Top 11 Albums of 2009 [updated]

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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”