpose Driven Life when I tried to read it in high school, and I think I hate it more now that it has become the Purpose Driven Empire. (Harsh right? Some writers use strong opinions draw you in, I'm trying it out. If you liked the book, I'm sorry, I think no less of you.)

The idea that you can some how ramble in a self-help style of writing for twenty or so chapters and expect your readers to have found the one thing they need to do in life in order to enjoy it most is at least self-indulgent if not simply absurd.

Yes, we all have purpose, but the Rick Warren definition of purpose (at least as I understood it after a few redundant chapters) is not quite on point.

I think we have a collective purpose to bring restoration and reconciliation with all that God created... man, plant, animal, planet, and all else there may be, because it has fallen, and we have seen that there is a Great Force for Good that never intended it to be this way.

So in that sense, yes, we all very much have a purpose. One that is tangible, doable, and so important that it simply cannot be left to just one of us. Obviously, there is not much an individual can do on his/her own in the the quest to restore creation to wholeness, but together, the possibilities are simply beautiful to imagine.

Even more beautiful is the body of many parts metaphor (1 Cor. 12). So, yes, we have a collective purpose, but yes, we also have some form of "individual" purpose that fits like a finely carved puzzle piece into the mosaic masterpiece that is the Church.

But does that "individual" purpose exist outside of the body and function freely without influence from the rest of the body? Of course not, it is still part of the collective.

So what is this purpose? Well I sure don't know, but I don't think Rick Warren can quite point you there either. As a matter of fact, the more I wonder on this, the more I'm led to believe that we'd be arrogant to try to assume a specific, narrow purpose for our lives that limits the possibility to have God do amazing, seemingly random things with us that glorify Him and the express the beauty of His Kingdom.

In that sense, maybe our "individual" purpose or calling is simply as Jesus described, the one that calls us to pick up a cross daily and continue dying that same death we did the day before to the broken tattered sinner we once were, and dragging that cross through the muck and mire hoping that the light of our resurrection leaves a distinct path of reconciliation in our wake. (Matt. 16:24, Mk. 8:34, and Lk. 9:23)

So, perhaps our purpose isn't for us to find, perhaps our purpose is surrender.

Father,

May our lives end where Yours begins. Take our hands, our hearts, our steps, our breath, or minds, our desires, and make them Yours. Give us a passion for your Kingdom that burns so brightly we are led to a purpose, but teach us that this purpose is to submit to Your will and not our own. Help us ask we seek to die to our own will and come alive to Yours. Your ways are perfect, Your heart is Love, Your will is Peace.

May we love as You first loved us.

Amen.

allegiance.

2010-01-31T16:28:00.012-06:00

Inspiration often comes from unexpected places.

Last night, as I was watching TV and winding down when this commercial interrupted my regularly scheduled viewing to enlighten me about the great honor it is to serve one's country.

Now, if you know my political views, you know I say that with more than just a tinge of sarcasm.

However (and I'll give you a moment now to watch the commercial, otherwise the following will begin to make less sense), this commercial makes some incredibly profound theological statements... and this I say without the smallest hint of sarcasm.

Just for the sake of reference, here is a transcript of the commercial:

"The call to serve: it has no sound, yet I have heard it in the whispered retelling of honorable sacrifices made by those who have served before me.

The call to serve has no form, yet I have clearly seen it in the eyes of men and women infinitely more courageous and more driven than most.

The call to serve has no weight, yet I have held it in my hands.

I will commit to carry it close to my heart until my country is safe, and the anguish of those less fortunate has been soothed.

The call to serve is at once invisible and always present, and for those who choose to answer the call for their country, for their fellow man, and for themselves, it is the most powerful force on earth.

America's Navy: a global force for good."

What occurred to me as I sat and listened to this for the first time was not quite what I expected or prepared myself for. Typically, when a military recruiting commercial comes on, I begin to build up my inner walls and prepare to be disgusted by the over-glorification of American dominance and cutting-edge technology, but this one struck me from a slightly different angle.

Yes, I was still very much turned-off by the propaganda, but at the same time I was nearly moved to tears by the message of the commercial.

As I listened to the narrator's words, I knew I wasn't actually hearing a recruiting pitch nearly so much as I was getting an explanation of the U.S. Navy's nationalistic theology.

This realization clicked as the narrator repeated the phrase, "the call to serve," and then continued to compound as I realized, if the images on the screen were different, and the narrator were to be speaking of the Kingdom rather than a country... how beautiful of a message it would be. (If you're catching my drift, go back and read the transcript or watch the video again through those lenses... if not, just keep reading and hopefully it will make more sense later... but either way... keep reading)

This commercial so clearly expresses a theology, and I could see that because it is so very similar to my own!

Instead of living for a King and Kingdom, the Navy recruiting theology is one that calls people into service for a government and a country.

This is such a clear picture of the masters we are choosing between as Christians in America. There are those who serve the Kingdom of YHWH, there are those who answer a call to country, and then there are many who seek to pledge allegiance to both masters.

But in both theologies, there is a "call to serve," in both theologies that call is intangible, but very real, both theologies seek victory for a kingdom and to alleviate suffering, and both seek to be a "global force for good." (I think some of this could certainly be argued on the military side, but that's beside the point for now)

I only wish this script (only slightly altered) had been used for a commercial recruiting people to serve the Kingdom.

Maybe it would have a website link at the end where you could order a cross to carry instead of a uniform, so you could begin dying to yourself rather of ending the lives of others... I'll have to work on that...

I'm sure this is far from the best-written blog I've ever put together, and I'm also not going to take the time to call into question the more specific claims of the commercial that I find incredibly misleading here, but maybe it can help us understand that we are not just Christians who are Americans, and should, therefore, be more than happy to pledge allegiance to America.

But, in fact, we are choosing between two well-established theological positions with two very different gods.

Are we serving a principality for the sake of a power, or are we serving a Kingdom for the sake of a King?

We face this decision all-to-often as American Christians who are raised to honor their servicemen and women, pledge allegiance the flag, vote republican, and settle for war when so much more could be done for peace. But it's time we realized there is a call far greater than the one our government is teaching us: a call to die to ourselves, to our old lives, our old code of ethics, and embrace the life and ethic of the Kingdom.

Because messages like this one from our friends at the U.S. Navy are just as much calls to worship as you might find in any church.

So who are we worshipping?

I realize this issue is far too large to tackle comprehensively in one blog, so I understand if you don't agree with me, and this idea will take further discussion. It is certainly worthy of much discussion. So, I will allow that this blog is more appropriately directed as a thought for those friends who already understand where I'm coming from.

However, If you don't understand where it is I'm coming from, feel free to extend an invitation to continue the conversation, because it goes far deeper than these few words allow.

Father of Peace,

May we seek the ways of your Love to all the ends of the earth. As our feet grow weary in our search for Peace, give us strength. Give us an unquenchable thirst for your Kingdom that is only satisfied when your creation is restored and new life is born. We eagerly await your healing hand to make us whole, but Lord, do not let us only wait, but stir our hearts to action now! Set a fire to our feet so that we will run through this world leaving restoration in our wake so that you may be glorified and your Kingdom exalted! Hosanna!

Amen, amen.

Disclaimer: None of this is at all saying that we should not honor and respect members of the military for who they are, but only that we should honor and respect everyone as fellow brothers and sisters as well (including Iraqis, North Koreans, Afghanis, and the rest!)

king.

2010-01-18T02:19:00.011-06:00

Today marks the first Martin Luther King Jr. Day that I have actually taken the pause to recognize the man's wisdom and influence on society. Also, this will be a day in recognizing my own past and continuing ignorance of the wisdom this man preached.

Because of my budding understanding of Rev. King's message, and in light of the troubled world climate as an untold tragedy unfolds in Haiti, I wanted to let him guest-write on this blog.

I've searched some King quotes that still ring true in our charge to seek justice today, and I will be collecting them here... May his words live on as a bright voice of truth in a world of confused darkness.

"Let us be dissatisfied until the tragic walls that separate the outer city of wealth and comfort from the inner city of poverty and despair shall be crushed by the battering rams of the forces of justice."

"Philanthropy is commendable, but it must not cause the philanthropist to overlook the circumstances of economic injustice which make philanthropy necessary."

"Pity may represent little more than the impersonal concern which prompts the mailing of a check, but true sympathy is the personal concern which demands the giving of one's soul."

"Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'"

"The hope of a secure and livable world lies with disciplined nonconformists who are dedicated to justice, peace and brotherhood."

"The question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be... The nation and the world are in dire need of creative extremists."

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

"The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people."

"A true revolution of values will soon cause us to question the fairness and justice of many of our past and present policies. On the one hand, we are called to play the Good Samaritan on life's roadside, but that will be only an initial act. One day we must come to see that the whole Jericho Road must be transformed so that men and women will not be constantly beaten and robbed as they make their journey on life's highway. True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar. It comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring."

"I know that love is ultimately the only answer to mankind's problems. And I'm going to talk about it everywhere I go. I know it isn't popular to talk about it in some circles today. I'm not talking about emotional bosh when I talk about love, I'm talking about a strong, demanding love. And I have seen too much hate. I've seen too much hate on the faces of sheriffs in the South. I've seen hate on the faces of too many Klansmen and too many White Citizens Councilors in the South to want to hate myself, because every time I see it, I know that it does something to their faces and their personalities and I say to myself that hate is too great a burden to bear. I have decided to love. If you are seeking the highest good, I think you can find it through love. And the beautiful thing is that we are moving against wrong when we do it, because John was right, God is love. He who hates does not know God, but he who has love has the key that unlocks the door to the meaning of ultimate reality."

"Let us develop a kind of dangerous unselfishness."

Of course this set of quotes is far from extensive, but I hope it helps us reconnect with Rev. King's message of peace, hope, and justice.

If you have other quotes to add, please do.

Top 11 Albums of 2009 [updated]

2009-12-23T22:30:00.021-06:00

So here it is... my top 11 favorite albums of 2009 in all their musical splendor. This was originally a top 10 list until I found a new favorite just days before ringing in the new year.

I'll be the first to say I don't deserve any awards for listening to the most new albums this year, and I have no shame in often being a year or so behind on listening to some great albums. So, if this list doesn't seem comprehensive, it's very likely that it's not, and I know there are other great 2009 albums I have yet to listen to. But as it stands, this is the way it shakes out.

(If you click on the album art it will take you to a favorite song from the album on YouTube, if available.)

11. Brother's Blood - Kevin Devine

I had fairly high expectations for this album after seeing Devine play a few new songs in concert before its release, and the songs "Brother's Blood," "Another Bag of Bones," and "Carnival" certainly did not disappoint lyrically. But I was a little let down with the album arrangements of "Another Bag of Bones" and "Carnival." "Another Bag of Bones" did not measure up to the more simplistic EP release of the song, and "Carnival" did not measure up to the live arrangement. The rest of the album is solid but not spectacular, and despite the minor letdowns, those songs are still great songs.

10. Raditude - Weezer

Unfortunately, Raditude and I haven't spent too much time getting acquainted just yet, but despite our limited interaction, I know this album is very deserving of the number 9 spot and only stands to improve position as time passes. Lyrically and musically this album seems to be classic Weezer, even more so than the last two albums in my mind.

9. Flying You Like A Kite - The Fine Grain

I know what you're thinking, and yes, I did just give a friend-band a spot above Weezer... ok, you may not have been thinking that, but I sure thought about it. And the reason is, as I said, I'm not very familiar with Raditude yet, and over the past few years I have become very familiar with the music of The Fine Grain. After a long year in the studio, it is really nice to have such a quality recording of all the older songs and some new great songs like (my personal favorite) "Mother" and "Black Bear."

(For people who like: Manchester Orchestra, Brand New, The Kooks, Kevin Devine)

No YouTube link for this one yet, but you can click the album art to go to their iTunes store.

8. 1988 - Michael Ford Jr. and the Apache Relay

Another friend-band easily taking the number 7 spot is comprised of four former Belmont students including guitarist, background vocalist, and friend Michael Harris. This new take on bluegrass, pop, and folk rock is refreshing, unique, and masterfully done. Each of the members are masters of their respective instruments (as should be expected of Belmont students), and they put on a live show that left my jaw hanging open. It shouldn't be long before you start hearing a lot more from these guys.

(For people who enjoy: Nickel Creek, The Avett Brothers, Old Crow Medicine Show)

7. Noble Beast - Andrew Bird

Noble Beast represents the first of two major regrets on this list: the regret of only just discovering this artist. This album follows a long line of beautifully creative music from Andrew Bird, maybe even more than I will ever be able to track back on. But Noble Beast is a great place to start with songs like "Fitz and Dizzyspells," "Souverian," "Oh No," and, especially, "Anonanimal," a new listener can connect quickly, even though I think it's fair to say that Bird's talent is not always quickly appreciated as he tends towards the experimental. But his mastery of violin, the loop pedal, guitar, voice, and his iconic whistling prove him worthy of any discerning music-listener's respect.

6. Davy - Coconut Records

Here's the late addition that threw off my nice, even list of 10... Coconut Records may have surfaced late in the race, but easily made its way to the number 6 spot in just a few short days, just in time for the new year. This record is playful, sunny, creative, and best of all created by Coconut Records' only member: Jason Schwartzman (candidate for coolest man alive [if you don't believe me check Rushmore and Darjeeling Limited to verify]). Schwartzman, founding member and drummer of Phantom Planet, made Coconut Records as a private project only intending the first album (Nighttiming) for himself and friends. But of course someone with a résumé like Schwartzman's can't expect to put out a record discretely, and it quickly reached the public. Davy is Coconut Records'/Schwartzman's sophomore release, and it has definitely impressed me as songs like "Any Fun," "Microphone," "The Summer," "Saint Jerome," and "Wandering Around" stand out as favorites.

Check it out if you like: The Shins, The Beach Boys, Fruit Bats

5. Mean Everything to Nothing - Manchester Orchestra

This album seems to be bringing Manchester Orchestra a lot of attention this year, and the attention is well deserved. However, this album never quite measured up to Like a Virgin Losing A Child for me, even as much as I hoped it would. Don't get me wrong, Mean Everything to Nothing is nothing short of amazing, but for all of those who are starting to catch on to Manchester, you would be remiss not to go back and give Like a Virgin Losing a Child a look. As it stands alone, though, this is an incredible album that was artfully and thoughtfully made. I don't expect to see M.O. from the front row at the basement of Rocketown or Exit/Inn too many more times after the notoriety and critical acclaim this album has brought them.

4. Church Music - David Crowder* Band

After the first few times through I was ready to call this album a disappointment to a line of incredible records from DC*B, but after seeing much of it performed live twice in one weekend, I quickly came to appreciate its concept and intricate design. If you are like me, and were hoping for a more overtly "worshipful" album from DC*B then this might not be exactly what we were looking for, but I assure any fans of DC*B, taking the chance to see them live will help open your eyes to the strength of this album. Highlights include (but are certainly not limited to): "Shadows," "SMS (Shine)," "Alleluia, Sing," "Eastern Hymn," and, the epic, "God Almighty, None Compares." I will say, however, that Crowder's version of "How He Loves," though well done, still does not match up to Eddie Kirkland's version.

3. A_CROSS // The_EARTH: Tear Down the Walls - Hillsong United

Absolutely my favorite United album yet. It is amazing that they continue to improve as songwriters and musicians despite the standing quality of music they have put out in recent years. United is unmatched as of yet in the production of worship music, and this album's shift towards a call for social justice is a breath of fresh air from a church that has often been accused of preaching a "health and wealth gospel." It seems Hillsong Church has turned a corner in theology, and that shift is beaming through in songs like "Tear Down the Walls," "You Hold Me Now," and, most evidently, "Solution." This message was also portrayed through United's documentary, the I-Heart Revolution: We're All In This Together, which was a very compelling film about the needs in the world and our calling to go and be healers to the brokenness. The Church needs more voices and songs that call for action, and this album came at the right time. I'm already anticipating the next one.

2. I and Love and You - The Avett Brothers

I mentioned the regret of only discovering an appreciation for Andrew Bird this year, and that sentiment is apparent several times over with The Avett Brothers. I and Love and You is not only one of my favorite albums of the year, but it has quickly become one of my favorite albums of all-time (albeit a very long list). (At risk of listing every song on the album) Songs like, "Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise," "January Wedding," "The Perfect Space," "Ill With Want," and "It Goes On and On" speak for themselves as some of the most well-crafted songs of the year. In my mind this album is nearly flawless from start to finish, and the range it displays from the sorrow and soul of "Ill Will Want" to the fun and ruckus of "Kick Drum Heart" is beautifully done. The Avett Brothers have the special gift of writing amazing lyrics that match perfectly with the mood of the music, and that sets them apart as great musicians.

1. Aim & Ignite - fun.

The only reason The Avett Brothers were not number 1 in 2009 is that fun. took things to another level with Aim & Ignite. When going to see Manchester Orchestra last winter, all I knew of fun. was that Nate Ruess (formerly of The Format) was the frontman, and the one song they had posted on MySpace was nothing short of incredible. After seeing them live for the first time, I knew that I had just encountered one of my favorite bands of all time. Eventually more songs reached MySpace and the album was released just days before they came through Nashville again (if I remember the timeline correctly), and, by that point, it was probably already decided that Aim & Ignite would hold this top spot for 2009. Ben Carpenter sums it up well in his review of fun.'s new album,

"The voice of The Format is not lost. Nate Ruess has returned with fun. [...] His range is incredible. His melodies are catchy as anything, and this band gives him the chance to showcase his voice in ways that were impossible with The Format. he’ll never let us down. Another standout quality of this album is the instrumentation. guitar, piano, horns, steel drums, this album has it all, and uses everything at its disposal to keep each new song fresh and vibrant. Lyrically, Nate is still writing from the heart, with songs like “At Least I’m Not As Sad As I Used To Be, Walking the Dog, and The Gambler, it’s obvious that he’s writing from where he is and where he’s come from. We can know Nate a little better just by listening to his music, which isn’t true for a lot of bands. He makes his songs intensely personal. [...] Nate has come through a lot, and I get the feeling that he wants us to share in the rebound. He’s not sad, and he’s done writing sad songs (for now). I can safely say that this album is flawless."

If you haven't heard this album, give it a listen, because it is almost sure to bring a smile to your face and find a place in your top albums list.

Favorite songs include... wow I honestly don't even want to go there. You can tell me what yours are instead.

Honorable mention

Danyew - Danyew

Blood, Sweat, and Sweat - Harrison Hudson

As I said, there are still many albums from 2009 I have yet to hear, but as I know now, these are the ones that really impacted me so far. There is also much more to be said about most of these albums that I have spared you (believe it or not) in this list. That being said, feel free to comment on the list or respond with your other favorites from 2009.

rollercoaster.

2009-12-23T04:19:00.010-06:00

As a semester of singing with hundreds of dear friends at Sanctuary closes, and I begin to realize just how much I love and miss those moments, I want to pause and reflect on the joy they bring and the reasons they are so meaningful. Because after all...

What are we singing for anyway?

Over time, I've become less and less comfortable with my phraseology when it comes to Sanctuary, and it's hard to avoid using phrases that somehow distinguish the worship we bring during that time from any other moment in our lives.

In other words, it has been a struggle to broaden the idea of worship beyond what is so often propagated as the extent of worship in many of our churches, because, as most of you already know, we are called to give far more than a song to the Gracious One. As the apostle Paul vowed, we too, should offer our bodies, or as Peterson paraphrases, 'our everyday, ordinary lives—our sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around lives' as living sacrifices as an act of worship to the One who has created us. (Rom. 12:1-2)

This is all to say that Sanctuary has been a beautiful expression of worship from the hundreds who join in one voice with one another each week, but certainly not the extent of these people's worship.

As we sing words like, "What was said to the rose to make it unfold was said to me here in my chest," "Fill our hearts with your compassion," "Greater things have yet to come, greater things are still to be done," "Politics will not decide if we will rise and be your hands and feet," and "Your Kingdom come, your will be done, here on Earth as it is in heaven," we are proclaiming a much deeper call to worship; a call that demands our lives, 'our sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around lives.'

That is the beauty I am blessed to see each Thursday.

Nearly every week of the past two semesters I have had the honor of standing before an unbelievable amount of potential and looking out at hearts as they unfold and re-imagine a call to true, life-giving worship.

Perhaps its something like sitting at the crest of that first hill on a roller coaster... (if you're into that sort of thing, because I'm certainly not, and that's why I have to say "perhaps") the anticipation, the excitement, the uncertainty, and wonder of it all is breathtaking.

Maybe its even more like we've just lurched over the crest of the hill and we've begun to understand what it's like to race along the tracks and feel the sheer joy (terror) of the wind rushing through our hair, and we know... we know that this ride is going to be wild one, one that leaves us changed as we step off the platform only minutes later.

Because the ride isn't long, but it's exhilarating.

It seems more accurate to say that we've crested the hill, because I know most of the hands and feet in the room each Thursday night have already been offered for greater things time and time again. I have seen the fruits of lives of worship all around me, and I know that this ride is only going to get better.

As we increase in speed, my hands want to grip tighter on the safety bar, but I wonder how much more exciting it must be just to let go... how frightening... how thrilling... how free.

I cannot even truly begin explain how my seat on this roller coaster has blessed me over the past two semesters. And it is certainly not a roller coaster in my mind because of its ups and downs, but only because of the energy just poised and ready to be released. We've had a taste of it, but there is much more track to cover. And the discovery that lies ahead is everything.

We are living for a Kingdom.

We are not citizens, first-and-foremost, of the kingdoms of this world, but of the Kingdom of God. As we have sung, this Kingdom groans for a world, 'where the wars and violence cease,all creation lives in peace,' there's 'no weeping, no hurt, no pain, no suffering, no darkness, no sick, no lame, no more hiding,' and 'in this life we are standing through our joy and pain knowing there is a greater day coming.'

But our groaning does not come without great responsibility... Our singing does not come without a call to worship.

Jesus came to announce the coming Kingdom (Mk. 1:15, Lk. 4:43), but he never called us to simply stand outside the line for the ride and hold our friends' fanny-packs. He called us into action.

The Kingdom is dynamic and active, and Jesus showed us exactly that through his ministry. And he did so by giving his life, his everyday, ordinary life as a complete sacrifice to the service of God and a testament to the coming Kingdom. In doing so, he declared the trajectory that God so passionately desires for humanity.

David Crowder is someone I look up to in regards to worship through song, was asked why he is so passionate about singing praise with others, this was his response:

"[A friend an I] were outside of my barn, and we were just talking. And he made this statement, and I know this isn’t necessarily something that would stand up in any physics classroom, but he asked, “You ever notice the sky goes all the way to the ground? It’s just sky, sky, sky, and then ground.”

We’re somewhere in between, our feet are on the ground, but we’re walking around in the sky. That’s our reality, that’s where we’re stuck as Christians. Redemption’s found us, we’ve been rescued, but we’re still in a desperate spot.

I think there are moments that happen in life that transcend our everyday experience. I think a lot of times, corporate worship is that. It seems like your feet leave the ground for a second or two, and you get this picture of what eternity might be, but then you’re right back into the grind, Monday comes and your feet are back on the ground but here we are again trying to figure out what it means to be alive and rescued at the same time."

The roller coaster lurches over the edge... we begin to pick up speed... the wind pulls tighter at our faces, our hair, we're turning, looping, dropping, rising, circling... we're flying.

When we join the action, when we step off the platform, into the car, up the hill, and down the first drop... we can just begin to feel it. We can just begin to taste it.

This is our life as sacrifice. This is our life for the Kingdom. This is our life of worship.

In bringing the Kingdom to earth, we are impossibly tied to the possibility of encountering the very Kingdom we are yearning for, when all-the-while, our feet are still tied to the ground.

In serving one another, in feeding the hungry, caring for the sick, befriending the lonely... in singing together as if surrounding one other as a cloud of witnesses or a chorus of angels...

in love and praise

in worship

we are destined to encounter glimpses of the Kingdom.

This is why I love my seat on the roller coaster. This is why I love Sanctuary.

The anticipation is building, and the excitement for what's to come is palpable in those anointed moments.

We can feel the Kingdom coming, just over the hill, just down the track, and we are chasing it with all we have... Throwing ourselves to the mercy of the ride, knowing that being a part of its movement allows us brief glimpses of what's to come.

The love we share, the praise we proclaim, and the worship we live all point to something greater.

And it keeps us living for more.

Father,

May we seek your Kingdom. May we hope for, long for, and yearn for your Kingdom to come, both through our worship, and in full when your time comes. Help us Lord to appreciate this ride that we are on, because as so many of us sit at its beginning we can see the great potential of it, but we fear that we may not cherish it and respect it to the extent it warrants. Father let us cherish the moments where we do feel close, where our feet leave the ground, and we understand just a little better what your Kingdom looks like, and what your desire is for your beloved. Lead us into your service so that our songs are not empty, but only proclamations of the body of worship we have already offered you and continue to offer to you each day.

Please Lord, take this life, and make it yours.

Amen

discipline.

2009-12-06T13:56:00.002-06:00

This is my current conviction.

Now is the time that I enter a season of discipline.

Work harder.

Exercise more.

Eat healthier.

Pray more.

Practice kindness.

Think more.

Be quiet more.

Spend less.

Give more.

Have more conversations.

Invest more in others.

Be intentional.

I don't think it's any mistake that God has chosen the holiday season, a season of over-indulgence, over-spending, and (for me at least) laziness, to place this conviction on my heart.

I know that He is asking more of me than I really want to give, and surely I can come up with several reasons for why I don't really need to undergo any major changes. But that's not the point.

This conviction of discipline is a conviction to dive deeper into the rhythms of God. If I really want to find my heartbeat matching the rhythm of my Father's, then I will willingly submit to a life of more noble discipline. And this has certainly been a weakness of mine for far too long.

Maybe it boils down to this: Don't just breathe... live.

I only write this so that you may keep me accountable, as it also reminds me of this personal challenge. It's time I made some changes.

If you feel so compelled as to join me in this conviction, then all the more we can share in seeking holy discipline.

And what better season to start than Advent?

noose.

2009-12-01T12:43:00.001-06:00

Shane Claiborne: Communicating Through a Noose

"What do you think of that man?" the old guy asked in a raspy voice as I settled in next to him on the plane. He pointed to the face of Saddam Hussein on the front of his newspaper with a headline story of the looming execution. I gathered myself, and prepared for what could turn out to be a rather chatty plane ride. I replied gently, "I think that man needs some love." And the rather boisterous gentleman sat still, perhaps not exactly the response he predicted. Then he said pensively, "Hmmmm. I think you're right..." And finally, he whispered in a forlorn tone, "And it is hard to communicate love through a noose."

Sometimes we just need permission to say, "It's not okay to kill someone to show everyone how much we hate killing." As Christian artist Derek Webb sings, " Peace by way of war is like purity by way of fornication. It's like saying murder is wrong and showing them by way of execution." I am encouraged by how many Christians I hear voicing an alternative to the myth of redemptive violence in light of the recent killing of Saddam, folks who love Jesus and have the unsettling feeling that Jesus loves evildoers so much he died for them, for us. I have heard many evangelicals who see Saddam's execution as the ultimate act of hopelessness and faithlessness – after all it is humanity stepping in to make the final judgment, that this human created in God's image is beyond redemption. And for those who believe in hell, executing someone who may not yet know of the love and grace of Christ is doubly offensive.

It is rather scandalous to think that we have a God who loves murderers and terrorists like Saul of Tarsus, Osama bin Laden, or Sadaam Hussein – but that is the "good news" isn't it? It's the old eye for an eye thing that gets us. But the more I've studied the Hebrew Scriptures the more I am convinced that this was just a boundary for people who lashed back. As the young exodus people are trying to discover a new way of living outside the empire, God made sure there were some boundaries, like if someone breaks your are, you cannot go back and break their arm and their leg. If someone kills hundreds of your people, you cannot kill 160,000 of theirs.

We've learned the eye for an eye thing all too well. A shock and awe bombing leads to a shock and awe beheading. A Pearl Harbor leads to a Hiroshima. A murder leads to an execution. A rude look leads to a cold shoulder. An eye for an eye we have indeed heard before and learned its logic all too well. But Jesus comes declaring in his State of the Union Sermon on the Mount address (Matthew 5): "You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth,'" but there is a another way. No wonder Jesus wept over Jerusalem because the people "did not know the things that make for peace."

Gandhi and King used to say, "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth leaves the whole world blind" (and with dentures). The gospels tell the story of a group of people who have dragged forward an adulteress and are ready to stone her (this was the legal consequence). Jesus is asked for his support of this death penalty case. His response is this... "You are all adulterers. If you have looked at someone lustfully, you have committed adultery in your heart." And the people drop their stones and walk away with their heads bowed. We want to kill the murderers, and Jesus says to us: "You are all murderers. If you have called your neighbor 'Raca, Fool' you are guilty of murder in your heart." Again the stones drop. We are all murderers and adulterers and terrorists. And we are all precious.

When we have new eyes we can look into the faces of those we don't even like, and see the One we love. We can see God's image in everyone we encounter. As Henri Nouwen puts it: "In the face of the oppressed I recognize my own face and in the hands of the oppressor I recognize my own hands. Their flesh is my flesh, their blood is my blood, their p ain is my pain, their smile is my smile." We are made of the same dust. We cry the same tears. No one is beyond redemption and no one is beyond repute. And that is when we are free to imagine a revolution that sets both the oppressed and the oppressors free. The world is starving for grace. And grace is hard to communicate with a noose.

Shane Claiborne is a founding partner of The Simple Way Community, a radical faith community that lives among and serves the homeless in Kensington, North Philadelphia. He is a Red Letter Christian and the author of The Irresistible Revolution.

source: http://blog.beliefnet.com/godspolitics/2007/01/shane-claiborne-communicating-through.html

laansma.

2009-11-22T02:31:00.004-06:00

Just shared a fantastic day with my good friend Kris Laansma. Here's what he wrote about it on his blog. Don't think I could have summed it up any better.

ever have one of those days..?

where God is just so good?

when you can see how God moves as clearly as the person in front of you?

when the only thing to do is run and jump with joy?

when you realize that all of your problems are so small?

where you see God orchestrating everything?

when you realize how foolish you would be to do things on your own?

when there are no words to describe??

yea.. just had one of those days

source: http://1asagna.tumblr.com/

love.

2009-11-18T23:09:00.003-06:00

What If Jesus Meant All That Stuff?

This radical Christian's ministry for the poor, The Simple Way, has gotten him in some trouble with his fellow Evangelicals. We asked him to address those who don't believe.

By Shane Claiborne

The Simple Way

To all my nonbelieving, sort-of-believing, and used-to-be-believing friends: I feel like I should begin with a confession. I am sorry that so often the biggest obstacle to God has been Christians. Christians who have had so much to say with our mouths and so little to show with our lives. I am sorry that so often we have forgotten the Christ of our Christianity.

Forgive us. Forgive us for the embarrassing things we have done in the name of God.

The other night I headed into downtown Philly for a stroll with some friends from out of town. We walked down to Penn's Landing along the river, where there are street performers, artists, musicians. We passed a great magician who did some pretty sweet tricks like pour change out of his iPhone, and then there was a preacher. He wasn't quite as captivating as the magician. He stood on a box, yelling into a microphone, and beside him was a coffin with a fake dead body inside. He talked about how we are all going to die and go to hell if we don't know Jesus.

Some folks snickered. Some told him to shut the hell up. A couple of teenagers tried to steal the dead body in the coffin. All I could do was think to myself, I want to jump up on a box beside him and yell at the top of my lungs, "God is not a monster." Maybe next time I will.

The more I have read the Bible and studied the life of Jesus, the more I have become convinced that Christianity spreads best not through force but through fascination. But over the past few decades our Christianity, at least here in the United States, has become less and less fascinating. We have given the atheists less and less to disbelieve. And the sort of Christianity many of us have seen on TV and heard on the radio looks less and less like Jesus.

At one point Gandhi was asked if he was a Christian, and he said, essentially, "I sure love Jesus, but the Christians seem so unlike their Christ." A recent study showed that the top three perceptions of Christians in the U. S. among young non-Christians are that Christians are 1) antigay, 2) judgmental, and 3) hypocritical. So what we have here is a bit of an image crisis, and much of that reputation is well deserved. That's the ugly stuff. And that's why I begin by saying that I'm sorry.

Now for the good news.

I want to invite you to consider that maybe the televangelists and street preachers are wrong — and that God really is love. Maybe the fruits of the Spirit really are beautiful things like peace, patience, kindness, joy, love, goodness, and not the ugly things that have come to characterize religion, or politics, for that matter. (If there is anything I have learned from liberals and conservatives, it's that you can have great answers and still be mean... and that just as important as being right is being nice.)

The Bible that I read says that God did not send Jesus to condemn the world but to save it... it was because "God so loved the world." That is the God I know, and I long for others to know. I did not choose to devote my life to Jesus because I was scared to death of hell or because I wanted crowns in heaven... but because he is good. For those of you who are on a sincere spiritual journey, I hope that you do not reject Christ because of Christians. We have always been a messed-up bunch, and somehow God has survived the embarrassing things we do in His name. At the core of our "Gospel" is the message that Jesus came "not [for] the healthy... but the sick." And if you choose Jesus, may it not be simply because of a fear of hell or hope for mansions in heaven.

Don't get me wrong, I still believe in the afterlife, but too often all the church has done is promise the world that there is life after death and use it as a ticket to ignore the hells around us. I am convinced that the Christian Gospel has as much to do with this life as the next, and that the message of that Gospel is not just about going up when we die but about bringing God's Kingdom down. It was Jesus who taught us to pray that God's will be done "on earth as it is in heaven." On earth.

One of Jesus' most scandalous stories is the story of the Good Samaritan. As sentimental as we may have made it, the original story was about a man who gets beat up and left on the side of the road. A priest passes by. A Levite, the quintessential religious guy, also passes by on the other side (perhaps late for a meeting at church). And then comes the Samaritan... you can almost imagine a snicker in the Jewish crowd. Jews did not talk to Samaritans, or even walk through Samaria. But the Samaritan stops and takes care of the guy in the ditch and is lifted up as the hero of the story. I'm sure some of the listeners were ticked. According to the religious elite, Samaritans did not keep the right rules, and they did not have sound doctrine... but Jesus shows that true faith has to work itself out in a way that is Good News to the most bruised and broken person lying in the ditch.

It is so simple, but the pious forget this lesson constantly. God may indeed be evident in a priest, but God is just as likely to be at work through a Samaritan or a prostitute. In fact the Scripture is brimful of God using folks like a lying prostitute named Rahab, an adulterous king named David... at one point God even speaks to a guy named Balaam through his donkey. Some say God spoke to Balaam through his ass and has been speaking through asses ever since. So if God should choose to use us, then we should be grateful but not think too highly of ourselves. And if upon meeting someone we think God could never use, we should think again.

After all, Jesus says to the religious elite who looked down on everybody else: "The tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the Kingdom ahead of you." And we wonder what got him killed?

I have a friend in the UK who talks about "dirty theology" — that we have a God who is always using dirt to bring life and healing and redemption, a God who shows up in the most unlikely and scandalous ways. After all, the whole story begins with God reaching down from heaven, picking up some dirt, and breathing life into it. At one point, Jesus takes some mud, spits in it, and wipes it on a blind man's eyes to heal him. (The priests and producers of anointing oil were not happy that day.)

In fact, the entire story of Jesus is about a God who did not just want to stay "out there" but who moves into the neighborhood, a neighborhood where folks said, "Nothing good could come." It is this Jesus who was accused of being a glutton and drunkard and rabble-rouser for hanging out with all of society's rejects, and who died on the imperial cross of Rome reserved for bandits and failed messiahs. This is why the triumph over the cross was a triumph over everything ugly we do to ourselves and to others. It is the final promise that love wins.

It is this Jesus who was born in a stank manger in the middle of a genocide. That is the God that we are just as likely to find in the streets as in the sanctuary, who can redeem revolutionaries and tax collectors, the oppressed and the oppressors... a God who is saving some of us from the ghettos of poverty, and some of us from the ghettos of wealth.

In closing, to those who have closed the door on religion — I was recently asked by a non-Christian friend if I thought he was going to hell. I said, "I hope not. It will be hard to enjoy heaven without you." If those of us who believe in God do not believe God's grace is big enough to save the whole world... well, we should at least pray that it is.

Your brother,

Shane

Source: http://www.esquire.com/features/best-and-brightest-2009/shane-claiborne-1209

majority.

2009-10-27T15:48:00.002-05:00

Just ran across a site with a very compelling/interesting agenda, and I wanted to be sure to share it with others who I knew might find it interesting as well. The best way to get the idea of what they are trying to do is to watch these videos which are short and really helpful in understanding part of our government's spending crisis.

I won't go so far as to say the information is completely without fault or doesn't strive to push an agenda, but it does seem fairly accurate for the most part.

Let me know what you think.

http://truemajority.com/oreos/
(About government spending/overspending on military "defense")

http://www.truemajorityaction.org/bensbbs/
(About spending specifically on nuclear weapons)

Note: I'm not asking you to join this organization, I haven't myself, but I thought it would be beneficial to share this information.

illumination.

2009-08-25T18:31:00.009-05:00

If you somehow haven't noticed, the human eye is a miracle of creation.

Among other amazing things about the eye is the iris. The iris of the eye was created in a way that it adjusts to the light. Simply put, it opens in dim light to allow more light in, and narrows in bright light to allow less light in.

Many of you, like myself, took sixth grade science, and you are well aware of this and other mysteries of the eye so I won't waste much time explaining what little I know about the way it functions. For this is not at all to be a blog about the anatomy of the human eye.

No, this is an overture to illumination.

One of my favorite movies in the world is entitled Everything Is Illuminated, and I'm not too proud to admit that I have not yet read the book by the same name. However, in the film, the character Alex is writing a book about his adventures, and he titles one of his chapters "An Overture to Illumination." This has always stuck out to me as one of my favorite things about the film. Although small, and somewhat inconsequential, to me that phrase embodies a beautiful idea.

Simply because I want my life to be an overture to illumination.

Think about what that might imply.

"Overture," if being thought of by the definition, "an introduction to something more substantial," then consider the statement, "I want my life to be an introduction to an Illumination far more substantial than my own."

Do we not seek to be a forbearer of the King's Light?

At times we go to shine our light, although weak in comparison, in order to direct towards the One who created light. We are here to be an introduction to that beautiful Light, and reflect the goodness of God in a world broken by darkness, hatred, and death.

We can push even deeper to think of our "overture" as a musical piece. This idea is beautiful to me. Can we imagine our lives being a musical overture to the Illumination of God?

How sweet the sound would be, how gentle yet powerful, how colorful and joyous, how moving, how transforming!

Our overture to Illumination would be a breathtaking movement.

Different from the song of the world.

The sound of the busy streets, the scanners in the shopping malls, the bickering, the shouting, the gunfire.

This song, this overture, sounds like mercy, equality, healing, justice, openness, caring. This song sounds like Love.

However, in our struggle to sing the song of Illumination, to be the ones who announce its arrival, often our eyes fail to adjust to the brightness.

In the past few days, I have been showered in a blinding light. God is moving in my heart to see people as He sees them, and let me tell you the love with which he loves them, the love with which he loves us, is astounding. But I have been challenged in this light, because I know the truth is, my blindness comes not just from the brightness of the light I have been exposed to, but even more so by the failure of my eyes to adjust.

You see, although I have been exposed to great beauty in the loving acts of my Father, I had not yet prepared my eyes for the sudden change. I had not yet prepared my heart to be fully devoted to the cause of loving my brothers and my sisters. So, though I may be struggling to cling to a budding maturity in faith, I have been fighting the still living remains of my old life: the old life that is keeping my eyes from adjusting to the light and focusing on the glory which it reveals.

Walking in the Light takes much more than jumping in. There is something to be said for having a more comprehensive understanding of what it means to live an overture to that Light, but even when we do have some grasp on what that means, we must prepare our hearts to pursue it.

The overture to Illumination would be a beautiful song, but would pale in comparison to the song of the Illumination itself.

As a people called to image our Creator and a people called to let our own light shine before all humanity, we must first prepare ourselves in knowing the Light and hearing his song for ourselves.

Let us be still, so that we may listen to the song, but once you've heard it, don't just sit there. We can't just sit here! There is much to be done, an overture to arrange and perform, so that it may ring over the hills and the valleys, the peaks and the plains, through the bustling city streets, the quiet villages, the brick homes of the suburbs, and the tents of the forgotten. An overture to perform, so that a dark world may have new life. A song to sing that the world may know a Loving Healer. An announcement to be made that a new Kingdom is coming.

So would you join me now as we stand and sing?...

Light of the World, show us your glory, but do not let us be blinded by it. Allow the eyes of our heart not to be slow to embrace your Illumination, but to quickly take your challenge to shine brightly in our dark and broken world. It's not what you created it to be Lord, lead us to heal it with your Light. Let us shine your mercy, your justice, your hope, peace, and love, God. Let that be our overture. Let us declare your coming remedy for our brokenness. Let us sing a song with our lives that is far more vibrant that the dull gray of the the world that surrounds us. We are yours, Father. Take our hands, take our feet, make them Yours. Teach them to serve, teach them to heal. Take our lives, take the old, make us new as we submit to You.

We love you Lord, show us your Light, teach us how to love each other like You love us.

Amen.

green.

2009-05-26T16:55:00.008-05:00

I've had a sticker on my Nalgene bottle for about a year now (because you're not cool unless you have a Nalgene bottle covered with stickers... for more of my lessons on "how to be cool," please reference another blog here.) that is a green circle with the words "God is Green" on it, and around the edges of the circle you can see the silhouettes of animals, etc. I received this sticker as a gift from someone who had visited Mars Hill Bible Church in Michigan (Rob Bell's home church), as that congregation had done a series of study under the same name. I've gotten plenty of questions and cheesy remarks about the odd claim the sticker makes, but the point is, of course, that I believe God cares about environmentalism. More appropriately, I believe God cares about that which he has created.

However, although I have supported the idea of a Christian responsibility to the environment, I had not thoroughly researched the topic until just recently. For my maymester class, systematic biblical doctrine, I was required to research and write a paper on a topic of biblical teaching. For this assignment I chose to explore the Christian ethic of environmentalism. So, if you would like to read my paper, here it is in all it's glory... just take a deep breath, because it's a long one and certainly not as interesting (I wouldn't think) or brief (in comparison) as my usual posts. But I had a few friends who wanted to read it so this is mostly for their easy access. Enjoy.

We live in a fallen world. We live in a broken creation. We can read in the papers and see in the news the constant and seemingly unstoppable, ongoing damage human actions have taken on the planet, and it is rare to hear a Christian portray a sense of responsibility to our environment out of devotion to Kingdom living if at all. However, before humans fell away into this brokenness, God offered a look into the wholeness of what creation was intended to be. He offered a glimpse of a world that was thriving and healthy. And from this original plan it should be clear that the Father intended something more pure, something more complete, of creation.

So where might we start? In Genesis we can find a much clearer picture of what God intended the world to be than we can find on the nightly news. The creation story paints a picture of God’s intentions for wholeness in creation, and then it explains when mankind began to stray from a life of full satisfaction in the Father. It is my stance that this straying from the completeness of creation is the cause of the brokenness of our environment today, and in light of that brokenness, I also believe it is our duty and responsibility as Christians and stewards of God’s creation to defend the wholeness that God, the architect, originally foresaw in the world.

So let us start at the beginning. At the dawn of creation, the Lord formed each part of the world by simply speaking it into existence; the oceans, the land, the rivers, the mountains, the valleys, the creatures of the sea, the birds in the air, the beasts on the land, and everything else under the sun, God spoke into existence, all the while declaring his creation “good.” However, it was not until God spoke mankind into existence, and breathed into them the breath of life that the Lord declared his creation “very good.” It was in the creation of mankind that the triune God agreed that humans would bear the responsibility of, “[ruling] over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."[1] But God did not only entrust humanity with dominion over the earth in this passage, he also made it clear that mankind was created to image our Creator, the core purpose of our existence.

This short passage[2] will serve as the backbone for my theological discourse on the Christian ethical responsibility to God’s creation. From the original mention of creating humanity in verse twenty-six God declares humanity is to be made in ‘his’ own image and will be given dominion and responsibility over the rest of creation. Then in the next verse, readers are once again reminded as God creates mankind that all of mankind, male and female, were created in the image of God. Finally, the charge for these people living in the image of God to serve as rulers over creation is repeated in verse twenty-eight in order to emphasize the responsibility which God is entrusting humanity. Therefore, it seems clear to me that because God put such great care into creation, created mankind in God’s own image, and entrusted mankind to care for creation, that environmental stewardship is very much an issue that is close to God’s heart and something that is certainly an issue of faith even today.

It is worth noting, however, that this passage is often misinterpreted or misunderstood. Many Christians in America have actually used this very same passage in order to justify humanity’s right to do whatever it may with the world.[3] This understanding draws from the idea that the “rule” over the earth God granted mankind was not a rule of stewardship and caring for creation, but, rather, a complete dominion and tyranny over creation. It seems as though much of this misunderstanding comes because many people have misunderstood the calling to image God in his love and care as Creator of all things. It is clear to me that our God-given rule over creation is not one which allows us to destroy or exploit our environment, but one that is given out of the understanding that mankind was created to image a Creator who greatly cares for the wholeness and beauty he spoke into being.

How can we be so sure that God intended our “rule” over creation to be one of stewardship and not one of tyranny? We need only to look at the history of God’s model of leadership.[4] As we are to image God, it is our goal to reflect all of the characteristics we know of God and have seen displayed throughout biblical history. The narrative of Scripture has taught us that God is Lord and Ruler of all, but God is a just and righteous God whose name is Love. This model of God’s rule is also very clearly expressed in the Lord Jesus Christ. Although Jesus is Lord and proclaimed the Kingdom of God, he did so with peace, compassion, and love. Therefore, we would be remiss to assume the rule or dominion God granted mankind over the rest of creation in Genesis was to be one of tyranny and exploitation, because we were created to be an image of our Creator here on earth.

So it is clear that Scripture is, and always will be, read with some form of previously established worldview. Those worldviews will shape and mold the text into a certain understanding in one way or another. With the specific issue of environmentalism, Christians have often been at odds with the idea of responsibility to the environment as an issue of faith because of the divide that has opened between many members of the Christian community and the scientific community primarily over the debate of evolution versus creationism. This rift has created a hurdle to many Christians as they may find it difficult to align with the scientific community on the issue of environmental conservation when, in large, the scientific community refutes certain beliefs contained within conservative theology.[5] Therefore, it may be necessary to come to an understanding that Christianity and science are not mutually exclusive entities before delving into the concept of environmental responsibility.

There are many places in Scripture where God’s care for and delight in creation are on display. Throughout Scripture, it is shown that God cares for even the lowliest of creatures, but when truly taken into consideration, God’s love for creation is quite compelling. For example, just in the immediate context of Genesis 1:26-28 one can glean a few different points of the importance of creation to God. Just before the creation of mankind, as each of the other parts of creation was spoken into existence, we can see that the Father blessed each individual facet of his creation, declaring each of them “good.”[6] Therefore, despite humanity’s special gift of dominion over the other works of creation, mankind is to acknowledge the blessing that God has issued over all of nature.

We might also consider the importance of God’s actions through Noah and the flood.[7] God did not only order Noah to gather every living creature to be spared from destruction, but God remembered all the animals onboard the ark with Noah’s family and brought an end to the flood.[8] When the flood was over, God issued a covenant that included all of creation, saying, “Never again will I curse the ground because of man, […] And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.”[9] Clearly, God holds creation in a high regard, and man should as well in being stewards of that very same creation as the Creator offers an everlasting covenant to all of creation.

Evidence of care for creation can also be found in God’s commands such as, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” because an ox should be allowed to eat as it works.[10] It is also commanded in Deuteronomy that people are not to take a mother bird along with her eggs when seeking food.[11] And even in reference to vegetation, it is commanded that even when laying siege on a city over a long period of time, soldiers are not to cut down trees that bear fruit because it would be unnecessary to punish nature in process of besieging a city.[12] In citing these same three texts, Roger Gottlieb writes, “As humans pursue legitimate purposes—threshing grain, finding food, making war—there are limits to how we can treat other living things in pursuit of our own ends.”[13] So we can see in these passages that humanity’s “dominion” or “rule” clearly does not allow for blatant exploitation of our fellow created.

Even beyond humanity’s stewardship as opposed to tyranny over creation, is the idea that all of God’s creation is to live in communion, if not partnership. Obviously, mankind was created in the image of God to rule over the created (Genesis 1:26-28) and placed only a little lower than the heavenly beings (Psalm 8:5), but is it not clear that nature and the animals it contains are not also of great value simply because they were also created by God, for a purpose?[14] The inherent value of that which is created by God calls for a sense of respect from mankind and calls humanity to enter into communion with creation. One expression of this call to communion of the created is Sabbath.

In Exodus 20:8-10 and Deuteronomy 5:12-14, God commands the Israelites to keep Sabbath, not only for themselves, but also for the animals.[15] The Sabbath law is inclusive so that mankind will respect the animals God has placed under their rule. In Exodus 23:10-11, the Sabbath law is laid out for how humans are to give even the land a Sabbath rest. Those who work the fields are to use the land for six years, but on the seventh year they are to give the land rest. This Sabbath of the land is commanded so that people will not exploit the land and rob it of its fertility. This idea is supported by the account in Leviticus 25 and 26 where God asks the Israelites to trust in the sixth year of working the fields that God will provide more than enough for the Sabbath year. Therefore, the people of God are to trust in God and follow the command to give the land rest so that the land will continue to bear fruit.[16] These are just a few of the many references to God’s Sabbath law for all of creation that can be found in Scripture.

All of these references throughout Scripture clearly point back to God’s original intention for mankind’s role in creation, that is, to be a steward and a servant to the co-created. Seeing as how the earth and everything in it belongs to God the Creator (Psalm 24:1), and because God delights in the work of his hands, declaring it all “very good” (Genesis 1:31), there must be a greater sense of urgency among Christians today to be a part of God’s restorative work in creation. Because humanity was created in the image of God, we were created to reflect the heart, the deepest longings and desires, of God as well as reflect his rule over creation.[17] Therefore, it is imperative that Christians overcome the false barrier that stands between faith and science in order to begin the healing our environment so desperately needs.

In his essay on Christian environmentalism, Dr. Ray Bohlin made a point to reference Jesus’ parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30.[18] In his reference Dr. Bohlin poses a challenge to those of us who may be guilty of, in essence, burying our talents by not taking action about the deterioration of our environment. He does so by saying, “When Christ returns, His earth may well be handed back to Him rusted, corroded, polluted, and ugly. To what degree will you or I be held responsible?”[19] We are called to be good stewards of what was entrusted to us, and God entrusted us with stewardship over creation! We must take this charge seriously as an issue that derives from our devotion to reflect God’s image here on earth, and we must begin to take our places as agents of the restorative movement of God.

Bibliography

-- Bohlin, Ray. Leadership U. “Christian Environmentalism.” Probe Ministries International, 1992. http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/ecology.html. (accessed May 22, 2009).

-- Bouma-Prediger, Steven. For the Beauty of the Earth: A Christian Vision for Creation Care. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House Company, 2001

-- Bratton, Susan P. “Teaching Environmental Ethics from a Theological Perspective.” Religious Education 85, no. 1 (Winter 1990): 25-33.

-- DeWitt, Calvin D. Leadership U. “Three Biblical Principles For Environmental Stewardship.” Copyright: Au Sable Institute of Environmental Studies. http://www.leaderu.com/theology/environment.html. (accessed May 22, 2009).

-- Gottlieb, Roger S. A Greener Faith: Religious Environmentalism and Our Planet’s Future. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc., 2006.

-- Van Dyke, Fred and others. Redeeming Creation: The Biblical Basis for Environmental Stewardship. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996.

[1] Genesis 1:26

[2] Genesis 1:26-28

[3] Ray Bohlin. Leadership U. “Christian Environmentalism.” Probe Ministries International, 1992. http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/ecology.html. Accessed May 22, 2009. It should also be noted that I specify “Christians in America” here only because of my own, limited experience with Christian environmentalism outside of America.

[4] Fred Van Dyke and others, Redeeming Creation: The Biblical Basis for Environmental Stewardship (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 89-93.

[5] Susan P. Bratton “Teaching Environmental Ethics from a Theological Perspective.” Religious Education 85, no. 1 (Winter 1990): 26.

[6] Genesis 1:3-25. Steven Bouma-Prediger, For the Beauty of the Earth: A Christian Vision for Creation Care (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House Company 2001), 95.

[7] Bouma-Prediger, 97-99.

[8] Genesis 8:1

[9] Genesis 8:21

[10] Deut. 25:4

[11] Deut. 22:6-7

[12] Deut. 20:19

[13] Roger S. Gottlieb, A Greener Faith: Religious Environmentalism and Our Planet’s Future (New York: Oxford University Press, Inc., 2006), 25-26.

[14] Gottlieb, 26 (idea expressed in a quote from Andrew Linzey)

[15] Calvin D. DeWitt. Leadership U. “Three Biblical Principles For Environmental Stewardship.” Au Sable Institute of Environmental Studies. http://www.leaderu.com/theology/environment.html. Accessed May 22, 2009. Gottlieb, 26. Much of this section on the Sabbath draws from DeWitt’s essay and Gottlieb’s chapter.

[16] Leviticus 26:3

[17] Van Dyke, 95-98.

[18] Bohlin, “Christian Environmentalism”

[19] Bohlin, “Christian Environmentalism”

dance.

2009-05-24T22:30:00.002-05:00

I don't care to dance.

Maybe it's because the majority of dancing that takes place is to music that I couldn't care less about. Maybe it's because I don't really know how. Maybe I just don't want to, I don't really know... but I do know one thing...

There is some music that moves me to dance.

There have been times I have been accused of being boring for my unwillingness to 'break it down' on command, as it were (I think I might be using as many cheesy alternate phrases for dancing as I can in this blog). However, I have come to a conclusion that there is good reason I typically do not care to 'shake it'... as it were.

Simply put... there are only so many songs that truly move me to dance.

As other people enjoy 'grooving' (as it were... and yeah, I'm done) to Soulja Boy, Sir Mix A Lot, Lil' Jon, Nelly, or... whoever graced society with expression of musical genius that is "The Electric Slide."

Or, actually, even my friends that go swing dancing on Friday nights... I just cannot bring myself to be moved by those songs. I honestly wish I could, but I just can't.

On the other hand, get me on a good day and put in something like Mates of State, maybe some Dr. Dog, and I will have reason to dance.

There is something about some songs that moves me to dance.

Allow me to introduce a vocabulary term: Perichoresis (I don't mean to make myself seem intelligent by doing so, I only learned this term a few days ago myself).

Early church fathers used this term to describe a certain relationship within the triune God. Actually, if you break down the word into its original Greek parts, you have "peri" (around) "choresis" (dance). Therefore, this word, perichoresis, describes the way that the Trinity moves and dances within itself.

Just picture that... The Father, Son, and Spirit... gliding around one another in perfect rhythm, moving with each other as one body, yet still remaining three distinct entities. I think that is beautiful to imagine.

But there is something even more beautiful about it. The perichoresis of the triune God is no closed affair. As a matter-of-fact, it is far from it.

Father, Son, and Spirit have invited us into the dance by creating us in their image.

By calling us to live in their image, we have all been called to live as expressions of the dance... living in community, living with a passion for the created, living in Love, just like the our triune God.

I don't like to dance... but there are some songs that move me to dance.

The song that the Trinity is dancing to is one that moves me to dance... Actually, I would venture to say that, heard clearly, that song is one that would move us all to dance... to join hands with the Father, the Son, the Spirit, and dance.

We have been called to participate in The Dance.

It's time to kill our inner-wallflower, step out onto the floor and join in the beautiful movement.

It's infectious.

The song we hear is irresistible.

It's is doing something to us.

It is calling us.

It is drawing us in.

It is moving us.

Do we really have to stand here and decide?

What are we afraid of?

Let's step away from the safety of the wall.

Let us dance.

Father, Son, Spirit.

Your dance is beautiful. I am so thankful to be a part of it Lord. When I lose step, when I trip over my feet, Lord, carry me until I find my rhythm again. Sometimes I don't feel confident, I don't think I can keep up with you, find me in my weakness, fill me with your strength.

Thank you Lord for singing a song that moves me to dance. Thank you for making your song Love, Compassion, Grace, and Mercy, Lord. That is the song I want to move my feet to dance. That is the song to which I want to attune my praise, to which I want to attune my life. Help me move with you God. Guide me, teach me, help me be who you've called me to be.

Amen.

bells.

2009-05-06T16:39:00.004-05:00

"Ring them bells Sweet Martha, For the poor man's son,

Ring them bells so the world will know That God is one.

Oh the shepherd is asleep

Where the willows weep And the mountains are filled

With lost sheep.

Ring them bells for the blind and the deaf,

Ring them bells for all of us who are left,

Ring them bells for the chosen few

Who will judge the many when the game is through.

Ring them bells, for the time that flies,

For the child that cries When innocence dies."

-Bob Dylan "Ring Them Bells"

Ring them bells! Today is a celebration day!

I have officially concluded my junior year of college, and as much as I hate to say that, it is most certainly true. If you wonder why I hate to say it, allow me to refer to the imminently looming "real world" that is creeping ever nearer as the pages on the calendar wistfully float to the floor and the hands on the clock slip, steadily and purposefully round-and-round. Oh, how I am not ready for the "real world" (don't worry, I [probably] will be eventually!).

But back to the celebration! I like that part.

As of today, I have about four days before I'm back in a classroom, something I have never experienced before. How do you take an intensive Bible class in three weeks? We shall see.

After my Maymester experience it is time to start camp-hopping. That is... eleven week of church camp. That will be wonderful and draining. Prayers are more than welcome for my strength of spirit as I embark on that journey.

All told, I'm excited to see what this summer brings. There are sure to be amazing new opportunities and experiences that teach me how to live.

As for this blog, my class that it started for is now over, but I hope to keep updating every so often I think it's been good to get thoughts on "paper" as it were. I think God programmed me to understand myself through hearing myself talk or writing out my thoughts... So forgive me as I babble.

Let's go back to the quote at the beginning of my current babble. This is a lyric, written by Bob Dylan, covered in a song by Sufjan Stevens in honor of the movie "I'm Not There" a movie about Dylan. Despite never having heard Dylan's version, which I'm sure is a shame, he is a genius, the emotion in Stevens' version captures very purely the feeling of celebrating the simple moments in life when we know God is near.

The world needs to hear the bells: the bells that proclaim that God is here, that God is alive and well.

I think those bells sound a little something like Jesus, and they probably look a little like him too, as they walk, and talk, and carry on as people who love with grace and mercy the others around them.

May we ring like bells arcross hills and valleys, through the streets and through the meadows. Let the world hear your song, Father, ringing loudly and beautifully as we proclaim the Joy you have brought us by loving us so purely, so graciously.

Let us be your song.

Let our lives sing it loud.

Ring them bells.

Amen.

cool.

2009-04-21T14:41:00.031-05:00

Cool is a drug.

I'm addicted.

You're addicted.

We're hooked.

Apple. Indie music. Pearl snaps. Barack Obama. LOST. Cardigans. Wayfarers. Starbucks... better yet, independent coffee. Pea coats. Photo Booth. North Face. brb. Vintage. Sarcasm. Twitter. Plaid. Facial hair. Creativity. Long boarding. FML. Indie films. Scarves. lol. Colbert. Toms. Garageband. Gadgets, V-necks. YouTube. Stripes. Frisbee. Tattoos. Blublockers. Chacos. Going Green. Moleskine. Playing guitar. omg. Bedhead. The Office. Emergent. Chucks. iPhones. Concerts. Wes Anderson. Knit caps. Whole Foods. Youth. Art. Celebrity. Irony.

We sell our souls to these things... Why? Because they are Cool.

People like people who like these things.

So we seek out things that are well-liked by the common populous, yet not quite too well-liked. Because if it's too popular then clearly, it has lost its cool... we don't stand out in the crowd for being Top 40 cool.

That is... if we do want to stand out in a crowd. I'm not sure, we haven't decided yet.

These are the things we have sought out very carefully, arranged them neatly, so that they may define us. We drove our hybrid to Trader Joe's with a specific intention of selecting the most unique, interesting, funny, creative, artistic traits or favorite music, movies, television shows, blogs, and social justice causes from the shelves so that we may consume them, and, hopefully, become what we eat.

We put on Cool. We wear it. We jump through its hoops. We love Cool.

We primp it, we preen it, we make sure it's well fed, so we are sure to keep searching for the latest and greatest in Cool's world. I loved that song before it was ever on that Apple commercial. It's kind of overplayed now. We parade Cool around as much as possible, every day is a new opportunity for the Westminster of Cool. I'm not sure if I can make it, I'm going to a show later. I'll text you. We build relationships on Cool, the solid rock, so that we may have inside jokes about the things that only you, me, and Cool know about. Did you not see my Tweet about that party? Everyone was there.

We love Cool.

Cool is a drug.

We are hooked on Cool.

Thank God for Cool...

......

Does it work that way?

Does that seem right?

Did God beget Cool?

Do we believe that the God who created us naked and unashamed was happy when we realized we were exposed? Was He happy when we started covering ourselves so the watchful eyes of man wouldn't judge us so harshly? Was He happy the day we started seeking to impress each other instead of Him? Did he cry when we first began to gather our self-assurance from men, and not Him?

We we lost that intimate, face-to-face, all consuming relationship with God because of our first sin... Cool was born.

Okay, sure, so Cool has a place in my heart, maybe a place with a flat-screen TV and an extensive Blu-ray collection, but it could never take... it could never take the place of...

of God?

... but I'm kidding myself... I know it could.

I know it has.

The fact is, Jesus' episode of Cribs would be pathetic.

At best, a manger... at worst, twelve guys and maybe a borrowed donkey.

No in-home theater, no stainless steel appliances, no pool, no Escalades on DUB's, nothing...

pathetic.

Jesus was not Cool.

Jesus was what may arguably be the opposite of Cool.

Jesus was... Alive.

And I'm not just talking in the sense that we believe that Jesus is alive.

Indeed he is alive, but, in this sense, I am talking about the physical, walking-around-talking Jesus as he appeared on earth.

Jesus was the epitome of what it means to Live. He came to show us what it means to be Alive... not what it means to be Cool.

In fact, he was so Alive that despite the fact that he lacked any physical features to draw people to him, even though he lacked all the glitz and glamour of the time... the finest designer jeans, the latest $80 Urban Outfitters shirt, the iPhone, the new Fleet Foxes album... he was so Alive that people were drawn to him by the thousands. Not just collective thousands over the span of his three-year ministry... thousands at time. We know the stories. We know how they longed just to see him, just to touch his cloak... his dusty, dirty, tattered cloak.

Yet he had nothing of the world to offer them. No house, no money, no food, no gifts, no Cool... just Love, just Grace, just Mercy...

...Just...

...Just Life...

That is what it means to be Alive.

Jesus was the definition of Life in full, Life as it is intended to be lived.

Jesus was Alive.

So, may we let go of the the treasures of this earth... the constant weight and burden of Cool. May we realize that Cool is a drug, and it has us by our hands and feet. We are dancing clumsily as Cool pulls our strings, our puppet master we hardly realize we are living to serve. May we yearn to have these strings broken.

The weight of my arms will be heavy on my own, Lord, don't cut them yet! But God I want to know what it's like to dance on my own now, cut the strings, free me from my constant tangle. My arms may be heavy, but in You they will be lifted. I'll be light again. I will float on a breeze. I will know what it means to dance, not like it used to be, not like it was when man told me to move. But now. Now Lord I will be inspired to dance. There won't even be a choice to make. I will move because your Beauty makes me move. Because your Grace makes me move. Because your Love makes my heart beat in time with the songs the angels are singing, Father. It's a beautiful song, like a siren's song to my soul, I am drawn to its majesty. It would be so good to dance. It would be so good to Live.

Cut the strings, Lord. I'm ready to dance, I'm ready for Life. Real. Life.

Amen.

risen.

2009-04-13T00:13:00.006-05:00

Here are a few reflections as Easter passes...

- My Easter was: Woodmont Hills in the morning (the first time I've gone to a Sunday morning church service this year.), brenner for lunch with a dear friend, a few great games of frisbee in the afternoon, Ethos with my parents joining me at 6, a great meal with my parents after church, and sharing time with great friends late tonight... My Easter was: wonderful.

- I needed the reminding today, and thank God I found it. It takes too much shaking and too many smacks in the face to awaken me from my slumber sometimes, and it was so good to be alive again.

- It was flattering this morning to hear Dean quote excerpts from my blog at an Easter Sunday, which he did for three services to a couple thousand people. This is not to mention that through him that message was able to reach a group of people who I am glad to have heard it (which is not meant to be an indictment, but rather a challenge to myself and the others who partook in that message this morning). I certainly don't mention this out of pride, but out of sincere flattery that my thoughts would be considered worthy of that setting. The message was relevant and authentic. I am thankful to be a part of the continuing story.

- I was also struck with a simple phrase while at Woodmont. Dean started his teaching by saying "Christ is risen" and the congregation was then directed to respond "Christ is risen indeed." This call and response lead me to the realization of how beautiful it would be to share that as a greeting among my brothers and sisters in Christ. So, tonight I mentioned this to a few dear friends that I would love to start sharing that experience with one another. Instead of exchanging something such as "Hey, how ya doin?"..."I'm good"..."What's up?"..."Not much"... we can actually share the joy of the resurrection in a simple way that will remind us of what we are living for. I hope this goes well and never becomes a rote exchange.

- I love playing frisbee. I played a lot this weekend, and my legs and feet know it. I think that time was well spent with God and man.

- The service at Ethos tonight was precisely what my soul was searching for. The worship was heartfelt and well thought out, and the message was simple and True. God was present as always, but it was clear there was a room full of people who had invited Him into their hearts and minds... the Church was alive. I sang with all my heart, I choked back the tears, and I remembered. I am continuously blessed to be a part of my family at Ethos; I thank God for leading me there.

- Simple truth is universal. It can touch any heart and transform any life. Our Loving Father is sovereign.

Hallelujah! Christ is risen! He has conquered Death, it has lost its sting. Whom shall we fear? I will not live in my fear any longer. Our Lord is a Strong and Mighty Fortress, who could stand against Him? He makes us strong. He leads us through the fire. He leads us through the waves. He lifts us up on wings like eagles. He is our Protector. He is our Provider. He is our Love. He is our Peace. He is our Grace. He is our Father. He is our Everything, and He is RISEN!

praise.

2009-04-06T16:31:00.009-05:00

I finally started reading the book Praise Habit by David Crowder as my outside reading assignment for spiritual formation.

For those of you who know me well, you know I have a little bit of heterosexual man-crush on David Crowder, so this reading choice should come as no surprise. However, I've heard great things about this book, and being a DC*B fan has been to my benefit just because I can almost hear him saying the things he writes... Is that creepy? It is what it is.

But just through the two introductory sections of the book and already I have encountered some beautiful wisdom.

After giving a detailed outline of his morning routine, seemingly devoid of "spirituality," Crowder writes this:

"Where were the God moments? Where was the Living Praise? Did praise happen? Could praise happen? What if it did? Were opportunities missed? Was praise just beneath the surface? Could it be a flood? Maybe it's just dammed? Maybe if the dam burst we would drown in it. Do we dare pick up a sledgehammer and start swinging? It could be difficult. It could wear at you. This could be hard labor. I don't know if I have the back for it. And I think I like my water in smaller doses. I like the sound of the drip. But there is cracking in my lips and they bleed when I smile. My hands are dry to the touch. So dry I can't feel you anymore. Pick it up? It is needed? It is what is necessary? I want to drown. I want a different air than what I've been breathing. I will swing. I will swing with all my might. I will swing until there is the sound of breaking. I will swing. Over and Over and Over and Over and Over and Over and Over and Over and Over and Over . . . "

There is such movement in this paragraph, swells of emotion, changes in pace... you can almost hear the music that accompanies it.

This is not to mention the recurrent thought as I read this passage that I wished I had written it first. Not out of a selfish desire to have beaten him to it, but rather, because these emotions have been written on my heart, and I haven't been able to express them this colorfully. You can tell Crowder is a gifted songwriter.

So let us pick up the sledgehammer and start swinging away so that we may quench our insatiable thirst for praise. We owe ourselves to God, we owe him our praise, we owe him our lives. So let us swing.

"So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out." - Romans 12:1-2 (The Message)

easter.

2009-04-05T23:21:00.014-05:00

As Easter is quickly approaching, I am convicted.

This is an interesting time of year, there are bunny rabbits and eggs, but there are also more people thinking about Jesus Christ this time of year then in any other box on our calendars.

So we scurry to get the sinners into the church buildings and give a good show, because today, boys and girls, we have an audience.

And this audience allows the congregation to put tremendous pressure on the preacher for the special day... Time to dance... I don't intend to nap on this day, sir... oh no, not on Easter. Because you see, I've worn my daisy tie and seersucker suit, clearly, it's show time.

Time to sit back, relax, and let the Spirit move... Preach it. Amen.

The one Sunday of the year we have a packed meetinghouse of people who normally don't feel comfortable enough or even motivated to be a part of our congregations, and we are all sitting back in our daisy ties and seersucker suits (or for the sake of gender-inclusivity: our pastel-colored dresses and new high heels) waiting to be wowed.

What. are. we. doing?

Oh, and about that conviction I mentioned in the first sentence, turns out I'm guilty.

I think all members of the Church have been guilty of this a time or two.

If you don't already know what I'm getting at... the problem is this...

We, as the Church, are sitting back on the easiest day we are going to get to reach out to people who are uncomfortable with being a part of the church with our hands folded neatly in our laps.

But do we not realize that these new faces have put themselves in this uncomfortable situation for a reason? They are in the building because they desire some kind of relationship with God, but the other 51 weeks in the year, they probably aren't comfortable being in that pew... and with our attitude on Easter... who could blame them?

We've dressed to impress (which is another blog entirely), we've put on a false air of everything-is-always-fine-and-dandy, ask shallow questions to further our surface relationships with one another, laugh our business office fake laughs, nod politely to the people you have to step across to get to your regular pew, and duck your head if we accidentally make eye contact with a stranger. Oh, and this is just the stuff that happens every Sunday... so this excludes the bonus attitudes that Easter brings. Like the consumeristic view that the service had better be extra special, etc.

So it's no wonder that when the week after Easter rolls around... they just aren't all that interested in coming back.

Preachers typically preach over the heads of the visitors, and the regulars don't do much to genuinely reach out to them... probably because we don't know how... most have never really tried that hard to do it anyway.

So, if you are reading this, and maybe someone is... for ministers, recognize this moment as one to include the people that otherwise don't feel at home with the people of God... There is a reason they don't usually come to church! They aren't there because of your superior Easter Sunday marketing, they are there because Jesus is doing something. So open up your language, acknowledge the fact that there are visitors here, but don't say it as if it is a mark of shame. Invite them into conversation about what it is the church has been missing to be relevant in their lives. Admit your faults and be ready and willing to seek reconciliation for the past and current mistakes of the church, because it's about time we admit that we have made several! God has opened the door for these people to see the holiness of the people of God, to see how the Spirit is using the Church for amazing things... making a difference in the community, impacting lives. So is our church alive through the Spirit? Are we bringing beautiful and vibrant change to our communities?

So that's where I would argue that the congregation, not the preacher, bears the burden of stepping up to the plate on Easter Sunday. This is the time of year when the people on the "outside" will come to us... the people who are disenfranchised by the machine that the church has become are walking through its doors, maybe for the only time this year, maybe for the only time in their lives. So what are we going to do?

Leave the cheesy small-talk and your penny-loafers at home... be authentic.

Engage with the people around you, meet someone you've never met... maybe they've been going to your church for years, maybe they've never been before... meet them. Be a friend. Express the love of God that He has shown you!

The church should look different on Easter Sunday... there should be a Joy and a thankfulness among the people that spills over the isles from pew to pew, heart to heart.

Jesus is risen!

Death has been defeated!

Don't you think we can at least show the Love of Christ to a stranger?

Don't you think we could at least offer someone a glimpse into our authentic self?

Don't you think it would be nice if those attitudes started with Easter, but then overflowed into the other 51 weeks of the year?

Just take a moment to consider why it is that people don't feel at home in your church... try to relate to them... and offer them a genuine gesture of friendship without strings attached.

Share Love.

We should know a thing or two about Love.

After all, it is Easter.

Thank you our risen Lord for this opportunity to love!

More importantly Lord, thank you for the Love you have shown us... You came, you suffered, you died, but Lord you rose again! You are Love! You are Love! Show me how to Love like you have loved me, and teach me to see all the opportunities I have to do so.

Lord, take my life, and make it yours.

Amen.

heartbeat.

2009-04-05T15:04:00.006-05:00

Yesterday was a beautiful day.

I spent the majority of it outside on a blanket with friends, throwing a frisbee, playing guitar, singing, and, most importantly, resting. It was all very collegiate... postcard material even.

Yesterday was a good day.

I'll say it again, harkening back to a blog I wrote quite some time ago... Sometimes it seems like the sunshine makes it a little easier to be a Christian. It makes it just a little easier to know that God is so happy to see me here. Just a little easier to know that He loves me more than I'll ever understand.

Just a little easier to slow the pace of my heartbeat to align with that of my Father's.

So, in this day yesterday, I had the conviction that it was to be a Sabbath.

I've never actively pursued Sabbath, as a matter of fact, I've never intentionally practiced a day of rest.

"Now hold on Jesse..." You might say, and for good reason... I have been known to sleep the day away a time or two, or just sit around and do as little as possible. This was especially true of my weekends in high school. No commitments, man, those were the days... but I'm starting to realize how many opportunities I've missed in those free days to commune with my Father.

I didn't want yesterday to be the same.

Scripture leaves no question about the importance of Sabbath for the people of God, and it could be argued that it is one of the least practiced methods of communing with God today.

What I'm saying is, many people pray, read Scripture, partake in communion, or sing praise to God... but many of us typically neglect Sabbath, one of the longest standing, central practices of our ancient faith...

Why?

God granted this sacrament as a time which we can dedicate to Him through our peacefulness. This day allows us to dedicate our mind and our spirits to God, while recharging our soul in order to better dedicate it to His purposes. This day sets us apart from the world, indicates our holiness before our Father.

So why do we deem ourselves too busy to take it on as a weekly communion with God?

I will say this, it was hard yesterday to avoid thoughts that I had things I needed to be doing, I actually even spent a couple hours practicing for Sanctuary because I'll be leading it for my first time this week, so I don't even know if I did all that great of a job at keeping my Sabbath, but the point is this... There were hours yesterday in which my mind was elsewhere...

I was even accused of seeming "deep in thought." I thought that was somewhat funny because that statement almost carries a negative connotation. I may have been deep in thought at certain times, but if I was, there was Joy, there was Peace.

My heartbeat was meeting the pace of my Father's.

I hope I find Sabbath again next week. I'm sure through the course of this week my heartbeat will race, pressures will rise, and stress will usurp the reign of Peace in my life. I will need a moment to swim to the surface, to gasp for air, to breathe again.

However, I would like to find that this practice of Sabbath, if taken regularly, will strengthen the hold of Peace over my life, through the weekdays and through the stresses of the day-to-day so that my heartbeat may keep in time with the rhythm of Grace, Peace, and Love.

Peace,

Thank you for your Sabbath, for the rest it brings, for the light it shines on my heart so that I may see its imperfections and feel your desire to have it transform to your will. Give me the strength and the courage to submit to that will, Father, so that I may come to Life through your Love for me. You have given me so much, I have so little to offer you, Father. Take my life, and make it yours.

Amen.

bloodz.

2009-03-28T19:06:00.003-05:00

So there is a "gang" in Saba.

That's right a gang...

I'm almost certain there's only one. They call themselves the Bloodz, and considering I've met or spent time around the majority of the teenagers on the island by now... I think I can confidently say that there aren't actually any Crypts (Is that how you spell the name of the blue team?... I'm from the suburbs).

This "gang" mentality has developed somewhat slowly over the course of the three years I've been going to Saba from barely being noticeable the first year, starting to surface publicly the second year, and common, accepted knowledge this year.

The Bloodz of Saba aren't exactly the Bloodz of LA or New York...

As far as I can tell, from observation and a few conversations, the main source of anger between the Bloodz, and the unnamed, unorganized opposition is mostly boredom... However, the claim is that the fights and wars of words are in the name of "respect."

Yes, this is silly. I did my best to say that whenever I got the chance, because you see I know most of the Bloodz. As a matter-of-fact, I love those guys, they are all brothers and fellow children of God. Honestly, most of them aren't that bad of kids, and I know that they also love and respect those of us from Lipscomb. (Reminiscing makes me want to go back!).

But one night something occurred to me about gangs. We were talking at devo and one of the members of this group (eventually referred to as a "social club" by some of our team) mentioned that he hopes to be remembered as someone who gave respect even though he never got any (please, for all that is good, refrain from thinking of Rodney Dangerfield).

This got me to thinking about the structure of gangs, and what it is exactly that motivates them.

Safety? Respect? Companionship? A sense of belonging?.... Community?

I've been writing about this all semester it seems... There is an innate desire in all humankind to belong to a community.

We all want to belong to something bigger than ourselves.

Everybody wants to be surrounded by people who "have their back."

As my friend Akim (one of the higher-ups in the Bloodz) told me, "I got you man. You know that?" I'm not sure if there was a higher compliment he could have payed me... He was inviting me into his community. He was letting me know that we were family.

I guess I didn't even fully comprehend why Akim was so flattered when I told him I would take a bullet for him... He knew that I was allowing him into my community, and we are truly, brothers.

There's something to be said for a gang mentality... Not that anybody has to be more cutthroat or violent... Let's leave that part out of it.

But there is clearly a sense of pure community in the sense that each member of the gang is fully responsible for taking care of each of the other members.

They are individually committed to the greater good of the collective group.

I mean... you and I may not be fighting against fists, knives, or guns... but what's wrong with forming a community that defends against the evils of the world or just the little facts of life that bring us down?

Why can't each of us... as a community of faith... be individually dedicated to the well-being of our brothers and sisters who are constantly fighting in the same battles we find ourselves in?

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor:

If they fall down, they can help each other up.
But pity those who fall and have no one to help them up!

Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?

Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."

- Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

dream.

2009-03-28T13:28:00.005-05:00

Well, I've been back in the States now for about six days, and there is no way I could explain how dearly I wish that weren't so.

In the span of ten short (long) days, I was incredibly blessed to see old relationships strengthen, new relationships blossom, and old and new friends alike search for their place as members of God's story.

Our trip's theme this year was "Dream." Therefore, we focused our devotionals and some of our events on the idea of dreaming beyond today, and striving to be part of something bigger without letting anyone hold you back. This is not at all to say that we want the teens in Saba to dream of getting away from Saba, but rather we want to break down the common attitude there that someone who is "successful" is a sell-out. We would also love to see the kids do whatever is in their power to make Saba the best it can be by working together and supporting each other.

But I suppose my point is: This trip to Saba was incredible. It was my favorite trip yet of the three total years I have gone.

And it's so hard to describe why to the passing friends on campus that ask me how spring break was... There's just no word to describe it. So, I'll try to give some reasons why here.

Going into the week, I really didn't know the members of our team very well. There were some that I knew from previous years, and one of my roommates was going, but there were a several I had hardly even spoken to. Granted it's only a 25 person team, but when ten of those are merely acquaintances, that's quite a different starting point then I've had in years past. The amazing thing, however, is that this team of seemingly random people came together better than any mission team I have ever been a part of. There was no butting of heads, no bickering, and it was very clear that each and every one of us was there for the right reason: to love.

It has served as a great lesson for me to have seen the difference it makes when a mission team is focused on the purposes of God. Internal conflicts fade away, everyone's job gets easier because everyone is there to lend a hand, and real conversations are formed.

That's the second thing that made this week great, relationships. That's really what our trip is all about, and because our team worked together so well and built genuine relationships with each other, we were able to form genuine relationships with the people we had come to be with in Saba. It is so clear that God brought us all together, from across North America, South America, Holland, and the Caribbean.

We are all members of the same family.

We all have the same Father who is showering us with love.

We are all part of His story.

For the first time in the time I have spent in Saba, I heard one of the Saban guys, who has spent a lot of time with us, talk about how he had seen God move in his life.

I had never heard any Saban say anything about the activity of God before... actually, I'm not sure if I had heard any Saban say anything about God before at all.

God was moving. God is moving, in the hearts of the people of Saba.

And I am so grateful and humbled to know that He is moving without my help. I'm just happy to be a witness to it.

Thank you God for Saba! The story that has led me into a relationship with that tiny little island is a testament to your greatness. You are unfathomable and too great to imagine. Thank you for painting your picture on a canvass that is much to large for me to comprehend. Your plan is perfect, your will supreme. Let me submit to it, Father. Make me your instrument of love and peace. Teach me to follow you in everything I do.

busy!

2009-03-10T23:52:00.003-05:00

I like to title my blogs with one word, followed by a period. Have you noticed?

I have no idea why... I guess it's just like how Surdacki likes to put this ".::" before everything... it's just how I express my creativity...?

But I would just like to draw attention to how I'm shaking things up on this one... that, my friends, is what your English majors might call, an exclamation mark.

All that aside, may I just say that this week has been hectic.

So much so that I have had good ideas for blogs that I just have not had time to sit and write... so this is just a rain check blog to say I'm too busy to write a great blog.... can I do that?

Just did.

3x5.

2009-03-04T12:26:00.010-06:00

I used to be a big John Mayer fan....... ladies.

But one of my favorite John Mayer songs has always been "3x5", a song about giving up on living behind a camera lens and experiencing life for what it really is. No filter, no focus, just live in the moment.

The song also alludes to the fact that he won't be able to show people pictures, but because he was fully present in the moment, he'll be able to tell you about it, and bring you along the next time.

This concept has stuck with me (obviously) for quite some time... there is something very real about this idea of living in the moment instead of trying to capture it all on film so you can experience that same moment later.

[Insert Demetri Martin joke: "The digital camera is a great invention because it allows us to reminisce. Instantly."]

However, despite how ideas in this song have stuck with me, I have rarely ever put them into practice.

As I prepare for Saba, round 3, I'm reminded that the first year I went to Saba, I came home with no less than 250 pictures. I actually remember having to go through and delete some so I would have enough memory for all of them.

The second year, I was aware of how much time I spent taking pictures, so I only came home with about 120 pictures that year.

I'm thinking about leaving the camera at home this time.

Sure, there will be moments I will hate I don't have captured on film, but the truth is, I've been there, and I know what it looks like now. It's time to be present in every moment.

It's time to stop viewing the world through a lens, and start living as an active participant in God's story.

Be. Intentional.

No more 3x5's.

saba.

2009-03-04T12:11:00.006-06:00

I had the realization yesterday, that I will once again be in the most beautiful place in the world in just over a week.

That realization is both exhilarating and terrifying!

All at once I can't wait, and I can't seem to gather enough time to be prepared. If only spring break were a week and a half so I could spend a few days running errands, gathering supplies, and a few days preparing my heart.

Right now, I am still very much in the cycle of "rest and rush" that I wrote about not too long ago, and it has been so difficult for me to focus my thoughts on God when so many other things are competing for my attention. I hate that feeling!

This very same thing has been an issue for me in the last two years I've traveled to Saba for spring break. In the long run it may be impossible to feel as if I took advantage of every opportunity to be intentional, but the last two years have called for a tough look back, remembering all the chances I might have had to make more of an impact, to live more fully in Christ.

These next several days will be days of rush, with very little rest to be found, so I pray that God will keep me centered on His purpose and His passion.

And I ask that, if you are reading this, you keep me in your prayers, not just for safety but that my heart will be beating at the same rhythm as God's.

Time is moving quickly! God you are faster. Carry me.

expression.

2009-03-02T12:20:00.002-06:00

There are a certain few, yet soul-shifting gifts the Lord has bestowed upon us.
Gifts through which we may be allowed a fleeting vision of who He is and gain a veiled understanding of what His mystery entails.

Things that stir the soul... things that evoke lost and latent emotion... things that awaken an utterly deprave spirit to glory...

these things are expressions of our Father.

We see Him in art.

We have conversations with Him in prayer.

We feel Him in music.

We sing harmony with His angels in worship.

We even read His very words in scripture.

But most clearly...

we experience Him... in love.

I pray that my life may become a testament to expression. The expression of these indescribable glimpses of Heaven. The glimpses that God, our Father, has so graciously granted us...
amen(?)

answers.

2009-03-01T22:04:00.004-06:00

I don't have the answers.

You shouldn't ask me for them.

However...

I am willing to listen,

and maybe direct you to the One who does have the answers.

I don't have the answers,

but I am searching.

I'm ok with that.

breathe.

2009-02-28T02:23:00.011-06:00

I have had the realization that my life has become a series of shallow breaths.

I call these breaths weekends.

Sometimes the breaths are deeper than others.

Last "breath" was hardly a breath at all.

Some breaths bring air fresh and invigorating surging into my lungs.

Some breaths are wasted.

Some breaths are life-altering.

Some breaths are life-saving.

My breath is my Sabbath.

My Sabbath is my breath.

I am living and breathing in a cycle of rush and rest.

Rush.

Rest.

Rush.

Rest.

Lord...

Grant me rest.

Let me just breathe for a moment.

Let me breathe You in.

Let me take You in.

May I gain life from You.

You are my Strength.

You are my Life.

You are my Power.

You are my Breath.

You are my Everything...

And I owe everything to You.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

...

Breathe in.

...

Breathe out.

winterfest.

2009-02-22T21:50:00.006-06:00

This past weekend was Winterfest.

I must say the opportunity to spend a weekend in Gatlinburg with twenty or so of my best friends is a wonderful experience, despite the noticeable chunk it takes out of my time spent sleeping.

I was also able to see a good portion of my teens from this past summer at Harpeth Hills and even a few from two summers ago at Fourth Avenue which was quite a joy.

I was able to celebrate one of my newer friend's 21st birthday at midnight, and spend more time dancing than I probably ever have in the span of 3 days (this year: Lipscomb booth=dance party, Harding booth=Disney Scene-It, Freed booth=Apple Store knock-off... all seemed appropriate for different reasons)

I know usually my blogs are more theological than this, and I'm sure more will spring from this weekend, but this preliminary report is just to say that, yes, I am very much alive, and God is good for the joy he brings through His people.

It's good to be back in Nashville.

slow.

2009-02-18T12:35:00.012-06:00

There are times in my life where I envy Jesus' ability, or more appropriately, his discipline to retreat to the wilderness.

So many moments in life call for stress, headaches, and sadness... how much does it take before we escape to the wilderness to rise from it and seek intimacy with God?

I've had the realization today that I am well past ready to leave America for a little while. I'll be returning to my island home in Saba in just over three weeks, and I have already passed the point of anticipation. I just want to be somewhere time slows down.

As I was once told, "Whatchu runnin' for? Nobody runs in Saba."

I doubt anybody runs in Heaven.

I remember Mark Yaconelli telling the story of his son starting "the Slow Club" when I heard him speak at Youth Specialties. The two rules of Slow Club are (1) No Running and (2) No Hurrying.

I like the sound of Slow Club, but the truth is, I would be a crappy member.

As much as I hate it, I love to hurry.

But there is something about stepping off a plane in Saba that instantly proclaims peace.

During the week we will do America's best to hurry from one event to the next with high expectations and high organization, but, despite that, there is an unmistakable calm that cannot be ignored.

In every still moment, there is Grace.

With the life I live here... it's almost fantastic to imagine that there are still moments in the world. Oh, how I long for that Peace!

I long for it so much that it's hard to tell myself that I am the only thing standing in the way of achieving it.

I have every opportunity to join the Slow Club; to settle down and 'participate in the unforced rhythms of God's grace' (Eugene Peterson).

It really coincides with my previous post about sunshine and how it makes it easier to be a Christian sometimes... Something about moving slowly, having no place to be, and having no set time to be there makes it easier to be a Christian.

Soon enough I'll be back in Saba. I'll have my moments in which I'll break the Slow Club rules, whether it be on my own terms or at the mercy of the group, but I pray that I savor the moments in which time stands still.

I just want to savor the moments in which I am engulfed by my Creator's Love and Peace.

Because I know when I step back on American soil the Slow Club will all but disappear, and I'm going to have a hard time being its only member in the Atlanta airport. That's a sad moment, but it is still fully within the overwhelming Peace of God.

Father, show me Peace. The real Peace that can be found in you and you alone. I want to love like you love, and I want to breathe with the same purpose and rhythm that you have called me to. I cannot live without you and your purpose for my life, and I need your Peace to envelop my struggle to be fully alive. I am yours, may our hearts beat as one.

Amen.

center.

2009-02-17T20:10:00.003-06:00

It's time I started focusing on what is at the center, the core of my existence.

As I walked from work this afternoon I realized that exactly 0% of my day was dedicated to the purposes of God.

During this day I went to three different "Bible classes," chapel, bowed my head for a handful of prayers, and interacted with several beloved friends.

At no point did I acknowledge God's intimate presence.

I can't even say that things changed after I made this realization around dinner time as I walked to my apartment. I'm not sure if things have changed even now as I write this, but I know it's time.

A day lived outside the purposes of God is a day not lived at all.

There is no motivation.

There is no center.

True life is found in Christ, nowhere else.

May we keep striving, without ceasing, for a daily life centered around the perfect representation of life, who is Christ.

Amen.

listen.

2009-02-13T12:28:00.005-06:00

I don't mean to form a habit of basing blog entries on Dr. Dog lyrics, but I've been listening to them a lot in preparation for their concert here this Saturday... so I just ask for one pardon.

"Oh my God, he listens to me. And I ain't even talking out loud, oh my God."

There have been too many moments to count in my life in which I have not had the last clue what to say to God. I find that's one of my struggles in maintaining this blog actually. I'll confess, it can be tough for me to consistently offer wise, unprompted thoughts on faith. Maybe because I'm not wise, maybe because I'm human, maybe because I'm searching.

But these are the moments in which I am thankful that no words are needed to express everything I feel, or don't feel, to God.

It's like the song we sang too many times at church camp, yet, for some reason, it never really got old to me, "Listen to Our Hearts." There is something about that sentiment that has an immeasurable allure.

Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of ways to go about letting God listen to our hearts that are, well, downright lazy. There is also an allure of an abuse of this element of God's wisdom in which we may be tempted to go through our day, without a passing thought of God, but call it even because we know he was in our hearts... We've all tried that one... I don't think that's quite how it works.

God is ready to listen, He's ready to interpret our silent confusion, our utter helplessness.

We simply have to invite him in. Allow him to read our heart, and open our soul to his infinite wisdom.

Father, enter my heart, overcome my inadequacy, decipher my thoughts, and tell me who I am.

I am nothing apart from you. Consume my soul, pull me in, hold me close.

Listen to my heart.

Lord, may it beat for you.

sun.

2009-02-13T12:14:00.007-06:00

"I was just sitting here with my stick, enjoying the sun... shine."

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDSj8sv0uKs)

There's is something magical to me about a sunny day.

I'm pretty sure sunshine makes it a little easier for me to have faith.

One of my favorite recurrent moments with God are the times I can just walk outside on a perfect day (today is one of those days where being indoors is simply a sin) and know that the warmth of the Sun is radiating God's overpowering Love.

To feel His Pride and Joy on my face is perfection.

It is a moment in which I am no longer walking to class or to work, I'm not worrying about the quiz I just bombed, the things I have to do, or my lack of sleep. Those moments are timeless.

I need to strive for a constant communion with God like the ones I find on sunny days.

Feel His caress and Power in the wind of the winter.

Know Peace in the snow (if we ever got any).

Take Joy in the grace falling with rain.

Take every chance you get to walk outside and tilt your head back.

Life is beautiful.

fish.

2009-01-31T21:40:00.002-06:00

These are today's words of wisdom from Dr. Dog:

"How can it be that a fish in the sea could feel like it's completely alone?

The world may never know."

Truth is expressed through many different media... I have an affinity for finding Truth in song lyrics. This quote is from Dr. Dog's song "The World May Never Know," and it struck me today as I was sitting around, not doing much (a favorite Saturday pastime). I've recently been studying the effects of technology, namely the internet, on the social behaviors of children and teens for one of my classes, and one theme that continually arises is people's need for community. Many people look for fulfillment in trying to find a niche online, but there are so many others who either are looking for community and aren't being accepted or people who may not even recognize a need for others.

The truth is, no one is living this life alone. Just as there is no fish alone in the sea (thank you Dr. Dog), no person goes about their life without leaving an impact on others and being impacted by those around them.

It's one of the greatest struggles among Christians. We are here to reach the broken, whether they be among the church body or outside of it. Christ following people are called to be in relationship with others. Without others, we are nothing, and that is exactly why Jesus commanded us to "love others," reminded us of how "iron sharpens iron," and that we should 'treat others as we wish to be treated.'

We will not be truly alive until our lives are working in harmony for the purposes of God. We must depend on each other, seek out accountability, build community, and love beyond ourselves.

It hurts me to know how many people feel alone. We've all been there at one time or another, and we all seem to end up trying to fill our souls with something.

There is only One who can fill that void.

There is only One place to turn.

There is only One true love.

Oh Father let us never forget!

ekklesia.

2009-01-30T16:31:00.002-06:00

I don't know what it is about us young folk that creates a near phobia of the word "church," especially much of the crowd I tend to run with, and I think many people have been there in general. It's just one of those words I wish could start over and do what I do on a bad day, just go back to sleep, wake up, take a shower, and start the day again... it usually works wonders. But, seeing as how culture, and unfortunately, even the church itself continues to taint the meaning of the term, I suppose we're left with a bit of a predicament.

Sure, we can call it different things if we want, but eventually we all end up talking about 'going to church.'

Maybe the best approach is to start changing the body, and let the word follow in step. Let's start living love and being genuine in the interactions we have with people around us, people who are members of the body and especially people who are not. Let's surprise someone with our grace, our kindness, our mercy, and our self control... not because we brag about it, but because they can't help but notice. Maybe if the body of Christ looked like that, we wouldn't be so embarrassed to be a part of the church. Maybe the widely touted, yet disappointing, minority of televangelism scandal and right wing radicalism would began to wane in the waxing light of Truth.

Henri Nouwen writes in Working the Angles about the ease with which many pastors are able to 'fake it' as true spiritual leaders in their respective congregations, and I think, in many ways, it's starting to show in so many communities. Years of lost and broken people following shallow leaders who are ministering out of routine has caused a rift in the church between an active pursuit of Christ and "being a Christian" (another tainted term).

I'm not sure where it went wrong, but so many of us have seen it. We all know a pastor or two who seem to have gotten into ministry for all the right reasons and ended up sticking with it because they were either unqualified to do anything else, or it's just the only thing they knew to do with themselves.

Now, I don't say any of this out of self-righteousness or to say I have never fallen victim to the very same foe, but only to draw attention to one of the silent killers of Christian culture. We must all keep in mind the ways in which Satan will subvert our good intentions in order to thwart God's good work on earth. Therefore, we must accept a call to stretch beyond easy ministry and strive for something that is much more inconvenient. And I'm not even sure I have the words for what that is, but it has something to do with truth, passion, discipline, and prayer.

Let us keep working until we are truly one body before God with one passion and purpose, to be like Christ and actively participate in his kingdom.

balance.

2009-01-24T14:34:00.004-06:00

Sometimes I have to wonder how God feels about the university system... other times I wonder how God feels about the excuses I make because I am in it.

Nonetheless, I have to wonder if there is something wrong with the amount of time and energy I pour into studying and taking classes over the time I am allowed to be focused on my spiritual formation. Even when many of the classes I take are about the Bible, the church, or spirituality, is that practical? Am I really accomplishing things in the name of God, or am I just preparing for a time when I will be working in God's name?

I often wonder how much of my university experience is spent on preparation for ministry as opposed to actual ministry.

Don't get me wrong... I know I am not yet qualified to be a full-time minister with a paid position at a church. I have a lot to learn. But with all the time I owe to studying, classes, and the occasional few hours of sleep, how do I allot the remaining portion of my time?

It could be argued that I have learned just as much in the past two and a half years from the amazing people in my life as I have learned from the classes I have taken. In no way do I consider that a failure on behalf of my teachers or the curriculum, but rather, a testament to what it means to live in community with God's people.

Because of this, I have to wonder even more... where does my free time go?

Is it not more important to build or create relationships in the name of community than to spend time researching for a paper or reading books? And what about when the books are good for me too? What about when all I need to do is sit down and pray, read Scripture, or even relax?

Unfortunately, I don't think there are answers to be rendered from these questions just yet, so I must continue to strive for some kind of healthy balance in my life.

God in your infinite grace and wisdom, grant me peace. Peace to know that I am yours, peace to know that you are my everything. Teach me to love like you love, and open up my eyes to what you are calling me towards each day. Amen.

beginnings.

2009-01-18T23:05:00.006-06:00

I decided that it may be best to state a purpose for this blog/journal. We like for things to have a purpose. We like to have a purpose.

The main reason for this blog stems from my class load this semester containing one class which requires regular journaling and one class which requires regular blogging. So this will be a bit of both of those things.

However, I decided in the naming process (a surprisingly long and difficult process) what the main purpose of this blog should be, thanks in large part to my dear friend, Mr. Sufjan Stevens.

"Oh God, Where Are You Now? (Pickeral Lake? Pigeon? Marquette? Mackinaw?)" is the title of one of Stevens' songs. This song, and the title itself have been quite significant to me over the past year or two as they offer a sense of searching, hope, and trust that finely encapsulate many emotions I have faced, and continue to face, in my pursuit of God. The beginning verse offers an example:

"Oh God, where are you now?

Oh Lord, hold me now.

There's no other man who can raise the dead,

so do what you can to anoint my head"

The irony in these lyrics really capture the sense of irony in my own distrust of Father God as well as an earnest desire for affirmation or just contact with Him.

As for the title itself, I actually found great meaning it (as nerdy as it may be) when I used "Jesse is in Pickeral Lake? Pigeon? Marquette? Mackinaw?" as a Facebook status. It was this sense of reentering the search for God in His fullest presence (what Jonathan Safran Foer might have Alex call, "our most rigid search" [Everything is Illuminated reference]) that made this list of Michigan towns relevant for the first time.

Now, as far as I know, Sufjan Stevens' only purpose in listing the towns was to incorporate the theme of his "Greetings from Michigan" album with an illustration of searching. However, I found that injecting myself into the search renders something new, something different. All of the sudden I am not only on the path, searching for God, but all the while I realize that the answer to my question is, "yes." It doesn't matter what town I am searching through, yes, He is there. He has been there, arms wide.

So despite my "rigid search" I have only to look into my heart. Is God in Pickeral Lake, Pigeon, Marquette, or Mackinaw? Of course... but why am I looking there? Maybe the question is: where am I?

So that name was the easy part... then came the URL address. I went through a few ideas before settling on "Lost in a cloud" (or 1ostinacloud... lostinacloud was taken, of course). This phrase comes, once again, from Sufjan Stevens, but also from Matthew 17:5, Mark 9:7, and Luke 9:34 (the different accounts of the Transfiguration). In the story, the voice of God comes as Jesus, Peter, James, John, Moses, and Elijah are enveloped by a cloud on the mountaintop. The voice proclaims, "This is my son, whom I love. Listen to him!"

In the refrain of his song entitled, appropriately, "The Transfiguration", Sufjan Stevens sings,

"Lost in the cloud, a voice. Have no fear! We draw near!

Lost in the cloud, a sign. Son of man! Turn your ear.
Lost in the cloud, a voice. Lamb of God! We draw near!
Lost in the cloud, a sign. Son of man! Son of God!"

Thus, the web address "Lost in a cloud"

So what does all this mean? How does this come together as a purpose?

Simply put, I am a searcher.

I am a visitor here, a nomad on earth, and it is my mission to seek the Lord through the clouds and all the towns in Michigan, because the cloud has something to say, and miles traveled in Michigan will only reveal what has been here all along.

So where do I search?

I have learned that to search may not require a single step. There are miles of paths to be traveled in my heart and mind, miles upon miles of paths that I have never ventured down before. There is searching to be done, but it is searching that will never be completed.

I will always be in Pickeral Lake leaving for Mackinaw, I will always be building shelters for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah, not having a clue as to why. But how desperately I hope for the moments when the cloud comes.

For in the cloud, you don't have to look far to find it... all you have to do is listen.

My hope is that this journal be an expression of my "most rigid search" for harmony and relationship with God. Whether it be in Marquette, or lost in a cloud.

Amen.

rick.

2009-01-18T18:11:00.000-06:00

He has two missing teeth, whiskey on his breath, and a nose that's clearly seen it's fair share of abuse...
(broken three times by his account)...

He boasts of his strength, of his honesty, and of his love...
as if you couldn't find each quality lost in his deep, piercing stare...

He spends his nights under a bridge...
with his family...
and his family is everything he needs...

No, he's not related to the members of his family by blood...
but rather

by love.

He's the guy who takes care of things...
He's the guy who you come to when you're in need...
He gives and gives and refuses to take...

and we think, "we're the one's who are here to give"...
and we think, "we're the one's who are here to "be Jesus"'...
and we think, "we're the one's who have our lives together"...

and we think we're the one's who are easy to love...

but how does Rick love me?

but how does Jesus love me?

I come to talk to these poor, pitiful homeless people who need me to love them.

These poor, pitiful lost souls who need me to give them something.

I'll talk until I've had enough, and I'll go back to my dorm and sleep soundly, confident that I've filled by quota for "being Jesus" today because I talked to those poor, pitiful people down under the bridge.

Man... at least it's not me.

I'll bet those people were glad I came so I could save them from their sorrows. I'll bet they love having me there to be Jesus. I'll bet they've never seen anyone love like I do.

How can they love me?

How can Rick love me?

How can Jesus love me?

I came to give, I came to love, I came to "be Jesus"... but Jesus is under the bridge tonight... and he found it in his heart to love me.

How can Rick love me when I'm going home tonight?

and not just going home, I'm going home to a dorm room with air conditioning, a bed, a blanket, a pillow, at a school my family is paying $22,000 a year to send me too...
I'll wake up tomorrow when the alarm on my cellphone goes off, walk down the hall and take a shower, when I get back I'll check my e-mail on the computer I spent enough money on to put Rick in an apartment for a couple months, and I'll drive in my nice, new car to a church that is about 5 blocks away from a man who chooses to love me in spite of myself.

5 blocks away from a man who chooses to love me despite my insincerity.

5 blocks away from a man who chooses to love me despite my depravity.

5 blocks away...

and what have I done to deserve his love?...

nothing.

I would love to give him something...
something he needs, something he wants... anything.

but I can't.

I have nothing to offer.

He has everything he needs...

and I think I have the right to feel superior to anyone...

How could he love me?

How could Rick love me?

How could Jesus love me?

I met Jesus tonight... and his name is Rick.

He loves me...
and I have no idea why.

Lord, teach me to love.

teach me to love like Rick.

alive.

2009-01-16T22:49:00.000-06:00

Hey friends... Just thought I'd send this your way. We meditated over these verses from Matthew 11:28-30 today in my spiritual formation class. It's just a beautiful paraphrase (from The Message) of the translation we're used to. Read over this a few times... listen to Jesus' invitation... take it to heart... embrace the peace you can find in Him.

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."

I hope this finds you well, and I hope that our hearts continually open to the beauty and Grace of God. May we remember that the only real life, the only way we can befully alive, is to seek the purpose of God above all other things.

This is my prayer: "Let us be one with Your will, let us strive towards the goals that you have set before us: to love, to forgive, to grow. May we cast aside the chains that bind us to the worn patterns of this world, and fall in step with the unforced rhythms of your grace... so that we may live. I can't wait to be alive, Father.
You have given me life, now make it yours."

new.

2009-01-01T22:45:00.000-06:00

Everyone uses the new year as an excuse to start over, to spark a change they want to see in themselves. We make resolutions about how we are going to act better, live better, and just BE better... But why do we need a change in the date to spark transformation?
What is it about a new year that is so inviting? A fresh start? A new opportunity? Another chance to be who we've always wanted to be?
We long so desperately for a clean slate, for a renewal of our lives, and above anything, we associate that transformation with a date on the calendar... what a shame.
Do we not realize that our slate is kept continually clean by a God who is calling us to start over, to be new, right now?

Don't get me wrong, if a new year is what you need, or if it helps, to spark a change in you, then that's ok, it's always good to better yourself, but this year, try something new.
Let your resolution be to constantly accept God's inability to hold your sins against you. Let your resolution be to live every day as a new day. Resolve to challenge yourself every day instead of waiting until the next January 1st. Because just like today is a new day, so will the next and the next. And God is inviting us to a radical transformation. We are new. Today is a new day.

So then, let us resolve to live in mercy, to live in compassion, to love those around us, and let us go out of our way to love. Let us remember that we don't love people because we are good people, but we love people as a response to the incredible, passionate love that we have received.
Let us live in an upside-down Kingdom, where the weak are strong, where the rich are poor.
Lord, teach us how to give as you have given to us.
Teach us how to love as you have loved us.
Lord, we are new.
Today is a new day.